Quote from: Inkblot on May 23, 2025, 01:24:07 PMNot having to go through the waiting period 26 years ago is a fair point, but I don't see any problems with the current setup.

Agree with this 100%! The MAC is also looking to grow and there are several institutions lined up and waiting. A couple are obvious, natural fits. A couple, not so much. There is also a very slim chance that if this planned growth to a magic 20 teams occurs, if a couple of the schools that are deep in the evaluation process of adding football make the decision to do so, the MAC could also become a 12 team, 2 division football conference and could really insulate themselves (as is the plan) from losing a couple of schools due to closing/merger or even dropping athletics.

With what is going on with the Conference Carousel/Conference Roulette across the country, the MAC could set themselves up beautifully, to be able to afford some attrition. In football, a 12 team, 2 division conference could easily revert to becoming a 10 team (like now) conference. Look at how many conferences are a school or two away from losing the AQ and/or their conference evaporating. The MAC could set themselves up for years to come with nary a worry if they can get to 20 institutions.

Quote from: KnightSlappy on May 16, 2025, 04:39:47 PMThe MAC should not have 2 automatic qualifiers.

You say tomato, I say tomato......they have them and I believe it will never go away, especially with the expansion plans on tap.

When each of the MAC's two divisions are as large or larger than several conferences with AQ's, I have zero problem with two automatic qualifiers.

When the MAC expands to 20 schools with two, 10 team divisions, even more so, especially with the number of conferences that are shrinking for many reasons.

I look forward, a couple of years out, in comparing the size of one, 10 team MAC division (with an AQ) to the number of conferences with 10 or fewer teams......and an AQ.

That's the beauty of opinions (vs. facts), we all have ours, are entitled to them and nobody's carries any more or less weight.

Quote from: Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan) on May 16, 2025, 08:16:46 AM

Quote from: jmcozenlaw on May 15, 2025, 05:00:24 PM1. The MAC might very well end up, in time for the Fall of 2027, as a 20 team conference, with two, 10 team divisions. This would put an end to the "MAC should not have two automatic qualifiers" noise once and for all.

The issue with the grandfathered two AQs is not about number of teams, but that the MAC participates as one conference for some sports and two conference for others.  Nobody else gets that flexibility.

I agree Ryan. I remember way back in the day, the MAC was a massive conference, with several of today's conferences eminating from the <AC over many years.

Three potentially juicy MAC rumors that might or might not (especially #3) come to fruition by the end of the summer:

1. The MAC might very well end up, in time for the Fall of 2027, as a 20 team conference, with two, 10 team divisions. This would put an end to the "MAC should not have two automatic qualifiers" noise once and for all.

There are at least seven schools that have reached out to the MAC, anticipating more fallout with their current conference(s) from closures/mergers and the elimination of sports, in addition to a weak conference, made a bit weaker with the latest round of moves.

The interesting thing that I am hearing is that the MAC has a list of schools that they would bring aboard, a pecking order so to speak, BUT, the conference wants to know what is happening with at least two, and possibly even three existing members in terms of their future viability. One school in particular is getting close to life support and is in an all out begathon from alums.

2. Two MAC schools are very seriously looking at adding football, while one just very quietly shot down the idea as unnecessary from an enrollment perspective (hint: think Dorney Park).

3. This last one sounded way off to me, but I have heard that the mothership in State College is not the only school looking closely at the beautiful, bucolic Doylestown area, for a possible satellite. I have heard from extremely reliable sources that Rowan has been sniffing around as well. I know that Rowan has massive plans for growth over the next decade, but I can't quite figure out the how or why with this one. I know that DelVal's wheelhouse in the sciences and research might tuck in very nicely, but it sounds more like disparate parts vs. a seamless fit.

Things have changed across the landscape over the last few years.........and I think that we are only in the second inning when we look back 10 years from now.

Quote from: stlawus on April 22, 2025, 11:20:08 PMIt's never made sense to me why DelVal wasn't a more consistent presence in athletics.  They've had a few good football teams, but given their location and academic profile. I always thought they should be significantly more competitive across the board. A cursory search reveals that the Gates Foundation has been involved with the school, which makes I guess makes sense given the type of school DelVal is.

On the women's side, without some traditional majors that some females gravitate towards (Nursing, Elementary Education and Physical Therapy to name three) it is really tough to compete. In addition, DelVal has top notch pre-med, pre-dental and pre-vet programs, in addition to excellent Biology and Chemistry programs........and the women's hoops team had two of their best returning players not go out for the team as they are swamped in doing everything to get into one of the best two or three vet schools in the country, one being the University of Pennsylvania.

