MBB: North Coast Athletic Conference

OhioRed17 · January 24, 2013, 06:39:50 PM

The muddled middle ... is it a case of everyone in the NCAC save Wooster and OWU being bad or is it something else? I've seen several NCAC games this year and it seems to me that no one is all that good save for the teams I mentioned. I can't figure out half the teams from game to game or week to week. Any thoughts?

goscots · January 24, 2013, 10:48:27 PM

It would seem that way except that the NCAC has enjoyed some of it's best non-conference records in the past two years. Is it just parity that makes it look so?

smedindy · January 25, 2013, 12:48:34 PM

I think we're seeing parity amongst the teams and the sustaining of improvement for teams like Kenyon and Hiram, and a great improvement in Allegheny. Denison, Witt and Wabash are disappointing this year but Witt's issues seem to be in-conference and not during the non-conference season.

I'd much rather have the conference be a slog, where even the elite teams have to work for wins against everyone and the conference does well outside of its boundaries (especially against the OAC, HCAC and PrAC) instead of having a dominate two or three and everyone else be mediocre or worse.

smedindy · January 25, 2013, 12:55:15 PM

In Massey, the NCAC is the 8th best conference behind: UAA, WIAC, CCIW, ODAC, IIAC, MAC and MIAC.

In the Massey power ratings (out of 412 teams):

6. Wooster
21. OWU
74. Witt
80. DePauw
132. Hiram
174. Allegheny
189. Kenyon
254. Denison
261. Wabash
344. Oberlin

smedindy · January 26, 2013, 02:30:51 PM

Got back way way way late last night (thanks American Airlines!)

Most interesting game I see today is OWU @ DePauw. Kenyon @ Allegheny could provide more clarity, or more muddle, for the middle.

imderekpoe · January 26, 2013, 02:43:07 PM

Quote from: smedindy on January 26, 2013, 02:30:51 PM
Got back way way way late last night (thanks American Airlines!)

Most interesting game I see today is OWU @ DePauw. Kenyon @ Allegheny could provide more clarity, or more muddle, for the middle.

Other games are:
Oberlin at Witt
Wabash at Denison
Hiram at Wooster

I think everything is an afternoon tilt, except for Hiram-Wooster.

The biggest chance for an upset of note will be OWU at DePauw. Might be a little tough for the Bishops making a second trip to Indy this week after a tough home loss to the Scots.

smedindy · January 26, 2013, 04:07:29 PM

I just wanted to point out that Oberlin was beating Wittenberg with under 10 minutes to go in the game.

UPDATE: It's 39-37 Oberlin with 6:41 to go.

smedindy · January 26, 2013, 04:33:00 PM

Oberlin had a chance to tie the game with less than 10 seconds to go, but air-balled a three. Wittenberg wins 51-47.

smedindy · January 26, 2013, 04:35:47 PM

OWU was called for intentional and technical fouls with less than a minute to go - and now OWU and DPU are in OT.

sac · January 26, 2013, 04:36:50 PM

Vaughn Spalding had a bad last minute for OWU at DePauw, in OT now tied at 61.

00:15   OWUM   FOUL by Vaughn Spaulding
00:15   OWUM   FOUL by Vaughn Spaulding
00:55   OWUM   FOUL TECHNCL by Vaughn Spaulding

smedindy · January 26, 2013, 04:37:35 PM

Great games all around! Kenyon edges past Allegheny 71-69 on a jumper by Nwadibia at the buzzer.

smedindy · January 26, 2013, 04:39:37 PM

Denison beats Wabash 70-63. Wabash had it cut to four with two minutes to go. Alas.

smedindy · January 26, 2013, 04:41:33 PM

Quote from: sac on January 26, 2013, 04:36:50 PM
Vaughn Spalding had a bad last minute for OWU at DePauw, in OT now tied at 61.

00:15   OWUM   FOUL by Vaughn Spaulding
00:15   OWUM   FOUL by Vaughn Spaulding
00:55   OWUM   FOUL TECHNCL by Vaughn Spaulding

I think they cleaned it up.

00:54   OWUM   FOUL by Vaughn Spaulding
00:55   OWUM   FOUL TECHNCL by Vaughn Spaulding
00:55   DPU   GOOD! FT SHOT by Kevin Sullivan   DPU 61 - OWUM 61   Tied
00:55   DPU   GOOD! FT SHOT by Kevin Sullivan   OWUM 61 - DPU 60   (OWUM by 1)
00:55   DPU   GOOD! FT SHOT by Michael Wilkison   OWUM 61 - DPU 59   (OWUM by 2)
00:55   DPU   GOOD! FT SHOT by Michael Wilkison   OWUM 61 - DPU 58   (OWUM by 3)
00:55   OWUM   FOUL by Claude Gray
00:56   DPU   STEAL by Kevin Sullivan
00:57   OWUM   TURNOVR by Andy Winters

Looks like Gray committed an intentional foul, and Spaudling protested too much, getting a "T" which is also a personal foul.

smedindy · January 26, 2013, 04:49:02 PM

It's a final and an 'upset' - DPU bests OWU 65-63 in OT.

smedindy · January 26, 2013, 04:53:25 PM

Standings as of now:

Wooster 9-0
OWU 7-3
DePauw 6-4
Wittenberg 6-4
Denison 5-5
Hiram 4-5
Kenyon 4-6
Allegheny 3-7
Wabash 3-7
Oberlin 2-8

That's a big win for DePauw as it shakes up the #2 seed race. Too early to break out the tiebreakers?

Big win for Kenyon as well as it moves them into a potential 6th place tie with Hiram. Allegheny's loss right now has them out of the tourney as Wabash, which has a win in the only H2H, will get #8.