MBB: American Rivers Conference

[Kohawk Remedy]

GO Kohawks!

[sportsknight]

If anyone is still out there, it looks like a few conference schools have their schedules up on their websites.  A sampling of the non-conference opponents...

BV - UW-Stout, St. Olaf, Gustavus, Macalester, Grandview, Clarke, Cal Lutheran, Pacific Lutheran (Holiday break trip to California)

Coe - Mount Mercy, Lawrence, Ripon, Knox, Maryville, Webster, Illinois College, Hawaii Pacific, Augustana (Holiday break trip to Hawaii)

Dubuque - UNI (exhibition), Knox, Edgewood, Beloit, Mount Mercy, Holy Cross, Silver Lake, Martin Luther, Clarke, UW-Platteville

Luther - St. Olaf, Concordia, Wisconsin Lutheran, Bethany Lutheran, North Central, Crown, plus two games at the Cal Lutheran Classic in California

Simpson - Augustana, Elmhurst, Carleton, U. of Dallas, Presentation, Nebraska Wesleyan, Grandview, Puget Sound, Whitworth (Holiday break trip to California)

Wartburg - Buzz Levick Tournament (Rockford, Bethany Lutheran, UW-Stout), UW-Stout Tournament, Bethany Lutheran, Wheaton, UW-Eau Claire Tournament, Faith Baptist

[Alfredeneumann]

Interesting that Wartburg isn't going west over Christmas break. Also the fact they could play UW-Stout in consecutive weekends.

http://www.go-knights.net/mbasketball/vschedule.html

[storm_tracker65]

any recruiting news out there? i suppose every school is in session and guys have either showed up or not. who has new guys that will make impact this year? i really like bv this year based on returning guys and i suppose loras will be right there again. havnt heard any news on recruits from anywhere. anybody?

[SLP-O-8]

Very excited to see this years BV team.  Bv has 12 freshman bball players on their roster right now.  Have heard some good thing on these freshman but dont really see any seeing major time on this years team.  Fogelman and Cleveland down low is going to be the best in the conference and if they can play a majority of the game this year it will be tough to stop them.  Wagner, Stribe, and Pearson on the perimeter will be nailing 3 pointers all year long.  I think the plan right now is Wagner at Pg which isnt where we would like him to be but i think with that lineup will be where he will be.  This team is expecting big things after losing to the NC in OT when leading by 13 in the 2nd half.  Im also excited to see how the 7 footer has developed and if he can provide us with good minutes down low. 

Go Beavers!

[Oakrugnuck Tree]

Here's an in-depth look at all of BV's freshmen and newcomers.  There are some really good guys in this group and they'll need to develop quickly as they'll be needed sooner rather than later.


http://web.bvu.edu/blogs/coachescorner/category/Men%27s+Basketball

[du-sz]

Haven't heard much out of the Loras basketball team yet this year. Coach Gorton claims he's excited about his freshman class, but coaches always say that. I'm sure it is a solid group, though. He's has always been a strong recruiter and with recent success he has a nice excuse for getting players to Dubuque. 

Loras should have the best backcourt in the conference (save maybe BV).  Centella, Kolze, and Oeth will be tough to defend, definitely the most physical group around.  Still a little worried about the forwards, though. Without White and Slater we lack experience and talent. Hopefully Gorton has something in his bag of tricks if he wants to compete with BVs frontcourt or any other big men in the IIAC.

Heard some buzzings that UD landed some nice Clarke transfers...any truth to that?  I know they're down Porter and Daugherty now, but with a lot of other returing players could they be a team to watch in the IIAC?

[Rock Chalk DuHawk]

The DuHawks will have the best backcourt in the conference with Centella maning the troops.  There success will be determined by their bigs.  Hope to see the reserves from last year and some Freshman to step up in a big way......Look for BV and Wartburg to be tough too.  Cant wait for the season to start.

Preseason Picks:
1. BV
2. Loras
3. Wartburg
4. Coe
5. UD
6. Luther
7. Central
8. Simpson
9. Cornell

[keith45]

Haven't heard much out of the Loras basketball team yet this year. Coach Gorton claims he's excited about his freshman class, but coaches always say that. I'm sure it is a solid group, though. He's has always been a strong recruiter and with recent success he has a nice excuse for getting players to Dubuque. 

Loras should have the best backcourt in the conference (save maybe BV).  Centella, Kolze, and Oeth will be tough to defend, definitely the most physical group around.  Still a little worried about the forwards, though. Without White and Slater we lack experience and talent. Hopefully Gorton has something in his bag of tricks if he wants to compete with BVs frontcourt or any other big men in the IIAC.

