MBB: Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[John Gleich]

Has the MIAC come out with their preseason poll yet?  I tried looking for it but didn't see it, and I don't remember anybody posting it yet...

[Drake Palmer]

Has the MIAC come out with their preseason poll yet?  I tried looking for it but didn't see it, and I don't remember anybody posting it yet...

Based on previous years, it probably won't be out until the first week of December.

[Avon Barksdale]

Drake - The Bethel roster is posted.  The SID is just trying to be a little tricky.  If you go to the BU men's basketball page and click on their roster you have to change the year in the top right hand corner.  The drop down menu reveals 2009-10. 

A quick glance at the Royals roster and the biggest addition is obviously sophomore Taylor Hall, who transferred from Bemidji State.  Mr. Hall had a superb freshman year for BSU and I would expect big things from him this year.  He will be a tough match-up for the rest of the conference.

Other notable additions include former Andover High standout Scott Jesser, who I believe transferred to BU from Valley City, freshman forward Zak Mathson from Cambridge-Isanti who is a hard working, undersized power forward and last but certainly not least is 6-6 freshman Taylor Sparkman from Minnehaha Academy. I expect he will make an immediate impact as well.

...and to brighten your day my friend (Drake) I will make an early bold prediction (subject to change, of course) now that all of the rosters have been announced.  My first gut feeling of the final 6 who make the post-season in 2009-10 will be:

1. St. Thomas
2. Augsburg
3. St. John's
4. Bethel
5. Gustavus
6. Hamline

Fire away....

I've been close to the MIAC for the past few years and am now distanced so I'll be trying to keep up with the league through this board.  I've been checking for preseason predictions the last few days and hadn't found much.  Finally saw one today and thought I'd join in.

Based off what I know is returning last year, I would guess it looks this way:

1. UST
2. Augsburg
3. St. John's
4. Carleton
5. Gustavus
6. Hamline/Bethel
8. Concordia
9. St. Mary's
10. St. Olaf
11. Macalester


Anyone else?

[columbianmaffia]

Work popped up like a you-know-what in sweatpants. I'm not going to be able to make the UST/WSU game tonight anymore

were you wearing your sweatpants in a gentlemans club? 

[John Galt]

I"m thinkin.....

1. UST
2. Hamline (thats right...)
3. St. John
4. Augsburg
5. Bethel
6. Gustavus
7. Carleton
8. St. Marys
9. Concordia
10. St. Olaf
11. Macalester

[Gregory Sager]

dp, i echo your bu sentiments----regarding both the roster and the pre-season non conferenceschedule.  and because nobody from bu is posting, it makes it even more frustrating.  i doubt whether you could find a bethel player over the last 15 years that has been happy with their non-conference schedule.  there HA$ to be some rea$on they do thi$.  doe$ anyone know for $ure what it i$?   

Superfan, fixed it, before you caught the wrath of sensei Seger! 

I am pleased to see the members of my dojo exercise such diligence. Now I have to work on getting them to spell my name right.

[sumander]

Most humble apologies Master! It won't happen again!!

[Drake Palmer]

dp, i echo your bu sentiments----regarding both the roster and the pre-season non conferenceschedule.  and because nobody from bu is posting, it makes it even more frustrating.  i doubt whether you could find a bethel player over the last 15 years that has been happy with their non-conference schedule.  there HA$ to be some rea$on they do thi$.  doe$ anyone know for $ure what it i$?   

Superfan, fixed it, before you caught the wrath of sensei Seger! 

I am pleased to see the members of my dojo exercise such diligence. Now I have to work on getting them to spell my name right.

Most humble apologies Master! It won't happen again!!

If you don't get it right, next time old Sensei might whup a wheelhouse kick on your head! Too funny! 

The photo of the humble, abject servant was a nice touch.  Good job. 

[Willy Wonka]

Rough start for the Tommies and a certain poster's favorite breakout player. Tommies trailed 46-30 at halftime before making it a respectable 87-76 finish (against WSU scrubs?). The Warriors are definitely a solid team — though I wouldn't say great — so the defensive effort/execution has got to be a concern.

UST allowed 87 points and WSU shot 58.2%, both of which are waaaaaaaaaay worse than anything seen in recent memory.

http://www.winonastatewarriors.com/custompages/Basketball%20Men/MEN09EXH/HTML/03ustwsu.htm

[miacsuperfan]

dp, i echo your bu sentiments----regarding both the roster and the pre-season non conferenceschedule.  and because nobody from bu is posting, it makes it even more frustrating.  i doubt whether you could find a bethel player over the last 15 years that has been happy with their non-conference schedule.  there HA$ to be some rea$on they do thi$.  doe$ anyone know for $ure what it i$?   

Superfan, fixed it, before you caught the wrath of sensei Seger! 

