What we're missing? Our best season ever?

[Patch]

Heck just 3 years ago we were wrapping up a 5-23 season and now we're 18-9 and I'm bringing up a topic about what we're missing this season.

 

But in thinking about it we lost two starters off the NCAA team and I think we miss the non starter the most - Levi.

 

Coming off the bench Levi gave us some of everything - scoring, rebounding, defense but most of all I think he had attitude and desire. I think all of our players work hard and have desire but Levi vocalized his feelings and pushed his teammates both the starters and the guys on the bench.

 

With this being said right know we have a better RPI and a better overall record in a higher rated Conference then we did last season and yet I somehow feel disappointed.

 

I guess that's "GOOD" it shows how our programs has progressed.

 

It sure would be nice to reach the 20 win mark during the regular season for the first time. In order to do that we have to win both remaining regular season games.

 

"Lets Go Danes" - finish up strong and this would be our best regular season since going DI.

[albanyhoops31]

Heck just 3 years ago we were wrapping up a 5-23 season and now we're 18-9 and I'm bringing up a topic about what we're missing this season.

 

But in thinking about it we lost two starters off the NCAA team and I think we miss the non starter the most - Levi.

 

Coming off the bench Levi gave us some of everything - scoring, rebounding, defense but most of all I think he had attitude and desire. I think all of our players work hard and have desire but Levi vocalized his feelings and pushed his teammates both the starters and the guys on the bench.

 

With this being said right know we have a better RPI and a better overall record in a higher rated Conference then we did last season and yet I somehow feel disappointed.

 

I guess that's "GOOD" it shows how our programs has progressed.

 

It sure would be nice to reach the 20 win mark during the regular season for the first time. In order to do that we have to win both remaining regular season games.

 

"Lets Go Danes" - finish up strong and this would be our best regular season since going DI.

Yeah, the losses to vermont have hurt us mentally as fans. They are our biggest conference rival and we have failed to beat them so far this season. I think thats why you feel disappointed. Also, I think alot of fans expected us to cruise more since we made it to the tournament last year, and won our conference, that we were going to easily take our conference over.

[Dane Pound]

Good point Patch and not a bad sign for those of us who've wanted the conference to improve. It has and we might have a better team that doesn't do quite as well in conference because of it (at least in the regular season).

 

If there's an upside to all of this maybe Lonergan replaces Will Brown as the coach everyone talks about moving up to fill bigger conference coaching vacancies.

[purplehaze]

Friends at UVM and in the Burlington area tell me Lonergan is a short timer at UVM. He really wants to return to the Mid-Atlantic area where both he and his wife are from. If any openings in the CAA open up--consider him a candidate. Remember he was head coach at Catholic U. for years and an assistant at Maryland

[Mattmo]

Friends at UVM and in the Burlington area tell me Lonergan is a short timer at UVM. He really wants to return to the Mid-Atlantic area where both he and his wife are from. If any openings in the CAA open up--consider him a candidate. Remember he was head coach at Catholic U. for years and an assistant at Maryland

 

Lonergan actually really likes Vermont and the area, and he might actually want to stay in Vermont for a while. So your friends may not know the whole story. UVM gave him an opportunity to be a head coach at the Division I level, while some of the mid-atlantic schools where he is from stiffed him when he was winning at Catholic U. (read: Loyola-MD and Towson. I don't think he minds not getting the Loyola job since he and Pastos are friends, but you get the idea, there was another D1 school that didn't hire him either from that region, I can't think of it right now though). He is in a similar situation Brown has, its his first HC gig in D1 and he has a good thing going right now. Its up to the administration at UVM to reward him and his staff for putting the team at a high level of sustainable success. I have a feeling they will.

[purplehaze]

Friends at UVM and in the Burlington area tell me Lonergan is a short timer at UVM. He really wants to return to the Mid-Atlantic area where both he and his wife are from. If any openings in the CAA open up--consider him a candidate. Remember he was head coach at Catholic U. for years and an assistant at Maryland

 

Lonergan actually really likes Vermont and the area, and he might actually want to stay in Vermont for a while. So your friends may not know the whole story. UVM gave him an opportunity to be a head coach at the Division I level, while some of the mid-atlantic schools where he is from stiffed him when he was winning at Catholic U. (read: Loyola-MD and Towson. I don't think he minds not getting the Loyola job since he and Pastos are friends, but you get the idea, there was another D1 school that didn't hire him either from that region, I can't think of it right now though). He is in a similar situation Brown has, its his first HC gig in D1 and he has a good thing going right now. Its up to the administration at UVM to reward him and his staff for putting the team at a high level of sustainable success. I have a feeling they will.

are you sure???

[Dane96]

Friends at UVM and in the Burlington area tell me Lonergan is a short timer at UVM. He really wants to return to the Mid-Atlantic area where both he and his wife are from. If any openings in the CAA open up--consider him a candidate. Remember he was head coach at Catholic U. for years and an assistant at Maryland

 

Lonergan actually really likes Vermont and the area, and he might actually want to stay in Vermont for a while. So your friends may not know the whole story. UVM gave him an opportunity to be a head coach at the Division I level, while some of the mid-atlantic schools where he is from stiffed him when he was winning at Catholic U. (read: Loyola-MD and Towson. I don't think he minds not getting the Loyola job since he and Pastos are friends, but you get the idea, there was another D1 school that didn't hire him either from that region, I can't think of it right now though). He is in a similar situation Brown has, its his first HC gig in D1 and he has a good thing going right now. Its up to the administration at UVM to reward him and his staff for putting the team at a high level of sustainable success. I have a feeling they will.

 

They will have to bring him up to par (even with living requirements) of other AE coaches....and that is a huge step up from what he is making now.

