MBB: Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[Drake Palmer]

Looking at the HAM/AUG box, I just noticed something...Hamline has no legit outside shot on their roster. Thrasher and Carroll hit a few, but here are some numbers to chew on:

Pipers have hit 108 three's (33 percent) - opponents have hit 135 (39 percent) - four teams have less 3's than Hamline.

Piper leaders:
Thrasher - 27
Carroll - 16
Hayes - 15
Clute - 13
Kujolic - 12

MIAC leaders
Scott - 43
Ranwick - 41
Woldeslassie - 41
Schwartz - 40

Hamline has now lost eight of nine games. Ouch.

Rhobelle Tekle starts for the first time and scores 11; Erik Gusaas had a career-high 19; one proble, Hamline plays no defense.

Oh, and if I'm Aaron Van Der Stoep, I transfer. Is it that big of a jump from Class A to the MIAC where the kid plays only one minute for a seventh place team?

The MIAC league leaders in 3s made also average over 30 minutes per game.

IMO there are several problems with Hamline's outside shooting:

*Prophet may disagree with me, but Thrasher, Tanner Anderson & the Johansen kid are streaky outside shooters at best.

*Clute's been injured
*Admiral Whitmore seems to have a very quick hook - you don't perform you sit i.e. Kujolic, Nick Carroll, Pierre Harris, Hayes. etc. Tough to develop a rhythm after the first miscue & you're sitting on the bench. 

An aside, Tekle must be this month's version of last month's Pierre Harris.   
*****************
I've seen Aaron Van der Stoep warm up & play a few times for Augsburg in the early part of the season, & his shot is real nice.  And he seems like a real good kid. The problem seems to be his wheels - slow.  Early in the season he was getting minutes, but he never seemed to hit his stride shooting wise.  The other Augsburg players continued to play because at least their relative quickness could keep them in the games for defense.  In a more deliberate offense like the Gusties he could possibly fare a little better. 

[bleednavyblue_GoBU]

Weekend Review Part 2.  (actually, looking ahead at the upcoming week -  )

Things could get real interesting this week.  Either more separation by the two frontrunners or it could get real bunched up.

*UST: MAC, @ Bethel, GAC
*GAC: SJU, @ SMU, @ UST (& then a weird Monday night game against the Cobbs. More on this in a moment*)

*CARL: @ BET, SMU
*SJU: @ GAC, STO, @ AUGS
*CORD: HAM, @ BET
*BET: CARL, UST, CORD (Crunch week for the Royals)

*STO: AUGS, @ SJU, @ MAC

*AUGS:  @ STO, MAC, SJU (realistically, this is the playoffs or bust week for the Dawgs.  And, IMO they have the most difficult remaining schedule of the playoff pretenders/contenders)

Mathematically, Ham & MAC are still alive, but they would have to pull off a Disney like recovery to slip into the playoffs. Unfortunately, the Scots don't have enough firepower or rebounding-- they were out-rebounded by 20 boards in their loss to the Cobbs yesterday.  And Lord Admiral Whitmore's Hamline crew seems to be suffering from scurvy, and injuries – both physical & emotional. 
***************************************
*I've noticed in past years, sometimes the Cobbs would come down to the cities on a Saturday for a game, drive to Winona after the game & spend the night, play the Cards the next day, & drive back to Moorhead Sunday night.

DP - nice preview of the upcoming week!  It is nice that all of those games are at home for the Royals! Let's hope they can build an atmosphere in the Robertson Center to help them! 

[MiacLostProphet]

The MIAC league leaders in 3s made also average over 30 minutes per game.

IMO there are several problems with Hamline's outside shooting:

*Prophet may disagree with me, but Thrasher, Tanner Anderson & the Johansen kid are streaky outside shooters at best.

*Clute's been injured
*Admiral Whitmore seems to have a very quick hook - you don't perform you sit i.e. Kujolic, Nick Carroll, Pierre Harris, Hayes. etc. Tough to develop a rhythm after the first miscue. 

An aside, Tekle must be this month's version of last month's Pierre Harris.   

You are right DP, i don't totally agree with you.  Thrasher isn't a 3 point shooter, he can shoot it but he does a lot more damage in the mid range and from the post.  Anderson doesn't really shoot threes, and if he does:  Tanner, stop shooting threes.  Carrol seemed like the sure fire 3 point gunner coming into the season but that didn't work out the way he had hoped. 

I have said it before and i will say it again.  Hamline has a lot of players who do a variety of things well, but they don't excel at one thing.  St Thomas has a shooter (scott) and point guard (Ty) a defender (viau ??) and there big men board well.  Gustavus also has skill players at their positions, they do what they are great at and nothing more.  If the pipes aren't mathematically eliminated I will still be pulling for the red and grays. 

[big_shocker]

Sorry everybody, I think we in the MIAC are playing for just one team to enter the national tournament. Parity makes for a fun season, but makes picking an obvious tournament team very difficult.

