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What to make of Rider's win
Thanks to everyone -- if in fact, there was anyone -- who followed or attempted to follow along on our coveritlive debut. I'll score it a partial success since it worked for at least some of the game but bailed -- because of crappy wireless in the gym -- when it would have been most fun down the stretch.
If nothing more, I'm pretty confident it'll work well for the MAAC tournament, which after all, is what this league (and by extension this blog) is all about in the first place.
When this thing was finally over, Rider had a win by a score almost identical to its win over Siena (90-87 versus 90-88), which is fitting in a way, since these two wins stand out as by far Rider's biggest of the regular season.
The post-game press conference, as you can imagine, was pretty lively. It was also a lot different from the one following the Siena game even though both games came down to the wire and resulted in Rider wins.
After the Siena win, Tommy Dempsey went out of his way to say that it was NOT that much of a statement win -- that though it would be portrayed by people like you and me as a monumental upset, in the Broncs' locker room it didn't come as a major surprise.
Tonight was different. It wasn't that Rider thought this was a monumental upset, though I'm not sure many people thought it was given Niagara's status as a 3 1/2-point favorite coming in.
But Dempsey DID say it was a statement win -- one that showed, he said, that the MAAC doesn't have a two-horse race with Siena and Niagara battling down to the wire and everyone else simply looking on.
"We believe that there are more than two teams – not that there’s only three – but there’s more than two teams that can win the MAAC championship," Dempsey said. "I think people were acting like it’s a two-horse race right now and they’re not including us in that. I thought tonight was a statement that especially after beating Siena, Niagara and Siena are not the only two teams that can go to the NCAA tournament."
That, really, is what this season comes down to for Rider.
The Broncs were picked third in the preseason coaches' poll and fourth by most publications. Niagara was picked fourth in the poll (though only one vote behind Rider) and second or third by most publications.
Siena, of course, was picked first by every single person, poll or publication, and for good reason. So the question heading into the season was "can anyone contend with Siena?"
I think that question is still largely unanswered.
If Siena had run the table in the regular season, the answer heading into the tournament would be an authoritative "no." But it's hard to say they're unbeatable when they have, in fact, been beaten.
Under some circumstances, that one Rider win over Siena would have solidified Rider's status as both the second best team in the league and as a bona fide challenger to Siena's crown.
Entering tonight, though, it was pretty clear that Niagara had the second best resume in the conference. The Eagles had won seven straight, proved their worth both at home and on the road, and been able to claim that they hadn't yet been mathematically eliminated from the regular season race while everyone below them in the standings had.
Rider, meanwhile, had been SO shaky in its previous two games and has been SO up and down this season that you couldn't be blamed for thinking they didn't have much credibility. Afterall, what kind of powerhouse team loses by 18 to Canisius?
Dempsey is well aware of all that, and that's why he said -- rightly so, I think -- that in order to be seen as a credible contender for the title, you have to beat the best teams in the league at home.
That the Broncs blew a 19-point lead in doing so is less important than the fact that they did it, and the fact that if they beat Loyola next Thursday and Siena beats Niagara next Friday, they and Siena will be the only teams to have beaten everyone in the league during the regular season.
"Siena comes in here, if you’re a legitimate program, you beat them," Dempsey said. "Niagara comes in here, if you’re a legitimate program, you have to win these games. I think these are the games that make you. If you’re going to be an elite program in this league, you have to win these games, and we’ve been able to do that in the last couple of weeks."
So what to make of it?
I asked Joe Mihalich about Dempsey's two-horse-race comment.
"I never felt it was a two-team race," the coach said. "We still feel the same way. We're having a great year, but shoot, we still feel like Siena's the best team and we're all chasing them. I don't feel like it's a two-team race."
I think that about sums it up. I do think it's worth noting that if Niagara beats Siena then takes care of business against Marist, the Eagles will have finished only two games behind one of the best teams in MAAC history. That's a pretty big accomplishment.
But keep in mind that even if that happens, no one will have beaten Siena in Albany, and beating Siena in Albany is what it's going to take to win the tournament.
The whole concept of a two-team race is a little foolish right now because as far as the tournament goes, it really, truly is a 10-horse race. It's a race, in my view, in which Siena is the overwhelming favorite, with Niagara second on the odds list and Rider third.
What the Broncs showed today is that on that list, they aren't miles behind Niagara. At the same time, they showed Sunday that they aren't miles ahead of Manhattan, either. The Jaspers have played good ball of late and are capable of beating Siena if everything goes their way and Siena has an off night.
Part of the beauty of postsason college basketball is that not only do the best teams not always win, but the best teams often lose to vastly inferior teams. Otherwise, they would tell teams seeded 12 or below in the NCAA tournament to not bother showing up.
So what to make of the Broncs? They're dangerous. So is Niagara, so is Manhattan, so to some extent are Iona, Loyola and Fairfield. So, to an extent, is Marist, who had Siena on the ropes earlier in the year and blew out Niagara. But when the Broncs show up in Albany, they won't look at any of their opponents and think "we can't beat them."