DP, a little too much coffee yesterday afternoon? Seem just a little high strung.

hey sum, i DID sort of correct myself with my "non-conference" reference later in the paragraph, didn't i?  i think i should get partial credit for that with mr. sager.

and local, nice find on the bu roster.  how did you trip on that?  don't know much about many of their new guys, but i WAS surprised to see the name of eric hugoson on the list.  with vavra and a healthy hugoson, that would be a big plus for the royals as they look to replace some of tim madson's backcourt scoring. 

ww, a bit surprised at the ust score.  lonnie robinson's absence already being felt? 

[miacsuperfan]

whoa!  second double post in two days.  sorry.      just took a better look at the ust vs wsu box.  not seeing viau, robinson, mccoy and tuma on the page was weird!  and there is no way dave johnson goes for 30 with lonnie all over him like a cheap suit. 

and also, there is a westlund (bjorn) from irondale listed on the bottom of the bethel roster.   that is coach westy's son, is it not?  if so, is he a player?

[Drake Palmer]

Rough start for the Tommies and a certain poster's favorite breakout player. Tommies trailed 46-30 at halftime before making it a respectable 87-76 finish (against WSU scrubs?). The Warriors are definitely a solid team — though I wouldn't say great — so the defensive effort/execution has got to be a concern.

UST allowed 87 points and WSU shot 58.2%, both of which are waaaaaaaaaay worse than anything seen in recent memory.

http://www.winonastatewarriors.com/custompages/Basketball%20Men/MEN09EXH/HTML/03ustwsu.htm

Looks like a certain poster's favorite "breakout" player might have attended a Gustie post camp this summer & learned how to handle the ball in the paint. Those TO numbers look like a Paulson type of night.

In fairness to UST, this was their first game of the season, while on the other hand that was Winona's 3rd game.  Makes a difference.  Having said that, to allow 87 points, & for the opposing team to shoot 58% from the floor & 56.5% from behind the arc??  I'd bet Coach Fritz's face is still red with disgust.  I'd imagine practice over the next week will be intense.  In hindsight, a loss of this kind might be good for the Tommies down the road.

[John Gleich]

Rough start for the Tommies and a certain poster's favorite breakout player. Tommies trailed 46-30 at halftime before making it a respectable 87-76 finish (against WSU scrubs?). The Warriors are definitely a solid team — though I wouldn't say great — so the defensive effort/execution has got to be a concern.

UST allowed 87 points and WSU shot 58.2%, both of which are waaaaaaaaaay worse than anything seen in recent memory.

http://www.winonastatewarriors.com/custompages/Basketball%20Men/MEN09EXH/HTML/03ustwsu.htm

Comparative scores are about as reliable as tarot cards... but I wonder if this says anything about UST, WSU, and UW La Crosse (LaX beat the Warriors last week in an exhibition).  Are any stats from that exhibition posted?  In last week's WSU/UW La Crosse game, La Crosse shot 44 free throws and WSU shot over 20... were things similar in the UST/WSU game?  Also, is this the first time these two teams have met since the UST upset a couple of years ago?  If so, there might have been some extra motivation for WSU...

EDIT: Wow... the link to the stats was right there...  FT's were not astronomical, so I answered my own question.

[Willy Wonka]

Rough start for the Tommies and a certain poster's favorite breakout player. Tommies trailed 46-30 at halftime before making it a respectable 87-76 finish (against WSU scrubs?). The Warriors are definitely a solid team — though I wouldn't say great — so the defensive effort/execution has got to be a concern.

UST allowed 87 points and WSU shot 58.2%, both of which are waaaaaaaaaay worse than anything seen in recent memory.

http://www.winonastatewarriors.com/custompages/Basketball%20Men/MEN09EXH/HTML/03ustwsu.htm

Comparative scores are about as reliable as tarot cards... but I wonder if this says anything about UST, WSU, and UW La Crosse (LaX beat the Warriors last week in an exhibition).  Are any stats from that exhibition posted?  In last week's WSU/UW La Crosse game, La Crosse shot 44 free throws and WSU shot over 20... were things similar in the UST/WSU game?  Also, is this the first time these two teams have met since the UST upset a couple of years ago?  If so, there might have been some extra motivation for WSU...

EDIT: Wow... the link to the stats was right there...  FT's were not astronomical, so I answered my own question.

I like the transitive property as much as the next guy — Formal Logic, what! — but I wouldn't draw too many conclusions about the Tommies just yet. They are definitely a team in transition, but there are too many talented parts for them to be that bad all season, particularly on defense.

Fritz has the depth to basically say "No defense, no clock." We'll see who gets that message and who doesn't. As Drake said, I'm expecting the next few practices to be bloodbaths...wherever it is that UST is practicing these days.

[sumander]

J's open up with Point at home on Sunday at 4:00. Coach Smith is sitting on 699 wins! The remaining NON-conference schedule looks like this:

SCSU-there
MSUM@SCSU
UWEC@Osh Kosh
Osh Kosh @ Osh Kosh

When do you think win #700 comes? I would think they have a shot at MSUM. Dragons are very young again this year. They had 10 guys play double digit minutes against NDSU.

If not there, It sounds like UWEC is in turmoil this year. Although a road game in WIAC territory is a tough task.

What is the smart money thinking? VOJ thoughts(not to preclude you from the latter group)?