WBB: Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[gacunk]

I agree with She-Scores51, Collegeville Magic and LaRams on the idea of a northern and southern division of the MIAC (with or without Northwestern and Scholastica).

This will not have much to do with individual player skills but will put the MIAC more on the National map. Each MIAC team will have a chance to select games with teams at a level that will best help their team develop or gain exposure. It doesn't do the top MIAC teams much good to play the teams at the bottom of the MIAC twice when it comes to National recognition. The top MIAC teams can match up against higher ranked teams to possibly gain more recognition and give a better chance for the MIAC to gain an "at large" spot. Teams rebuilding can select non-conference matches with teams at a level or a playing style that will best help them develop.

Another benefit of two divisions with each team playing each other team in their own division twice and each team in the other division once is the fact that the four teams out there in "plumb nelly" (Concordia, St Marys, Carlton & St Olaf) would only have to make a long trip to the other corner of the State every other year.

Without Northwestern and Scholastica there would be 9 non conference games. With them, there would be 7 non conference games. With the possibilty of a three game tournament at Thanksgiving and or Christmas break and pre-season games which are already played, the opportunity for national exposure and opportunity to
see what's out there is greatly expanded. How many conferences are there that play 22 conference games?

A physical point - it would be a coach, player and trainer option as to how much a particularly important player to the team might play in a non-conference game. It's a lot easier to give an injured player a chance to rest non-conference than when competing in conference.

A side comment on injured players in response to to how St Ben's is so handicapped and that only great coaching keeps them up there at the top. Be it known that the Gusties have had three players go down with acl's this year. One would have probably been the starting point guard (summer league injury), one was one of the top rebounders and defensive players and the other was also a point guard. There are other coaches who regularly have players out with injury, or have players that have injuries that do not keep them from playing, but they play with extreme pain.

Losing a strong current point guard is a large loss, I give Mike a lot of credit, but he is not the "Lone Ranger".

[Pat Coleman]

I think there would be six non-conference games, because you'd play one of those teams twice and the other once. But still an improvement.

[Da-dented1]

Naf.... Right, there are 29 Minnesotans on the WIAC Rosters; Riv-Fals-12, Superi-9, Stout-4, Eu Clai-3, La Cro-1, 0 onthe last 4 Teams.

SS51...How does Bens get athletes? They host have 6 age-group Camps each year and in addition there is a Team Camp. The assistants help, there are many of the upperclassman, who work them, Kids get to know the campus get to enjoy it etc. , and they can be identified as a coming prospect. How many Coaches want to put themselves through this? And then in adddition, the tradition, and the coaches still get out to see the prospects they relly want to see come.

M&G....SS51....hoops...."transfer skills into game situations".... don't improve all that much during the season....."don't......improving individuals games as much. I have seen as the season goes along, particular improvements in kids, and therefore, when you play against them you need to be aware of the new things they can do as compared to what they could do earlier in the season. That's with the time they have now, compound that.

CM....Naf....M&G....SS51....Yes, it may be a bit more expensive, but as SS51 says the astute coach-recruiter needs  to have those figures handy so the prospect and their parents can truly understand the expenses and wiegh that with the product. Guess what, unless your school simply doesn't offer the curriculum the athlete wants, you just may have a player.

CM....Exactly "too much time spent beating up on each other". If the schedule were to change and a school fills the Monday slot with games who can you now blame?

M&G....Yes "MN is a mini hotbed", for that reason the coaches need to be able to compete for the good ones, and they need to be seen during the season. hoops....Yes, there are some big headed athletes out there, they are mostly concentrated in the Metro I believe. Their parents have an influence on them and if they (the parents) have coached them through Travel they have a vested interest in their child. I believe alot of them have been weeded out by the time they get to the private D-3 school. 

The real Subject matter.  SS51....CM....LA....agreed, a split schedule or conference may be in order. North - South, East - West, ?? Upper - Lower?? Lets Brain storm it. I know, an AD would see this (Upper-Lower) as a Nightmare, but when computers can be programmed to fit situations much of the Nightmare may disappear.

Thought Caps are in order............??WIAC and/or IAAC shoot out??
Top 9 from each conference square off.

 

[Willy Wonka]

Wow...and people claim I talk in gibberish about useless topics?

Here are the first region rankings, which don't include Monday's results (ie GAC's loss).

West
1 Luther 11-2 15-4
2 Gustavus Adolphus 18-2 18-2
3 Puget Sound 13-2 17-4
4 St. Benedict 16-2 16-4
5 Simpson 13-4 17-5
6 George Fox 9-4 13-6

[Nites]

Carleton tumbles again.  This time to St. Mary's 57-51.

[Willy Wonka]

Gusties rebound to top UST 54-35 I believe. Vadnais with 22, Monahan with around 9.

Tommies' offense is brutal, perhaps brutal enough to give GAC a top 10 defense in the nation. I believe they were around 20th in scoring defense going in.

[Nites]

Sarah Lincoln was out for the second consecutive game for Carleton.  Anyone know what her status is?

You gotta love the unbiased reporting from the Knights' website:

"Carleton's leading scorer, Hannah Oken-Berg (So./Portland, Ore./Lincoln), was held to six points and miraculously she shot no free throws."