That's one reason tonight was important.
If nothing more, I'm pretty confident it'll work well for the MAAC tournament, which after all, is what this league (and by extension this blog) is all about in the first place.
When this thing was finally over, Rider had a win by a score almost identical to its win over Siena (90-87 versus 90-88), which is fitting in a way, since these two wins stand out as by far Rider's biggest of the regular season.
The post-game press conference, as you can imagine, was pretty lively. It was also a lot different from the one following the Siena game even though both games came down to the wire and resulted in Rider wins.
After the Siena win, Tommy Dempsey went out of his way to say that it was NOT that much of a statement win -- that though it would be portrayed by people like you and me as a monumental upset, in the Broncs' locker room it didn't come as a major surprise.
Tonight was different. It wasn't that Rider thought this was a monumental upset, though I'm not sure many people thought it was given Niagara's status as a 3 1/2-point favorite coming in.
But Dempsey DID say it was a statement win -- one that showed, he said, that the MAAC doesn't have a two-horse race with Siena and Niagara battling down to the wire and everyone else simply looking on.
"We believe that there are more than two teams – not that there’s only three – but there’s more than two teams that can win the MAAC championship," Dempsey said. "I think people were acting like it’s a two-horse race right now and they’re not including us in that. I thought tonight was a statement that especially after beating Siena, Niagara and Siena are not the only two teams that can go to the NCAA tournament."
That, really, is what this season comes down to for Rider.
The Broncs were picked third in the preseason coaches' poll and fourth by most publications. Niagara was picked fourth in the poll (though only one vote behind Rider) and second or third by most publications.
Siena, of course, was picked first by every single person, poll or publication, and for good reason. So the question heading into the season was "can anyone contend with Siena?"
I think that question is still largely unanswered.
If Siena had run the table in the regular season, the answer heading into the tournament would be an authoritative "no." But it's hard to say they're unbeatable when they have, in fact, been beaten.
Under some circumstances, that one Rider win over Siena would have solidified Rider's status as both the second best team in the league and as a bona fide challenger to Siena's crown.
Entering tonight, though, it was pretty clear that Niagara had the second best resume in the conference. The Eagles had won seven straight, proved their worth both at home and on the road, and been able to claim that they hadn't yet been mathematically eliminated from the regular season race while everyone below them in the standings had.
Rider, meanwhile, had been SO shaky in its previous two games and has been SO up and down this season that you couldn't be blamed for thinking they didn't have much credibility. Afterall, what kind of powerhouse team loses by 18 to Canisius?
Dempsey is well aware of all that, and that's why he said -- rightly so, I think -- that in order to be seen as a credible contender for the title, you have to beat the best teams in the league at home.
That the Broncs blew a 19-point lead in doing so is less important than the fact that they did it, and the fact that if they beat Loyola next Thursday and Siena beats Niagara next Friday, they and Siena will be the only teams to have beaten everyone in the league during the regular season.
"Siena comes in here, if you’re a legitimate program, you beat them," Dempsey said. "Niagara comes in here, if you’re a legitimate program, you have to win these games. I think these are the games that make you. If you’re going to be an elite program in this league, you have to win these games, and we’ve been able to do that in the last couple of weeks."
So what to make of it?
I asked Joe Mihalich about Dempsey's two-horse-race comment.
"I never felt it was a two-team race," the coach said. "We still feel the same way. We're having a great year, but shoot, we still feel like Siena's the best team and we're all chasing them. I don't feel like it's a two-team race."
I think that about sums it up. I do think it's worth noting that if Niagara beats Siena then takes care of business against Marist, the Eagles will have finished only two games behind one of the best teams in MAAC history. That's a pretty big accomplishment.
But keep in mind that even if that happens, no one will have beaten Siena in Albany, and beating Siena in Albany is what it's going to take to win the tournament.
The whole concept of a two-team race is a little foolish right now because as far as the tournament goes, it really, truly is a 10-horse race. It's a race, in my view, in which Siena is the overwhelming favorite, with Niagara second on the odds list and Rider third.
What the Broncs showed today is that on that list, they aren't miles behind Niagara. At the same time, they showed Sunday that they aren't miles ahead of Manhattan, either. The Jaspers have played good ball of late and are capable of beating Siena if everything goes their way and Siena has an off night.
Part of the beauty of postsason college basketball is that not only do the best teams not always win, but the best teams often lose to vastly inferior teams. Otherwise, they would tell teams seeded 12 or below in the NCAA tournament to not bother showing up.
So what to make of the Broncs? They're dangerous. So is Niagara, so is Manhattan, so to some extent are Iona, Loyola and Fairfield. So, to an extent, is Marist, who had Siena on the ropes earlier in the year and blew out Niagara. But when the Broncs show up in Albany, they won't look at any of their opponents and think "we can't beat them."
