MBB: Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[localcoach]

Drake - you're always giving me a hard time my friend. 

Add the Oles roster to the list of updated ones.  Only two freshmen on the list however from what I've heard recently both will have a good chance on contributing this year.  Nate Krosschell, 6-5 F from Edina and Tucker Sheley, 6-2 G from Pequot Lakes.

I too noticed the lack of bodies on the Carleton roster.  I have to assume Coach Kalland will add a walk-on or two.  What happened with their recruiting this off-season 

There are a couple of rosters that I'm very curious to see - Hamline and Augsburg.  I have no clue what the Pipers added other than that young man from North Dakota who I mentioned previously.  Auggie on the other hand could and should, IMHO, be the "big mover" this season.  I think they can finish in the top 6 and make the post-season. 

[Drake Palmer]

Local – I've razzed you in the past,  but not in the past several days.  But now I will.  I know you've been reading the board!  Here was your opportunity to set the record straight regarding the discussion Greg Sager & I were having about the national recruiting tactics Coach Whitmore at Hamline might employ. After you made your interesting, off-handed comment the other day that Hamline will recruit nationally, Greg & I have been speculating what his recruiting strategy might look like.

Since you were the only poster privy to the Hamline recruiting conversation, it would have been helpful for you to shed some light on our discussion.  If my memory serves me correctly, you were also one of the posters "crying" how under funded Hamline's athletic budget was compared to other schools in the MIAC.  Depending upon the person/s you were talking to, I would think one of the first questions out of your mouth would have been tactfully or not so tactfully – "You told me Hamline ain't got no recruiting money, how in the world do you expect to pull this off?!?" 

Sorry Greg, I had to get that rant off my chest.   

Ok Greg – we've identified 3 possible "national" recruiting models:

1.  Rand-McNally coast to coast
2.  Targeted Coast to coast
3.  Designated State

Until Whitmore lands his first recruiting class, I guess we can only speculate what his approach might be.  Based on other posters' perceptions about Hamline's athletic department reluctance to spend money, #3 might be the cost effective approach.  Due to some of the factors you mentioned, initially, it might not necessarily yield the best recruiting results.  But, if Whitmore can steal just one prized recruit or two his first several years, he might have a stronger case to present to AD Dan O'Brien to beef up the recruiting budget.

One blue-blood type D3 recruit along with a solid supporting cast can quickly turn a team's fortunes around.  A dynamite PG, a marksman/slasher & Hamline could be right back in the thick of things.  They've already got a nice forward in Tony Thrasher & potentially a nasty bruiser under the boards in 6-10 Eric (?) Gusaas.   

[Gregory Sager]

Ok Greg – we've identified 3 possible "national" recruiting models:

1.  Rand-McNally coast to coast
2.  Targeted Coast to coast
3.  Designated State

Until Whitmore lands his first recruiting class, I guess we can only speculate what his approach might be.  Based on other posters' perceptions about Hamline's athletic department reluctance to spend money, #3 might be the cost effective approach.  Due to some of the factors you mentioned, initially, it might not necessarily yield the best recruiting results.  But, if Whitmore can steal just one prized recruit or two his first several years, he might have a stronger case to present to AD Dan O'Brien to beef up the recruiting budget.

If money is really a problem for Hamline in terms of a recruiting budget -- and, let's face it, the cost of plane fares, hotels, rent-a-cars, etc., for a coach who is traveling out of state to pursue prospects is prohibitively expensive for most D3 programs unless it's done on an exceptional basis -- then Whitmore might have to recruit out-of-staters MWC-style, with no home visits and with most of the contact being via e-mail, phone calls, and game tapes.

[localcoach]

Drake this is why I enjoy posting on here.  I know we can always poke sun fun at one another. 
You took the words right out of my mouth.  Now with you having already said that, my relatively unsubstantiated guess would be that Coach Whitmore does a little of 1 and 3.  I think he'll try and use his east coast contacts every now and again, but overall I'm inclined to believe that you will see the Pipers bringing in players from places like Arizona to Illinois.  If they have the grades and the skill level all you need is one or two studs and it could change everything.  No one else in the MIAC consistently recruits for basketball outside of Minnesota except SMU. 

The interesting thing though I think based on the early returns from Snelling that I've heard is this.  Coach Whitmore will try and use the same up-tempo style of play that Coach Wohler did.  I expect a little more discipline however the second time around.  Should be interesting to follow...

[Drake Palmer]

Back from the Empire state to the Land of 10,000 lakes.

(minor) Breaking News!
In re-reviewing the Mac roster, I see no Brad Liddell!  He would have been a senior this year. 

PapaHoops,  or anyone else -  Is he injured, quit, graduate early, or transfer back to a school in Illinois?  I had them slotted as a possible dark horse candidate to sneak into the 6th league playoff spot this year. But without Liddell's 3-pt shooting & rebounding, the Scots' prospects look really bleak unless one of the 3 new FY can make an immediate impact.  Abe & Conboy just won't be enough.

[d3bballfollower]

Liddell was a senior last year academically and only a junior athletically because he redshirted during the 05-06 season.  I heard that he didn't want to spend more money to just play basketball since he was eligible to graduate, and did, this past spring

[sumander]

Does anyone else find it a little ironic that we are a couple of weeks away from the season opening and some schools have their rosters set? 

