MBB: North Coast Athletic Conference

[woosterbooster]

Alright Wabash gets by Kenyon 68-67 in OT.  WEIRD game.  Also had nothing to do with the standings or tournament so we'll move on.  In other action of little consequence, Wooster beat Oberlin 58-45. 

OWU beats DePauw 86-77 and Allegheny comes back from a big second half deficit to beat Denison 60-59. 

Witt and Hiram like suspense, so they'll play tomorrow instead. 

Up to the moment, things look like this:
Standings - bolded teams are locked into their seeds:
1. OWU 16-2
2. Wooster 14-4
3. Wabash 12-6
4. DePauw 9-9
5. Wittenberg 8-9
6. Allegheny 8-10
7. Denison 7-11
8. Oberlin 6-12
9. Kenyon 5-13
10. Hiram 4-13

The only if/then scenario left determines the site of the 4/5 game and quite simply, Witt hosts if they beat Hiram tomorrow.  If not, they travel to DePauw on Tuesday. 

Your matchups for Tuesday are:
Oberlin (8) @ OWU (1)
Witt (4/5) vs. DePauw(4/5)
Denison (7) @ Wooster (2)
Allegheny (6) @ Wabash (3)

So after all the rigmarole of the regular season, it appears that either all, or almost all of the regular suspects will make it to the final four.  The venue won't be the same, at Oh Woo rather than Woo, but so what?  I think this will be a four-team tournament, with the favorite having no more than a one in three shot to win it.  As to who that favorite might actually be, I have no idea.

[David Collinge]

Wooster has a prospective tournament path that features three teams that beat them (Denison, then Wabash, then OWU). This may be a first.

[sac]

What's been Denison's deal this year, why so inconsistent?  They have some great stats and metrix but the W/L record doesn't match what it probably should be.

[ohiofan1954]

Alright Wabash gets by Kenyon 68-67 in OT.  WEIRD game.  Also had nothing to do with the standings or tournament so we'll move on.  In other action of little consequence, Wooster beat Oberlin 58-45. 

OWU beats DePauw 86-77 and Allegheny comes back from a big second half deficit to beat Denison 60-59. 

Witt and Hiram like suspense, so they'll play tomorrow instead. 

Up to the moment, things look like this:
Standings - bolded teams are locked into their seeds:
1. OWU 16-2
2. Wooster 14-4
3. Wabash 12-6
4. DePauw 9-9
5. Wittenberg 8-9
6. Allegheny 8-10
7. Denison 7-11
8. Oberlin 6-12
9. Kenyon 5-13
10. Hiram 4-13

The only if/then scenario left determines the site of the 4/5 game and quite simply, Witt hosts if they beat Hiram tomorrow.  If not, they travel to DePauw on Tuesday. 

Your matchups for Tuesday are:
Oberlin (8) @ OWU (1)
Witt (4/5) vs. DePauw(4/5)
Denison (7) @ Wooster (2)
Allegheny (6) @ Wabash (3)

So after all the rigmarole of the regular season, it appears that either all, or almost all of the regular suspects will make it to the final four.  The venue won't be the same, at Oh Woo rather than Woo, but so what?  I think this will be a four-team tournament, with the favorite having no more than a one in three shot to win it.  As to who that favorite might actually be, I have no idea.

A one in three chance. Here is the question who do you pick to be the winner? If your pick wins it's first game will you then find it is better to switch your pick.

[wally_wabash]

What's been Denison's deal this year, why so inconsistent?  They have some great stats and metrix but the W/L record doesn't match what it probably should be.

In 12 Denison losses this season, one was bad- 95-72 vs. Wooster.  The margins in the other 11 are all five points or less.  Seven of those games are 1, 2, or 3 point margins.  Denison is literally just a handful of buckets away from being something like 18-7. 

[sigma one]

Which makes the Big Red dangerous, although there is only a hope and a prayer that they can beat the Scots in Scot-town.

[ohiofan1954]

Which makes the Big Red dangerous, although there is only a hope and a prayer that they can beat the Scots in Scot-town.

Did Denison not already beat Wooster at Wooster this year? Maybe that was their hope and prayer for the year but still, GO BIG RED.

