I couldn't resist....

Quote from: 1 out of 38 on February 26, 2007, 02:43:41 AM
  VD can be cleared up with certain creams but still cant make his players play hard!

If there was a tournament for Quotes of the Year, this would be a #1 seed.

BD:
The WIAC/CCIW Challenge is one the best ideas I've seen in a long time.
But's let's be realistic.  What are the odds it'll ever happen?  What's the over-under on how many years it'll take to get done?
But, hey, when you dream, dream big.

I too have suffered through the Annual Annoyance of Selection Sunday.  I'll spare you all from further venting and leave by saying that I hope Stevens Point wins the whole darn thing. 
I'm allergic to purple, but I'll be rooting for the Pointers.  And the Blue Devil ladies, too.  It's up to you to carry the banner.

NOBODY circles the wagons like the WIAC....

I couldn't get to the Platteville-Whitewater game (I've got the flu, it's ugly, I'll spare you  the details), so I'm asking those who were there to help me out. 
How bad -- or good -- was that foul call in the closing seconds? 

The UWP radio guys immediately flew into an uproar about it being "a homer call."  Was it?

Which leads to a philosophical question:  If a bad call ends a team's season, and no one's there to see it, did it really happen?

Just to clear up the Nemitz thing, they ARE sisters.  Must have made for some interesting pick-up games in the driveway.
I've met their parents, and gave the father the obvious nickname:  "Admiral."

Old School:
Perhaps we quibble over the definition of "size."  Aside from the obvious really tall guys (Kerry, the Nonamachers), nobody else you noted it taller than 6'7". 
Tall in terms of the general public, yes.  Tall in terms of basketball, no.  There just aren't that many meaningful players 6'9" or up in the league this year.

Mr. Downtown:
Insightful observation.  Why Oshkosh draws as relatively poorly as it does is puzzling.  TVD's had a lot of good teams to come through that haven't gotten the support they deserve. 
(Maybe what's driven down attendance and coverage is that one guy who sits behind the visitors' bench and yells and screams all night long.  Who wants to put up with that for two hours?  If there was a Most Annoying Fan award, it should be named after him.)
Perhaps the UWO Athletic Department could launch a charm offensive to get better coverage.  The Northwestern is a good paper; it focuses on West and North because of their tradition of success, and because they are literally hometown teams that play literally hometown kids. 
The Titans, meanwhile, being a college, well, they get players from all over.  Where's the local angle there?
Anyway, it's too bad.  I've heard how loud Kolf gets with only about 1000 people there.  Imagine if they could double or triple that -- it'd be the hardest place to play in the league.

Hey, Warhawk Nation, I used to be one of you.  A couple observations:

First, you're not alone in getting burned by Point's back-door cuts.  Everyone in the league has burn marks from that. 
What impresses me the most about the Pointers is that they never, ever stop executing.  They run that motion offense for as long as it takes until they get the shot they want.  And with the talent they have, anyone, not just Rortvedt, can take and make that shot.
That said, one reason SP has been so effective this season is the overall lack of size in the league.  In any other season, they'd be undersized, and Oshkosh showed a big game by a post player is an important ingredient in defeating them.  Just having a big fella isn't a guarantee, but, this year, you can't beat the Pointers without one.  I mean, if Platteville had Jeff Skemp available in their game against SP, maybe the Pointers don't escape with a win.

Second, your fans.  This is an old topic -- and I don't mean to include all of you at WW, because you've got a base of great fans -- but why the general disinterest? 
Have you had too much success?  It's not like you've got struggling programs like other schools around the league.  Is being so close to Milwaukee, Madison and Chicago providing too many other entertainment options?
Look, you had one of the nation's best teams (like yours, one of the conference's historic elites) on the ropes, in your building, in an important game, and you can't be roused to make some noise?  Can you imagine if Wisconsin fans clammed up as, say, Iowa was trying to steal a win out of the Kohl Center?
If you don't care, don't go.

Hey, Stout fans, relax.
Any team Mark Thomas coaches gets better as the season wears on.  What, they lost a league game on the road, and to a DII team? 
So?
There is a lot of season left.  And it'll probably end with a Dance.