[Drake Palmer]

Does anyone else find it a little ironic that we are a couple of weeks away from the season opening and some schools have their rosters set? 

Who are you?  Haven't seen you around these parts before stranger. 

[sumander]

Does anyone else find it a little ironic that we are a couple of weeks away from the season opening and some schools have their rosters set? 

Who are you?  Haven't seen you around these parts before stranger. 

What's a dazzling urbanite like you doing in a rustic setting like this?

[sumander]

Just trying to catch up on some work, so when the season gets rolling I will be able to keep up with all the posting going on!

[Drake Palmer]

Does anyone else find it a little ironic that we are a couple of weeks away from the season opening and some schools have their rosters set? 

Who are you?  Haven't seen you around these parts before stranger. 

What's a dazzling urbanite like you doing in a rustic setting like this?

"Some folks like to get away, take a holiday from the neighborhood..."  Billy Joel (?)

Here's to a good season!    Think I might just have another sarsaparilla soda

[Drake Palmer]

Liddell was a senior last year academically and only a junior athletically because he redshirted during the 05-06 season.  I heard that he didn't want to spend more money to just play basketball since he was eligible to graduate, and did, this past spring

They're all starting to crawl back out of the woodwork. Good update D3BO!

[d3bballfollower]

just fishin the dark to stir up some convo....here are my tenative predictions for final standings in the league this year...

1.  Bethel-  Depth, Talent, Experience
2.  Augsburg-  Up-tempo, lots of returners with good guard play
3.  Gustavus-  Hanson and Wittwer will find a way
4.  St. Olaf-  Hunter and Banick will make Koz look good
5.  Carleton-  Johnson and Drake will each average 15+ ppg
6.  SJU-  More experience than anyone else below them
7.  UST-  Lots of young guys, could be anywhere from 3-9 depending on Scott, Tuma and company
8.  Concordia-  Basing this on hearsay about a good recruiting class...Linz will be POY and if Citterman gets his shot back and plays under control Cord could be a top 5 team
9.  Mac-  Conboy and Abe will only go so far...no one else to pick up the slack
10.  Hamline-  Might end up higher...new coach, new players, can't expect much else...Thrasher will have a good year
11. SMU-  Nothin really to say...will upset 1 or 2 at home, but will be a lost cause otherwise

for me spots 3-8 are up for grabs because its just too early to tell....the teams I think could make the most noise and be the biggest surprises are Concordia and UST

anyone have any thoughts?

[VOJ]

Here is my two cents on the race...

1. Bethel...best talent coming back and they have added some new guys
2. SJU...Brady Brink takes on a staring role...Leiser makes the most of his final year and Fogt shows he is more than a big body...
3. Gustavus...they are always in the mix...Wittwer over his injury and should be better
4. Concordia...I think Linz gets some much needed help and he starts to dominate games
5. Augsburg...break through year coming up for the Auggies, they are a tough team to prepare for
6. St. Olaf...veteran leadership...hardworking crew
7. UST...should have enough talent to make a run at the number 6 spot
8. Mac...Conboy is a tough guy to handle quickest guard in Abe, should be in mix for the number 6 spot
9. Carleton...no guards...college game is a guards game...
10. St. Mary's...Trev has talent to go higher but for some reason they never put it together consistently, although they always seem to beat SJU in Winona 4 of last 5.
11. Hamline...new coach learning his way Thrasher will struggle because there is no one else to help, teams will tee off on him.

I agree with d3bballf...from 4-10 you could have a jumbled mess...I am not as high on Carleton as he is because they don't have the distributor they need, and I think the Auggies could make a run...Coach Greiss really impresses mel...question for you all IS Gustavus slipping as a program?

I will probably get dinged on my karma for that question, but its a topic for debate...

[abominable_snowman]

just fishin the dark to stir up some convo....here are my tenative predictions for final standings in the league this year...

1.  Bethel-  Depth, Talent, Experience
2.  Augsburg-  Up-tempo, lots of returners with good guard play
3.  Gustavus-  Hanson and Wittwer will find a way
4.  St. Olaf-  Hunter and Banick will make Koz look good
5.  Carleton-  Johnson and Drake will each average 15+ ppg
6.  SJU-  More experience than anyone else below them
7.  UST-  Lots of young guys, could be anywhere from 3-9 depending on Scott, Tuma and company
8.  Concordia-  Basing this on hearsay about a good recruiting class...Linz will be POY and if Citterman gets his shot back and plays under control Cord could be a top 5 team
9.  Mac-  Conboy and Abe will only go so far...no one else to pick up the slack
10.  Hamline-  Might end up higher...new coach, new players, can't expect much else...Thrasher will have a good year
11. SMU-  Nothin really to say...will upset 1 or 2 at home, but will be a lost cause otherwise

for me spots 3-8 are up for grabs because its just too early to tell....the teams I think could make the most noise and be the biggest surprises are Concordia and UST

anyone have any thoughts?

Admittedly UST is young, but I don't see them not making the playoffs.  6th at least.  Look out for Lonnie Robinson as well.

MAC, and Concordia are question marks for me.

I think the Oles are still sore from last year and are gonna come out witha  chip on their shoulder.

I think it plays out like

1. Bethel  2/3/4 SJU, Aug, GAC  5/6 UST  -wild card STO, MAC, Cobbers