Commonwealth Coast Conference

Started by Hoops Fan, March 01, 2005, 04:20:50 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

D3ball1845

And we've reached the end of an exciting regular season in the CCC. What a year it has been! The league continues to progress and gain a reputation nationally. Just a side note, the conference has four players who are Top 25 scorers in the country (Demers, Brown, Coene, and Echevarria). The CCC is coming off a 2-bid year for the NCAA tournament. Unfortunately, I do not think that will be the case this year as the conference has become more competitive and resulted in some losses for the top teams. The only possibility of an at-large bid will be for Nichols, who is at best a bubble team, if they don't win the CCC championship. Congratulations to all the players who were named to an All-CCC team this week. While I don't agree with some of the selections, the players deserve to be praised for their accomplishments this season. Now to the fun part. We have four games tonight for the quarterfinals of the CCC tournament. Surprisingly, I think the first round will be pretty straight forward this year and the 1-4 seeds will all come out victorious. Matchup assessment and predictions for all four games can be seen below:

#1 Nichols vs. #8 Western New England (WNE), 7:00 PM

These teams split their regular season series, with Nichols as the victors, 73-61, in their most recent matchup. I actually think WNE is a very good #8 seed and Nichols was unlucky to draw them for the first round. They have an elite player in Mike Pettway, who went off for 38 points in their first matchup this season, in which WNE came out with an OT victory. However, he was held to just 12 points in their second time playing Nichols a little over a week ago. WNE also has a few sharpshooters on the wings and the CCC ROY big man Zach Tavitian. Nichols has been on a roll, winners of 8 straight games, and is now ranked #22 in the country in the most recent Top 25 Poll released yesterday. Back-to-back CCC POY Marcos Echevarria will lead the way in a backcourt that boasts two 1st team All-CCC players. Echevarria has averaged 25 PPG and 9.5 RBPG against WNE this season. Nichols has really improved their defense over their winning streak, allowing 71.75 PPG in the last eight games. The emergence of freshman big man Matt Morrow has given them more versatility in their front court and has taken the load off of Jerome Cunningham's back. For WNE to stand a chance they need big games from Pettway, Tavitian, and I think at least a 15 point game from one of their guards, possibly Mike McGuire or E.J. Day. However, Nichols has more experience in big games and gets the home court advantage in what should be a packed game tonight. They are also the more talented team and I just don't see WNE having what it takes to pull off the upset of the #1 seed tonight.
Prediction: Nichols 88 WNE 72

#2 Gordon vs. #7 Salve Regina, 7:00 PM

Gordon came out victorious in both games against Salve Regina this year, by an average of 14 points. They say it is difficult to beat a team three times in one season, but I just don't like this matchup for Salve. However, Gordon has played down to inferior opponents a few times in the last month, where they lost to the likes of WNE and ENC. These two teams actually faced off in their final regular season game at Salve, where Gordon won 80-67. The two 1st team All-CCC players from Gordon, Demers and Duvivier, were actually held in check by Salve, as they only combined to score 29 points. If Salve is to stand any chance, they will have limit these two again. The real key to making this a game is getting double-double machine, Garrison Duvivier, in foul trouble early. Unfortunately, I just don't think anyone from Salve can matchup with Duvivier down low. Demers, the leading scorer from the CCC shouldn't have a problem scoring 20+ points in this one. Looking at Salve's recent games, it seems that they have transitioned to playing smaller, guard-heavy lineups at the end of the season. The once prominent big man, Cameron Collins, has been all but phased out of Salve's rotation. I don't know if that is the going to work against the second best rebounding team in the CCC in Gordon. Salve will rely on the play of 2nd team All-CCC guard, Rodney Morton, and guard Isaiah Bowman. If the two can get hot in the same game this one could get interesting. However, Gordon is a relatively defensively sound, disciplined, and talented team that features a 1-2 punch in Demers and Duvivier that I just don't think Salve can handle. It doesn't help that Salve won't get a boost from their home crowd as they are a dismal 4-9 in non-home games this year. Prediction: Gordon 85 Salve Regina 68

