MBB: Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference

GRIZ_BACKER · February 18, 2009, 05:55:11 PM

I am hoping the game with DC has a a first round bye and/or title on the line More fun that way. The Transy game last week was a war. Lot of emotion and played at a championship level by both teams. I am hoping the DC game is that way if FC gets by Hanover tonight.

BUBeaverFan · February 18, 2009, 09:18:54 PM

Bluffton 59-Defiance 57 Final Big win for the Beavers!

Darryl Nester · February 18, 2009, 09:59:37 PM

In addition to Bluffton over Defiance, Franklin, Transy, and Manchester picked up wins over (resp.) Hanover, MSJ, and Anderson. That means the seeding is almost complete ...

Team	Overall	Home	Away	Remaining Games
Franklin	13-2	7-0	6-2	vs. DC
Transylvania	12-3	8-0	4-3	@ AU
Defiance	11-4	6-2	5-2	@ FC
Bluffton	8-7	4-3	4-4	vs. MSJ
Anderson	7-8	4-3	3-5	vs. TU
Hanover	6-10	4-4	2-6
Manchester	5-10	2-5	3-5	vs. RHIT
Rose-Hulman	4-11	1-7	3-4	@ MC
Mount St. Joseph	2-13	2-6	0-7	@ BU

Franklin will host if they win on Saturday, or if Transy loses. A FC/TU tie sends the tournament to Lexington by virtue of the Pioneers' sweep of Defiance.

Next Tuesday will see AU travel to Bluffton and Hanover travel to Defiance. AU and BU split the season, with the home team winning in overtime in both games. Defiance swept Hanover, but the second meeting (at Defiance) was decided by only 3 points, 50-47.

Team	#1	#2	#3	#4	#5	#6	Tournament?
Franklin	75.00%	25.00%	--	--	--	--	Yes
Transylvania	25.00%	75.00%	--	--	--	--	Yes
Defiance	--	--	100.00%	--	--	--	Yes
Bluffton	--	--	--	100.00%	--	--	Yes
Anderson	--	--	--	--	100.00%	--	Yes
Hanover	--	--	--	--	--	100.00%	Yes

dc_has_been · February 19, 2009, 02:52:30 AM

Well DC continues to choke in typical fashion. They seem to have that trend even before I played there. Wow!!!!! This is frustration obviously, but man a team who brought back almost everyone & made some nice additions should not choke this badly so many times. I wish I could have watched some games this year to determine if it was the coaching or players?

Darryl Nester · February 19, 2009, 08:03:14 AM

I noted this morning that the men's tournament page at the HCAC Web site lists the opening round #4/#5 seed game as if those seeds have not been determined. I sent the following to the HCAC to explain why I posted last night that Bluffton will host Anderson in that game.

If BU ends up tied with AU at 8-8, the tie-breaking process first looks at head-to-head competition. Because we split the series, it then moves on to "Competition against rank/order of regular season standings." Working down through the standings, both AU and BU:

#1 or #2: were swept by Franklin
#2 or #1: split with Transy*
#3: split with Defiance
#6: split with Hanover

BUT Bluffton swept both RHIT and Manchester, while Anderson split with them. Bluffton gets the #4 slot.

*AU lost the first meeting with Transy, but in order to end up tied with BU, they would have to win Saturday, so they would have a split.

Quote from: dc_has_been on February 19, 2009, 02:52:30 AM
Well DC continues to choke in typical fashion. They seem to have that trend even before I played there. Wow!!!!! This is frustration obviously, but man a team who brought back almost everyone & made some nice additions should not choke this badly so many times. I wish I could have watched some games this year to determine if it was the coaching or players?

At the beginning of the season, I thought (from looking at box scores) that DC was missing C.J. Johnson. Floyd is a very good guard, but in my opinion was more effective last year in conjunction with Johnson. He is capable of scoring lots of points (as he did in the first matchup against Bluffton, where he had a game-high 24), but in some games his ball-handling duties took precedence (like last night, when he had a game-high 6 assists, but scored only 6 points).

As the season went on, I thought they had worked out those issues--especially when Floyd dropped 24 in Founders Hall. But they have not gelled like I would have expected.

