MBB: Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[basketballlover]

VOJ- you should check your facts before saying anything. Johnson was never interested in GUS and never even visited there. STU and Oles were interested and wanted him, but he didn't like either place, not the other way around.

I agree with PT about your immaturity Scots. Being a young adult and a teacher, seeing an adult, who should be older and wiser, say something like that is unbelievable, if I ever heard an adult talk about another kid and their parent(s) that way there would be big problems.

Coleman has it right, A lot of coaches are like this too -- if you only see a coach on the sidelines and never away from the count, odds are you're getting an incomplete picture, if you meet Johnson off the court I put money on it that you will change your mind.

I think as for the court antics, seems like the goose comes out at home games more, in front of the home crowd cause he knows it gets them into the game. Love it or hate it, the goose isn't going anywhere, lol.

[MiacLostProphet]

On another side note Johnson is a disgrace to James Naismith (spelled that wrong)  all he does is talk trash, try and bully people all game, but when some one even touches him he flops like a fish out of water.  I have never been more disappointed that i even played in the same conference even though it was over ten years ago!  He should never get the calls he got.  However the ref giving him the calls was the same ref who counted the late game winnning basket.  If this were the NBA the ref would be in some very deep trouble right now, the miac should review this tape and Credit the cards with the win

WOW, that's pretty brave/stupid of you to say about Johnson when you really have nothing to back it up. Especially in a game where he can't be stopped. He plays the game hard, with love, and passion and that makes him a bad person? NO. I've seen it from many players and that doesn't make them a disgrace. It shows they are intense and have a passion for the game and are out their to win. Which is why we all love watching any level of sports. Yeah, there is some flops at times, but if the calls are going your way then you take them.

Yeah, CAR might have gotten by with one(hard to tell), but their not the ones calling the game. Luck is on your side sometimes. Take your loss and move on. Seems like you have more of a problem with the refs and the game and need a player to blame. Don't bash any player just because you don't like what you see and the outcome of a game. Johnson, among many other MVP players in the league, are stand out players and deserve credit (no matter what team they play for).

No dont get me wrong scoring wise yes he had a good game against a team that has the tallest player at what 6'2 when johnson is what 6'6? man what a challenge for him.  It doesnt seem like he should get pushed arpund then.  Johnson is no where close to an MVP.  i have seen PG way tougher than him.  But you my friend may be the stupid one since apparently flopping is becoming a decorated art in this conference nowdays.  It used to be a hardnose conference and the refs would let you play.  and yes i am sticking by what i said.  Zach Johnson should be slapped in the back of the head, his father should be ashamed that he has a daughter playing on the guys basketball team

Johnson has always been a flopper, not breaking news.  Bastketballlover, since when did flopping equal playing the game hard, with passion and loving the game?  Johnson has always been a flopper and a dirty player.  I share the distaste CON and Scots feel.  No way is he an MVP contender.  That daughter comment gave me a good laugh, even if it was uncalled for.

Lover, i'm guessing the Carlie goose flops more at home than at away games because he doesn't get the calls on the road.

[Willy Wonka]

Random Thoughts On the UST/GAC Game

1. The ref who gave Hanson the tech had ignored him a few minutes earlier when he was looking for an explanation on a call. You could see Hanson shout his name at least 6 times while the guy was standing roughly five feet away. The gym was packed but not loud, yet he never responded and eventually walked to the other end of the court. Then, Doble gets destroyed on a shot and Hanson calmly asks him, "What the He-double hockey sticks?" and gets T'd up.

Classless, inconsistent reffing at its finest.

2. I don't mind guys taking offensive fouls. In fact, I tend to appreciate them more than most. But stepping in front of a cutter, yelling and throwing your arms out like you just got shot isn't cool. Yet the refs called this yesterday about 75% of the time. Despite this, the biggest collision of the game — when Archer/Robinson (?) got a steal and destroyed a Gustie as he tried to start the break in front of the UST bench — was a no call that should have gone GAC's way.

The game also ended with the refs controlling everything, which is insulting. You can't call an offensive foul on Doble while fighting for position in the post while down 5 and under a minute to play. The call on McCoy on the other end on the next possession was just as bad.

3. For how close the Gusties were to having a Tommie on their staff (Sweeney), the Tommies have embraced the Gustie style of play this season. The high ball screen is almost a thing of the past, scrapped almost entirely for GAC's motion offense. On defense, they seem to have changed a few philosophies to mimic GAC's as well.

Why hasn't this been mentioned before? And where's the poster disdain for this style now?