Glad that the caucus is on Tuesday, so I won't have to miss any MIAC updates!

[VOJ]

VOJ - So...you think the top teams in the league are closer to the bottom (parity, competitiveness, whatever you want to call it), but you still think the league deserves 2-3 teams in the tournament? Do you remember how Ike's powerhouse squad finished last year, by chance? Calling me confused by your rationale would be a gross understatement.

The Tommies have been the only "sure" thing the MIAC has this year. Their three losses have come against teams with a combined record of 34-19 — a mark that includes 6-12 Macalester. Gustavus has a nice team, but has shown a nasty tendency to not show up against the bottomfeeders. You can roll the dice for everyone else for as much consistency as they've shown.

I'm not sure how these observations will play out with the new selection standards, but I'm going to go out on a fat limb and guess not well.

Willy...are you reading into my quotes or mis-quoting me...I never said the league would get two or thee teams in...all I said was that there is more parity, the top teams are not as good as recent top teams and that its more competitive...

You guys are probably right, the only way two teams get in, is if someone wins the post season tourney on the top seeds home floor...

[miacwatchmen]

Sum...yes stiller will start, Burtzel will come off the bench...I would not call it burning up fouls, Stiller has progressed terrifically this season into a bonafide low post threat...he had 12 against  Concordia and I think 8 against Carleton...

its been fun to watch guys develop this year, Isetts, Schwartz, Burtzel, and Stiller

Townswick? I've been waiting for him to do something offensively, but maybe that's not his role right now as a reserve.

I think you're right about Townswick's role this year. Anyone who watched this kid play in high school knows he can flat out shoot the ball. This year, he has only shot the ball 4 times and he is 2-3 on 3FGs. I think when he comes in the game his role is to play tough defense and pester the opposing teams PG. He is a quick little kid and should develop into a nice player in the future. I imagine his play this year has been limited by his 15 TO's in 140 or so minutes. But the experience he is getting this year will only help him in his next three years. The J's are going to have some serious experience 2-3 yrs down the road 

[big_shocker]

That Super Bowl was sick. I love that the Patriots lost. That one play with Eli escaping three sacks and tossing it to the third option receiver who caught it against his helmet for a first down on 3rd and 11 was fan-darn-tastic.

Alright, I just had to get that out of my system. WW- okay, let's try this again. Will you be in town for the GAC/UST game this upcoming weekend.

[Willy Wonka]

BS - I'll be there with bells on, even if I have to walk the 75 miles uphill into the wind through 3 feet of snow to do so.

VOJ - We've been discussing whether the league is considered "up" or "down" for nearly three pages in trying to project how many teams the MIAC deserves to get in The Dance. Can we start by agreeing with that?

From there, everyone but you has said the league is down this season, especially at the top. Instead of agreeing, you've taken the obtuse stance of saying the league is "competitive" — a term everyone else calls the dreaded P-word. I'm simply disagreeing with your assessment and pointing out your stubborn refusal to acknowledge what seems to be pretty clear to everyone else.

It's certainly made for an interesting, unpredictable regular season — which is your point, I'd imagine — but that doesn't translate well on the national scene.

UST, assuming it doesn't suffer 2-3 losses on the way to making the MIAC title game, would seem to have a very strong argument for a Pool C berth. The cases for the others would be pretty shaky, though four straight by GAC against the best of the rest would probably put them in fairly solid positioning as well.

Since we're here...when is the first regional ranking released?

[thefightingscots]

now i dont know about you guys but i am very excited to watch the smu hamline game.  A lot of running not so much defense being played, on hamline's part anyways...but that isnt why i am excited.  We will have a chance to see the 2 best dunkers in the miac (no contest) go at it on monday night.  I want to see some very nice dunks by both participants.  Considering the competitiveness and watching both of them play through high school if one gets a dunk it wont be long before the other one throws down.  And since the two are pretty good friends from what i hear, im sure they will be trying to go at eachother depending on match ups.  But i do think it will be a game inside the game.


Drake Palmer:  i know how much you liked Carr's tip dunk at mac and hamline doesnt really box out so dont be suprised to see another one on monday.  Are you going to the game? i recommend it strongly.

[columbianmaffia]

that superbowl was tight

i went to the UST CAR game on saturday...CAR is in desperate need of a PG...the one they have now plays hard but just doesnt get the job done...i think Tommy Drake should bring the ball up since he doesnt seem to have a very big role in the offense as a scorer and have Jonker replace the PG and go with a bigger line up...if CAR had someone who could take care of the ball on saturday i believe they win the game

i loved the energy the CAR student section brought to the game...UST came out the gates slow just like the first meeting but slowly got back in the game and once they had the lead it was clear they were not going to give it up...i think USTs bench played well...i love watchin The Real McCoy hoop it up

[PTPer35]

Big Shocker - Great fourth quarter in the Super Bowl. The rest of the game was entertaining but I was on the edge of my seat for all 15 minutes. Good for Eli.

