MBB: Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[UST_LBOW]

UST absolutely crushed the Oles.  Probably one of the most boring games I've been to in a long time.  They were up by 25 at half and St. Olaf never got close.

That may be the quietest gym ever,  there were more Ole fans doing homework on their laptops than watching the game. 

By far the highlight of the game was when Fritz and Koz shook hands and you could see Koz's face and how mad he was that they got smoked again.  They are just not a good basketball team.  They should recruit #34 from the women's team.  She had 5 3's in the first 15 min of the game!

[abominable_snowman]

I wouldn't write off the Ole's quite yet.  It is looking like that last seat in the playoffs is going to be up in the air. I woudl say if any team in the bottom half can win the next three in a row, they will be looking pretty good.  If the bottom half keep trading victories, though it is anybody's game. 

With Concordia and Hamline refusing to roll over, I think we'll be in for a nice race.

[d3bballfollower]

Bethel has tunred it around nicely...they lost early on, but not because they weren't good enough, they just weren't ready to play that level of competition after another cupcake non-conference schedule...but those losses were to Gustavus by 1, Carleton by 4, SJU by 5, St. Thomas by 4 in double ot and then the shocker to St. Olaf who is nto as bad as everyone predicted...if Bethel would've played a tougher noin-conference schedule they might have won at least 2-3 of those games because they would've known how to win...but I do think that they could be this year's Carleton...they are playing their best ball right now and that is without madson being as consistent from the floor as he usually is...but with laugen and madson on the outside and meadowcroft and moberg on the inside, they will be tough to beat...they could easily be 10-1 or 9-2 in conference right now...and with the holes in UST's armor and the newly seen holes in SJU's armor (loss to SMU) Bethel could knock both of those teams off...I predict a final 14-6 or 13-7 record for Bethel, which I think will give them a 3rd place seed in the conference tourney.

[Drake Palmer]

Don't get me wrong, D3BO, I like the talent on the Bethel team a lot, but here are a couple of things I'd like to point out: 

Bethel went 1-5 against the top division teams in the first quarter of the conference race - with a win over Hamline, an "oops" loss to the Oles; sandwiched around admittedly 4 tough losses to the teams you mentioned.  Then they built up their win totals by beating the teams in the bottom half of the league.  I think we all agree that overall the league talent seems to be improved, but none of those wins would really count as "signature" wins.

But now as we hit the 3rd quarter of the season, the Royals will face those same top 4 teams in the next week & ½.  To be considered a serious playoff contender, Bethel needs to go at least 2-2 & knock off one of the "bigs" – the Tommies or Js.  Timing wise, they couldn't meet their first 2 opponents at a better time.  I heard GAC's Snowden tweaked/sprained his ankle against the Auggies last night, & for some unexplained reason, injury (?)Trevor Wittwer spent the last 8-9 minutes of the Auggie game on the bench.  Also, it looks like Carleton's Tommy Drake has been temporarily sidelined with some type of illness, for who knows how long.  His "illness" thins an already lean Carlie roster.

With regard to Tim Madson, so far he's shooting better this year than he did last year. Last year he shot 37% FGA, 35% 3FGA, & 68.6% FTs.  This year he's at 47% FGA, 39.8% 3FG & 86.2% FTs.

Based on how close their games were the first time against the Johnnies & Tommies, I wouldn't be at all surprised to see one of those teams drop one to the Royals. Both of those games should be great games.

[Nites]

Bethel has tunred it around nicely......they are playing their best ball right now and that is without madson being as consistent from the floor as he usually is...but with laugen and madson on the outside and meadowcroft and moberg on the inside, they will be tough to beat...they could easily be 10-1 or 9-2 in conference right now...and with the holes in UST's armor and the newly seen holes in SJU's armor (loss to SMU) Bethel could knock both of those teams off...I predict a final 14-6 or 13-7 record for Bethel, which I think will give them a 3rd place seed in the conference tourney.

