(01-13-2017 06:15 AM)70shawk Wrote:  

(01-12-2017 11:27 PM)billthebighawksfan Wrote:  so you have a really good team that has a chance to win the regular season with only a few losses, maybe none.

No losses will require some real luck. Even the most dominant of the David Robinson era Navy teams couldn't pull that off.

But then again, we've seen a lot of things happen in the Keatts era that haven't happened before...so if they take it a game at a time....

Not to beat the drum but this is not the same CAA as years past. I do think they have a very good chance to run the table in the CAA. I have not seen one team that I think can beat them is they play well and I don't really think it makes a difference if the other team does play good-they are just a better team. If they stay healthy it could happen.

As long as we can bust the zone with 3s, we are very hard to beat.

CoC plays enough D i think to slow us down a bit. That's the only matchup that scares me.

(01-13-2017 10:41 AM)Seahawkhoops Wrote:  CoC plays enough D i think to slow us down a bit. That's the only matchup that scares me.

Northeastern does too, considering they have a grizzled veteran in Alex Murphy in the post. Dude is like 25.

Weren't you guys just a week ago afraid of Drexel? You guys are hilarious. I would be shocked if you run the table, but you will have a hefty lead in the conference. Just don't let your 1 or 2 slip ups happen to bottom tier teams

UNCW is legit. But, I can tell you Northeastern looked every bit as good against us. We will see Charleston Saturday. Their defense appears to be really good. Those 3 appear to be significantly ahead of anyone else right now. Does that mean one of them might lose early in the CAA tournament? Possibly, but it makes it very unlikely that the regular season and tournament champ won't be one of those 3. The one wildcard is that the tourney is still 6 weeks away. My best W&M example is 2013. Delaware and Towson both owned us during the regular season, the games were not even close. But, in the tourney we beat Towson, and led Delaware by 6 with just over a minute left. So, things can change.

I am not sure it should matter for you guys though. If you keep winning, you should get real at large consideration particularly if NU and Charleston keep winning too.

UNCW can't lose more than one game in the CAA and get an at large bid and it might not happen if they go undefeated and lose the tournament. There are a ton of P5 teams around that will get bids-maybe 10 teams out of the ACC this season-I just have a hard time seeing the NCAA picking UNCW over a ACC team with a .500 ACC record and 20 wins.There are other P5 leagues that will get a lot of teams in as well-not just the ACC. Better win the tournament if they want in.

Northeastern worries me far more than Charleston, since NU can score and has athletes to match ours. CofC just doesn't have the offensive firepower to hang. We had a rough time with CofC last year, because our post players were Getty's and Bryan. They couldn't score, couldn't run the floor and couldn't rebound. As a result, we were very one dimensional on offense and could be shut down for long stretches of time. Caacock is a game changer. There isn't a team in the CAA that has a post player that can match the athleticism, stamina and sheer force of Cacock.

I don't think CofC will be able to dictate pace, so we'll force them into our game and they won't have a chance. On the other hand, NU can run and score with us. It will likely come down to who is hot that night. The only true challenge to the Hawks' I see now is Northeastern.

If Cacock would up his defensive game, he would be unstoppable. Last night #41 was taking it to him every time he got the ball almost. He may get there by next year. But if we are going to survive against a skilled big, his defense needs to be taken up several notches.

(01-13-2017 12:59 PM)surfsalot Wrote:  If Cacock would up his defensive game, he would be unstoppable. Last night #41 was taking it to him every time he got the ball almost. He may get there by next year. But if we are going to survive against a skilled big, his defense needs to be taken up several notches.

I think that's a double edged sword. I'm guessing coach had the discussion about needing him on the floor. The last several games he's stayed out of foul trouble. That's probably why his D intensity may have been "adjusted" a bit.

#41 was getting away with leading with his forearm down low. He was only called once for it and that was on Talley. Cacock just bite on the move that would have gotten fouls called on him. Yes, #41, Whitman, did score a lot, but he was not going to beat us as long as Cacock was not in foul trouble. We shutdown Thier key scorers.

