Moorhead duo was about defense on both sides - fun to watch.

Think all this talk of MVP is interesting; however season is not quite over!  And to live in the past of previous Great players is..... It could be condsidered that there are more good players, better defense being played and no true dominant team.  Makes the conference more exciting to watch. Other years there seemed to be 1-3  teams that were beating up
on the rest of the conference and what did that get the conference.  How many years did the teams go deep in the tourneys?  At any rate, even though there may not be pure dominance, it could attract even more good players.  Who Knows? 

Anyone get score updates?  Sure seems slow on MIAC website this year and more difficult to navigate.

Quote from: Maroon&Gold on January 17, 2008, 11:45:21 AM
Did anyone catch the Cobber-Tommie bout last night???

Wondering if anyone has any first hand thoughts about it.

Yep!  Saw the CC-Tommies game - not very pretty.  CC seemed to have slept too long on the bus - not much leadership coming out on the floor.  They have to step up and play more consistently on the road.;  the freshmen are not hurting the team at all.  Tough to come back on a great team - down by 11, down by 13 and down by 16.  Doesn't make much sense.  At an y rate, the tommies are a great team with the addition of #11.  On the tape, Sara really didn't do much.  There are notable players who have polished the "flop" and that will work quite often.

It is good to see some acvtivity on the board again.  Game at cobber country was fun to watch:  2 teams playing great defense!  Yes, the freshmen group are fitting in very well.  CC let a 12 point lead disappear but pulled it back together for the win.  No specific standout; just great teamwork.  Mel has some excellent players around her who can move that ball around.  Gusties played hard but shooting percentage was not good.
They had numerous offensive rebounds which kept them in hte game - their press was a bit bothersome.

When do you think next years schedule might be discussed: soon after the season is done or next Fall? I still haven't heard any criticisms of the Upper - Lower Division concept.  Lets get on it.

Does anyone out there know if a Division System of play has ever gotten to the Administrative level?  If so, when was it dicussed?  If so, what exactly shot it down.  Was it the the Mens Coaches, or was it also the Womens Coaches? Athletic Directors?  Was it the arguement that the Top Teams may play each other once/year, or was it something more?

I am not seeing the thought that St. Scholastica and Northwestern could be added to the conference when the conference is already more than full and choking to death as it is.

I'm baaaack!!!  Yes, I have an agenda "and I'm sicking to it".  No response to my last Post.  So I'll light the fire again.

North-South seems like a fairly even grouping of Teams.  At least as to how they stand right now.  I would like to propose Upper and Lower Divisions.  The top 6 Teams (Upper Div-), from the previous year, play home snd away.  They then play on a rotating basis year by year with the Lower Div-.  Ten games, therefore, within the Upper Div- and 6 games with the Lower Div- giving them a total of 16.  Lower Div- likewise.

Why Upper and Lower?  May get more power points for those at the top who are vying for positioning in the West Region when it comes to playoffs. This, especially if the Conference arranged shootouts with the WIAC and the IIAC giving each of the top 9 Teams in the MIAC 2 nonconference games in addition to those they now have already scheduled.

Now, lets lower the boom on Upper and Lower Divsions.   

Naf.... Right, there are 29 Minnesotans on the WIAC Rosters; Riv-Fals-12, Superi-9, Stout-4, Eu Clai-3, La Cro-1, 0 onthe last 4 Teams.

SS51...How does Bens get athletes? They host have 6 age-group Camps each year and in addition there is a Team Camp. The assistants help, there are many of the upperclassman, who work them, Kids get to know the campus get to enjoy it etc. , and they can be identified as a coming prospect. How many Coaches want to put themselves through this? And then in adddition, the tradition, and the coaches still get out to see the prospects they relly want to see come.

M&G....SS51....hoops...."transfer skills into game situations".... don't improve all that much during the season....."don't......improving individuals games as much. I have seen as the season goes along, particular improvements in kids, and therefore, when you play against them you need to be aware of the new things they can do as compared to what they could do earlier in the season. That's with the time they have now, compound that.

