MBB: Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference

[Buzz]

Well the HCAC site is down right now, so I can't crunch the numbers before making my picks, so I'll keep this short and sweet.

DC at Bluffton - 183rd all-time meeting goes to the Jackets.

Rose at Hanover - This is where the young Panthers begin making their move.

Transy at Maryville - Maryville getting votes and at home, I'll take em here.

Franklin at MSJ - These two are so unpredictable right now...I'm going on a limb and taking Franklin.

Anderson at Manchester - AU escaped a pair of losses last week. I'm wondering if they are starting to wear down...or did Rose and Hanover lay out the game plan on how to play the Ravens? I've been on the Manchester bandwagon...UPSET SPECIAL here, I'm taking the Spartans.

[Gregory Sager]

Unless Anderson totally collapses down the stretch here, I would think they have an at-large bid locked up. They've beat some very good teams UW-Platteville, Wittenberg, at Transy.

The win over UW-Platteville was a good one, but unfortunately for the Ravens it probably won't help them get an at-large bid if they need one. UW-Platteville and Anderson are not in-region opponents, and therefore the game doesn't count in terms of the five primary criteria used to determine Pool C (at-large) bids to the tournament.

[dc_has_been]

Way to be a buzz kill Gregory

[Gregory Sager]

Way to be a buzz kill Gregory

It's a dirty job, but someone's gotta do it.

[magicman]

Way to be a buzz kill Gregory

It's a dirty job, but someone's gotta do it.

And you're quite good at it. 

[Gregory Sager]

Way to be a buzz kill Gregory

It's a dirty job, but someone's gotta do it.

And you're quite good at it. 

Everybody's got a gift in life, right?

[HCAC-Indy]

Everyone is crazy if they don't think the Ravens are for real! I have seen 2 of their games (Defiance and Hanover) they have all the pieces you need. A solid 3 pt shooter from anywhere in Riddle, a solid PG who can score if needed who has one of the best assit to TO ratios in the nation, a tough role player who has ended up posting a few double doubles in rebounding, Jones the center is a very athletic 5 man for this league, and if that's not enough they have a D-1 transfer from IUPUI who has been a clutch scorer when they need him...combine all that and you have 5 starters averaging double figures. Tough to stop. The AU bench seems thin so when in foul trouble is when they are weak.

Very impressed with Hanover at AU though tough young tea
. Mike Case is a rising star in this league. Excellent rebounder.

With that said here are my picks:

transy goes down on the road

Anderson keeps rolling with a W at
Manchester

Defiance rolls with a W

Hanover wins at Home.

I will take Mt st Joe over FC even though it is a toss up.

 

[dc_has_been]

Defiance loses to Bluffton!!!!  Wow, I will no longer be rooting for I am very frustrated with my alum.  Until they start putting sporting teams that can really compete and not chokeThey need to be more consistent and not lose games they should win.  Little angered by thisNot happy, but wow, what a jokewhat an upsetting loss.
For Cave2Bens 

[BUBeaverFan]

Bluffton Beavers finally get one. Go Beavers! They were up 20 in the second half and then held on to win 91-83.

(corrected via Darryl)

[Darryl Nester]

Bluffton Beavers finally get one. Go Beavers! They were up 20 in the second half and then held on to win 91-83.

The Beavers 18-point halftime lead got whittled down to 5 with 11:39 to go, but a 22-7 run over the next 5 minutes pushed the lead to 20.  The final 8-point margin was as close as the score got from there.

After just three FT attempts in the first half, fouls piled up in the second half.  DC ended up 20/28 for the game, while the Beavers finished 29/36 (with many of those coming down the stretch as DC tried to erase that deficit).

[Darryl Nester]

Elsewhere:

AU by 2 at Manchester, 77-75
Hanover crushes RHIT, 54-34 (Rose with 8 points at halftime)
Franklin over MSJ, 73-69
Transy falls in OT to Maryville, 69-75

[cave2bens]

Congrats to the Beavers for breakin' out of the slump at an opportune moment.  It must be a "good feelin' to know."

Jackets musta been sniffin' too much press ink and drowned in the Kool Aid vat. 
So much for big, accumulated points in the d3 rankings this month... ooops - pants lower than the status quo at Five Points Marta stop in Atlanta 

Defiance loses to Bluffton!!!!  Wow, I will no longer be rooting for my alum.  Until they start putting sporting teams that can really compete and not choke.  Little angered by this, but wow, what a joke.

Caution, Son of Grosse Ile - utterances like that will curtle your gray matter, force involuntary regurgitation of obscure Zappa lyrics, and reduce you to the cynical, curmudgeonly status currently represented by that loveable brigand from Fernandina and a Botswana-bound, trout bum. 

[dc_has_been]

Congrats to the Beavers for breakin' out of the slump at an opportune moment.  It must be a "good feelin' to know."

Jackets musta been sniffin' too much press ink and drowned in the Kool Aid vat. 
So much for big, accumulated points in the d3 rankings this month... ooops - pants lower than the status quo at Five Points Marta stop in Atlanta 

Defiance loses to Bluffton!!!!  Wow, I will no longer be rooting for my alum.  Until they start putting sporting teams that can really compete and not choke.  Little angered by this, but wow, what a joke.

Caution, Son of Grosse Ile - utterances like that will curtle your gray matter, force involuntary regurgitation of obscure Zappa lyrics, and reduce you to the cynical, curmudgeonly status currently represented by that loveable brigand from Fernandina and a Botswana-bound, trout bum. 

At least I would be in good company.  Point taken!

[Buzz]

Wow. Shocking night in the HCAC and our predictions took it on the chin. Buzz and Has Been went 3-2, while everyone else limped to 2-3 marks. Updated season standings...

Buzz 11-5
Jacket Backer 9-7
DC Has Been 3-2
Indy 5-4
WC4252 2-3

As far as the real action goes, Anderson pretty well wrapped up the regular season crown with a big win at Manchester. The rest is wide open...from the battle for the two seed all the way down to the sixth and final tourney spot.

Anderson 8-0
Manchester 5-3
Transylvania 5-3
Defiance 4-4
Franklin 4-4
Hanover 4-4
-----------------------
Mt St Joseph 3-5
Rose-Hulman 2-6
Bluffton 1-7

[Jackets Backer]

DC didn't bring it on the road AGAIN and the Jackets got what they deserved at Founders. Sad, disappointing and a couple other adjectives come to mind that I can't use on here.        

Don't understand how Bluffton scores 54 points in the second half alone after going into the game only averaging 54 for a whole game. They hadn't sniffed 80 points all year until last night when they turned into an offensive machine. I'm also not sure how Bluffton was winless before last night. They have a lot of young talent. Fisher and Farley are going to be forces the next couple years.

I was just making the point earlier that Anderson has some very good wins this year and Platteville was one of them. I know it's an out-of-region victory, but just thought it was a noteworthy victory.

It would be a travis-shame-mockery if Anderson was not included in the dance with the season its had, even if it loses a couple more games. While we're on rankings, let's stop talking about DC in the rankings. Don't deserved to be mentioned the rest of this year that's for sure after the debacle last night. Haven't won a thing away from their own gym.

The Jackets are only a game out of second, but also just a game away from not making the league tournament at all. Nothing would surprise after last night.