There might have been a few team chemistry problems, or clashes with the new coach. In the middle of the season, a few players dropped from their roster, including a senior. That's generally not a good sign.

tu-fan · February 19, 2009, 11:46:33 AM

Darryl,

Now that Transy has gone to Franklin and folded up like a cheap lawn chair....Do they need to win the conference to get an NCAA birth or can they still get an at large. If no conference championship-what do you expect they will need to do to get an at large (if possible)? I see they are 4th in the Midwest Regional Ranking- but not sure how all of this shakes out or the process in selecting for the "Dance"

BUBeaverFan · February 19, 2009, 12:11:27 PM

If Transy were to win their final game, win a game in the HCAC tourney and then lose in the championship game to go 20-6 (16-4 in region) they would have made a strong case to make the tourney. In the current regional rankings #2, #3, #5 and #7 are all from the CCIW, so there will be additional losses there as well. Only Midwest #1/National #2 Wash U has clinched a spot in the NCAA tournament.

Of course Darryl and I are rooting for the Beavers to win it all from the 4 spot in the HCAC Tourney!

Past actions are not necessarily indicators of what will happen in '09, but in the Midwest region last year #1 thru #7 made the tourney. I would think the only way the HCAC has a chance of getting two teams in the tourney is for Transy to lose to Franklin in the finals of the HCAC tournament. Just my guess and by no means the sort of math that Darryl uses.

kyballr · February 19, 2009, 01:48:49 PM

Re: MBB: Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference
« Reply #614 on: February 12, 2009, 09:02:10 am »
Unfortunately, I did get to listen to parts of the game. I was outside chasing siding off of my house most of the night. Ugly game in Franklin (for the pioneers) apparently. I spoke with a good friend that went to the game this morning. He said the Pioneers couldn't guard the weave. While he said the officiating was not good - he said TU just wasn't good enough to win the game last night. As for the Verax tech, notsure what happened-hard to understand on radio. I do know he fouled out with 15 + minutes in the 2nd half. When he went to the bench....the rest was history.

Quote from: tu-fan on February 19, 2009, 11:46:33 AM
Darryl,

Now that Transy has gone to Franklin and folded up like a cheap lawn chair....Do they need to win the conference to get an NCAA birth or can they still get an at large. If no conference championship-what do you expect they will need to do to get an at large (if possible)? I see they are 4th in the Midwest Regional Ranking- but not sure how all of this shakes out or the process in selecting for the "Dance"

tu fan,
some of that siding hit you in the head and get you in a bad mood?.....

GRIZ_BACKER · February 20, 2009, 08:27:43 PM

Here's hoping for a big FC win tomorrow against DC. Hard to predict what type of game the yellow jackets will bring as the game is meaningless for them seed wise. I am assuming they will bring their "A" game.

FC will be fired up to earn the top seed for next weekend.

tu-fan · February 21, 2009, 10:50:39 AM

Might be wishful thinking for my pioneers, but I think if Transy beats Anderson today-the HCAC will be at Transy. On paper, the Franklin vs. Defiance game is a total mismatch.

Predictions
Transy 72 Anderson 67
Franklin 64 Defiance 77

kyballr · February 21, 2009, 01:11:11 PM

tu fan vampire nation hopes your predicts come true.....i think franklin in ot....if not....lex will play host to hcac tourney...with a tu win today ...... Game on live audio stream

GRIZ_BACKER · February 21, 2009, 02:20:56 PM

The bars open early in Lexington it appears.

13 point loss at home by FC? I think your score is right but the mismatch will go the other way. Transy rolls easy over Anderson. Anderson looked good on paper but they have proven to be paper tigers.

The Griz willroll and the Yellowjackets will head back to northwest OH to regroup and get ready for Hanover.

Darryl Nester · February 21, 2009, 04:59:09 PM

So far ...
MSJ 68, Bluffton 69 -- Bluffton overcame a 17-point halftime deficit (after shooting 28% in the first half, to MSJ's 68%), and battled back through the second half to take the lead on a Josh Eichar layup with 30 seconds to go -- which proved to be the final basket of the game.

Manchester beat RHIT (the live stats seem to be stuck at 26 seconds, but MC has an 18-point lead.

At halftime, DC leads FC by 2, and AU leads TU by 3.

cave2bens · February 21, 2009, 05:02:38 PM

Wow - five fouls and four turnovers in the final 4:27 of 1st half - 10 pt lead shrinks to a deuce. DC needs to get their heads back in the game and come up with an answer for Yochim (19 pts) beside Tietje and his three fouls. Jackets led by Sales and Pettaway with 14 and 12 respectively.

Darryl Nester · February 21, 2009, 06:09:01 PM

TU survives a late charge from AU, winning 78-74. The Ravens have now lost 6 in a row, by 5, 6, 5, 5, 12, and 4.

Meanwhile, Defiance edges Franklin, 92-89. (I assume that's final. The live stats are stuck at 1 second.)

Looks like the tournament is headed for Lexington ...