4. Doble was an absolute stud yesterday. Even things that didn't show up in the stats, he was doing well — which is unusual. I think that might have been the best performance he's had since @SJU two years ago. If I'm Hanson, I show Doble clips of his 15-footers not going in for a month straight and then splice in yesterday's dominance in the post. It was a clear change in mentality and he did whatever he wanted against a pretty good defensive team.

Still, Drake says McCoy deserves a spot on the all-defensive team after helping to "hold" GAC's backup post to triple his season average while posting 1 block and 0 steals before fouling out. I never thought I'd agree with VOJ...but can you say Man-Crush??

5. With Paulson, Wittwer and Sivesind on the bench the last few minutes of the first half, the Tommies really took control. UST shot extremely well to start the game and then went a little cold. However, they dominated the offensive boards making it a relatively moot point.

6. That sequence of block/dunk by Viau was pretty nasty. As a Gustie fan, I appreciated his two fouls in five seconds that sent him to the bench right afterwards just as much.

7. Nicolai is a stud? He played like a scared freshman yesterday and showed not even a glimpse of the hype he's received here.

8. Kane hit a 3 early and hit only one basket the rest of the night. Van Sickle finished with 8 points, continuing the Gustie struggles when he doesn't reach double figures. Neither of these players are super athletic, so the GAC posts need to do a better job of setting picks to help free them for looks.

9. The Tommies are definitely beatable, but spotting them huge leads isn't exactly the best idea in the world. Hopefully it doesn't happen a third straight time if/when these teams meet again.

10. UST was more athletic than GAC almost across the board. I find it a little amusing/despressing that a little used scrub who may have been the most unathletic player on either roster won the game for the Tommies in the closing minutes. Congrats, Sam Eicher...now take your baby hook back to old man ball.

[Drake Palmer]

Shock – Like Mose, I agree on nearly all of the points in your posts.  And yes, it was B.J. Viau on the block & dunk.  A definite, post season award finalist for Plays of the Year.  Personally, I thought the Gusties were going to crack at that point but it's a credit to your team, and to the players for buying into the Gustie system.

Which leads me to my next point.  A factor in the big comeback by the Gusties was poor clock management & shot selection by the Tommies.  For example, there was a controlled fast –break toward the end of the game when Viau would have been better off playing the percentages & holding on to the ball. Instead, he ended up turning the ball over.  There were also some ill-advised shots, primarily by Scott when he had a double coming out on him & he choose to shoot the ball, rather than looking for one of the post players inside, or a cutter.   Some of this comes with experience & maturity.  I saw a similar situation a few minutes later when Lonnie Robinson had the ball the Gusties came to trap him, I think he found Viau cutting to the basket.  

Both Scott & Tyler Nicolai came from high school programs – Hopkins, & DeLaSalle where they were not the 1st scoring option, or in Scott's case, even the 2nd scoring option.  Nicolai had to play 2nd fiddle to Blake Hoffarber now at the U, & Scott had to defer Cameron Rundles now at Univ. of Montana, & NSIC Rookie of the Year - Jamar Diggs at Wayne State.  Sometimes I get a sense both players think to themselves – "ok, now it's my moment to shine, give me the ball."  And sometimes, for shooters you want them to think like that, but it's also a balancing act a shooter must achieve. Shoot your way out of a mini-slump to taking bad shots i.e. feet not set, knowing time & foul situation, shot clock, what does the team need at this stage of the game, etc. etc.  As they mature, hopefully they'll continue to develop in this regard.
*****************
Officiating:

Just be consistent.  If you tell a kid you're going be calling hooking, do it all game & not just when you remember to call it.  Yesterday they were calling the hook on the post players, & that's how McCoy fouled out.  Zach Johnson & Femi Solaja make a living with this sometimes, not so subtle move.  Several fouls were called on Gusties after they grabbed a rebound & were simply trying to protect themselves & threw an elbow or two, trying to fend off the busy hands of the Tommie defenders.   And, both Archer & Johnson have perfected the art of the flop.

Two years ago, the Johnson Goose was flying all over the league.  

[piperinsider]

On another side note Johnson is a disgrace to James Naismith (spelled that wrong)  all he does is talk trash, try and bully people all game, but when some one even touches him he flops like a fish out of water.  I have never been more disappointed that i even played in the same conference even though it was over ten years ago!  He should never get the calls he got.  However the ref giving him the calls was the same ref who counted the late game winnning basket.  If this were the NBA the ref would be in some very deep trouble right now, the miac should review this tape and Credit the cards with the win

WOW, that's pretty brave/stupid of you to say about Johnson when you really have nothing to back it up. Especially in a game where he can't be stopped. He plays the game hard, with love, and passion and that makes him a bad person? NO. I've seen it from many players and that doesn't make them a disgrace. It shows they are intense and have a passion for the game and are out their to win. Which is why we all love watching any level of sports. Yeah, there is some flops at times, but if the calls are going your way then you take them.

