MBB: Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[kel_varnsen]

You know what I love about MIAC hoops? With the Gusties trailing Carleton late in the MIAC semifinal, I didn't have to worry that Greg Gumbel was going to take me up to St. Paul where the Royals were giving the Tommies problems.

[Drake Palmer]

drake i think you should have done cats instead of dogs 

Yup, you're sure right.  The March Madness Dawg Pound is officially closed for the remainder of the season.

Out of the teams in the Sweet 16, here are the schools grouped by nickname types:

(6) schools with some type of human nicknames:

Volunteers, Spartans, Hilltoppers, Musketeers, Mountaineers & Tarheels.

(3) Bird – type nicknames:

Cardinals, Jayhawks & The Cardinal

(3) Miscellaneous Animal nicknames:

Badgers, Longhorns & Bruins

(4) Cat Nicknames:

Cougars, Wildcats, Wildcats, & Tigers
***************
LC - did you mean the assistant coaching position at Concordia or at Carleton?

If it's the Cobbs, how about a wild guess-- Josh Downey or Soren Nelson return to take the head assistant coaching position for Coach Glas.

[VOJ]

So did anyone see much of the DIII title matchup on Saturday?  I did not and was wondering what people thought of how the teams in the MIAC mich compare to them...

[Drake Palmer]

So did anyone see much of the DIII title matchup on Saturday?  I did not and was wondering what people thought of how the teams in the MIAC mich compare to them...

Unless you're familiar with the teams and players, and have seen them play in person before, I think it's tough to get a real accurate read on a team by watching a webcast.  I watched a bit of the semi final between Washington & Hope & it was a challenge to assess height/weight differences, quickness etc.   However, you could still tell both schools had quality teams. Good size & solid guard play. 

IMO, the biggest difference was that Washington had a superstar player – 6-6 SR forward, Troy Ruths who was consistently solid throughout the tournament, and then spectacular at the Final Four. They also received consistent key performances from their other big, Tyler Nading & wing/forward Aaron Thompson. 

As I've said before, Buena Vista was right there with Washington only to come up short in OT.  And as I've also said before, in the "woulda, coulda, shoulda" department, in spite of the flu & poor shooting performance by UST when they played BV, they still almost knocked off the Beavers.  A team has to be able to find a way to maintain a consistent performance even when their team hits a rough patch for whatever reason – sickness, cold shooting night, etc. 

The great teams seem to find a way to maintain a high level of play and or have someone else pick the slack when a teammate's game might hit a mini-slump i.e. like Davidson's Stephen Curry & backcourt mate, Jason Richards.  Richards had Curry's back until Curry could regain his shooting touch.  The babyfaced kid was cold blooded even if he did take down the last Dawgs.

[localcoach]

Drake - Concordia College, my friend.  And it's not either of the names you mentioned.  It's someone with college coaching experience in Minnesota.

[Drake Palmer]

Drake - Concordia College, my friend.  And it's not either of the names you mentioned.  It's someone with college coaching experience in Minnesota.

And the guessing game continues - Jeremy Tiers, Barry Wohler, Tom Gilles, Mike Trewick?

[abominable_snowman]

So did anyone see much of the DIII title matchup on Saturday?  I did not and was wondering what people thought of how the teams in the MIAC mich compare to them...

Unless you're familiar with the teams and players, and have seen them play in person before, I think it's tough to get a real accurate read on a team by watching a webcast.  I watched a bit of the semi final between Washington & Hope & it was a challenge to assess height/weight differences, quickness etc.   However, you could still tell both schools had quality teams. Good size & solid guard play. 

IMO, the biggest difference was that Washington had a superstar player – 6-6 SR forward, Troy Ruths who was consistently solid throughout the tournament, and then spectacular at the Final Four. They also received consistent key performances from their other big, Tyler Nading & wing/forward Aaron Thompson. 

As I've said before, Buena Vista was right there with Washington only to come up short in OT.  And as I've also said before, in the "woulda, coulda, shoulda" department, in spite of the flu & poor shooting performance by UST when they played BV, they still almost knocked off the Beavers.  A team has to be able to find a way to maintain a consistent performance even when their team hits a rough patch for whatever reason – sickness, cold shooting night, etc. 

The great teams seem to find a way to maintain a high level of play and or have someone else pick the slack when a teammate's game might hit a mini-slump i.e. like Davidson's Stephen Curry & backcourt mate, Jason Richards.  Richards had Curry's back until Curry could regain his shooting touch.  The babyfaced kid was cold blooded even if he did take down the last Dawgs.

Agreed-

I think that the you find this in all levels of tourneys.  When you start talking about the best 59, 64, etc teams the nation, the playing level and talent gaps seem to narrow.  You may have your handful of superstars, but on a team-to-team basis, things are pretty level.  For majority of tournament games, any team can win on a given night.  It becomes a matter of execution, and a little bit of luck.

remember the tommies upset winona this year. 

[columbianmaffia]

today is Greek independence day!!

i shall march the streets of MPLS naked painted blue waving a Greek flag while eating a tripple gyros with extra tzatziki sauce!!

ZITO H ELLAS!

[localcoach]

Drake my friend....keep playing the guessing game.  None of the four you just mentioned is correct.  Your list did get me wondering how each of those four individuals is doing though

Does anyone know if Coach Trewick is done in the profession for good?

I spoke with Barry Wohler a few months back and he seemed very happy at Orono H.S. and excited about the young group they have coming up, including his son, Brady, who will be a freshmen this fall. 

What is Coach Gilles currently up to?  I haven't seen him around the Cities in a long time.

As for Jeremy Tiers, it looks like Bemidji State had a tough year, though they return their nucleus, and that freshmen (sophomore-to-be) class looks awful darn good from what I saw/heard this winter. 

[columbianmaffia]

im guessing dan monson is going to be their coach

[mtnman]

what's gonna happen at St. Mary's now?  Trewick gone... Hire...?   

[TommieHoops4Life]

Monson couldn't possibly do any worse. He went 6-22 at Long Beach State this year and "loved" California more than Minnesota after a matter of days.

His record this year just proves that he wasn't the right fit at Minnesota. None of his players got better after more than one year, and some got a lot worse. I've had the conversation with my dad several times, and it just makes me that much happier that we have Tubby now.

[MiacLostProphet]

LC- did you see more or hear more about Bemidji State. Also, can we get a hint on the guessing game, were they a miac coach by chance?

[frankiet]

How about Ryan Freeburg, former Concordia-St. Paul head coach? What ever happened to him?

[Hoops Junkie]

My guess for the new concordia assistant will be Brady Larson current assistant at Hamline, he has ties to Glas from UND