MBB: Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[wabbit]

DP - I saw the Knights play Simpson that's how I knew about the PG's. I also did some checking and you are right, Sutherland ran point last year. I noticed the Johnnies seemed to play there starters almost the whole game (K's vs J's). Will they wear down as the season goes on or is it not really a big deal?

[VOJ]

 

VOJ - you are surprisingly close to the truth.  As Colonel Kurtz once said in Apocalypse Now – “the horror, the horror.”  I’ve seen first hand the recruiting scandals and scars of DI basketball and as a result, retreated to the quieter, more bucolic atmosphere & lifestyle of Division III basketball here in the upper Midwest.   

By the way who do you think is a "slipperier" coach, if that’s a word - Tennessee’s Bruce Pearl or Kentucky’s Billy Gillespie?  I ‘m sorta leaning toward Billy.

Ditto on Moberg for MVP.  Mike Moberg would have to morph into a 2008-2009 version of Isaac Rosefelt to get any serious consideration for league MVP.  Hard to get props if you lose on your home court during a regular season game.

Drake, teasing me (and probably all of us) with tales of DI recruiting war stories is not fair at all, there is nothing I enjoy more than the behind the scenes stories of basketball recruiting at any level.  

If Billy is slippery he needs to do a better job of getting players, UK is still a minimum 2 years away from a big run in the dance and that's if Patterson stays for 4 years, which I doubt, I think he is just a nose to the grindstone guy...I actually like Bruce Pearl, he was slippery with what went down between Iowa and Illinois, but I think he paid his dues...I gotta tell you IMO the one guy who came to mind when you asked about slippery guys was Kelvin Sampson, course now that he will most likely never coach cbb again I have to tab someone else...Didn't Reuse of the Star Trib hang "Midnight Lute"  on Lute Olson?  I love Bob Huggins, but there has always been something, dating back to his Final Four club at Cincinnati...I might have to vote for Tim Floyd at USC...

just my .02

[gacbacker]

Gusties had their way with St. Mary's tonight, 81-62. They shoot 55% from the field in their second straight impressive performance on offense.

Paulson with 19 points on 9-11 from the field, Van Sickle also effective with 18 points on 7-11 from the field. DesLauriers adds 8 assists against only 2 turnovers.

[carletonsid]

Knights use 26-9 run in 2nd half to erase nine-point Cobber lead and escape the airplane hanger, 60-54. Knights were better from downtown (7-14) than from FT line (7-16), but hold Cobbers to 36 percent shooting, including 3-11 from 3-pt. range. Sutherland with 19 pts., 5 reb. and Johnson with 18 pts. and 6 reb. Hagemeyer only Corn in double figures with 11. Carleton did a nice job either making Cobbers fade away in post or hoist from three. Good win heading into Northfield showdown.

[TearDrop]

Gusties had their way with St. Mary's tonight, 81-62. They shoot 55% from the field in their second straight impressive performance on offense.

Paulson with 19 points on 9-11 from the field, Van Sickle also effective with 18 points on 7-11 from the field. DesLauriers adds 8 assists against only 2 turnovers.

My birds were clearly outmatched tonight. They had no answer for Paulson inside as he pretty much did what he wanted all night long. Wright ended up with 24 I think but  put most of those in after it was already decided. I think that he is starting to learn what a good shot is though as he was not as wild as normal.

I guess that the gusties have regained their ground in Southern MN for those recruiting wars with Bethany as they crush the southern most d3 school in the state 

[Gregory Sager]

I love Bob Huggins, but there has always been something, dating back to his Final Four club at Cincinnati

Such as, f'rinstance, the fact that only 28% of his players at Cincinnati ever graduated? Or that 21 of them had what the university euphemistically referred to as "significant encounters with law enforcement"?

[AO]

Gusties had their way with St. Mary's tonight, 81-62. They shoot 55% from the field in their second straight impressive performance on offense.

Paulson with 19 points on 9-11 from the field, Van Sickle also effective with 18 points on 7-11 from the field. DesLauriers adds 8 assists against only 2 turnovers.

My birds were clearly outmatched tonight. They had no answer for Paulson inside as he pretty much did what he wanted all night long. Wright ended up with 24 I think but  put most of those in after it was already decided. I think that he is starting to learn what a good shot is though as he was not as wild as normal.

I guess that the gusties have regained their ground in Southern MN for those recruiting wars with Bethany as they crush the southern most d3 school in the state 

thankfully there's still plenty of eighth tier chicagoland prospects for the cards.

[Gregory Sager]

If Will Wright is an "eighth-tier Chicagoland prospect," then high school ball here in the Windy City area is a lot better than I thought it was -- because there isn't a single program in D3 that couldn't find a use for Wright.

[Nites]

I love Bob Huggins, but there has always been something, dating back to his Final Four club at Cincinnati

Such as, f'rinstance, the fact that only 28% of his players at Cincinnati ever graduated? Or that 21 of them had what the university euphemistically referred to as "significant encounters with law enforcement"?

