MBB: North Coast Athletic Conference

[David Collinge]

Wooster has a chance to exorcise a number of demons in that opener at Albion.  The last time the Scots played at Kresge Gym, things got a little intense.

So here's the complete non-conference schedule, lacking only the teams/pairings from the three tournaments:
Unspecified exhibition game (home)
at Albion
Van Wie Classic (UST + two others)
at Randolph-Macon tournament (RMC + two others)
Ohio Northern
at John Carroll
Mose Hole Classic (WUSTL + two others)

Congratulations to all of the award-winners at the Scots' banquet, including any who may be reading this. 

[fantastic50]

I think you are confusing John Carroll with Capital. The last time Wooster played John Carroll was the Sweet 16 game of the 2007 tournament.

Yes, I did get those two mixed up...

Potential games against St. Thomas and Washington are great, but in the grand scheme of things, they only mean something in terms of where Wooster stacks up nationally and for the D3Hoops.com poll. Because of the silly NCAA selection criteria, these games virtually mean nothing.

In my mind, the benefit of those games is having the Scots experienced for March by playing the best early in the season.  Win or lose, those battles will help an already experienced team grow; hopefully, Wooster will be prepared to make a deep NCAA tournament run.

[pufin]

I could be easily missing a team, but off the top of my head, has Wooster played a defending national champion the following year?

I can't recall any times where Wooster has played the defending national champions the following year, but this won't be the first time a defending national champion has been invited to one of Wooster's annual tournaments.

Obviously, Wooster played OWU following their 1988 national championship. In fact, the Scots took two of three (regular season split and a win in the NCAC tournament) that year.

[David Collinge]

Hmmmm.
Something just occurred to me.

Wooster's season-opener at Albion is scheduled for Nov. 15, which is the first day of the season according to the NCAA, under a new rule adopted this past season (under the old rule,the first day of the season had been the Friday before Thanksgiving, which would be Nov. 20 this year.)  Last season, Wittenberg had a game scheduled vs. Transylvania for Nov. 19, and my understanding is that the NCAC Presidents told Bill Brown he had to reschedule, as they would not permit such an early game, NCAA be damned.  (See discussion here.)  Witt ended up rescheduling that game for a Friday in January, a terrible time, and it was subsequently snowed out and replaced with a last-minute game vs. IU-East.  (Kenyon and Allegheny also had "early" games which went on as scheduled, but those were tournaments, whereas Witt's game was a single game.)  I recall that Coach Brown, who had a tough enough season as it was, was somewhat less than thrilled with the league office as a result of these shenanigans. 

So does this mean that the conference is now going to allow schools to schedule up to the limit of the NCAA's approved schedule?  Or might it mean that Wooster gets preferential treatment by the league office (perish the thought?)  Of course, it could also be that the Daily Record reported the date of that Albion game wrong, but that seems unlikely if only because they also note that the Van Wie Classic will be the following weekend, Nov. 20-21, and those dates are almost surely correct.

Something to ponder during the long offseason.

[seinfeld]

A thread on JJHuddle about a recruit has coming in next year -- David Hieber.

http://www.jjhuddle.com/forums/showthread.php?t=206375

[ScotsFan]

Devin Fulk has joined the basketball coaching ranks.  He was hired at Heath HS to be their next head basketball coach:

Fulk hired as Heath boys hoops coach

Congrats to Devin and good luck as you begin your coaching career!

[Witt4ever]

A thread on JJHuddle about a recruit has coming in next year -- David Hieber.

http://www.jjhuddle.com/forums/showthread.php?t=206375

thanks for the link

If anyone is interested, the News-Sun published Witt's recruits yesterday(June 11).

http://www.springfieldnewssun.com/springfield-oh-sports/wittenberg-university-tigers/wittenberg-basketball-gets-help-on-the-perimeter-157713.html



http://www.springfieldnewssun.com/springfield-oh-sports/wittenberg-university-tigers/

[David Collinge]

Lucas McKean, a 6-1 guard from Northwestern High in Wayne County, averaged 17 points and 4 assists last season.

Ouch.  Is this revenge for James Cooper? 

[ScotsFan]

Lucas McKean, a 6-1 guard from Northwestern High in Wayne County, averaged 17 points and 4 assists last season.

Ouch.  Is this revenge for James Cooper? 

How did Coach Cline, Dustin Geitgey and Kaleb Reed let this kid go to the dark side??? 

[seinfeld]

This sucks:  http://www.the-daily-record.com/news/article/4607812

[imderekpoe]

This sucks:  http://www.the-daily-record.com/news/article/4607812

Wow!  That's definitely a tough break for the Scots.  Here's wishing Brandon a speedy recovery, but I would think its gotta be pretty tougher to come back from a repeat injury.

[seinfeld]

Sad news. Dennis Collins, commissioner of the NCAC, passed away yesterday from a heart attack:

http://www.northcoast.org/news/collins.html

[David Collinge]

RIP, Dennis.  He was the only commissioner in the conference's 25 year history.  My condolences to his family and friends.

[imderekpoe]

RIP, Dennis.  He was the only commissioner in the conference's 25 year history.  My condolences to his family and friends.

Nice article in the Columbus Dispatch this morning.  Dennis' dedication to the NCAC will clearly be missed.

[wooscotsfan]

Dennis Collin's service to the NCAC was also noted in the Plain Dealer/Cleveland.com.

Here is the link: http://www.cleveland.com/sports/college/index.ssf/2009/06/dennis_collins_executive_direc.html