LA- at least the schools I cheer for have original mascots and fight songs.  Your poor Bruins share a mascot (both bears), fight song, and even TEAM COLORS (blue and gold) with another college in the same state, for crying out loud (Cal, of course).   

In any case, Go MIAC, and (next winter in hoops, as well as continuously in other sports) Go Blazers!

Nice try RC.     I'm heading back to my happy sunny world where my new local teams are both (men and women) rated in the top 10 in DI, and the NCAA can't possibly keep either of them out.  Happy NCAA season to everybody, finals week on The Farm calls me away.

Oh yeah, and LA R, my boys are coming for your number one Pac10 spot on Thursday! 

gacbacker- although you're mostly right, I would edit a few things you said.  In 2003, Michelle Barlau was the best player on the team AND the conference player of the year, although Hannon's broken hand was certainly a big factor at the end.  Also, there were actually tri-champions in the conference that year, so leaving out one of the three made no sense whatsoever, especially in light of the three teams picked this year in what is arguably a weaker conference than it was in 2003.

And, for the record, as much as I don't like Carleton's coach, I don't blame them for CSB not making the dance this year.  Clearly, if the Blazers had either A) beat UST in the season finale (a game they seemed to have wrapped up until they went cold at the end) or B) beat Carleton in the conference tournament, then I'm confident they would be practicing right now.  Basically, when an organization like the NCAA has bizarre and inexplicable variations for things like the BCS in DI football and the DII and DIII playoffs, the only guarantee in life is winning your conference's automatic bid.  The Blazers didn't do that, so I was already expecting the NCAA "snub" if you call it that. 

   

I have a hunch that the minor bump in overall strength of schedule that GAC got for beating Hamline (another above .500 team) last Monday was the kicker that put them ahead of CSB.  If that's the case, it's particularly galling, since GAC played the extra conference tournament game precisely BECAUSE the Blazers were the better team and had the bye.

In any case, the selection process is over and there's nothing to do about it except hope that the MIAC wins some games and makes a national splash again.  Good luck to all whose teams are still playing!

And, in this fan's eyes, NOTHING is more frustrating than the 2003 Blazers squad (with Barlau and Hannon as seniors) not making the tournament after having been ranked in the top 15 all season.

Not surprisingly, I side with blazerball on this one.  I can't believe the MIAC got more than two teams in the big dance, and (no offense whatsoever to a very solid Gusties squad), it's a traveshamockery that the conference co-champs are left at home for all the reasons already stated.  I wish I had more words, but they'd all be profane right now, and I'm in some weird form of shock.

Good luck to the MIAC squads still lacing up the sneaks next week, lets get at least a win or two out of the National joke this year.

PRF- I was giving you credit, no need to defend yourself.  I was just saying that it's strange how Nites gave you credit for your pre-game predictions, then turned around and ignored what you had to say about Frank's fouls, as if you were totally right and totally wrong at the same time.  Don't worry, I'm on your side.

Any game updates or predictions for today?

Sorry Nites, my post wasn't intended to be an excuse for the loss.  In fact, my jab at the officiating was based on past seasons of steady inconsistency, not an assumption that Frank was necessarily singled out.  I will be the first to agree that Carleton has a talented team and that Oken-Berg is the top offensive center in the conference.  My main point wasn't that officiating on Frank caused the outcome of the game, more that having your starting center on the bench for over 3/4 of the game (for any reason) is a major factor in a 4-point loss.

Interesting, however, that PRF "anticipated 3 of 4 pre-game factors" correctly before the game, but then also stated the opinion that 3 of Frank's 4 fouls were iffy calls.  Isn't it hard to both credit and discredit the same poster for his/her comments about the same game?    

Either way, as much as I would love to see the Blazers get an at-large bid, the inconsistency of the MIAC this year and the relatively low regional rankings for both UST and CSB leads me to believe that the only way we'll have two teams in the tournament is if Carleton wins on Saturday and UST gets an at-large bid for having been conference co-champions and making the playoff final.

I'll still check the brackets on Sunday, regardless of the UST-Carleton outcome (I'm guessing the Tommies will be too much for the Knights), and I'll be guardedly hopeful for a slim chance at a Blazer bid.  Here's hoping I'm happily surprised...

