MOUNT ST MARYS 2023

[allthingsODAC]

Any mount fans out there how do we feel right now. Injury bug hit team hard last year and they have had success keeping guys to 5th with Giblin back next year they may be able to make some conference noise and even pull out some upsets

[Farfromgeneva]

Going to MAAC and bet they have bette outcomes-Gravante did fairly well in prior stint in MAAC

[Dip&Dunk]

Which MSM shows up? The one that beat Navy or the one that lost to VMI? VMI is also joining the MAAC and last year was not the first time MSM had problems with VMI.

As a complete side note, the MAAC will have more teams than any other conference next year.

[youthathletics]

Which MSM shows up? The one that beat Navy or the one that lost to VMI? VMI is also joining the MAAC and last year was not the first time MSM had problems with VMI.

As a complete side note, the MAAC will have more teams than any other conference next year.

Who else is joining to put MAAC over 9?

[Tonyp2566]

Which MSM shows up? The one that beat Navy or the one that lost to VMI? VMI is also joining the MAAC and last year was not the first time MSM had problems with VMI.

As a complete side note, the MAAC will have more teams than any other conference next year.

Who else is joining to put MAAC over 9?

Manhattan, Marist, Siena, quinnipiac, canisius, LIU, Wagner, Mount, VMI, & sacred heart

[calilax]

In my opinion the growth of the Mount program has been not been acceptable. There is no reason why the Mount can't be a nationally competitive program year in , year out. It is centrally located to thousands of top notch players. It is a good liberal arts school. And the campus is beautiful (albeit in the middle of nowhere).

The program seems to attract quality players but they never seem to get it together for a whole season. I chalk that up to coaching. Gravante is a great guy and has provided stability but I think the school needs to bring in some younger coaching talent. Mount athletic administration is loyal to a fault. They are content just to say they are Division 1 but they dont have the commitment to building truly competitive programs.

I love the Mount but they need to either play to compete in D1 or move back to D3. Finishing near the bottom of the worst conference every year is nothing to be proud of.

[lilax]

I love the Mount but they need to either play to compete in D1 or move back to D3. Finishing near the bottom of the worst conference every year is nothing to be proud of.

Do you know how college athletics work?

You can’t just move individual teams up and down divisions. The whole athletic department has to move down to D3.

Mount joined the MAAC for one reason… Basketball share revenue.

Mounts not moving back to D3 anytime soon.

[FMUBart]

In my opinion the growth of the Mount program has been not been acceptable. There is no reason why the Mount can't be a nationally competitive program year in , year out. It is centrally located to thousands of top notch players. It is a good liberal arts school. And the campus is beautiful (albeit in the middle of nowhere).

No reason they can't be a nationally competitive program year in, year out?? Put down the crack-pipe! Campus is okay, but it is bisected by a highway for crying out loud. Further, name one team that is not in the B1G, ACC, IVY and --maybe--CAA or Big East that is "nationally competitive" every year. Heck, SU, Duke, ND, Denver, UNC et al weren't nationally competitive this year.. Best Mount can hope for is an occasional league title and NCAA appearance; otherwise, you're dreaming...

[gymman1031]

Cheering hard for Gravante, who screams Mount Lax as much as anyone ever, to turn things around and have at least one more good go-round. However, the Mount needs to show very soon that their 2019 season, in which they were a top contender, was not a fluke.

PS-Too bad legendary pizza place Stavros closed! What a loss for the Mount and the surrounding area!

[Farfromgeneva]

Yep fire him too!

Gravante has done the best you can do with what he’s got. Compete for a conference title 1/4-5yrs. They were extremely young this year and were expected to be near the bottom of the conference. The idea that they should be winning titles over Bryant, Bart, RoMo and St Joes the last decades is…specious at best.

Gravante took over a 5-6yr old program in 1995 coming off a 3 win season and immediately won 7, 9, 7, 11, 8, 11, 6, 10 games and a couple fo MAAC titles. Couple of down years mid late 2000s, then won the MAAC title going 12-5 and the first NEC title (before RoMo, Bryant, Bart and St Joes joined) in 2011. They really were NEC reg season champs in name only everyone who pays attention to the conference knew they weren’t getting past both Bart and Bryant in the playoffs that year. Reality is they were where you’d expect them to be but expect 4-6 win seasons w 1-2 NEC wins to go to 6-10 win seasons with 3-5 conference wins most years. If anything I’ve been jealous that they seem to catch a good team often early in season like Del, Navy & Bucknell. Weve

[gymman1031]

Yep fire him too!

Gravante has done the best you can do with what he’s got. Compete for a conference title 1/4-5yrs. They were extremely young this year and were expected to be near the bottom of the conference. The idea that they should be winning titles over Bryant, Bart, RoMo and St Joes the last decades is…specious at best.

Gravante took over a 5-6yr old program in 1995 coming off a 3 win season and immediately won 7, 9, 7, 11, 8, 11, 6, 10 games and a couple fo MAAC titles. Couple of down years mid late 2000s, then won the MAAC title going 12-5 and the first NEC title (before RoMo, Bryant, Bart and St Joes joined) in 2011. They really were NEC reg season champs in name only everyone who pays attention to the conference knew they weren’t getting past both Bart and Bryant in the playoffs that year. Reality is they were where you’d expect them to be but expect 4-6 win seasons w 1-2 NEC wins to go to 6-10 win seasons with 3-5 conference wins most years. If anything I’ve been jealous that they seem to catch a good team often early in season like Del, Navy & Bucknell. Weve

No, it definitely isn't time to fire Gravante. However, I do think MSM has more to offer in recruiting than people think.