Yeah, CAR might have gotten by with one(hard to tell), but their not the ones calling the game. Luck is on your side sometimes. Take your loss and move on. Seems like you have more of a problem with the refs and the game and need a player to blame. Don't bash any player just because you don't like what you see and the outcome of a game. Johnson, among many other MVP players in the league, are stand out players and deserve credit (no matter what team they play for).

No dont get me wrong scoring wise yes he had a good game against a team that has the tallest player at what 6'2 when johnson is what 6'6? man what a challenge for him.  It doesnt seem like he should get pushed arpund then.  Johnson is no where close to an MVP.  i have seen PG way tougher than him.  But you my friend may be the stupid one since apparently flopping is becoming a decorated art in this conference nowdays.  It used to be a hardnose conference and the refs would let you play.  and yes i am sticking by what i said.  Zach Johnson should be slapped in the back of the head, his father should be ashamed that he has a daughter playing on the guys basketball team

Johnson has always been a flopper, not breaking news.  Bastketballlover, since when did flopping equal playing the game hard, with passion and loving the game?  Johnson has always been a flopper and a dirty player.  I share the distaste CON and Scots feel.  No way is he an MVP contender.  That daughter comment gave me a good laugh, even if it was uncalled for.

Lover, i'm guessing the Carlie goose flops more at home than at away games because he doesn't get the calls on the road.

You're not to win this one, Prophet. Blood is thicker...

[Drake Palmer]

Random Thoughts On the UST/GAC Game

...3. For how close the Gusties were to having a Tommie on their staff (Sweeney), the Tommies have embraced the Gustie style of play this season. The high ball screen is almost a thing of the past, scrapped almost entirely for GAC's motion offense. On defense, they seem to have changed a few philosophies to mimic GAC's as well.

Why hasn't this been mentioned before? And where's the poster disdain for this style now?

4. Doble was an absolute stud yesterday. Even things that didn't show up in the stats, he was doing well — which is unusual. I think that might have been the best performance he's had since @SJU two years ago. If I'm Hanson, I show Doble clips of his 15-footers not going in for a month straight and then splice in yesterday's dominance in the post. It was a clear change in mentality and he did whatever he wanted against a pretty good defensive team.

Still, Drake says McCoy deserves a spot on the all-defensive team after helping to "hold" GAC's backup post to triple his season average while posting 1 block and 0 steals before fouling out. I never thought I'd agree with VOJ...but can you say Man-Crush??...
...

Dude,why you always got to try & make it personal?   

Maybe McCoy sends your legit MIP - Paulson to the bench with foul trouble?

Maybe Doble feasts on the defensive efforts of Sam Eicher instead of McCoy because McCoy is spending a fair amount of time on the bench in the 2nd half due to foul trouble?

And note, it isn't just me singling out the play of McCoy.

And I've always liked how GAC gets after teams defensively. 

Maybe the Tommies don't run the high ball screen because they don't have the personnel?

Maybe, UST is running more motion because of their personnel?

On the other hand,  guards have always been allowed to dribble the ball on occasion at UST, & I've noticed the "youngbloods" Schmidtknecht, Van Sickle are bringing this radical concept to Gustavus as well.

I think good coaches make adjustments don't you?

More so than past years, this Tommie team is going to live & die by their guard play.  If they're not making their shots it's going to be tough.  Especially when they're not actively looking inside.  This is a comment or critique I've offered up more than once in  the past.

[PTPer35]

fightingscots - I'd just like to know where your rant came from...what did ZJ do that irked you so bad yesterday? As a Junior captain, Zach has come a long way from freshman year when he would make a point to taunt the crowd and get in people's head. I think he has taken it upon himself to cool it a little bit but give him a break; he carried CAR yesterday with 36...who doesn't get excited when that happens? Whats wrong with holding your follow through if its not directed at the opposing team or crowd?  (which it has been in past years)

Interesting how no one mentioned how Eric Lear kicked the ball and flipped off the Carleton players after the game...thats a disgrace to Naismith. Yeah it was a terrible loss and you're 1-20 but that was just classless.

LostProphet - MVP is based on value, not likability or personality. You can't say Zorro isn't in the mix because he irks you when he is averaging 19pts, 6.5reb, 3.5ast, and 1.7stl per game on a playoff team.

