MBB: Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[hoops10101010]

Although I think they will be down this year due to a lack of experience, St. Thomas will be back at the top of the pack by next year. Fritz has a system that is extremely difficult to come in as a freshman and make an impact. This being said, I do think Tyler Nicolai will experience some success right from the get go. Tuma is not a true point guard, he just happens to be too small to run the two. In no time Fritz and Johnny Tauer will be forced to go with the frosh as I don't think the offense will flow well with Tuma at the 1. They boast an impressive freshman class with the likes of Anders Halvorson and Alex Healy(although I do think Healy is a bit slow). Also the transfer of Joe Scott will help ease the loss of a Brian Schnettler. They will struggle at the bigs. David Baker is not a 30+ minute guy and McCoy DEFINITELY isn't either. At the 4 spot they have Shimek who is strong but has minimal skills and Peltier who is a bit of a tweaner for them. I really think the 3 spot they received in the preseason poll is entirely based on coach Fritz's credentials and I don't expect to seem them in the playoffs. Last year was a bust down the stretch and I think this team has a very high learning curve to get anywhere near last year's squad.

[hoops10101010]

Pre Season Picks:
1.Bethel- Too many horses to deny at this point
2.St. Johns- Brink and Leiser along with a very strong freshman in Schwartz
3.Gustavus- Whitwer probable conference MVP along with Doble and Deslauriers
4.Carleton-Drake and Johnson plus strong Sophomores will allow them to contend
5.Hamline- New style of play, Thrasher Zev and transfer Carroll plus some youngsters, suspect to change but they're my sleeper
6/7.Mac-Not much growth outside Abe and Conboy/St. Thomas- Talent but no nucleus. who's going to score???
8.Augsburg- Cassens and Femi along with strong freshman, possibly move up is things evolve.
9/10.St. Olaf- lost 3 of their top five and don't have any firepower next in line/Concordia- Linz is tough but won't be able to carry the load.
11. St. Mary's- Nice freshman class but don't have much for upper classmen. Sweeney and Carr just won't cut it

[Drake Palmer]

Pre Season Picks:
1.Bethel- Too many horses to deny at this point
2.St. Johns- Brink and Leiser along with a very strong freshman in Schwartz
3.Gustavus- Whitwer probable conference MVP along with Doble and Deslauriers
4.Carleton-Drake and Johnson plus strong Sophomores will allow them to contend
5.Hamline- New style of play, Thrasher Zev and transfer Carroll plus some youngsters, suspect to change but they're my sleeper
6/7.Mac-Not much growth outside Abe and Conboy/St. Thomas- Talent but no nucleus. who's going to score???
8.Augsburg- Cassens and Femi along with strong freshman, possibly move up is things evolve.
9/10.St. Olaf- lost 3 of their top five and don't have any firepower next in line/Concordia- Linz is tough but won't be able to carry the load.
11. St. Mary's- Nice freshman class but don't have much for upper classmen. Sweeney and Carr just won't cut it

Wow, thinking outside of the box as they say in the business world.  Interesting picks Hoops10...You're picking Hamline to finish 5th in the conference in light of all the upheaval i.e. major talent depletion, & coaching change they've experienced this past season?  And you're picking Hamline over the likes of Augsburg, St. Thomas, and St. Olaf etc. Hmmph.  I'm guessing you must have picked up a new pair of Piper blinders (oops, sunglasses) at the Hamline bookstore/tuition office during the off-season eh? 

We'll find out if Coach Whitmore can coach, (it appears he can), but he needs to start with more horses in the barn than what he currently has.  Even our other posters with admitted team biases have been able to somewhat temper their view of the league, with a dose or two of reality checks.  Welcome aboard. 

[jquentint]

Although I think they will be down this year due to a lack of experience, St. Thomas will be back at the top of the pack by next year. Fritz has a system that is extremely difficult to come in as a freshman and make an impact. This being said, I do think Tyler Nicolai will experience some success right from the get go. Tuma is not a true point guard, he just happens to be too small to run the two. In no time Fritz and Johnny Tauer will be forced to go with the frosh as I don't think the offense will flow well with Tuma at the 1. They boast an impressive freshman class with the likes of Anders Halvorson and Alex Healy(although I do think Healy is a bit slow). Also the transfer of Joe Scott will help ease the loss of a Brian Schnettler. They will struggle at the bigs. David Baker is not a 30+ minute guy and McCoy DEFINITELY isn't either. At the 4 spot they have Shimek who is strong but has minimal skills and Peltier who is a bit of a tweaner for them. I really think the 3 spot they received in the preseason poll is entirely based on coach Fritz's credentials and I don't expect to seem them in the playoffs. Last year was a bust down the stretch and I think this team has a very high learning curve to get anywhere near last year's squad.

I like the UST Freshman Tyler Nicolai, Healy and Halvorsen.   Fritz requires that players play both ends of the court,  I think the freshman will have a learning curve on defense.
FYI-Tuma can play point and even if he is undersized he is tough kid and will be able to lead the team. 