[Farfromgeneva]

Yes but you say that about every school. All this untapped upside which implies failure of execution.

It’s diluted like when Eliot Rosewater tells everyone he loves them and his kids don’t even know what that means anymore. There’s a point where positivity without pragmatism causes harm.

[gymman1031]

Yes but you say that about every school. All this untapped upside which implies failure of execution.

It’s diluted like when Eliot Rosewater tells everyone he loves them and his kids don’t even know what that means anymore. There’s a point where positivity without pragmatism causes harm.

I definitely don't say that about every school. For example, St. John's is probably an even HARDER sell for talent than people think.

[Homer]

No, it definitely isn't time to fire Gravante. However, I do think MSM has more to offer in recruiting than people think.

Okay, what's the upside case for the Mount? Because I'm inclined to agree with FFG: I think Mount already punches well above its weight, and Gravante does a tremendous job keeping the program running well ahead of the school's fundamentals.

MSM under Gravante is probably about what Siena under Brecht would've looked like long-term if Brecht never left Siena.

[xxxxxxx]

Reasonable expectations should be in MAAC playoffs every year and win it every two or three, MSM had just as much to offer as St Joes or Bryant all day every day.

[Farfromgeneva]

St Joes is in Philly and has a nationally recognizable basketball program. Nicer facilities too.

Bryant was built by Pressler at the D1 level. He came there with Zach Greer then had teams with Massa and Waldt. Once he had 3-5yrs of success including a playoff win and quarters appearance, which is effectively unheard of for more than half the D1 programs, they were set up to get plenty of kids attention. Not to mention a budget that allowed Pressler to recruit Cali hard relatively early it’s it’s growth phase.

So not even close to comparable but if MSM can get a once in a programs history, semi generational FOGO and 2nd/3rd team AA goalie on the team at the same time then sure they’d have a shot at Bryant’s success to hold off of.

[xxxxxxx]

Have you ever been to St Joes? Their basketball team hasn’t been nationally relevant in a long time. It’s a fine school with nice facilities but let’s not pretend MSM couldn’t reach their level of success.

Bryant is in an area almost as remote as the Mount, same thing fine school nice facilities.

The difference is Bryant had one of the greatest coaches of all time and St Joes has one of the best young coaches in the game. Either one could make MSM a perennial contender in the MAAC.

[Farfromgeneva]

Have you ever been to St Joes? Their basketball team hasn’t been nationally relevant in a long time. It’s a fine school with nice facilities but let’s not pretend MSM couldn’t reach their level of success.

Bryant is in an area almost as remote as the Mount, same thing fine school nice facilities.

The difference is Bryant had one of the greatest coaches of all time and St Joes has one of the best young coaches in the game. Either one could make MSM a perennial contender in the MAAC.

I have, nice lacrosse field. You know Hobart shared a conference for the last 9yrs right? And played them late 2000s as well.

Feel free to disagree or disregard but MSM is not competing evenly with those two programs. You forgot Philly blows away Emmetsburg which I’ve been through many times. Dumpy little area remote from everything except Gettysburg.

Maybe if Bryant falls back in the AE with a non hall of fame coach. Pressler a been a top ten coach in D1 for 20yrs. His tree is strong and they spend money for him unlike any similar school.

And St Joes is now on the radar and will be in a significantly superior conference going forward. I’m sure MAAC folks will get the hair on their backs up about that, but it is what it is.

If you want to look for reasons to defend your position fine but it’s cherry picking and not very realistic.

You should start a fire Gravante thread and put up the dough for a new coach.

[redfoxalum]

Have you ever been to St Joes? Their basketball team hasn’t been nationally relevant in a long time. It’s a fine school with nice facilities but let’s not pretend MSM couldn’t reach their level of success.

Bryant is in an area almost as remote as the Mount, same thing fine school nice facilities.

The difference is Bryant had one of the greatest coaches of all time and St Joes has one of the best young coaches in the game. Either one could make MSM a perennial contender in the MAAC.

I have, nice lacrosse field. You know Hobart shared a conference for the last 9yrs right? And played them late 2000s as well.

Feel free to disagree or disregard but MSM is not competing evenly with those two programs. You forgot Philly blows away Emmetsburg which I’ve been through many times. Dumpy little area remote from everything except Gettysburg.

Maybe if Bryant falls back in the AE with a non hall of fame coach. Pressler a been a top ten coach in D1 for 20yrs. His tree is strong and they spend money for him unlike any similar school.

And St Joes is now on the radar and will be in a significantly superior conference going forward. I’m sure MAAC folks will get the hair on their backs up about that, but it is what it is.

If you want to look for reasons to defend your position fine but it’s cherry picking and not very realistic.

You should start a fire Gravante thread and put up the dough for a new coach.

St. Joe’s has already previously gone to a significantly superior conference when they went from the MAAC to the CAA. It went so poorly, that they moved to the NEC.

[Farfromgeneva]

Different program now. Theyll be right there w Richmond next year.

But I know you love making every case imaginable for the MAAC being at parity with the NEC. Dog doesn’t hunt to me but keep working on that angle.