MBB: Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference

Pat Coleman · September 23, 2007, 01:20:19 AM

Ugh. Another Sunday title game? We're never going to get a good NCAA bracket this way.

Darryl Nester · September 24, 2007, 09:15:22 AM

I guess good news for the HCAC middle-of-the-pack is not good news for everyone.

By the way, last year I heard an explanation for why we dropped early-week play-in games (which last year led to the tournament field shrinking to 4 teams, and this year pushed the championship game to Sunday). We made the change when Rose-Hulman joined the conference; their winter term final exam schedule last year coincided with the week before the tournament, and they (admin and faculty) did not want players to miss exams for games. This year, the tournament is a week later, so their exams occur during the last week of the regular season, and they have indeed avoided scheduling a Wednesday night game during that week.

Buck23 · September 25, 2007, 07:09:37 PM

Hi Everyone, I'm new here and I follow the HCAC with Bluffton being my team. I live in Bluffton, I am family friends with Coach Neal, my sister plays for the womens team and my parents are donors. I hope to talk a bunch with ya'll come bball season!

GO BEAVERS!

RO_24 · September 26, 2007, 01:12:38 PM

Darryl,

I heard that last year, Neuman from Hanover told me that when I hung out with him. I was hoping this 4-team deal would be a quick bust, because it wasn't much fun.

Ready for the season this year though...

Buck, Welcome - Have to love having another Beaver here

cardinalfanrochelle · October 09, 2007, 05:47:04 PM

sounds funny , Bucky the Beaver fan

haterinthehouse · October 10, 2007, 08:11:59 PM

The conference play-off alignment would have been nice last year, considering that any of the top 6 could have competed for the tournament championship.

Buck23 · October 16, 2007, 07:54:31 PM

I have only been to 3 HCAC gyms, but which of the ones you have been to is the loudest?

rreucher24 · October 17, 2007, 11:47:03 AM

Quote from: Buck23 on October 16, 2007, 07:54:31 PM
I have only been to 3 HCAC gyms, but which of the ones you have been to is the loudest?

I'm biased, as I played in Founders Hall for 4 years, but I would say, without a doubt, Bluffton students are the LOUDEST and most voicestrous for Wednesday night games of all the conference gyms (and non-conference for that matter). 2nd is Defiance. 3rd is Transy. 4th is Franklin. 5th is Manchester. 6th is Hanover. 7th is MSJ. Andersons aer the worst I think. Too spread out; not a true student section.

Darryl Nester · October 17, 2007, 02:25:05 PM

Buck23: I've only been in two HCAC gyms, so you're ahead of me.

Ricky: Welcome to the board.

Any Anderson fans out there: As of yesterday, the AU men's roster for the new year is posted ... or is it? It lists no freshmen, and only 8 returning players. While I can believe the number of returning players (the 7 who did not return got little playing time last year), no incoming freshmen seems unlikely. If it were true, this would be the first time since I started keeping track that a team had no freshmen (Bluffton had only 1 in '04-05), and would be the smallest roster I've ever seen. (Last year's Hanover women had 9.)

So, what's the story? Are there freshmen on the AU men's squad? Perhaps the coach wants to keep his new recruits under wraps for now.

rreucher24 · October 19, 2007, 02:30:52 PM

looks lke bluffton is having some inside issues....i dont want to release anything but it's not a good situation for a promising player.

haterinthehouse · October 19, 2007, 09:21:07 PM

AU has freshman, they are just not listed. If you visit the IndyStar online and view the preps website you will eventually be able to navigate through a list of all college prospects who have committed to schools. AU brought in a pretty solid recruiting class.

Darryl Nester · October 19, 2007, 09:43:25 PM

Hater - Thanks for the response. It seemed unlikely that AU would go completely dry, with the successful recruiting years they've had recently.

Along with the AU frosh, we're still awaiting rosters for MC and RHIT for both men and women, and FC and DC on the women's side.

wc4252 · October 22, 2007, 04:13:55 PM

Hey everyone, I guess I am the AU rep on the board as it looks like nobody else is on here from AU.
This years incoming class is actually probably the most talented I have seen at AU since I've been around. They have 5-6 solid freshman who can have an immediate impact along with a JUCO transfer who will start and possibly be the best player immediately. Coach Slyder is starting his 3rd season and has put together a solid group after some down years at the end of the last coach's time. With (I believe) the top 5 scorers coming back this year, things are looking up at Anderson after some down years recently. I would not be surprised to see them get back to the run and gun O and pressure D that put up a lot of points and brought some success in the early 2000's.

HCACBBALL · October 27, 2007, 04:18:50 AM

I would agree that AU has a solid class. Coach Slyder keeps on bringing in solid classes and I think this is the year to turn things around. It is good to see Fultz back. He will have a great soph year. I hope Holliday can stay healthy.

How about Hanover? Any word on their freshman class. I have heard they had a pretty good year recruiting. I have been told they have two impact players in a guard from Speedway and a post from New Albany.

Darryl Nester · October 29, 2007, 03:55:47 PM

As of today, Anderson officially has freshmen! (Not that I ever doubted the comments of haterinthehouse, wc4252, and HCACBBALL.) The online AU roster was updated some time this afternoon to include 9 freshmen and 2 junior transfers.

That leaves us with two missing rosters on the men's side (MC and RHIT), and two missing for the women (FC and RHIT).