(01-13-2017 01:59 PM)SEA33HAWK Wrote:  #41 was getting away with leading with his forearm down low. He was only called once for it and that was on Talley. Cacock just bite on the move that would have gotten fouls called on him. Yes, #41, Whitman, did score a lot, but he was not going to beat us as long as Cacock was not in foul trouble. We shutdown Thier key scorers.

It was a solid strategy against a very good offensive team. We let Whitman have his space, but closed out on the shooters. As a result, Daniel Dixon, who had been putting up 25+ per game in his first three CAA contests, was held to just 10 points, including 0-2 from 3.

Who says we can't sit down and play some stout halfcourt D?

Cacock is always going to a plus player no matter who he guards, so we need him on the floor more than we need him defending and getting in foul trouble. I will gladly take him backing off a bit on defense to have him go into half time with only one foul.

As a result, he was more aggressive in the second half, but could stay on the court despite picking up a couple of fouls.

(01-13-2017 10:48 AM)Seahawk Nation 08 Wrote:  

(01-13-2017 10:41 AM)Seahawkhoops Wrote:  CoC plays enough D i think to slow us down a bit. That's the only matchup that scares me.

Northeastern does too, considering they have a grizzled veteran in Alex Murphy in the post. Dude is like 25.

Stop it. He's 23.

So is Barnett Harris of Delaware, but no one brings it up because he's a scrub.

No disrespect to CofC, but in need to see them take it to the next level.

NU and UNCW are the last two league champs, I don't see CofC cracking that pair, I just don't.

Not saying it can't happen, but I just don't see it.

I echo what 82hawk said.

My gut says W&M will be heard from come tourney time.

(01-13-2017 03:26 PM)geewizNU Wrote:  Stop it. He's 23.

It's more fun to pretend he's older. Just for that, now he's 26.

(01-13-2017 03:33 PM)geewizNU Wrote:  No disrespect to CofC, but in need to see them take it to the next level.

I tend to agree. Their style of play will keep them in just about every game, but I tend to question whether they can beat NU or UNCW, particuarly in an instance where they're playing from behind late in a game.

Hosting the tournament obviously gives them an edge, however, so I can't remove them as a top threat to win in March. UNCW, NU and Charleston all have about equal chances in my mind, though a lot can change in 2 months.

(01-13-2017 03:33 PM)geewizNU Wrote:  My gut says W&M will be heard from come tourney time.

Probably. But even their fans think they're on the 2nd tier with Elon and JMU. They can definitely pull off an upset in March, but they'd need to make a lot of improvements between now and then to take that next step and win the league.

(01-13-2017 03:43 PM)Seahawk Nation 08 Wrote:  

(01-13-2017 03:33 PM)geewizNU Wrote:  No disrespect to CofC, but in need to see them take it to the next level.

I tend to agree. Their style of play will keep them in just about every game, but I tend to question whether they can beat NU or UNCW, particuarly in an instance where they're playing from behind late in a game.

Hosting the tournament obviously gives them an edge, however, so I can't remove them as a top threat to win in March. UNCW, NU and Charleston all have about equal chances in my mind, though a lot can change in 2 months.

(01-13-2017 03:33 PM)geewizNU Wrote:  My gut says W&M will be heard from come tourney time.

Probably. But even their fans think they're on the 2nd tier with Elon and JMU. They can definitely pull off an upset in March, but they'd need to make a lot of improvements between now and then to take that next step and win the league.

I appreciate the respect you are giving the Tribe given the last 3 seasons, but we have concerns right now. There is hope(especially given our run in 2013), that we might find something between now and March 3rd. But, right now, we are no where near the level of the Seahawks and Huskies. In 2013, Delaware and Towson manhandled us 4 times in the regular season, but for 58+ minutes of the championship game we played like champs that year. The biggest difference was then we had Marcus Thornton and Terry Tarpey who lifted the team play at separate ends of the floor. Other than Dixon, we seem to be missing that spark right now. Both NU and UNCW did a good job of containing him. Still looking forward to going to Charleston for the tournament.