[she_scores51]

Good win for my Cardinals last night...unfortunately it means nothing in terms of the playoff picture for St. Mary's. Still, a good win. Was anyone there who can report on the game? I'm sure horrible officiating is to blame, I mean Hannah Oken-Berg didn't even shoot any free throws (miraculously)!!!

SS51...How does Bens get athletes? They host have 6 age-group Camps each year and in addition there is a Team Camp. The assistants help, there are many of the upperclassman, who work them, Kids get to know the campus get to enjoy it etc. , and they can be identified as a coming prospect. How many Coaches want to put themselves through this? And then in adddition, the tradition, and the coaches still get out to see the prospects they relly want to see come.

I am well aware how St. Ben's gets athletes year after year. And no, they are not the only team in the conference to hold camps. Far from it. I think plenty of coaches are willing to "put themselves through this," especially knowing the potential rewards. Actually, one of the best camps in the state used to be "Gustie Camp"...is that still a well-attended camp??

[Korn Lover]

Yawn- Couldn't muster a post after getting home from Moorhead at 1:30 this morning. BUT NOW...

Perfect scenario for a Royals win last night:

1. Bethel coach must be reading this board, he put together a very well executed player rotation that kept his bigs ready and rested. Thielke (Welcome back!) goes off for 13 and her presence only made Hansen (I'm a BIG fan!) more effective.

2. Cobbers were clearly sluggish coming off the hard-played GAC game and Bethel did a good job with pressure.

3. Bethel benefits from a ref crew that allowed their game. Marty, Mike and Scott determined that 3 seconds could be more like 6, displacement and over-the-back were not fouls and hand checking was allowed. Make no mistake, If I'm a Royal and I see this, I capitalize and they surely did. BUT, with a team as big and physical and the Royals, rules interpretations (Or lack thereof ) are a recipe for disaster.

I'm not knocking the Royals play, I'm knocking the lack of funadmental rules enforcement.

By the way, thanks St. Mary's!

[cobbernation]

I really have nothing to say about the Cobber/royal game, I have to say I was more interested in the only game that mattered last night.

DUKE vs. UNC

Duke is making this year harder than ever by losing once a week, oh well they will come back (I hope)!

Cobbers need to pick it up after playing a good, physical team (GAC) then come out  2 days later and get another win vs. a physical team (BU).  Because when playoffs arrive that's the exact scenario.  Rest up Cobbs and finish the season strong!

[Collegeville Magic]

Quick WHAT? is in order after last night.  Even without Lincoln, Carleton loses to SMU???  Bethel's upset of the Cobs makes more sense than the Cards coming out on top (no offense meant SS).

CSB's schedule for the last two weeks will play as big a part in the playoff rankings as any.  St. Kate's, Hamline, then UST, all three teams pushing for the 5 and 6 spots (and maybe 4 if Carleton loses again).  St. Kate's is the team that makes me the most nervous of that trio, with their ability to put up serious points.

Regarding the camp question:  I grew up in southern Minny, and everybody thought highly of the Gustie camps (at least 15 years back).  I'd be willing to bet that the CSB camps have resulted in a handful of eventual JV players for the Blazers, but not necessarily many contributors.

[she_scores51]

Quick WHAT? is in order after last night.  Even without Lincoln, Carleton loses to SMU???  Bethel's upset of the Cobs makes more sense than the Cards coming out on top (no offense meant SS).

No offense taken. I was probably as surprised as you to read the box score last night and see that my Cardinals had pulled off another upset (how is it that 2 of SMU's 4 conference wins came against top-6 teams??)!

[Ghost of MIAC Past]

Just so Wonka doesn't think I'm keeping the info to myself.  I have heard that Lincoln had a concussion.  She is supposedly coming back this Saturday.  With their lack of depth, they desperately need her.

[gacbacker]

In hopes of someone knocking off the Blazers here in the last week...here is the blueprint:

1. You have to limit three point attempts especially from Noreen. Schmidt is the only perimeter player that can beat you off the dribble...force Noreen and O'Neil to put the ball on the floor.

2. Ball pressure...especially when Carter is in the game at point guard.

3. Force Tauer to shoot from the outside...have your defender play an arms length away from her when she is outside 10 feet from the basket. Beg her to take perimeter jump shots.

4. Force their inside players to beat you. Sometimes they aren't disciplined enough to get Boone and Goehner the ball enough...and even when they do these two haven't proven they can be game changers by themselves this year.

[Willy Wonka]

In hopes of someone knocking off the Blazers here in the last week...here is the blueprint:

1. You have to limit three point attempts especially from Noreen. Schmidt is the only perimeter player that can beat you off the dribble...force Noreen and O'Neil to put the ball on the floor.

2. Ball pressure...especially when Carter is in the game at point guard.

3. Force Tauer to shoot from the outside...have your defender play an arms length away from her when she is outside 10 feet from the basket. Beg her to take perimeter jump shots.

4. Force their inside players to beat you. Sometimes they aren't disciplined enough to get Boone and Goehner the ball enough...and even when they do these two haven't proven they can be game changers by themselves this year.

5. Have a bigger wallet than Durbin, as outcomplaining him is impossible