MBB: Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[jimhoops1234]

Tommies have certainly made a statement in last 10 days or so. I was one who questioned if they were coming back to the pack, and I still believe this is unanswered, but very impressed with exhibition win especially.

Good win for Hamline over UMAC favorite Northwestern. Pipers shot it well in 2nd half. Cobbers and Oles also handled their UMAC opponents.

Bethel opened with a win over UW River Falls. UWRF comes back to play Hamline this week. Good matchups at multiple positions in that one.

[AppletonRocks]

St Olaf--real or faux? 

[fredfalcon]

Could not tell from stats/broadcast whether Tommies played sub-par vs. Falcons. I know RF shot very well, but had 22 turnovers. Assessment?

[GoldandBlueBU]

WOW, quiet here...no Drake Palmer all name team?  What gives?

[Drake Palmer]

Sorry GBU, I've been remiss in my hoops spectating & posting, although I did manage to catch the UST- UWRF game several weeks ago. I've been sitting on the name list but since there's been so little activity on the board I didn't know if it would be worth the effort to post. 

So since I know there's at least one scanner of the board, here goes: The 2014-2015 Palmer MIAC Freshmen All Name Team.

Honorable Mention
Bailey Boike: 6-5 200lbs Hamline
Quinton Garvis: 6-2 180 Hamline
John Veil "of Tears": 6-0 180lbs  St. Thomas

All Name Team
Walker Froehling:  6-6 185lbs Carleton
Malekai Mischke: 6-2 175lbs Carleton
Brodie Running: 6-7 190lbs Concordia

Co- All Name Player of the Year
Treyvon "Stringbean" Edwards: 6-7 167lbs St. Mary's
Bridgeport "Bridge" Tusler: 5-11 180lbs Bethel

Bridge is one talented hombre and should end up the real All MIAC FY Team at the end of the season.

[Drake Palmer]

As I mentioned in a previous post, I did take in the UST-UWRF game two weeks ago. River Falls shot the ball very well, 61.4% 27-44FGA, and by my count they made their first 9 consecutive shots. If they would have done a better job of hanging onto the ball, the Falcons could have walked out of the Shoe with a win.  Some of the UST regular shooters were off – Marcus Alipate 3-11FGA, 2-73FGA, Taylor Montero 4-9FGA (11pts) , & Cortez Tillman 1-5FGA, but fortunately Grant Shaeffer (22 pts) Ryan Saarela (14 pts) & Connor Nord were able to pick up the scoring slack on offense for the Tomcats.

However, UST will not always going to be able to out-shoot their opponents and will need to bring some serious defensive pressure to have any chance of duplicating what previous UST teams have done.  UWRF was getting wide open looks most of the game. I can see why the UST coaches have been disappointed in the consistency of the UST defensive effort thus far this season.  This week should be a good barometer as UST travels to Gustavus on Wednesday and C-ville on Saturday to play the Johnnies.
     

[GoldandBlueBU]

Sorry GBU, I've been remiss in my hoops spectating & posting, although I did manage to catch the UST- UWRF game several weeks ago. I've been sitting on the name list but since there's been so little activity on the board I didn't know if it would be worth the effort to post. 

So since I know there's at least one scanner of the board, here goes: The 2014-2015 Palmer MIAC Freshmen All Name Team.

Honorable Mention
Bailey Boike: 6-5 200lbs Hamline
Quinton Garvis: 6-2 180 Hamline
John Veil "of Tears": 6-0 180lbs  St. Thomas

All Name Team
Walker Froehling:  6-6 185lbs Carleton
Malekai Mischke: 6-2 175lbs Carleton
Brodie Running: 6-7 190lbs Concordia

Co- All Name Player of the Year
Treyvon "Stringbean" Edwards: 6-7 167lbs St. Mary's
Bridgeport "Bridge" Tusler: 5-11 180lbs Bethel

Bridge is one talented hombre and should end up the real All MIAC FY Team at the end of the season.

Now I feel like MIAC basketball can begin...

I know that the "common opponents" comparisson is meaningless, but it is still fun, so I was slightly encouraged by UST's close game vs. UWRF, given that BU knocked them off...perhaps BU will be able to keep up with UST this year.

