MBB: Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[localcoach]

bethelguy is correct regarding the Hamline/St. Olaf game to be played this season at the Metrodome.  I talked to one of the Hamline coaches last night and his explanation was the same.  The NCAA wanted a game to test out the floor for this year's regional in March and apparently Coach Koz didn't mind giving up a home game.  I will definitely have to attend that matchup. 

[funbballer]

I'm shocked that Koz would give up the gate receipts from the 50-75 people that would attend a home game to play in the dome!   

[piperinsider]

What does the Dome hold? 100,000 for basketball?

I think we could fill it up.

I'm sorry, but that will be about the worst atmosphere ever. Oles vs Pipers? I'm not seeing a crowd abover 1,000.

I'll rebring up my question from Sat.

What do people think about the women's/men's doubleheaders this year?

[columbianmaffia]

carleton is gonna be in trouble tonight if the austrailia team plays on the backs of kangaroos...cuz they will be able to jump high and set good screens...plus they will have to make sure they dont slip in kangaroo droppings

[big_shocker]

As a former JV player, I feel as though this is a bad thing. One of the perks of being on JV was that you were still a part of the program. You travelled with the varsity, and got to see lots of great basketball, all while allowing not-as-talented-players (myself formost) to consider themselves part of the team.

Now, benchwarmers on varsity will not have the opportunity to play in games, as they might have in the preceeding JV game. Practices are now screwed up, because you have to have a varsity and a JV (minus the appearance of 'tweeners, who move from team to team). Keep in mind that I am only refering to the GAC program, and that it isn't a problem at all for teams without JV's.

As for the reason I've heard as to why the MIAC switched, which I believe was saving money, this I don't really get. If I'm paying tens of thousands of dollars to attend a great school like GAC, I would think the travel costs of one team could easily be spent.

That's just my opinion.

[Willy Wonka]

PI - I'll take a stab at that from a few perspectives.

As a parent...it sucks. The womens games will be starting at 6 this year I believe, which puts it a full 90 minutes earlier than last year. As my parents were already leaving work early to make the games last year, they aren't real happy about it and I don't blame them. For the guys, their games will start 30 minutes later now. It's not a huge deal, but it makes for another extra 30-45 minutes of missed sleep for parents who take the time to drive to watch their son play and work early in the AM.

If the parents happened to be a Sviggum, Boese or <insert another son/daughter combo playing at the same school> it works out perfectly. They can drive to one place together and watch the family play in back to back games rather than having to split to attend a game apiece.

As a student...it's great. You no longer have to choose which gender to support and get to watch basketball for 5 hours, if you'd like. I expect the stands to be packed tighter at every school around the league.

As someone who played on the mens team but needs to watch the girls now...it's perfect!

However, I'm actually kind of surprised the MIAC is getting away with forcing the girls to play first all year. Given the mindset of many, it makes the girls game into a JV affair almost - the game before the main event, if you will. There's got to be some Title IV violation here somewhere, right? Where's Martha Burke when you need her? :p I expect it to be tweaked next year so that is on some sort of rotation after plenty of parents complain on the womens side.

[bchoops]

I echo the sentiments of Willy.  I think there are advantages and disadvantages to both.  However, on the positive side, my younger sister played for UWEC and attending those games when the men and women played on the same evening was always a great atmosphere.  They would play UW-Stout and have 3000 people (at least) with standing room only and a raucous atmosphere.  While I doubt that the MIAC will generate anything approximating this atmosphere (this year at least), I think the potential for a larger crowd, with more big game type atmospheres developing is greater, which for the players will be a good thing.  Perhaps STO can get more people out to there games now, instead of playing in that large gym with some 200 fans present.  That was always the worst.

[gacbacker]

Gustavus 110 Bethany Lutheran 64

Gusties win in a laugher...Willy did Hanson find a possible two guard off the bench tonight in Kaus or does his 20 points and 6-7 from three in garbage time mean very little?

[kel_varnsen]

Those 6-7 were spread throughout the game. Then again, there were about 40 minutes worth of garbage time tonight. I was waiting for the 12-pt spot to pop up so he could drain one from half court. "He's on fire!!!" Looks like the jury is still out as to who is the Gusties #2 option. I can't imagine how they can expect to compete for a conference title without one. 

[funbballer]

However, I'm actually kind of surprised the MIAC is getting away with forcing the girls to play first all year. Given the mindset of many, it makes the girls game into a JV affair almost - the game before the main event, if you will. There's got to be some Title IV violation here somewhere, right? Where's Martha Burke when you need her? :p I expect it to be tweaked next year so that is on some sort of rotation after plenty of parents complain on the womens side.

Wonka.......you related to Burke?  (just kidding!)

Would you rather have the men play first and then everyone leave after that game as I'm afraid that's what might happen. How would that make the women feel? Would you REALLY feel this way if you didn't have a sister playing? (this is a serious question, not meant to be slap-happy about it)

Does anyone know the reasoning as to why this format was chosen? Travel costs? What else?

I fully agree with you about the parent's issue and having to leave work and travel that much earlier. They're (parents) the ones getting the raw end of the deal.

[Willy Wonka]

funbb - Burke is my aunt and Reusse is my uncle, if you must know

My sister has nothing to do with this and I'm not saying I would change it. Personally, I think this is the best way IF it has to be like this. However, there is no tangible reason to make the girls first every time. In fact, it's a little silly if you ask me, unless the league is simply looking at continuity.

To play the devil's advocate even further, perhaps getting all the people to a guys game would cause some of them to stay to watch the girls if the roles are reversed? Who's to say girls fans will stay to watch guys? I agree with your sentiment, but I can see people complaining and they have a valid argument IMO.

Sounds like an ugly game in St. Pete. Kaus is a spark plug along the lines of Travis Kalis, formerly of St. Thomas formerly of Augsburg. When he's hitting, he's a great asset. When he's not, he's not nearly as valuable. However, the part I like best about the Gusties showing is seven, as in turnovers. That's a very good number, especially given the fact that everyone saw time.

Bring on the all-world Pipers!

[crazy_carl]

There's got to be some Title IV violation here somewhere, right?

Willy- I fail to see what Title IV and financial aid have to do with this.

In seriousness though, I agree with your point made about women's fans sticking around to watch the guys.  For the home Carleton doubleheaders in past years (vs. Concordia, Olaf, etc), the women would play first and always outdraw the men.  About 2/3 or 3/4 of the crowd would leave when we came out for warm-ups.  Granted the women were always better relative to us, but still.

[big_shocker]

Just so you guys know, it's Title IX, not Title IV. (That's Title 9, instead of Title 4, for all of you who don't know Roman numerals unless you were watching a Rocky movie.)

[funbballer]

For the home Carleton doubleheaders in past years (vs. Concordia, Olaf, etc), the women would play first and always outdraw the men.  About 2/3 or 3/4 of the crowd would leave when we came out for warm-ups......

Without question, this has to be the exception to the rule.....every place else, the men outdraw the women's games......save for STO where Koz maybe gets his standing room only crowd of 75.   

Big Shocker....good heads up on the Title IX bit!!!!

[Willy Wonka]

Title 4? I'm going to have to go slap my editor around a little bit for letting that one slip

As for Koz...let's lighten up for a bit right now. At 2-1, the Oles are almost in the upper echelon of the league - above the Tommies and Cobbers, two preseason picks by many. There's a good chance we'll have time to do plenty of ripping later in the year, so give him his props while we still can. I mean, he's cut his rotation down to 10 who all play double digits minutes. If they were in the UMAC, they'd probably be a title contender.

Baby steps, right?