MBB: Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[Gregory Sager]

Quite a comeback for the Tommies today. I thought that they were badly outplayed in the paint, but lights-out shooting from deep and taking the press up a notch in the second half saved the day for UST.

[Drake Palmer]

Quite a comeback for the Tommies today. I thought that they were badly outplayed in the paint, but lights-out shooting from deep and taking the press up a notch in the second half saved the day for UST.

Agreed.

Michael Mayer was an absolute beast for Williams. Left- hand, right- hand, baby hooks, huge on the boards, break the press, etc. Stud.  Nate Robertson & the rest of the Williams team weren't shabby either.

But the babyfaced piranhas turned up the heat in the 2nd half, forced some TOs, & were able to recover from the Ephs' torrid first half shooting with some timely shooting of their own.  Somewhere in Salem I'm guessing Mose is hooked up to an oxygen tank.  Phew. 

[Drake Palmer]

I caught the last 10 minutes of the UMHB St. Mary's quarterfinal game and thought the CRU were on their last legs,  but like UST, they also pulled out an improbable victory, 69-66.

It will be interesting to see which team will be fresher tomorrow night.  UMHB's Thomas Orr looks like the real deal  - 26 pts on 9-20 fga, 4-11 3fga, along with 8 rebs, & 3 assists.

[SUMMIT!!!!!]

Quite a comeback for the Tommies today. I thought that they were badly outplayed in the paint, but lights-out shooting from deep and taking the press up a notch in the second half saved the day for UST.

Agreed.

Michael Mayer was an absolute beast for Williams. Left- hand, right- hand, baby hooks, huge on the boards, break the press, etc. Stud.  Nate Robertson & the rest of the Williams team weren't shabby either.

But the babyfaced piranhas turned up the heat in the 2nd half, forced some TOs, & were able to recover from the Ephs' torrid first half shooting with some timely shooting of their own.  Somewhere in Salem I'm guessing Mose is hooked up to an oxygen tank.  Phew. 

No oxygen needed. I was so impressed with the poise the Tommies showed. I dont think they'e been down by 10 or more at any point this season, but they didnt let it rattle them. Tauer & Co made some subtle changes at the half, the defene turned things up a notch or 2 and they finally wore Willamas down. Too bad UST wasnt able to seal the win move convcincingly but I'll take a 3 pts win ANY TIME.

Salem really pulls out all the stops in making this an experience that willl never be forgotten. If the Johnnie faithful think it was memorable for football, try imagining it being 3-4 days instead of 1-2. Yes, it helps that UST has never lost in VA (or to a school from VA) but it is truly a well run event and the populace is genuinely appreciative of fans being here. Plus I got to see my old stomping grounds in Richmond and the drive up into the mountains was breathtaking.

In a few hours, I will wander over to the Civic Center and watch the All Star Game and then the UST-MHB battle. MHB looks tough , but not in the same ways thatWilams and Calvin were.

Will it be an all Upper Midwest championship game? Sorry NESACers, getting 3 teams in Q-finals is a nice achievement, but if that translates into 0 in title game, big whoop.

[TommieHoops4Life]

I agree with Maniac, the Tommies showed great poise in the second half after not playing much defense early on. To Williams credit, they came out on fire and made a bunch of shots.

UST's guard play and a few adjustments in the second half defensively were the difference. Michael Mayer played great inside, but I thought the play he fouled out on was a terrible call by the officials. Looked like he was standing still on a back pick, might have gotten his elbows up a bit but it looked like a questionable call at best. St. Thomas will take it though.

UST trailed by as much as 14 early and cut it to 9 by half. Perimeter shooting allowed them to come back. They are seeming to find ways to win games that only championship-caliber teams do, and that's exciting for St. Thomas fans. MHB should be interesting. I'm betting UST fans hope the result is a lot like the football playoff game. Tommies should have the advantage with their depth, like they have all season. It should be a good one.

[SUMMIT!!!!!]

Tough, tough loss for the Tommies Saturday. (I'd have posted sooner but was trapped at Richmond International due to what the locals called "blizzard" but I call 3-4" of wet snow). I tip my hat to Mary Hardin-Baylor-- they did not give up, they didn't buckle, they did not wilt. To be honest, when UST stretched the lead to 14, I was already planning on heading to Atlanta. But the Crusaders battled back, and snatched the tix to Atlanta.

Still, it was an INCREDIBLE season for UST and I hope the coaches and players look past the pain of defeat and realize just how awesome of a season it was.  So many stellar accomplishments, so many good and positive memories!

Special thanks to one of my all-time favorite senior classes and their equally amazing parents! Will DeBerg, Tommy Hannon, Noah Kaiser, Drew Matthews and John Nance-- congrats to each of you on an outstanding season and remarkable careers. You guys have played a pivotal role in the growth and long-term success of the UST program, and have laid a foundation for greatness that Coaches Tauer, Hughes, Johnson and Keating can (and better:) ) build on.

Underclassmen- relish the good memories of 2012-13, and learn from the agony of Saturday's defeat. Reload for 2013-14 and Return to Salem...and come back with the crown!

