MBB: Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[bball1122]

I've heard from two different people that Macalester's Badou Ba suffered a serious knee injury and is likely out for the year.   Really tough blow for the Scots.

[hopefan]

I saw on tictoc (not here) that Caleb Williams from Macalister had 41 vs Minnesota in Exhibition game played Nov 2.... seems worthy of mention here, or even on front page... sorry if I missed it...

[MIACvet]

First conference games of the season last night. A lot of interesting games. I watched a few preseason and games last night. Here are some thoughts I have that might spur some conversation.

Top Players

- Spencer Swanson, Gustavus. Swanson has been balling out and is showing he is an indominable force both inside and out. His Dirk-like fadeaway is beautiful. Him and Wyatt Olson make a mean duo.

- Wyatt Olson, Gustavus. I saw him play a few times last season and his footwork in the post is sublime and quick. Add to that a good 3 point shot and Gustavus has a chance to do some great things. Killing St. Olaf in Northfield by almost 40 was a great start to conference.

- Luke Harris, Carleton. Harris continues to stymie defenses with his "I know it's coming, but I can't seem to stop it" drives to the rack. He might be taking too much of the load trying to replace Jeremy Beckler as the game against SJU last night showed how the good and not so good that can happen when he gets tunnel vision.

- Jacob Cook, Jackson Loge and Rowan Nelson, Concordia. Wow, what a front line! Add that with Matt Johnson and Concordia could be considered the favorite to win the conference after a few years of looking great on paper, but not closing. They looked great against Mac last night.

- Blake Berg, SJU. Something lit a fire under Berg in the offseason. He has been aggressive in his offense in Aberdeen and against Carleton. He can't be ignored now. With that in mind, what's going on with SJU moving away from Ryan Thissen in the offense? SJU has been more egalitarian to start the season compared to working to get Thissen mismatches in the post. Is this something that will happen over the course of the season or will SJU go back to Thissen after seeing what they have. Thissen only played 10 first half minutes against Carleton and didn't score in the first stanza.

- Austin Holt, Hamline. My coice for DPOY lat year (it wasn't even close, IMO) is continuing his success on both ends of the floor with Cimperman out (until last night). Hamline isn't getting the love they deserve and will contend for the championship.

Top Question Marks

- Macalester and Caleb Williams. With the injury to Badou Ba (I don't think he makes much of a difference against the better teams in the conference), MAC is a lot smaller. Also, despite the 41 Williams dropped against the U of M in their exhibition, he is a streaky volume shooter that can put MAC in the game or take them out just as easily. Will MAC develop a consistent 3rd scorer to be a factor?

- St. John's lack of big men. Over the last 5 years plus, SJU has had impactful big men. They don't this season. Luke Budzyn has a live body and must be accounted for on the glass, but this is a very guard heavy team. SJU might struggle to make the playoffs when all is said and done. We'll see.

- How low will St. Olaf go? Other than Kobe Kirk, there is no real impact player on the team. There's a freshman that might help, but they lack size after Kauls and have little quality shooting. I don't think any player outside of western Northfield feels badly for Connor Martin.

- Can Bethel put it together? Zach Doely is one of the top big men in the MIAC. Joey Kidder makes an impact on both ends. They have some sophs that made solid contributions last year that could make the leap. Look for Bethel to battle for a playoff spot.

- What will Carleton look like without Jeremy Beckler? Carleton has shown that they haven't figured out their identity without Beckler gluing it all together. Harris is putting the team on his back, but the movement and multi-player danger of last year isn't quite there yet. Their trip to CA this week will give them more answers. Don't discount the loss of Beck Page. He didn't quite make the national 3PG% boards, but he shot near 50% on the season on 2+ makes a game last year while playing solid defense and taking the ball to the rack. Matt Banovetz's play on offense will be key to their success.

Can Scholastica make another leap? Scholastica built on their home win total last year. Will they be able to take some games on the road and gain more respect? We'll see.

[GoldandBlueBU]

- Can Bethel put it together? Zach Doely is one of the top big men in the MIAC. Joey Kidder makes an impact on both ends. They have some sophs that made solid contributions last year that could make the leap. Look for Bethel to battle for a playoff spot.

Hoping this is the case!  Coach Filzen is a great guy, and I hope is a long term leader for the program.  It probably will help that they got Kidder in a few weeks earlier this season, given the first round playoff exit for the football team.

[MIACvet]

It's hard to believe that a quarter of the conference season is completed. Finals are progressing for most of the schools, with a short holiday break. Here are my thoughts for the key awards. I've seen most of the teams at least a little bit, but some discussion on various calls is deserved.

OPOY - Like many I've seen, I hate splitting the MVP award our into offense and defense. But, it is what it is. My selection so far for OPOY is Spencer Swanson of GAC. Swanson is a beast from both inside and outside. He can't be held inside with the little fade after he bullies his defender. He's shooting lights out from 3pt range. Having a real threat with him in Wyatt Olson gives Swanson a lot more freedom than previous years.