#3 Endicott vs. #6 Wentworth Institute of Technology (WIT), 5:30 PM

And we have yet another playoff matchup in which one team beat the opposing team twice in the regular season. Endicott won by an average of 16.5 points in their two contests against WIT this year. It's not surprising that both games were low scoring affairs, yet I do find it worth noting that Endicott's leading scorer and 1st Team All-CCC selection, Keith Brown, has been limited to 14 PPG against WIT this season. Brown was likely stymied by back-to-back CCC DPOY, Sam Knollmeyer, in these games as I have personally seen how WIT defends the opposing best offensive player this year in the couple WIT games I've attended. However, Endicott has received solid overall team efforts in both games against WIT, in which both times over 3 players scored more than 10 points. I have a feeling that Endicott is going to need another great team performance tonight to pull out the victory at home. If I had to pick a potential upset, it would be have to be this matchup. WIT has a veteran team led by forward Jason Ganley that has pulled off playoff upsets in the past (just ask the Gordon team from last year) that faces an inexperienced, young, but talented Endicott team led by a sophomore shooter. If WIT can manage to limit Brown to less than 15 points, control the glass, and get near 20 point efforts from Ganley and Azums they might just pull the upset off. I did see Endicott play RWU this past weekend and was thankful we did not have another 53 point game by Keith Brown on our hands. While he was swarmed by the Hawks defense a majority of the game (13 points on 3-16 shooting), I was able to see the growth in Endicott's other players. Forwards Matt McDevitt and Nick Thibeault were particularly impressive. The two will need to remain vigilant on the glass tonight and will also likely be relied upon to hit some big shots. I think Endicott uses their youthful energy and home court advantage to advance to the next round in a close game tonight. Prediction: Endicott 73 WIT 67

#4 Roger Williams (RWU) vs. #5 University of New England (UNE), 7:30 PM

In the fourth and final quarterfinal game we have UNE visiting RWU in Bristol, RI. RWU took both of the regular season games, winning the contests by an average of 19 points. In the last time these teams faced off just a few weeks ago, the game was much more tightly contested with RWU coming out with a 90-83 win at home. I think UNE got the worst matchup possible for tournament pairings against RWU. UNE  split games against the top 3 teams in the CCC this year (Nichols, Gordon, and Endicott), but has lost to RWU twice. I think this speaks to the defensive intensity that RWU plays with. UNE transitioned into a 'Grinnell' system this year and it clearly paid off as they finished the year with five more wins than they did in the 2016-2017 season. The system is centered around a defensive mindset to full-court press the entire game and run an offense that emphasizes 3-point attempts. This is in the midst of substituting all 5 players every one or two minutes. I've experienced the frenzy first hand and it actually reminds me a lot of an AAU game. Lots of shots, lots of scoring (hopefully), and lots of turnovers. And for UNE it has worked for the most part. Sure, they've been blown out in 9 of their losses (by 20 or more points). But they've also beaten some of the top teams in the conference with the system. It truly is a hit or miss system and that is what is terrifying about it. Unfortunately for UNE, they will face off against an RWU team that ranks first in the conference defending the 3PT (30.9%), which is what UNE uses to fuel their offense. In the two games against RWU, they have shot an abysmal 34-128 (26.5%) from 3PT. However, it appears that they have refined their system and have only averaged 42 3PAs in their final six games. RWU has the firepower to keep up with UNE in sophomore shooter, Rich Pugliese, and senior shooter, Jaylen Jennings. They also have two great players who can score at will around the hoop in senior big man Conor O'Brien and floor general Nick Marini. Additionally, they have an can-do-it-all scorer in 1st Team All-CCC Player, Austin Coene, who leads the team with 22.5 ppg and 2.0 spg. It was recently announced that UNE will be without senior captain and floor general, Drew Coveney, in this one. This is a significant loss for the team as you not only lose your ball handler and a solid defender but also the leadership and drive needed to win a playoff basketball away game. I think RWU has a chip on their shoulder after losing their final regular season game at home to Endicott by 2 and will come out with a lot of energy. This game could be really close or get out of hand early depending on how UNE shoots the ball. I'm leaning towards the latter as I feel that the defensive mindset of the RWU team in combination with some talented offensive players that love to get out/run with the ball and finish at the rim is just too much for a UNE team without Coveney to overcome. Prediction: RWU 98 UNE 80