Also, given SJU's defeat of SCSU, is SJU better than their pre-season poll slot of 5, or is SCSU just that bad?

I had interest in attending BU vs. UNWSP tonight, but the wife has something going on, so I am relegated to baby duty...maybe AO will know if there is a video feed I can take in?

RE: Bridgeport Tusler - hopefully he can add some offensive spark for Bethel...Wojta was really the only one capable of breaking a defender down in order to create his own shot last year, so it would be good to have an additional player capable of ther.  I've heard that he came out of the football season a little gimpy, so hopefully he is feeling better.

Maybe things will liven up here...

[oleroll]

Hello All,

My name is Matt Christensen. I've been following the Board ever since my brother,Scott, was playing at Carleton. I am an Ole Hooper Alum '09. I was an assistant at Carleton for 4 years. I am currently helping out in my second year at Rochester Community and Technical College with the Men's Program.

I look forward to contributing to the Board.

Let's get to it!


Bethel- Bridge will make a significant difference to Bethel on both sides of the ball. Bridge's aggressiveness suits perfectly with Coach Novak's style of play.  Paired with Wojta (former AAU teammate- I coached them with the MN Fury), these two will reek havoc on opposing guards.  In fact, these two are so competitive, and so skilled, they may help Bethel contend for a conference crown in the next couple of years. (Not easy for an Ole to say).

Speaking of Oles. The biggest disappointment from watching them last year for their NCAA appearance was that the Ole's got a little gun shy from 3. Their opponent continually went under the ball screen, and they didn't punish them for it. I thought it would be guns-a-blazin'.

With that being said, I am extremely happy for Coach Koz and the program, and am looking forward to watching St. Olaf make another deep run this year. Justin Pahl is taking a big leap forward, Sterling Nielsen is Mr. Cool at the point, and the big X-fer Figini could make all the difference.

St. Thomas is loaded with depth. We all know they are good.

Coach Hayes will have an improved Hamline squad, as he is one of the best recruiters in the area. I'm curious to see how the talent he has brought in pans out this year.

I heard from a lil birdie that SMU is working diligently to bring in talent, and has been hitting the recruiting trail hard. I look forward to watching their progression this year in terms of implementing the system Coach R wants. If SMU can have a competitive season, it could give Coach R the recruiting power he needs to get SMU over the playoff hump.

Gustavus. Do you know I can always spot a Gustie alum hooper when playing pick up ball? The solid defense, disciplined shot selection, tough screening, and they always hustle. It was annoying to play against then, and it's even worse now (c'mon man, it's men's league!). These staples are why Gac is always in the mix, especially for a motion offense that needs time to gel, by the end of the season.

Macalester. They have an underrated coaching staff. They got a few talented players. Depth is always the issue.

Carleton. I coached and recruited a lot of these kids, so I'm rooting for them. As much as the Knights use the 3 ball, post play is really the core of the program. You know McSparron will have a big year if healthy, and Biewen is lights out from 3 (despite the 1-10 game).  I think the season hinges on the growth of John Eckert on both the offensive and defensive side of the ball. 

Couldn't tell ya a lick about Concordia this year. Anyone have insight?

Augsburg. Is it not great seeing Parker Hines healthy and on the floor? Gotta love that. Holy Collin Olmscheid. This 6'7" Buffalo FY seems to be stuffing the stat sheet. Anyone got a scoop on him?

The Johnnies. While I have not watched them this year, they changed up their offensive style of play a couple years back, and I think they may beginning to see some fruits of their labor. A nice 3 point "W" over St. Cloud St certainly is noteworthy. Man, can Mitchell Kuck put the ball in the basket! His quick release from 3, and ability to put it on the floor makes him one of the most explosive scorers in the league.

I'm looking forward to others insights after the first MIAC match ups tonight.

MC

[AO]

I had interest in attending BU vs. UNWSP tonight, but the wife has something going on, so I am relegated to baby duty...maybe AO will know if there is a video feed I can take in?

RE: Bridgeport Tusler - hopefully he can add some offensive spark for Bethel...Wojta was really the only one capable of breaking a defender down in order to create his own shot last year, so it would be good to have an additional player capable of ther.  I've heard that he came out of the football season a little gimpy, so hopefully he is feeling better.

