Wednesday, November 23, 2005
HOLY SHIT, 2.0
This time, it wasn't really a shock. Bucknell pulled an upset, but not the 1-in-100 upset they pulled against Pitt last year or the 1-in-50 upset they pulled against Kansas in the NCAAs. This was more like 1-in-3. Like, say, when Clemson beats Maryland. You're surprised, but the paradigm is still the same.
I saw the final of the Bucknell-Syracuse game much the way that everyone else probably did: while watching the ridiculousness that was Michigan State/Gonzaga in three OTs last night. So I can't really say anything about the game itself (you know where to go for that), just what the outcome means.
LOGIC 208: WHAT WINNING DOES
Bucknell is on the verge of becoming one of the top five non-major conference teams in the nation. They're one big win away from being nationally ranked and a topic of watercooler discussion in all 50 states. And what does that mean? It has these potential effects:
1. Recruiting gets a lot easier for Pat Flannery. Recruits start knowing Bucknell by name, and when you call them, they actually want to talk to you.
2. Recruiting gets tougher for everyone else in the PL if Bucknell is also interested in a kid.
3. Money starts flowing in from Alumni who suddenly remember how much they love Bucknell hoops and want to get on the bandwagon.
4. Attendance goes up at games, bringing in further cash.
5. Bucknell gets more exposure for prospective students, further increasing their academic standing.
So what happens is nothing less than a complete revitalization of the entire school. There is little better promotion available for Bucknell than their basketball team.
PATRIOTLEAGUEHOOPS.COM: RECOGNIZING ADMINISTRATIVE EXCELLENCE SINCE 2003
Let's not forget to give credit where credit is due. The whole reason Bucknell has gotten to this point is a forward thinking Bucknell Board of Trustees and Administration that:
-Implemented scholarships and
-Built a new sports complex.
Compare this to an AU board that overlooks fraud and embezzlement from the president of the university, and a Lafayette Board that seemed not to notice that its previous president had his head up his ass about the scholarship issue.
Don't get me wrong-- Pat Flannery, his coaches, and (most importantly) the BU players deserve adulation for building what looks to be the best PL program that has ever existed (remember when I was somehow controversial for saying such a thing last year this time?). But don't forget the folks in nice suits either, as they laid the groundwork for this whole thing.
EVERYONE ELSE SUCKS
Here's what else happened last night:
- AU sucked on both ends against a Wagner team that has now beaten them 4 out of 5 years. Brayden Billbe, however, had a promising night with 11 boards and 16 points, both career highs. So maybe there is some kind of hope.
- Navy lost at UALR in the first ever game played in their new gym. Navy's freshmen made some contributions, but Navy's continuing inability to make a bucket sunk them.
- Joe Knight still isnt playing, and Lehigh beat one of the worst basketball programs in the world in Stony Brook.
- Lafayette let a DIII school shoot 46% against them, but pulled it out in the end.
- Kyle Roemer put up 18 shots, 12 of them threes. Kyle Chones had a double-double, but it still wasn't enough as Cornell won in the Battle of Schools I Would Never Attend Because It's Too Fucking Cold. Kendall Chones is notably absent from the box score. An amber alert may be upcoming.
And then there's the one other real surprise of the night, Holy Cross' loss to Harvard. Harvard has never been a very good basketball program, and going in, you would assume this would be a win for the PL in the Ivy/PL showdown. It certainly looked that way after the first half.
But somehow Haavaard shot 56% in the second half. That's what has to worry you most if you're a HC fan. Holy Cross is a squad that wins with defense, and simply can't win games if their opponents start beating their defense.
You can put the blame on lousy shooting from the Crusaders (the box score is ugly), but that 53% shooting percentage for is killer.
Who knows? Maybe the HC defensive lapses were just a glitch in the Matrix. But after tonight, it looks as if Bucknell is a much bigger favorite than we all previously thought. @ 9:40 AM
This time, it wasn't really a shock. Bucknell pulled an upset, but not the 1-in-100 upset they pulled against Pitt last year or the 1-in-50 upset they pulled against Kansas in the NCAAs. This was more like 1-in-3. Like, say, when Clemson beats Maryland. You're surprised, but the paradigm is still the same.I saw the final of the Bucknell-Syracuse game much the way that everyone else probably did: while watching the ridiculousness that was Michigan State/Gonzaga in three OTs last night. So I can't really say anything about the game itself (you know where to go for that), just what the outcome means.
LOGIC 208: WHAT WINNING DOES
Bucknell is on the verge of becoming one of the top five non-major conference teams in the nation. They're one big win away from being nationally ranked and a topic of watercooler discussion in all 50 states. And what does that mean? It has these potential effects:
1. Recruiting gets a lot easier for Pat Flannery. Recruits start knowing Bucknell by name, and when you call them, they actually want to talk to you.
2. Recruiting gets tougher for everyone else in the PL if Bucknell is also interested in a kid.
3. Money starts flowing in from Alumni who suddenly remember how much they love Bucknell hoops and want to get on the bandwagon.
4. Attendance goes up at games, bringing in further cash.
5. Bucknell gets more exposure for prospective students, further increasing their academic standing.
So what happens is nothing less than a complete revitalization of the entire school. There is little better promotion available for Bucknell than their basketball team.
PATRIOTLEAGUEHOOPS.COM: RECOGNIZING ADMINISTRATIVE EXCELLENCE SINCE 2003
Let's not forget to give credit where credit is due. The whole reason Bucknell has gotten to this point is a forward thinking Bucknell Board of Trustees and Administration that:
-Implemented scholarships and
-Built a new sports complex.
Compare this to an AU board that overlooks fraud and embezzlement from the president of the university, and a Lafayette Board that seemed not to notice that its previous president had his head up his ass about the scholarship issue.
Don't get me wrong-- Pat Flannery, his coaches, and (most importantly) the BU players deserve adulation for building what looks to be the best PL program that has ever existed (remember when I was somehow controversial for saying such a thing last year this time?). But don't forget the folks in nice suits either, as they laid the groundwork for this whole thing.
EVERYONE ELSE SUCKS
Here's what else happened last night:
- AU sucked on both ends against a Wagner team that has now beaten them 4 out of 5 years. Brayden Billbe, however, had a promising night with 11 boards and 16 points, both career highs. So maybe there is some kind of hope.
- Navy lost at UALR in the first ever game played in their new gym. Navy's freshmen made some contributions, but Navy's continuing inability to make a bucket sunk them.
- Joe Knight still isnt playing, and Lehigh beat one of the worst basketball programs in the world in Stony Brook.
- Lafayette let a DIII school shoot 46% against them, but pulled it out in the end.
- Kyle Roemer put up 18 shots, 12 of them threes. Kyle Chones had a double-double, but it still wasn't enough as Cornell won in the Battle of Schools I Would Never Attend Because It's Too Fucking Cold. Kendall Chones is notably absent from the box score. An amber alert may be upcoming.
And then there's the one other real surprise of the night, Holy Cross' loss to Harvard. Harvard has never been a very good basketball program, and going in, you would assume this would be a win for the PL in the Ivy/PL showdown. It certainly looked that way after the first half.
But somehow Haavaard shot 56% in the second half. That's what has to worry you most if you're a HC fan. Holy Cross is a squad that wins with defense, and simply can't win games if their opponents start beating their defense.
You can put the blame on lousy shooting from the Crusaders (the box score is ugly), but that 53% shooting percentage for is killer.
Who knows? Maybe the HC defensive lapses were just a glitch in the Matrix. But after tonight, it looks as if Bucknell is a much bigger favorite than we all previously thought. @ 9:40 AM