That's one reason tonight was important.
posted by Kyle Franko at
10:45 PM
12 Comments:
Rider won but played pretty poorly down the strech, this game was like their year they can be very good or very bad. Rider is young 133 of 200 minutes were played by freshmen and sophs. Rider has proven they can beat the top teams in the MAAC when they play well and can lose to the bottom teams in the MAAC when they play poorly.
Good job by Rider. Who cares if they blew the lead. They still won the game, they still can beat anyone in the league and they are DANGEROUS in the tournament.
Nice job!!!!!! While the Broncs are not the favorites, they have a chance in the maac tourney and that's all we can ask for.
Whereas Rider didn't play nearly as well the last 5 minutes of the game as the first 35, you have to give credit to Niagara whos is easily the most dangerous offensive team in the league.
Good job BRONCS!
Blowing halftime leads...gets kind of old. Weren't they blowing halftime leads last season too around this time (February)?
In a completely unrelated topic...Daryl Fein wearing a purple necktie against the Purple Eagles? (he was interviewed during halftime on NSN's coverage) That grinds my gears...
Complete horsecrap out of Dempsey, again.
If the Siena win wasn't a "statement" win according to Dempsey, and his players shrugged that upset win off, why was the entire Rider Athletic Administration department on the court bumping chests with Rider players? Including, AD Harnum?
Now Dempsey says that the NU win is a "statement" win?
Dempsey is grasping at straws and throwing escrement against the wall to see what sticks so he can try and claim Rider is in the MAAC's "elite". The MAAC's "elite" consists of Iona, Manhattan, Niagara and Siena. Until Rider does something on a national level - they'll be included with the other 6 teams in the MAAC. 12, 13 years in the conference and no NCAA Tournament appearances, one NIT (which was in year 1 of MAAC membership) and that's it.
If Dempsey thinks laying claim to being an "elite" team in the MAAC is beating the actual "elite" teams on Rider's home court - it's not.....go win those games on the road when it matters most. Don't travel to Buffalo and get thumped by 20 to a bad Canisius team.
Frankly, would anyone be suprised if Iona dusts Rider in the quarterfinals of the MAAC Tournament? Absolutely not.
Someone tell Dempsey he's the head of a Mickey Mouse D-I program that has done nothing in the MAAC.
No kidding. Afterall, we're talking about Rider here - anyone remember Harnum sandbagging the 2002 Player of the Year Award - which was a two horse race between Rider's Mario Porter and Marist's Sean Kennedy? Well, coaches can't vote for their own player - Marist's head coach, Dave Magarity, voted for Rider's Porter and instead of voting for Kennedy, Harnum voted for someone else. So Porter got 5 votes, Kennedy got 4 and Harnum's vote went to someone else. Rider basketball at its finest.
Is it me or is it ironic that the picture at the head of this original blog post is clearly a foul on the Niagara player that almost assuredly did not get called.
Yes I would be VERY surprised if Iona were to knock off the broncs in the 1st round of the MAAC tourney. And as far as Manhattan and Iona being elite teams in the league, being consistently a threat in the league is much more of a definition of elite to me rather than winning a championship or two then falling off the map. I recall a soon to be unemployed Big East coach once calling Manhattan the Gonzaga of the East. Last time I checked Gonzaga hasn't missed an NCAA tourney for a number of years, has been constantly ranked in the Top 25, and has officially left the realm of the mid-major.
HAHAHA. Leave it to a Rider fan to say that being a consistent "threat" in the MAAC is evidence of being an "elite" MAAC team. That makes perfect sense of a fan of a team that has never won the conference in their history. Rider, in my opinion, has done the least for the MAAC in their 12 years in the conference - with St. Peter's and Loyola possibly the only exceptions. Even Marist, who joined with Rider in 1997, has a postseason NIT win on their resume. Rider has nothing of the sort.
Manhattan and Iona have significant history, including recent history, of being two of the flagship programs of the MAAC - multiple NCAA berths, NCAA Tournament wins for Manhattan. Siena, in my opinion, is hands down the best overall program in the MAAC - they win, their coaches take jobs in power conferences on a regular basis, they have the best facilities, the best media coverage, the most national publicity over the years etc etc. Everything about Siena is high-major.....as opposed to the Riders, where everything is low-major.
Until Rider wins a MAAC title....they're on the same level with Loyola and SPC. The Rider program is small-time and will never be anything more than that.
Rumblings about a certain Rider freshman not happy with the facilities at Rider are making there way around the league. Could someone be looking to actually move up from Rider?
You know what you're right. Let's get Rich Ensor on the phone and just call of the MAAC tourney. Let's go Ivy League style and just let Siena go. I mean think of the savings on school travel budgets as well as the poor and dow trodden who live outside of that suitcase town of Albany.
Time to look to 09-10 everybody.
Rider would no doubt support the ending of the MAAC Tournament in favor of giving the first place team the bid - because Rider refuses to play out of conference games that require getting on an airplane - so I assume they wouldn't mind not having to pay for the bus and hotel for the MAAC Tourney.
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