Quote from: Ralph Turner on March 06, 2007, 10:59:32 AM
Matt, I think that there is a different dynamic in D3.  The coach in D3 is there to help the student-athlete get his/her college degree and the coach's won-loss record is secondary to graduation rates and retention.  The loss of student-athlete to the university that has invested assets in that student-athlete is felt in the entire institution.

This is a very fine line, but I think that the "athletic scholarship mentality" grates on the "good student/'marginal athletic scholarship' athlete".  Bradley Blair is never gonna play in the NBA, but he has an incredible chance at a great education.  In D3 Coach Lambert and every other good D3 coach is working on the retention, the grades, even the "FASFA forms" to get that student graduated.  Whether that student is "taking up an athletic scholarship"* is the farthest thing from their minds.

*The premise behind the 1960's book about University of Texas Longhorn football, Meat on the Hoof.

Hey Ralph,

Congrats to MC on such a great season.  I think the dynamic is even greater in the NCCAA.  Take a team like Wesley...we don't have the degree programs to offer a to  attract the players just off the fringe of scholarship quality.  That is why we had issues against some teams this year...depth.  We have a few great players but lack the depth to compete week in and week out.  We beat MC when we were fresh but when we played 5 road games against NAIA D1 and NCAA D3 schools in 7 days we lost 4 of them.

We beat SouthEastern U to win our regional tourney, and are playing in the NCCAA national tourney this week so wish us luck!  We are the 1 seed.

Quote from: Ralph Turner on December 03, 2006, 09:34:42 AM

Quote from: balls a dunkin on December 03, 2006, 12:12:52 AM
The last time I checked luck counts.  The way I look at it HSU was "LUCKY" to be within 3 pts.  Either way it goes MC still comes away with the win.

Balls, that last "lucky" comment was a "off-base".   

Here is the HSU SID report about the game.

http://hsuathletics.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/recaps/120206aaa.html

The HSU SID is a very meticulous individual in the conduct of his office.  Sure, he is a big HSU fan, but he also works very hard to get things right.

My assessment is that MissColl has weaknesses that will be drastically exposed if and when MissColl "goes deep".  IMHO, "going deep" in basketball at this stage in the history of the conference in D3 is winning a Sweet 16 game.  I think that MissColl has trouble with "true" big men.  I encourage all ASC fans to listen very carefully to the Tour de Tejas podcast by Pat Coleman with MC Coach Mike Jones.  You can find it on the front page by scrolling down, or in the "Features" section November 30th to Dec 4th.

If I am Transylvania or John Carroll looking for a game film to appear "across the transom" in preparation for a Sweet 16 game, I want it to be HSU or Wesley (Mississippi).

I hope to get a better impression of HSU when I hope to see them on Monday night.  I think that the key to HSU's success Saturday afternoon to nearly defeating Miss Coll was the "big men".

IMHO, "Current" standard for going deep in football is the Stagg Bowl (UMHB 2004).  In baseball, it's the D3 World Series (Concordia-Austin 2002).

Just an observation from one game, but I think teams that are athletic and run give them more problems.  My beloved Wesley does not have any big men...other than one 6'9 monster who is ineligible until next season.  Brandon Washington is listed as 6'5 but that is very generous.  MC had us whipped in terms of size.  We won that game because of MC having a bad night at the line and because we were more athletic.  Our ability to run was why we were able to come back from the 13 point deficit in the second half.

We have a lot of trouble with teams that slow the game down.  For whatever reason when we are playing a slower game we cannot hit a bucket to save our lives.  Millsaps and Rhodes both slowed the game down and it killed us.  We were up 22 over Springhill and we tried to slow the game down to burn the clock...and they came back on us.  Our coaches decided after that game that we will not do that again.  U of Mobile was our 4th game in 5 days and they play a pressure defense...those two things do not go together well.  I think we would beat them on a regular night but we were worn out.

Millsaps plays AT Wesley on Valentines day...I am anxious for that game and Huntington College 3 days later.  We will be on 3 days rest for both of those.

Louisiana Monroe on December 19th should be interesting.  They should kill us but it will give us a real barometer of how good we really are.  We do play Bethel and Lambuth on the 15th and 16th...both are NAIA D1.  Hopefully 3 days will be enough rest before playing an NCAA D1 school.  La Monroe is not great but they played within 14 of Alabama.   If we come out hot against them and they are flat, it could get interesting.  They have 2 guys who are 6'7 and 2 who are 6'8 so size is no contest...but big does not mean fast.

Good luck to the Choctaws.  I love seeing you guys win.  Our win may have been a little bit of a fluke, but if MC ran out the rest of the season without a loss it would make us feel good about ourselves

Take care and God Bless!

Quote from: Ralph Turner on December 02, 2006, 09:44:16 PM

Quote from: mcm_indians on December 02, 2006, 08:48:04 PM
Choctaws got lucky tonight. The shot at the end was a three that was called a two.  Should have gone to overtime.  Was a great game tonight.

Just an editorial comment...

this poster has an HSU email address.

I just wonder how a 3 being called a 2 makes a difference in a game that ended with a 3 point spread.

As I figured, Wesley was too tired from all the driving, 4 games in 5 days and an overtime game on Monday to hang with University of Mobile on Tuesday.  I think if we would have been rested it would have been a different game.  The players were exhausted.

If you are interested... The NCCAA rankings are out.

Wesley College is the #1 team in the nation - NCCAA D2.

Greetings D3 faithful. As per earlier request, I am dropping in to give you a Wesley College update.

