MBB: Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[abominable_snowman]

Big matchup in Arden Hills Tomorrow. Bethel on a 7 game streak and the Johnnies have won 9 of 10! Something has to break. Any thoughts?

I think it comes down to what SJU team shows up.  If it is the 100pt scoring, solid cohesive deep squad, then I would be looking for an extra seat on Fin's ride.  

If SJU relaxes at all, BU has some weapons to take advantage of it.

[sumander]

Big matchup in Arden Hills Tomorrow. Bethel on a 7 game streak and the Johnnies have won 9 of 10! Something has to break. Any thoughts?

I think it comes down to what SJU team shows up.  If it is the 100pt scoring, solid cohesive deep squad, then I would be looking for an extra seat on Fin's ride.  

If SJU relaxes at all, BU has some weapons to take advantage of it.

A-Snow, You hit the nail on the head! If the J's play somewhere near the level they played at on Saturday the Royals are in trouble. Hell, UST would be in trouble if the J's play at that level. If the team that shot 38% at SMU shows up the Royals get the W!

It's a chance for the Johnnies to make another statement to the league....They can take their show on the road!

[Drake Palmer]

For some fairly solid posting on the national level, I'd like to call your attention to the efforts of our fellow MIAC posters - Piperinsider, Willy Wonka & Bethelguy, on the (Go to page 155)
Top 25 Board.  All in all, they do a very credible & for the most part, an objective job in describing the talents and abilities of this year's UST team.  In fact, I even applaud Mr. Wonka for setting aside his biases for the most part & providing us with a thoughtful post, although he did make a point of getting his little jabs in as well.  But I've come to expect that from Willy.  I've also said since the opening tip of the season, IMO UST seems like more of a top 8 -12 nationally ranked team, than a top 5 type of team.

I would also like to add this: If the Johnnies can take their hi-octane bandwagon out of Fins' driveway & perform the same way on the road, look out.  The fact the Johnnies whumped up on someone Saturday was not the big news, but the biggest shock was how they totally dismantled the former standard bearer for the league – the Gustavus Gusties!

I'd imagine practices have been fairly crisp around Robertson center the last couple of days, & the Bethel coaches didn't have to blow their whistles too much to get their players attention.  Personally, I think Bethel is a more talented team than GAC & I don't expect to hear about a blowout on Wednesday night.  However, if the Js can go on the road & beat Bethel in much the same way the Tommies crushed GAC at St. Peter last year, then it might be time to do my best impersonation of former Vikes coach Denny Green & say – "there's a new sheriff in town."

[diehardfan]

Alright, I'm officially caught up. A few random comments I couldn't resist...

Strictly facilities I'd go with - Best landscaping - Hamline

I don't know why, but this struck me as unbelievably funny. I can pretty much guarantee you are the only poster EVER to rank facility landscaping. If that's not worthy of a K+ I don't know what is.

all conference means the babes will chat with you online all day!!

I'm still waiting for this to happen after my HOFer selection, but it hasn't happened. Fortunately I haven't had any new stalkers in the last month since I started posting again either, so I guess I should be grateful.

A friend of mine just told me about this "Posting Up" message board thingy.  Looks cool.  I'll give it a whirl.

LOL.... What on earth? I'm pretty sure no one believes you OAS.

Thanks to those who have stopped by the Top 25 board thus far.... But what's up with you not weighing in Drake?

[Drake Palmer]

Alright, I'm officially caught up. A few random comments I couldn't resist...

Thanks to those who have stopped by the Top 25 board thus far.... But what’s up with you not weighing in Drake?

Rigors of work! Sans the digs by Willy Wonka, if you were to do a Readers' Digest & compress all 3 MIAC posters' posts on the Top 25 board, those would be my thoughts. In fact, awhile back I posted on the Top 25 board & said IMO the Tommies were overrated at #5-6 or whatever they were at that particular time.   

I'd take the '03 Gusties & '06 Tommies over this year's Tommies or Johnnies teams.  And, I'd be thrilled if the league rep/s would make the tourney sectional/regional finals this year.  If I had to label this year's league outlook I would title it - "The year of high hopes, low expecations."  Prove me wrong Tommies, Johnnies.

[Willy Wonka]

im still upset about the knights game yesterday...i think i just wont comment


on a side note....former gustie espenson gets T'd up during the eden prairie rosemount high school game which triggered a rosemount rally to over come a 9 point lead EP had...im not sure how he was on the court when he played but he is a very arrogant and cocky coach

Let the record be set straight here, since cmob has been caught in a lie.

There was a technical. Rosemount rallied to win. Espo was not involved in the discussion that drew the T.

Here's Espo's response to your profaning his name/reputation: I don't know who Columbiafan is, but if cocky and arrogant means proud of the kids I'm coaching and love what I'm doing then they have it spot on.  I'm just as intense coaching as I play and if anyone of the kids I coach can learn from that then I'm doing the basketball world justice.

Amen, brotha.

[columbianmaffia]

im still upset about the knights game yesterday...i think i just wont comment


on a side note....former gustie espenson gets T'd up during the eden prairie rosemount high school game which triggered a rosemount rally to over come a 9 point lead EP had...im not sure how he was on the court when he played but he is a very arrogant and cocky coach

Let the record be set straight here, since cmob has been caught in a lie.

There was a technical. Rosemount rallied to win. Espo was not involved in the discussion that drew the T.