Heard some buzzings that UD landed some nice Clarke transfers...any truth to that?  I know they're down Porter and Daugherty now, but with a lot of other returing players could they be a team to watch in the IIAC?

Well, for what its worth..
UD's roster is listing at least 3 Clarke Transfers, who combined to average around 28 points a game last year..also, Coach Jon Davison who is a UD legend, left Clarke and is now the golf coach and directing some alumni activities as well, back at UD.
adding those three with SO Blum gives UD some firepower..losing Dre Porter hurts, but they look good on paper, I'd pick them top 3

[doolittledog]

Haven't heard much out of the Loras basketball team yet this year. Coach Gorton claims he's excited about his freshman class, but coaches always say that. I'm sure it is a solid group, though. He's has always been a strong recruiter and with recent success he has a nice excuse for getting players to Dubuque. 

Loras should have the best backcourt in the conference (save maybe BV).  Centella, Kolze, and Oeth will be tough to defend, definitely the most physical group around.  Still a little worried about the forwards, though. Without White and Slater we lack experience and talent. Hopefully Gorton has something in his bag of tricks if he wants to compete with BVs frontcourt or any other big men in the IIAC.

Heard some buzzings that UD landed some nice Clarke transfers...any truth to that?  I know they're down Porter and Daugherty now, but with a lot of other returing players could they be a team to watch in the IIAC?

Well, for what its worth..
UD's roster is listing at least 3 Clarke Transfers, who combined to average around 28 points a game last year..also, Coach Jon Davison who is a UD legend, left Clarke and is now the golf coach and directing some alumni activities as well, back at UD.
adding those three with SO Blum gives UD some firepower..losing Dre Porter hurts, but they look good on paper, I'd pick them top 3

Is UD using you to recruit IL kids???  I might have to hit a Spartan game AT UD this year.  The last two years we have gone to see UD play at Wartburg.  Would be nice to get over to Stoltz and see all they have done to the place. 

That UD roster shows a lot of IA, IL and WI kids...and of course the New Orleans connection is back again with Davison returning.  Would be nice to find another Dave Crawford for UD again!!!

[Alfredeneumann]

CR Gazette Article on COE

http://gazetteonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081022/SPORTS/710229921/1008/sports


Uptempo. Good, I hate watching "use the clock" offense by ANYONE.

[Alfredeneumann]

W-CF Courier article Wartburg Basketball - both men + women
http://wcfcourier.com/articles/2008/10/24/sports/local/10710820.txt

"In terms of athleticism, we'll be able to do some things we haven't been able to do in the past," Peth said.

[du-sz]

From the relm of complete hearsay, Loras played Kirkwood close in a scrimmage recently (something we didn't do last year). Sounds like they have some legitimate big men to at least start filling the void. Despite popular belief we do return some bigs (Brant and Abbuhl). I know they aren't White and Slater, but they've always put in good minutes for us. I'm excited to see this year's roster, god only knows when we'll finally see it.

[doolittledog]

From the relm of complete hearsay, Loras played Kirkwood close in a scrimmage recently (something we didn't do last year). Sounds like they have some legitimate big men to at least start filling the void. Despite popular belief we do return some bigs (Brant and Abbuhl). I know they aren't White and Slater, but they've always put in good minutes for us. I'm excited to see this year's roster, god only knows when we'll finally see it.

Hey du-sz...do you think you could head 6 blocks up Loras Blvd to UD and get some pics of the new basketball arena for me???  UD doesn't have any pics up on their site yet and I am not holding my breath that they will have any up soon.   

[CubbyBear]

I strongly believe UD was a better team without Drey Porter last year.  Didn't they rattle off five straight victories while he was hurt and I don't think he saw the floor the rest of the season (doghouse?).  Without Porter they played more as a team and certainly the addition of Blum helped them move Daugherty off the ball to use screens. 

I think it would be safe to say that the loss of Daugherty is a bigger loss than Porter.  However, it looks like UD is heading in the right direction by picking up three "experienced" transfers from Clarke who saw extensive minutes as a way to help them pick up where Tyler left off and contribute in each of those areas.

Secondly, how can you rank Cornell as a last place team? They are most certainly worthly of a Top 4 mentioning because they return both LaDew and Tierney at both guard spots, not to mention the majority of their rotation.  I do believe that we are all in for a surprise this year in the league as teams rotate personnel and introduce a new style of play (Sounds like Coe's playing uptempo now).  Should prove to be an interesting race for the conference crown!