Laugen on the outside hasn't been a real plus lately.  Poor kid has been in a horrendous shooting slump.  He went 2-5 from the field last night with 2 treys, which might not sound like much, but it's a vast improvement over his 3 for 25 numbers from the previous 5 games (7 for 36 if you go back 6 games).

[Willy Wonka]

I think we all agree that overall the league talent seems to be improved...

Really? Based on what?

You and I have both agreed UST isn't Top 5 good — and I'd take that a step farther to say they aren't as good as any of the top teams in the last decade or so — and SJU can't even satisfy its most devoted fans with consistent play/intensity (I haven't/won't get to see them play, unless they make the MIAC title game, so can't comment too much). GAC has become everyone's favorite whipping boy, but has a 1.5 game lead (despite starters combining to miss around 10-15 games overall) in third place over Bethel, who Drake just semi-ripped. Everyone else, save the Carlies at 6-6 in league, is below .500 overall and in league play.

I ask again, how do you consider the league "up" with these type of stats as evidence? I'd say it's waaaaaaaay down, except for the fact that the "bad" teams (STO, SMU, Auggie Tech, etc.) are more even and making Pick'em all but impossible.

I heard GAC's Snowden tweaked/sprained his ankle against the Auggies last night, & for some unexplained reason, injury (?)Trevor Wittwer spent the last 8-9 minutes of the Auggie game on the bench.

Man, Concordia's Joe Snowden just keeps getting more and more medical redshirts to keep showing up on these boards as a transfer huh? To think, he graduated back in what, 2002? 

[ballfan23]

Hamline University's Men's Basketball team had their best season in over 20 years last season as they made it to the playoffs and upset St. Johns on their home floor. A season later with everyone back they are on the verge of not making the playoffs and finishing near the bottom of the MIAC. With all of the talent on their roster their is no way they should be a team that does not make the playoffs! So the question I ask is this it for current head coach Barry Wohler? Wohler was an accomplished player at the U and St. Cloud but it seems as if he cant cut it as a head coach. Yes, last season they were successful but they also had Dan Perrel as an assistant and he is now at Bethel (A team which swept HU this season). From what I have heard is he sporadically subs players, does not get a lot of respect from players and has ongoing feuds with star player Kyle Foster. A few players have quit so far this season and Im sure others are very frustrated with the coach as well. If Hamline ends the year at the bottom of the MIAC it might be time for Wohler to be fired. There is no way he will have as talented of a roster as he has this year and next year they will be without point guard Sam Wiener and Foster.  Wohler is not a players coach and seems to still have the mindset of a minor leaguer who never made it big time. It will be interesting to see what happens with this dilapidated program.

[Willy Wonka]

With the SJU bandwagon shedding numbers left and right after Monday's loss, my anti-Wohler machine is freshly oiled and ready to be brought out of the garage. Good to have you aboard, ballfan23, and welcome to the board.

He's been brutal, as you've pointed out. The Pipes have zero discipline and his players either don't listen or he's given up trying to get through to them. They'll win a few more games based on talent alone, but they've been a tremendous disappointment and it's hard not to point the finger at the top, eh PI?

[piperinsider]

DP-
Last place teams don't warrant too much talk.

Welcome to the board ballfan23. I'm going out on a limb and say we need more players from Plainview to be successful again. If you don't understand, my guess is wrong.

Like I've said before, in talking with a few former players, Wohler has been a tough guy to practice and play for. I also believe, as noted before, that the loss of Perrel was a huge one. Not only is he a great coach, but presented a good balance alongside Wohler.

It sure is disappointing after the semifinal run last year.

[Drake Palmer]

DP-
Last place teams don't warrant too much talk.

Welcome to the board ballfan23. I'm going out on a limb and say we need more players from Plainview to be successful again. If you don't understand, my guess is wrong.