This Blazer fan is bummed after looking up the results from tonight's game.  Danielle Frank was listed as playing only 9 minutes, and somehow managed to pick up 4 fouls.  I assume having her out for most of the game led directly to Oken-Berg scoring 23 (although with only 2 free throws attempted, which doesn't make sense). 

Without having heard a peep from anybody who saw the game, the 4-point loss seems to be explained pretty clearly despite four Blazers in double figures.  I'd be curious to get some input on whether Franks fouls were earned due to aggressive drives by Carleton, or whether the often-suspicious coaching staff for the Knights may have unduly influenced the officials in key situations. (not that they would ever even attempt that, of course)

The question, of course, is how CSB builds for next year after two disappointing losses to end the season.  Hopefully these last two will be motivation for the returning players.  With the split MIAC title and a loss at home in the conference semis, I have a hard time believing that my favorite DIII squad has much of a chance of an NCAA bid.

If this is it for the seniors, my proverbial hat is off to Mackenzie O'Neil and Judy Falvey, who both turned in very solid senior seasons!

Good luck to my two most hated MIAC squads on Saturday, may the less-despicable team win (whichever that is).

The UST website links to some internet broadcast (without sound, in my case) that has a CSB 25, UST 21 halftime score.  Is that correct?

Any other score updates out there? 

Interesting section on the UST game preview:

The six-team MIAC basketball playoffs begin Monday.

--St. Ben's is assured of the No. 1 seed and will play at home in the semifinals next Wednesday night;

--St. Thomas can take the No. 2 seed with a win or with a Gustavus loss to Carleton; If UST loses and Gustavus wins, the Gusties are No. 2 and get a bye into the semis, and the Toms are No. 3 and host the No. 6 seed (Hamline or Mac) here Monday night.

--Carleton wins the No. 4 seed with a win at Gustavus or a Cobber loss. Concordia wins the No. 4 seed with a win or a Carleton loss

--Saturday's Hamline-Macalester winner is the No. 6 seed

Is this breakdown correct?  Either way, there's certainly a lot on the line today in terms of the MIAC playoff lineup!  Go Blazers!

Actually, Blazerguy is right.  There was no mention of #1 or #2 seed for the playoffs, only a statement that CSB has guaranteed at least a share of the conference title.  If UST wins on Saturday, whatever the tie-breaker outcome might be (since it's pretty convoluted), that means that CSB and UST share the title for the conference record books.  If CSB wins, it's an outright title for the Blazers.

Saturday should be a good one!  Go Blazers!

LA- I would venture a guess that if Gustafson resurfaces in the conference, Hamline might be the place.  That's based on nothing other than how much I enjoy making fun of their coaching staff for trying to get extra eligibility out of various assorted characters in the past few years.

Good luck to everybody in sorting out the conference playoff positions this week, I'll be cheering from afar for my Blazers!

Gacbacker- I'm not saying that conference champion is automatically the COY, but if we often discuss the MVP as a competition mostly between the best players from the best teams, and the winner is often from the top team, there's no coincidence that team performance plays a major role in MVP (which makes sense).

However, I find it odd that Durbin could win National COY in a year (twice, in 02-03 and 97-98) in which he wasn't even the conference COY.   That's like having a first team All-American who doesn't make the All-Conference team.  It's just odd.

Here's one fan happy (from afar) with the results in St. Joseph tonight.  Danielle Frank has really developed into a major threat in this conference, with an almost nightly box score of double-doubles.  Hopefully all the top teams will remain healthy and injury-free, so that the conference race can be decided without anybody complaining.  (except Tammy, who always complains about something )

Seems to me like Coach Durbin is doing a great job this year, especially after graduating 5 seniors last spring, all of whom were starters for at least a portion of their respective careers.  Of course, Mike will probably get ignored in the Coach of the Year voting AGAIN, since being consistently good apparently doesn't get you respect in that category.

Heck, Mickey Haller has 3 COY awards in recent years, and GAC has only ONE conference title since the beginning of MIAC women's hoops in 1982, compared to CSB and UST, with 10 each. 

GAC over Olaf by 8
Carleton over Mac by 9
Bethel over St.Mary's by 33 big ones
CSB over Ham by 10
UST over St. Kate's by 5

(all courtesy of the MIAC home page under "composite schedule")

Is it me, or is the conference down this year?  Having not seen a game yet, I can't comment in person, but the inconsistency of pretty much every team (except UST so far) doesn't bode well for any MIAC team making an NCAA splash.  Thoughts?