D3ball1845

And just like that the quarterfinals of the CCC tournament are finished. Surprisingly, I called all the games correctly (maybe not the scores so much) and there were no upsets in the first round this year. #1 Nichols got an all around great team effort  and took care of #8 WNE in a blowout 100-68 victory. #2 Gordon had a similar team effort in a 14 point win over #7 Salve Regina. Rodney Morton and Isaiah Bowman did their best to keep Salve in the game but in the end they couldn't keep up with Gordon's balanced attack. #3 Endicott took care of #6 Wentworth in a 93-84 victory. Endicott had two players with over 20 points (McDevitt and Brown) and received solid bench play in the victory. Shoutout to senior Jason Ganley of WIT for his 34 point and 8 rebound effort in his final game. In the final quarterfinal game, #4 Roger Williams beat a determined #5 UNE team in a final score of 88-81. RWU senior Nick Marini scored his 100th point in the victory so a big congrats to him! Also, you have to tip your hat to RWU junior, Austin Coene, who finished the game with 35 points and 13 rebounds as he willed the RWU team to victory. I was at the game last night and every time RWU started to pull away UNE would come roaring back and make it a 5-6 point game. We now turn to the semifinal matchups that will be played tomorrow. A sneak peak to my predictions....we will have two upsets on our hands in the semifinals  :o

Dave 'd-mac' McHugh

The NCAA men's basketball regional advisory committees released their third set of rankings, and as expected, the Atlantic Region was among those getting shuffled. Here's the full list: http://www.d3hoops.com/notables/2018/02/men-regional-rankings-third

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.

D3ball1845

The semifinals of the CCC Tournament will both be played tomorrow at 7:00 PM. And boy oh boy do we have some interesting matchups for the semifinals. My game assessments and predictions can be seen below:

#1 Nichols vs. #4 Roger Williams University (RWU), 7:00 PM

This matchup features a surging and nationally ranked Nichols team against a defensive-minded yet talented RWU squad. Nichols took both games in the regular season, the most recent of which was an 82-79 thriller at home, where RWU was actually in control of the tempo and game for a majority of the time. In my time as a fan of RWU (this will be the third year), I think Nichols is 6-0 against RWU. RWU has had a difficult time handling the talented backcourt of Nichols and their pick and roll/hand-off based offense that also thrives off of transition opportunities. In this one we will see Austin Coene of RWU and Marcos Echevarria of Nichols face off, who in my opinion are the two best players in the conference. Coene has thrived against Nichols this year, averaging 23 ppg, 7.5 rbpg, 5.5 apg, and 1.5 spg in both games. On the other side, Echevarria has averaged 23.5 ppg, 4.5 rbpg, 5.5 apg, 1 spg in his two bouts against RWU. RWU was able to control the pace of the last game against Nichols by limiting their transition opportunities, taking smart shots, and playing good team defense. What killed them was their free throws as they shot an ugly 8-19 from the line while Nichols shot 23-30, a huge 15 point difference. I think RWU has a real chance to pull off the upset tomorrow. To do so, they have to limit transition and second chance opportunities for Nichols. Rebounding has been RWUs Achille's heel all season and now that Nichols has two big men who get 20+ minutes of playing time, they have to make hitting the glass a priority. In both games against Nichols this year they have had an average -3.5 rebounding margin. Nichols' backcourt is arguably one of the best in the country as the trio of Echevarria, Bruton, and Dion, all of whom can penetrate and shoot the 3, are a nightmare to defend. RWU has to communicate and resist playing help defense on drives if they want to avoid open Nichols 3PA. Another key factor for RWU is getting Nichols' big men in foul trouble early and keeping their own center, Conor O'Brien, out of foul trouble himself. To pull off the upset away RWU is going to need stellar games from their All-CCC guards Coene and Marini, and a 10-15 point game from one or two of their role players, such as Jaylen Jennings, Rich Pugliese, or J.J. Phofl. I think that RWU is going to come out aggressive with a lot of energy which will surprise the confident Nichols team. While I'm certainly biased, I have a feeling that RWU is going to escape Dudley, MA with a win and a chance at a CCC championship on Saturday.
Prediction: RWU 85 Nichols 81

