MBB: Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[columbianmaffia]

im excited for the final 4...i think we have a couple great matchups...i think G-town is gonna take the taco this year

[sumander]

CMob, Considering I had Kansas beating UNC in the finals I am not sure I am qualified to expound on the final four. A little birdie told me that Drake has the inside scoop on March Madness though!

[ustbumkneez]

Im looking forward to seeing Oden match up with fellow 7 footer Roy Hibbert. He hasnt faced any guys that size all season, so it will be interesting to see how the grizzled one fares. No one on the Buckeyes can match Jeff Green. And if the refs allow him to travel once again, he will be UNSTOPPABLE. 

[ustbumkneez]

And on the topic of "The Travel", I just found an interesting perspective from Jay Bilas (Id post the link, but the article is on ESPN Insider):

"What Green did was a legal move and is, in fact, taught by many coaches. Green did a simple step-through move that is used in up-and-under moves and in the use of a hook shot, and is legal. I went to the Rule Book, to Rule 4, Article 66, Section 4(a), which states that once a player establishes his pivot foot, the pivot foot may leave the floor as long as it is not brought back to the floor before the ball is released. Green established his right foot as his pivot foot, pivoted, and went up for the shot off his left foot. All of that was completely legal under the rules."

"The only argument regarding a violation that has any merit, in my judgment, is the view that Green moved his right pivot foot well before he got into his move. However, that was only visible super close-up and in slow motion. It was nearly impossible to see in real time."

"But Green did not walk. What he did was a legal move under the rules. Not everyone, including me, knows the rules as well as they perhaps should, but the officials generally do. I think they got it right in the Georgetown-Vanderbilt game."

[columbianmaffia]

No one on the Buckeyes can match Jeff Green. And if the refs allow him to travel once again, he will be UNSTOPPABLE. 

*in my best borat voice* very nice...yes...high five! SEXY TIME!

[Drake Palmer]

And on the topic of "The Travel", I just found an interesting perspective from Jay Bilas (Id post the link, but the article is on ESPN Insider):
...

Thanks Kneez.  I've never claimed to be an officiating legal beagle, but I thought the shot itself was fine; it was all the movement prior to the shot which was the controversy.  It's interesting to note that Bilas of Duke & Billy Packer of Wake Forest both seemed to be fairly quick to dispel any controversy behind the non-call.  I heard Packer on Friday night, & his general tone seemed to be fairly dismissive.  Packer came across as if he didn't really want to be bothered with looking at the replay.  Could it be a UNC bias? 

Anyway, the G-town - OSU game is setting up to be a barnburner.  If the refs let them play, I can see Oden trying to go upside Hibbert's head on a would be dunk - the battle of the behemoths.  It'd be great if CBS miked them up so we could hear the grunting in the trenches. Can't wait!

Sum - no inside scoop on March Madness, that's flat out luck. 

Local - where's the state tourney wrap up & recruiting chatter?  3 out of 4 championship games were outstanding to watch.  Also, any inside scoop on the latest coming & goings at Snelling & Hewitt?  If DeRock was to leave could really put the Pipes in a precarious position next year. 

AD Dan O'Brien might have to take a closer look at Joel Maturi's operating manual.  Wait a second, it might be the other way around, Maturi took a page out of O'Brien's manual. How many new coaches have been hired at Hamline since O'Brien took over?

[Nites]

And on the topic of "The Travel", I just found an interesting perspective from Jay Bilas (Id post the link, but the article is on ESPN Insider):
...

Thanks Kneez.  I've never claimed to be an officiating legal beagle, but I thought the shot itself was fine; it was all the movement prior to the shot which was the controversy.  It's interesting to note that Bilas of Duke & Billy Packer of Wake Forest both seemed to be fairly quick to dispel any controversy behind the non-call.  I heard Packer on Friday night, & his general tone seemed to be fairly dismissive.  Packer came across as if he didn't really want to be bothered with looking at the replay.  Could it be a UNC bias? 

I agree that it was all the movement before the shot.  Does anyone have a link to a replay of the shot?

[ustbumkneez]

I agree that it was all the movement before the shot.  Does anyone have a link to a replay of the shot?

Nites, here it is:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6e267jy4-DY

[Drake Palmer]

I agree that it was all the movement before the shot.  Does anyone have a link to a replay of the shot?

Nites, here it is:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6e267jy4-DY

I like how the video is titled - "Jeff Green Saves Gtown," & then in the closing credits  - "Jeff Green's Game Winning Travel." YouTube needs to add a hi-def component to their videos - it looks even grainier than it did the other night.