Finally, good luck to Jim Hayes as he takes over at his alma mater. He faces a daunting but not impossible task at Hamline, oen he is more than ready for! I will only cheer against you 2x in the regular season Jim 

[Drake Palmer]

Tough, tough loss for the Tommies Saturday. (I'd have posted sooner but was trapped at Richmond International due to what the locals called "blizzard" but I call 3-4" of wet snow). I tip my hat to Mary Hardin-Baylor-- they did not give up, they didn't buckle, they did not wilt. To be honest, when UST stretched the lead to 14, I was already planning on heading to Atlanta. But the Crusaders battled back, and snatched the tix to Atlanta.

Still, it was an INCREDIBLE season for UST and I hope the coaches and players look past the pain of defeat and realize just how awesome of a season it was.  So many stellar accomplishments, so many good and positive memories!

Special thanks to one of my all-time favorite senior classes and their equally amazing parents! Will DeBerg, Tommy Hannon, Noah Kaiser, Drew Matthews and John Nance-- congrats to each of you on an outstanding season and remarkable careers. You guys have played a pivotal role in the growth and long-term success of the UST program, and have laid a foundation for greatness that Coaches Tauer, Hughes, Johnson and Keating can (and better:) ) build on.

Underclassmen- relish the good memories of 2012-13, and learn from the agony of Saturday's defeat. Reload for 2013-14 and Return to Salem...and come back with the crown!

Finally, good luck to Jim Hayes as he takes over at his alma mater. He faces a daunting but not impossible task at Hamline, oen he is more than ready for! I will only cheer against you 2x in the regular season Jim 

Ditto what Mose said.

Personally, when the year began I never really thought the Tommies had the potential for this type of season.  UST had a great year, followed by an exceptional playoff run.  This is pretty heady air St. Thomas has been able to breathe the past 4-5 years.  Unfortunately, it seems the Tommies ran into the D3 equivalent of Florida Gulf Coast University in the semis Saturday afternoon.

My local cable provider had a temporary power outage Saturday afternoon & I missed the second half comeback by UMHB, which was probably just as well.   

Best of luck to the UST seniors. It was a delight to watch this team compete.

[AO]

Unfortunately, it seems the Tommies ran into the D3 equivalent of Florida Gulf Coast University in the semis Saturday afternoon.

Which makes sense as the Tommies had shown early weakness in their trouble with Gulf Coast's former coach Dave Balza and the Bethany Lutheran Vikings.

[SUMMIT!!!!!]

The UST SID had written a column earlier in the season drawing parallels between UST & Gonzaga this season. It was nicely done and not hokey. Then they both lost, same day, very much the same way and nearly the exact same score. So if Gophers hire Gonzaga coach (or kick off a chain reaction that has him hired to replace the guy the U hires)...will Tauer be a candidate at Gonzaga?    I'm surprised the USJ fateful (sic) havent been jumping on here, speculating JT to the U as they did about Caruso.

One final coaching question-- will Smith follow Gagliardi or will he stick around a little longer?  VOJ I AM LOOKING AT YOU

[Retired Old Rat]

Tauer to Timberwolves when Adleman resigns at the end of the season.

Smith coaches one more year and the retires.

[miacsuperfan]

Unfortunately, it seems the Tommies ran into the D3 equivalent of Florida Gulf Coast University in the semis Saturday afternoon.

Which makes sense as the Tommies had shown early weakness in their trouble with Gulf Coast's former coach Dave Balza and the Bethany Lutheran Vikings.

Nice find, AO.  Good stuff.  It appears Balza actually coached a number of the kids that are re-writing the NCAA record book for 15 seeds!

And speaking of over-achievers, kudos to the UST squad that far surpassed many of our expecations for how deep into the year they would be playing.  John Tauer is big-time and deserves a lot of credit for keeping UST at the top of the MIAC heap.

[ron doney]

Before the playoffs I talked to an alum of the program connected with junior members of the staff. His expectations for the team were tempered after talking with staff. Without a guy who could take over a game, there was no promise as to how far they could go. 

I know others here felt differently. 

Either way, a final four run speaks volumes of this clubs team first mentality.  Clearly they've bought into Tauer's system. Hopefully it's the start of a dominate Tauer era - teams known for playing a certain style, rather than ones dependent on big name recruits.

[Mr. Ypsi]

While I salute UST for the FF, they WERE ranked #1 in the final regular season poll.  UMHB was unranked in that poll, the first unranked team in the d3hoops.com poll's history to make the finals.

UST just ran into a buzz-saw.  Congrats on a great season that ended sooner than most of us expected once the season was well underway.

[ron doney]

Here is a link to save for your files.......the short answer to the question, should we go D1?

http://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2013/03/21/good-question-why-arent-more-minn-colleges-in-division-i/

[ron doney]

While I salute UST for the FF, they WERE ranked #1 in the final regular season poll.  UMHB was unranked in that poll, the first unranked team in the d3hoops.com poll's history to make the finals.

UST just ran into a buzz-saw.  Congrats on a great season that ended sooner than most of us expected once the season was well underway.

Their record (and track record over the last few years) propelled them into that spot.  Remember, they started at #11. 

It's probably fair to say to some degree that....
a) the MIAC wasn't as tough this year as it has been in the past
b) Until UST has two poor seasons in a row, they'll continue to get moved ahead of teams with similar records in the rankings - as they did week's 4 - 7 this year.