MBB: North Coast Athletic Conference

[wally_wabash]

I've seen a bit of NAIA ball as well.  I've seen Wabash play against a handful of NAIA teams (Marian and Purdue-Calumet come to mind).  Also, I grew up in Klamath Falls, OR, home of the Oregon Institute of Technology Hustlin' Owls and have seen several of their games over the years.  In the late 90s, Marian had a very good team and they came to Chadwick and beat a very good Wabash team.  That game ended a 40-game home win streak for the LGs I believe (that was the first home game I saw Wabash lose actually).  OIT has been one of the NAIA D-II's best teams for about a decade now. They won a national championship a couple of years ago.  Last year they fell in the championship semis to eventual winner Walsh (who I believe got major contributions by a Wooster transfer...Sistrunk I think his name is). 

Anyway, my opinion of NAIA ball is that I think NAIA teams tend to be a little more athletic and maybe a little bigger than most D-III teams, but D-III teams tend to be deeper.  The top NAIA teams have depth and can run you out of the gym....which has been Oregon Tech's M.O. for a handful of years now.  By and large though, I don't think there's a huge competitive difference between the two. 

[David Collinge]

As Mr. Ypsi intimates, this is a much-discussed topic in Posting Up.  If I may be allowed to summarize and generalize years of such discussions, I'd say that the top echelon of D3 ball is considered to be better than NAIA-2, equivalent to (or slightly behind) the top teams in NAIA-1, and competitive with mid-range NCAA-2 and bottom rung NCAA-1 teams.  The top teams in NAIA-1 can be very good, and would be very competitive in the D3 tournament.  Good D3 teams will usually beat their NAIA-2 counterparts.

Over in the Multi-Region room, a poster named Rhodes (formerly Rhodes Scholar) keeps a running tally of D3 vs. all other divisions, including the various Christian college associations (NCCAA, ACCA, etc.)  If memory serves, it usually works out that D3 goes close to 0-fer against D1, maybe .200 against D2, more like .400 or .500 against NAIA-1, about .800 against NAIA-2, and .950+ against the bible schools. 

[smedindy]

'Bash used to play a whole bunch of NAIA schools before the ICAC formed. Of course Anderson, Franklin, Manchester, Taylor, et. al. were NAIA.

[David Collinge]

Please note the front-page story on Steve Moore's recent coaching milestones. 

[David Collinge]

Here's Rhodes' year-end tally of inter-division games from last year:

D3 vs. 

D1....2-61
D2....10-47
NAIA 1....16-22
NAIA 2....67-70
NCCAA....37-7
USCAA....68-7

It looks like I was a little optimistic about our record against the bible schools, and very optimistic about our record vs. NAIA-2.  One explanation for the latter is that a good number of the games vs. NAIA-2 are played by lower-echelon D3 teams.

[woosterbooster]

Thanks to everybody for the replies to my NAIA question.

Are any of you Wooster fans planning on making the trip to Emory and Henry for the tournament this weekend?  Looks to be about 360 miles.  I'm considering making the trip.  I don't suppose the school is running a fan bus... :-)

[billy_pilgrim]

As promised, a quick recap of my first look at Earlham this season:

They still turn the ball over too much.......the official stats had them for 15, which seems way too low, and judging by some of the blatant errors (crediting an Earlham player who never took off his shooting shirt with five minutes and two rebounds) leads me to believe they are wrong.

Game opened and Earlham methodically built a 20-4 lead.....great defense and effecient offense. Then, Earlham really slowed to a halt...and by the end of the half, Bluffton had pulled within one.

During the second half, Earlham was stuck behind 47-44 for seemingly five minutes, but Bluffton's Bergman had a 4-point play and another 3 in transition. Quakers fought back, but never got closer than five in the final minutes.

Miller battled foul trouble the whole night, Jewett and Henry both had decent offensive nights. I'm not sure anyone played well defensively.

Difference maker was Bluffton's Eric Sweet, who had 20 and 10 off the bench and got away with throwing a punch/forearm just after the halftime buzzer. The officials had a conference for a few moments and then ruled that no action was necessary.

Only other note on officiating, which we all know is dicey at best on this level (and especially in Ohio): there are two plays that I hate that I am seeing called mroe and more lately.

1. The short, out of control point guard who drives to the basket with just seconds remaining on the shot clock and throws himself into a defensive player while throwing the ball nearly over the backboard while getting the whistle. I hate bail out calls and these seemingly always happen when one team is trying to run out the clock. Rather than run offense, the guard dribbles the shot clock down under 10 and then goes barreling toward the basket. Under no circumstances should a player be rewarded for making a stupid drive and throwing up a stupid shot.

2. The Flop: this mostly also applies for the undersized guards who find themselves matched up against post players on the low block. The larger player catches, turns to face, but the defensive player crowds underneath him and then falls to the ground. It's called a charge 75% of the time and it drives me nuts.

Sorry, hadn't watched D-3 basketball in a few months and had forgotten the showmanship that is necessary to get the benefit of a call. Rant done.

As for NAIA v. D-3: I think everyone has hit it on the head. NAIA D-1 has always appeared to be comparable to NCAA D-2........lots of fast breaks and a lot of athletes.

My opinion of NAIA II, having grown up in North Central Indiana near the MCC, has always been a bunch of 6-2 white guys shooting 3's. Since coming to D-3 basketball, I have always been struck by the nice balance of 6-2 guys shooting 3s with larger players and players who didn't all grow up near a barn. It's a much better product in my mind...not that the masses have been quick to buy (but they should).

[smedindy]

DC -

I think I read that last year it was a bit down for D-3 vs. NAIA - 2.

[smedindy]

Billy P -

What's wrong with a bunch of players that grew up near a barn? This is HOOSIERS country, after all....

[billy_pilgrim]

hahaha.......nothing at all

believe me, I fit the stereotype

I played on a high school team that was destined to break the Grant County records for 3-pointers made and attempted in a season......so a local sportswriter was sent our way to chronicle the story

he asked what made us so successful, I said it was because there was nothing to do but "shoot buckets once we were done with our chores"

I also said if there wasn't a 3-point line I'd have been the least valuable player in high school basketball................for the next three days after that story ran, our coach wouldn't let me shoot during scrimmages in practice

me and my mouth

[ScotsFan]

I just wanted to wish  everyone here a safe and enjoyable Thanksgiving!!!  Safe travels to all especially given the forecast for Ohio and the snow belt.  May we all eat heartily and enjoy all of the leftovers!

[earlhamalum]

BILLY_P

    WAIT you can hit the 3 point shot.  Darn I wish I would of known that earlier in life... then maybe I would not of looked you off at the three point line and then threw it to STOOPS for 3.  ( if i'm not 100% sure he hit the shot...correct me if i'm wrong)

[earlhamalum]

Thanks Scotsfan... HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL.

[smedindy]

It's a damn shame Stoops graduated. He was always a fan favorite at Wabash when he shot those free throws sideways! 

[billy_pilgrim]

I think Stoops was a fan favorite every place with that style....it was always a joy seeing the levels of reaction from the crowd

Step 1/FT 1: The puzzled looks
Step 2/FT 2: The murmur
Step 3/FT 3: The calls of one or two "baskets over there"
Step 4/FT 4: outright booing from the confused crowd

EC Alum, has Stoops' season started back up in Japan? Back with the same team?


and everyone be sure to be thankful for this board tomorrow..........