MBB: American Rivers Conference

[Greek Tragedy]

What's wrong with Simpson? Were they just completely overrated in the preseason. They were picked #2 in the ARC too, right? I took them in the Top 25 pool and they haven't sniffed the Top 25. Tied for 7th at 2-5??

[SpartyBlue]

Weekend Results

NWU 115 Central 96
Coe 94 Wartburg 92 OT
Loras 88 UD 87
Luther 83 Simpson 73  Ouch

Wednesday Games

UD 135 @ Luther 288  Luther coming off big win over Simpson.  This one could be close

Wartburg 175  @ Simpson 194  Simpson in free fall mode, difficult to pick them here. 

BV 41 @ Central 308

Loras 102 @ Coe 123  Close call.  Winner of this moves into the top three spots in the conference race.

[dunkin3117]

What's wrong with Simpson? Were they just completely overrated in the preseason. They were picked #2 in the ARC too, right? I took them in the Top 25 pool and they haven't sniffed the Top 25. Tied for 7th at 2-5??

I don't think they were completely overrated in the preseason.  Sitting at 2-5 is a pretty big shock though.  I had them at 3-4 range in preseason, but I also didn't have BV in the top 6, and they are looking like a Pool C bid right now.

[SpartyBlue]

Wednesday Results

UD 76 Luther 69  UD overcomes halftime deficit for big road win.  PG Mitch Burger was the catalyst with 29.

Simpson 71 Wartburg 65  Simpson down 12 at half wins turnover battle in the second half to win a game they had to have.

BV 90 Central 75

Coe 81 Loras 74  Coe defends home court and moves to five conference wins.

[dunkin3117]

First round of ARC play is complete. (Preseason Proj.)

8-0 NWU (1)
6-2 BVU (8)
5-3 Coe (6)
4-4 UD (5)
4-4 Loras (3)
3-5 Simpson (2)
3-5 Wartburg (4)
2-6 Luther (9)
1-7 Central (7)

Schimonitz is clearly the MVP of the league to this point. Averaging a league high 27 pts/gm (63% in league play) to go along with nearly 5 asst.

Saturday's Slate
Simpson at UD
Central at Coe
Luther at Loras
Wartburg at NWU

[AndOne]

Another loss for Loras. The 4th in the last 5 games. Likely burning up the lines to the recruiting service that points such a high number of their charges toward the Duhawk campus, and begging for an extra allotment of young horses    next season.

[Gregory Sager]

Another loss for Loras. The 4th in the last 5 games. Likely burning up the lines to the recruiting service that points such a high number of their charges toward the Duhawk campus, and begging for an extra allotment of young horses    next season.

Speaking of horses ...

Yikes. A 3rd loss in a row for Loras.
The volume of requests for aid from the recruiting service that seems so tightly associated with the Duhawks must be on the uptick recently. 

Big win for Buena Vista over Loras last night in the current battle for 2nd place. Loras has now lost 2 in a row to NWU and BV.
Perhaps the recruiting service, otherwise known as Loras' minor league Triple A affiliate team, that somehow seems to channel such a healthy percentage of their charges to the Duhawks, needs to send up a few more diaper dandies.

... how long do you plan to ride this particular hobby horse, Mark?

[SpartyBlue]

Saturday in the ARC

Simpson 176 @ UD 123  Pick em'

Central 307 @ Coe 114  Central has lost 8 in a row

Luther 295 @ Loras 107  Loras gets back in win column at home

Wartburg 189 @  NWU 11  Prairie Wolves easily keep rolling

[AndOne]

Another loss for Loras. The 4th in the last 5 games. Likely burning up the lines to the recruiting service that points such a high number of their charges toward the Duhawk campus, and begging for an extra allotment of young horses    next season.

Speaking of horses ...

Yikes. A 3rd loss in a row for Loras.
The volume of requests for aid from the recruiting service that seems so tightly associated with the Duhawks must be on the uptick recently. 

Big win for Buena Vista over Loras last night in the current battle for 2nd place. Loras has now lost 2 in a row to NWU and BV.
Perhaps the recruiting service, otherwise known as Loras' minor league Triple A affiliate team, that somehow seems to channel such a healthy percentage of their charges to the Duhawks, needs to send up a few more diaper dandies.

... how long do you plan to ride this particular hobby horse, Mark?

Sometimes it takes a bit of repetition to hammer home a point.
The horse is probably ready to be put out to pasture. BUT, if the shoe fits, wear it! 

[Gregory Sager]

Frankly, I think that you're making a whole lot of fuss about nothing.

[Pat Coleman]

I don't even know what I'm supposed to care about there. Who cares?

[Gregory Sager]

Exactly. Lots of D3 coaches in lots of sports employ scouting services as a recruiting aid. Some of them are running very successful programs, too. What difference does it make? The coach still has to establish contact with the prospect, make his or her sales pitch, entice a visit, and close the deal. Scouting services are just one more tool in the recruiting toolbox for finding players, that's all.

Honestly, Mark, this comes off as sour grapes on your part. My first thought is that you're either sore about Chris Martin beating out Todd Raridon for some west suburban prospect or two, or that this is about Loras ending North Central's season last year in the airplane hangar in the tourney's first weekend. Why else would anybody possibly care about how Chris Martin discovers prospects?

[dunkin3117]

9-0 NWU
6-2 BV
6-3 Coe
5-4 Loras
5-4 UD
3-6 Simpson
3-6 Wartburg
2-7 Luther
1-8 Central

Wednesday
Luther at Simpson
NWU at BV
Loras at Central
Coe at Wartburg

Saturday
Central at Wartburg
BV at Luther
UD at NWU
Simpson at Loras

Clearly the game of the week will be held Wednesday night when NWU travels to BV. 

[SpartyBlue]

Saturday Results

UD 93 Simpson 83 

UD sweeps season series from the Storm, nice win in terms of potential conference tournament impacts.  UD has a lot of players who can make shots, 10 players have hit 10 or more three pointers.  Coach Sieverding runs a deep rotation.  Advantage is this team can be difficult to match up with for most ARC teams, yet at times there is some disorganization on the defensive end and less continuity then there might be offensively.  UD is also young and has been playing without senior center Avery Butler.  At 5-4 and a defensive stop against Loras away from 6-3, UD is positioned to make a stretch run.  The question is, can they level up and play with NWU and BV.  Simpson drops to 3-6.  Riordan had a nice game, but a three man team needs all three players to play well.  Wagner was ineffective and Reiter was negated and got into foul trouble.  It will be an uphill battle for the Storm to claw back into contention. 

Coe 84 Central 69  All five starters for Coe in double figures.  Central's Mauck and Flinn combine for 43, not much else happening for the Dutch.

Loras 87 Luther 46

NWU 95 Wartburg 64  Ho hum.

[SpartyBlue]

Wednesday Games

Luther 305 @ Simpson 183 

Loras 98 @ Central 317 

Coe 105 @ Wartburg 187  Rematch of overtime game 10 days ago.  Really a pick em'.  Wartburg desperately needs this after dropping three straight.

NWU 9 @ BV 35  Game of the Week.  Just can't pick against the juggernaut that is NWU at this point.  Schimonitz has to be right at the top of national POY consideration.  This team makes it look so easy.  BV was hanging around into the second half of the first match up, but you need 40 perfect minutes to knock off the Wolves.  Five scoring threats and that infuriatingly frustrating 3-2 zone won't be cracked here.