Does anyone have any observastions on last Saturday's Platteville-River Falls game?  Even though the Pioneer offense should be improved -- with a mature Tesch, and developing Grantman and a healthy Wubben -- it looks like the UWP hallmarks will again be playing defense and being hard-nosed.  (Translation:  They might have trouble putting the ball through the basket.)

I listened to some radio feeds of the game, but all the announcers did was question the officiating.  Over and over and over and over and over....

Plus, although the UWP-UWRF series is well under the radar, it's worth paying attention to.  The games tend to be tough, physical, and close for all 40 minutes.  It's not always artistic basketball, but it can be compelling.

Whoops, make it five WBCA All-Stars going to Platteville....

All this talk about who is and isn't returning to their teams for '06-'07 reminds me that, at UWP, Sean Krause's status is still iffy.  He's got eligibility left but the call of the real world may overrule it.

CONGRATULATIONS to Todd Adrian on becoming the new head coach at Edgewood College.
Madison is a lovely town.

T.A. is truly one of the good guys -- pretty funny, too -- and UW-Platteville's loss is Edgewood's gain.
It'll be a scramble for Todd, eh?  He's got to hire a staff, find a house, and try to recruit at this late date.  But he'll do fine.  A lot of players are back from an Eagle team that reached the LMC Final last season, which helps. 
I agree with Paul Combs in that it's time for Todd "to have his own team."

Anyone have an ear to the ground on who T.A. is looking at as assistants?  What about the vacancy at Platteville.  Let the rumor mill get grinding.

Mythicalbird,

Let me also chime in with a thank you. 

Given the choices involved, what Ryan decided to do was the epitome of a no-brainer.  I too wish him the best of luck and, although I'm not a Blue Devil fan, I'll miss watching him play.  He busted his you-know-what every time he took the floor.

As for Platteville's recruiting class....
It looks like they've added some depth in the backcourt -- where there could be a happy logjam next season -- and some much-needed height up front. 
In any event, it'll be a much different team from the past couple years.  Losing Holly Kaiser will do that.

PS:  When's the last time UWP got four WBCA All-Stars in a single recruiting class?

Paper or Plastic:

When it comes to River Falls, Coach Bowen himself has said that they'll only do as well as Ryan Zylstra does.  He had a solid outing against Platteville, giving Jeff Skemp some trouble, but was hindered by foul trouble.  I like Zylstra's upside. 

Ryan Thompson quietly went about his business.  He's certainly adept at his first priority -- getting the ball to Hans Hoeg -- but turned down a lot of open shots.  Could be part of the reason why the Falcons have such a hard time putting points on the board.  Hoeg gets his shots, and Zylstra helps, but the rest of the team seems a little offensively-challenged.

Still, they compete.  Platteville had them behind by double figures for nearly the entire game but RF never surrendered.
We'd expect nothing less from a Bowen-coached team.

The Falcons aren't favorites to win the league tournament, but they'll be a tough out.  If Hoeg gets hot and Zylstra can stay on the floor they could surprise someone.

Oh, hey, Warhawk fans:
How do you fancy your chances for the regular-season title, with four of the last five games away from home?
Plus, as much as I admire your ice-water-in-the-veins free-throw shooting against Platteville, how much did it help Whitewater that the Pioneers committed two befuddling turnovers in crunch time (shot clock violation, wayward pass)?
Then again, the 'Hawks were mistake-free when the chips were on the table. 
Then again again, can anyone figure out Platteville? 

Getting back to Stout....
I had the chance recently to chat with a very accomplished former WIAC'er and we both agreed -- however grudgingly -- that Stout is winning because they're playing (for the lack of a better term) WIAC Basketball.

The Blue Devils have always seemed to be among the most talented teams in the league ... but whoever described them as playing at "panic button speed" got it absolutely right.  It's hurt them in the past.

As for this season ... I don't think it's Fast Eddie changing his style to fit his team, or his team changing its style to fit its coach -- it's a little of both.  Stout isn't going through its annual roster turnover; they've built around a solid core that should remain intact for a while. 

It appears Stout "gets it" when it comes to winning in the WIAC.  Which makes the Devils the dangerous team they've become, and -- right now -- the best bet to get what'll probably be the only NCAA bid the league will receive.

They're also avoiding their annual late-season fade.
Stout deserves all the credit they're getting this season.
(He said through clenched teeth.)