MBB: Ohio Athletic Conference

Started by Scots Hoops Fan, March 14, 2005, 09:32:28 AM

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Dr. Acula

I saw on twitter that STVM G Chris Painter is now committed to Mount.  He had several D2 offers.  Congrats to Coach Fuline.  Painter is a really nice player.  During basketball season I caught STVM highlights from time to time and not only can Painter shoot but he had several highlight reel dunks (at 5' 11").  He's just a really good athlete.  Excited to watch him next year.

Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)


Found myself wandering through NE Ohio today and stopped in Alliance.  Empty, as you'd expect on a summer Saturday, but I got to see the athletic facilities in person.  Nice little stopover.
Lead Columnist for D3hoops.com
@ryanalanscott just about anywhere

AndOne

As of today, the John Carroll basketball web site shows a slate of 19 games scheduled for the 2019-2020 season, with 18 of the being OAC games. That should leave 6 non-conference games to be scheduled and/or posted.

I believe 2 of those 6 games will take place on Sat, 11/30 & Sun, 12/1 when JCU participates in the Kalamazoo, MI tournament with Kalamazoo, Olivet, and North Central, IL. Information currently available to me suggests JCU will not play North Central, but will face host Kzoo, and Olivet. Which team they will play Sat, and which on Sun has not as yet been determined. 🏀

Dr. Acula

I was skimming some hoops stuff during lunch today.  I noticed something kind of interesting looking at Mount's records under Fuline (now somehow in his 9th year!)  For some reason in my head I thought they were feast or famine.  Either contending or not good.  But the thing is that other than his first season Fuline has never been worse than 9-9 in OAC play.  So my recollection of the "down" years were really just average years (3 seasons of 9-9).  And the good years?  15-3, 15-3, 14-4, 13-5.  If you can develop your program to a spot where 9-9 is the floor in the OAC that's a pretty solid program.     

Fifth and Putnam

For those that have not heard, recent ONU grad Ryan Bruns has signed to play professional basketball for Aquimisa Carbajosa in Spain this season:

http://www.onusports.com/sports/mbkb/2018-19/releases/20190731cf2sji

We spent the better part of a half an hour talking about his Polar Bear career and professional basketball journey this afternoon on the podcast:

https://greatlakesbasketball.podbean.com/e/profiles-in-sports-iv-ryan-bruns/

Smitty Oom

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cLBEwao55Eo

D'Vontay Friga, a guard for the Mount Union MBB team, has a fairly popular youtube channel were he chronicles his life as a D3 basketball player. I haven't watched them all but they are definitely pretty enjoyable as a general D3 fan. Plus it gives some insight into scrimmages and practices at MUU.

This may have been brought up before I don't read this thread routinely, sorry if it is a repeat.

Dr. Acula

Quote from: Smitty Oom on October 27, 2019, 01:29:02 PM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cLBEwao55Eo

D'Vontay Friga, a guard for the Mount Union MBB team, has a fairly popular youtube channel were he chronicles his life as a D3 basketball player. I haven't watched them all but they are definitely pretty enjoyable as a general D3 fan. Plus it gives some insight into scrimmages and practices at MUU.

This may have been brought up before I don't read this thread routinely, sorry if it is a repeat.

I subscribed to D'Vontay's YouTube channel a few months ago.  He does a really nice job.  Keeps it fun and a little goofy, but does provide some good content especially for HS kids (and younger).  When I subscribed he was trying to get to 2,000 subscribers and now he has over 41,000.  Good for him.  It seems like he puts a good amount of time and effort into it so I'm glad he's growing a subscriber base.

Dr. Acula

Mount received 7 of 10 first place votes and was picked to win the OAC in the coaches poll.  Etta and JCU were 2, 3 and had the remaining first place votes.

I'm slightly surprised by the poll.  Mount returns 1st team All-OAC PG Nathan Bower-Malone along with one other starter in Friga.  They also have reigning OAC Frosh of the yr Collen Gurley back at wing.  I figured they'd be top 3?  They do have at least two impact newcomers in Logan Hill and Chris Painter.  Hill is an athletic 6'7" post who transferred from Toledo.  He played his HS ball at Jackson so that's the connection to Mount.  Painter is a very talented freshman G from STVM.  I'd think he will contribute right away. 

Dave 'd-mac' McHugh

I was told by a few people that Mount is one to look out for. I think the coaches probably realize the same that I was told. They have pieces in place that will make themselves a very good team this year. We can't always see that from looking at what returns.

