Quote from: SpartyBlue on February 20, 2025, 02:44:48 PMI don't know, just don't see Gustavus as a top 25 team...the MIAC is really weak outside of GAC and St. John's.  Hamline and Carelton are just barely inside the Massey 100 and the rest of the teams are really poor. D3 datacast has the MIAC 27th out of 44 conferences.   GAC is only 5-4 against teams inside the top 100.  Doesn't mean everything, but means something. 

Gustavus is a really good team. Maybe not Top 25, but certainly not a team that I'd want to see in the tournament. They are big,  they have shooters, and they can really defend.  Certain teams will be a match-up problem for them, but they are better than you are giving them credit for.

Also,  Hamline is a good team.  12-4 in the MIAC, won 10 of their last 12 with a margin of victory of 15.5.  They aren't incredibly deep but their starting 5 is about as good as any in the MIAC. Not going to be an easy out. 

Quote from: ziggy on February 16, 2025, 10:26:47 AM

Quote from: faunch on February 16, 2025, 10:02:15 AM

Quote from: Greek Tragedy on February 15, 2025, 04:38:15 AMObviously a big game today, St. John's at Gustavus. More important for GAC because they sit at Pool C 17, while St. John's is the Pool A between Pool C 6 and Poo C 7. GAC probably won't drop out of the top 21 Pool C's, but there's only one game left and then the conference tournament. They will be on very thin ice as the MIAC is so bad overall, they probably won't be getting any quality of win bonus points.

What are the chances the MIAC gets two teams into the playoffs? I know a lot has to do with how conference tournaments shake out. Johnnies dropped to #30 in the NPI with the loss yesterday and GAC did not crack the top 20. It was a competitive albeit ugly game. My gut tells me that SJU and GAC both need to win out and make it to the conference playoff championship game to have a chance of advancing to the NCCA.
If either of them fails to do so I would think their chance of an at large bid goes out the window.
I also don't see either team winning more than a game in the NCAA.

The rest of the league is comparatively bad. It's almost the same as football is in the MIAC with two very strong programs and then the rest is meh.

https://miacathletics.com/standings.aspx?path=mbball

At this point the expectation would be that the MIAC is a multi-bid league. I think yesterday's result solidified that. Based on our new run of simulations this morning, both SJU and GAC were in via at-large bid more than 85% of the time when needed. This number was still better than 75% for both should they exit before the conference tournament final.

https://d3datacast.com/npi/mbb-projections/

Quote from: ziggy on February 16, 2025, 10:26:47 AM

Quote from: faunch on February 16, 2025, 10:02:15 AM

Quote from: Greek Tragedy on February 15, 2025, 04:38:15 AMObviously a big game today, St. John's at Gustavus. More important for GAC because they sit at Pool C 17, while St. John's is the Pool A between Pool C 6 and Poo C 7. GAC probably won't drop out of the top 21 Pool C's, but there's only one game left and then the conference tournament. They will be on very thin ice as the MIAC is so bad overall, they probably won't be getting any quality of win bonus points.

What are the chances the MIAC gets two teams into the playoffs? I know a lot has to do with how conference tournaments shake out. Johnnies dropped to #30 in the NPI with the loss yesterday and GAC did not crack the top 20. It was a competitive albeit ugly game. My gut tells me that SJU and GAC both need to win out and make it to the conference playoff championship game to have a chance of advancing to the NCCA.
If either of them fails to do so I would think their chance of an at large bid goes out the window.
I also don't see either team winning more than a game in the NCAA.

The rest of the league is comparatively bad. It's almost the same as football is in the MIAC with two very strong programs and then the rest is meh.

https://miacathletics.com/standings.aspx?path=mbball

At this point the expectation would be that the MIAC is a multi-bid league. I think yesterday's result solidified that. Based on our new run of simulations this morning, both SJU and GAC were in via at-large bid more than 85% of the time when needed. This number was still better than 75% for both should they exit before the conference tournament final.

https://d3datacast.com/npi/mbb-projections/

So there is a world in which the MIAC could get 3 teams in? 

Quote from: Greek Tragedy on February 13, 2025, 06:38:59 PMI saw 3,500, but this has got to be the biggest game for them in at least a decade?

Are we not counting the conference championship game last year?