Maybe things will liven up here...

http://portal.stretchinternet.com/unw/

Count me in for baby duty as well, our first just arrived 20 hours ago!

[iwumichigander]

I had interest in attending BU vs. UNWSP tonight, but the wife has something going on, so I am relegated to baby duty...maybe AO will know if there is a video feed I can take in?

RE: Bridgeport Tusler - hopefully he can add some offensive spark for Bethel...Wojta was really the only one capable of breaking a defender down in order to create his own shot last year, so it would be good to have an additional player capable of ther.  I've heard that he came out of the football season a little gimpy, so hopefully he is feeling better.

Maybe things will liven up here...

Congratulations on the new arrival AO!
http://portal.stretchinternet.com/unw/

Count me in for baby duty as well, our first just arrived 20 hours ago!

[GoldandBlueBU]

I had interest in attending BU vs. UNWSP tonight, but the wife has something going on, so I am relegated to baby duty...maybe AO will know if there is a video feed I can take in?

RE: Bridgeport Tusler - hopefully he can add some offensive spark for Bethel...Wojta was really the only one capable of breaking a defender down in order to create his own shot last year, so it would be good to have an additional player capable of ther.  I've heard that he came out of the football season a little gimpy, so hopefully he is feeling better.

Maybe things will liven up here...

http://portal.stretchinternet.com/unw/

Count me in for baby duty as well, our first just arrived 20 hours ago!

Congrats man!  We're 8 months in with our first, and it is a blast...lots of work, but fun and rewarding.

So do you start training him or her on setting MIAC football lines right away, or does that start in a week or two?

Tight game between BU and your Eagles tonight...fun all the way to the finish.

[gacbacker]

Gusties top St. Thomas tonight 68-65. Gusties won the game on the boards. They out worked the Tommies tonight. Grabbed 14 offensive rebounds and that led to numerous second chance opportunities. Tommies look to be every bit as dangerous offensively this year as they have been but not nearly as intimidating defensively as they have been in years past. Gusties usually have trouble getting the ball into the front court against UST and they had none of that tonight.

[SUMMIT!!!!!]

And now for something truly terrifying.

Another AO!




Aubrey was born dec 2nd and is doing well.  A likely future Gustie or UNWEAGLE?

congrats AO!!!

[GoldandBlueBU]

Hello All,

My name is Matt Christensen. I've been following the Board ever since my brother,Scott, was playing at Carleton. I am an Ole Hooper Alum '09. I was an assistant at Carleton for 4 years. I am currently helping out in my second year at Rochester Community and Technical College with the Men's Program.

I look forward to contributing to the Board.

Let's get to it!


Bethel- Bridge will make a significant difference to Bethel on both sides of the ball. Bridge's aggressiveness suits perfectly with Coach Novak's style of play.  Paired with Wojta (former AAU teammate- I coached them with the MN Fury), these two will reek havoc on opposing guards.  In fact, these two are so competitive, and so skilled, they may help Bethel contend for a conference crown in the next couple of years. (Not easy for an Ole to say).

Speaking of Oles. The biggest disappointment from watching them last year for their NCAA appearance was that the Ole's got a little gun shy from 3. Their opponent continually went under the ball screen, and they didn't punish them for it. I thought it would be guns-a-blazin'.

With that being said, I am extremely happy for Coach Koz and the program, and am looking forward to watching St. Olaf make another deep run this year. Justin Pahl is taking a big leap forward, Sterling Nielsen is Mr. Cool at the point, and the big X-fer Figini could make all the difference.

St. Thomas is loaded with depth. We all know they are good.

Coach Hayes will have an improved Hamline squad, as he is one of the best recruiters in the area. I'm curious to see how the talent he has brought in pans out this year.

I heard from a lil birdie that SMU is working diligently to bring in talent, and has been hitting the recruiting trail hard. I look forward to watching their progression this year in terms of implementing the system Coach R wants. If SMU can have a competitive season, it could give Coach R the recruiting power he needs to get SMU over the playoff hump.

