MBB: Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[Drake Palmer]

I don't know how many saw this article in the Tribune today Piggyback Bandit Banned

Of interest to MIAC fans was this note -

A Concordia College official said that Shayegan was at the Wednesday night college basketball game between Concordia and St. Olaf College in Moorhead, where he was seen pouring water for players near the St. Olaf bench. A St. Olaf coach asked that he be removed from the area.


A bizarre WTF type moment.  Hunh?      

A lot of important games today, but perhaps these are the biggest games in the standings for a playoff bid. 

Current standings

#7 Bethel @ #6 Hamline
#5  SJU @ #3 St. Olaf

[piperinsider]

Well, Hamline and St. John's lay eggs.

BET 76, HAM 61
STO 72, SJU 47
GAC 68, MAC 52
AUG 66, SMU 57

No word on UST and CON

[Gregory Sager]

I don't know how many saw this article in the Tribune today Piggyback Bandit Banned

Of interest to MIAC fans was this note -

A Concordia College official said that Shayegan was at the Wednesday night college basketball game between Concordia and St. Olaf College in Moorhead, where he was seen pouring water for players near the St. Olaf bench. A St. Olaf coach asked that he be removed from the area.


A bizarre WTF type moment.  Hunh?      

That answers my question as to what columbianmaffia's been up to lately.

[Drake Palmer]

I don't know how many saw this article in the Tribune today Piggyback Bandit Banned

Of interest to MIAC fans was this note -

A Concordia College official said that Shayegan was at the Wednesday night college basketball game between Concordia and St. Olaf College in Moorhead, where he was seen pouring water for players near the St. Olaf bench. A St. Olaf coach asked that he be removed from the area.


A bizarre WTF type moment.  Hunh?      

That answers my question as to what columbianmaffia's been up to lately.

Good humor. If that was a Carleton game, I think you might have been on to something, or if it involved cheerleaders,boombahlaties, rollerskates, spandex, and burgers. 

****

The race for the 5th and 6th playoff spot is going to be real wild.  Bethel appears to be peaking at the right time, but their schedule this week is a doozy. After a game against SMU on Monday, they close with a home game against UST on Wednesday & at St Peter vs. Gustavus on Saturday to determine their playoff fate.  At least they know they control their own fate.  If they win out they should be in. If I'm St. Thomas or Gustavus, I'd be very concerned about playing this club.

Both the Johnnies & Pipers look like someone let all the air out of their balloon.  One would think SJU would have built off the momentum of the season sweep of the Tommies & the last second win against Hamline last week, but they're a team going in the opposite direction.  Jays finish with the Gusties at home, @ MAC, & home against Concordia.

Hamline seems to be doing their best Jekyll & Hyde impersonation.   Nice win against Carleton followed by a blowout loss against Bethel.  The Pipes have a slightly easier schedule this week as they close on the road against SMU & MAC.

Big playoff implications on Monday night when 3rd place St. Olaf (13-5) comes to town to battle 4th place Augsburg (12-6).  In fact, the Northfield–Augsburg trio will have a huge bearing on the final pecking for this season's final playoff standing. The Dawgs play the Oles Monday night and finish the regular season on Wednesday night against playoff spoiler Carleton in Northfield.  After the Oles play Augsburg on Monday, they have the rest of the week to prepare for the final season show down on Saturday against cross-town rival – Carleton.

St. Thomas has a dangerous final regular season schedule with a home game against the injured, but dangerous Carleton Knights Monday night, up the road to Bethel on Wednesday, and close the regular season at home against SMU next Saturday.

Gustavus' schedule looks slightly easier this week with the erratic, if not fading Johnnies. Gustavus is on the road Monday and Wednesday as they play at C-ville and at Moorhead against the Cobbs, before closing with the red-hot Bethel Royals next Saturday.

[miacsuperfan]

hang on kids and i will call it right here, right now. 

BU, and SJU will both go 2-1 this week, HU will go 2-0.  all three teams end the season with identical 11-9 records.
royals and johnnies both hold tie breakers over vipes; no vipes in playoffs.  BU wins tie-breaker with SJU, they finish 5th.  so in that case, the royals should
be hoping for a st. olaf win at augsburg because the oles have owned the royals this year (ole win would likely have them finishing 3rd and playing johnnies in opening round.)  the j's have also fallen twice to the oles as well, which would likely have them hoping for a 'dawg day' on monday.

if the royals pull this off, it will be one of the finer second half showings in a long time by a team that virtually everyone had written off in january. 

[Drake Palmer]

hang on kids and i will call it right here, right now. 

BU, and SJU will both go 2-1 this week, HU will go 2-0.  all three teams end the season with identical 11-9 records.
royals and johnnies both hold tie breakers over vipes; no vipes in playoffs.  BU wins tie-breaker with SJU, they finish 5th.  so in that case, the royals should
be hoping for a st. olaf win at augsburg because the oles have owned the royals this year (ole win would likely have them finishing 3rd and playing johnnies in opening round.)  the j's have also fallen twice to the oles as well, which would likely have them hoping for a 'dawg day' on monday.

if the royals pull this off, it will be one of the finer second half showings in a long time by a team that virtually everyone had written off in january. 

