MBB: Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[Nites]

If Abe had stayed at UST, he wouldn't have played this year.  He's not the type of PG that they need. 

Indulge a little more for me. I know this has been mentioned briefly before, but I just can't understand why a player that is averaging 18.5 points and has a 2 to 1 assist-turnover ratio wouldn't fit with a bunch of guys that can play at UST.

I know that MAC is more of a run-and-gun and that UST like to set up plays, but I can't buy the fact that if Abe was still at UST, he woudn't be playing some, if not starting once the UST coaching staff found out what they had.

You might be right.  I would admit that it would be possible for Abe to have contributed positively to UST. Especially on the Assist column.    

I would say that the coaches were very aware of Abe's potential.  Like most people after watching Abe, they are impressed.  I think the key is the style of play.  Also consider that Abe has been around the program for some time, and has no varsity experience at UST. Dwyer has.  So  probably as a UST coach, you build on the experience Dwyer has instead of bringing Abe up to speed.

DISCLAIMER. This is only speculation.

I am very happy for Abe, and that he has found a home at MAC.

**********

PI, I also selected the Ham-bones for last night.

Sometimes (and I don't know if that's the case here), whether in athletics or in the "real" world, people get perceptions formed about them as to what they can or cannot do.  Perception becomes reality and it is very difficult to change the perception.  In those cases, a change in scenery is the best thing you can do.  Sometimes, folks don't recognize the "gem" that they had in their possession until the gem has departed for greener pastures.  I suspect that there may be at least a few people that are surprised by how well Abe has done at MAC.  Now whether he would have been as successful in the Tommies system as he is in the Scot's system had he been given a full opportunity at UST, I don't know.  My guess is no, and it is hard to argue that the Tommies should have tweaked their system to accommodate his talents given the fact that they are the 5th ranked D-III team in the country.

[Drake Palmer]

If Abe had stayed at UST, he wouldn't have played this year.  He's not the type of PG that they need. 

Indulge a little more for me. I know this has been mentioned briefly before, but I just can't understand why a player that is averaging 18.5 points and has a 2 to 1 assist-turnover ratio wouldn't fit with a bunch of guys that can play at UST.

I know that MAC is more of a run-and-gun and that UST like to set up plays, but I can't buy the fact that if Abe was still at UST, he woudn't be playing some, if not starting once the UST coaching staff found out what they had.

You might be right.  I would admit that it would be possible for Abe to have contributed positively to UST. Especially on the Assist column.    

I would say that the coaches were very aware of Abe's potential.  Like most people after watching Abe, they are impressed.  I think the key is the style of play.  Also consider that Abe has been around the program for some time, and has no varsity experience at UST. Dwyer has.  So  probably as a UST coach, you build on the experience Dwyer has instead of bringing Abe up to speed.

DISCLAIMER. This is only speculation.

I am very happy for Abe, and that he has found a home at MAC.

**********

PI, I also selected the Ham-bones for last night.

Sometimes (and I don't know if that's the case here), whether in athletics or in the "real" world, people get perceptions formed about them as to what they can or cannot do.  Perception becomes reality and it is very difficult to change the perception.  In those cases, a change in scenery is the best thing you can do.  Sometimes, folks don't recognize the "gem" that they had in their possession until the gem has departed for greener pastures.  I suspect that there may be at least a few people that are surprised by how well Abe has done at MAC.  Now whether he would have been as successful in the Tommies system as he is in the Scot's system had he been given a full opportunity at UST, I don't know.  My guess is no, and it is hard to argue that the Tommies should have tweaked their system to accommodate his talents given the fact that they are the 5th ranked D-III team in the country.

Nicely stated.

[sumander]

Nites & Drake, +k for your Johnnie game accounts. Thanks.

Only 4 teams in the league with a .500 record or better! I would echo the strange and entertaining adjectives!

[Nites]

Nites - I was at the MAC- SJU game last night & I would more or less agree with your game summary with one exception.  With the talent & size disparity the J's have -- in the closing minutes of a fairly tight game, why are they casting & (fortunately for them) making treys; instead of running clock & looking to go inside against the smaller Scots?  I think their shot selection & approach to the game could come back to bite them as the season progresses.  Defensively, I though the Js did a good job.  Just my two cents worth.

By the way - Macalester is offering free admisssion to all of their home games this season. The hustling & scrappy Scots were a great sports entertainment bargain to begin with, but this makes their home games all the more appealing.