Well, after losing two close games in Memphis to Millsaps and Rhodes (Rhodes was up by 3 with 26 seconds and then pulled ahead), Wesley went to Mobile and beat NAIA D-1 Springhill college in overtime.  It was Springhill's home opener, but they had played 4 exhibition games against D1 opponents FSU, LaLa, McNeese, and USM, and had been competitive in all but USM.  It was the first loss for Springhill at home in 16 games in their house.  Wesley runs their record to 10-3 on the season with a game against the always tough University of Mobile tomorrow.  I am a bit concerned about that game because we have played 3 games in 4 days including this overtime win against Springhill.  We held a 23 point lead at the 15 minute mark of the second half but saw it go away.  Our guys are tired and I know this game took a lot out of them.  UofM is coming off a drubbing by the #1 ranked team in NAIA (Robert Morris) and will be looking to unload on somebody.

I can't wait until we get to NCCAA D2 play and away from these schools that are 10 to 50 times bigger than us., but I am looking forward to getting Millsaps on our home court on Valenties day.

Quote from: Ralph Turner on November 24, 2006, 08:44:21 PM

Quote from: chocsrock34 on November 24, 2006, 07:46:30 PM
Wesley played a good game and was helped a little be the refs when Winford got fouls called on him. In d3 games it gets physical down in the paint but he was the only one that got called out. His fifth foul came when he wasn't even within reach of the shooter but was called for pushin him from behind. In three years that was the first game that I have seen the chocs lose but Coach Jones will definitely have them ready to go tomorrow they have practiced all weak and even a three hour one on thanksgiving day. Coach Jones will not let them lose again.

Chocsrock, you don't know how funny that last post reads.

Mississippi College getting hosed by the officials in the Gold Dome?  Signs of the end times!!!

If I am not mistaken, we had more fouls than MC, but they were spread out. Our player who shot the running jumper and missed at the buzzer ending regulation was fouled, and should have gone to the line.  We were fouled on almost every 3 pointer we shot but it was not called.  It happens.  The quality of the refs in NCAA is so much better than what we had seen against the NAIA that I cannot complain.  Overall it was well called.  MC's problem was that when we fouled them they could not hit a free throw to save their lives.  If they would have hit the FT's, we would have lost.  We shot poorly at the charity stripe, but MC missed a lot.

It appears that Millsaps beat us in Memphis if what is reported on the other board is accurate. 57-70.  I did not feel good about that game.  The folks from Pensacola thought we would, but I was not so sure.  I cannot imagine how bad we were shooting to score that little...either that or Millsaps has GREAT defense.  After the game against MC we may have been a bit flat.  That was the biggest win in school history. 

Playing these NCAA teams will help us in NCCAA play.  The calibre of basketball in NCCAA D2 is not what we are seeing right now.  I think we can beat Rhodes (don't know if we will).  If we can take one of two in Mobile (Springhill and U of Mobile) and finish 2-2 on this 5 day stretch, I will be happy.

We (Wesley College) actually beat Belhaven AT Belhaven by double figures a week before they beat us.  The home game with them was really strange.  They got hot behind the arc and nothing we shot would fall.  One of our players told me that the whole game just felt wrong.

And lets not talk about the officiating that night

They killed us on the glass, but that happens when they are allowed to use our players as step-stools.

Against MC, a media timeout pulled our biscuits out of the fire.  MC was on a run and had pulled out to a 13 point lead with 10 minutes left...timeout...We calmed down and got the momentum back.

Truth be told, we probably have 2 players who MIGHT start for MC and that is it...just don't tell them that.  Heart is immeasurable.

Wesley is a tiny (but growing) Bible College in Florence Mississippi (10 miles south of Jackson).  We are the smallest school in the NCCAA's.  We don't have the numbers to get into physical games.  We have some good players, but there is a huge difference in the sheer number of players.  As I posted on the ASC board, this weekend is brutal for us...Millsaps and Rhodes in Memphis, drive to Mobile, Springhill and U of Mobile...all in 5 days.  I think we could hang with Springhill and Mobile, but we may be too tired to.


Take Care and God Bless

"Best of all, God is with us!"
- John Wesley's final words, March 2, 1791

Hi!  Wesley College fan here.

We enjoyed the game at MC...other than an older man screaming at us to sit down in the final 30 seconds of the game and in overtime...which prompted others to yell "These are reserved seats did you pay for them" - even though it was announced prior to the game that all seating for the game was general admission.  I have never heard anyone yell to sit down during the later stages of a close ball game. 

Wesley is a bit of an unusual beast this season.  We are the smallest college in the NCCAA's, but we have beaten Belhaven, Tougaloo, Pensacola Christian, and now MC.  Being a Bible college, we do not have the diversity of degrees to lure a lot of players, so beating NAIA D1 and NCAA teams is huge for us.  MC had far more students at the game than we have students.

We have played Belhaven twice, winning at their house by double digits and losing by 20 at home.  I think we were the better team, but we were cold and when they went on a run against us we did not respond.  They also got hot from behind the arc.  When MC went on a run against us to push it to 13, there was a (media?) timeout that killed the momentum or we probably would have lost.

This weekend starts a brutal 5 day stretch for our team.  We play Millsaps and Rhodes in Memphis on Friday and Saturday, then drive to Mobile to play Springhill and University of Mobile on Monday and Tuesday.

We play Millsaps at home in January, but the really big test comes over the Christmas break when we play NCAA D1 Louisiana-Monroe.  We can only hope they overlook us.

Anyway, thanks for allowing me to post on your board.  It was the most exciting basketball game that I have ever watched in person. 


Good Luck Choctaws and God Bless!