Hey,  I'm a G-town fan, but call it a "step through", or a "drop step," or an act of God,  it still looked like he set up two different times before he even went into his move.  I'll take it though. 

[localcoach]

Drake - I didn't get to as many of the state tournament games as I would have liked.  I can tell you that in my travels I did come across some MIAC coaching brain trust in the form of assistants from UST, SJU, GAC, Carleton, Hamline, Concordia, and St. Olaf.  The only head coaches I saw were Barry Wohler and ironically Jim Smith.  The hardest working assistant award has to go to the Johnnies Pat McKenzie who I saw on three separate occasions.

Now for some recruiting scuttlebutt on some of the players that participated in the state tournament.  I took notes just for you Drake. 

Max Hintz (Woodbury) - Hamline and St. Thomas seem to lead the pack however he's holding out for some Division II offers

Scott Jesser (Andover) - Northwestern College in St. Paul appears destined to get him

Josh Ortmann (Buffalo) - Despite his injury it sounds like 30-70 he ends up in the MIAC.  Too many Northern Sun schools are recruiting him

Aaron Van Der Stoep (Ellsworth) - The young man who hit all those three's and is no longer under the radar.  Auggie was in good shape but that appears to be in trouble

Aaron Burtzel (Rocori) - SJU or GAC.  Sounds like the Johnnies may lead

Darrin Olmscheid (Buffalo) - Auggie again all over this young man

Nate Birr (St. Thomas) - Hamline if he goes MIAC

Chad Jones (St. Bernard's) - May go the junior college route in the hopes of bigger and better things to come

As for Mr. DeRock at Hamline, it sounds like this may very well be true.  No confirmation just yet from the coaches but those I trust say it 80-20 he's headed back home.  No reason given from what I have heard.

[Nites]

I agree that it was all the movement before the shot.  Does anyone have a link to a replay of the shot?

Nites, here it is:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6e267jy4-DY

Thanks, Kneez!  Sure looks to me like he was walking all over the court.  It's almost as if he did a 360 to change his pivot foot and then shot. 

Incredible how many of these games have come down to one or two plays.

I don't know about anyone else, but one thing that has struck me about many of the games is the very poor shot selection.  A number of the teams with the greyhound athletes just run down the floor and take the first available 3 pointer without much thought of a pass or two.

In all fairness to the refs, it's difficult to pick it up watching full speed replays so it's hard to fault the lack of a call.

[VOJ]

Josh Ortmann (Buffalo) - Despite his injury it sounds like 30-70 he ends up in the MIAC.  Too many Northern Sun schools are recruiting him

Aaron Burtzel (Rocori) - SJU or GAC.  Sounds like the Johnnies may lead

Darrin Olmscheid (Buffalo) - Auggie again all over this young man

Nate Birr (St. Thomas) - Hamline if he goes MIAC

Not so fast my friend...first of all Ortmann's brother plays at SJU and mom and dad like the program enough to come to alot of JV games to see him... and SJU has been on him alot...I think you are right on Burtzel, he pretty much said as much in the St. Cloud Times, unless he gets a scholarship offer, Aeseth from Rocori is also Collegville bound...Olmscheid is a favorite of Coach McKenzie's...he is doggedly on him and Birr told SJU coaches that he would like to come there...it depends on finances

[concordia of the north]

sounds like concordia is doing really well.  0 players on any state tournament teams? kids who win in high school help college teams win.

you can go check out www.howardpulleybasketball.com and see where some of their players are looking.

[Willy Wonka]

bum - A step-through is a most decidedly legal play. It's also not what Green did, though Bilas makes a valiant attempt to make it seem like a by-the-book example.

I'm excited to see Oden dominate The Big Stiff, though.

[ustbumkneez]

Hey, Wonk, Ive never said it was anything other than a travel. It was hard to catch it in real time, but it was a travel nonetheless. I just offered Bilas' point of view because the play had gotten a lot of chatter on this board. If it was someone like Josh McRoberts or Reyshawn Terry who pulled the caper, as opposed to the New Teen Heart Throb: Jeff Green, Id be a lot more adamant about it. Hes my boy, so Im not going to hate. Onward Hoyas, I'll take it any way I can get it. Call me shameless 

I heard rumblings at about the midpoint of the season that Hintz could end up at UST, but considering his numbers, and his performance down the stretch, Ive got to believe a D2 school around here will give him a run. Would be great to see him in purple; he could be the shooter the Tommies desperately need for next season, no doubt. I just dont see how he wouldnt get a shot from someone like Concordia-St Paul or Southwest State.