Gustavus. Do you know I can always spot a Gustie alum hooper when playing pick up ball? The solid defense, disciplined shot selection, tough screening, and they always hustle. It was annoying to play against then, and it's even worse now (c'mon man, it's men's league!). These staples are why Gac is always in the mix, especially for a motion offense that needs time to gel, by the end of the season.

Macalester. They have an underrated coaching staff. They got a few talented players. Depth is always the issue.

Carleton. I coached and recruited a lot of these kids, so I'm rooting for them. As much as the Knights use the 3 ball, post play is really the core of the program. You know McSparron will have a big year if healthy, and Biewen is lights out from 3 (despite the 1-10 game).  I think the season hinges on the growth of John Eckert on both the offensive and defensive side of the ball. 

Couldn't tell ya a lick about Concordia this year. Anyone have insight?

Augsburg. Is it not great seeing Parker Hines healthy and on the floor? Gotta love that. Holy Collin Olmscheid. This 6'7" Buffalo FY seems to be stuffing the stat sheet. Anyone got a scoop on him?

The Johnnies. While I have not watched them this year, they changed up their offensive style of play a couple years back, and I think they may beginning to see some fruits of their labor. A nice 3 point "W" over St. Cloud St certainly is noteworthy. Man, can Mitchell Kuck put the ball in the basket! His quick release from 3, and ability to put it on the floor makes him one of the most explosive scorers in the league.

I'm looking forward to others insights after the first MIAC match ups tonight.

MC

Welcome to the board, thanks for posting!  Always interesting to have insight from folks who are significantly more plugged in to the state of the teams around the MIAC.

Funny assessment on the average Gustie...there's one on my men's league team, and everything you said is true with him (diving all over the place after loose balls, sacraficing his body for steals, etc.) except for the disciplined shot selection...this guy has never met a 3 pointer that he didn't like.

Hope to see more reviews as the season goes on!

[Drake Palmer]

Opening night tidbits

Well, well, well, interesting and exciting opening night in the MIAC as the home team won 4-5 conference games.  68 was also the most popular number of the night as Augsburg beat the Carlies 68-58, STO knocked off MAC 68-58, & the Gusties beat UST 68-65. 

Jays squeaked by the Cobbs 79-76, SMU beat Hamline 70-67, & in nonconference play Bethel beat Northwestern 84-75.  Early front runner for FY Player of the year, Bridge Tulser from Bethel had a monster night:  29 pts on 10-13 FGA, 4-6 3FGA, 4rebs, 4 assists, 6 steals!

Saturday's game pitting Bethel vs. STO could be a dandy, & I'll have to see if I can sneak out of the house for that one.

Augsburg's FY Collin Olmscheid is quietly putting together a nice portfolio on the young season as he had 13 pts & 7 rebs in the win against Carleton.  I'm guessing he must be the younger brother of the Cobbers' Darren Olmscheid?

Coach R might be getting a little thing going on down in Winona. In their first game of the season they fired out of the gates with a nice win over the Pipes with a mix of mostly underclassmen. All the more impressive since Hamline has a decent squad this season led by All-MIAC performer Dior Ford, and this was the Pipes 5th game of the season.

As I alluded to yesterday, a lack of defensive stoppers & toughness could bring the Tommies back to the pack. Having seen my fair share of talented UST teams and other tourney teams the past 10+ years or so, this year's version of the Tomcats will need to step it up if they hope to enjoy any post season success.

Nice win by the Gusties. This could be a fun, topsvy turvy season for the top two spots.  Could the Lutes - GAC & STO be dark horses for the league title? The Gustie machine keeps rolling along with seemingly interchangeable parts which will always keep them close to the top of the league. The thing they seem to be lacking in recent years is that one star player who can strap the team on his back.  The Oles have got the man in the middle Ben Figini, plus the best PG in the league Sterling Nielsen, along with sharpshooter Justin Pahl.

Jays have got a ton of talent and just need to figure out a way to make it gel.

*****
Shoutout to Oleroll for joining the board, hope to see you on here more frequently.

Congrats AO, wife & Aubrey.  I became a grandfather for the first time in October so I may end up scaling back on my days & nights of following MIAC hoops. Hopefully, we don't totally lose our MIAC, PG 13  version of message board edginess.   

Plus k to the board.