MBB: Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[Gregory Sager]

The same thought occurred to me -- although I think the announcers said that a couple of the cheeseheads on the Winona State roster had transferred in from D1 schools.

[columbianmaffia]

Drake

word on the street is that CAR has a 6'6-6'7 forest lake post player that will be joining the team next year...i dont know his name...thats all i got for now

[SUMMIT!!!!!]

Sumander--- you wer sooooooooo not close     maybe when this kid they kept buried deep on the JV this past season is starting, but not before then

Greg Sager--- its D-II, the level that isnt good enough of play D-I and isnt smart enough to be at D-III. WSU's entire roster-- cheerleaers and all-- could be from Mars and I wouldnt care one way or another.   

But for the state of MN, it was a historic win (first male NCAA title, although Ham, UST & GAC all came closer than the Rodents have), and for that reason and that reason only do I even acknowledge it.

[sumander]

Sumander--- you wer sooooooooo not close     maybe when this kid they kept buried deep on the JV this past season is starting, but not before then

MM, Careful, we wouldn't want news of Smith's secret weapon leaking out!!

[miacwatchmen]

WHat is this secret weapon you two speak of. I am pretty close to the basketball program and I know nothing of a secret weapon from the JV team last year. However, Cole Isetts played extremely well from the few JV games i did see and he could compete for Varsity time next year. Is he the secret weapon?? 

[SUMMIT!!!!!]

Knowledgeable sources tell me there are actually 2 solid sleepers on the JV (maybe they meant these kids sleep through class ). One is the son of a former player of Smith's and the other is a talented kid who dominated his conference his senior year (I can't remember if they are both frosh or if one is a soph or if both are sophs). They are supposed to be good, but I doubt they are a match for Rosefelt & Schnettler   

[miacwatchmen]

Knowledgeable sources tell me there are actually 2 solid sleepers on the JV (maybe they meant these kids sleep through class ). One is the son of a former player of Smith's and the other is a talented kid who dominated his conference his senior year (I can't remember if they are both frosh or if one is a soph or if both are sophs). They are supposed to be good, but I doubt they are a match for Rosefelt & Schnettler   

Slight age and height discrepency i believe with the SJU JV team and an All-American at UST. 

[sumander]

I actually saw the SJU JV play a couple of times. They have some talent waiting in the wings. If nothing else they have numbers! I do think there are a number of players who may see some court time next year from that group.

[miacwatchmen]

I actually saw the SJU JV play a couple of times. They have some talent waiting in the wings. If nothing else they have numbers! I do think there are a number of players who may see some court time next year from that group.

The numbers may be diminishing slightly before next year Sumander. A couple of kids are seeing the future and the fact that the future means more JV time for them. These players have already decided that a future in basketball at SJU may be best served in the Intermural League.

[Drake Palmer]

Wth Winona State's win, a school from MN has finally won n NCAA men's hoops title (Ham won a couple of NAIA titles long ago, and the Concordia and St Thomas women have won NCA ttles).

As little respect as I have for D-II, I tip my hat to WSU for breaknig that barrier...may a MIAC rep add the D-III crown next year!

Did it bother any of you guys that, among the players in the Winona State rotation, only Zellman and a couple of reserves are Minnesotans? As miacsuperfan pointed out, most of the guys who actually see the floor for the Warriors are from Wisconsin, in addition to tourney M.O.P. John Smith from the northwest suburbs of Chicago.

I'm not looking to stir anything up. I'm just curious. For some people, a title is a title, and never mind where the coach got the players. For others, especially those who follow local high schools, there's some pride involved in noting where the players hail from.

Even though I'm a college & high school hoops fan, I doubt I would have watched the DII championship game if it wouldn't have featured a MN team.  In addition to the NCAA DII nat'l championship & (2) DI regional finals on Saturday, it was also MN's Boys state tournament day, & 4 class championship games were played & televised.  My eyes were starting to glaze over by the time the last high school game finished at 10:30 PM or so.