The MIAC season is finished, with the playoffs being as exciting as I can recall.  Hamline pulling the upset over #1 seed St. John's on a last second shot by Buzzer Beater Brad Cimperman, Gustavus outlasting Carleton in double OT, and then surviving a furious second half comeback by Hamline, winning by one after Cimperman's attempt at a buzzer beater redux fell awry.  As was the case last year, I believe this year the MIAC is issuing the following awards:  16 player all-conference team, Offensive, Defensive, Rookie, and Coach of the Year.  These awards categories are terrible, and I would love for the MIAC to admit it and return to their old awards.  Alas...to recap from last year:

Offensive Player of the Year:  Raheem Anthony, Saint Mary's
Defensive Player of the Year:  Badou Ba, Macalester
Rookie of the Year:  Kobe Kirk, Saint Olaf
Coach of the Year: Ryan Kershaw, Carleton

My picks for this year:

First Team All-Conference (8 players)

I refuse to not pick a first team all-conference team.

Luke Harris, Jr., CAR:  18.9 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 3.2 APG, 37 steals, 128 FTM.  Took over as the leading man and kept Carleton a contender.

Spencer Swanson, Jr., GAC: 18.0 PPG, 9.2 RPG, 2.4 APG, 46% 3FG, 24 steals.  Best player on the NCAA tourney representative, tough matchup with his versatility.

Austin Holt, Jr.,  HAM: 15.4 PPG, 9.4 RPG, 3.7 APG, 27 steals, 56% FGM.  Does it all for the Pipers, including being a dominant defensive force.

Kobe Kirk, So., STO:  19.4 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 1.4 APG, 26 steals, 91 FTM.  Pure scorer, 44 against Carleton being a highlight.

Blake Berg, Sr., SJU: 12.1 PPG, 2.8 RPG, 1.9 APG, 64% FGM, 14 steals, 12 blocks.  Some will have Thissen here, but Berg was more dynamic this season.  Outstanding defender.

Zach Doely, Sr., BET: 16.6 PPG, 10.2 RPG, 3.0 APG,  65% FGM, 17 steals, 23 blocks. Has been a force in the paint for three straight years.

Matt Johnson, Sr., CORD:  15.2 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 2.8 APG, 38% 3FG, 88% FT, 17 steals.  Outstanding shooter who gave defenses fits all season.

Caleb Williams, Sr., MAC: 18.4 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 2.7 APG, 19 steals.  Did not quite match his previous season, but the 51 point outburst at Concordia showed how dangerous he can be.

Other All-Conference Players

Ryan Thissen, Sr.,  SJU
Payton Thomsen, So., BET
Bradley Cimperman, Jr., HAM
Matt Banovetz, Sr., CAR
Wyatt Olson, Sr., GAC
Brady Kienitz, Jr., GAC
Rowan Nelson, Jr., CORD
Connor Martin, Sr., STO
Coby Gold, Sr.,  MAC


Honorable Mention All-Conference

Kooper Vaughn, Jr., SJU
Evan Wieker, Sr., GAC
Cameron Mallory, Jr., SMU
Breyton Buysman, Jr., SMU
Joey Kidder, Sr., BET
Spencer Goetz, Jr., CAR


Offensive Player of the Year

Luke Harris, Jr., CAR
Such a unique player, a small guard that really does not shoot threes (only 14 makes on the season).  His ability to get in the paint, finish, or draw contact gives him this award.


Defensive Player of the Year

Austin Holt, Jr., HAM
Holt deserved this award last year, so I will give it to him this year.  He can slow posts or point guards, with incredibly nimble footwork and elite hand strength allowing him to move on the perimeter and snatch rebounds at a high clip.


Rookie of the Year

Sam Koelling, Fr., CAR: 10.4 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 1.1 APG, 16 blocks, 49% 3FG

Other Notable Freshmen

Trent Gomez, AUG: 8.9 PPG, 2.8 RPG, 1.1 APG, 26 steals
Elias Batala, AUG: 7.0 PPG, 1.6 RPG, 20 steals
Emmanuel Schmitter, BET: 6.6 PPG, 3.1 RPG, 15 steals
Raoul Vaidya, HAM: 6.6 PPG, 1.4 RPG, 1.1 APG, 55% 3FG
Kaiden Holbrook, MAC: 8.3 PPG, 2.0 RPG, 1.6 APG, 33 3FGM
Tanner Thomson, SCH: 8.4 PPG, 1.5 RPG, 1.1 APG, 19 steals

Coach of the Year

Justin DeGrood, GAC

DeGrood wins the award over Jim Hayes, HAM by virtue of their two wins over the Pipers in the last week, with the last one clinching the conference championship.  Both have risen the level of their programs in the last couple of years.

