MBB: Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[piperinsider]

I love this time of Year Part 2

I've been saying this for the last week or so – in a variation of the old poem

For want of a nail the shoe was lost.
For want of a shoe the horse was lost.
For want of a horse the rider was lost.
For want of a rider the battle was lost.
For want of a battle the kingdom was lost.
And all for the want of a horseshoe nail.

A Trey, a Trey, for the loss of a Trey, a playoff spot was lost for the Macalester Scots. 

On a team with as little depth as MAC, they could ill-afford to lose a live-body in the middle that the first semester FY wunderkund Trey Mullen filled for MAC.  Having his presence allowed Tom Conboy to show some of the discipline in his game that had been missing in the past.

Now after the holiday break, we're starting to see some of those bad habits creep back into TCons' game – the forced shots, ill-advised treys & slow to develop kick-outs when he feels the double-teams coming.  Conboy's game has progressed a lot from the time he first stepped foot on the Mac campus 4 years ago.  It's too bad Macalester couldn't recruit & retain one more high-quality post player to ride coach with him and Abe this season.  The Scots could have been contendas.

You couldn't be more right here, DP. Many times last night Conboy just stood around and watched Abe (wouldn't you though?). I mean, if you have a guy that can pentrate the lane like Abe does, turn into Dean Garrett, and sit next to the hoop and put in a slam or layup off a dump pass.

Instead, Conboy throws up threes, catches the ball at the top of the lane, dribbles a few times and than looks for the pass. For a guy with his size and ability, want the ball more.

MAC has three solid players: Conboy, Ranswick and Abe. That Ham...something kid had a nice night last night, but outside that nobody did that much. They really had no other big men off the bench.

[piperinsider]

FYI: Eric Clute looked fine last night, but did start on the bench. He was wearing a sleeve on his knee that was injured.

[Nites]

Posted by: Willy Wonka  Posted on: Today at 03:31:24 pm 
Insert Quote 
Let's break this down old school OAS-style for Mr. TH4L.

Y'all are brutal.  I actually thought TH4L gave good, unbiased comments on what he personally witnessed.  Here's my interpretation of his post:

1.  He saw the calls in the post and understood why they were made.

2.  He'd heard that Paulson was doing pretty well this year, but Paulson didn't do much in the game so in his mind, the jury's still out on Paulson's effectiveness.

3.  Gusties overall game was pretty ragged at the start, but they were saved by their hot three point shooting.  They picked up the other parts of their game as the evening wore on.

4.  DeLo played well, but he passed up some good looks.  He might have to shoot more in other games in order to keep the defense honest.


I can tell the season's heating up from all the feistiness on the Board.   

[Willy Wonka]

TH4L's a big boy, he can handle it. If not, I'll just have to do without a few NFLD/RW pictures for awhile I guess

PS - What's going on with the weird beige color on these boards? I'm quite sure I'm not a fan...

[Nites]

PS - What's going on with the weird beige color on these boards? I'm quite sure I'm not a fan...

I don't like the color either.  I didn't know whether it was the board or my computer.  Hopefully, Pat doesn't like it either!   

[PTPer35]

Gacbacker, I was just pointing out the fact that you and I care a little more about the outcome of the game than. TH4L is a Tommie and thats why I said he was more like Switzerland. Nothing you said was insanely biased but it had a little black n gold slant to it...thats all.

watchman - I once had my hand bitten off by a goose when I was trying to feed it at a golf course. In return, I stole his eyeball.

if anyone ever gives you a present make sure you dont stand next to a window or a cliff when you open it....because if it is a GOOSE IN THE BOX you might fall to your death when it scares you

BEWARE OF THE GEESE

[miacwatchmen]

Gacbacker, I was just pointing out the fact that you and I care a little more about the outcome of the game than. TH4L is a Tommie and thats why I said he was more like Switzerland. Nothing you said was insanely biased but it had a little black n gold slant to it...thats all.

watchman - I once had my hand bitten off by a goose when I was trying to feed it at a golf course. In return, I stole his eyeball.

+K for that one PTPer. 

smu - wouldn't it be something...2 senior captains leave the cardinals and they turn their season around??? could this be what was needed??? im not saying it will help at all but heck it couldn't hurt right we'll see if they look improved at St thomas i'll be making the trip to find out first hand

Addition by subtraction is an interesting idea but I'm not sure if losing players can help the Cards at this point this year. I think what the Cards really need is a big dose of TERRANCE SMITH maybe Coach Trewick can work something out to get him back for a 7th year of eligibility!! 

[basketballlover]

CAR only had five guys score (one was a bench guy who had 3)- what's with that? Didn't they try this a few years ago by having the best starting line-up in the MIAC with absolutely zero bench?