It's my sense there would have been a greater sense of "state pride", & more people on the Winona State bandwagon if this would have been the D1 national championship instead of DII.  It also would have been nice to have seen more MN kids actively involved in Winona State's win, but so it goes. 

Aside from reading the limited game coverage that's provided by the newspapers,  I don't follow D2 basketball that closely other than trying to keep up with the MN high school hoops recruiting scene.

Greg, we've discussed this point before, but for me it's really an interesting phenomenon.  For whatever reason,  the Mississippi river schools in SE MN, WI, & IA seem to successfully recruit the Chicago area, Milw. & Madison areas.  Hard to explain the appeal of life along the Mississippi, but somehow it seems to work.  Some years better than others.

[Pat Coleman]

Even though I'm a college & high school hoops fan, I doubt I would have watched the DII championship game if it wouldn't have featured a MN team.  In addition to the NCAA DII nat'l championship & (2) DI regional finals on Saturday, it was also MN's Boys state tournament day, & 4 class championship games were played & televised.  My eyes were starting to glaze over by the time the last high school game finished at 10:30 PM or so.

It's my sense there would have been a greater sense of "state pride", & more people on the Winona State bandwagon if this would have been the D1 national championship instead of DII.  It also would have been nice to have seen more MN kids actively involved in Winona State's win, but so it goes. 

Aside from reading the limited game coverage that's provided by the newspapers,  I don't follow D2 basketball that closely other than trying to keep up with the MN high school hoops recruiting scene.

Seriously. And speaking of limited game coverage, I had to go to the St. Paul and Duluth papers to get decent coverage of the 3A title game, and that was only won by a school IN Minneapolis.

[Drake Palmer]

Oh yeah, that's right.  Bigg upps to your old high school & the Islanders big win!

[sumander]

Seriously. And speaking of limited game coverage, I had to go to the St. Paul and Duluth papers to get decent coverage of the 3A title game, and that was only won by a school IN Minneapolis.

Granted there was a lot of things going on in the Cities this weekend, but part of the issue of no coverage is no one cares any more about the State BB tourney.

I will open the can of worms and say the four class tournament has got to go. I understand about giving the small schools a chance. The coaches or High School league need to revise the format in order to create the excitement.

Going back to the days of the Sweet 16 format might help. I don't know the answer but I do know that unless your team is playing in it know one cares. That is not the way it used to be.

[TommieHoops4Life]

Sumander,

As you stated previously, Ryan Shimek is in fact Joey Shimek's cousin. I watched Northfield play Prior Lake in the regular season, and Northfield tried to take away their inside presence with a zone. Shimek and Cassens proceeded tear it up early in the first half, shoot the lights out and take them right out of it. Those two were unstoppable and each went for 20+ points that night in an 18-point victory. Cassens going to Augsburg I think is a huge find for that program. He is athletic, quick and can score both inside and from the perimeter. He very well could be a breakout player next year if everything plays out correctly.

[Gregory Sager]

Granted there was a lot of things going on in the Cities this weekend, but part of the issue of no coverage is no one cares any more about the State BB tourney.

I will open the can of worms and say the four class tournament has got to go. I understand about giving the small schools a chance. The coaches or High School league need to revise the format in order to create the excitement.

Going back to the days of the Sweet 16 format might help. I don't know the answer but I do know that unless your team is playing in it know one cares. That is not the way it used to be.

I shudder when I read stuff like this. Illinois is moving from a two-class system to a four-class system for basketball in a couple of years, and one of the biggest arguments people are raising against the change is that the dilution of the state championships will lessen interest. Right now the Illinois state high school tournament is a big deal, both among the small fry in Class A and the bigger schools in Class AA. It'd be a real shame if the four-class system ends up creating the sort of apathy in Illinois that apparently plagues Minnesota. It may never get that bad -- Illinois is a basketball-crazy state, and unlike in Minnesota the sport doesn't have to compete for attention and athletes with hockey on the prep level in the Land of Lincoln -- but I'd still hate to see it diminished.