MBB: American Rivers Conference

[Alfredeneumann]

Preseason 1 & 2 meet for title. Central hosts Wartburg Saturday night. Central wins at Neb Wes 85-63. Wartburg comes back from 10 down at 1/2 to win 92-89 at Loras. Central swept season series. 

[doolittledog]

HansenRatings was planning on doing some research to see how often, or if ever, the 5th and 6th seeds play for the conference title.  This shows the depth of the IIAC.  If Central or Wartburg had lost their final regular season game, and Dubuque had ended with a win, the team that had lost wouldn't have made the conference tourney.  They both won, and a week later they are playing for the conference title.  This is a fun time of year!

[dunkin3117]

That Wartburg/Loras game was hands down the best I have seen in a long time.  Crazy atmosphere.  Both teams battled through some tough calls (the IIAC may have some of the worst officiating in the country) and it was back and forth the entire second half.  I think I saw that was tied 10 different times and the two exchanged leads 12 times.  Doesn't get any better than that in the conference tournament. 

Would love to see the IIAC get two bids, with winner of title and either Loras or NWU, but its doubtful.  Sooner of later this league will start getting some respect on the national stage.

As always, it was a fun year.  Tons of young talent around the league and I would expect it to be even crazier next year.

[Fannosaurus Rex]

HansenRatings was planning on doing some research to see how often, or if ever, the 5th and 6th seeds play for the conference title.  This shows the depth of the IIAC.  If Central or Wartburg had lost their final regular season game, and Dubuque had ended with a win, the team that had lost wouldn't have made the conference tourney.  They both won, and a week later they are playing for the conference title.  This is a fun time of year!

I guess it shows depth.  The thing I have seen at least in the case of Central, the only team I follow, is the inconsistency.  Much of the season they have looked brilliant and then you look again and they can't do anything right.  Lately it has been the former but I still watch the games to the end because there doesn't seem to be a lead to big to blow or a deficit too big to overcome depending on whether they are running cold hot.

[Alfredeneumann]

That Wartburg/Loras game was hands down the best I have seen in a long time.  Crazy atmosphere.  Both teams battled through some tough calls (the IIAC may have HAS some of the worst officiating in the country) and it was back and forth the entire second half.  I think I saw that was tied 10 different times and the two exchanged leads 12 times.  Doesn't get any better than that in the conference tournament. 

Would love to see the IIAC get two bids, with winner of title and either Loras or NWU, but its doubtful.  Sooner of later this league will start getting some respect on the national stage.

As always, it was a fun year.  Tons of young talent around the league and I would expect it to be even crazier next year.

Fixed it for ya. So inconsistent from game to game and end to end. I can tolerate poor officials,  but be consistent on what is called/not called

[Alfredeneumann]

Wartburg wins conference tournament 89-85 @ Central.  Came back from 9 down at half. Wartburg 14-30 from 3, Dutch 13-42.


Wartburg women also dancing after beating Luther, 82-68.

[doolittledog]

Wartburg wins conference tournament 89-85 @ Central.  Came back from 9 down at half. Wartburg 14-30 from 3, Dutch 13-42.


Wartburg women also dancing after beating Luther, 82-68.

So Wartburg is going back to their old ways.  A basketball school, with a mediocre football program 

I kid, I kid

[Alfredeneumann]

Wartburg is a rasslin' school with 2 conference winning hoops teams. 

[HansenRatings]

HansenRatings was planning on doing some research to see how often, or if ever, the 5th and 6th seeds play for the conference title.  This shows the depth of the IIAC.  If Central or Wartburg had lost their final regular season game, and Dubuque had ended with a win, the team that had lost wouldn't have made the conference tourney.  They both won, and a week later they are playing for the conference title.  This is a fun time of year!

First time posting on the basketball forums. It feels weird.

But anyways, here's the analysis Doolittle was talking about. Pretty base-level stuff, using Ken Pomeroy's methodology for rating teams & predicting winners (Conference-only Pythagorean Expectation for ratings, Log5 method for win/loss, w/ 2.5% HFA).



What this basically says is that there was about a 20% chance of Central & Wartburg both winning the first round, a 2% chance that they would meet in the finals, and around 0.8% chance of Wartburg winning in the finals at Central. As you can see, there's not a lot of variance between team ratings, so the small likelihood of every road team winning is mostly due to HFA & the first-round byes. With this bracket format, it's just really hard for a 6-seed to win it all, making Wartburg's victories all the more impressive.

[Alfredeneumann]

Wartburg wins conference tournament 89-85 @ Central.  Came back from 9 down at half. Wartburg 14-30 from 3, Dutch 13-42.


Wartburg women also dancing after beating Luther, 82-68.

So Wartburg is going back to their old ways.  A basketball school, with a mediocre football program 

I kid, I kid

HA.  Luther FB players decided to make 2 trips to Waverly for regular season BB and Women's conference tourney and their favorite chant when Knight's shot FT's was "Go for TWO!"
1 win over Wartburg in 20 years and they think they're good or something.

[doolittledog]

I suppose it is nice to see some traveling support for basketball these days.  Back in the late 80's to early 90's the IIAC basketball gyms could be some intimidating places.  Loras and Wartburg had me fearing for my life a few times.  I think the old man I now am wouldn't want to feel that way again though 

[DBQ1965]

I suppose it is nice to see some traveling support for basketball these days.  Back in the late 80's to early 90's the IIAC basketball gyms could be some intimidating places.  Loras and Wartburg had me fearing for my life a few times.  I think the old man I now am wouldn't want to feel that way again though 

You should have seen the old McCormick Gym back in the early 60s.  A cracker box that had home team advantage written all over it.  The IIAC finally had to rule against games there.

[Alfredeneumann]

Wartburg men win in round 1  92-66 upset win over No. 10 Benedictine.
Up by 15 at half and as 20+ in second. Team hit 16 3's, broke the school NCAA tournament game record of 6. 

[doolittledog]

Wartburg men seem to be on a similar run that the Wartburg women went on last year.  I think the Wartburg women finished 4th before winning the conference tourney and then ran all the way to the final 4.  Would be nice to see the Wartburg men make a similar run this year.  Would speak volumes for the IIAC if a mid-table team can make a run in the national tourney!

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

Wartburg men seem to be on a similar run that the Wartburg women went on last year.  I think the Wartburg women finished 4th before winning the conference tourney and then ran all the way to the final 4.  Would be nice to see the Wartburg men make a similar run this year.  Would speak volumes for the IIAC if a mid-table team can make a run in the national tourney!

Wartburg women didn't win the conference tourney - they got in via Pool C.  They thought they had no real chance to get in - so much so that the Sommer sisters were in Florida with the softball team when they got the call to come home.