Like I've said before, in talking with a few former players, Wohler has been a tough guy to practice and play for. I also believe, as noted before, that the loss of Perrel was a huge one. Not only is he a great coach, but presented a good balance alongside Wohler.

It sure is disappointing after the semifinal run last year.

That's fair.

*******************************************

Snowden, Sowden, Snowflake, Abominable Snowman, Rosebud, Phitty, you get my drift. - Phillip Sowden OK??   "Sorry" Drake snarled.  I sat in on SJU4 life's spelling seminar last week.  Anyway, you ought to be glad I gave you something to post about. 

It's a good thing I didn't pass along the other comments I heard about the Gusties from what sounded like Funbballer's cuz. 

Numbers, Willy, numbers. The key word in my comment about league talent is overall.  As we've agreed, the top 2-3 teams in the league are down, but IMO the bottom 6-7 teams' talent  is up.   As proof, I offer last night's defeat by the Johnnies to SMU, or Carleton's loss to the Auggies or gasp, the Gusties loss to the the Cobbs.  Should I continue?

In past years, the elite teams could sleep walk their way thru places like Winona, Moorhead, the Dawg pound, Joe Hutton arena.  Also, no offense Mac boosters, but when I think of really bad, horrible MIAC teams I think of some of those Mac teams from the past with their international cast of players.  At least for now, those players don't even get off the bench at MAC. 

[Touchdown Tommy]

Wonka you are the Basketball PP version of myself.  Congratulations sir.

[Willy Wonka]

Numbers, Willy, numbers. The key word in my comment about league talent is overall.  As we've agreed, the top 2-3 teams in the league are down, but IMO the bottom 6-7 teams' talent  is up.   As proof, I offer last night's defeat by the Johnnies to SMU, or Carleton's loss to the Auggies or gasp, the Gusties loss to the the Cobbs.  Should I continue?

In past years, the elite teams could sleep walk their way thru places like Winona, Moorhead, the Dawg pound, Joe Hutton arena.  Also, no offense Mac boosters, but when I think of really bad, horrible MIAC teams I think of some of those Mac teams from the past with their international cast of players.  At least for now, those players don't even get off the bench at MAC. 

Up from when? What years are you exactly referring to here? Back in 1999-2000 when I saw a bad Cobbers team take down a stud 18-2 Johnnies squad? 2001-02 when an ugly Auggie Tech squad dropped a 17-3 Gustie team? 2003-04 when an extremely down Tommie team upset 18-2 GAC? 2003-04 when SMU upset the 16-4 Scots? 2001-02 when Hamline beat the 16-4 Tommies by 16?

Should I continue? I gotta keep the prez happy

[cobbernation]

Sidetracking a bit from MIAC bball.  What does everyone think of the firing of T-wolves coach dwane casey?  He had a .500 record and if the season ended today they would be in the playoffs.

I don't know if firing casey was the right thing, maybe they should fire people up at the top.  cough..cough..kevin mchale..cough

[sumander]

With the SJU bandwagon shedding numbers left and right after Monday's loss, my anti-Wohler machine is freshly oiled and ready to be brought out of the garage. Good to have you aboard, ballfan23, and welcome to the board.

Willy, The bandwagon wasn't shedding numbers! That was just people hopping off so we could fix the flat we got down in Winona!  The bandwagon will be back in full force tonight against the Knights! 

[abominable_snowman]

Sidetracking a bit from MIAC bball.  What does everyone think of the firing of T-wolves coach dwane casey?  He had a .500 record and if the season ended today they would be in the playoffs.

I don't know if firing casey was the right thing, maybe they should fire people up at the top.  cough..cough..kevin mchale..cough

I think it's a sad state of affairs for the state.  We have amazing talent and potential, but cannot seem to muster quality coaches owners. 

The Timberpups are only the most recent victim to the coach-loss epidemic.  It's been crazy how many coaches we've lost across the board. (Vikes, Gophs, Wolves)  MN may soon be home to the Twins and Wild only.