MBB: Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[GoldandBlueBU]

Thanks!

Seems like they just dug too big of a hole early.

4-0 seems nearly impossible, 3-1 similar.

Could easily see 0-4, in fact, Given that Carleton, SJU, and Olaf will all be tough, and SMU is no slouch either, especially given that they may also be playing for their playoff lives.

[carletonknights]

Carleton's coach Kershaw appears on the D3Hoops Marathon. Interesting tidbit in there where Kershaw and the host talk about the conference basketball schedule and Kershaw mentions that the coaches aren't in favor of the current set up. Interview starts around the 43 minute mark:

https://www.d3hoops.com/hoopsville/archives/2022-23/marathon

[SagatagSam]

This weekend's games:
[...]
Bethel (11) at St. John's (T-1). [...] Bethel is coming off its biggest win of the season--both in terms of quality of opponent and margin of victory (24 points [over St. Mary's]). The Royals will be coming into Collegeville with the most momentum they've had all season.
[...]

RE: Bethel

This quote, above, is from two weeks ago, when Bethel was sitting all alone at the bottom of the conference. I had them all but completely written off at this point.

It just goes to show how little I know.

[Greek Tragedy]

Carleton's coach Kershaw appears on the D3Hoops Marathon. Interesting tidbit in there where Kershaw and the host talk about the conference basketball schedule and Kershaw mentions that the coaches aren't in favor of the current set up. Interview starts around the 43 minute mark:

https://www.d3hoops.com/hoopsville/archives/2022-23/marathon

I'm not sure if I'll have a chance to listen, but is he talking too many conference games? Going to split divisions? Anything else?

[SagatagSam]

Carleton's coach Kershaw appears on the D3Hoops Marathon. Interesting tidbit in there where Kershaw and the host talk about the conference basketball schedule and Kershaw mentions that the coaches aren't in favor of the current set up. Interview starts around the 43 minute mark:

https://www.d3hoops.com/hoopsville/archives/2022-23/marathon

I'm not sure if I'll have a chance to listen, but is he talking too many conference games? Going to split divisions? Anything else?

His statement on the schedule starts with "we are the only 11-team conference in the country in D3 that plays a true round-robin schedule" and then advocated for playing everybody in the conference three times in two years, similar to the ODAC.

This is the first gripe I've heard about the scheduling--ever. I worked in the SJU athletic department from 2005-2007 and never heard a peep about this schedule structure. It has been this way since 1983-84. I just simply do not see the great issue here. Dave McHugh seems 100% on board with following the ODAC standard and he's a pretty reasonable guy. What am I missing?

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

Carleton's coach Kershaw appears on the D3Hoops Marathon. Interesting tidbit in there where Kershaw and the host talk about the conference basketball schedule and Kershaw mentions that the coaches aren't in favor of the current set up. Interview starts around the 43 minute mark:

https://www.d3hoops.com/hoopsville/archives/2022-23/marathon

I'm not sure if I'll have a chance to listen, but is he talking too many conference games? Going to split divisions? Anything else?

His statement on the schedule starts with "we are the only 11-team conference in the country in D3 that plays a true round-robin schedule" and then advocated for playing everybody in the conference three times in two years, similar to the ODAC.

This is the first gripe I've heard about the scheduling--ever. I worked in the SJU athletic department from 2005-2007 and never heard a peep about this schedule structure. It has been this way since 1983-84. I just simply do not see the great issue here. Dave McHugh seems 100% on board with following the ODAC standard and he's a pretty reasonable guy. What am I missing?

The 20 game conference schedule severely limits the number of non-conference games a team can play, which, in turn, can hurt the Pool C chances of those teams in selection.  It's very hard to get a nationally competitive SOS with so few non-conference games.

Dropping down to 15 conference games would put the league more in line with most other conferences (usually 14-18 conference games) and make it easier to schedule more competitively.

[Greek Tragedy]

The conference isn't very deep on a national level and having 11 teams doesn't help. If you only have 2 or 3 teams that are pretty good, you have 14 other conference games that hurt your SOS. In theory, you can play 4 or 5 other games (moving from 20 to 15-16 conference games) against teams with better SOSs and, in turn, help out your own SOS.

http://www.fantastic50.net/d3h_conf_MIAC.html

[palum]

Platteville wins at Stout 81-54. Stout committed 22 turnovers and made only 3 from beyond the 3 point line. Samuels led Platteville with 14 while Stout's Adian Shore led all scorers with 19. Platteville hosts EC on Wednesday.

[Pat Coleman]

Platteville wins at Stout 81-54. Stout committed 22 turnovers and made only 3 from beyond the 3 point line. Samuels led Platteville with 14 while Stout's Adian Shore led all scorers with 19. Platteville hosts EC on Wednesday.

You ended up posting this in the MIAC, for what it's worth.

[bball1122]

Fun Saturday slate of games:

St. Mary's survives suddenly frisky St. Scholastica

MAC with a resounding win over GAC

Carleton dampens the upstart Bethel playoff hopes (I told you they'd be a problem with Kidder)

Hamline blows the doors off the Johnnies in Collegeville

Augsburg deals the Oles a tough loss on Senior Day.

Shaping up to be a fun couple of weeks!