Other possibilities - Kobe Kirk STO, Luke Harris CAR, Bradley Cimperman HAM. However, I see these as distant possibilties at this time. Matt Johnson of CON might be in here as well, but there is so much balance on that team that I'm not certain Johnson can separate himself.

DPOY - I've said before that Austin Holt deserved this award last year. With Badou Ba injured for the season, this is a runaway.

ROY and COY - Undetermined

Other possibilities - Spencer Goetz CAR, Blake Berg SJU (who's still playing lights out offensively)

Conference winner I know SJU beat CON up there, but I'm not sold on SJU over the course of the season. CON has the best team overall, followed by GAC.

Playoff teams

1. Concordia (unless they have their usual swoon as the season goes on, this team should be hard to beat)
2. Gustavus (skilled at each position, with two of the best big men in the conference)
3. St. John's (I had them lower pre-season, but they are showing they are not to be ignored)
4. Carleton (If they find their identity, they have the talent to even get into the top 3)
5. Hamline (This is a team I had in the top 2 in the preseason, but something is going on chemistry-wise that's holding them back)
6. Bethel (I was not sold on MAC even before the Ba injury. Bethel has the skill to beat most teams on any night. Doely is a beast.)

Other teams in order

Macalester
St. Olaf
A battle to the bottom for Augsburg, St. Mary's and St. Scholastica. I think Scholastica could top the other two this season.

[ChickenHoops]

Marquette struggling with St Thomas in Milwaukee. 4 point game mid second half.  The scholars from MU must be tired from all the term papers they've been writing.

[SagatagSam]

Back in the saddle!
Just in time for the MIAC Tournament.

[faunch]

Back in the saddle!
Just in time for the MIAC Tournament.

Do the Johnnies need to win the MIAC tournament to get a bid to the NCAA tournament?
My answer would be yes. SJU is ranked #6 in the region 9 rankings. In the
Top 25 Johnnies are receiving votes. The rest of the league isn't receiving much love.
It would be nice to make the NCAA's but I don't think the Jays have enough muscle to make much of run.
In their two conference losses they got pushed around a bit.
Thoughts?

[AO]

Back in the saddle!
Just in time for the MIAC Tournament.

Do the Johnnies need to win the MIAC tournament to get a bid to the NCAA tournament?
My answer would be yes. SJU is ranked #6 in the region 9 rankings. In the
Top 25 Johnnies are receiving votes. The rest of the league isn't receiving much love.
It would be nice to make the NCAA's but I don't think the Jays have enough muscle to make much of run.
In their two conference losses they got pushed around a bit.
Thoughts?

D3Bubble has the Johnnies as a fringe contender, 14% for a pool C. https://fantastic50.net/d3h_men.html Whoever you play in the semis isn't likely to help this status much, so Pool A is the way to go this year. I don't think there's a killer team in the midwest the Johnnies can't beat. Would be tough to win at Platteville, but round 1 was pretty close.

[faunch]

I wouldn't be surprised if SJU gets beat in the MIAC playoffs. They will have trouble if officials allow their opponent(s) to be physical.

[bball1122]

Semifinal Thursday awaits.  Two great matchups to decide the finalists for this season.  Also - it is great to have this board back!

Top-seeded St. John's hosts four seed Hamline. The Johnnies had a fairly dominant run through the MIAC season, dropping only two games and having a 16.6 scoring margin in conference games, leading the conference in both scoring offense and scoring defense. They are balanced (no one scoring more than 13.5 points per game, 8 players scoring more than 6 ppg) and deep (11 players averaging over 11 minutes per game). They are lead by a talented trio of Ryan Thissen, Kooper Vaughn, and Blake Berg. Thissen is the rugged wing who is a master scoring from fifteen feet and in, Vaughn the feared shooter who knocked down 11 threes in a single game in early February, and Berg the versatile wing that is an excellent defender and a much improved offensive player (shooting 64 percent from the field!)  In short, they are talented and will be a tough out.

Hamline has enjoyed their most successful MIAC season since 2010-11, winning 13 conference games for only the fourth time since the MIAC switched to a 20 game schedule in 1983-84.  They are also extremely balanced, with ten players averaging 10 minutes per game and six players averaging over 6 ppg. The Pipers finished third in scoring defense and first in turnover margin.  Their starting lineup features four transfers, including three that spent a semester at St. John's (Bradley Cimperman, Mick Wherley, and Daniel McCarrell).  The non-SJU transfer is Austin Holt, a 6'6", do-it-all transfer from D2 Northern State.  Holt finished the conference season 11th in scoring, 2nd in rebounding, 3rd in assists, and 8th in steals.  He can guard bigs and littles effectively, one of the best defenders in the league. Cimperman's scoring is down a bit from his electric sophomore season, but he can fill it up with the best of them in the league.  The matchup between him and Blake Berg will be one to watch.

