McCaffrey’s Musings
By Tim McCaffrey
It’s awards time, and yes, rankings too!
Coming up, we’ll have the Top 8, as it SHOULD be, but we begin with our annual (usually) Musie Awards. These honors, much like the author, are a touch different! We recognize the typically shunned when it comes to recognition: Referees and assistant coaches!
WBB Referee of the Year: Ashley Olson, CACC/ECC/NE10
Ashley Olson is a rising superstar and won’t be in Division II long, so enjoy her skill while it’s here! The Staten Island native works in all three of the region’s conferences. Her rapid ascension shows that those who played collegiately (Wagner) typically have the quickest upside when it comes to officiating. Olson possesses a good grasp of game-management and typically is consistent with her whistle.
MBB Referee of the Year: Connor Hoagland, NE10
The region is lucky to have a quality official like Connor Hoagland. He works hard, has a fantastic feel for the game, and is a tremendous play caller. Hoagland, who according to an article in the Rutland Herald, ‘has attended eight to 10 basketball officiating camps a summer,’ also umpires collegiate baseball. While his camp attendance typifies the problems with the system, it also shows how some are willing to sacrifice a lot of personal time in order to succeed. Hoagland not only stands out in the NE10, but does so also in a region loaded with capable officials. I expect to see him in the postseason, and every game is lucky to have him. He won’t be phased by the moment and poise is something that should take him a long way in the industry.
WBB Assistant Coach of the Year: Alaina Walker, Saint Thomas Aquinas
I have no idea what is in store for Alaina Walker, but success has followed the Pomona, New York native and Albertus Magnus High School grad! She was a starter on Saint Bonaventure’s 2012 Sweet 16 team and is now part of Bill Cleary’s staff at STAC. Walker served as an assistant with former Spartan coach Kim Lusk for a season before heading over the Hudson River to Pace for a year. After a couple of seasons off, she is back to being part of a winning culture. Few coaches have had the success turning assistants into head coaches as Cleary. All three of his assistants in his first year at Colgate: Mahogany Green (Hamilton), Kate Popovec (Bradley) and Candice Green (Fordham) possess head coaching jobs while he has seen five (all women) overall take positions in the same capacity. Walker is in the right place to learn and by witnessing her leadership skills during games, it is only a matter of time until she becomes the next head coach to branch off from Cleary’s tree.
MBB Assistant Coach of the Year: Ed Ryan, Caldwell
Ed Ryan began his collegiate coaching journey in 2008 with Centenary, was hired in 2011 by Caldwell, but it wasn’t until joining Pace in 2014 and teaming up with Matt Healing that his career began to take off. Ryan buoyed a school that hadn’t seen sustained winning in nearly two decades and parlayed the success at Pace back to Caldwell in 2021. Despite an 8-17 first season, the Cougars are doing exactly what was expected with Ryan on staff to the tune of a 17-7 clip. Coupled with the dynamic coaching mind of Dean Johnson, there are years of success ahead for Caldwell. If I were looking for the next successful head coach who currently isn’t one, Ryan would be my top choice.
ELITE 8 MBB
1) Bentley (18-4)
2) Saint Anselm (17-6)
3) Dominican (19-5)
4) Southern New Hampshire (16-7)
5) New Haven (15-8)
6) Pace (16-9)
7) St. Thomas Aquinas (21-3)
8) Southern Connecticut (16-9)
Ch-ch-ch-chances: Franklin Pierce (14-10), Le Moyne (14-12), Post (14-10)
The top eight is VERY solid. I like keeping Dominican and STAC away so three games with two NE10 teams are avoided. If any team outside the top eight expects to get inside they are going to not only need to win out to the finals of their respective conference tourneys, but also get significant help. The Musings has learned that a major point of emphasis this year is winning on another team’s home floor if you are adjacent in the rankings. Using that logic, Dominican should be third and Pace sixth. I can make a very good argument for STAC five, but perhaps we wait another week for that move.
Games of Note:
Post @ Caldwell: Tuesday, 7:30: The Eagles can’t lose this game, while Caldwell could sneak into the Top 10 with a win. The Cougars don’t have an at-large chance, but they are my pick to win the conference tournament. Caldwell, which has won only one CACC tournament game since 2008, has an uptempo style and a nine-game winning streak, the longest in the region.
