MBB: Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[AO]

Wheaton escaped St Norberts. The Wheaties are a solid strong program, but I havent gotten a scouting report on them yet (a Chicagoland buddy of mine was planning to watch them last nite). Should be a good matchup and hopefully New Shoe will be rocking again like it was last night.

Poppa Hoops and Drake Palmer- I know Saturday night games clash with your Opera nights, but hopefully you can take in this weekend's game 

You can create your own scouting report with the tape of the NWC win over Wheaton here.  I believe Drake also watched the game live.  Wheaton can fill it up from everywhere but isn't quite as athletic as past Wheaton teams.  They also have proved to be a much better home team as shown in their matchups vs Illinois Wesleyan and North Central.

[Gregory Sager]

Wheaton escaped St Norberts. The Wheaties are a solid strong program, but I havent gotten a scouting report on them yet (a Chicagoland buddy of mine was planning to watch them last nite). Should be a good matchup and hopefully New Shoe will be rocking again like it was last night.

Poppa Hoops and Drake Palmer- I know Saturday night games clash with your Opera nights, but hopefully you can take in this weekend's game 

You can create your own scouting report with the tape of the NWC win over Wheaton here.  I believe Drake also watched the game live.  Wheaton can fill it up from everywhere but isn't quite as athletic as past Wheaton teams.  They also have proved to be a much better home team as shown in their matchups vs Illinois Wesleyan and North Central.

Wheaton's plenty athletic, and what AO neglected to tell you was that WC was missing its second-leading scorer, Brayden Teuscher (13.5 ppg, 46% trey) the night it played Northwestern. Teuscher, like Wheaton's star PG Tyler Peters, is terrific at beating people off of the dribble as well.

That said, I think that St. Thomas wins this one by ten to twelve points. I've seen the Tommies via webcast, and I'm sold on them being the team to beat in this year's tourney.

[tommiegun]

Point handles the Eagles. http://www.warrenphotographic.co.uk/photography/bigs/09210-Cat-looking-through-goldfish-bowl-white-background.jpg. Mr. Bubbles lives to see another day.

[SUMMIT!!!!!]

+K tommie gun. Well played.

AO- Serious question, because even though I've poked fun at some of your comments in the past, I do respect your basketball knowledge. You've seen both Wheaton & UST, altho Wheaton was missing its #2 guy ....whats your in-depth analysis of Saturday's showdown as well as your expectation as far as result?

Im a homer, I pick UST 99-22 but I pick UST 99-22 vs anyone, anywhere, so Im hardly objective (except vs USJ, then I pick UST 99-11)

One last thing about Aurora-- I think they woulda finished 3rd or 4th in the MIAC. The final score may not indicate it, but they have a decent club. Will lose a lot to graduation but their coach seems to be a dynamo.

[AO]

+K tommie gun. Well played.

AO- Serious question, because even though I've poked fun at some of your comments in the past, I do respect your basketball knowledge. You've seen both Wheaton & UST, altho Wheaton was missing its #2 guy ....whats your in-depth analysis of Saturday's showdown as well as your expectation as far as result?

Im a homer, I pick UST 99-22 but I pick UST 99-22 vs anyone, anywhere, so Im hardly objective (except vs USJ, then I pick UST 99-11)

One last thing about Aurora-- I think they woulda finished 3rd or 4th in the MIAC. The final score may not indicate it, but they have a decent club. Will lose a lot to graduation but their coach seems to be a dynamo.

The goldfish was in fear for a half anyways....

Wheaton missing their #2 guy is definitely a bigger deal to them as they don't have the depth of the Tommies.  Saying they're not as athletic/talented as past Wheaton teams is really just a compliment to guys like Tim McCrary, Kent Raymond and Jonathan Steven.  They could definitely keep it close, but I just don't see enough quickness in the backcourt to keep up with the Tommies in St. Paul.  St. Thomas by 15.

[SUMMIT!!!!!]

thanks AO...I hope your low on the margin but right on the winner.

[Drake Palmer]

Regarding the upcoming UST–Wheaton match up.

AO – I only watched the 2nd half of the Wheaton –Northwestern game on a webcast earlier this winter. As a result, I can't provide an eyeball account of the Sonic Air Disturbance/Thunder for this season.  However, I did see them play last year against Gustavus in the NCAAs & I left quite impressed with their athleticism & basketball skills. They had a stud All American forward in Tim McCrary who graduated last year, but obviously the cupboard was not left bare.

Wheaton is led by 3 All Conference players which include their leading scorer, & chief facilitator, JR PG Tyler Peters.  According to many CCIW posters, Peters was the primary finalist for the CCIW POY award this year.  Peters is a D-1 sized PG at 6-4, 190lbs, athletic, strong, fast, excellent at driving to the cup, & posting up smaller defenders. Peters led the CCIW in scoring at 18.1 ppg, 4.1 rpg, & 4.2apg, & shot over 50% from the field. However, he's not much of a 3 pt shooter.

