WBB: Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[LA RAMS]

HOLY SH**!!!! 

GAC got in! 

Congrats to UST for getting in as well!

OK, MIAC....You've got three teams in.  Now let's freakin' do something!!!!!

[buf]

Still a head-scratcher for me on how GAC got in.

Good for them though.  I'm a WIAC fan, but follow the MIAC also.  It was a good night for both as 3 teams from each conference are in.

[gacbacker]

Holy crap. What the heck?

[SUMMIT!!!!!]

Im betting there is some serious anger/hostility in St Joe & Collegeville tonight. WOW

[LA RAMS]

Im betting there is some serious anger/hostility in St Joe & Collegeville tonight. WOW

Undoubtedly.  And perhaps rightfully so.  As happy as I am for GAC (and glad UST got in, too) the first thought that flashed through my head was how did CSB get screwed out of this - again?  To be honest, as much as I hated it I had pretty much accepted that the Vadnais era at GAC was over and it was time to think about next year.  So yeah, as happy as I am with GAC getting the invite I'm shocked, too and I know the CSB people must REALLY be seeing red right about now.

[buf]

Im betting there is some serious anger/hostility in St Joe & Collegeville tonight. WOW

Exactly!  The NCAA must have put a lot of weight into OWP.  GAC was at .541 and St. Bens was at .503.  GAC fans will have to applaud their coach in deciding to play in that Surf N Slam tournament in which they played 3 good teams (although they went 1-2).  I'm sure that victory over UWEC in that tournament also helped greatly.

Still though, getting in with a regional record of 18-9. 

[gacbacker]

GAC's strong non-conference games in the tournament out in San Diego must have really been a deciding factor for the committee. The win over Eau Claire?!?!? They had four quality wins I guess, including three against tournament teams.

[buf]

Where does everyone think the MIAC teams will travel to?  My guess is that GAC and Carleton will go to Simpson and St. Thomas will go to Point.

[LA RAMS]

That's not a bad bet......I'm guessing it's a unlikely that either UST or Carleton would host so Simpson will probably get the honors.  Hard telling where the third MIAC team will get sent; either over to Point or out to Puget Sound.

I'm not sure what OWP is but no doubt that GAC's win over UW-Eau Claire out in San Diego was huge.  Ironically enough they probably could have snared a couple of more wins out there.   

[blazerball]

I had come to terms with UST getting an at-large berth over my Blazers but if I think it is truly criminal that a third team was taken from the MIAC and it was not CSB...

I'm sure GAC is thrilled (and this is not really meant as a rip on them as they had nothing to with the selections) but maybe next year CSB can go 17-7 in the region (GAC's real region record since UWEC, Maryville, and Carroll are NOT region), finish 18-9 overall, not win a conference title, be the #3 seed in the conference tournament, lose in the semifinals of the conference tournament, lose to Augsburg and St. Catherine in the regular season and still get an at-large berth.  It is hard to swallow that three non-conference, non-region games at a tournament early in the season completely wipes out the body of work in a 22-game conference regular season...

I wish the three MIAC teams well in the tourney.  Too bad the regular season conference co-champs can't be there with you...

[gacbacker]

I'd normally post a "sour grapes" response to blazerball, but even I (gasp) feel a little bad for the Blazers.

[blazerball]

Gacbacker...I really mean no ill will to GAC or any other MIAC team selected.  I am very happy three MIAC team were selected...we know the MIAC plays good basketball.  But, it is just galling that the body of work over the conference regular season was basically ignored and the conference co-champ was left home when they had a better region record, conference record, and overall record.  If GAC had swept CSB I could maybe see the snub but they split and CSB actually had the better season (again, not a swipe at GAC)...

[gacbacker]

I can't argue with any of that. It's a shocker no doubt.

[Collegeville Magic]

Not surprisingly, I side with blazerball on this one.  I can't believe the MIAC got more than two teams in the big dance, and (no offense whatsoever to a very solid Gusties squad), it's a traveshamockery that the conference co-champs are left at home for all the reasons already stated.  I wish I had more words, but they'd all be profane right now, and I'm in some weird form of shock.

Good luck to the MIAC squads still lacing up the sneaks next week, lets get at least a win or two out of the National joke this year.

[Ralph Turner]

I had come to terms with UST getting an at-large berth over my Blazers but if I think it is truly criminal that a third team was taken from the MIAC and it was not CSB...

I'm sure GAC is thrilled (and this is not really meant as a rip on them as they had nothing to with the selections) but maybe next year CSB can go 17-7 in the region (GAC's real region record since UWEC, Maryville, and Carroll are NOT region), finish 18-9 overall, not win a conference title, be the #3 seed in the conference tournament, lose in the semifinals of the conference tournament, lose to Augsburg and St. Catherine in the regular season and still get an at-large berth.  It is hard to swallow that three non-conference, non-region games at a tournament early in the season completely wipes out the body of work in a 22-game conference regular season...

Except that the rules did change in 2006...

and Wartburg counted this year, and Fontbonne lost on Saturday in the SLIAC finals...

GAC also knocked out Hardin-Simmons, too.