MBB: North Coast Athletic Conference

[Kramer]

Smedindy-
You know I remember seeing Wabash sub 5 in the past.  I've never been a big fan of that but I do recall that it seemed to work for them.  I just think Denison would be more successful if they paid a little more attention to whose on the floor at the same time.  Unfortunately, they seem to yank kids out at the slightest mistake and end up with terrible combinations on the floor.  They may be able to get away with it some of the time against a weaker opponent, but their schedule to this point hasn't given them that opprtunity very often.  They need a big turn-around if they expect to compete with Wabash next Saturday.

[wooscotsfan]

A day later and I am still reflecting on a great game yesterday by Wooster and Wittenberg.  Congrats to both teams on a very well played contest!

A few more observations from the game:

1.  Kudos to Coaches Moore and Cline for not doubling down in the post last night.  Russ and Borchers got their points but they were only two pointers.  By not doubling, Wooster only gave up 3 three pointers to Witt while the Scots nailed 11 three pointers on offense.  This was one of the keys to the victory.

2.  As some others have noted, Wooster's defensive intensity especially by the guards was another key as they forced 15 Witt turnovers to only 7 for the Scots.

3.  Brandon Johnson is an impressive freshman for the Scots who came up with a couple of crucial steals last night and he scored 9 points while not forcing any shots.  I'm glad that Cooper and Johnson are Scots even if Witt did not recruit them!  

4.  Witt should still be ranked in the top 5 nationally in the next poll and I already posted this on the top 25 board on this site.  The Tigers played very well and almost got the win.  With Witt up 76-72 and 3:50 remaining, I was afraid that the Tigers would notch the "W" but the Scots played tough down the stretch with great play by Cooper, Port and Vandervaart.

GO SCOTS!!

[ScotsFan]

I was able to record the tape-delayed broadcast of the game today.  If anyone is interested, I could make copies and send them out.  My email adress is in my profile.  Just drop me an email if you are intersted.

[David Collinge]

First - Thanks to Mr. Collinge for typing the play by play. Even though I was there to enjoy it, it was great to be able to come back to 'relive' it through your posts. The Wittenberg site has the play by play also with the box score but its not as easy to follow.

Thanks.  But it was me, not my father. 

I have to admit that even though I picked Wooster in the Pick 'em, I really felt that the Tigers would win, maybe easily. 

As long as we're telling truth, that was my opinion too.  I even expressed it to a fellow poster in a "personal message," figuring that if I said it out loud (in a digital sense) it'd create a jinx.  I guess it worked! 

"5 in / 5 out" is the sub pattern - its akin to a line change, which can be effective if your second unit brings a lot of energy. It can really disrupt what the other team is doing.

UW-Stout did that in the first 10 minutes of each half they played at Timken.  Starting 5 then next 5 then starting 5 again, before reverting to a more conventional substitution pattern.  It seemed to work for them, but they play a full-court up-tempo game, not unlike how I imagine JCU plays.

[wooscotsfan]

NCAC Standings thru 12/10 games

Team                   NCAC           Overall
Wooster                4-0               8-0
Ohio Wesleyan        2-0               6-2
Wabash                 1-0               5-3
Wittenberg             1-1               6-1
Allegheny               1-1               4-4
Earlham                 1-1               3-4
Hiram                    1-1               1-4
Kenyon                  0-2               3-4
Denison                 0-2               2-6
Oberlin                  0-3               0-10

[ScotsFan]

This sounds like a little sour grapes from Bill Brown as he was quoted by the Wooster Daily Record after the game last night about Cooper's clutch game winning shot:

"It went in and that was the only good thing about that shot," said Tigers coach Bill Brown.

And here's Cooper's take on the shot:

"As long as it went in, that's all that matters," Cooper said. "I was actually looking to penetrate, but when (the defender) backed up, I knew I was going to shoot it."

I was thinking along the same lines as Cooper.  Bill Brown might not have thought it was a good shot, but when Billy Bowen was practically begging Cooper to shoot by playing off so far, Cooper just obliged and drained it!

[witt4ever]

Scotsfan,

If the Record quoted Brown as you said, the Record took the quote out of context.

The complete quote is as follows, as reported in the News-Sun:

"You wouldn't expect  to shoot that shot with the score tied and you only need two and both teams are in the double bonus," Brown said. "Conventionally thinking would be to drive it for a foul, or challenge the officials for a foul. It was only a good shot because it went in".

