WBB: American Southwest Conference

[dballa]

By the way in regards to tickets for people in Brownwood and the surrounding areas tickets go on sale today for Saturday's game at 7pm, which can be picked up at the Brownwood Chamber of Commerce, HPU Athletic Offices, and I also believe the Harris House as well as the Packard Admin Building.

[mcmfan]

The preview is definitely nice.  If you think our teams in the ASC are good, and I certainly think my McM Ladies are good, then you have to give credit to HPU for beating all of them repeatedly, both in the Coliseum and away.  If this is not a team that is for real, then you don't think that our conference is for real.

[Ralph Turner]

Wish #1:  National Champion McMurry LIB
Wish #2:  That the only team to beat the National Champions in 2007 was LIB!

Go ASC! 

[dballa]

Swiss, I don't know how many McMurry fans will make the trip to Oregon but I'm sure a lot of the families will be there.  You could see anywhere from 50 to 100 fans coming out from Texas.  For McMurry's sake I hope they bring more.

[thejungle]

The Brownwood Bulletin has put together a fairly nice page about this week's first and second round action at HPU.  And some fairly good stuff about the ASC tourney as well.

http://www.brownwoodbulletin.com/asc/

[inthepaint]

Wish #1:  National Champion McMurry LIB
Wish #2:  That the only team to beat the National Champions in 2007 was LIB!

Go ASC! 

I love that sentiment!  Go ASC!!!!! 

[calhsu]

I've been in So cal last three days,  drove ten hours today and the first thing I did when I got on line was to check the seedings and the pairings.   The Moon the stars and the sun must be in line to the ACS.  HPU has an excellent chance to go to the final four.  First they don't have to play a Texas  championship,  (think back Ralph it has been years since the ASC qualifiers didn't have to kill off another of its own.)  And then to be matched up against the west.  This is my present home but we are not talking the cream of Cal schools.  Most of the Christian school out here play NAIA ie California Baptist, Masters,  etc.   The few DIII schools best sport is not women's basketball.   The Northwest team are up and down.  I know HSU only beat PLU by a couple of points  but they have a couple of thousand fans and still couldn't edge the cowgirls out.    I really would now go on record and say if the two ASC team play their A game a ASC final in the section final is possible.   The only factor I question is Big dance pressure.   Each level the intensity is multiplied.  HSU had years of experience before last year.
I will follow Ralph's led through the years when MCM would bow out and support  the ASC teams.   I still don't think HPU can beat the mid west teams or the eastern teams but they could gather confidence with the early games and even make the finals.   Which by the way would be no small matter.

[Rick Akins]

Calhsu:

Thanks for the insights.  As an HPU big time supporter, I of course agree we drew a TREMENDOUS bracket. I was actually almost in shock when I saw it. You still have to play the games, but we certainly have a chance to make some noise.  While HPU has only the last 2 years of NCAA tourney history--loss to Trinity in 2005 and the Trinity win and HSU loss last year, after seeing HPU's team 10+ times in person since Jan 15 I have a feeling they will handle the pressure well.  I like this year's team a lot.

I dreaded but expected to have to play HSU first and then MCM second the first round, which would have the FOURTH time in the same order since the end of January!!  Not a pleasant thought against really  good teams.  Thanks again for the West Coast insights.

GO HPU, MCM, AMD ASC!!

[Rick Akins]

Calhsu:

Unfortunately I think if HPU wins Sat. and MCM wins 2 out west we have to play the first game of the sectional, not the finals--unless I am misreading the bracket!  The final would have been nice(of course assuming the wins to get there) but after avoiding other ASC teams the first weekend that is certainly too much to ask for.

[Ralph Turner]

I like HPU's chances against everyone else.  I know that McMurry knows what it will need to do if we manage to play UW-Stout again, that being a template for the outside world.  Thanks to Coach Nichols and Southwestern Coach Pam Ruder for making the UW-Stout-McMurry matchup possible.

I think that HPU matches very well against the northern teams, basically anyone outside the ASC.

HPU has the most size of anyone that we have sent to the tourney.

One thing to keep in mind next year...

Emmanuel came to Padre Island this year and HPU may have been down there in another tourney.  I wish that HPU had had the chance to play that (non-in-region) game.

The advantage of the playing quality non-in-region games is that your team gets to see the outside world, but it doesn't impact your in-region winning percentage.

[sethhpu]

Ralph I think you are referring to Messiah.

[dballa]

Archives for Hoopsville are up and Coach K's interview is accessible for people that want to listen to it.

[Ralph Turner]

Ralph I think you are referring to Messiah.

Thanks, seth!

[thejungle]

This was posted from SWISS...On the Northwest Conference Board:

I wouldn't want to give away any conference secrets, would I  ?  So... this isn't much more than what you could pick up off the Logger's own website.  Number 5, Allison Craven, is the one I'd look/listen for.  I was pretty impressed with her, especially in our last game with them.  She, along with Laura Hirsh, number 14, were  first team all-conf.  Laura had at least one strong game against us as I recall.  Marissa Cain got HM all conf. and players like Karen Chase and Brie Adderlie had moments when they looked strong too.  UPS scores 65 points a game and gives up 53 and change.  They hit the boards pretty hard, especially on the offensive end.  Other than the first half of their tournament game with Fox, I didn't think they shot particularly well, in fact you could even say "poorly."  It's my view that you can attribute that to the Bruin inside defense but they would probably just say it was poor shooting on their part during those games.  I don't think that overall their shooting percentage is all that bad but you can look it up.  I suspect it will be a hard fought game.  I wouldn't take them lightly.  If you do, we may end up playing them for the fourth time.  In the meantime, I'm sure the Bruins are entirely focused on the Gusties.  At this time of year, it just doesn't pay to look too far ahead.

Sounds like they'll try to grind it out against McM.

[CUAfan]

I just got done reading the tourney previews, and I sorely hope that I overlooked HSU in the women's bracket. I was so confused I went and looked at the regional rankings. I still don't get it, so someone please help me understand this.

50 bids -> 8 regions -> 6/7 bids per region (5-8 on the outside)

HSU -> Top 25 all season -> #5 (or was it #6...) in the South -> stays home

Sounds to me like they got jobbed (assuming that I overlooked them in the bracket and they really didn't make the tourney). Of course, I am an ASC homer and am so biased.