Player of the Year

Spencer Swanson, GAC

I will candidly say that I have no idea who would win this not-an-award award, and there is not really one candidate that stood out. However, I really wish it were still an award (have I mentioned how much I hate the new award structure?) so we could find out who the conference coaches thought was the best of the best this year.  Any of Swanson, Harris, Holt, or Kirk has an argument.  Swanson was clearly the best player on the conference champion, Harris the most dynamic offensive player, Holt finished in the top 15 in points, rebounds, assists, and steals and was my defensive player of the year, and Kirk led the league in scoring.  All in all, I would not have a problem with any of Swanson, Holt, or Harris winning it.  Kirk was great, but his team did not make the playoffs.  While St. John's dominated the regular season, they did not have one clear standout.  Thissen was solid, but his numbers were down across the board this year.  Berg was, in my opinion, their best player this year, and Kooper Vaughn led the team in scoring.  None of them were league player of the year.  I will give it to Swanson, who after an 3 game losing streak in January led the Gusties to a 10-2 record to close the season, winning the conference tournament.

All in all, a really fun MIAC season.  Would love to hear others' thoughts on these awards -  good luck to the Gusties in the NCAA tournament!

Two terrific games thus far.  Gusties survived an early Carleton punch and countered, now up four at the half.  Carleton not shooting it well from deep and have a host of players with two fouls. Gustavus' starting five has been outstanding, scoring all but 2 of their points.

Tie game in Collegeville. Blake Berg has been a force for the Johnnies, slashing into the lane and finishing or getting fouled for 17 points.  For Hamline, their two stars are carrying them - Austin Holt has 14 and Bradley Cimperman 13. Pipers have been red hot from 3.  Should be a terrific second half!

Semifinal Thursday awaits.  Two great matchups to decide the finalists for this season.  Also - it is great to have this board back!

Top-seeded St. John's hosts four seed Hamline. The Johnnies had a fairly dominant run through the MIAC season, dropping only two games and having a 16.6 scoring margin in conference games, leading the conference in both scoring offense and scoring defense. They are balanced (no one scoring more than 13.5 points per game, 8 players scoring more than 6 ppg) and deep (11 players averaging over 11 minutes per game). They are lead by a talented trio of Ryan Thissen, Kooper Vaughn, and Blake Berg. Thissen is the rugged wing who is a master scoring from fifteen feet and in, Vaughn the feared shooter who knocked down 11 threes in a single game in early February, and Berg the versatile wing that is an excellent defender and a much improved offensive player (shooting 64 percent from the field!)  In short, they are talented and will be a tough out.

Hamline has enjoyed their most successful MIAC season since 2010-11, winning 13 conference games for only the fourth time since the MIAC switched to a 20 game schedule in 1983-84.  They are also extremely balanced, with ten players averaging 10 minutes per game and six players averaging over 6 ppg. The Pipers finished third in scoring defense and first in turnover margin.  Their starting lineup features four transfers, including three that spent a semester at St. John's (Bradley Cimperman, Mick Wherley, and Daniel McCarrell).  The non-SJU transfer is Austin Holt, a 6'6", do-it-all transfer from D2 Northern State.  Holt finished the conference season 11th in scoring, 2nd in rebounding, 3rd in assists, and 8th in steals.  He can guard bigs and littles effectively, one of the best defenders in the league. Cimperman's scoring is down a bit from his electric sophomore season, but he can fill it up with the best of them in the league.  The matchup between him and Blake Berg will be one to watch.

These teams split the season series, with each team defending their home court.  The game in Collegeville was a rout, with the Johnnies holding a 24 point halftime lead and never being challenged in the second half, winning by 20.  The game in St. Paul was a thriller, with the Pipers pulling out a one point victory on some late Cimperman free throws. For the Pipers to pull the upset, Holt has to be a force, they need a second scorer to step up (Cimperman is the most likely candidate, but McCarrell has been playing very well down the stretch, and keep an eye out for freshman Raoul Vaidya- his role has increased the past few weeks), and they need to survive/limit the Johnnie runs.  The Johnnies can score points in bunches - Hamline weathered runs to start both halves in their win at home. Can they do it again on the road?