On the men's side, the football team has consistently been one of the top teams in the East, with an off year here and there, for 20 years. The wrestling program was a national powerhouse for a long time, became a shambles a few years ago, was built back up into a Top 25-20 program.......and the coach just left to start up the program at Eastern. The men's hoops team just won the MAC and has had a great recruiting season so it may not be a one off. The spring sports are having brutal seasons across the board.

The science programs are top notch and lead to top med, vet and dental schools for some and solid employment with top pharma and biotech companies for others. The psychology program is outstanding. The Accounting program just received their 9th consecutive "Top 5 schools in PA......Highest First Time CPA Exam Pass Rate".......in a state with an Ivy, a few Patriot League schools, Swarthmore (my alma mater), Carnegie Mellon, Pitt, Penn State and several very good Centennial and Landmark schools.

I think part of it comes down to the issues that will always be there on the women's side (I've heard from many coaches over the years about students who wanted to go to DelVal, wanted to play for the coach.......and the major the student wanted was not available) and the fact that DelVal does not package as aggressively as other non-elite schools. The facilities are also subpar to those where this matters.

Either DelVal, with a lot more money in the bank so to speak........or PSU DelVal / PSU Doylestown are the two options going forward.

Quote from: Caz Bombers on April 21, 2025, 05:50:26 PMit's gotta be Albright or Alvernia (maybe both) in danger of going under, right?

I have no knowledge of which school may or may not be doing something with Penn State as mentioned above, I guess if I had to guess I'd say DVU.

Caz - Correct on your Penn State guess. You're also correct on one of the two Reading schools. There is one more MAC school potentially in this boat, based in Wilkes-Barre, that didn't recently move over to the Landmark Conference. I'm also hearing that there are a total of 8 MAC schools preparing for the "Mother of All Fundraising Campaigns" come Fall. A couple of schools are heck bent on adding sports, including fringe sports, to gain admits.........but this can be a dangerous game, especially that upfront expense, even more so when upgraded facilities come into play. It's like trying to thread a moving needle doing a hurricane. 

We're only in the second inning of this playing out across the country.

Quote from: Pat Coleman on April 21, 2025, 12:29:12 PMYeah, and I've heard, or read, the same rumblings about a MAC school, which is why I believe they are probably waiting to assign Neumann to a league.

I wonder if Gordon has heard anything and could or would shed any light?

Quote from: Pat Coleman on April 17, 2025, 03:54:49 PM

Quote from: ziggy on April 17, 2025, 11:59:29 AM

Quote from: Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan) on April 17, 2025, 11:26:28 AMNeumann to the MAC in 26-27.  That puts the AEC down to 6.

https://d3sports.com/notables/2025/04/neumann-to-the-mac

Thing that is interesting to me but ultimately may not turn out to be interesting: no announcement of whether Neumann would be MAC Commonwealth or MAC Freedom. Just makes me wonder if their unique division model ends up going away in the next few years given the overall climate we're in - not to mention that I don't love the idea of their grandfathered-in status as a single conference able to sometimes operate as two conferences being maintained with conference shuffling.

I think the delay in announcing this part is caution on the part of the MAC. They don't know what other moves might take place before the fall of 2026 and I suspect the most likely result is that a member school might close.

Without spilling too much of what has been going on behind closed doors (maybe Gordon has heard a whisper or two), I've heard from more than one person that a MAC school with a ton of land and a few majors that most MAC schools don't have (that are of interest to a certain school, with these majors, up in State College) has been on the receiving end of interest from said large school as they figure out their satellite/branch campus configuration.

This MAC school did not start the conversation and is only mildly intrigued. At least two of the current satellite's which appear to be on the safe list would close if this were to happen. Abington is one of them.

This MAC school is also only a month or two away from finding out if three/four massive donations (including one from the Gates Foundation) will become reality.......and when.

One of these donations (non-Gates Foundation of course) would be athletics specific (to the chagrin of some admin, staff and faculty) and would be a game changer from a facilities standpoint, which is long overdue. This particular couple is also talking about funding an NIL Collective and matching donations $2 for $1.

This MAC school received a roughly $32 million donation several years ago and what I'm hearing is significantly higher.

If all or even some of this were to play out, the MAC school shuts down the conversation. But if none of it does, the overture is in play. I have also heard that the mothership in State College would not only NOT touch anything athletically, but would make investments in facilities and new sports, while using a few of them (think wrestling, a DI national monster and a former D3 national powerhouse) as almost a JV type of program. It doesn't sound like they have approached anybody with the MAC at this time, but I can't imagine the conference would boot them.

This is all up in the air........and I won't even get into the conversations that I've heard about another one, possibly two MAC schools that are in serious trouble at this time, without the safety net of any type of takeover or merger.

Quote from: lumbercat on March 19, 2025, 12:21:18 PMThat is impressive.