Drake,

SJU did go inside to Fogt for a big three point play and they got a couple of baskets on the break after some ill-advised shots by MAC; however, it appeared (from the webcast, not in person) that MAC was playing pretty good interior defense and that they weren't allowing much penetration.  Conboy looked like he was clogging the middle with some effectiveness and I was really impressed that he was diving for loose balls out beyond the free throw line.  I do agree, however, that SJU appeared to be more intent on moving the ball around the perimeter looking to free up the open J, then they were on pounding the ball inside and attacking the hoop.  In fact, other than the pass inside to Fogt, I can recall any passes into the post in the second half.

Liddell has been red hot and he didn't have the touch last night.  I don't know what had more to do with it, the Johnnies defense or the fact that he got his bell rung and had to sit for an extended period of time.  The one open three that he missed from the left corner late in the game was a big play in the game.

[miacwatchmen]

As for the Johnnies outside game, they have relied on it all season. When the ball doesn't fall they are in trouble but luckly for them they usually have at least one person who can hit. The inside game was a nonfactor last night due to the fact that Schafer, who has some of the best post moves in the league, played only three minutes! I don't know what the deal was there but usually the inside game goes through him. Because of his absence the guards and apparently Brink hit 10-15 3pt FG's in the first half and gave the J's a huge lead.

[VOJ]

Drake...I will tell you why the Johnnies did not go inside...they were not calling fouls at all, Ohme got mugged going to the hole, no call, he also got hammered going for a loose ball...

I am not sure why an ALL-MIAC player from last year(Craig Schafer) sat most of the night last night...there are some different patterns this year, can't figure it out...

It was a good win for SJU, but give MAC credit they did come back, but they don't D up as well as they could...

Oh and Mark Bakko should never be allowed to call an MIAC, high school or Jr high game again...he is awful, it was almost personal late in the game after Smitty got that T.

[Nites]

Tommies move up to number 3 this week in the D-III poll behind UW-Stevens Point and Amherst (who between them garnered all of the 1st place votes).

http://www.d3hoops.com/top25/

[funbballer]

ohio st and carleton both lost tonight... -2 on pickems for me 

i think i jinxed myself with the gooogs post

on a side note...im not a ohio st fan i was just cheering for them...because the buckeyes are just a nut...they arent even an animal or anything...i think i will start calling them the nuts until they win another championship

Mobster....don't call OSU nuts because they didn't play with any last night! "Gator Nation" was on fire, weren't they. They do have a "few" athletes that can play!!

So, WW, what's going on with your beloved Golden Gusties? And what's with the Gustie guards? Are they afraid to shoot?

Looks like HU pulled out a nice win against the Knights....mobster were you there? I see HU's big freshman from Richfield played a fair amount. Is he now a full time starter?

And for crying out loud, how does BU lose to Koz after a great effort vs UST? What's with that? No, don't talk to me about being "drained or emotionally spent" after losing in two OT's. That's just plain soft...ya gotta rebound from those things, pick yourself up and get ready for the next one.

So, Willie, let's get some "scoop." Are the Hanson boys soft like they were last year? No leadership?

Tommie's are tough again, Auggies are better.....it's a rat race boys!

[bleednavyblue_GoBU]

Shocked to see that BU gets taken down by the Oles in Northfield last night.  They haven't lost to them in a long while if I'm not mistaken.  Looks like the game was won by the Ole's 3 point % and the free throw shot difference. 

Bethel has a higher overall percentage but the Ole's shoot 54% from behind the arc to Bethel's 23%. 
Oles shoot 3 times as many free throws.  Their 25 to Bethel's 8.  Wasn't at the game, but I wonder if Bethel just wasn't aggresive or what. 

If madson isn't hitting his shots... the ball needs to be in Moberg's hands every time down the court. 

Rolando had 11, and actually shot the most free throws for the team.  Good to see him coming on, and by the time he and Moberg are seniors they could be a force in the middle. 

[oleroll]

Moberg was very solid. St. Olaf just straight up beat them.

[Willy Wonka]

ohio st and carleton both lost tonight... -2 on pickems for me 

i think i jinxed myself with the gooogs post

on a side note...im not a ohio st fan i was just cheering for them...because the buckeyes are just a nut...they arent even an animal or anything...i think i will start calling them the nuts until they win another championship

Mobster....don't call OSU nuts because they didn't play with any last night! "Gator Nation" was on fire, weren't they. They do have a "few" athletes that can play!!

