OT: CAA Men's Basketball Tourney

[Pablo]

Today's semifinals:

#1 Delaware 87 - #5 Northeastern 74

#3 William & Mary 75 - #2 Towson 71

Attendance for semifinals: 4,051

 

[GMUgemini]

Will W&M keep the streak of VA schools going? Let's go Tribe! shaver deserves a championship.

 

[PoorManProfit]

shaver deserves a championship.

Based on what exactly?

 

[GMUgemini]

Based on what exactly?

He's a good coach who gets very little support from the AD and coaches for a school that is very hard to recruit to, despite that this is his third CAA championship appearance.

Also even if we are no longer on the CAA, do we really want to see the AE5 start winning championships? I also love the cruel irony that he beat everyone's darling coach in the semis.

Keep the VA streak going.

 

[Quentin Daniels]

#2 Towson.

The number two seed after being winless in conference 3 years ago.

I guess 3 years was enough time for Skerry to get his guys in.

 

[gmutom]

Shaver completely out-coached Skerry in that game. Prior to the tip, Skerry told his team the key was to defend the 3, and then they proceeded to allow the Tribe to hit 11 at a 50% clip. W&M's variations of zone defenses also flustered Towson, which now loses Benimon and three more starters.

Pat has done a great job rebuilding that program, but they now have to rebuild again. I'll be rooting for the Tribe tomorrow, but either way the CAA is going to have a first-time champion. Pretty cool.

 

[Pablo]

It should be interesting to see the attendance in the finals without Towson.

 

[phoenix-arizona]

Go house of Stuart and orange

 

[gmutom]

It should be interesting to see the attendance in the finals without Towson.

Yep, the CCA definitely got hosed by W&M winning yesterday, because a Towson/Delaware championship game very well could have drawn a sell out given their proximity to Baltimore.

Tribe fans showed up in droves at the Coliseum in 2008 when we played them in the finals, but there is a big difference between driving to Richmond and making the trek to Baltimore. Hopefully, they get a lot of people living and working in the DC area to show up tonight.

 

[KAOriginal]

#2 Towson.

The number two seed after being winless in conference 3 years ago.

I guess 3 years was enough time for Skerry to get his guys in.

Took a piece of coal of a program....and is slowly turning it into a a gem.....

Some coaches take a gem of program....and apply sand paper liberally......

 

[GMUSSTN]

Took a piece of coal of a program....and is slowly turning it into a a gem.....

Some coaches take a gem of program....and apply sand paper liberally......

Sand paper? Hewitt's got this one under a bench grinder...

 

[gmutom]

Took a piece of coal of a program....and is slowly turning it into a a gem.....

I seriously doubt Towson students and fans are planning the same Pat Skerry parade this morning as you and Hugh. Skerry absolutely deserves props for turning that program around, but this was his year to win the tournament with four senior starters — including CAA POY Benimon — and he fell short.

If the mission was to do better than Pat Kennedy, then Skerry absolutely accomplished that and then some. But in a year when Towson was picked to win the CAA, I can't imagine too many fans are thrilled with yet another an early exit in the CAA Tournament. They saw enough of that under Kennedy.

Note: If this is about Skerry being a better coach than Hewitt, I'd take Skerry any day of the week. That still doesn't overlook the fact that his team underperformed in Baltimore.

 

[PoorManProfit]

I seriously doubt Towson students and fans are planning the same Pat Skerry parade this morning as you and Hugh. Skerry absolutely deserves props for turning that program around, but this was his year to win the tournament with four senior starters — including CAA POY Benimon — and he fell short.

If the mission was to do better than Pat Kennedy, then Skerry absolutely accomplished that and then some. But in a year when Towson was picked to win the CAA, I can't imagine too many fans are thrilled with yet another an early exit in the CAA Tournament. They saw enough of that under Kennedy.

Note: If this is about Skerry being a better coach than Hewitt, I'd take Skerry any day of the week. That still doesn't overlook the fact that his team underperformed in Baltimore.