These teams split the season series, with each team defending their home court.  The game in Collegeville was a rout, with the Johnnies holding a 24 point halftime lead and never being challenged in the second half, winning by 20.  The game in St. Paul was a thriller, with the Pipers pulling out a one point victory on some late Cimperman free throws. For the Pipers to pull the upset, Holt has to be a force, they need a second scorer to step up (Cimperman is the most likely candidate, but McCarrell has been playing very well down the stretch, and keep an eye out for freshman Raoul Vaidya- his role has increased the past few weeks), and they need to survive/limit the Johnnie runs.  The Johnnies can score points in bunches - Hamline weathered runs to start both halves in their win at home. Can they do it again on the road?

In the other matchup, two-seeded defending champion Carleton hosts three seed Gustavus.  Carleton lost All-American Jeremy Beckler, but continued to excel, finishing second in the conference in scoring, first in assists and steals, and third in rebounding. They are led by junior guard Luke Harris and senior forward Matt Banovetz.  Harris is a unique player, a 6'1" guard that is most effective attacking the basket (only 14 made threes on the season), shooting a league high-by-a-mile 163 free throws this season (56 more than the next highest total!).  He led the league in steals and finished fifth in assists. Banovetz is an inside/outside threat, finishing seventh in the league in scoring, fifth in rebounding, and fifth in 3FG made per game. He's improved each season, and is certain to be voted all-conference this season.

Gustavus is in their first conference semifinal since 2014-15. They have a balanced attack, finishing third in the league in scoring, fourth in scoring defense, and second in rebounding.  A veteran team, their starting five are all juniors or seniors.  They are led by Spencer Swanson, a 6'5", Dirk Nowitzki-esque player that score inside and out.  Swanson finished fifth in the league in scoring and third in rebounding.  He had a number of players step up as second options throughout the season, with Wyatt Olson, Brady Kienitz, and Evan Wieker all taking turns being Robin to Swanson's Batman.  Kienitz had an elite shooting season,  making the second most threes in the conference while shooting nearly 49 percent. Adam Biewen is an outstanding defender.  They are a tough starting five that has a ton of experience. 

The teams split the regular season matchups, with each defending their home court.  For Carleton, they need a third option to step up behind Harris and Banovetz.  Freshman Sam Koelling or junior Spencer Goetz could be that player.  They also need to stay out of foul trouble - they had four players with 4 or more fouls in their loss at Gustavus.  For the Gusties, they need Swanson to take care of the ball, Kienitz to knock down some outside shots, and they need to find a way to slow Harris' penetration. 

All things considered, both home teams are favored, but I would not be surprised if any of the four remaining teams won tomorrow.  It should be another fun night of MIAC hoops!

[bball1122]

Two terrific games thus far.  Gusties survived an early Carleton punch and countered, now up four at the half.  Carleton not shooting it well from deep and have a host of players with two fouls. Gustavus' starting five has been outstanding, scoring all but 2 of their points.

Tie game in Collegeville. Blake Berg has been a force for the Johnnies, slashing into the lane and finishing or getting fouled for 17 points.  For Hamline, their two stars are carrying them - Austin Holt has 14 and Bradley Cimperman 13. Pipers have been red hot from 3.  Should be a terrific second half!

[Pat Coleman]

They ended up even more terrific.

[SagatagSam]

Well, that loss should just about put a nail in the coffin on the Johnnies national tournament hopes.

Certainly the most exciting finish of the year. Too bad my Johnnies couldn't come out on top.

[bball1122]

The MIAC season is finished, with the playoffs being as exciting as I can recall.  Hamline pulling the upset over #1 seed St. John's on a last second shot by Buzzer Beater Brad Cimperman, Gustavus outlasting Carleton in double OT, and then surviving a furious second half comeback by Hamline, winning by one after Cimperman's attempt at a buzzer beater redux fell awry.  As was the case last year, I believe this year the MIAC is issuing the following awards:  16 player all-conference team, Offensive, Defensive, Rookie, and Coach of the Year.  These awards categories are terrible, and I would love for the MIAC to admit it and return to their old awards.  Alas...to recap from last year:

Offensive Player of the Year:  Raheem Anthony, Saint Mary's
Defensive Player of the Year:  Badou Ba, Macalester
Rookie of the Year:  Kobe Kirk, Saint Olaf
Coach of the Year: Ryan Kershaw, Carleton

My picks for this year:

First Team All-Conference (8 players)

I refuse to not pick a first team all-conference team.

Luke Harris, Jr., CAR:  18.9 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 3.2 APG, 37 steals, 128 FTM.  Took over as the leading man and kept Carleton a contender.

