MBB: Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[Willy Wonka]

I'm still a little confused by the Smurf ball & the big guy still riding pine.  Or is it to time to close ranks behind the Gustie faithful?

What exactly is this supposed to mean?

[funbballer]

Just maybe, the Gusties aren't as good as some people think they are or want them to be?

Basketball folk say the only "tough guy" is Sowden....the book on the rest of them is a "bunch of nice kids, but marshmellow soft."

GAC will no doubt make the playoffs, but Wonka, I don't think they'll be in the hunt for the MIAC title.

As for Olson....isn't he a great 'catch & shoot' kind of player? Are they setting screens for him or isn't he working hard enough to get open? (I notice the only real stat he got vs Carthage was a technical....sheez, bet little Markie Hanson didn't like that! Does he punish players for getting T's or do they just get fewer servings of lutefisk during the dinner hour?!!!)

Well, it's early....no need for anybody to panic 

...now, about those Golden Gophers...!!!!

[Drake Palmer]

I'm still a little confused by the Smurf ball & the big guy still riding pine.  Or is it to time to close ranks behind the Gustie faithful?

What exactly is this supposed to mean?

This is a variation of a question I've asked you a couple of times previously that you've not answered, or if you have answered, I've missed your response.  Perhaps like you may have missed reading my questions.

My questions have been:

1)  Why is GAC starting two sub-6 footers - Olson & Kramer? Thus Smurf ball
2) Where was Tyler Kramer before this-- his senior year
3)  Why is your former D1 recruit -- Sam Paulson not seeing any clock?

Since you didn't answer, I was left to assume you were choosing to ignore my questions.

For example:

A couple of opening weekend observations:

Teams who live by the sword (trey) die by the sword

GAC- It appears the Gusties are modeling themselves after their Lutheran cousins to the south, Luther College & playing a version of Smurf ball??  A starting backcourt of Andrew Olson 5-11 & Tyler Kramer at 5-10, hmm.  And where's prized D1 recruit Sam Paulson - he gets no clock?

..And last but not least, the Gusties lose 78-70 in a competitive game at home against perennial league contender, Buena Vista from the IIAC.  Sounds like it was fairly close, but the Gusties were out rebounded, BV shut down Wittwer, & Tyler (who?) Kramer was once again one of the leading scorers 15 pts for GAC.

[Willy Wonka]

Granted, any team who's 1-2 has a much better chance to tank than a team who starts 3-0. That said, I happen to like their situation, if not the record. If a couple rolls go GAC's way in the final 2 minutes of its losses, the Gusties could pretty easily be 3-0 with wins over two non-MIAC conference title contenders. That experience is certainly better than, say, three 25+ point shootout wins like BU has.

Both games were played, essentially, without starting center Jay Stein, who's out with an ankle sprain. He's not a huge difference maker at 6 and 6 a game, but he's a solid cog in the Gustie rotation.

Using two close losses to good teams as reasons to rule GAC out of the title race seems silly, especially since I'm on the opposite end of the spectrum. However, this is all optimistic conjecture until the close losses actually turn into something tangibly positive.

Drake - I've answered your Kramer questions earlier, albeit briefly. Kramer, whose bro played at UMD, was on the bench last year, but got no clock and played JV before then. He's a scrappy kid with a nice shot. His success has been a bit of a surprise to me as well, but Mr. Anderson proved shooters can thrive under the right circumstances. I heard he clearly outshined his competition during tryouts/practices/preseason scrimmages, which made the decision easy. Olson's spot was never really in question(10.1 PPG, 44% from deep), so there isn't much of a secret behind the decision. Tyler Kaus (5-8) has also seen time with Kramer which would seem more of a problem than when paired together, but I haven't watched seen any altering in opponent's attack.

No idea about Paulson. I watched one practice early and he didn't seem like anything special. If he was good enough to play I'm sure he would, but press clippings don't earn you clock or postseason awards (*cough* Keating *cough*). Besides, the Gusties aren't exactly lacking inside.

[Gregory Sager]

If a couple rolls go GAC's way in the final 2 minutes of its losses, the Gusties could pretty easily be 3-0 with wins over two non-MIAC conference title contenders.

I gotta give that comment a couple of these, WW:  Buena Vista is definitely a contender in the IIAC, but Carthage was picked to finish seventh out of eight in the CCIW preseason poll taken of the league's coaches. Not that our eight illustrious hoops mentors are generally good prognosticators, but they're not along in consigning Carthage to also-ran status; most of the people who follow the league are picking the Redmen to finish among the bottom two or three as well.

[sumander]

College Sporting News has their pre season MIAC outlook here

Nice piece MM!

[UST_LBOW]

How can Olson not even get a shot off!!!! Something isn't right down in St. Peter

[abominable_snowman]

Two days and counting...the world just seems better when basketball games are being played.