Of course ... time will tell.
Host of Hoopsville. USBWA Executive Board member. Broadcast Director for D3sports.com. Broadcaster for NCAA.com & several colleges. PA Announcer for Gophers & Brigade. Follow me on Twitter: @davemchugh or @d3hoopsville.

Fifth and Putnam

I think the additions of both Hill and Painter will pay huge dividends to a team that was really gelling at the end of the year last year. Early whispers from folks who have seen them in action in scrimmages already this season have used some pretty complementary adjectives when describing Logan Hill. He'll be a monster in the league this year. His size (6"7') is one thing but he's exceptionally athletic with that frame as well.

Mind you also that Marietta and JCU both return some great teams and Wilmington and BW (preseason Top 25) will be no slouch either. The OAC stands to be another slate of "head on car collisions (as old JCU coach Mike Moran used to put it) this season.

Dr. Acula

Quote from: Fifth and Putnam on November 05, 2019, 07:04:18 PM
I think the additions of both Hill and Painter will pay huge dividends to a team that was really gelling at the end of the year last year. Early whispers from folks who have seen them in action in scrimmages already this season have used some pretty complementary adjectives when describing Logan Hill. He'll be a monster in the league this year. His size (6"7') is one thing but he's exceptionally athletic with that frame as well.

Mind you also that Marietta and JCU both return some great teams and Wilmington and BW (preseason Top 25) will be no slouch either. The OAC stands to be another slate of "head on car collisions (as old JCU coach Mike Moran used to put it) this season.

Absolutely.  That's what I was telling one my buddies the other day.  He wasn't a super skilled kid in HS.  He was just a superior athlete.  So much so that he got a D1 scholarship.  At his size that translates to the OAC in a very favorable way for Mount.  As you said, other schools have 6'7" posts, but I doubt they have posts that are that type of athlete. 

I like their bigs this year.  I liked soph post Mario Caywood last year.  I think he could develop into a solid contributor.  He's a big body (6'6", 245) that got thrown into the fire as a frosh a little bit last year when they were without Niamke.  Lack of depth forced it.  He found his sea legs and flashed some nice potential. 

The OAC is always brutal.  This season will be no different especially when there isn't one dominant front runner.  As you mentioned, BW is ranked in the preseason top 25 and their peers ranked them 5th in the OAC!

Dr. Acula

Mount opened the season with an impressive 71-52 win over Albion.  Albion was the preseason favorite in the MIAA coaches poll so it's definitely a solid win out of the gate.  Neither team shot well.  Bower-Malone had 14 pts, 11 ast, 7 reb.  Friga (18) and Gurley (17) lead the scoring.

raiderpa

Mount Union appears stronger that I have seen in years.  The are talented, deep, and play really good D.  I have been most impressed with Painter, a new frosh, who looks more like a junior on the floor.  The scoring balance, or potential for about any of five guys to come out of the woodwork for 25 points on any given night will make them very hard to beat.  The OAC is, obviously, very talented and they may take a couple on the chin, but I think the coaches picking the #1 was accurate.  I still think they got stiffed by the NCAA at the end of last year, but this year will be, IMO, hard to keep them out of the post season.

kiltedbryan

I'm looking forward to next week's Mount Union-Wooster tilt at Timken Gym. Should be an excellent early-season measuring stick for both teams. Winner picks up what could be a consequential win for regional rankings come February.

Dr. Acula

Quote from: raiderpa on November 20, 2019, 07:00:12 PM
Mount Union appears stronger that I have seen in years.  The are talented, deep, and play really good D.  I have been most impressed with Painter, a new frosh, who looks more like a junior on the floor.  The scoring balance, or potential for about any of five guys to come out of the woodwork for 25 points on any given night will make them very hard to beat.  The OAC is, obviously, very talented and they may take a couple on the chin, but I think the coaches picking the #1 was accurate.  I still think they got stiffed by the NCAA at the end of last year, but this year will be, IMO, hard to keep them out of the post season.

There are two things that give them an advantage IMO.  Depth with bigs.  Many years they're thin on front line depth (as are many D3 teams).  They have 3 big guys that can start and play chunks of minutes with Hill being a potential difference maker.  Secondly they have an excellent PG running the show in Bower-Malone.  He's a very good distributor in addition to being a scoring threat and clutch FT shooter.  It's huge to have a first team All-OAC guy bringing the ball up every time in crunch time.