MBB: Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[Nites]

As many CCIW teams have done in the past, Illinois Wesleyan used their tough conference slate as a springboard in March. More than anything else, the reason why the CCIW and WIAC have been so successful in tournaments past and present is because the leagues themselves are so difficult that their tourney reps are ready for anything come March.

The MIAC doesn't have this kind of depth, and it's a big reason why your league has not fared nearly as well in the tournament. I've seen MIAC champions before, and they tend to be as good, or pretty darn close, as the Final Four teams in terms of talent. But they don't have to run through as tough of a gauntlet in league play as do the teams in the power conferences, and that becomes a crucial difference in March.


You just can't overvalue the importance of playing in a rugged conference.

Excellent analysis.  Thanks, Greg.  I happen to agree with you, but what makes the game so great is that anything can happen and we can all dream about our team having the ball bounce its way for that 3 week stretch in March every year.  Directly counter to your CCIW and WIAC analysis is this year's Big Ten.  You gotta love this sport!   

See today's MSNBC article:  http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11886769/

From Big Ten to Big Bust in 4 days
With all 6 of its teams ousted, 'best' league now country's laughing stock

"The Big Ten, backed up by the RPI as a measure of overall quality and team strength, came into the Big Dance as the nation's best conference. . . . This year, with a better non-conference records than the Big East and ACC and with good teams from top-to-bottom — only two had losing records; only the ACC was better in that regard — the Big Ten could make the claim it was the best.

Well, it was a short reign."

"It was a physical, tough league that prepared its best teams for the NCAA Tournament.... So what happened this year?"

[SUMMIT!!!!!]

Damn......fun weekend over and now I have 5 more days of hell until the next weekend. What will I do.

work? class? party? sleep?
any 2 of the 4? 


Nites-- I've said repeatedly, year after year, the Big 11 is over-rated. Sure they occasionally have a team do well in the tourney, but for the most part, they do better in the NIT than in the Big Dance.  It's like the ACC-Big 11 showdown-- the ACC normally wins the majority of the games and the Big 11 mainstream media come up with "well, its early in the season. wait till the NCAA". Then the league lays an egg in the NCAA, and they come with "well, its a rough, physical league and that takes a toll on the teams, making them easier to be upset."  Newsflash-- ALL leagues are rough and physical (ok, the Pac 10 isnt all that physical). Why do teams from the SEC, ACC, Mo Val and Big East (and even the Pac 10 this year) survie the first weekend? Could it be that they are simply better?

[Nites]

MM,

I think the author of the article may have it right - the Big Ten doesn't have the same quality of athletes (at least this year).

[Willy Wonka]

MM - That's a pretty broad brush of a league who had two teams in the Final Four last year and one nearly won the title. Let's look at the recent past.

2004 - Zero
2003 - Zero
2002 - Indiana title game
2001 - Mich State in Final Four
2000 - Mich State won, Sconny in Final Four
1999 - MSU andOhio State in Final Four

The league has been down of late - if you couldn't tell that by the fact Puchtel and Boone were starting for the Goophs, something's wrong - but not every team is down. Parity has struck D1 basketball and the Big Ten was simply the hardest struck this year.

Basically, it's the same reason Ike was so dominating in the MIAC this year and why someone like Schafer can make the all conference team.

[columbianmaffia]

WW
Ohio state went to a pretend final four in 99 they no longer have a banner

[columbianmaffia]

hate it or love it the underdog is on top -14 karma wont stop me...i laugh at all those who spit me...i dont think your ready for this jelly...just remember homie dont front you had it for a minute but it seemed like a month....holdin it down for the SS...geah...you can hate me now but i wont stop now cuz i cant stop now you can hate me nooooooow

[miacwatchmen]

WW
Ohio state went to a pretend final four in 99 they no longer have a banner

haha yeah CM i have missed you of late. Thats a pretty good way to show your mug around here again.

MM- I will say that partying isn't in the cards over the next couple days...I have other things to do. I will however be working hard but on what I do not know. Next weekend will be sad because I will be forced to root for BC, Duke, UCLA, and UConn. My Heels chocked so I have nearly no more cares about the tourney.

[columbianmaffia]

miacwatchman
i could be like nelly and give mean mugs and shoulder shrugs

sorry for my absence i was in VEGAS holdin it down

now im back and im just gonna do my best to cause a ruckas

bring it on baby!!

[columbianmaffia]

i put a new picture up for people who are weak sauce...you know who you are

[miacwatchmen]

Where is oAs ?? I haven't heard from him in a while.

[Touchdown Tommy]

Watchmen,

Rumor has it he was arrested in St. Paul on St. Paddy's Day.  Something about a protest at the corner of Snelling and Grand.

[Gregory Sager]

Excellent analysis.  Thanks, Greg.  I happen to agree with you, but what makes the game so great is that anything can happen and we can all dream about our team having the ball bounce its way for that 3 week stretch in March every year.  Directly counter to your CCIW and WIAC analysis is this year's Big Ten.  You gotta love this sport!   

You don't even have to look outside of D3 for a counter-example. Virginia Wesleyan, which took home the Walnut and Bronze this weekend in Salem, is from a league (the ODAC) that has a much more humble pedigree than that of the CCIW or WIAC. And runner-up Wittenberg plays in an extremely top-heavy conference (the NCAC) that includes another national power in Wooster and three modestly competitive programs in Wabash, Ohio Wesleyan, and Earlham, but which also includes a handful of the biggest stinkers in D3 in terms of basketball prowess. Illinois Wesleyan and Amherst, the two schools from the power conferences, were the two teams that were playing in the third-place game on Saturday.

All of which goes to say that playing in a tough league gives a team a definite edge in March, but it's not necessarily a decisive edge in every game.

[miacwatchmen]

Watchmen,

Rumor has it he was arrested in St. Paul on St. Paddy's Day.  Something about a protest at the corner of Snelling and Grand.

Yeah TDT you would tell a young poster that!! Don't give me sh*t I screwed up    

No seriously he still owes me a shirt.

[columbianmaffia]

good article

http://apps.carleton.edu/athletics/?sport=252&module=content&id=195554

"In his three match-ups with Rosefelt, Forkrud averaged 17.3 points to Rosefelt's 14.7 points and the Carleton senior outrebounded the St. Thomas junior, 9.3-7.3, in the three match-ups."  i personally like that part of the article

[jess74]

Of course, IW, with its 2 First Team All-Americans and a third kid (Freeman) who was Second Team All-Region, may have been either the most overrated or most underachieving team in the country.

They made the Final Four and lost to the eventual national champions by two points. Nobody who makes the Final Four can be called "underachieving".

I  was at Salem and agree there were no "underachievers".  The total point spread for the 4 games was about 12.  Any one of those teams could  have won and been "great" champs.  They are in the~ top 1% of the teams and it takes skill and luck to get there.  For those who have never seen the tourney it`s fun,intense and a great honor to be there  and you would be hard pressed to find a D3 player who wouldn`t give a lot to make the trip to VA.