MBB: North Coast Athletic Conference

[ScotsFan]

Wooster's 2005-06 Men's Basketball Season Outlook is up on their website:

http://athletics.wooster.edu/mb/outlook.php

One thing that jumped out at me is there is no mention of Justin Bradley in the article.  It didn't mention him being among the big men lost, but it also had no mention of him as a key returnee.  Anyone have any info on the status of Bradley?  This would be a huge loss, from a depth perspective especially, in the post.

[blindwatchmaker]

Bradley is still listed in the student email directory... don't know why he wasn't in the write up. 

[ScotsFan]

I suppose we'll just have to wait until the roster comes out to know for sure what's going on with Bradley.  With Schlingman and Mealer gone, his minutes would surely be up quite a bit so I would guess there would have to be another motivating factor for him not to come back this season.  I suppose I need to stop speculating until the roster is released and we know for sure he is not coming back to the team.  Nothing we can do until then unless someone else who frequents this board  knows something definitive.

[David Collinge]

If there's a lurker out there (you know who you are  ) who knows Justin's status but would rather remain under deep cover, you can email me.  I won't reveal my source.  Judith Miller is out of prison, so there's a cell available for me! 

[imderekpoe]

What I've heard is that Bradley has decided not to play this year.
However, the rest of the team is reportedly excited about the prospect of a quicker offensive style, and Freshmen Bidwell and Johnson are lookling good and should see plenty of playing time.

Less than a month 'till tip-off!

[Clark W. Griswold]

CMH is correct; Bradley will not be playing this year, leaving the Scots with little depth in the post.  The defensive play of Stevens and Will could be huge keys, especially against Witt.

[David Collinge]

Well, I wish JB well, and hope that his reasons for not playing are happy ones and not sad. 

His departure certainly changes the composition of the team, but I'm not sure that's entirely bad.  Maybe a switch to a quicker, more perimeter-oriented team will be a good one.  I've pontificated on this subject elsewhere, so I'll give the Cliffs Notes version here.  It seems to me that Wooster focuses too much on beating Wittenberg (and vice versa) and that leaves them vulnerable in the tournament to teams that play a different style, especially an up-tempo, perimeter type team like JCU.  If Wooster switches to that sort of style, it may make them--and Witt, by virtue of practicing to play Woo probably three times-- better prepared for the type of team they should see in March. 

Furthermore, I have grave doubts about how well the Scots matched up with Wittenberg in the post, even with JB in uniform.  With both teams playing an inside style (high percentage shots and strong rebounding), I think Witt would probably have had a healthy advantage.  Now it seems like the Woo-Witt games will feature teams that play different styles, with each team's strength matched up against the other's relative weakness.  This should produce both great games and good experience for both teams. 

Lastly, if the Scots have Van Horn, Witucky, Cooper, and Port bombing away from outside, that should open things up in the middle for Vandervaart, and allow room for Port to drive to the hole. 

I think there may be a good silver lining to this dark cloud.

[WoosterFAN]

Good to know that I can still come to this site to get the info I need.
The question I was going to ask was about Bradley.

Also, I wanted to report that the Street and Smith's basketball annual is out and of course Division III only get one page but they have Witt at preseason #9 and Wooster in the 'Ready to Breakout' (of what I have no idea) cartegory.

Also Tom Port and Kyle Witucky are both preseaon HM All-American's
Dan Russ of Witt was Second team.  Pick one up.

How is going to set and run the 'NCAC pick 'em' page?

I am looking forward to great season of fun and gun, Grinnel style hoops with full court defense Steve Moore style..I bet he loses his voice by start of NCAC play!!

[WoosterFAN]

Good points as always DC...Remember Witt lost perimeter players (which was mentioned in the S&S article).  You need guard to get the ball to the bigs.

I am willing to bet PHI SIGMA ALPHA Vintage sweatshirt that Coach Moore will be focusing on full court pressure defense, no easy shots from the perimeter and sharing the ball.  Witt may have more trouble matching our style than us to theirs.

[David Collinge]

I am willing to bet PHI SIGMA ALPHA Vintage sweatshirt ...

Even Goodwill wouldn't take it, eh?   

[wally_wabash]

I'll volunteer to run and operate the pick 'ems once again this year.  I dropped the ball there toward the end last season, which I still feel terrible about, but the Pick 'Em will be back and as good as ever this season. 

Until then...back to football season. 

[earlhamalum]

Dec. 21st the Earlham men's team will be playing Depauw at one of the finest venues in the country... yeah u most likely didn't guess it since most of you are from OHIO... They will be hosting Depauw at Conseco Fieldhouse prior to the Pacers' game against the LA Clippers.  I had two years to play at the historic Hinkle Fieldhouse (Butler's home where "HOOSIERS" was filmed...  Well i'm out and good LUCK QUAKERS

[smedindy]

Uh, why denigrate the Ohio folks here. Certainly they would think it's cool to play at Conseco and certainly the run that Conseco has gotten has had a lot of good press all around.

Wabash played in Hinkle my senior year - actually played Butler, even.

And Hoosiers was mostly filmed at the local gyms in New Richmond and Knightstown, BTW.

[David Collinge]

I'm an Ohioan, and I'd never heard of Conseco Fieldhouse before Billy broke this story (three days before the screaming earlhamalum; see post #104).  Now that I know it's an NBA arena, I understand why it escaped my notice.   

I do think it's cool, however, that the EC/DPU game will be played before a crowd who came to see an NBA game.  One hopes that some of them will see the light in the early game; "THIS is what basketball should be!"   

[billy_pilgrim]

Any early looks at NCAC teams ahead for any posters out there via early season scrimmages?

We've read a few posts about Witt and Wooster recruits, any word on who is new in Crawfordsville this year?

And now an off topic aside to Scott Leo, who I hope still glances at this board at times: I was in Happy Valley a couple weeks ago to see your beloved Buckeyes....and I seem to recall a conversation in the McBride Stadium press box in July in which I said a certain white helmet-wearing team would have a good night on October 8. It feels good to be right for once.  Congrats on the new job.