MBB: USA South Conference

[Ben Stein Fan]

Scottie,

With Byrd coming back, Maryville will be extremely difficult next year.  Maryville has a good team this year.  I would have hate to have faced them a third time in the tournament.

We all know that college basketball is a tournament sport.  It doesn't matter what you do during the regular season, it only matters what you do come tournament time. 

[scottiedoug]

Byrd will graduate this spring with his class. There will be one returning senior, Tyler Spicer.

[Dixie Fan]

I am sure everyone has had a chance to look at the post season awards.  They got it wrong.  What it should have been was:

COY - Kyle Taylor of Covenant - picked 10th in preseason poll and finished 2nd
POY - Adrian Moore of NCWC - this kid is a Soph and was the best player on the best team
ROY - Dakota King of WPU - they got this one right.

Anybody disagree?

[Ben Stein Fan]

Dixie Fan,

I don't necessarily disagree with you on your picks but the real travesty was that both Mark Wagner and Justyn Olson were left off the first team all-conference.  I think they are both in the top 10 in 9 categories. 

I am watching LaGrange put a beat down on NC Wesleyan on the 2nd half.  If LaGrange plays like this tomorrow there is no stopping this team.

[scottiedoug]

They got it right on POY.

[Dixie Fan]

I agree that both Mark Wagner and Justyn Olson should be considered for first team.  My guess is that they took votes from each other and that is how they both ended up on 2nd team.  With that said, who would you take off the first team?

In regards to them getting it "right" on POY.....

Adrian Moore helped his team win 10 straight games into the conference tournament while winning the League.
Spencer Shoffner's team went 2-8 down the stretch and did not qualify.

In conference games the two finished with the following:

Moore - 4th in PPG, 3rd in PP 40 min, 1st in FG's, 5th in FG%, 10th in FT's, 9th FT%, 2nd in Off Rebounds, 10th in Assists, 3rd in Steals
Shoffner - 1st in PPG, 4th in PP 40 min, 2nd in FG's, 28th in FG%, 9th in 3pt FG, 3rd in FT's, 22nd in FT%, 22nd in Assists, 7th in Steals

All I am saying is that based on the information above, I think the coaches got it wrong.  Either which way, they both had great seasons.

All that being said, congrats to Covenant!  Picked 10th and finished 2nd. Proceeded to handle both WPU and Greensboro on their way to the Championship game.  I saw they were up as many as 18 in the 2nd half with just under 7 min left in the game before an unreal LaGrange rally.  Most teams would have fizzled in the OT but Covenant pulled away for a 9 point win.  Congrats to TJ Cox on MVP of the tourney.  Good luck to them in the big dance. 

[Ben Stein Fan]

I would have taken T.J. Cox off the first team and replaced him with either Mark or Justyn.  I try not to speak ill of a D-3 athlete so, I won't say anymore. 

Congrats to LaGrange for a great comeback yesterday and a great season. 

[scottiedoug]

Adrian Moore had a great year.  So did Shofner. I saw Shofner a lot and did not see Moore.  Since it is not MVP, I did not think too hard about how Maryville finished.  I would want them both on my team.

[Ben Stein Fan]

Congrats to Coach Wallace, Coach McGreal, and the LaGrange College Panthers.  Now for a rematch with BSC...a great team that LC barely beat at home during the regular season.  Good thing for LaGrange, we have beaten every team in our pod this season.  3rd season in a row making it the NCAA D3 Tournament.

[scottiedoug]

I concur with congratulations to LaGrange coaches and players.  Good for the league to be awarded an at large bid.  The Maryville coaching tree rocks!

[mattgrubb]

Yes. 3 straight trips to the Dance for the dynamic duo that is Wallace/Greal. I think their good luck charm had to be beautiful baby greal. An at large bid for the freakin USA South and they legit deserve it. If they win this pod, which they can. I will 100% be at their games next weekend.  I don't want to say any of those games in their pod will be tough b/c all NCAA tourney games are tough. It's win or go home.

You think this senior class at LC is historic??  I know last years was.  It's the USA South/Nick Mitchell Men's basketball tourney.  I hope it's the NCAA/Mark Wagner Men's D3 basketball tournament here in 3 weeks.

3 straight trips!!!!!  Is Randy's record in sight???  Wallace is the maker of men and the disciple of defense!  He's made all 5'9" 138 lbs of Mark Wagner a Grown Man.  We have detailed that Mike White has been a grown man since the mid 70s. 

Good Luck Panthers.

[Ben Stein Fan]

Mattgrubb,

The scary part is next year's team can be better than this year's team.  I love Braxton, Mike, and Mark.  All three are great guys who play hard.  I can't help but think next year our starting lineup is taller and more athletic.  Coach Wallace, to his credit, believes in playing time for those who work hard in practice and stay with the program.  There are some players that have to wait their time and next year could have a break-out season.

The BSC matchup is the matchup that worries me the most.  Their bigs, especially Avery, could dominate the game.  We need to ensure we keep up the pressure and not settle into a half-court game.  If so,  it could be BSC's game.

Go Panthers!

[bballlover]

Congrats to Covenant and LaGrange for getting bids. Did I see where they were in the same pod ? Thats too bad. Congrats to the USA South for that second bid. Hope one of them makes a run.

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

Congrats to Covenant and LaGrange for getting bids. Did I see where they were in the same pod ? Thats too bad. Congrats to the USA South for that second bid. Hope one of them makes a run.

Couldn't avoid it... geographics are too challenging to avoid it. I have nicknamed it the "LaGrange Played Everyone" pod. LOL

[scottiedoug]

I cannot resist pointing out that LaGrange played Maryville twice and won neither one....