[hoopscoopsmiac]

Pre Season Picks:

11. St. Mary's- Nice freshman class but don't have much for upper classmen. Sweeney and Carr just won't cut it

Not much for upper classmen, huh??? Hmm...could you be forgetting about the twins, Rohr, and DC?

I have seen the cards play enough in years past to understand why people are picking them to finish basically last. However, I expect this year to be much different  with a talented group of freshmen and a good group of upperclassman. It's the most unselfish group I have seen in a long time. Most people think the cards have a key loss with Brensley graduating, but I'd say it's more of a blessing.

[papahoops]

My bad Sumander, thanks for pointing out my error in omitting the Cobbers on my picks

My revised picks (including Concordia)
Bethel
Gustavus
MAC
St. Thomas
St. Johns
Augsburg
St. Olaf
Carleton
St. Marys
Concordia
Hamline

Drake, Sorry you can't make the River Falls game Friday afternoon. Based on your comments about River Falls, I would expect MAC to really push the tempo. That game combined with the Saturday evening contest with Concordia SP will give us a read on how ready the 4 MAC frosh are to perform in the MIAC.

[sumander]

My bad Sumander, thanks for pointing out my error in omitting the Cobbers on my picks

PaPa, No problem. That's my job!

[columbianmaffia]

FYI-Tuma can play point and even if he is undersized he is tough kid and will be able to lead the team. 

is this because your related to him or because he can actually ball like i can roller skate?? 

last year there were only a couple players in the league who could ball like i could roller skate...mr ike being one of them

i have only seen him play one time and thought he did good...i just noticed you have the same last name as him  8)

the drunken sconnies will be invading soon...

[sumander]

the drunken sconnies will be invading soon...

Cmob, better be careful of those drunk Sconnies. All the beer they spill might rust up the wheels of the roller skates!

With all the brats they will be grilling probably no room for the double cheeseburgers on the grill either!

[Drake Palmer]

Hamline Preview is up.  I still don't see a 5th place finish in the cards.   
I think they've got some of these
and these

But not enough of these

  8)

[Drake Palmer]

Alright Snow - begrudgingly, here's my pre-pre-season conference predictions.  I  still think you ought to wait until after Thanskgiving so we can at least attempt to form reasonably intelligent opinions,  but anyways:

1) Bethel
2) Gustavus
3) SJU
4) Augsburg
5) Carleton (If Sutherland can handle being PG, they might be ok, if not - the piranhas- Ham,SMU etc. will be nipping at their handles)
6) UST

7) St. Olaf
8. Macalester
9) SMU
10 Concordia
11) Hamline

In terms of making the playoffs I think Bethel & GAC are givens, otherwise, everything else is just a guess with the possible exception of Hamline. 

[miacwatchmen]

Pre Season Picks:

11. St. Mary's- Nice freshman class but don't have much for upper classmen. Sweeney and Carr just won't cut it

Not much for upper classmen, huh??? Hmm...could you be forgetting about the twins, Rohr, and DC?

I have seen the cards play enough in years past to understand why people are picking them to finish basically last. However, I expect this year to be much different  with a talented group of freshmen and a good group of upperclassman. It's the most unselfish group I have seen in a long time. Most people think the cards have a key loss with Brensley graduating, but I'd say it's more of a blessing.

Did the Schafer twins transfer to SMU this summer? 

[hoops10101010]

I understand the skepticism regarding the Pipers based on their underacheiving teams in the years past. I was able to see them play in their first scrimmage against UW-Stout. This is BY FAR the best Hamline TEAM I have seen in recent history. They had lots of talent with Weiner, Derock, and Foster last year but the ladder two but the I in "teIam". Thrasher is a very good player(no surpise). The guys who really surprised me were Kujolic, Carroll, and most of all Hipp. Although Zev and Nick appeared to get lax at times, it is apparent these guys have a lot of talent to bring to the table. Zev got a couple steals for dunks that require D1 athleticism. Carroll made a couple passes that i don't think anyone in the gym saw but him. Carl Hipp (Fr., Totino Grace) absolutely dominated the big kid from Stout. He is raw right now a susceptible to foul trouble but I wouldn't be at all surprised to see him on the All-Freshman squad at the end of the year. As far as Whitmore is concerned...Word on the street is he's drilling these guys into the ground and really challenging them as basketball players. I must say that I saw a couple of his guys play in high school and have never seen any of them play so hard. Fellas keep in mind this is my SLEEPER team, meaning if I had to pick a squad that is going to make some noise that not many people would expect, it would be them.

[Dread Pirate Roberts]

I can't imagine any way Hamline makes the playoffs this year. The Cards seem a much safer "sleeper" pick with the solid mix of vets and rooks...though I still expect a slow start out of the gates for my boys with that brutal schedule.

[sumander]

Drake, Your synopsis of the Hamline preview is priceless! +k for that.

FWIW, Sum's preseason predictions:

1-  BET
2 - GAC
3 - CAR
4 - SJU - rough 1-3 or 0-4 start in conference for the J's
5 - UST
6 - AUG
7 - CORD - They find a PG, Linz is an animal, Baldwin has a break out yr.
8 - MAC
9 - STOLAF
10  HAM
11  SMU