MBB: Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[SUMMIT!!!!!]

Congrats to Carleton on an amazing run (so far). They are the lowest seed to win the MIAC Playoffs since 1989, when #4 GAC won. The only other  #4 to win was SJU in 1985, the tourney's first year. Tonight was also the first time  the championship game has gone overtime and was only the fifth OT game in Playoff history...Carleton has been involved in 3 of those OT games losing the other 2 to St Thomas.

Meanwhile the AUG-GAC hockey game, which started 30 mins befor eth hoops game, is in its gazillionth overtime (I think 4th) and is 5-5. The Auggie goalie hasa 98 saves so far. 98!

[columbianmaffia]

when do they announce schedules for the tourney and what day is the first game?

[Pat Coleman]

You would think something important like that would be on the front page of D3hoops.com.

[carletonsid]

Video recap of last night's game from Carleton website.

[columbianmaffia]

You would think something important like that would be on the front page of D3hoops.com.

i lost my mind in all the excitement...but the real question is...did i ever have a mind?

[Buddo]

Congrats to Carleton! What a turnaround season.

[miacsuperfan]

Who will be the first GAC poster to mention Jeff Coombe and the Gusties
1-3 from the free-throw line for the entire forty-five minutes?    Stay tuned and find out.   

[Willy Wonka]

I've been leading the anti-Coombe jeers for years...but he was no better or worse than Setter or the other guy last night. When you shoot as many jumpers as this Gustie team does, it's tough to expect much at the line. With all that said, 7 postseason free throws in 85 minutes seems a little odd.

Random stat - Coombe has been an official in GAC's season ender in 5 of the last 6 years. He's the blackjack dealer the Gusties literally NEVER want to see in late Feb or early March.

*************

How sure are people that Ray Ray is the most talented player in the league? I'd put Sutherland solidly in the discussion. Dude is a stud.

[Drake Palmer]

First of all, last night's match up between Carleton & Gustavus was a very entertaining & mostly well played game.  Those were two well disciplined & fairly evenly talented teams going at for 45 minutes. I didn't have the advantage of watching the game in person but two keys stood out to me.

1) In overtime, Carleton's difference maker – Jeremy Sutherland, took over.  He scored 7 of Carleton's 15 OT points.

Individually or collectively, the Gusties didn't have an answer. Phil Wirtjes, whose praises I've sung before, was the closest to being a difference maker for the Gusties last night.  22 pts, 6 rebs, 2 Assists.

2) The Carleton bigs basically outplayed their counterparts from Gustavus.  Seth Jonker & Bryan Rosett combined to score 37 points, 15 rebs & 6 assists. Jonker was doing his inside-outside thing, & the streaky outside shooting Bryan Rosett picked last night to be solid from the 3pt- line: 3-3. 

The Gustie posts of Ryan McPartland, Sam Paulson, & Paul Blacklock combined to score 16 points, 19 rebs, 2 assists & 2 blocks. The only area they outshone the Knights was in rebounding, 19 - 15.

Who will be the first GAC poster to mention Jeff Coombe and the Gusties
1-3 from the free-throw line for the entire forty-five minutes?    Stay tuned and find out.   

Officiating: The first 10 minutes of the game there were a few interesting calls, (one of which Coombe did make. I also noticed Coach Hanson get a little hot under the collar) but after that, I thought it was an adequately officiated game.  The refs seem to let a lot of contact go, especially between the bigs, & dragging their pivot foot.  Also, as I mentioned last night, Sutherland was taking plenty of shots either running around screens, or getting bumped when he was cutting through the lane.

*************

How sure are people that Ray Ray is the most talented player in the league? I'd put Sutherland solidly in the discussion. Dude is a stud.

Willy – the one highlight play that stood out for me was when he caught the lob pass from Jonker in mid air, spun & banked it off the glass for the basket.  This was all in one continuous motion.  Pretty impressive feat!
****
Good season & career Gustie seniors!

[tommiegun]

Tough draw for Carleton.  Couldn't be more pleased with the Tommies first round draw and their pod!  Let the madness begin!

[SUMMIT!!!!!]

I totally agree, tommiegun. UST got a nice break in the pod, altho Anderson and Carthage are not slouches.

Carleton got hosed, IMO. Win a tough conference and be rewarded by being send to Point?  But it makes $en$e in the NCAA's mindset.

[Willy Wonka]

Carthage has a nice facility and some good fans. They printed off an especially ugly mug shot of one Gustie a few years back and the whole student section commenced taunting well before tipoff. Hopefully the Tommies avoid the blizzard conditions that made GAC's bus ride home almost twice as long as it should have been...

Tough to imagine a more difficult place to play than UW-SP for the Carlies. Huge gym, quality opponent...but the fans tend to be on the quiet side. Keeping them quiet is fun  

[buf]

Tough to imagine a more difficult place to play than UW-SP for the Carlies. Huge gym, quality opponent...but the fans tend to be on the quiet side. Keeping them quiet is fun  

Sure!  But not as entertaining as getting the student section all riled up by spiking the ball on the school logo at half court. 

[John Gleich]

Carthage has a nice facility and some good fans. They printed off an especially ugly mug shot of one Gustie a few years back and the whole student section commenced taunting well before tipoff. Hopefully the Tommies avoid the blizzard conditions that made GAC's bus ride home almost twice as long as it should have been...

Tough to imagine a more difficult place to play than UW-SP for the Carlies. Huge gym, quality opponent...but the fans tend to be on the quiet side. Keeping them quiet is fun  

Didn't have much reason to cheer back in 03... 

I think Quandt will be rocking this weekend.  From what I hear, the one game played there last week (Conference tournament Semi-Final) was really, really loud.

Now, the students aren't exactly organized, not in the way that the MIAC schools are... but Quandt will be full and it will be loud this weekend.

Tough to imagine a more difficult place to play than UW-SP for the Carlies. Huge gym, quality opponent...but the fans tend to be on the quiet side. Keeping them quiet is fun 

Sure!  But not as entertaining as getting the student section all riled up by spiking the ball on the school logo at half court. 

... Not much more I can say to that one!   

Perhaps not the most sportsmanlike move, but pretty much along the lines of the fan who decided to do the lap around Quandt with the Gustie flag.

[buf]

Carleton got hosed, IMO. Win a tough conference and be rewarded by being send to Point?  But it makes $en$e in the NCAA's mindset.

I completely expected Carleton to play one of the tougher teams.  Just look at their record...one of the worst in the tourney.  As a result it is only natural that they play one of the so called "higher seeded teams."  I believe winning a conference tourney does not matter to the committee.  But I guess it does lead to better regional winning percentage and most likely a better SOS.