[ScotsFan]

Also, worth mentioning, part of the reason Steve Moore has been so successful is because he has had the refs in his back pocket for years. Wooster got absolutely ALL the calls today against Oberlin, and easily could have lost that game if things had gone differently. I don't see them winning the NCAC.

Kind of cool that you threw that last paragraph in there.  Made it easy to clarify your credibility, or actually lack of same.

My thoughts exactly. I mean, we all know Coach K got to 1000 wins by having the refs in his back pocket too... 

[wally_wabash]

Not sure what kind of voodoo Hiram uses when they play Wittenberg, but it has worked again. The Terriers knock off Witt 55-53 which sends Witt out to Greencastle on Tuesday.

[BigRedFan]

With 8:40 to go the score was 58-44 and the Gators outscored the Big Red 16-1!!!  The Big Red scored ONE point in the last 8:40.
The Big Red lost their last four games by a total of 12 points.............

It was like a season that could have been!!!!!  They can't make a free throw to save their lives...........

Not sure I have King in the game in crunch time shooting 49% from the line!!!!  Oh well.....I am pretty sure Wooster will be waiting for them tomorrow night!!!

[bufordscot]

Also, worth mentioning, part of the reason Steve Moore has been so successful is because he has had the refs in his back pocket for years. Wooster got absolutely ALL the calls today against Oberlin, and easily could have lost that game if things had gone differently. I don't see them winning the NCAC.

Kind of cool that you threw that last paragraph in there.  Made it easy to clarify your credibility, or actually lack of same.

My thoughts exactly. I mean, we all know Coach K got to 1000 wins by having the refs in his back pocket too... 

You mean he doesn't

[ohiofan1954]

With 8:40 to go the score was 58-44 and the Gators outscored the Big Red 16-1!!!  The Big Red scored ONE point in the last 8:40.
The Big Red lost their last four games by a total of 12 points.............

It was like a season that could have been!!!!!  They can't make a free throw to save their lives...........

Not sure I have King in the game in crunch time shooting 49% from the line!!!!  Oh well.....I am pretty sure Wooster will be waiting for them tomorrow night!!!

Sorry to hear that big red fan, was hoping for better from Denison after some of their victories this year. I have seen some pretty bad foul shooting myself this year. Wooster at OWU and Akron missing all their foul shots(they did only shoot 6) against Ohio. Maybe tonight will be monumental upset #2 for the Big Red.

[BigRedFan]

Good Luck to all teams!!Hard to remember a tournament that really a whole bunch of teams can win it!!!

GO BIG RED!!!

[ScotsFan]

Maybe tonight will be monumental upset #2 for the Big Red.

Anything can happen, but it had been 18 years since the Big Red was in the W column against Wooster so color me skeptical to think it will happen twice in the span of a month...

[wally_wabash]

Good Luck to all teams!!Hard to remember a tournament that really a whole bunch of teams can win it!!!

GO BIG RED!!!

I guess it depends on what we count as a whole bunch.  My sense here is that three teams can legitimately win:
OWU- they've been the best team all year and they have the home court advantage

Wooster - Such a weird year for the Scots...doesn't seem like they've really clicked for more than a game or two in a row all season.  Inconsistency aside, Wooster is king of the mountain here until somebody shows otherwise. 

Wabash - Why not?  They destroy everybody on the boards- something that nearly manifested itself into a season sweep of OWU.  Since a weird hiccup at the end of January, Wabash has won 6 out of 7 with the one loss being the one-point loss at OWU and including wins against Wooster, both sides of the eastern back-to-back, and a thumping of DePauw.  The only team "hotter" right now would be OWU. 

As for the rest, I have a hard time seeing a scenario where DePauw, Witt, Allegheny, or Denison can win their next three games.  All of those teams have just been so inconsistent that it's tough to see them winning three in a row here at the end.  Denison has to win at Timken- again.  Tough.  Witt or DePauw are going to get OWU at OWU on full rest- really tough draw.  The time to get OWU is on Saturday.  So I'm sticking with the tournament winner coming out of the first semi on Friday.