[David Collinge]

IMHO, any time you do something that the defense doesn't expect and is therefore unprepared for, it's good.   

The photo below (and on the front page) provides evidence of how open Coop was.  We all know he can hit that shot, so if Brown/Bowen are going to concede an open jumper in Coop's range (albeit at the extreme of that range), it's a good idea to take it.  I figure anything goes when it's a tie game.  If he drains it, he wins; if he misses it, it's OT.  Had Witt been up by one or two, I would agree that an NBA three would have been a poor choice, but it would have been tough for Coop to pass up an open look like that under any circumstance.

I'd guess Bill Brown will be better prepared for the possibility of an NBA three from a Wooster guard at the end of the next game.  He's seen it often enough these past two seasons!   

Driving the lane and hoping for the foul call is also a good strategy (just ask Travis DuPree), but at least this way the outcome was in the hands of a player and not a referee. 

[Titan Q]

From reading the posts here and seeing that photo, I feel like I have a great picture of that moment.  It is probably one of those shots that if he misses, we'd have people here questioning the shot selection..."Cooper was open, but not the shot we wanted there...should have been more patient..."

As IWU head coach Scott Trost always says in our postgame interviews, "Players make plays."  James Cooper made a big play and earned his team a big win.

[Gregory Sager]

DC, the unexpected is not necessarily the good. After all, he could've shot it from midcourt, too. That would've been unexpected.

It all depends upon Cooper's driving ability, his FT shooting ability, his court vision (i.e., his ability to spot an open man and dish it off while driving), his long-range-trey shooting ability, and how tightly the refs are calling the game. All of those factors enter into the analysis of whether or not it was a "good" shot. An NBA trey attempt tends to be low-percentage for all but a handful of shooters in D3, and even if one of those players is the guy with the rock it may not be the best alternative for him in a given situation.

Brown may be at peace with the idea that the Tigers forced Cooper to choose the alternative that Brown wanted him to choose. Or he may simply be rationalizing his team's defeat. Only he knows for sure.

I'd guess Bill Brown will be better prepared for the possibility of an NBA three from a Wooster guard at the end of the next game.  He's seen it often enough these past two seasons!   

It's axiomatic in basketball that every defense gives up something. If you take away one thing, you offer up a greater opportunity for something else to succeed. Go out and guard the perimeter out to 23 feet, and you open up a greater possibility that the opposing perimeter players can: a) drive past you; b) use the extra space between defenders to make better cuts to the basket; or c) utilize the extra space between defenders to pass the ball inside.                                                                                                       

[David Collinge]

I'd guess Bill Brown will be better prepared for the possibility of an NBA three from a Wooster guard at the end of the next game.  He's seen it often enough these past two seasons!   

It's axiomatic in basketball that every defense gives up something. If you take away one thing, you offer up a greater opportunity for something else to succeed. Go out and guard the perimeter out to 23 feet, and you open up a greater possibility that the opposing perimeter players can: a) drive past you; b) use the extra space between defenders to make better cuts to the basket; or c) utilize the extra space between defenders to pass the ball inside.   

I wasn't so much trying to give coaching advice as I was trying to give a gentle reminder of Kyle Witucky's game-tying 25 footer at the end of the 2nd OT last year in Springfield.  It's as close as I tend to come to taking a shot at our worthy rivals; hence the

[Gregory Sager]

I wasn't so much trying to give coaching advice as I was trying to give a gentle reminder of Kyle Witucky's game-tying 25 footer at the end of the 2nd OT last year in Springfield.  It's as close as I tend to come to taking a shot at our worthy rivals; hence the

OK, then. It's not my place to step on your NCAC internecine smack talk. 

[smedindy]

It's as close as I tend to come to taking a shot at our worthy rivals

So us other 8 are unworthy??? 

The LGs aren't going toe be pushovers. You know that, I know that, and the American people know that...

[David Collinge]

I'm not sure how calling Witt "worthy rivals" means that Wabash et alia are "unworthy."     I also did not say, suggest, or imply that Wabash (2-17 all time vs. Wooster, 1-14 since joining the NCAC) is a "pushover."  What the American people think is irrelevant.   

Anyway, if Witt is "worthy," wouldn't a true LG rather be "unworthy?"  Just ask Wally if he likes being considered as worthy as Witt. 

[smedindy]

Ah, just a little poke, and a Bob Dole callback (from a stock phrase from '96 - why I remembered that I don't know...).

I had my daughter's fourth birthday party on Sunday so maybe I was a little punchy??