CM....Naf....M&G....SS51....Yes, it may be a bit more expensive, but as SS51 says the astute coach-recruiter needs  to have those figures handy so the prospect and their parents can truly understand the expenses and wiegh that with the product. Guess what, unless your school simply doesn't offer the curriculum the athlete wants, you just may have a player.

CM....Exactly "too much time spent beating up on each other". If the schedule were to change and a school fills the Monday slot with games who can you now blame?

M&G....Yes "MN is a mini hotbed", for that reason the coaches need to be able to compete for the good ones, and they need to be seen during the season. hoops....Yes, there are some big headed athletes out there, they are mostly concentrated in the Metro I believe. Their parents have an influence on them and if they (the parents) have coached them through Travel they have a vested interest in their child. I believe alot of them have been weeded out by the time they get to the private D-3 school. 

The real Subject matter.  SS51....CM....LA....agreed, a split schedule or conference may be in order. North - South, East - West, ?? Upper - Lower?? Lets Brain storm it. I know, an AD would see this (Upper-Lower) as a Nightmare, but when computers can be programmed to fit situations much of the Nightmare may disappear.

Thought Caps are in order............??WIAC and/or IAAC shoot out??
Top 9 from each conference square off.

 

hoops.......She_scores....

More annoyance, and barely a Problem? It depends upon your prospective. If you are satisfied with the status quo you are exactly right: why be concerned or even discuss the Schedule as it is now. As you may expect, the game is constantly changing. I don't know when it was that the two of you played; whether it was before or after the 30 sec. clock and/or the 3 point line??  At any rate, getting up and down the court, with speed, attacking the basket from the bounce, and getting to the rim in various ways is where BB is at these days. Granted, the set shot is still in use at and near the 3 point line but after that,  if you really want to be competitive, it becmes imperative to have other tools and skills to get the ball though the cotton. Now, if the desire is to have the MIAC remain where it is right now, not to have time to hone new skills or to perfect them, lets just leave it as is.     

No doubt all of us have seen some really competitive and exciting games in the MIAC. This however, is not my concern, with the 22 game schedule the ability for the coach and the athlete to add new things to their game is very limited. The MIAC used to be highly respected as a Womens BB Conference. Now, however, that does not seem to be the the way it is, at least outside of the conference.

Isn't it time we begin to ask questions as to, WHY.  The other conferences around us have fewer Teams in them, therefore fewer conf - games, therefore more nonconference games, therefore getting more exposure as to how BB may be changing. To regain the respect of the past we MAY need to make some changes.

The real concern that I have is that the level of Womens BB is raised in MIAC, such that we are able to compete more readily with other D-3 schools OUT OF OUR CONFERENCE.

She_scores .. Bet Wash U gets in a van or a bus to Travel to New York Huh.     

I guess I am going to elbow my way in here, since there seems to be no responses to my questions. So, I'm lighting the fire again. Back to the scheduling in the MIAC.   

"Have you seen them play?" -- She_scores51

I'm not sure about the question,"Have you seen them play?" Who are you you talking about the MIAC, WIAC, or the Teams with injuries? The thing I am concerned with is the fatigue building as the schedule grinds along.

Secondly, (and someone brought this up(can't find it)) for a Conference who boasts of academics, the present schedule is to the point of being ridiculous. This, especially for those who travel the most. Those who are more than 60 miles from the Metro area spend literally days in a vehicle during a season. Those especially at the extreme ends of the Conference have 11 road trips/year.  Those from the Metro area have 4 road trips/year.  Now, compound those trips, by stuffing three games in each week.

We of the MIAC, are in our own little world, don't get out to see what is going on in the rest of the BB world.  We are so used to what we see regularly that we are being left behind by the rest the BB world.  Some of the BB I see as I get around the MIAC is so Retro that it is tough to watch. There are some, very few however, who can use the spin off the dribble, can hop-step for the shot, or who have a real sound Jumper.  So when we are not able to see the rest of the world, via nonconference confrontations, here again our scheduling becomes a problem for us.