Here's Espo's response to your profaning his name/reputation: I don't know who Columbiafan is, but if cocky and arrogant means proud of the kids I'm coaching and love what I'm doing then they have it spot on.  I'm just as intense coaching as I play and if anyone of the kids I coach can learn from that then I'm doing the basketball world justice.

Amen, brotha.

i apologize if it was someone else who got the tech but i saw the ref warn him just a couple minutes before that and the ref even talked with his head coach about him...also i thought it was kind of ridiculous hearing him in the jv game picking out players on the other team and making sure the whole gym could hear him picking out their flaws...such as not being very strong with the left hand for just one example...im sure he is proud of his team and i would be too if i were him he has a good team and they are well coached...all in all im sure he is a nice guy i know hes a good player and im sure he is a good coach...i just report what i hear and see i dont fabricate so what i said he brought onto himself

[WeRFans]

Piper-  picking Foster for any post-season awards should be a no-no...at least when it comes to playing the game...Foster has nice stats this year, but as i mentioned earlier on this board, against Bethel he did the unthinkable and decided to act like a bad ass and try to show the crowd that they couldn't get to him at the free throw line by actually stopping his routine and looking over to the sidelines...i'm all for picking guys for how they play and not based on reputation or previous play, but doing something as idiotic as Foster did leaves me to wonder if Foster has his head in the right place with the Pipers struggling.... 

Behavior, actions, consequences? ...discuss.

(modified by GS for quote formatting)

[Gregory Sager]

However, if the Js can go on the road & beat Bethel in much the same way the Tommies crushed GAC at St. Peter last year, then it might be time to do my best impersonation of former Vikes coach Denny Green & say – "there's a new sheriff in town."

Then crown their ass!

Let the record be set straight here, since cmob has been caught in a lie.

No "tripple" burgers for you for a week, young man! Now go to your room!

[Nites]

Nites - My guess would have been the Carlies MIAC winning percentage over the last three years...but that's not quite right either, obviously

The .389 may not be far off the mark for this year.  They need a few W's if they are going to stay in the hunt for a playoff berth....

[columbianmaffia]

Let the record be set straight here, since cmob has been caught in a lie.

No "tripple" burgers for you for a week, young man! Now go to your room!

hahaha...no doubt...i still stand by what i said and i have talked to other people who had the same opinion on him as a coach so i guess the question is (probably doesnt help that he is a coach at EP...that probably gave myself and others a skewed view on him to start with)...is he really like that or does he just rub people the wrong way that have watched him walk the side lines??

[VOJ]

I think the J's come out and play Bethel well...this is a series that the J's swept last year and I think they can do it again...depends on if officials let them play or if Mark Bakko decides to show up and screw the J's(again)...up until this year the Johnnies had not won a game worked by John Yurkovic in a long time...that has changed...

I know Bethel leads the league in scoring but that is a little mis-leading as scored over 100 points in their first three games...I think if they want to try to run with the J's they will be outgunned...

Drake...I think either the J's or the Toms can make a postseason run, but here is the thing...the J's are poised for a better one because of their depth and quality 1-8 vs the Toms 1-5 and that is it...the bench at UST is awful to say the least...

[sumander]

VOJ, I think tonight will be a good test of whether the J's are poised for a post season run. If they have an impressive road perfomance tonight they might be on their way. The schedule sets up for them to run the table until the last Saturday of the season when they travel to UST!

I think one of the keys to the game tonight will be the play of C. Meadowcroft. In the last game at Collegeville he had a very quite 4 pt 4 reb night. Since the Royals winning streak started he has been averaging 15.4ppg and 8.7rpg. I suspect the matchup will fall on the shoulders of S.Schafer & B. Brink.

Madson is going to get his points, just don't let the rest of the team loose! 

[ustbumkneez]

VOJ I imagine you were insinuating that the Johnnies are better suited because you believe them to have a better bench ("depth"), not because the Johnnies Top 8 are of higher "quality" than the Tommies Top 5, as you wrote. Youve got two legitimate AAs, and a guy whose arguably the best overall player in the MIAC in the starting 5 for UST, so regardless of how many guys come off the SJU bench, i dont believe "quality" to be on SJUs side. Brink is a reliable scorer off the bench, something the Tommies lack right now, but other than that I think its a toss up. I do like the way Johnson plays, 4.75/1 assist to TO ratio, but Veurink and Kaus have never struck me as guys that make an impact, even back when they were starters 2 years ago. Using the phrase "awful to say the least" is excessive in regards to the UST bench, especially in light of who you are comparing them to.

[ustbumkneez]

WW I thought your assessment was accurate on the Top 25 board, in regards to the Tommie bench. I would mention that, in response to "The Tommie bench is stocked full of solid role players, but doesn't have a player who will come in and make an impact offensively - or at least no one has emerged in that role, yet.", that Al McCoy came in and scored 19 pts in 20 2nd half/OT mins against RF, and BJ Viau had 10 pts against St Scholastica and 8 against Carleton. All of those games were decided by 6 points or less, and it should be noted that Brett Tuma had 14 against Hamline, even though that one opened up at the end. Granted, these outputs havent carried over throughout the season, but those three have shown the ability to make an offensive impact in a tight game. They are very solid role players, and if asked to do more I think they could provide. Obviously though, the Tommies will win or lose by their Big 3. And I think theyre more than OK with that.