Maybe we are seeing a return to the trend from the 1960s-70s when the academic attraction of the NESCAC schools occasionally attracted a player or two who could easily play at a higher level but opted for the quality of academics in the NESCAC.

Back in the day it was typically at Amherst and Williams where  quality players would opt for those those schools despite strong IVY and D1 interest. Several went on to the pros.

I don't think we will see players from this generation in the NFL but it's clear that more D1 level prospects are being recruited to the NESCAC these days.

I could see the occasional one off, but if the Ivy League is interested and the student athlete has or can grow into borderline NFL measurables, I think he chooses a just as much of a top notch education and a better brand of football.

We have a kid in the neighborhood, parents are both NESCAC grads and he had his pick of 5 different NESCAC schools. 6 of the Ivy League schools, most of the Patriot League schools, Vanderbilt, Duke, etc. were all over him. He will be attending Princeton, playing football and hoping to give lacrosse a shot. He's got great measurables, excellent gene pool with mom and dad, money to throw away, but is the greatest, most down to earth young man I've ever met. He almost chose Tufts, but a few Princeton alums made a huge difference in the decision.

I had a feeling that Redding might squeeze his way on to the All-MAC First Team, but never did I expect this.......Co-Player of the Year!!

"Redding had a stellar season, appearing in 21 games and averaging 17.5 points per contest, including ten performances of 20 or more points. He led all of Division III in three-point shooting at 51.1% and ranked third in free throw percentage at 92.1%, missing just five attempts all season.

On February 19 against Stevens, Redding etched his name in the Delaware Valley record book with a career-high 47-point performance—the second-highest single-game total in program history. He shot 14-20 from the field, 8-10 from beyond the arc, and 11-12 from the free-throw line in that game. In addition to his scoring prowess, Redding also led the Aggies with 53 assists".

He led the nation with a ridiculous 51.1% from the three-point line and shot 92.1% from the foul line. If the Aggies can put a big or two around him next year, Redding could work his way into All-American consideration.

I NEVER saw THIS coming! I don't know what is more unlikely, Redding's ascent to Co-Player of the Year or the Aggies winning the MAC after picked to finish dead last.

Congratulations to Coach Kaba for an amazing year, especially in light of some critical, season ending injuries!! They are in on a D2 transfer considering about five schools and is looking at DelVal's Pre-Vet program. I'll give it 50-50 odds at best. He would be a monster in the MAC (6'8 1/2", 240 pounds) as he looks to move closer to home after playing his high school ball in one of the best leagues in the country, the Philadelphia Catholic League. He also has three years of eligibility remaining. Fingers crossed.

Talk about a D3HoopsStory (I'm looking forward to d3hoopstories breakdown)!!!! I'm not sure that I remember any MAC team predicted to come in last place in the Preseason Poll and win the championship! To even get there, the Aggies had to beat the Preseason #1 and #2 teams (Stevens and Desales) to finish out the regular season. Down their second (Herrin) and fifth (Washington) leading scorers, they had to beat Misericordia and then had to go on the road and beat Stevens for the second time in just ten days.

With just 10 players dressed, only 8 of them healthy and only 7 of them playing.......and with Stevens defenders in Redding's face all day, including trying to double him on his game winning shot, Redding played himself into first team All-MAC consideration with another incredible performance. He might just be my first pick in the MAC if I needed somebody to create off of the dribble and make a game winning shot. His last four games (at Stevens, Desales, Misericordia, at Stevens) were unlike anything I've seen in a long time. Teams knew how lethal he was in the hot streak......and could do nothing about it. Incredible!!

Coach is Kaba is definitely the MAC Coach of the Year and I look forward to seeing what type of recognition Redding and Pair receive. It would be awesome to see the Aggies have a great recruiting year as they lose Pair, Gombs and McGinty, who was also fantastic in the late run to end the season with a championship.

An incredible season that came out of nowhere. I prefer a season like this versus those where the  finish is just as predicted. Congrats to the Aggies on another MAC Championship.......this one even sweeter given the odds before the season started, and even greater odds after some crushing injuries.

Redding follows up his 47 point game at Stevens, where regardless of who was covering him 30 feet from the basket, he pulled up, shot and scored.........with another 26 against DeSales, who after trying to deny him the ball once past halfcourt, had hands in his face on many shots. That's a 36.5 point average against the Preseason Polls #1 and #2 seeds in the make or break last week of the season. Amazing!!

Had you told me that this DelVal team, picked dead last, behind even FDU, in the Preseason Poll, would wind up as the #2 seed (if Hoopstories scenarios are correct above), I would have never believed you.

