WBB: Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[buf]

Cobbers handle Tommies with ease 

Cobbers only lost at Stevens Point by 2 a couple weeks ago.  A very good loss, especially considering Point lost at #1-ranked IWU by just a few points last week.  I wouldn't be surprised if the Cobbers are in the thick of the MIAC race late in the season.

[LA RAMS]

Big step forward by the Gusties as they gritted out a TOUGH 66-61 home win over a very good Concordia team.  I still have some concerns here and there but one element that I think that could go a long way in possibly taking GAC to that long-awaited MIAC title is the senior leadership of Schultz, Radtke, Layman, and Steffenhagen.  Was also impressed with FY phenom Abby Rothenbuler who was a monster on the boards Saturday.

Elsewhere, UST is still presumably solid despite the second consecutive a$$-kicking they suffered in their home opener to Concordia last week as they held off pesky St. Olaf.  Still, a lot of question marks swirling around these teams:  St. Kate's, Hamline, and Bethel.  Mac, with their road win at Hamline, is out to 2-0 in the conference and could be a team to keep your eye on.

[Willy Wonka]

The Gusties held Jess Miller to 13-for-14 from the field tonight, but still managed a 74-66 win at SMU. Think they might miss Aaron Kahl?

[blazerguy]

CSB found a post tonight when Guilland got into foul trouble. Wilcox, 1st yr. player from Cretin D.H. scored 18 and dominated the boards. she might be the find of the year for Durbin if she can keep playing anywhere close to how she did tonight. 

[blazerguy]

It looks like I'm talking to myself here but at least i won't lose any arguments. If a tree falls in the woods and nobody's there does it make any noise?? If nobody else reads this have i really said anything?? Just in care.... at the half way mark, ok 7 or 8 game mark, Durbin seems a lock on COY. Not even the Sinner at UST could dispute it or the "just let them play" coach at Bethel. I know its pretty early, actually barely started but some 1st impressions are formulated. CSB has started better than even i expected, durbin had to replace the best athelete even to play at CSB, Tauer, the best point guard ever to play, Carter, potentially the best post and certainly a very strong presence, Frank, his top incoming transfer and 4 spot starter, (pulled out and went to UST). WOW, thats why if things keep progressing he should be COY.    Potentially the biggest FLOP, UST. If it happens, it couldn't happen to a better recipient, the Sinner. So much talent?? My nomination for been there done that again coach. Bethel. Best new coach in the MIAC, Macalester, it will be scary when she starts getting more top talent. Very very early but its shaping up to be an exciting January Feb.

[gacbacker]

Blazerguy-

I agree that Durbin is the front runner for coach of the year, but your statements about Tauer and Carter are preposterous. Especially the one about Carter. Did you forget about Michelle Barlau?

I think St. Ben's, Gustavus, St. Thomas and Concordia are going to have a fun race for the conference championship and the automatic NCAA bid.

I think Macalester, Hamline and St. Kate's will battle for the final two MIAC playoff spots with a slight edge to Macalester and Hamline.

[blazerguy]

Blazerguy-

I agree that Durbin is the front runner for coach of the year, but your statements about Tauer and Carter are preposterous. Especially the one about Carter. Did you forget about Michelle Barlau?

I think St. Ben's, Gustavus, St. Thomas and Concordia are going to have a fun race for the conference championship and the automatic NCAA bid.

I think Macalester, Hamline and St. Kate's will battle for the final two MIAC playoff spots with a slight edge to Macalester and Hamline.

You may be right about Barlau, i do think carter is a better pure point guard and i always looked at Barlau as a 2 guard even when she was at point. Carter's stats for turnovers was unbelievable and she was certainly the best ever at controlling the ball. i will take issue at my Tauer being the best ever athlete. Not only was she the best in recent times, she was by a long shot!!

[LA RAMS]

Blazerguy - As much as MD deserves COY and as much as I'd like to see him get it you KNOW he won't get it.  He could go unbeaten; win the regular season and tourney titles; make a strong run in the Dance again, and then stand on his head at the end and he still won't get it.  I think I've been through this one before.....

A lot of question marks as the first of the year looms around the corner and the MIAC wars begin in full force.  Bethel,  I THOUGHT was primed for a strong year after their performance last season.  Of course, that was BEFORE I found out that FY phenom Autumn Beasley is not on the team this year.  Bethel is in a total free fall and it's hard to say when (or if) the bleeding will stop.  A lot of new faces and struggles at the post position have not helped.  As with Gacbacker, I have to think that the biggest beneficiaries of Bethel's downfall would have to be Hamline and Macalester.  Hamline obviously has not played their best ball yet and they have struggled a little at times.  Mac rebounded after a slow start although they have yet to prove they can beat the upper echelon teams on a regular basis.  St. Kate's SHOULD be a lock on the 5th spot but they already have shown signs of inconsistency at the PG position and a LOT of turnovers that could jeopardize their hopes.