[Willy Wonka]

Drake - You made a statement that seems ridiculous after a Gustie bench player went off for a career game to almost single-handedly erase what was once a 19 (?) point deficit on the road against the 19th best team in the nation and the MIAC leader. At best, it seems poor timing to make such a bold statement. At worst, it's just a flat out erroneous statement.

Also, I fail to see how putting the GAC starter on the bench in foul trouble relates to McCoy's deserving a spot on the all-defensive team.

Robinson and Viau could be on my all-defensive team any day.

As for the rest...maybe a lot of things, but it seems like you've found plenty of things to post about without having brought up some fairly obvious points about the current UST squad.

[Drake Palmer]

Drake - You made a statement that seems ridiculous after a Gustie bench player went off for a career game to almost single-handedly erase what was once a 19 (?) point deficit on the road against the 19th best team in the nation and the MIAC leader. At best, it seems poor timing to make such a bold statement. At worst, it's just a flat out erroneous statement.

Also, I fail to see how putting the GAC starter on the bench in foul trouble relates to McCoy's deserving a spot on the all-defensive team.

Robinson and Viau could be on my all-defensive team any day.

As for the rest...maybe a lot of things, but it seems like you've found plenty of things to post about without having brought up some fairly obvious points about the current UST squad.

And what "bold or erroneous statement" did I make?  In my opinion, I said I thought Viau & McCoy should be on the All-MIAC defensive team.  I still stand by my opinion.  Wasn't it just a few weeks ago you were referring to the GAC post players as the "two-headed monster at center of Doble & Paulson?"  GAC doesn't win the game against Bethel the other night without the strong play of Sam Paulson.  Hanson tried to go to Paulson your primary post player, & he was ineffective against McCoy.  He rolls the dice & Doble had a nice game against a foul plagued McCoy, & then cleans up against Eicher.

Regarding my other comments, I've done the same thing you've tried to do.  Maintain a degree of objectivity while watching a team I like develop. 

I said the Tommies did a poor job of clock management
Questionable shot selection
The post position seems to be manned by committee

What else would you like me to say?

All things considered, I think Coach Fritz & his staff is doing an excellent job with a team most people, myself included thought would be fortunate to make the playoffs this year. 

Hmm, lets' see for supposedly being in a rebuilding year UST is:

*Currently in first place in the MIAC league standings at 15-2 with a 2.5 game lead over GAC with 3 games left in conference play.

*Ranked 19th nationally in the latest D3Hoops poll

*Earlier this season defeated D2 #1 ranked Winona State, the 06 National champion & 07 National runner up.

Not bad, for a team with a bunch of holes in their lineup.

[columbianmaffia]

miacwatchmen

+k for the spectacular picture of the goose in the middle of a solid honking session


as for johnson

he should be in the running for MVP because he is one of the best players in the MIAC...just because someone is funky doesnt mean they shouldnt be in the running for MVP

i like the kid i think he is nice and i have no problems with him but i hate the way he plays...and so do most people who watch him play...but i will still cheer for him and hope he plays good

[TommieHoops4Life]

WW,

Looks like you saw my Sam Paulson and raised me a Nicolai... Wish you could have seen him against Olaf early in the year, kid was unconscious.

Johnson is a heck of a basketball player. I've talked to him a couple times after a game, and for as cocky as he gets on the court, he's one of the nicer kids I've ever met. The "goose" after every made FT or jumper makes me absolutely want to puke, and yes he does it mostly at home. The one time I saw him do it a lot on the road was at UST in the MIAC title game. I don't see him talk that much trash to opposing players, but he definitely has his fun with opposing student fans.

He's toned down a lot from his freshman year, but if I put up his numbers, I'd probably be a little on the cocky side too. Get to know him away from the court, he's actually a nice and pretty humble guy.

[Willy Wonka]

Drake - You'd really take McCoy over Robinson on defense? Think carefully before you respond, because your credibility may take a huge hit with the wrong response.

TH4L - Nicolai certainly seemed competent yesterday, but he brought absolutely nothing to that game. 0-4 with 0 points, 3 rebounds and 4 assists. Was that his worst game of the year? If so, I hope he does it again in a couple weeks

[concordia of the north]

for the record: i would take johnson very early in a draft of miac players if i was starting a team. he's tough.

i think i would take mccoy over robinson.  robinson is replaceable.  he might be the third best defender of his kind on his own team after viau and archer.  mccoy has ridiculous hands and a center of gravity unmatched in the miac.  it is very dangerous for a post to dribble near him, and very difficult to initiate power moves with him on your back/hip.

[Gregory Sager]

On another side note Johnson is a disgrace to James Naismith (spelled that wrong)

No, you got it right.

[Willy Wonka]

Did you see the Celtics today? Glen Davis for all-defensive team!!!