#2 Gordon vs. #3 Endicott, 7:00 PM

Gordon swept Endicott this season, albeit it took overtime to achieve victory in both games. This is a very evenly matched game and is almost a toss up. Here, I feel like the saying "you can't beat a team three times in one season" will come into play. The game is essentially a toss up. While Gordon has the home court advantage, I have this gut feeling that Endicott is going to be able to pull this one off. If they are to do so, they have to find a way to stop Gordon's Eric Demers and Garisson Duvivier. Demers has averaged 29 ppg in the two games against Endicott this season. Even more impressive, Duvivier has averaged 25 ppg and 15.5 rbpg in Gordon's two wins against Endicott. It really comes down to getting Duvivier in foul trouble early and forcing Demers to take bad shots. Endicott will likely need a 30+ point effort from their sophomore phenom, Keith Brown, who has averaged 25 ppg against Gordon this year. I think Endicott has grown more as a team than Gordon has throughout the year. The rebounding has played a major role as well, as Gordon has averaged an astonishing +11.5 rebound margin against Endicott this year. Forwards Nick Thibeault and Matt McDevitt will have their hands full on the glass and will really have to make an impact on the boards and supporting Brown in scoring. It will be interesting to see the fan base tomorrow as Gordon and Endicott are just a few miles apart from each other. I expect to see a packed house at Gordon with some solid support for the Endicott Gulls in attendance. Keith Brown has been relatively quiet in his last several games and I can see him taking matters into his own hands tomorrow night and dropping 40+ points. I think we are going to see a rematch of the 2016 CCC Championship with RWU facing the Endicott Gulls in Beverly, MA on Saturday.
Prediction: Endicott 89 Gordon 86


AllStar


Mike Rejniak

​Dear D3 Faithful ;D,
     I have read many of your posts throughout the years and even met some of you in person, but for those who I haven't met, let me introduce myself: my name is Michael Rejniak and I have spent over 14 years coaching Division 3 basketball and love what our division has done and continues to do for  the sport of basketball. One of the greatest things about Division 3 basketball is the brotherhood that we all have with one another (coaches and players alike). My wish is to showcase the talents of D3 on a national stage in The Basketball Tournament (TBT).  You may have heard me speak about this on the Hoopsville Marathon with Dave McHugh of D3hoops.com (at the 6:11 mark). The TBT is a national tournament that is televised in July/August on ESPN after the NBA season is over. My goal is to put forth an all-star D3 team (current players are ineligible) and have them compete in this tournament to take on Former D1 / semi-pro's to prove that D3 deserves the same respect as other NCAA divisions. The team is mostly complete with former student-athletes from all over the country competing. Once the roster is complete we will be sure to release it through d3hoops. Former Babson College National Champion Matthew Droney '17 will also be assisting me on this journey.

How YOU can help our former elite D3 basketball players

While the end prize of this tournament is a monetary prize, being a D3-lifer, the goal is not the money (we all know that's not why we get into coaching), the goal is to bring an end to the stigma of Division 3 basketball, an awareness of how talented our student-athletes are and that we can compete (and win) against the best. We do need to raise funds for an entry fee, travel, meal and housing expenses for the athletes. In order to do this, we are conducting a crowd-funding campaign through GoFundMe to help make this a reality. These athletes need your support! Just think -- if every Division 3 school donated just $10, we will have raised over $4,000!!!! The link to the GoFundMe Page is below and please SPREAD THE WORD and email me with any questions/concerns at WeAreD3TBT@gmail.com. Thank you in advance for your support and Dave and I look forward to this "D3 Dream Team" taking the court this summer.-Mike Rejniak

Support "We Are D3" In The TBT

middhoops

Endicott with impressive win at MIT tonight. 
MIT did a great job of covering Keith Brown but the rest of the Gulls lit it up from downtown.
Endicott is deep and talented.  Great early season road win.

northeasthoopfan

CCC - NESCAC Challenge

League goes 1-3 with some good competive games.

Tufts 88 -84 over RWU (in a close game throughout)
Wesleyan 80-72 over WNEU (another back and forth affair)
Trinity 106-87 over UNE (not so close)
Wentworth 67-64 over Conn College

Nichols, Endicott and Salve, and Gorsdon all win in othet action. Curry continues to slide.