Spencer Swanson, Jr., GAC: 18.0 PPG, 9.2 RPG, 2.4 APG, 46% 3FG, 24 steals.  Best player on the NCAA tourney representative, tough matchup with his versatility.

Austin Holt, Jr.,  HAM: 15.4 PPG, 9.4 RPG, 3.7 APG, 27 steals, 56% FGM.  Does it all for the Pipers, including being a dominant defensive force.

Kobe Kirk, So., STO:  19.4 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 1.4 APG, 26 steals, 91 FTM.  Pure scorer, 44 against Carleton being a highlight.

Blake Berg, Sr., SJU: 12.1 PPG, 2.8 RPG, 1.9 APG, 64% FGM, 14 steals, 12 blocks.  Some will have Thissen here, but Berg was more dynamic this season.  Outstanding defender.

Zach Doely, Sr., BET: 16.6 PPG, 10.2 RPG, 3.0 APG,  65% FGM, 17 steals, 23 blocks. Has been a force in the paint for three straight years.

Matt Johnson, Sr., CORD:  15.2 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 2.8 APG, 38% 3FG, 88% FT, 17 steals.  Outstanding shooter who gave defenses fits all season.

Caleb Williams, Sr., MAC: 18.4 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 2.7 APG, 19 steals.  Did not quite match his previous season, but the 51 point outburst at Concordia showed how dangerous he can be.

Other All-Conference Players

Ryan Thissen, Sr.,  SJU
Payton Thomsen, So., BET
Bradley Cimperman, Jr., HAM
Matt Banovetz, Sr., CAR
Wyatt Olson, Sr., GAC
Brady Kienitz, Jr., GAC
Rowan Nelson, Jr., CORD
Connor Martin, Sr., STO
Coby Gold, Sr.,  MAC


Honorable Mention All-Conference

Kooper Vaughn, Jr., SJU
Evan Wieker, Sr., GAC
Cameron Mallory, Jr., SMU
Breyton Buysman, Jr., SMU
Joey Kidder, Sr., BET
Spencer Goetz, Jr., CAR


Offensive Player of the Year

Luke Harris, Jr., CAR
Such a unique player, a small guard that really does not shoot threes (only 14 makes on the season).  His ability to get in the paint, finish, or draw contact gives him this award.


Defensive Player of the Year

Austin Holt, Jr., HAM
Holt deserved this award last year, so I will give it to him this year.  He can slow posts or point guards, with incredibly nimble footwork and elite hand strength allowing him to move on the perimeter and snatch rebounds at a high clip.


Rookie of the Year

Sam Koelling, Fr., CAR: 10.4 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 1.1 APG, 16 blocks, 49% 3FG

Other Notable Freshmen

Trent Gomez, AUG: 8.9 PPG, 2.8 RPG, 1.1 APG, 26 steals
Elias Batala, AUG: 7.0 PPG, 1.6 RPG, 20 steals
Emmanuel Schmitter, BET: 6.6 PPG, 3.1 RPG, 15 steals
Raoul Vaidya, HAM: 6.6 PPG, 1.4 RPG, 1.1 APG, 55% 3FG
Kaiden Holbrook, MAC: 8.3 PPG, 2.0 RPG, 1.6 APG, 33 3FGM
Tanner Thomson, SCH: 8.4 PPG, 1.5 RPG, 1.1 APG, 19 steals

Coach of the Year

Justin DeGrood, GAC

DeGrood wins the award over Jim Hayes, HAM by virtue of their two wins over the Pipers in the last week, with the last one clinching the conference championship.  Both have risen the level of their programs in the last couple of years.

Player of the Year

Spencer Swanson, GAC

I will candidly say that I have no idea who would win this not-an-award award, and there is not really one candidate that stood out. However, I really wish it were still an award (have I mentioned how much I hate the new award structure?) so we could find out who the conference coaches thought was the best of the best this year.  Any of Swanson, Harris, Holt, or Kirk has an argument.  Swanson was clearly the best player on the conference champion, Harris the most dynamic offensive player, Holt finished in the top 15 in points, rebounds, assists, and steals and was my defensive player of the year, and Kirk led the league in scoring.  All in all, I would not have a problem with any of Swanson, Holt, or Harris winning it.  Kirk was great, but his team did not make the playoffs.  While St. John's dominated the regular season, they did not have one clear standout.  Thissen was solid, but his numbers were down across the board this year.  Berg was, in my opinion, their best player this year, and Kooper Vaughn led the team in scoring.  None of them were league player of the year.  I will give it to Swanson, who after an 3 game losing streak in January led the Gusties to a 10-2 record to close the season, winning the conference tournament.

All in all, a really fun MIAC season.  Would love to hear others' thoughts on these awards -  good luck to the Gusties in the NCAA tournament!