Peters is accompanied by fellow all conference recipient JR center, 6-6, 215lbs Nate Haynes.   Haynes averaged a double-double in conference play as he averaged 13.2 ppg, & 10.9 rpg.   The 3rd member of the Wheaton all conference award winners is 6-4 SO wing, Brandon Teuscher. He averaged 14.1 ppg, & the Wheaton website pointed out that he was 3rd in the CCIW in 3FGA% at 47.4%.  It should also be noted that he only took 38 trey attempts and made 18 treys during conference play.  Heck, UST's Will DeBerg can take that many treys in 3-4 games.    Teuscher also shot an excellent 80.3% from the FT line as he converted 53-66 FTA.

It seems Wheaton plays a perimeter style of game & tends to take a fair number of treys.  Another weapon in their arsenal is 6th or 7th man SO guard Michael Kvam.  He led the Thunder in 3FGA as he cashed in 36-94 3FGA for a respectable 38.3%.

Defensively Wheaton is real solid & I'm really looking forward to watching the Tommies & Thunder go after each other.  It doesn't appear he's getting much clock this year, but Wheaton has a 6-3 200lb guard in Jon DeMoss who's built like the proverbial brickhouse.  Think Josh Pella without the tats.  DeMoss has muscles on top of muscles & used them to good effect last year against the much lighter Gusties.

I'll especially be interested to see who will guard Tyler Peters...John Nance & or Noah Kaiser, a combination of both players, or somebody else.  Kaiser might be a step too slow to keep up with Peters. The game should be a good one.  I tend to agree with the Sensei & anticipate a Tommie win.  But those fainthearted Tommie fans better load up on their heart medication (I'm looking at you Mose  ). I think it will be a nerve wracking UST win, but they'll gradually pull away in the last few minutes of the game to win by 10-12 pts.  UST depth, overall team quickness, shooting, & home court advantage will help seal the deal.

[Gregory Sager]

The 3rd member of the Wheaton all conference award winners is 6-4 SO wing, Brandon Teuscher. He averaged 14.1 ppg, & the Wheaton website pointed out that he was 3rd in the CCIW in 3FGA% at 47.4%.  It should also be noted that he only took 38 trey attempts and made 18 treys during conference play.  Heck, UST's Will DeBerg can take that many treys in 3-4 games.    Teuscher also shot an excellent 80.3% from the FT line as he converted 53-66 FTA.

Brayden (not Brandon) Teuscher is indeed more of a driver than a perimeter shooter. Like Tyler Peters, he'll pick and choose his opportunities to shoot from behind the arc, whereas Michael Kvam is guaranteed to activate the launch sequence if he gets the ball twenty feet outside with even a scintilla of open space between him and a defender. But Teuscher's FT percentage should worry Tommies fans, because, like Peters, he is a quick, skilled, and physically strong penetrator who can both finish at the rim and make you pay at the charity stripe.

It doesn't appear he's getting much clock this year, but Wheaton has a 6-3 200lb guard in Jon DeMoss who's built like the proverbial brickhouse.  Think Josh Pella without the tats.  DeMoss has muscles on top of muscles & used them to good effect last year against the much lighter Gusties.

Jon DeMoss is sitting out this season due to injury.

[tommiegun]

Tommies in a near monkeystomp. You heard it hear first (unless you count maniac's triple monkeystomp prediction).

[carletonsid]

Not much talk on here about the potential candidates for the two openings in the MIAC. Have to think, if they're smart, that Hamline waits for UST's run to be over so they can hire Jim Hayes. But wonder who might be in the mix at SMU? Any thoughts? Think ideal candidate could recruit southeast Minnesota, La Crosse area and Chicago market.

[Gregory Sager]

How big of a margin in basketball is a "near monkeystomp"?

[AO]

How big of a margin in basketball is a "near monkeystomp"?

18-20

[tommiegun]

AO, http://thatiscorrect.ytmnd.com/.

[TommieHoops4Life]

Should be an interesting challenge for St. Thomas against Wheaton Saturday night. The Thunder have 3 all conference players led by Tyler Peters, who Tauer describes as kind of an all-everything point guard. While they have several weapons, he kind of dictates the offense. Wheaton has four players who average double figures, presenting quite the task for the St. Thomas defense.

I think a key will be the Tommies' depth at the guard position and they'll need the on-ball pressure to contain Wheaton's scorers and shooters. The fact that they can go 12 deep is a huge factor for St. Thomas in a game like this. I'll also be intrigued to see how UST defends Nathan Haynes, who averages 10 points and 10 rebounds a game on the season. That match-up with Hannon should be a good one.

If I had to predict, St. Thomas has a single digit lead at half and pulls away for a 12-18 point victory. Home court is huge in the NCAAs and the Tommies will take advantage of it.

[SUMMIT!!!!!]

I admit to being very nervous for UST going into the Aurora game, as I felt it could be a trap game, like Carroll (WI) was a few years back...talk about an embarrassing loss and sour note to end the seniors' careers.

While Wheaton is obviously a stronger challenge and a more formidable team than Aurora, I'm feeling pretty confident now.  The week betwen games has allowed UST to get healthy....tengwall, kaiser and hannon all nursing aches. Id say they will come into this game much like the aurora game or the first augsburg game- primed and pumped. It will be close the first 8-12 minutes, but the Tommies D, depth and athleticism will wear down the Wheaties and end up somewhere around an 84-69 final.

Then its bring on UWSP on the 16th!