In the other matchup, two-seeded defending champion Carleton hosts three seed Gustavus.  Carleton lost All-American Jeremy Beckler, but continued to excel, finishing second in the conference in scoring, first in assists and steals, and third in rebounding. They are led by junior guard Luke Harris and senior forward Matt Banovetz.  Harris is a unique player, a 6'1" guard that is most effective attacking the basket (only 14 made threes on the season), shooting a league high-by-a-mile 163 free throws this season (56 more than the next highest total!).  He led the league in steals and finished fifth in assists. Banovetz is an inside/outside threat, finishing seventh in the league in scoring, fifth in rebounding, and fifth in 3FG made per game. He's improved each season, and is certain to be voted all-conference this season.

Gustavus is in their first conference semifinal since 2014-15. They have a balanced attack, finishing third in the league in scoring, fourth in scoring defense, and second in rebounding.  A veteran team, their starting five are all juniors or seniors.  They are led by Spencer Swanson, a 6'5", Dirk Nowitzki-esque player that score inside and out.  Swanson finished fifth in the league in scoring and third in rebounding.  He had a number of players step up as second options throughout the season, with Wyatt Olson, Brady Kienitz, and Evan Wieker all taking turns being Robin to Swanson's Batman.  Kienitz had an elite shooting season,  making the second most threes in the conference while shooting nearly 49 percent. Adam Biewen is an outstanding defender.  They are a tough starting five that has a ton of experience. 

The teams split the regular season matchups, with each defending their home court.  For Carleton, they need a third option to step up behind Harris and Banovetz.  Freshman Sam Koelling or junior Spencer Goetz could be that player.  They also need to stay out of foul trouble - they had four players with 4 or more fouls in their loss at Gustavus.  For the Gusties, they need Swanson to take care of the ball, Kienitz to knock down some outside shots, and they need to find a way to slow Harris' penetration. 

All things considered, both home teams are favored, but I would not be surprised if any of the four remaining teams won tomorrow.  It should be another fun night of MIAC hoops!

I've heard from two different people that Macalester's Badou Ba suffered a serious knee injury and is likely out for the year.   Really tough blow for the Scots.

Quote from: fredfalcon on March 07, 2023, 10:34:24 PM
Payne was sporadic. Easy to mis-judge on one performance.I assume the info is legit, but without confirmation that it came from a source, doubt remains.

Like his personal Twitter account?

https://twitter.com/rodrickppayne/status/1633142804477104128?t=4u_MjQ3fElODbzTgv7A-IQ&s=19

Quote from: txg on March 03, 2023, 09:43:52 PM
Bummer.

St Norbert was unconscious for a stretch in the middle of the first half and Carleton couldn't ever get it closer than 5 or 6.  SNC's length seemed to cause the Knights a fair amount of problems, and their lack of a third scoring option was apparent.  Beckler, however,  was incredible, and clearly entrenched himself in the Zach Johnson/Kevin Grow pantheon of best Carleton players of the past 20 years.   Knights have a lot coming back,  but Beckler is borderline irreplaceable.  Really fun season for the Knights.   I know some people with purple-colored glasses think the MIAC is less than without the Tommies, but I appreciated how competitive the season was and enjoyed seeing some new blood in the playoffs.   I'll go more in-depth eventually, but there is a lot of talent coming back next year.   Congrats Carleton on a record-setting season!

Quote from: txg on March 01, 2023, 09:04:51 AM

Quote from: bball1122 on February 28, 2023, 10:28:33 PM
I'll just say it - the new awards are terrible.   No conference player of the year is absurd.  No one wanted an offensive player of the year.  And not having a clear separation of the all conference teams waters down the accomplishments of the players that had the best seasons.  I'd love an all first-year team to return as well.  MIAC - make this a one year change and return to normalcy next year.  Signed, everyone.

They are almost comically bad.  They made like 5 changes and all of them for the worse.

I also miss the all-defensive team.

Totally agree.

Final post for the night:  congrats to Carleton, a deserving conference champion and a team that I think could make a little run in the Big Dance.  They wore down Hamline in the semis and were ready to roll from the opening tip against the Johnnies.  Beckler rose to the occasion - he was a star when they needed him to be, and more. 