Yeah, not getting to the Final is inexcusable in this CAA. Definitely would have been no shame losing to DEL in the Championship, but falling to W&M in Baltimore with all this on the line is an epic fail.

 

[CHRISTOPHER JAMES JOLLAY]

Shaver is a balls deep good coach and I've known it since he recruited some of my buddies to play at Hampden Sydney in the 80's and 90's.

I would be curious to know what he could do in a greater conference, mainly recruiting wise.

Certainly stole a gem right out from under us in Danny Sumner, but L was too busy recruiting Florida and Texas I think.

 

[EXpatriot13]

Yeah, not getting to the Final is inexcusable in this CAA. Definitely would have been no shame losing to DEL in the Championship, but falling to W&M in Baltimore with all this on the line is an epic fail.

Yea, they should have beaten W&M who hit what seemed like 30 there's. Skerry put the ball in Benimon's hands in the final few possessions and he turned it over both times. The other possession in between by W&M saw Benimon foul one of their shooters, sending him to the line. Benimon did not perform like a CAA POY at the end of that game. Skerry made the right decision to give him the ball though.

 

[MasonJar]

I don't know how to compare Hewitt and Skerry. But I will say this. Skerry is all about recruiting athletes who can run faster and jump higher. He is not about strategy at all. Actually much like his mentor at Pittsburgh.

Go Tribe! Their NCAA frustration has lasted long enough.

 

[Five Two]

I was in person for W&M - Towson last night and it was a very exciting game. There was a decent crowd and the Tribe fans that were there, were loud.
Shaver totally outcoached Skerry imo. What the Tribe lack in athleticism they make up for in fundamentals.

This really impressed me though- With 18 seconds left in the game, it looked as if Towson had turned the ball over. The replay review took forever and the W&M players were starting to get angry that the call was going to be overturned. Shaver kept telling his players to relax and "its OK, its OK" that Towson was getting the ball back. It happened again during the last few seconds during a replay review. His calmness during chaos was very impressive.

 

[gmutom]

Go Tribe! Their NCAA frustration has lasted long enough.

W&M has its hands full tonight, because Delaware has one of the most potent starting fives in the country. In yesterday's game over NU, they got great performances from Usher (19 points), Threat (19), Saddler (16), Baptiste (14) and Anderson (10).

The flip side is that the Blue Hens get no bench production at all (7 total points yesterday). If the Tribe can slow the tempo down — UD is ranked #24 in the country with 79 points a game — and avoid Delaware's dribble-penetration, they have a chance. Of course, it also means they need to hit a lot of 3s like they did against Towson.

 

[KAOriginal]

I seriously doubt Towson students and fans are planning the same Pat Skerry parade this morning as you and Hugh. Skerry absolutely deserves props for turning that program around, but this was his year to win the tournament with four senior starters — including CAA POY Benimon — and he fell short.

If the mission was to do better than Pat Kennedy, then Skerry absolutely accomplished that and then some. But in a year when Towson was picked to win the CAA, I can't imagine too many fans are thrilled with yet another an early exit in the CAA Tournament. They saw enough of that under Kennedy.

Note: If this is about Skerry being a better coach than Hewitt, I'd take Skerry any day of the week. That still doesn't overlook the fact that his team underperformed in Baltimore.

I was just looking at the big picture of the past 3 years:

Which program has built upon each previous year?
Which program had a good base to start with which didn't?
Which program has their fans more interested or driving them away?
Which program has more potential right now, based on trajectory?

The fans may not be happy about this year, and maybe Towson has to start over, but the fact remains Skerry has come in an turned the program around. I can't in truthfulness say the stewardship of our program could described as anything but textbook "what not to do."

 

[gmutom]

KA, I don't disagree with much of what you said, but I seriously doubt Towson fans are feeling any better about their program this morning than we are. They haven't been to an NCAAT since 1990, and this season was yet another disappointing ending despite very high expectations.

Now they essentially have to start all over again with Benimin, Gutherie, Damas and Burwell graduating. Those four players accounted for 72% of Towson's points, 62% of their rebounds, 81% of their assists, 63% of their steals and 54% of their blocks.