WBB: Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[buf]

GAC goes out west.

St. Bens goes to Stout, plays Wheaton

[LA RAMS]

Shoot.  Thought we might have a MIAC-IIAC get-together down in Decorah which would have been cool but the Gusties are heading out to Oregon instead.  I'm glad they're in at least.  They've got a tough one in George Fox on their home court and the winner would get the Puget Sound - McMurry survivor.

Blazer fan, I see you advancing to the second round across the River over in Menominee where you'll likely get hammered playing Stout.  I wish I could move you guys further in but I just don't see it happening.

Go Gusties and go Blazers.  Represent. 

[Nites]

Here are the brackets:

http://www.d3hoops.com/springfield/07/wbbbracket07.pdf

[Collegeville Magic]

Good luck to the Gusties out west!  Either way, it should be a fun trip for the team, and hopefully the MIAC will come out of at least the first round with both teams intact.  That hasn't happened in a while, but both of our entries this season are scrappy enough and D-focused enough to keep pretty much any game close!

I'll admit not knowing a whole lot about Wheaton, but I'm glad that my Blazers have as close to a home game as possible without actually hosting. 

Go MIAC, and Go Blazers!

[Maroon&Gold]

Congrats to both GAC and CSB on getting into the tourney, and hopefully you guys can win a couple games.  I am interested in seeing CSB play UW-Stout if they win their first round game. After what Stout did to my Cobbers I want to see what the Blazers look like against them.

Anyway, what's everyone's take on the MVP race this year? Is it just a battle of the big girls, Monahan and Hageman, or do Vadnais and Keeley have a shot at some votes?? Personally I think that those are the only 4 candidates.

[Naf layor]

Jess Vadnais should be the run away winner for MVP.  Bri Monahan is very talented but in my opinion the Gusties would be worse off not having Vadnais on the floor then Monahan.  I wouldn't limit the discussion to the four players mentioned as Oken-Berg, Berglund, and Schneider had excellent years.

[Maroon&Gold]

Naf-  I agree with your assessment of the GAC duo, both great players but Vadnais is the one that makes the team go. I guess it is just wait and see time now.

[Willy Wonka]

gacbacker - Are the Gusties funding your trip out west? If I promise to sing the national anthem, will Haller help fund my travel?

[blazerball]

I will hit on my post-season awards before I get into the important stuff...the dance!  I know some of these categories do not exist but...

Player of the Year: Jess Vadnais
Coach of the Year: Mike Durbin
Sixth Player of the Year: Mindy Schmidt
All First-Year Team: Schmidt, Connor, Radtke, Sorbo, Danielle Johnson

Vadnais, in my mind, was the clear PoY.  Monahan and Hageman were in the conversation but Vadnais was the easy pick for me...tough, handles the ball, and really runs the show for GAC.  The standard PoY pick in the past has been the best player on the best team in the conference...that is not possible as the best team in the MIAC, the Blazers, was the most balanced team.  So...my new category of Team of the Year: THE BLAZERS! 

On to the tourney...GAC gets shipped west but their bracket looks reasonable and I think they have a legit shot at coming out of it IF Vadnais is healthy...

The CSB bracket is interesting with Simpson and Stout.  I am very familiar with Simpson having seen them the last two years.  I saw Stout last year and they are also a good team that likes to get up a down.  They have a monster in the middle with Duoss who will give any team a fit.  The Simpson-Stout game should be a track meet and fun to watch (if my Blazers win the first game).  I know nothing about Wheaton other than what I can glean from their Web site.  They do not appear real deep and it appears that have a pretty good 6'2" post that keeps them in ball games...anyone know anything about Wheaton? 

[swiss]

How many of your Gustie fans do you think will make the trip to Oregon?  Any estimates? 

[Willy Wonka]

swiss - It will be parents and siblings only I'd think, assuming the weather cooperates. With a big storm set to hit MN tonight, it will be interesting to see how the flights pan out.

Early reports have Vadnais winning the MVP and Monahan and Boese both being named to the All-D team.

[sumander]

swiss - It will be parents and siblings only I'd think, assuming the weather cooperates. With a big storm set to hit MN tonight, it will be interesting to see how the flights pan out.

Early reports have Vadnais winning the MVP and Monahan and Boese both being named to the All-D team.

Willy, is that another sibling? If so, there had to have been some fun battles in the driveway!

[buf]

I know nothing about Wheaton other than what I can glean from their Web site.  They do not appear real deep and it appears that have a pretty good 6'2" post that keeps them in ball games...anyone know anything about Wheaton? 

All I know is that Wheaton played a couple WIAC teams this year.  They lost by 18pts to 8th place UWO and by 27pts to 4th place Stevens Point.  I guess they had a couple players injured though.  It also looks like they finished the season pretty well.  I would think it would be a close game decided by tempo.  If its fast paced that would favor St. Bens, but a slow paced game would favor Wheaton

[Nites]

The League awards have been announced.  Vadnais take POY.

http://www.miac-online.org/wbbawards07.html

[Willy Wonka]

Sum - Yup, the last sibling with college eligibility...unless you count my last year on the gridiron that will never get used

Wonka is currently waiting for the oxen to get hitched and the wagon caravan to head west. The snow and ice makes caulking the wagon unnecessary but we'll soon see if fording the frozen rivers we'll face works out. Assuming all goes well, game reports may be possible after the game/games...and gacbacker will be on the call, for anyone stuck back in the blizzard.