Carleton is in and the runaway favorite to win the regular season title.   Not the easiest close, however, (SJU, then three on the road @MAC, CORD, and Scholastica)

MAC is in a great spot but their next three are tough (STO, CAR, @SJU) before finishing with Augsburg

Johnnies with a brutal finish, @CAR, SMU, MAC, @BET

SMU has AUG,  @SJU, @BET, GAC

GAC has just three games, CORD, HAM, @SMU

HAM with 3 of 4 on the road, @Scholastica, AUG, @GAC, @CORD

STO @MAC, BET, Scholastica

BET @STO, SMU, SJU

Honestly, a ton of movement is still likely.  Feels like you'll need 11 conference wins to feel comfortably in, but 10 could still do it. 

Finally - currently 5 players averaging over 20 PPG.  Has that ever happened in the MIAC before?

[SagatagSam]

[...]
Hamline blows the doors off the Johnnies in Collegeville
[...]

I didn't turn the game on until halftime and was stunned.

Scoring 52 points in a half is going to put you in a fantastic position to win 99.99% of the time. Shooting 66.7% (10-15) from three-point range was just too much for the Johnnies to overcome.

[bball1122]

[...]
Hamline blows the doors off the Johnnies in Collegeville
[...]

I didn't turn the game on until halftime and was stunned.

Scoring 52 points in a half is going to put you in a fantastic position to win 99.99% of the time. Shooting 66.7% (10-15) from three-point range was just too much for the Johnnies to overcome.

You have any idea if team chemistry is OK with the Johnnies?  Something seemed...off about them yesterday, and combined with their so- so second half of the season, I'm wondering if all is well in Collegeville?  When I saw them earlier this season,  I thought they were the runaway favorite to win the league.   Yesterday they looked almost disinterested at times, especially late in the first half.   Maybe it was just a product of getting blown out by a team that couldn't miss, but they didn't look right.   

[SagatagSam]

Carleton has clinched a playoff spot and has a commanding three-game lead on SJU and Macalester. Hamline, Gustavus, and St. Olaf join the list of being officially eliminated from contention for the regular season championship.

Carleton can clinch a share of the regular season championship with a win on Wednesday night (at SJU) and clinch it outright if Macalester loses.

Augsburg will be officially eliminated from the conference tournament with any of the following on Wednesday night: (1) a loss at St. Mary's, (2) a St. Olaf win (at Macalester), or (3) a Hamline win (at St. Scholastica). St. Scholastica will be officially eliminated from the conference tournament with a loss (vs. Hamline).

As for the Johnnies, I just cannot figure this team out. They flatten Gustavus at home on Wednesday and then get run out of the gym by Hamline on Saturday. They're just 5-5 since the start of the new year. Some days I look at them and say, "Yep, they're ready for the playoffs" and on days like Saturday I think "yeeesh, they could easily be a one-and-done in the conference tournament." I suppose the simplest conclusion is that they just aren't that good and I'm just having trouble coping with it.

[SagatagSam]

[...]
Hamline blows the doors off the Johnnies in Collegeville
[...]

I didn't turn the game on until halftime and was stunned.

Scoring 52 points in a half is going to put you in a fantastic position to win 99.99% of the time. Shooting 66.7% (10-15) from three-point range was just too much for the Johnnies to overcome.

You have any idea if team chemistry is OK with the Johnnies?  Something seemed...off about them yesterday, and combined with their so- so second half of the season, I'm wondering if all is well in Collegeville?  When I saw them earlier this season,  I thought they were the runaway favorite to win the league.   Yesterday they looked almost disinterested at times, especially late in the first half.   Maybe it was just a product of getting blown out by a team that couldn't miss, but they didn't look right.

No concrete idea as to what's going on. I know there were a few injuries and illness two weeks ago, but no clue if those things are lingering.

This season is currently on pace to be Johnnie head coach Pat McKenzie's worst season (from a win percentage perspective) since taking over the program in 2015. Since 2017-18, the Johnnies have won 20+ games every season. Now, nobody in Collegeville expect the same level of dominance from basketball that they do in football, but this is a substantial setback from where the team was last year. To put it in perspective, the Johnnies would need to finish the remaining four games of the regular season undefeated, win the MIAC Tournament (2 wins), and have at least one win in the NCAA Tournament to reach 20 wins. Impossible? No. But, not likely given how this team has performed since the start of January.

[SagatagSam]

Carleton's coach Kershaw appears on the D3Hoops Marathon. Interesting tidbit in there where Kershaw and the host talk about the conference basketball schedule and Kershaw mentions that the coaches aren't in favor of the current set up. Interview starts around the 43 minute mark:

https://www.d3hoops.com/hoopsville/archives/2022-23/marathon

I'm not sure if I'll have a chance to listen, but is he talking too many conference games? Going to split divisions? Anything else?

His statement on the schedule starts with "we are the only 11-team conference in the country in D3 that plays a true round-robin schedule" and then advocated for playing everybody in the conference three times in two years, similar to the ODAC.

This is the first gripe I've heard about the scheduling--ever. I worked in the SJU athletic department from 2005-2007 and never heard a peep about this schedule structure. It has been this way since 1983-84. I just simply do not see the great issue here. Dave McHugh seems 100% on board with following the ODAC standard and he's a pretty reasonable guy. What am I missing?

The 20 game conference schedule severely limits the number of non-conference games a team can play, which, in turn, can hurt the Pool C chances of those teams in selection.  It's very hard to get a nationally competitive SOS with so few non-conference games.

Dropping down to 15 conference games would put the league more in line with most other conferences (usually 14-18 conference games) and make it easier to schedule more competitively.

It pains me to say this as a Johnnie, but I sense that having St. Thomas for all those years made it easy to not have to worry about the number of conference games because you had a team that was year-in and year-out a national power. As a result, the conference SOS got a bump and there was always discussion of a pool C bid for a second MIAC team.