I don't think it's a choice to only have 5 guys. It's a bonus if anyone off the bench score and part some part in the game. As long as the 5 stay healthy the Knights should be in good shape and stay in the race. Does it make it a bad night for a guy if a guy played a good game and missed a tying shot? Don't think so. Johnson got a good look at it and just one of those that will go sometimes and sometimes not. One shot or call doesn't make the game, we all know that. Just more noticeable if it's at the end of the game.

TommieHoops4Life, if you don't like Northfield teams and covering them then find a new job. Nothings worse than hating aspects of your job. Also, they have a post player, might not be a big, just just as strong. He isn't always a present because he is also a threat to shoot from the outside. He will be above the others in scoring when he is all said and done.

[WeRFans]

Inquiring Minds Want To Know

re: the departures from the Piper roster.  The worst kept secrets on the HU campus indicate there had been a pattern of, "The floggings will continue until morale improves." 

To continue our animal analogy theme of the week, it sounds like Kaiser and Baron Zev might even have been the canaries in the coal mine as a negative environment hit rock bottom.  'Not sure which straw broke the camel's back but there's a long list of known rants and insults to pick from.  What is known is that two guys had absolutely had it and had the guts (or enough other anatomical parts) to take bold action.

For the sake of MIAC credibility and teamwork let's hope this is just a bump in the road and not roadkill.  The stats from the W last night look like the guys are playing as a team again, the minutes were distributed among enough guys that they weren't gassed in OT and Whitmore is directing his rage toward the refs. 

Sometimes that's ok.

[big_shocker]

I know I've been off the board for a while until recently, but I was curious as to any cases in the past few years of a MIAC team coming out of nowhere to win a playoff spot. I'm only asking this because it seems like everyone thinks the playoffs are already set. Can anyone find out any cases where at the midway point of the season, a team that had no place at that point in any playoff talk, make it to the round of 6?

Just wanted to know.

[piperinsider]

Inquiring Minds Want To Know

re: the departures from the Piper roster.  The worst kept secrets on the HU campus indicate there had been a pattern of, "The floggings will continue until morale improves." 

To continue our animal analogy theme of the week, it sounds like Kaiser and Baron Zev might even have been the canaries in the coal mine as a negative environment hit rock bottom.  'Not sure which straw broke the camel's back but there's a long list of known rants and insults to pick from.  What is known is that two guys had absolutely had it and had the guts (or enough other anatomical parts) to take bold action.

For the sake of MIAC credibility and teamwork let's hope this is just a bump in the road and not roadkill.  The stats from the W last night look like the guys are playing as a team again, the minutes were distributed among enough guys that they weren't gassed in OT and Whitmore is directing his rage toward the refs. 

Sometimes that's ok.

FYI: The Baron returned to the team.

And a reply to the sister, it's hard to like every team you cover. As a fellow sports editor, there are plenty of teams/sports that I don't care for. Do I still love my job? Yes. Sometimes watching CAR and STO gets a little old - it's the same thing each year. STO has some talent, but hasn't produced much since Mike Ludwig graduated. CAR is solid each year, but isn't flashy. So, if you have no family ties, it's like watching the same game over and over.

[Drake Palmer]

Werfans -

is this what you're talking about?



Captain Whitmore/Captain Bligh? 

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

Shocker -- just to heighten the drama around the league playoff race, I'd love to see a team such as Augsburg or Mac run the table in the 2nd half.  The most unlikely team would be SMU.  At this point, I'd say they're sitting on the old proverbial "ice cube's chance in hell" odds.

Mose could probably dig up the type of stat you're looking for.  It would be interesting to know how far back a team has come from to sneak into the playoffs. Mose any idea?

[columbianmaffia]

I know I've been off the board for a while until recently, but I was curious as to any cases in the past few years of a MIAC team coming out of nowhere to win a playoff spot. I'm only asking this because it seems like everyone thinks the playoffs are already set. Can anyone find out any cases where at the midway point of the season, a team that had no place at that point in any playoff talk, make it to the round of 6?

Just wanted to know.

the only thing that is set and will alway be the same is a tripple burger will always be better than a double burger

and the other set thing is after every football season WW will begin posting on the basketball website with a significant increase of smite 

[columbianmaffia]

CAR only had five guys score (one was a bench guy who had 3)- what's with that? Didn't they try this a few years ago by having the best starting line-up in the MIAC with absolutely zero bench?

TommieHoops4Life, if you don't like Northfield teams and covering them then find a new job. Nothings worse than hating aspects of your job. Also, they have a post player, might not be a big, just just as strong. He isn't always a present because he is also a threat to shoot from the outside. He will be above the others in scoring when he is all said and done.

if this was the case i think the pioneer press and the star trib would no longer have any writers...except shooter and sid

the more accurate reporting usually comes from people who dont have any ties to the teams or cities

[Gregory Sager]

Werfans -

is this what you're talking about?



Captain Whitmore/Captain Bligh? 

That was beautiful, DP. A beautiful, beautiful thing.

"I'll live to see you ... all of you! ... hung from the highest yardarm in the British fleet!"