Dave 'd-mac' McHugh



The first full weekend of Division III basketball did not disappoint. Upsets, close games, thrilling outcomes. There was a little of everything.

Before you sit down to the Thanksgiving table this week, be sure to sit down with Hoopsville. Dave and guests not only recap the first incredible two weeks of the season, but also chat about the surprises and head-scratching items early on in the season.

We promise to give you your fill of Division III basketball before you get full on turkey, stuffing, potatoes, and anything else you can stuff in with family and friends.

Hoopsville is presented by D3hoops.com and airs from the WBCA/NABC Studio. You can watch Tuesday's special On Demand or listen to the Podcast here:http://bit.ly/2qSj0V8.

Guests Schedule (order subject to change):
- Kevin Bettencourt, Endicott men's coach
- Michael Shauer, Wheaton (Ill.) men's coach
- Mike Miller, No. 11 Messiah women's coach

If you enjoy the show via the podcasts instead, you can get access to them or subscribe one of the three following ways (click on the images when necessary):
SoundCloud: www.soundcloud.com/hoopsville




Don't forget you can always interact with us:
Website: www.d3hoopsville.com
Twitter: @d3hoopsville or #Hoopsville
Facebook: www.facebook.com/Hoopsville
Email: hoopsville@d3hoops.com
YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/d3hoopsville
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.

Dave 'd-mac' McHugh



Well, things certainly escalated quickly! Upsets a plenty. Conference races tightening. At the same time, some more clarity? Maybe not.

There will be plenty to talk about on Sunday's Hoopsville.

Join us as Dave and his guests work to figure out what has happened in just the last few days, plus get a sense of what's to come. We will talk to teams who are near the top of their conferences races in the Northeast, Atlantic, South, and Central regions. Plus, we hear from a coach who continues to give back to the NABC and trying to improve how Division III is perceived within the coaching ranks.

Oh, and how will the Top 25s shake out on Monday?

Hoopsville is presented by D3hoops.com and airs from the WBCA/NABC Studio. You can watch Sunday's show starting at 7:00 p.m. ET right here: http://bit.ly/2FQFb7v (or via Facebook Live and Periscope simulcasts).

If you have questions about Division III basketball, feel free to send them and we will answer them on a the show. Email them to hoopsville@d3hoops.com or use any of the social media options below.

Guests Schedule (order subject to change):
- Randy Tuggle, Greensboro women's coach
- Nicole Sarcone, Staten Island women's coach
- Gary Stewart, Stevenson men's coach (NABC Coach's Corner)
- Tod Murphy, Gordon men's coach
- Mike McGrath, UChicago men's coach
- Bob Quillman, IWUHoops.com (Top 25 Double-Take)

If you enjoy the show via the podcasts, choose your favorite avenue to listen and/or subscribe via the the following four avenues (click on the images when necessary):
SoundCloud: www.soundcloud.com/hoopsville




Don't forget you can always interact with us:
Website: www.d3hoopsville.com
Twitter: @d3hoopsville or #Hoopsville
Facebook: www.facebook.com/Hoopsville
Email: hoopsville@d3hoops.com
YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/d3hoopsville
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.

Dave 'd-mac' McHugh



The Hoopsville Marathon Show ... is tomorrow!

Tune in starting at 12:00 p.m. ET as we talk to guests from around the country about nothing but #d3hoops.

It is all about celebrating the season, student-athletes, coaches, and an exciting season.

For more information, click here: http://bit.ly/2HGx0N3

We will share more about the show a little later.
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.

D3ball1845

Okay, it's time to get back into this whole blogging thing that I was all about last year. I felt particularly compelled to do so after Gordon Men's Basketball Coach, Todd Murphy, was interviewed on last weeks Hoopsville. He carried himself very well in that interview and Gordon has had a fantastic season thus far. It's also nice to see that the CCC is finally getting some recognition, although I feel that my team Roger Williams (RWU) has kind of been overshadowed by Nichols, Gordon, and Endicott given their slow start to the season. With that being said, we have quite a bit to catch up on now that we are deep into the season with the first regional rankings coming out next weekend. Like my posts, the CCC thread has all but dried up and deserves some love. I'll try to capture the season the best I can by highlighting 10 key points in the CCC that can be found below:

1. Eastern Nazarene College (ENC) departs the CCC for the NECC: ENC has officially left the CCC for the NECC, in which I'm not aware of the actual details for this move. However, in my opinion the move is to an inferior conference in regards to men's basketball. ENC is currently sits 4th in the NECC and has been playing decent basketball. If they remained in the CCC, my guess is they'd be hovering around 6th or 7th in the conference, which is no diss to them as the top half of the CCC is filled with very talented teams. I also have some evidence they'd be this low in the standings as they've finished 1-3 against CCC teams this year, although it was two losses to Gordon and one to Endicott with a win against woeful Curry. Nonetheless, this move opened up more chances for the CCC to show their strength against non-conference opponents as they were very successful in non-conference play last year. One would think that the CCC would continue on this path.......but wait a minute! 

2. CCC diminishing record in non-conference games this year: In 2017-2018, the CCC finished 16th out of 45 in Division 3 Basketball with a 40-30 non-conference record, tying for 1st in change in non-conference record compared to the 2016-2017 season. So, it's safe to say that things were looking up for the CCC. Unfortunately, they could not keep it up this year and are currently sitting in 24th out of 46 in non-conference play with a 37-39 record. From what I can tell, the CCC only has one non-conference game remaining (WNE vs. Rivier, which should be a win for WNE). The team with the biggest slip in non-conference play was RWU, who finished 7-1 in non-conference games in 2017-2018 and a dreadful 3-6 in 2018-2019. So what caused this decline....was it simply better competition? No, RWU actually faced 5 of the same non-conference teams they played in 2017-2018 (record 4-1) and finished with a 1-4 record against them this season. Other than that, the only real challenge they faced was a rebuilding Tufts squad that they lost to 84-88. RWU lost 3 key players (Nick Marini, Conor O'Brien, and Jaylen Jennings) to graduation that accounted for over 40% of their scoring in 2017-2018. With that being said, it's no surprise that RWU ran into some bumps in the road (actually half of their non-conference losses were at home  ;D, my attempt at some humor). I think they had a wake up call after losing to a good Suffolk squad 51-83 right before Christmas break. Since then, the team has really started to mesh and they have been playing great basketball since then with a 6-3 record, in which two of the games were less than 5 point losses to the likes of Nichols and Gordon. The other killer continues to be the teams that sit at the bottom of the league in the CCC. The bottom 3 teams in the CCC combined to finish with a 7-20 non-conference record this year. A breakdown of how the CCC fared against some of the other conferences can be seen below:

GNAC: 9-9
MASCAC: 11-2
NESCAC: 4-9
NEWMAC: 5-5
LEC: 2-3
NECC: 4-3

3. Curry College continues to be a bottom of the barrel team in the CCC: I hope you're sitting down because you wouldn't want to stand up after I tell you Curry's record in the last four years....a dismal 4-91. Yikes! You can't help but feel for a team that has struggled this much in the recent years. However, things may be looking up as they have a new head coach who is actually a former Division 3 1,000 point scorer and seems to be energetic, passionate, and committed to bring a change to this Curry team. One bright spot, if you can call it is that Jared Thorpe-Johnson, a junior forward, recently tied a CCC single game scoring record and broke the Curry single game scoring record with a 59 point performance in a 104-139 loss to UNE. On a team where nothing seems to be going right, you have to look at the upside wherever you can. Here's to hoping that Curry can figure things out in the next few years!

4. The top 4 teams in the CCC have played unbelievably close games against each other: The top 4 teams of the CCC have played some pretty amazing games against each other this year. Currently, Gordon is 3-0, Nichols is 3-1, RWU is 1-2, and Endicott is 0-4 in these games. 6 out of the 7 games have been decided by less than 7 points and the only blowout game was an 85-64 Nichols win over Endicott earlier in the season. The parity among these teams is ridiculous. I've seen at least half of these games in person and all of them were paragons of nail biters. The best game I have seen all year was the 94-91 OT thriller between RWU and Gordon, with the latter coming out as the victors at home. I cannot wait for the final 5 games in the regular season between these teams, including the RWU vs Gordon rematch that I will be attending today!