Yes, but were any of his players convicted of murder . . . of a teammate?  Hence, my nominee for the "slipperiest" coach - Dave Bliss.  Top this resume:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baylor_University_basketball_scandal


Now back to the MIACC.  Interesting stat from last night.   The Tommies shoot 64.5% from the field and finish the night with an astounding 37 assists on 39 baskets!  Did they really have that many assists or did they get a new stat keeper to beef up the assist total of the Wonka denigrated "assistless point guard", Tyler Nicolai (who by the way finished with 5 assists in 20 minutes of playing time)?  Lonnie Robinson led the UST pass happy attack by amassing 7 assists in 11 minutes.

[TearDrop]

If Will Wright is an "eighth-tier Chicagoland prospect," then high school ball here in the Windy City area is a lot better than I thought it was -- because there isn't a single program in D3 that couldn't find a use for Wright.

I would go as far to say that almost any D2 in the country could find a spot for him!

[sumander]

A couple of stories from area newspapers this morning:

First from the Fool-Em story on the Knight's win at CON last night.

Next from the Daily Planet a story on the young J's

[VOJ]

If Will Wright is an "eighth-tier Chicagoland prospect," then high school ball here in the Windy City area is a lot better than I thought it was -- because there isn't a single program in D3 that couldn't find a use for Wright.

Greg...take it for what its worth, the idle rumblings of an MIAC institution wanna be fan, Will Wright is possibly the most explosive scorer in the conference...as one coach in the MIAC said, I should call Loyola, Chicago State or UIC and tell them about the talent that got away...

[AO]

a lot of players get better in college.  I'm just guessing here, but I don't think many schools thought much about him in high school (hence the exaggerated eighth tier), so he slipped down to a perennial loser in St. Mary's.  I've already predicted that Macalester won't win a game this year, but if St. Mary's is going to struggle with them at home, it doesn't say much for the Cards with or without mr. wright.

[Drake Palmer]

I don't think I'm divulging a secret family recipe or the keys to finding the Loch Ness monster when I say the Tommies like to run.  I've had a chance now to watch Tommies in a portion of a couple of different games this season, and last night was the first time they looked like the team from last season when they played with the same passion, flair and tempo that made them a successful, talented team.  It seems the Dawgs came into the Shoe thinking they had the team speed to run with the Tommies & it backfired.  The Dawgs shot the ball reasonably well, 47.4%, but the quick, pressing, trapping, gambling Tommie D created easy looks for UST on the other end.  When they're in the flow, the Tommie offense looks like organized open gym, but in this case each player is trying to "out-pretty" their teammate and playing unselfish team basketball, creating the sweetest assist for the easiest layup or shot.

Nites, the Tommies had the rhythm last night.  I'm not sure about 37 assists, but there were certainly a bunch of them.   In addition, there was also the requisite one handed, left-handed tomahawk dunk by B.J. Viau, & a whirling 360 (360 always sounds better) but it was actually a reverse, two-handed flush by Joe Scott.  Had to check the old ticker & do a "whoa Nelly," after that one. 

In the battle of the PGs, in the interim I'm leaning Tuma, & bringing Nicolai off the bench.  Tuma is not as talented as Nicolai, but he's more aggressive and seemed to get the Tommies to play more forcefully and I think it started rubbing off on Nicolai.  Peter Leslie & Brady Ervin did make late game appearances, but Fritz Waldvogel & the other frosh, Greg Morse are not on the basketball roster.  And how could I forget, after fighting off some early season injuries (?), my man Sam Eicher got in the game with his old school self. One left-handed hook shot made, one left-handed hook shot blocked. 

The Dawgs are going to be alright.  They've got some nice players on their team & I think they just picked the wrong strategy in trying to beat UST.  It would have also helped if Augsburg could have enlisted the services of former Auggie post, Femi Solaja who looked to be filling in some assistant coaching role on the Augsburg bench.  Jon Cassens did nothing to change my mind about his abilities: 16 pts, 6-13 FGA, 2-2FTA, 2 rebs, 5 assists, 2 TOs in 37 minutes & was being heavily guarded (mugged) by a variety of Tommy defenders all night. 

The Dawgs have got the looks of a talented team who are still trying to fit some pieces together after player resignations and departures for various reasons from earlier this season.  Matt Quammen had an off night (0-4), no Carlius Hodges, etc.   From what I can tell its' going to be a dogfight for the last 2-3 playoff spots.

[Nites]

Nites, the Tommies had the rhythm last night.  I'm not sure about 37 assists, but there were certainly a bunch of them.   In addition, there was also the requisite one handed, left-handed tomahawk dunk by B.J. Viau, & a whirling 360, reverse, two-handed flush by Joe Scott.  Had to check the old ticker & do a "whoa Nelly", after that one. 

Drake,

Sounds like it was a fun game to watch.  Basketball is a thing of beauty when the ball is whipping around the court.  Not much running going on in Carleton/Concordia game last night. I watched part of the webcast.  CC has some nice young athletes, but they still lack the outside shooting to open up their inside game.

I switched over a little bit the the webcast of the Bethel/MAC game.  BET played very uninspired ball and MAC is well, not very good.  Hamblett is a nice looking player, but other than him it's pretty slim pickings on MAC's roster.