As for the results of the awards this year,  I thought they went as they should have, save for Defensive Player of the Year.   I already made my case for Holt over Ba, but I'll add a couple of kickers:  Holt's 48 steals were just 5 off the all-time MIAC record of 53, set by Mark Buri in 2001-02.  I'm not sure if there is a player who played primarily at the 5 that has been anywhere near that number,  while also leading the league in rebounds and finishing second in blocks.  Additionally, Holt has eight conference games in which he had 5+ blocks and steals combined.   Ba had two such games.   Ba is a defensive force in the paint - Holt is a force in the paint and out.

I'll just say it - the new awards are terrible.   No conference player of the year is absurd.  No one wanted an offensive player of the year.  And not having a clear separation of the all conference teams waters down the accomplishments of the players that had the best seasons.  I'd love an all first-year team to return as well.  MIAC - make this a one year change and return to normalcy next year.  Signed, everyone.

Quote from: Aconsmu on February 16, 2023, 11:23:25 PM
I would argue that Cimperman should be 1st team. His numbers are better than Holt.

Coach Ryan Kershaw has done a fantastic job indeed. I would argue what Coach Joe Fano has done at St. Mary's is right up there.  SMU was one of the worst programs in the country before he took over and have gone to the playoffs 3 times and has had 3 winning seasons. Coach Abe Woldeslassie has also done an incredible job at MAC.

Cimperman has been outstanding.  There certainly is an argument that he could be a first teamer.  But I don't think Holt can be left of the first team.  As I posted, I think he's the Defensive Player of the Year in the conference.  He's also 10th in scoring,  1st in rebounding, 4th in assists, 2nd in blocks, and 1st in steals.   His 47 steals are tied for second most in MIAC play in the last dozen years.   He is,  in my opinion,  one of the most impactful players in the league and is right behind Anthony,  Beckler, and Williams as squarely on the first team.

To your second point - I completely agree.   Coach Fano and Coach Woldeslassie have done incredible jobs.   I believe just a few years ago I called a MAC-SMU match-up the "movable force vs the stoppable object" , so both coaches deserve all the credit for  getting them to not only make the playoffs, but make it multiple years in a row. However, Carleton is head and shoulders better than any other team this year, and Coach Kershaw deserves a ton of credit for that success.  I don't really think any other coach has a chance at this award for this season's results.

Love the feedback!

With just a smattering of games left (though some very important ones), I thought I'd try my hand at end of year awards.  I believe this year the MIAC is issuing the following awards, which are different from those in the past:  16 player all-conference team, Offensive, Defensive, Rookie, and Coach of the Year.  This seems to leave out conference Player of the Year, which I will add in myself.  To recap from last year:

Player of the Year:  Joe Palmer, Augsburg
Sixth Man:  Rayquon Moore, Augsburg
Coach of the Year:  Pat McKenize, St. John's

My picks for this year:

First Team All-Conference (6 players)

I'm putting six players here because there were six here last year.

Jeremy Beckler, Sr., CAR:  21.4 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 1.0 APG, 35 3PM, 39% 3FG 83.7 FT%.  Best player on the best team, he's been a stud.

Raheem Anthony, Sr., SMU: 24.6 PPG, 8.5 RPG, 4.3 APG, 53% FGM, 44% 3FG, 33 steals, 81% FTM.  Somehow got even better this year.

Caleb Williams, Jr., MAC: 21.8 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 2.4 APG, 40% 3FG, 60 3PM, 29 steals.  Most feared shot-maker in the MIAC.

Austin Holt, So., HAM:  15.8 PPG, 10.5 RPG, 3.6 APG, 47 steals, 27 blocks.  Impact transfer filled the box score on a nightly basis.

Ryan Thissen, Jr., SJU: 17.9 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 3.1 APG, 56% FGM, 88% FTM.  Big wing that is a matchup nightmare.

Spencer Swanson, So. GAC: 20.1 PPG, 8.0 RPG, 51% FGM.   Most years, 20.1 would be enough to lead the league in scoring.  Love the Dirk-esque fade.


Second Team All-Conference

I'm putting six players here because I want to.

Bradley Cimperman, So., HAM: 20.3 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 2.8 APG, 37% 3FG, 99 FTM, 79% FTM.  Pure scorer had a 51 point game, multiple game winners.

Luke Harris, So., CAR: 16.4 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 3.3 APG, 55% FGM.  Outstanding floor leader who is a crafty finisher near the hoop.

Connor Martin, Jr., STO:  13.8 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 5.0 APG, 32 steals, 50% FGM.  League's leading assist man led the Oles to the playoffs.

