MBB: Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[magicman]

Congratulations to St.  Thomas on a terrific season. No one can say you had an easy path to the Championship.

Looking at the D3hoops Top 25 Poll heading into the tournament, you beat #1 (Augustana), #2 (Benedictine),  #4 (Christopher Newport) and #11 Whitman, the team that beat the #3 team (Whitworth). #18 Elmhurst, your  2nd victim, was also #2 for several weeks during January and was a Top 10 team for most of the season.

It doesn't get any harder than that. The old axiom that states..."To be the best, you have to beat the best",
certainly applies to the Tommies.


PS: If anyone can direct me to a link for the box score of the All Star game that was played in Salem on Saturday I would greatly appreciate it.

[hazzben]

Do you guys think Ryan Saarela was an AA snub?

[Drake Palmer]

Do you guys think Ryan Saarela was an AA snub?

From my perspective Ryan Saarela had a solid four-year career as a Tommie, plus a terrific senior year post season run, but IMO did not put up AA type of numbers.  However, other than the semifinals game against Christopher Newport where he was saddled with foul troubles, he was an absolute beast in the post season. But, it's my understanding that AA selections are based on the regular season body of work.

Isaac Rosefelt was the last (only?) AA post player from UST in 2007, and he could blow up opposing teams' efforts to drive the lane and or post up. 

The Tommies have had a nice run of more than capable post players in a variety of shapes, sizes, and skills.   

[AO]

The Tommies have had a nice run of more than capable post players in a variety of shapes, sizes, and skills.

I assume you're referring to the guy pictured at the top of the page?  I gave it a google and was surprised to find out that Al was listed at 6'6".  I think I only played against him once or twice in summer league but that's taller than I remember.  I mostly recall getting burned by Rosefelt and his turnaround jumper.

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

Not sure why people think Luke Johnson was a defensive liability. Seen that in a few locations seemingly started here. He was very good and the battles he and Saarela had were great. But the UST game plan was clearly to put him on the weak side, not to be the main defender on the post. Saarela had a lot more looks at the basket with the ball in his hands as the first option when Benedictine switched Johnson to Montero. Saarela had to make some really off-balance and lucky shots to beat Johnson who is a fierce shot blocker (nearly three a game on average).

[Drake Palmer]

Not sure why people think Luke Johnson was a defensive liability. Seen that in a few locations seemingly started here. He was very good and the battles he and Saarela had were great. But the UST game plan was clearly to put him on the weak side, not to be the main defender on the post. Saarela had a lot more looks at the basket with the ball in his hands as the first option when Benedictine switched Johnson to Montero. Saarela had to make some really off-balance and lucky shots to beat Johnson who is a fierce shot blocker (nearly three a game on average).

I don't understand the need for the Johnson apologists?? 

No one said he sucked, some have said he was a defensive liability, while others of us thought Johnson was weaker on the defensive end than on offense. 21 pts and 11 rebs is not sucking.

Although we may be in flyover country in Minnesota, we're not basketball rubes up here. When you've got a former two-year post player and starter from a D-1 school, and various former high school, college players & coaches in agreement, I think we might be onto something. 

FWIW – here's a quote from someone who actually played in the game.

...Saarela agreed with the "best ever" label. He came into the game off a poor performance against Christopher Newport, logging only seven points and three rebounds in 17 minutes before fouling out. He had something to prove against Benedictine, and it didn't take him long to make a statement.

"Once I saw the ball go through the hoop a couple of times, I knew I'd have a good night," said Saarela, who repeatedly drove to the basket off the high post and made a variety of hooks and banked shots with both hands. "We thought we had a quickness advantage on their big guys, so we ran some isos (isolation plays), and they worked."

http://www.tommiesports.com/sports/mbkb/2015-16/releases/20160320lj6qie

[Drake Palmer]

The Tommies have had a nice run of more than capable post players in a variety of shapes, sizes, and skills.

I assume you're referring to the guy pictured at the top of the page?  I gave it a google and was surprised to find out that Al was listed at 6'6".  I think I only played against him once or twice in summer league but that's taller than I remember.  I mostly recall getting burned by Rosefelt and his turnaround jumper.

Big Al at a real-world height of 6-2, 6-3 at best would probably be the least likely looking leader of the Tommie post player brigade, but there have certainly been others. Brady Ervin at 6-2 215 was a lock down post defender, as was B.J. Viau at 6-3.  Anders Halvorsen at 6-9 was the definition of a guard in a post players body.  Joey Shimek was the prototypical, burly post player at 6-6, while Rosefelt and Tommy Hannon were the streamlined 6-8, 6-9 gazelles.  Good bunch.

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

I understand what was written... but I was there. Many of his drives were against Reynolds, not Johnson. I remember one drive against Johnson by Saarela and it resulted in one of the more acrobatic shots I have seen from a big man. It just happen to fall.

I was impressed Saarela was able to drive on Reynolds considering how well Reynolds had done the day before against Amherst's Connor Green - stopping Green from driving for the most part.

Usually when Saarela was matched up with Johnson, he would get the ball in the block, not up high. Montero would get the ball up high in those situations. Montero, Saarela, and Johnson all had good games as they really battled well against each other. I don't think anyone lacked defense... I think everyone's offense took a step up instead.

Feel free to read Gregory Sager's point of view in the NCAA Tournament thread under Multi-Region folder.

