MBB: Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[Drake Palmer]

Sheesh Local - at least I try to serve up something substantive i.e. the Great Keating-Espo debate (which no one has nibbled on yet), blue streak laden excerpts from interviews with foulmouthed coaches, background info on Femi Solaja & the like.

You, on the other hand tease us with -

"I  think there's a summer league with UST,  Augsburg, Mac... " 

"I think there might be a D2 player transferring to Augsburg."

You need to spend a day out in the field with one of our esteeemed journalists - Wonka, PI, TH4life & get re-acquainted with  the 5 Ws' & How.  For example:

WHERE's the  league, WHO's playing, WHAT nights, WHAT times etc.  Get the idea?   

BTW - I'll bite, so who is this shadowy, NSIC D2 transfer you mentioned last week that "might" be transferring to the Dawgs?

If you can't divulge,  let's do the old guessing game.  If I correctly identify the player's initials you have to confirm - deal?  I took a quick look at the various NSIC schools' rosters & there's one, if not two players I could see transferring from one school.  Is the 2G guard's intials  - TW?

[funbballer]

Heard there's another summer league with some MIAC teams:

     Where:  Bloomington Jefferson
     Who's Playing:  SJU, CAR, BU, SMU, GAC, CON &  two other teams  (don't know who, tho)
     What nights:  Sunday nights
     What times:  games at 6:30 & 7:45

Hope this helps....

[SUMMIT!!!!!]

 FB- the other 2 teams are NCC and something called MAS, which I think is an 'all-star' team of players prmarily form Bloomington who graduated HS 1999 & 2000. The league plays tonight and July 9, 16, 23 & 30.

The MCTC league LOCO mumbled vaguely about has been around for ages. They play 3 games a night, starting at 6pm. Dates left are June 26 &29, July 7, 8, 11 & 13. Teams involved are Augs, Mac, UST, NWern, UMD, UWRF, RCTC and Towle (not sure what that is).

I spoke with someone who was at the Star of the North games this weekend (no Drake, it was NOT LOCO), and he heard a VERY interesting rumor regarding a certain all-conference player who currently has mono. If I can substantiate it, I'll pass it on. If its' true, it could greatly alter preseason handicapping of the league

[Willy Wonka]

MM - Did your source also happen to reveal who won said tournament? I'll give you a hint - he's a frequent Tommie basher who got to (watch as his teammates) pound(ed) on his rival two different times on his way to the title A mohawked Midrizzle canned a jumper to win, offsetting Repasky's layup with 10 seconds to play in the title game.

That said, I believe the only teams there with current MIAC players were SJU, GAC and UST, so that narrows down the field considerably. Schnettler also played, so he's out of the mix I assume. Any other hints to pinpoint the sickness, MM? Not that it really matters; mono is often gone in a month or two and the season is months away.

[Drake Palmer]

Local – you still around the board?  If so you're slipping.  Here's something I uncovered while visiting the WIAC board next door.  The Wisconsinites are holding their annual HS All-Star games this weekend.  However, instead of honoring only 40 student athletes in their all-star games as we do in Minnesota, they apparently have fully embraced the federal mandate of "No Child left Behind."  If USTbumkneez is around he could possible help explain the Badger reasoning behind honoring 80 high school basketball All-Stars.  In football I understand the large #s, but 80 all stars in one state for basketball?!?  I could see it if this was New York, Illinois, Pennsylvania, or Texas we were talking about, but Wisconsin?  Who knows, Wisconsin has won more than a handful of D3 national basketball championships, mebbe they're just better in basketball than us Minnesotans. 

Anyway, while perusing the list I came across the names of a couple more players who are planning on attending a MIAC school in the fall. The article I read did not include their heights or position, so we can only guess by their All-star # what position they might potentially play at the college level.

So without further ado – Much More Ado About Nothing?

Player              All-Star #/Position?    HS/Town             College

Luke Johansen    32/Wing?                      Hayward               Hamline
Ky Battern          42/Forward?                 Osceola                Gustavus
Arron Goepfert    20/Guard?                    Grantsburg            Augsburg


WBCA All-Star Link

[Willy Wonka]

I mentioned Battern before, just not by name. He's a 6-7ish post who, according to a non-GAC affiliated friend who has seen him play nearly a dozen times over the last two years, needs a year or two of seasoning before stepping in to help the Gusties.

[Drake Palmer]

I mentioned Battern before, just not by name. He's a 6-7ish post who, according to a non-GAC affiliated friend who has seen him play nearly a dozen times over the last two years, needs a year or two of seasoning before stepping in to help the Gusties.

And you didn't mention his name because of ?!? Hmmphh, I see... 

I think a case of Localitis has temporarily afflicted the board, I might as well join in.

In an unsubstantiated discussion, I've heard that 6-6, 6-7 post David Baker of Orono will be taking his game to UST.  Baker is a decent athletic player, who was at one point going to be the "next great thing" until bad knees hampered his development.  Plus, in his senior year he was playing in the shadow of Jon Leuer, a junior 6-10 post player who apparently is steadily creeping up in the recruiting radar of the Gophers.

[localcoach]

Drake - I've been out of town again recently, hence the absence from the board.  Plus I don't really have any credible news to offer everyone.

I think that someone mentioned David Baker to UST a few months back but I can't remember.  I saw Orono play this year once around the holidays and if Baker is who I think he is, he was a nice sized post, who while not overly athletic, seemed to finish plays around the basket.

As for Luke Johansen, I know nothing about him.  Oh, and you were wondering about the initials for the Divison II guard who supposedly is transferring to Augsburg.  That would be "DO."  Let's see if you can figure it out. 