Franklin Pierce @ #8 Southern Connecticut: Wednesday, 7:30: A loss for the Ravens and their at-large hopes could be nevermore. SCSU can make the committee’s job a lot easier with a win.
#7 St. Thomas Aquinas @ Daemen: Friday, 7:30: The Spartans need this game to solidify their location in the field and give the ECC a better chance of two teams. One can make a really good case for STAC at six, but its home loss to Pace is troubling for a program that lacks the resume of teams around it. It is impossible to know how good the Spartans are until they play in the NCAAs. Your individual mileage may vary.
#5 New Haven @ Le Moyne: Saturday, 3:00: If the Dolphins beat Saint Michael’s on Wednesday and UNH Saturday, and get a Pace swoon, then all of a sudden, Le BOING. Long way to go, but it could happen, so you'd better watch!
#1 Bentley @ Franklin Pierce: Saturday, 3:30: Bentley needs the game to continue to have hosting rights secure. An undefeated Raven week puts Rindge, New Hampshire’s Division II team within spitting distance of an at-large bid!
The women’s top eight is a bit murkier, thanks to a lot of balance and inconsistency.
ELITE 8 WBB
1) Southern New Hampshire (17-5)
2) Jefferson (22-3)
3) Le Moyne (19-5)
4) Assumption (20-4)
5) Bentley (14-9)
6) Southern Connecticut (15-8)
7) New Haven (15-8)
8) St. Thomas Aquinas (17-6)/ECC Tournament Winner
This bracket is much more difficult to sort. The ECC is rapidly becoming a one-bid league which means finishing first is of ultra-importance. A case can be made for the Spartans up a slot or two, but all that will be parsed out soon. The CACC will be a one-bid league unless Jefferson loses in the CACC tournament.
So, you’re saying there’s a chance…. Holy Family (17-8), American International (13-9), Chestnut Hill (16-8)
Remember, if the ECC is on the 8-line, any team hoping for an at-large would have to get to the seven seed. Frankly, the top eight here are quite solid, with no fewer than four teams that could host.
Lurking is Daemen (15-4). Since we received correspondence being critical of our omission of Daemen, it is once again time to fairly explain why the Wildcats have no business being considered for an at-large bid. The school has 22 of a possible 28 games scheduled and only seven are against teams with winning records. So far, in five games against winning teams, the Wildcats are 3-2. If everyone could avoid competition and just accumulate wins, everyone would do it. It shouldn’t be rewarded. Daemen’s SOS is 286 out of 298 Division II schools. All of that said, if the Wildcats sweep the week, they will be in the driver’s seat for the 8-line! Perhaps this season, if they play the one-seed in the NCAA East Regional, the team they look across from won’t be without its top two players.
Games of Note:
Chestnut Hill @ Holy Family: Tuesday, 6pm: In '80s wrestling, this would be a loser leaves town match. The loser has no path for an at-large, while the winner has a slim possibility.
#8 St. Thomas Aquinas @ Daemen: Friday, 5:30: The Wildcats have the muscle memory to win both games this weekend and retain their ECC title. The Spartans are a year ahead of schedule, but never count a Bill Cleary team out until it is out of games.
#7 New Haven @ #3 Le Moyne: Saturday, 1pm: These two are a combined 23-2 since they have hit stride, so which team will give in in Syracuse? The Chargers need a second quality road win to pair with Bentley, and this might be the best chance to solidify UNH in the field. Le Moyne sports the region’s longest winning streak at nine and has eyes on hosting a regional for the first time in school history.
#1 Southern New Hampshire @ #4 Assumption, Saturday, 1:30: Assumption needs to hold serve at home after losing in Manchester in December. The Greyhounds are not falling off the 4-line with a loss, but they are not going to host the regional with a defeat. Karen Pinkos and company are steady but both Jefferson and Le Moyne are jockeying for position on the top of the mountain.
Mercy @ Daemen: Sunday, Noon: This should be a battle for first place but at the very least will be an affair for second. Whatever the case, if you’re having Sunday brunch, tune this one in!
The official regional rankings in alphabetical order drop Wednesday. We are not expecting any surprises, but who knows? Be Kind!
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This was written by Tim McCaffrey, to write to him, try t.p.mccaffrey@gmail.com, he returns every e-mail!