Zach Doely, Jr., BET: 18.6 PPG, 8.9 RPG, 2.4 APG, 22 steals, 23 blocks, 64% FGM.  Second leading rebounder, was a force inside for the Royals.

Matt Johnson, Jr., CORD: 17.3 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 3.2 APG, 41% 3FG, 91% FTM, 41 3FGM.  Another impact transfer, consistently solid down the stretch.

Coby Gold, So., MAC: 14.4 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 2.7 APG, 37% 3FG, 52 3S, 29 steals.  The D3 Joe ingles has NBA range and a full-time green light.


Others Who Could Be Third Team All-Conference

Mitchell Plombon, Sr., SJU
Kooper Vaughn, So., SJU
Badou Ba, So., MAC
Owen Ziegler, Jr., SMU
Nathan Hendler, Sr., STO
Rowan Nelson, So., CORD
Joey Kidder, Jr., BET
Nick Carlson, Sr., SCH (What is the abbreviation for Scholastica?)
Conner Knoepfle, AUG


Offensive Player of the Year

Raheem Anthony, Sr., SMU

In short, Anthony has been a force since the day he set foot on campus in Winona, but this year he has taken it to another level.  24.6 PPG, hitting 100 free throws at an 81% clip (almost 25% better than any other of his seasons), knocking down 44% of his threes, dishing out the third most assists in the conference while playing 36 minutes per game.  It is one of the more impressive individual seasons in MIAC history and puts a cap on what has been an historic run during his time at Saint Mary's.  Anthony has always been fun to watch, and his senior season will not soon be forgotten.


Defensive Player of the Year

Austin Holt, So., HAM

Holt has been a revelation for the Pipers, transferring in from D2 Northern State and stepping right into the starting 5 spot.  Holt is second in the league in blocks with 27 (1.5 per game) and leads the league in steals with 47 (2.6 per game, nearly a steal per game more than the next highest).  He also leads the league in defensive rebounds with 7.7 per game.  He's been asked to guard opposing big men as well as opposing guards and wings on the perimeter (Holt was the primary defender on the aforementioned Anthony in Hamline's win over Saint Mary's on January 30th, forcing him to shoot 12-32 from the field), all while leading the Pipers in minutes played.  In short, Holt has been an impact player for the Pipers in their push to make the playoffs.


Rookie of the Year

Kobe Kirk, Fr. STO

This was a two-horse race, between Kirk and Payton Thomsen of Bethel. Kirk averaged 12.3 points and 4.3 rebounds per game, shooting 49% from the field and 34% from three.  Thomsen averaged 14.0 points and 3.6 rebounds per game, shooting 42% from the field and 33% from three.  Very similar seasons and both had a big impact on their teams.  In the end, I may just be a prisoner of the moment, as Kirk poured in 28 points last night in a must win, playoff-clinching game for the Oles.  You could easily pick Thomsen and I would agree, pointing to his 31 point masterpiece against Macalester.

Other Notable Freshmen

Noah Shannon, MAC: 6.8 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 20 steals
Sam Hoffman, HAM: 9.3 PPG, 43 3FG, 46% 3FG, 19 steals
Jacob Cook, CORD:  9.0 PPG, 4.5 RPG
Kayser Hassan, AUG: 9.5 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 22 steals

Coach of the Year

Ryan Kershaw, CAR

Kershaw, in his first year after taking over his legendary father-in-law Guy Kalland, is having a dream season.  Carelton is 20-3 overall, 15-3 in the MIAC, outright conference champion for the first time in 60 plus years and their first conference title of any kind since 2010-11.  The Knights are leading the league in scoring with 76.6 PPG, three pointers made per game (9.8), rebounds per game (35.3), and assists per game (15.06).  They play a fun brand of basketball and Kershaw is deserving of this award.

Player of the Year

Raheem Anthony, Sr., SMU

To me, this is a three horse race between Anthony, Beckler, and Caleb Williams.  Each is deserving in their own right, and Beckler may win because he is the best player on the best team AND he's having an outstanding season.  But I think Anthony deserves the award, as he was one of the best players in the league before this season and improved his weaknesses significantly.  His clutch shot against St. Olaf to tie and then take the lead on the free throw is the stuff of league MVPs, and I think Anthony should be the recipient of this (no longer existent?) award this season.

That was a lot of thoughts for one post - would love to hear what everyone else thinks!  Looking forward to a fun final six games and then what should be a wide-open playoff field!