Supe - I like your prediction, but where do you see Bethel picking up the 2nd win this week – UST or GAC? 

Based on their recent subpar outings I would think UST would be the likely upset.  I would hope for UST's sake that the return of Noah Kaiser to the lineup will help bolster the UST defensive efforts. Mose, or any other UST backer, ideas, thoughts, bulletin board material?   

Or if GAC clinches the first seed by Wednesday, perhaps they rest their starters on Saturday and not give a 100% versus the Royals?

*****
On another note – how many people think SMU or MAC can pick up another win this season?

MAC's conference record and schedule (1-17)
2/15 SJU @ home
2/18 Hamline @ home

SMU's conference record and schedule (5-12)
2/13 @ Bethel
2/15 Hamline @ home
2/18 @ UST

[nca11]

I think we could add Concordia to the list  will they get another W?  They've lost six straight, and close with the Gusties at home and a road game in Collegville that could be VERY important for the Johnnies.  .

[carletonsid]

if the royals pull this off, it will be one of the finer second half showings in a long time by a team that virtually everyone had written off in january. 

Hmm, seem to recall a team going 3-7 in the MIAC's first half post a 9-1 mark the second time around and then winning the conference tourney not all that long ago...

[Retired Old Rat]

I made the trip to St. Olaf for the Johnnie/Ole game on Sat.  The Johnnies did not show up.  Amazing showing, having seen them defeat St. Thomas 10 days earlier.  Not the same team.

I had never been in the Skoglund/Tostrud Center before.  Skoglund is very nice.  Hard to believe it was built in 1967.  An old guy like me really appreciates the chair backs and arm rests.

[miacsuperfan]

drake, i have royals beating the troubled tommies on wednesday.  and i don't think gusties will rest starters on saturday.  with a first round bye, that is a long enough break without adding another four day extension to what could become a REALLY long layoff.  and IF that saturday game vs. royals has playoff implications, mark hanson will play it tougher than nails like he always does.

carsid, your comment duly noted.  i did say ONE of the finer comebacks in recent history.  the knights team to which you refer was always (in my mind) good enough to do what they did, so their comeback AND championship (though noteworthy) didn't surprise me as much as BU's magic act this year.   

[piperinsider]

STO 66, AUG 54 - nice road win for Oles, who have won four straight (8 of 9 - only loss 64-63 to GAC and sit at 14-5)
GAC 58, SJU 40 - Johnnies go cold on their home court

[piperinsider]

BET 60, SMU 48 - Royals winners of seven of last nine

[gacbacker]

What a defensive effort by Gustavus last night to pick up the win in Collegeville. Jim Hill, Paul Blacklock and Tyler Grey really had big nights for the Gusties on a night when Seth Anderson was held scoreless. What a demoralizing loss for the Johnnies. They hold the likely conference MVP to 0 points and still lose by 18 on their home floor. In their last two games the Johnnies are 10-38 from three-point range and 11-27 from the free throw line. Ouch.

[carletonsid]

carsid, your comment duly noted.  i did say ONE of the finer comebacks in recent history.  the knights team to which you refer was always (in my mind) good enough to do what they did, so their comeback AND championship (though noteworthy) didn't surprise me as much as BU's magic act this year.   

No worries. I fully appreciate, as a PR person, the "ONE of..." type of comments. 

I would agree that BU's late-season surge was more surprising than the Knights' in 2009-10. Rosett, Jonker, Sutherland, Davis and Biewen was very solid starting five, with Theisen and Sawtazke coming off the bench.

BU's late-season run also surprises me since the Royals are the only team the Knights swept this season.

With all that said, if Hamline and SJU do what each should in beating Mac/Cord/SMU, getting both to 11-9, looks to me like a tough task for the Royals needing one win vs either UST (seeking revenge) or GAC (seeking title outright). Of course, with the inconsistent play of Hamline and SJU this year and BU's propensity for upsets, nothing should really surprise me, I guess.

[miacsuperfan]

What a defensive effort by Gustavus last night to pick up the win in Collegeville. Jim Hill, Paul Blacklock and Tyler Grey really had big nights for the Gusties on a night when Seth Anderson was held scoreless. What a demoralizing loss for the Johnnies. They hold the likely conference MVP to 0 points and still lose by 18 on their home floor. In their last two games the Johnnies are 10-38 from three-point range and 11-27 from the free throw line. Ouch.

i listened to most of this game.  VOJ was having a hard time containing his disappointment/disbelief/shock/embarassment at the J's horrendous performance.  they are going to have to play a lot better than that on wednesday, or MAC could re-rail their chances for any post-season play.  and the way they are playing right now, i'm not so sure they even belong in the playoffs.  GAC's  seth anderson's 12 ppg average over the last five games is hard to imagine.  is he running out of gas, or have teams learned how to defend him?   

the royals held serve, though their offense sputters at times.  but it is their defense that should carry them into the playoffs next week.   they will likely need to score more than 60 points to beat the tommies tomorrow . . . but i'm sticking with my hunch and think that they will get the job done.  if they don't, they will have a monumental task in beating the gusties in st. peter this saturday!

carsid, interesting point regarding the carlies sweep over BU.  the royals were 0-4 vs. the northfield connection this year!!