[Pat Coleman]

And it might be worth mentioning here but we always release our All-America list right before the championship game.

[Drake Palmer]

I've read Greg's account of the game which he watched from Chicago, and other of us watched from MN. He's not the only one who knows basketball.  Surprisingly enough, some of us have even played the game.  By the way, former D3 UST post player Isaac Rosefelt made AA by being a tremendous weak side defender.

And Pat, if you read my earlier post, I never suggested in anyway, shape or form that Saarela be an AA. If anything I was pointing out why he shouldn't have made AA.

[Gregory Sager]

I understand what was written... but I was there. Many of his drives were against Reynolds, not Johnson. I remember one drive against Johnson by Saarela and it resulted in one of the more acrobatic shots I have seen from a big man. It just happen to fall.

I was impressed Saarela was able to drive on Reynolds considering how well Reynolds had done the day before against Amherst's Connor Green - stopping Green from driving for the most part.

Usually when Saarela was matched up with Johnson, he would get the ball in the block, not up high. Montero would get the ball up high in those situations. Montero, Saarela, and Johnson all had good games as they really battled well against each other. I don't think anyone lacked defense... I think everyone's offense took a step up instead.

Feel free to read Gregory Sager's point of view in the NCAA Tournament thread under Multi-Region folder.

It was actually the CCIW room where I had the debate with MIAC952 regarding Johnson's defense.

I think that D-Mac pretty well sums it up, and, let's face it, he was courtside and we weren't.

Speaking of CCIW Chat, a few of us (including D-Mac) had a discussion there a few days ago about whether or not the best team in the field tends to win the D3 title or not. This was one of those years, I think most would agree, in which the best team didn't win the Big Doorstop. But the team that did eventually haul home the hardware earned it by beating the two best teams in the country -- one on its own floor and the other in the national championship game -- and I can see where that might be an even greater source of satisfaction to a Tommies fan.

I've been on both sides of it. North Park was clearly the best team in the country during the national-championship threepeat of 1978, 1979, and 1980, and the Vikings were the best team again in 1987. But I don't necessarily think that they were the best in 1985. That edition of the Vikings beat defending national champion UW-Whitewater in overtime by two in their second game, national #1 (Associated Press poll) Wittenberg by two in the Elite Eight game, and, in the title game, they beat a Potsdam State team by one that was essentially identical to the Potsdam State lineup that would go 32-0 the following year and win its own Big Doorstop. Looking back on it, I think that the '85 Potsdam State team was probably better than North Park (although it was pretty close), and that the UWW and Wittenberg teams were at least as good as the Vikings, if not better. But that '85 team is my all-time favorite Vikings team, and so I can identify with how Tommies fans must feel about this championship. Winning the title as an underdog, however slight the difference in talent, adds a bit of juice to the jubilation.

And it might be worth mentioning here but we always release our All-America list right before the championship game.

... and the body of work taken into consideration includes tournament games played to that point as well as regular-season games, does it not, Pat?

[Drake Palmer]

I understand what was written... but I was there. Many of his drives were against Reynolds, not Johnson. ...

This comment strikes me as the equivalent of being a game reporter, getting a post-game quote from a player, and then saying the player's quote was not an accurate reflection of the game.

Saarela, Montero, & UST coaches recognized a defensive mismatch and tried to attack it.  "We thought we had a quickness advantage on their big guys, so we ran some isos (isolation plays), and they worked.

Obviously, it worked.  I think I'll put my stock in what a player had to say and what the coaches called.

[tomt4525]

Benilde St Margaret's Senior Eli Cave has committed to St Mary's.

[miac952]

I have said in a few different spots on these boards that it was surprisingly apparent from the start that UST had big athletic advantages in the 3,4, & 5 spots. What they were giving up in size was made up for in other areas.  They took advantage of it by isolating some of these match ups and getting players 1 on 1 a little further away from the basket. The one guy that seems to matchup well for Benedictine was #15. Strong and a little quicker feet than the others. This isn't meant as a slight against Johnson ( a phenomenal player) but I strongly believe he was a defensive liability in the game. As I've looked back at Saarela's points on my DVR the majority were against Johnson. He and the other posts also appeared to be culprits of late or no help on a number of Montero's drives. This all could have been fluky in a 1 game situation. I have not watched much Benedictine hoops. But on this day it was clear Johnson and others were exposed against a great game plan by Tauer leveraging better athletes with quicker feet. Saarela averages 13 a game. He went for 26 in one of the most efficient offensive performances I have seen if you look at stats and advanced stats.

FWIW. I thought Benedictine had a similar athletic advantage on O against Schaeffer. They exploited him on a few drives early in the game and late in the game.

I prefer not to be argumentative and see how others who have seen more Benedictine bball could have a different opinion, but in this single game it jumped out to me the holes in the post defense. There are quite a few people who clearly saw the same thing as me. I hope it doesn't seem overly critical. Because I do think Benedictine was an incredible team and Johnson was a stud. His ability to be the trailer one time down the court and hit clutch threes, while in the next possession hit the low post makes him a heck of matchup challenge.

[miac952]

And I do agree that UST was more than likely not the best team in the country; maybe not top 3 even. The gauntlet they ran makes it even crazier. I think the two UST title teams in 2011 & 2016 might be middle of the pack of all the UST teams over the past decade. They peaked at the right time. As evidenced by the madness witnesses this weekend a lot of shocking things can happen in one and done college bball tourneys.