So, for those of you who have your pants in a wad about rankings etc., maybe consider getting on the board to discuss dealing with the schdule.  Tell me how those who vote on the rankings are to compare MIAC schools with other schools who are getting all the votes.

Another topic that comes to my mind. How do coaches from outstate get to see the GOOD players who could raise the level of play in the conference when they are in a constant frenzy to GET THE WOMEN READY FOR THE NEXT GAME syndrome. Oh yes, the old tired "recruit in the summer" phrase, but you know what, the girls like to be seen during the season.  If they don't get that attention during the season, they will revert back to the D-   2 school who is asking them to walk on or get a partial; thereby lose the D-3 experience.

It is time for change, I have some ideas on how to get to a 16 total game season,  but the Board may light up and incinerate and I hate to see that.               

A lot of things to post up about: congrats to GAC, the Cobs, and the Kitties for the way they battled this last weekend against the Cobs.  I would still like to know who has the advantage - the MIAC with their 16 game schedule OR the WIAC with their 12 game schedule when it comes to post season play.

gacunk - got to thinking after my last post.  That question as to a title 9 issue was a brain bleep.  The prolonged marathon is as though the athletes are playing a month of round-robin MIAC Tourney. 
    Another question may be posed. Who, the MIAC, or the WIAC has an advantage as they proceed into post-season play then?  I realize that most Conferences have only 9 Teams in thier respective Conferences (IAAC, UMAC, WIAC) as examples.  It works out nice for the AD's when it comes to Football however, where SMU is not in it so it ends up with 9 Teams and 8 games.  Lets have more discussion, I won't be able to contribute for a couple of days.  But, I'll be back!!  Keep it moving.   

Willy Wonka - Thanks for the input.  Lets think about this as you are going along through this drawn out meatgrinder; the athlete and/or the Coach.
Saturday game, Sunday practice, Monday game, Tuesday practice, Wednesday game, Thursday off, Friday practice, Saturday game etc............
     For example - - Stout from Jan 1 (12 games with 2 weeks where they have 1 game) - - St Bens from Jan 1 (18 games steady grind through Jan and on into Feb). The last 2 weeks 2 games/week, whew!!.  Kudos to Coaches who can do those little things to keep the women sharp.  You board posters have asked "whats going on with UST".  Had the opportunity to see Carleton @ GAC, saw especially 2 rag Dolls "Lincoln and Oken-Berg".  They were either close to ill or Tammy had a pretty go for them the day before. You are the Coach, you see you need some grooming as a Team, and/or you want to install some new wrinkles.  How is this done with this schedule? Who is the MIAC schedule made for?  Who is the WIAC schedule made for? Is this a title 9 Issue?   

Thanks!!!  Have read the board and USUALLY enjoyed all of it. Seriously would like to get the thoughts on the January scheduling issue!  No practice time, just shooting and walkthroughs.

Quote from: Cager on January 15, 2007, 05:34:20 PM
A question for all;

Does anyone think the current MIAC schedule of three games per week has any effect on the rash of injuries? Is there a relation between the number of games (And associated fatigue) in January and the recent injuries?

Respecting the fact that others years have had fewer numbers of injuries, I'm just wondering out loud here.

Thoughts?

New on the board - excuse the unfamiliarity.

I'd like you posters to give the quote from Cager some consideration and thoughts.  How about we do a little brainstorming on what could be done about something that I think has some validity to possible increase in injuries, etc.  By reviewing other conferences such as UMAC, IIAC, and WIAC, note the number of games, number of Teams in the conference and game schedules in January. 

New on the board - excuse the unfamiliarity.

I'd like you posters to give the quote from Cager some serious consideration and thoughts.  How about we do a little brainstorming on what could be done about something that I believe has validity to possibly decrease injuries, etc.  In reviewing other conferences such as UMAC, IIAC, and WIAC, note number of games, number of teams in conference and game schedules in January.