What has made this more remarkable is that the Aggies have been playing without, due to injuries, their second leading scorer, 6'3" guard, Mike Herrin, their fifth leading scorer, Reggie Washington and their only other player (besides Zoelin Pair) taller than 6'3" (in real life......not the roster height for the players), Miles Demby.

It's house money at this point for the Cinderella Aggies. While the Preseason Poll had the Aggies wayyyyyyyy off, I believe they had Stevens right from the jump as the first place finisher. The question is does this Stevens team, with 6'9" Jack Spellman and his supporting cast, have what it takes to win a game or two in the NCAA's. Only time will tell.

Quote from: d3hoopstories on February 20, 2025, 10:14:25 AMWhat happened to Stevens?

In last night's game, the coaching staff inexplicably went way down the bench on two occasions (once each half) that turned out to be very costly. In those 8 and a half minutes of the game, with deep reserves getting time in a key contest, they were outscored 19-3. Details below.

Having built a 19-10 lead thanks to a 10-0 run, Stevens' staff inserted a first-year guard who entered the game with 18 turnovers in 63 minutes of playing time. They could have reinserted fifth-year starter Mike Goodall, who had been subbed out a couple of minutes before that. In just two minutes of playing time, the first-year guard turned it over and missed a 3, and suddenly it was 19-16 and the momentum had swung. He did not play again.

In the second half, the Ducks led 51-48 after a 12-2 run. Here, they opted to insert lightly used Loscalzo (instead of Leming) and even more lightly used Scott (instead of Coughlan) at the 13:06 mark.

In two and a half minutes of playing time, Scott committed two fouls, the Ducks turned it over three times, and they lost the lead because of a 5-0 run before sending Leming in to replace Scott. Notably, fifth-year starter Mike Goodall continued to sit while the run grew to 11-3, leaving the Ducks down 5 before he entered again.

Another two minutes passed without a Ducks point as Coughlan remained on the bench. He finally re-entered the game with the Ducks down 7 and less than seven minutes remaining. It was his first action of the second half, a stretch in which Stevens scored just 19 points in more than 13 minutes.

All told, in the 8 and a half minutes in which some combination of the 8th, 9th and 10th best guys were on the floor, the Ducks were outscored 19-3. In the other 31.5 minutes of the game, the Ducks outscored DelVal 69-59. Both the offense and the defense suffered considerably when Stevens went deep down its bench.

As postseason looms, I suspect they will shorten the bench, play guys who will not turn the ball over and take bad shots, and use their timeouts occasionally if one of the regulars needs a breather.

No mention of Redding torching Stevens for 47 points on their home floor, with several shots even deeper than Curry usually takes them? I think he had a slight part in "what happened to Stevens" and might just be in consideration for some All-MAC first or second team love.

Quote from: saratoga on January 11, 2025, 10:34:39 AM
Not a good look for Danzig's "recruiting".

On another topic:
Former ESPN host Sage Steele's brother Courtney (who played one year for Scranton under Danzig) is now acting & based out of NYC.
 

I love Sage Steele. It cost her a job, but she shed a ton of light on what was happening in Bristol, CT. You go Sage!!!

Quote from: Stretch4 on January 10, 2025, 01:07:28 PMThe grad student vs non-grad student advantage is not always what it is perceived. In the MACF lets take Stevens and Del Val. Stevens has 3 23 year old grad students on their team all who are HS class of 2020. One has been at Stevens since day one, another transferred this season from Colby, and a third transferred this season from Vassar. Two played zero games and one played three games during the 20-21 season. So, all legitimately using the COVID year. By comparison Del Val has no grad students listed on the roster. However, they have a 5th year soon to be 24 year old senior who spent two years at two different jucos, and now in his third year at Del Val, another 23 year old 5th year senior who has been at Del Val since 2020 (who played 10 games for Del Val during the 20-21 season), two 22 year old juniors HS class of 2021 on their third and fourth schools respectively, and finally a 23 year old junior HS class of 2020 on his third school. From an age and playing experience perspective, the grad school option is not providing any advantage here when you look at these two rosters.

Although, I will take the grad student and their basketball track record over most similarly aged, much traveled, players 8 or 9 times out of 10. Stevens had a grad transfer from Scranton last year, Stephen Braunstein, who was a stud at Scranton and was a freshman in 2019. My guess is that he was at least 23 years old in his 5th season and was a quality player from the time he stepped on to the court at Scranton.

Stretch, you seemed to have a feel for Misericordia. Was the home game against DelVal simply a one off, given how Misericordia beat two teams (Centenary and Rosemont) by 30+ points, that DelVal barely beat..............in addition to beating Swat by double digits, or does DelVal have a prayer to compete for the 4th seed (giving the top 3 to Stevens, Arcadia and DeSales/Miser)?