[Drake Palmer]

...Drake - I've answered your Kramer questions earlier, albeit briefly. Kramer, whose bro played at UMD, was on the bench last year, but got no clock and played JV before then. He's a scrappy kid with a nice shot. His success has been a bit of a surprise to me as well, but Mr. Anderson proved shooters can thrive under the right circumstances. I heard he clearly outshined his competition during tryouts/practices/preseason scrimmages, which made the decision easy. Olson's spot was never really in question(10.1 PPG, 44% from deep), so there isn't much of a secret behind the decision. Tyler Kaus (5-8) has also seen time with Kramer which would seem more of a problem than when paired together, but I haven't watched seen any altering in opponent's attack.

No idea about Paulson. I watched one practice early and he didn't seem like anything special. If he was good enough to play I'm sure he would, but press clippings don't earn you clock or postseason awards (*cough* Keating *cough*). Besides, the Gusties aren't exactly lacking inside.

Now there's an answer.    With the latest dust up regarding Seinfield's Kramer, I can see why you might have been quiet about the Gusties' Kramer.   If your guard line up remains the same, it'll be interesting to see if other teams start trying to exploit the size advantage.  I don't know if the teams the Gusties just played featured that many tall guards.

Not to belabor the point, but if a kid gets a D1 offer, one would think he would get some clock at a D3 school.  It isn't like the Gusties can redshirt & save him for four years.  Ok, now I 'll drop it. 

Sum - you're riding high with this new technology!    Let me know once you  figured out how to enlarge photos in a post.  I've tried off & on & still mostly what you see is what you get from me.  Or as the IT guys say - WYSIWYG.

   

[sjuforlife]

Qeustion to everyone....there seems to be a lot of talk about the gusties this year and I would like to know who all thinks that they WILL MAKE THE PLAYOFFS THIS YEAR??  I personally do not think they will and if they do it will be the 6th seed but im curious as to what others really think.  for those who dont think the gusties will make the playoffs..(if there is anybody) who do you think will get the 6 seed?  i think it will be a fight between saint mary's and augsburg if this transfer keep putting up the numbers he did against crown.  (i know crown sucks...but ya never know)

[Willy Wonka]

If a couple rolls go GAC's way in the final 2 minutes of its losses, the Gusties could pretty easily be 3-0 with wins over two non-MIAC conference title contenders.

I gotta give that comment a couple of these, WW:  Buena Vista is definitely a contender in the IIAC, but Carthage was picked to finish seventh out of eight in the CCIW preseason poll taken of the league's coaches. Not that our eight illustrious hoops mentors are generally good prognosticators, but they're not along in consigning Carthage to also-ran status; most of the people who follow the league are picking the Redmen to finish among the bottom two or three as well.

Really?  That makes these first two MIAC games all that more important for gauging the Gusties then, I suppose.

[BETHEL34]

I don't think the Carthage and BV games are good indicators for how this season is going to be for the Gusties this year.  Here is my reasoning.  In a game outside the conference, Coaching in my mind plays less of a factor because you don't know the opposing team like you know an in conference team.  It comes down to which team can make more plays and which team has more talent (most of the time).  There are a lot more question marks in those games that as a Coach it is very hard to prepare for.  On the contrary, in conference games, Hanson knows each team inside and out and most of the time he will out Coach his opponent.  Coaching when it comes to in conference games plays a much larger role as far as setting up a successful game plan.   And here is where no one does it better than Hanson.  Bar none!

So, if you look at the talent of the Gusties this year, they are definitely down.  I probably would put them at 7-8, maybe even 9 overall talents wise.  But, then you factor in Coaching, and that makes them a top 5-6 team in the MIAC.  Maybe even pushing for a 3 seed bid, I wouldn't put it past them.   

So to sum it up...Coach Hanson will get these guys in the playoffs.  He just knows how to out Coach every other Coach in the MIAC.  FACT!

[cobbernation]

GOPHERS LOSE TO MONTANA 72-65!!

i wish they had UST on their schedule this year...that would be interesting to see how competitive this game would be

DAN MONSON IS A TURKEY!!

Yes, Go Griz!

I played against Hasquet in a summer tourney in Polson, MT.  He is really good.

[cobbernation]

maniac,
Nice article about the MIAC basketball teams. 

[funbballer]

I don't think the Carthage and BV games are good indicators for how this season is going to be for the Gusties this year.  Here is my reasoning.  In a game outside the conference, Coaching in my mind plays less of a factor because you don't know the opposing team like you know an in conference team.  It comes down to which team can make more plays and which team has more talent (most of the time).  There are a lot more question marks in those games that as a Coach it is very hard to prepare for.  On the contrary, in conference games, Hanson knows each team inside and out and most of the time he will out Coach his opponent.  Coaching when it comes to in conference games plays a much larger role as far as setting up a successful game plan.   And here is where no one does it better than Hanson.  Bar none!

So, if you look at the talent of the Gusties this year, they are definitely down.  I probably would put them at 7-8, maybe even 9 overall talents wise.  But, then you factor in Coaching, and that makes them a top 5-6 team in the MIAC.  Maybe even pushing for a 3 seed bid, I wouldn't put it past them.   

So to sum it up...Coach Hanson will get these guys in the playoffs.  He just knows how to out Coach every other Coach in the MIAC.  FACT!

BG34.....some might think you're giving way too much love to Hanson?