C-Mob - I agree 100%. Sutherland should be back soon so I am hoping CARs PG troubles will be solved in a few weeks. Weishdeshel is a solid player, but needs to learn how to be sneaky so his height doesn't work against him. He had two 10 second calls last game; I think its because he is too concerned with setting up the offense and is too patient in the backcourt. However, it will be nice to know you have someone on the bench that can do the job and he is no longer completely wet behind the ears. Jonker should be playing more too; his shot reminds me of the Fork and he is a terrific passer.

[VOJ]

VOJ - We've been discussing whether the league is considered "up" or "down" for nearly three pages in trying to project how many teams the MIAC deserves to get in The Dance. Can we start by agreeing with that?

From there, everyone but you has said the league is down this season, especially at the top. Instead of agreeing, you've taken the obtuse stance of saying the league is "competitive" — a term everyone else calls the dreaded P-word. I'm simply disagreeing with your assessment and pointing out your stubborn refusal to acknowledge what seems to be pretty clear to everyone else.

It's certainly made for an interesting, unpredictable regular season — which is your point, I'd imagine — but that doesn't translate well on the national scene.

UST, assuming it doesn't suffer 2-3 losses on the way to making the MIAC title game, would seem to have a very strong argument for a Pool C berth. The cases for the others would be pretty shaky, though four straight by GAC against the best of the rest would probably put them in fairly solid positioning as well.

Since we're here...when is the first regional ranking released?

Again...what I said was the league is more competitive...I never predicted entrants into the dance until my post before this...where I AGREED with you guys saying that probably only one team would be in...unless the top seed in the tourney lost on their home floor...there are many ways to say the same thing...

I think the league on the whole has alot of great talent, especially young talent, is it down?  Overall it probably is, but I enjoy the parity...

[bleednavyblue_GoBU]

Tonights Predictions...

SJU @ GAC - Gusties too tough at home...Gustavus by 10.

Question for the Board:
When these two teams play...does Whittwer and Brink guard eachother?  Sidenote: I sweat these two guys could be long-lost brothers...their style of play is so similar! 

Carl @ BU - Bethel keeps rolling after their big win Saturday, win bigger than people think...BU by 15! (BU leapfrogs Carl & SJU into a tie for 3rd!)

Augs @ StOlaf - St. Olaf gets a big (close) win to keep the pressure on BU, SJU, CORD, & CARL for a 6th playoff spot!...Olaf by 4

MAC @ UST - Conboy scores 35 and Abe scores 33 and Mac still loses...UST by 18.

SMU @ HAM - Yawn...Ham by 12

It is good to be a Royal! 

 

[abominable_snowman]

Tonights Predictions...

SJU @ GAC - Gusties too tough at home...Gustavus by 10.

Question for the Board:
When these two teams play...does Whittwer and Brink guard eachother?  Sidenote: I sweat these two guys could be long-lost brothers...their style of play is so similar! 

Carl @ BU - Bethel keeps rolling after their big win Saturday, win bigger than people think...BU by 15! (BU leapfrogs Carl & SJU into a tie for 3rd!)

Augs @ StOlaf - St. Olaf gets a big (close) win to keep the pressure on BU, SJU, CORD, & CARL for a 6th playoff spot!...Olaf by 4

MAC @ UST - Conboy scores 35 and Abe scores 33 and Mac still loses...UST by 18.

SMU @ HAM - Yawn...Ham by 12

It is good to be a Royal! 

 

We'll see how many points Abe gtets.  I'm sure the tommies are little sore from the way the last one finished.

[Drake Palmer]

Question for the board –

Why are the Ole supporters on this board so weak- or non-existent?  (Queue up a fat pitch for Funballer  )  Here they are in the closing weeks of a desperate playoff hunt, & no love from Northfield on the board.  Same holds true for Augsburg, but at least in their case they have to almost run the table to get in.

I didn't have time, or want to take the time to run through all of the various scenarios, but when I dusted off the Palmer crystal ball here's what the last 3 weeks of this wacky season looks like to me.

Team/Current conference record + projected 3-week record = projected final league finish.

1.  UST:  (12-2) + 5-1 =  (17-3)
2.  GAC:  (10-3) + 5-1/4-2 = (16-4/15-5)  (I can't figure this team out)

3.  BET:  (7-6) + 5-2 =  (12-8)
4.  SJU:   (8-6) + 4-2 =  (12-8)
5.  CAR:  (8-6) + 4-2 =  (12-8)

6.  CON:   (8-6) + 3-3=  (11-9)
***

7.  AUG:  (5-8) + 4-3 =  (9-11)
8.  STO:  (7-7) + 1-5 =  (8-12)

I could easily see a 2-way tie for 3rd & wouldn't be at all surprised to see a 2-way tie for 4th.  And as close as the playoff race is this year, I really don't expect to see a team make the playoffs with double digit conference losses.  It could happen, but at this point I don't think it's likely.