 

I like the fact that we have a rivalry with UVM...and I like the fact that AE has stepped up. Next years goal should be a 16-18 ranking.

[Mattmo]

Friends at UVM and in the Burlington area tell me Lonergan is a short timer at UVM. He really wants to return to the Mid-Atlantic area where both he and his wife are from. If any openings in the CAA open up--consider him a candidate. Remember he was head coach at Catholic U. for years and an assistant at Maryland

 

Lonergan actually really likes Vermont and the area, and he might actually want to stay in Vermont for a while. So your friends may not know the whole story. UVM gave him an opportunity to be a head coach at the Division I level, while some of the mid-atlantic schools where he is from stiffed him when he was winning at Catholic U. (read: Loyola-MD and Towson. I don't think he minds not getting the Loyola job since he and Pastos are friends, but you get the idea, there was another D1 school that didn't hire him either from that region, I can't think of it right now though). He is in a similar situation Brown has, its his first HC gig in D1 and he has a good thing going right now. Its up to the administration at UVM to reward him and his staff for putting the team at a high level of sustainable success. I have a feeling they will.

are you sure???

 

 

I am. Are you sure Will Brown will be around and won't jump ship for a better gig in terms of pay and prestige? I can say the exact same thing about Brown bolting for a bigger and better job. You can say that stuff, and your friends can say that stuff, but everyone says that stuff about young coaches. I'd like to think I can trust where my information (and my information and connections are quite good) is coming from moreso than I would trust where your friends. Unless you want to share (publicily or privately) who your friends might be to me and how they would know more than I would on the matter, I'll say I am sure in my statements.

[SienaTony]

I’d be very surprised if Lonergan took a CAA level job. He’s be crazy to. With Mike Trimboli and Joe Trapani Vermont is in real good shape to be very good over the next few years. After that time Lonergan will be in line to back up the truck for some major league cash at a Big East or ACC level why take chump change ( in comparison to what a BCS job pays) at the CAA level where its much tougher to win. When the big bucks are only 2 or 3 years away. If Longergan gives Vermont 5 years Catamount fans should be happy

[Dane96]

Tony, not sure what you mean by chump change. I would guess the "average" package in the CAA comes to 250-275k. Lonegran makes HALF that...at best, though he is in Vermont.

[SienaTony]

Tony, not sure what you mean by chump change. I would guess the "average" package in the CAA comes to 250-275k. Lonegran makes HALF that...at best, though he is in Vermont.

 

 

A BCS job compensation can easily approach 1 million a year. After Paul Hewitt was at Siena a year or 2 Fordham offered to double his salary ( Hewitt made about 100K at the time) and he turned them down, a year later he was making 650K a year at GA Tech and now makes over a million a year. Longerhan could be in a similar situation. Not all CAA jobs pay 275K.. I don’t know for a fact, but I’d be surprised if places like Towson, UNCW, William and Mary,JMU, Georgia St. pay that kind of money. Everhart left Northeastern for 300K a year at Duquesne. Longerhan is sitting pretty right now. Vermont is the odds on favorite to win the AE and at the very least assured of post season and with a young team they will only get better over the next few years. Nothing against places like Georgia State, Towson, William and Mary but I think it’s much easier to win at Vermont than any of those place. Unless someone comes in and takes the coach at VCU, Drexel Hofstra etc I don’t see any real “plumb” jobs opening up in the CAA. Unless it was a real and I mean real good situation Longerhan would be crazy to leave his “cushy” job at Vermont unless he was guaranteed big bucks, he has been a head coach two years, I can’t see anyone giving him the really big bucks yet. If he however wins the AE 2 or 3 years in a row, he can basically write his own ticket.. Just my 2 cents on Longerhan, I highly doubt he will go anywhere for a few years

[Dane96]

Of course, if he can get the big bucks, however I do not think Lonergan, coming from Vermont, is going BCS like HEWITT. He would have to make a mighty good impression in an interview.

 

With the rise of the CAA, that conference is the new poaching ground for BCS conferences, along with the A-Ten, on the East Coast.

 

My two cents.

[GDBD]

OH MY!!!!

As of 3:30pm Albany has a real-time RPI of 97

And leads U Conn who has a real-team of 98

 

WooHoo Takes the sting of that early season game against UConn a little bit

(Also points out the craziness of real-time RPI - But who caresin this instance!)

[bob87]

OH MY!!!!

As of 3:30pm Albany has a real-time RPI of 97

And leads U Conn who has a real-team of 98

 

WooHoo Takes the sting of that early season game against UConn a little bit

(Also points out the craziness of real-time RPI - But who caresin this instance!)

 

 

During the UConn game today the announcers mentioned that UCONN only has 2 wins vs teams in the RPI top 100.

Well they now have 3 with UA moving back into the top 100.

Currently Mississippi 64, Albany 99 and Syracuse 53

[Patch]

A very interesting regular season when you compare it to last year.....

 

Year 05/06 06/07

Record 18-10 20-9

Conf. Finish 1st 2nd

Con RPI 27 20

Con Record 13-3 13-3

Team RPI 119 93

SOS 248 181

 

5 of our 9 losses came to teams who won 20 or more games and we only lost to 1 team (Bing without Coach Brown) with a losing record 13-15.

 

We have a win over 20-8 Bucknell, road wins win over Mountain West(RPI 8) member Utah (RPI 130) who owns victories over Air Force (RPI 24) and San Diego State(RPI 53) and a win over a solid Cornell 15-11 (RPI 165).

 

All told it seems like we played a tougher schedule (SOS 181) and won more games. Our conference was tougher (AE ranked 20th) and won as many games as last year.

 

I think we have arrived as a respectable mid level program.