[Drake Palmer]

Oh, and you were wondering about the initials for the Divison II guard who supposedly is transferring to Augsburg. That would be "DO." Let's see if you can figure it out.

So are you changing the school criteria on me now?  Instead of saying Northern Sun (NSIC) possible transfer, you've expanded on your earlier statement to say "D2" transfer"?!?

You should know my posting persona well enough by now to know that I would follow up on your lead.   Well, I looked at all 10 NSIC member schools' websites & did not find a single player with the initials D.O.  In fact, out of 100+ players I think I only saw two last names that even began with the letter "O".  So unless, I've totally gapped it out & missed it, I didn't see the player's name you were referring to. 

Unless of course he sat out last year/redshirted & wasn't on the active roster, or was injured.  But usually, if a player redshirts, they'll list his name on the roster anyway & note "redshirt".  So time for sum more 'splaining Local. 

[KnightsArmor]

WW, et al,

Here's an ancient MIAC history question. Sometime in the 1990's ( I think) there was an MIAC player who started at CAR, transferred to GAC, and then transferred to SJU.   Does anyone recollect who that was?

Thanks   

[sumander]

From the unconfirmed rumors department.....A little birdy told me that Keith Eckhoff has accepted a teaching position in the Detroit Lakes school system.

Guess that means no medical redshirt.

I will attempt to confirm the rumor ASAP.

[Drake Palmer]

Off topic, yet basketball related .....here's an excerpt from ESPN's Bill Simmons who wrote a column on the NBA draft which took place last night.  If anyone else watched the draft  I think they'd agree, his column captured the whole craziness when the Knicks announced their 1st round choice.  It was hilarious!
_____________________________________________________________

And that brings us to our featured attraction of the evening ...

"THE KNICKS ARE ON THE CLOCK!"

ESPN wisely works the MSG crowd into a hostile frenzy by showing the obligatory "KNICKS UNDER ISIAH THOMAS" graphic. Has there ever been rioting at an NBA draft before?

9:34 -- Stephen A. on the No. 20 pick: "I'M A BORN AND RAISED NEW YORKER, OK? YOU HAVE GOT TO GET A DOG ON THIS ROSTER, I DON'T CARE WHERE YOU FIND HIM. I DON'T CARE, YOU GOT TO GET SOMEONE WHO WILL BE IN PEOPLE'S FACE, SOMEONE WHO'S HARDCORE. YOU LOOK AT ISIAH THOMAS AND HIS DRAFT HISTORY ... YOU KNOW THAT HE KNOWS TALENT ... THIS PICK HAS GOT TO WORK. IT'S GOT TO WORK!"

(Translation: The Knicks need to pick someone good.)

9:36 -- There are those moments in sports when you expect something great, and then it actually happens. And then there are those rare moments in sports when you expect something great, and something even greater happens. This was one of those moments: The Knicks on the clock, the crowd pushing for Marcus Williams, and then ...

--Stern: "With the 20th pick, the New York Knicks select ... Renaldo Balkman."

(Crowd explodes in horror.)

--Stern (over the boos): "Renaldo is not here."

--Patrick (without missing a beat): "And it's probably a good thing."

(Shot of a beaten-down Spike Lee laughing hysterically.)

9:36 -- That was fantastic. Everyone kept e-mailing me to write about Isiah and the Knicks last week ... what else was there to say? OF COURSE Isiah was meant to coach this team as his final job in the NBA before retiring to a life of greeting people at casinos and doing informercials. If somebody clogs your toilet, you ask him to clean up the mess. That's just the way life works. I'm telling you, we're going to remember the Isiah/Knicks Era the same way we remember things like Enron, the Hindenberg and the Bay of Pigs. It's reached that level. I don't know what else to say. Honestly. I have Knicks fans e-mailing me every day asking me if it's OK to root against their own team. What else can you say at this point?

(Wait, I know ... Renaldo Balkman!)

9:37 -- A stammering Bilas sets off three minutes of Isiah-bashing by saying, "This to me is a stunner, I'm stunned. This is a second-round player. Nobody else would have taken him in the first round," followed by Greg Anthony using the word "befuddling" and Stephen A. (maybe for the first time ever) admitting, "I'm almost speechless."

I mean, when Stephen A. is almost speechless ...

__________________________________________________________________

Great humor!  Screaming Stephen A. & Bill Simmons, my new heroes!

[Willy Wonka]

Drake - Take it back. Stephen A could be the worst thing to happen to the sports world in decades, if not centuries.

KA - The name Eric Firch comes to mind as such a transfer for some reason. I believe he went to CAR and BET though, so I'm not sure if he's the guy you're looking for...

[Drake Palmer]

Drake - Take it back. Stephen A could be the worst thing to happen to the sports world in decades, if not centuries.

Willy - why you gotta be so harsh, such a hata?!?  Screamin is the 21st C. version of Howard Cosell.  The world always hates those creative geniuses they don't understand   -- Don King, Howard Cosell, Ozzie Guillen, Stephen A.  (smirk)  8)

"You have got to get a dog!"  And the look on his face was absolutely, dead serious.

Then when David Stern announced "Renaldo Balkman" & the overall reaction from the audience to the sports panelists - I was rolling on the floor, crying with laughter!  If you have any friends who might have taped it, you've got to watch it.  It's been two days since the draft & I'm still chuckling about it!  I would definitely nominate it for one of the top 10 funniest moments in sports in 2006.



In fact, I think I'm gonna have to change my newest signature line to the "dawg quote". 

[sumander]

For what it's worth.....Eckhoff rumor confirmed. he will teach 3rd grade and coach B team BB.