5. The CCC will likely be a 2-bid conference for the NCAA Tournament for the third straight year: In the past two years, the CCC has been a 2-bid league, both times in which Nichols has received the automatic bid after winning the CCC championship and Endicott receiving a Pool C selection. This year, I really think the CCC Championship is up for grabs among the top 4 teams, with Nichols undoubtedly being the favorite at this point in time. However, Gordon has really improved this year and has received some national recognition because of this. At this point in the season, Gordon and Nichols are strong Pool C selection considerations, while Endicott and RWU are on the outside looking in and would likely have to win the CCC championship to make the NCAA tournament. Regardless, it is great to see that the CCC is becoming a stronger league and hopefully we will continue to see 2+ bids from this conference in the years to come.

6. 3 CCC teams have received Top 25 votes on the poll this year: It's been great to see the continued growth of the CCC in now what is my fourth year following the league. Thus far, Nichols, Gordon, and Endicott have all received votes for the Top 25 poll in Division 3 basketball, most recently the former of the two. Nichols is actually ranked #24 at the moment and has been hovering around this ranking for the past two seasons. I hope we continue to see this type of success in the CCC and continue to gain recognition amongst the more established and well-known conferences like the NEWMAC and NESCAC, but we have a long way to go as you can see by the CCCs non-conference records against them.

7. The CCC has 2 players in the Top 25 in scoring of all Division III Basketball this year:

5. Austin Coene, RWU - 25.5 PPG
25. Keith Brown, Endicott - 22.2 PPG.

While they are in the Top 25 scoring in all of Division 3 and the top two scorers in the CCC, they both have very different styles when it comes to scoring. Coene can do a little bit of everything but is mostly known for being a strong, slashing, wing player that finishes extremely well around the hoop and also has a very good pull up mid-range jumper. He also lives at the charity stripe where he is 121/163 (74%) on the season. The weakest part of his game is probably his 3 ball (34.7% on 25/72 shooting this year), which he often only takes if he's in a rhythm with the ball in his hand or if he's got a pretty open look. Watch out though, he's a nice 9/17 from 3-point range in his last 6 games. Keith Brown is the definition of a pure shooter and has one of the nicest 3 point strokes I've ever seen, with a very fluid and quick release. He's shooting 43% from 3-point range this year, in which just over half of his shots come from beyond the arc per game. He is a good free throw shooter at 82% yet only gets to the line 4 times a game. I've personally seen him play a few times and don't think I've ever seen him take a mid range jumper. He also has a pretty strong post game as well as he often gets matched up against smaller guards. Of note, the two prolific scorers are actually good friends and have trained together in the offseason for the past couple years.

8. 2018-2019 CCC Player of the Year Considerations:

1. Austin Coene, RWU  25.5 PPG, 8.9 REBPG, 4.3 ASTPG, 1.9 STLPG, 0.6BLKPG
2. Garrison Duvivier, Gordon 17.0 PPG, 12.7 REBPG, 3.5 ASTPG, 1.3 STLPG, 2.2 BLKPG
3. Marcos Echevarria, Nichols 19.5 PPG, 4.1 REBPG, 4.2 ASTPG, 1.7 A/TO, 1.9 STLPG

If you're a stats guy like me, Coene should honestly win this outright. However, you also have to take into account more than a player's stats when considering a POY, that being the team's success. All 3 play on the top 3 CCC teams in the standings at this point in time. However, Duviver and Echevarria (reigning 2-time CCC POY) both play on teams that are nationally recognized, have played better non-conference opponents, and have drastically better overall records than Coene's team, RWU, that is currently 11-9 overall. So, are Coene's stats better because he is relied upon more as his team is often in games that are closer and require him to play 35+ minutes a game? It's possible. However, I've personally seen all 3 play in person and this year I think Coene has taken it to the next level leading a team that is playing very well at the moment and that lost three key players to graduation. On the other hand, Duvivier and Echevarria pretty much have the same team around them as they did last year, both playing with players that will likely both be 1st Team CCC players in Eric Demers and DeAnte Bruton.

