MBB: Ohio Athletic Conference

[D3fanboy]

JCU seems to be in the tourney either way, Mount needs to win to continue their season.  Parker, the all-time Purple Raider, needs to win to play another game.

23.5% FG 18% 3P 2nd half numbers should be posted all over.  dribble-dribble-fade away was terrible

The only thing on Saturday that would surprise me would be a Mount blow-out.  I could see a close Mount win, a close JCU win or a JCU blowout if Mount wants try a 3P shootout.  Hopefully both teams play their A games and we get a fantastic final OAC battle.

[Dr. Acula]

Agreed.  I can't see Mount blowing them out.  Hopefully they can win a close one and keep the season alive.

[BillyRayJimBob]

A bit late to the chat, and the game has already started...
Again, what Mount Union team shows up today? ... And who is on the floor at the end?
Every game is Parker's last game, so can he put something together?
Where is the guy that needs to step up and do something unusual?
Remember the game that Skeriotis lit things up and hit for 20?  Not saying it will be him, but we need somebody!

[Dr. Acula]

Tight game so far.  Mount has taken some ill-advised threes so far and given up some offensive boards.  Clean those things up and we've got a game.

[Dr. Acula]

Mount leads 36-33 at half.  JCU is shooting 50% but Mount is really making them work for their points.  Keep defending and keep running the offense and getting Parker touches.  He has 11 on 4-5 shooting.  As usual they got in trouble taking quick, not smart threes and playing too much 1 on 1 offense.  This is all you could ask for.  20 minutes with a shot to go dancing. 

[Dr. Acula]

Bad news.  They are not doing any of those things in the second half so far.

[Dr. Acula]

Mount falls 82-69 to end the season.  They just did not have an answer for JCU's size.  They were killing Mount in the paint and on the glass.  If Raynor only played Mount he would be the greatest player in D3 history.  I'll post more later, but I'm trying to get out of the office to go watch the CBJ hockey game.

[Onward on, John Carroll]

A nice way to end our time in the OAC - winning the regular season title, winning the tournament title and knocking our rival out of the tournament while we did it.

I will miss the OAC. Loved our rivalries with Mount, BW  and Etta in hoops the last 10 years. Loved our battles with Capital in the 2000s. Love the coaches and road trips, campuses and fans.

To echo what was said above, Coach Fuline made lemonade with lemons, no doubt. He made the program relevant in the conference, then regionally, then nationally in rather quick order. He recruits well, he coaches well and he is an all-around nice guy on top of that. You were lucky to get him, you have been lucky to keep him and I hope he gets that title that he very much deserves.

[Dr. Acula]

Okay, thoughts on the season.  Coming into the season I think there was concern about the perimeter shooting and FT shooting.  Both of those concerns proved to be valid.  They just never really settled into reliable 3 point shooters.  Talbert and Moore were closest, but Talbert's minutes decreased as Casenhiser's minutes increased.  Outside of that there was no consistency to speak of.  At the FT line by the end of the season it was basically Casenhiser and Moore as the only ones you wanted at the line.

I think after the Yeshiva and Wooster losses I wasn't downgrading my expectations, but I was probably limiting what I thought the ceiling could be.  After Vegas I downgraded the expectations a little.  They were not going to be good enough to go 16-2 in OAC play so the OOC record made it win the OAC or else basically.  With JCU's early struggles combined with Mount's early road win in UH I thought that was a reasonable chance.  The OAC was pretty wide open, but JCU started putting together a run and separated themselves down the stretch with consistent good play.  JCU was a little better than Mount this year.  We knew they would have been with everyone healthy, but they still were without their floor general.  Credit to them for rallying. 

One thing I want to make clear is that this Mount team was flawed.  This was not one of Fuline's elite teams.  But the biggest thing I want to make clear is that this team battled their a$$es off every game all season and they deserve to be applauded for that.  They willed themselves to some wins.  They easily could have lost several more OAC games.  That they played for both the OAC regular season and tourney titles is a result of that mindset that they're never out of it if they dig in, defend and get some stops and turnovers.  And that mindset comes from coaching.  Thank you to the players for buying into Fuline's system and going all out. 

I'll be sad to not see Parker again.  He's a Mount Rushmore player at Mount, no question.  And above all the individual accolades he was the best player on the team that raised the bar for the program.  I'm thankful for that leadership.  Best of luck to all of the seniors as they move on.   

Looking to next year you've got 3 starters back in Farrington, Moore and Casenhiser.  Taylor played a lot of crucial minutes as well.  Collier also returns.  In addition, I'm hoping that Hudson and Laurich will both be healthy and returning.     

[BillyRayJimBob]

A nice way to end our time in the OAC - winning the regular season title, winning the tournament title and knocking our rival out of the tournament while we did it.

I will miss the OAC. Loved our rivalries with Mount, BW  and Etta in hoops the last 10 years. Loved our battles with Capital in the 2000s. Love the coaches and road trips, campuses and fans.

To echo what was said above, Coach Fuline made lemonade with lemons, no doubt. He made the program relevant in the conference, then regionally, then nationally in rather quick order. He recruits well, he coaches well and he is an all-around nice guy on top of that. You were lucky to get him, you have been lucky to keep him and I hope he gets that title that he very much deserves.

And then there becomes "the silence of the lambs."

[Onward on, John Carroll]

A nice way to end our time in the OAC - winning the regular season title, winning the tournament title and knocking our rival out of the tournament while we did it.

I will miss the OAC. Loved our rivalries with Mount, BW  and Etta in hoops the last 10 years. Loved our battles with Capital in the 2000s. Love the coaches and road trips, campuses and fans.

To echo what was said above, Coach Fuline made lemonade with lemons, no doubt. He made the program relevant in the conference, then regionally, then nationally in rather quick order. He recruits well, he coaches well and he is an all-around nice guy on top of that. You were lucky to get him, you have been lucky to keep him and I hope he gets that title that he very much deserves.

And then there becomes "the silence of the lambs."

Well played....

But the face on the pillow, rosy in the firelight, is certainly that of Clarice Starling, and she sleeps deeply, sweetly, in the silence of the lambs.

[Dr. Acula]

District POY Massillon SG Chris Knight committed to Mount.  That's a big recruiting win.  Kid can play and the kid can shoot.  He'll help them immediately.

[D3 Poster]

Gotta' be one of the best OAC turnarounds...JCU

'22 2-13
'23 16-2
'24 17-1
'25 15-3
'26 NCAC ??

[Dr. Acula]

Turnarounds can happen quickly if you can get multiple All-OAC players to transfer in together.  Not sure if that's a sustainable model at this level though.

[Dr. Acula]

District POY Massillon SG Chris Knight committed to Mount.  That's a big recruiting win.  Kid can play and the kid can shoot.  He'll help them immediately.

To add some additional background here after I was able to do some Googling.  Very impressive kid.

21.3 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 1.7 apg, 2.0 spg
54% FG, 41% 3 pt, 83% FT
1st team All-Ohio, 1st team All-County, NE Inland District POY
3.8 GPA, awarded best teammate award and sportsmanship award at their team banquet.

Knight finished his career as the 2nd leading scorer in Massillon history (1265 pts).  His 21.3 ppg this year were 2nd best in the state in D2.  His 73 made 3pt were the most in the state in D2 and 14th most overall.