Ridge to the LHAC?

[Crimson's Ghost]

I just think talent can only take you so far, and when the talent is equal it's a wash. It eventually comes down to coaching and preparedness. Part of the preparation is seeing good teams early, so when it happens at the end of the season, it's not too late. It's not a shell shock.  You can look at a film, and see "Oh yeah, this team plays a lot like Richland, let's go back and look at the film and see how we attacked Richland."   Rather than, "Oh we've never seen a team do this since our kids beat everyone by 50"

[ChrisKentRam]

Ironic that you would bring colleges that recruit well into your argument to defend the Bishops

Your point is valid.  I agree with it.  Playing better competition will make you better.  I think what everyone else is saying is let's play against good competition that has to do it the same way everyone else has to.  Working with the kids that are in your district, and developing whatever talent is there.  I know I know they don't actively recruit.  However, they still get kids from any number of schools to go there for any number of reasons every single season, yet they play in the lower classifications.  

[pahntr]

This thread has been hi-jacked and I apologize for contributing to that, but I have to comment here....Crimson, you say some great things and I generally really enjoy reading your insight. I especially enjoy the football previews in the fall. Please keep them coming. I have to call BS though on the comment you made about Michigan State's non-conf. schedule making them better come tournament time. If you look at their schedule this year they played Kentucky, Wichita State, Duke, Baylor and Arizona in non-conf. games. I agree that all of those are great teams and programs. However, here is my beef....every single one of those games was played in November!!!! You cannot honestly tell me that playing a game in November makes you better in March and April. At the end of the season they will have played 23 regular season games since they played at Duke on 11/29/16. That's not counting the number of games they play during the Big 10 tourney. By the time the NCAA tournament takes place they will likely have played over 25 games since 11/29/16. Those 5 games in November have no bearing on their success or failures in March. HOWEVER, those 5 games in November have a HUGE bearing on acquisition of talent. All 5 games were broadcast on ESPN, 1 of the five was played in Hawaii, 2 were played in the Bahamas and another was played in NY City. That's all about recruiting and exposure! Play big time games, against big time teams, and play them in great venues that kids want to play in and you will get more talent. That's why Tom Izzo plays those games. College sports and HS sports are an arms race. The teams with the best weapons win most of the time. Yes, your conference can make you better during the course of a season but be realistic....talent wins the vast majority of the time. I could accept hearing that Tom Izzo is a master motivator and great teacher of Sparty's schemes and obviously knows how to coach in March to get his talent to be successful. 
It was mentioned that BG and BMC are the best the LHAC has to offer right now. I agree, with the exception that Johnstown has to be in that conversation also. It's no coincidence that those 3 schools also have the best talent. It's by quite a large margin when compared to the rest of the conference. 
Not trying to be **** hat here, just saying, if your talent says you are an average to slightly above average team and play a schedule against the best of the best, you will likely still be average to slightly above average even after playing that schedule. For what it's worth, Sparty was 1-4 in those previously mentioned non-conf. games to start this season. They are now 18-12 overall and 9-7 in conf. 

[Crimson's Ghost]

Appreciate the kind words, and appreciate the debate. I'm using MSU in a general sense, not so much this season. They lost everyone from last year and lost a starter to injury this season. They just didn't have it. Sure those games are exposure based too, but they are also simulations for the type of games you see in the tournament. Teams like playing games on neutral floors like Madison Square Garden to simulate a Sweet 16 type atmosphere. Any coach in the country will tell you, yes it's about exposure, but also it's about giving their team a test come March. Schools like Michigan State will still get kids whether they play in big time games or not, they don't have to do it. They do it because there's on-court value for it.

[Crimson's Ghost]

Ironic that you would bring colleges that recruit well into your argument to defend the Bishops

Your point is valid.  I agree with it.  Playing better competition will make you better.  I think what everyone else is saying is let's play against good competition that has to do it the same way everyone else has to.  Working with the kids that are in your district, and developing whatever talent is there.  I know I know they don't actively recruit.  However, they still get kids from any number of schools to go there for any number of reasons every single season, yet they play in the lower classifications.  

Playing against someone in the regular season shouldn't matter. If they want to separate the playoffs or make teams play up, that's a different story. But having to deal with a program in the regular season should be a good challenge. 

[ChrisKentRam]

Ironic that you would bring colleges that recruit well into your argument to defend the Bishops

Your point is valid.  I agree with it.  Playing better competition will make you better.  I think what everyone else is saying is let's play against good competition that has to do it the same way everyone else has to.  Working with the kids that are in your district, and developing whatever talent is there.  I know I know they don't actively recruit.  However, they still get kids from any number of schools to go there for any number of reasons every single season, yet they play in the lower classifications.  

Playing against someone in the regular season shouldn't matter. If they want to separate the playoffs or make teams play up, that's a different story. But having to deal with a program in the regular season should be a good challenge. 

I completely agree. 

[upnorth]

If the private schools played up a class in D6 football, wouldn't you still complain when/if BG or BM wins the AA district title? No disrespect intended towards Ligioner Valley, Bellwood, etc.

[CCDevil2012]

My only disagreement is CC lost a close game to Westmont not Richland, they beat Richland  But playing a tougher schedule has to prepare you better even if it means giving you a couple extra losses. It gets you used to playing in close, high pressure games which. It's hard to teach how to handle nerves in these types of close, hard fought, back and forth games.

[Crimson's Ghost]

I mean, almost every coach in the world would agree with the notion playing better competition helps in the long run.

[Colonel Mustard]

Playing good competition is great IF you have talent. The Bishops are able to consistently be good because they have a steady stream of talent. Most public schools are up and down depending upon the talent that they have. In college the same teams that bring in the best talent usually win, see Alabama, Ohio State and Florida St in football and Kentucky, Kansas, UNC, and Duke in basketball. Locally, Tony Penna is a genius when he has D-I talent, but just 'ehh' the rest of the time.