Not sure what to think about UST at this point either.  Just like last year, they had to endure a conference-opening a$$-kicking at home against Concordia.  The thing that concerns me about UST this year is that they do not have that leadership element like they had last year with Katch.  GAC, on the other hand, has started fast and looked pretty decent in doing it.  But, we have seen the Gusties pull these tease jobs before only to crash frighteningly back to earth.  Concordia still looks very solid despite being w/o Freudenberg.  CSB so far has been defying the naysayers and is looking good at the moment. 

Interesting discussion about Carter, Tauer, and Michelle Barlau.  I was so impressed with both Carter and Tauer at the NCAA 1st and 2nd round games at CSB this last season.  Tauer refused to let her team lose and Carter was just so solid at the PG spot so it'd be tough for me to go against Carter.   

[MIAC ball]

Do we know what happened to Jenna Green from Concordia yet? She is not on their roster after a superb first year campaign

[LA RAMS]

Was at the Leonard Center early this afternoon to watch the dismantling of supposed powerhouse UST by feisty Macaleter 60-41.  I would be VERY, very concerned if I were UST right now.  This team, for all the talent it has, is looking totally lost at the moment.  Sears and Theisen were turnover machines and Rachel Booth was rendered totally ineffective (again).  UST's fate was pretty much sealed once Booth picked up foul #3 right before the half.  I did like what some of the younger talent was able to contribute for the Tommies today; particularly Ali Johnson and Maggie Bryant but without senior leadership (and this team misses Jessica Katch big-time) this squad faces an uphill battle.  Meanwhile, I have to heap a lot of praises on Macalester for their biggest win yet.  Trina PaStarr and Ann Baltzer anchor a deceivingly tough front line and Danielle Johnson was solid at PG today.

Also watched co-leader GAC put it in cruise control in the late game this afternoon as the Gusties pounded St. Kate's.  I realize it's only January but this GAC squad may FINALLY have that one element that they've been lacking since that great '02-'03 team - being physical.  Perhaps even more important, they have great senior leadership and a bench that goes deeper than some nuclear subs.  I thing things are shaping up very nicely for GAC right now and it looks to me that they're the team to beat.

Wow, Concordia holding off Bethel 79-75 in two OT's.  Anybody at that game?   

[gacbacker]

Congrats to Ellen Thompson for taking apart her alma mater that threw her to the curb in favor of Ruth Sinn. I bet that felt good.

If Gustavus can beat Macalester at home on Monday, I think it might be time to classify the MIAC as a two-horse race. Too early for that thought.

Unless St. Thomas and Concordia start playing better, Macalester may very well be the third best team in this league.

[blazerguy]

Macalester has a great young coach, thankfully UST has Sinn and not Durbin or the Mac coach. Another great young coach is Mandy Pearson, she has great coaching instincts and is a true professional with coaching ethics, unlike Sinn.

[LA RAMS]

Ooooookay....can anyone out there PLEASE explain how the Gusties drop a home decision to up and coming Macalester - by 73-61 no less?  How is it that the vaunted Gustie defense allowed 50 (that's right, 50) second half points alone?  I KNEW I should have known better than to proclaim GAC the team to beat when in actuality they're still the same tease job they've always been. 

Was able to take in Concordia's rout of Augsburg and St. Kate's OT win over suddenly slumping UST last night.  Not sure what lies ahead for the Tommies but they blew a commanding 1st half lead and had turnovers and other mental mistakes do them in again.  It seems almost incomprehensible how a team with so much talent and promise can be circling the drain in early January.  It is OVER for them. 

[gacbacker]

L.A.-

It was a putrid effort on both ends of the court for the Gusties last night. The offense basically conisted of everyone standing around waiting for Radtke to make a one on one move for a lay-up.

The defense was tough to stomach. It appeared that the Gusties' game plan was to pack it in and not let PaStarr and Baltzer beat them. Unfortunately that left shooters WIDE WIDE open outside the arch, and the Scots, like most college teams will do, buried open three after open three, after open three.

The 50 points in the second half doesn't really bother me because a lot of that was on free throws in the final 2-3 minutes as the Gusties were trying to play catch-up with the clock stopped.

It's a disappointing loss because this is the one I fear that the Gusties will look back on and say, "Shoot if we had taken care of business there, we would have been tied for first place at the end of the year with St. Ben's."

[LA RAMS]

Another critical round of games tonight that feature two very interesting contests involving current middle of the pack teams Hamline and UST.  Hamline goes down the River to play SMU at Winona and UST pays a visit to Bethel.  I think these two contests are almost must-wins for Hamline and UST respectively as they not only need to keep pace in the standings but they both need wins to rekindle any sembleance of confidence.  UST particularly is jonesing right now for a conference win and Bethel has been a thorn in the side for them lately and the Royals win at Hamline on Monday had better get the Tommies attention.

As for GAC, I simply feel that they MUST come out and make at statement tonight at St. Olaf.  If they want to be one of the elite teams in the conference then they have to hold serve against the teams they're supposed to beat; particularly at home and the Gusties failed miserably on that front Monday night vs. Mac.  The only team really capable of beating CSB right now is Concordia and right now the Gusties are going to need some help if they're still entertaining thoughts of winning the MIAC.