So, WW, what's going on with your beloved Golden Gusties? And what's with the Gustie guards? Are they afraid to shoot?

Looks like HU pulled out a nice win against the Knights....mobster were you there? I see HU's big freshman from Richfield played a fair amount. Is he now a full time starter?

And for crying out loud, how does BU lose to Koz after a great effort vs UST? What's with that? No, don't talk to me about being "drained or emotionally spent" after losing in two OT's. That's just plain soft...ya gotta rebound from those things, pick yourself up and get ready for the next one.

So, Willie, let's get some "scoop." Are the Hanson boys soft like they were last year? No leadership?

Tommie's are tough again, Auggies are better.....it's a rat race boys!

As the great P.T. Barnum once said, say what you want about me but spell my name right (aka there's no such thing as bad press, though Miss Spears may disagree.). Willy, not Willie

Not sure what to make of the Gustie struggles, but things are likely to get worse before they get better. They play Wednesday at UST, where it's tough to win even when you clearly have the better team (RE: 2004). Inconsistency seems to be the name of the game, however.

Wittwer was borderline spectacular Saturday @SMU, but invisible the game before. Sowden has struggled without post touches. Stein is simply fighting for minutes, as production has been an issue since the ankle injury. Kramer and Olson are great catch-and-shoot guards, but are limited in production elsewhere. Doble is a scoring machine, but looks like Sammy J during his freshman year under Clem on defense sometimes. The back-up guards all seem pretty similar in what they bring to the table at this point, so other options aren't exactly jumping out for Hanson.

Defense, long a cornerstone in GAC's tradition, is also lacking. There isn't a true lockdown defender on the roster (Wahlberg, TeBrake, Espo, etc.) and the intensity seems to come and go like seasons (I'm Wonkalicious!). Down the stretch in a tight game at SMU, 2 or 3 Gusties on the bench did the Wojo hit-the-floor routine. Typically, someone on the court starts it and the rest of the team — including the bench — follows suit. During this particular instance, not one player on the court did so and the rest of the bench sat on their hands as well. That, to me, is the perfect snapshot of their season to this point.

With that established, I can't think of a better way to turn things around than springing an upset on the third-ranked team in the nation with myself, gacball and a few others in attendance

[columbianmaffia]

and i thought i was weird

then i looked at espn.com's front page

what do i see



i see a headline about how jason kidd's wife beats him



then i look at the next headline and its about a high school basketball coach in CO that hits his players in the nuts!!

thats disgusting

i just think its ironic about all the talk about ohio st and how they are actually nuts and then there is a story about a coach hitting players in the nuts...weird

[funbballer]

Ah Willy, you're far too sensitive. I think the stress of witnessing your gusties playing like a bunch of powder puffs has you really on edge. Now that I've accurately defined their type of play, just watch them come out and give the all-american effort against the Tommies.

Doesn't matter though UST will win it no matter what effort the goldy gusties bring.

Me thinking even the Koz will knock 'em off this year....provided the Koz doesn't show!!!

[Chica yea false identification]

Can someone please explain to me why Tyler Kaus is not seeing the floor.  Right now gustavus seems to not have much guard play and i know for a fact that kaus is better than Kramer and DesLauriers...Last year at Bethany he had 24 points and didn't see the floor against them this year.  he had some solid games at the beginning of the year and now all of a sudden he's not playing at all.  In my mind hes a better scorer/ defender/ and ball handler than both of those guys.  So i guess i'm just looking for some answers if anyone has any.

[Mr. Ypsi]

The first Posters' Poll of 2007 is up (multi-region topics).  We're 'fairly' well geographically diversified, but no one from the MIAC.  If you follow d3 on a NATIONAL level (or wish to nominate someone who does), we want to hear from you!

It is a bit of work to do it justice (and we try!), but it is also loads of fun and quite educational.  We are NOT in competition with the d3hoops.com poll (which we all consider the 'gold standard' for d3), but discrepancies between the polls can generate quite interesting conversations.

We rank teams based on games through Sundays, with ballots due by 8pm (EST) on Mondays (though I often leave the polling booth open later in hopes of more ballots).  For more info, or to submit a ballot, PM 'Mr. Ypsi'.