9. One team that will falter and one team that will rise as the season closes:

Falter: Endicott - this is a very good team, don't get me wrong. However, they are 0-4 against the top 3 teams in the CCC. They started off really strong in non-conference play and have sort of been brought back to earth since that time, which surprised me. Comparatively, I think they are very similar to RWU, each with one 20+ point scorer and solid pieces around that one player to build a foundation that makes a good team. However, I think RWU is trending up while Endicott is slipping. I would not be surprised to see them upset in the first round of the CCC tournament by a team on the rise...cough cough...see below. However, the immediate future looks bright. I think this team will likely be the favorite to win the CCC Championship next year as Gordon, RWU, and Nichols will all be losing their best player to graduation this year.

Rise: WNE - this team is really difficult to figure out, as they have been so up and down this season. However, in their last 6 games they are 4-2 with losses to Nichols and a surprisingly good Suffolk team. One of their most recent wins was against Gordon, whom they've beat at home two years in a row. This is a very dangerous team that is built around senior, Mike Pettway, who is a prolific scorer with maybe the best mid-range game in the CCC. Additionally, they have a couple of wing players who can shoot the 3 ball and a presence down low in sophomore, Zach Tavitian. They also have a rising freshman guard in Antonio Brancato who has had a few 20+ point games this year. With their recent play, I would not want to be facing this team in the first round of the CCC tournament. And wouldn't you know it, based on the current standings they'd be playing Endicott in the first round. Of note, they lost away to Endicott 83-64 earlier in the season.

10. Predicting the CCC Championship Game: I'm giving myself the option of selecting two teams that I think could take home the CCC championship this year, one being an obvious pick and the other a biased sleeper pick, yet justified. So you guessed it, my picks are Nichols and RWU. Nichols has one of the best backcourts in the country in Marcos Echevarria and DeAnte Bruton. They also get big minutes and solid play from their bigs in Matt Morrow and Jerome Cunningham. However, they did have a key loss in their backcourt this season with guard Tyler Dion transferring to Worcester State. Their two losses this year have come to Gordon and a good Salisbury team. If they get home court advantage throughout the CCC tournament I can't see them not being in the CCC championship for the third straight year. On the other hand, we have a RWU team that really struggled at the beginning of the season, specifically in non-conference play where they have thrived in the past couple years. Their Achilles heel continues to be their lack of size and rebounding, which has really hurt them and in my eyes has been the cause of most of their losses in close games this year. I honestly think there have only been a handful of games this year when an opposing big man has not had a double double against them. Austin Coene, who stands at 6' 2" is often their starting power forward. It was actually comical seeing him matchup against Parker Omslayer who stands at 6' 11" in their game against Gordon. They were robbed in the Gordon game in what may have been one of the worst officiated games I've ever personally witnessed. 3 RWU players fouled out in the game, including Coene in OT, and the free throw stats were 31 FTA to 12 FTA in Gordon's favor. However, they had a 9 point lead with 1:30 remaining in regulation and simply got careless with the ball which allowed Gordon back in the game. But, that's neither here nor there as RWU is simply playing great basketball at the right time in the season. They also only lost to Nichols by 5 and in the past three games dating back to the 2017-2018 season they have been up by more than 9 at halftime each game against Nichols. It's simply a matter of not stepping off the gas and finishing the game now. In my opinion, Coene is the best all around player in the conference and hopefully will be an All-American consideration if RWU continues their strong play. However, he has a great around him too. Senior Jake Heaton is a knock down shooter and I think should be in the running for defensive POY. They also have a very strong point guard in JJ Pfohl who does a little bit of everything for the Hawks. Wing player Rich Pugliese is arguably the best 3 point shooter on the team that struggled a bit earlier in the season. However, he has come on strong recently and has shot 17-38 from 3-point range in his last six games. Down low, forward Drew Hart and center Ian Charmichael continue to grow as players, with Hart averaging 14 ppg in his last six games and Charmichael being the ever so needed defensive presence down low that RWU needs. The biggest strength of RWU is that all the players in their rotation have the ability to shoot the 3 ball, and as a team have shot 42% from 3 in their last six games. If they continue to play unselfish basketball, shoot the 3 well, and step it up on the glass I can see this team in a matchup at Nichols for the CCC championship in just a few weeks.

Don't hate me for the length of this post  :) I had so much to catch up on this season and still feel like I haven't written enough. More posts to come in the remainder of the season. Hopefully, a lot shorter posts for that matter.

Dave 'd-mac' McHugh

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.