MBB: Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[miac952]

Madison held Cave. Miller took 3 steps.

How many steps did the Tommies player take on that final, game winning drive to the basket?

You can decide for yourself:
https://twitter.com/TommieAthletics/status/1231325763321946114?s=19
I thought the same in the moment but the replay looks pretty clean.
Certainly had a few calls break our way in the big comeback, but also had a few bad ones go against us as well. I'll take it. Never doubted for a second.

An "unbiased" source. Maybe your kids squad shouldn't hand the game to UST on a silver platter after being up 12 with 2 min left. Between missed free throws and turnovers, they asked UST to take it. UST didn't even play particularly well in that final stretch either. The Cave drive was a bull rush from the start with his head down and a defender sliding into good position. If he is looking backside he's finds an open teammate. The gather step Miller takes doesn't get called 30 times during a game. Don't expect it to get called in the final seconds.

Saint Mary's made huge progress those season, but when the D3 spotlight was on them Saturday afternoon, the moment was too big. They wilted.

[WUPHF]

In Missouri and Illinois, the player would have to be moving to get the benefit of the doubt on the first step so no "gather step."

Maybe the game is called differently in Minnesota.

For what it is worth, Division III is going to miss St. Thomas but the move to the Summit League, if it happens, should be an interesting new chapter.

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

I think that's a travel, but I didn't see it the first time I watched it.  With him sort of half bent over that first step was hard to notice when you're not looking for it.  I can see why a ref would miss it in the same scenario.

[bball1122]

Coach Hemmingsen resigns at Concordia.

https://www.inforum.com/sports/basketball/4968057-Concordia-mens-basketball-coach-Hemmingsen-resigns

[GoldandBlueBU]

Just watched that replay for the first time - having the benefit of stopping and re-watching, it's clearly a travel, however, when I watched it through the first time, I didn't catch for sure whether it was 2 or 3 steps.  I can definitely see that not getting called in real time, so it's hardly a huge blown call.

[Greek Tragedy]

Maybe it's a Euro-step, whatever that is.

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

Maybe it's a Euro-step, whatever that is.

That basically just means changing directions with the steps allowed ... not something that breaks the rules of traveling. In other words, picks up the dribble heading in one direction and then suddenly using the other step allowed shifts in a very different direction. Seems the player is headed to the left side of the basket, but with the last step shifts to head to the right-side of the basket.

[SUMMIT!!!!!]

We are mere hours from the tip-off of the quarterfinal Playoff games and this board is incredibly quiet (except for some lingering "was Miller traveling or not?" talk-- I wish Lebron James' constant travelling was scrutinized as much as Riley Miller's alleged infraction!)

In the 19 seasons in which the MIAC Playoffs have had six participants, the #5 seed has won just four times and the #6 seed has only won eight. No #5 or #6 seed has ever reached the championship game (no #3 has ever won the title either).... these trends do not bode well for SMU and Olaf. Still, I expect both games tonight to be highly entertaining and close till the final minutes. 

i think a key in the Augsburg-Olaf game will be Matt Karik-- he has not seen action in the Auggies past four games and played less than 15 minutes in six of AUG's 7 games prior to that. A healthy Carik and the Auggies should roll....without him the game could be as close as the Jan 22 meeting of these two teams (75-74 Augs).

Will Saturday's loss to UST devastate the Cards or will SMU take solace in the fact that they played well enough to beat the (now) #2 team in the country? If they can bounce back from that loss, I see SMU slipping by Bethel....if not, it could be a Royal win, possibly handily. 

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

The Week 3 men's regional rankings are out: https://www.d3hoops.com/notables/2020/02/men-regional-rankings-third

[Cav-J]

I'm full of all sorts of stats & metrics: Here is what each program is losing to graduation.

% of points lost to graduation

Augsburg 57%
St. Olaf 53%
SJU 49%
Bethel 48%
UST 33%
Carleton 33%
Concordia 27%
Hamline 12%
Saint Mary's 10%
Macalester 9%
Gustavus 1%

% of minutes lost to graduation

Bethel 46%
SJU 44%
St. Olaf 44%
Augsburg 37%
Carleton 35%
UST 25%
Concordia 25%
Macalester 15%
Hamline 15%
Saint Mary's 14%
Gustavus 1%

[GoldandBlueBU]

I do think that there is possibly more parity than I would have guessed earlier in the year.

I would not have guessed that either BU or SMU would have been able to stay very close in their respective last games of the year vs. SJU and UST teams who had something to play for.  (though if you were listening to Saturday's game on the radio, VOJ might have you believing that it was all the damn refs fault that BU was keeping it close  )

I think the SMU - BU game will be a close one...close matchup in SMU's favor in their last game (w/ bethel missing Kingland), and SMU seeming to be playing as well as they have all year...

[Cav-J]

The first game [Bethel win] the Red Birds were without Anthony. The second game [SMU win] Bethel was without Kingland [as GoldandBlu said].

Who knows. I hope the game is close and fun..

'I think the SMU - BU game will be a close one...close matchup in SMU's favor in their last game (w/ bethel missing Kingland), and SMU seeming to be playing as well as they have all year...'

[jamtod]

We are mere hours from the tip-off of the quarterfinal Playoff games and this board is incredibly quiet (except for some lingering "was Miller traveling or not?" talk-- I wish Lebron James' constant travelling was scrutinized as much as Riley Miller's alleged infraction!)

With all of the TravelGate discussion, I've forgotten to make my primary observation about the game and the comeback. St Mary's had 3 dudes who played 34+ minutes including most of the second half (maybe all of it for R. Anthony and Cave). After getting up big in the 2nd half, these dudes seemed pretty gassed and the 9-man rotation came through for UST again.

[SUMMIT!!!!!]

We have our first upset of the postseason as Olaf post a gritty win at Augsburg, ending Booker Coplin's illustrious career. The Oles win 76-68  to earn a trip to Collegeville on Thursday

[SUMMIT!!!!!]

And we have a second upset...although they was SMU outplayed bethel its had to call it an upset. The Cards post their first even Playoff win, hammering the ROyals 67-55 in a game they often led by 20. Cave with 27,  SMU travels to UST Thursday.  Should be a fun game.