MBB: North Coast Athletic Conference

[Gregory Sager]

Was Akron a D-1 school back then, and did D1 actually exist at that time?  I can't remember.  When I was in school (long time ago, Bradley University late sixties) it was broken down quite differently, but I can't remember how, or when things changed.

As Smedindy said, the NCAA consisted of two divisions -- University Division and College Division -- when you were at Bradley. The NCAA was one huge undivided mass until 1957, when it was divided thus. This two-division setup remained in place until 1974, when the College Division was further divided into D2 (scholarship) and D3 (non-scholarship). The University Division was renamed D1. This new alignment's first season was 1974-75, and that's the way it's been ever since.

[dufan]

Hey guys, I thought I'd come back and add a little Denison flavor to the boards.

Don't have that much to cheer about, yet. Now that the death stretch is over, maybe they can settle down and finally start to pick up for they left off last year.

Go Big Red!

[David Collinge]

dufan, welcome!  We need more insight into Denison, that's for sure. 

As for the "death stretch," it surely is over (Bluffton is up next, no death there), but I wonder what the lasting effect will be.  Do you think the Big Red is ready to put the big losses behind them and start afresh?  What worries me in particular is not the death stretch itself, but that it began one game sooner than it should have (losing to Marietta by 22, ugh).

Also, how do you like the refurbished gym?

[waterboy]

what will wooster do to stop dan russ and the rest of the witt frontcourt?  my only suggestion would be to put in the woo assistant coach.  he's got good size and he is usually out on the floor for half the game anyway.

Sorry, but you're sadly mistaken.  Though Doug Cline ventures onto the floor occasionally, particularly in Witt games, he is normally resigned to crossing his arms or throwing them up in disgust, while sitting in his seat on the Scot bench.  However, Steve Moore spends a good deal of time around the edge of the court jawing at the refs. 

It would be nice to have Cline out there tomorrow, though, considering Wooster was 6-4 against Witt during his four years, inclulding a three-game sweep in 1994-95 (58-53, 48-44, 71-67).

[GoBigRed]

I would like to comment on Denison, also.

I am severely disappointed with what I've seen out of the BIg Red, so far. But you know what, not really so much from a players standpoint.

I saw the Marrieta game (brutal), the Witt game (Brutal except for their big man), and I ventured up to Akron because I thought it'd be cool. Let me tell you guys, these guys don't have a chance because they aren't being given a chance.

Now I don't know the ins and outs of basketball strategy, but I gotta believe these coaches down there in Granville are killing this team. They play way too many guys, in the first half against Akron, when maybe they could hang around and be entertainging, all five starters were on the bench. They should never EVER do that against Oberlin, but they did it against Wittenberg too, on your so called "death stretch," and thats why they get killed.

That big guy of theirs is tremendous, Witt had no answer for him, but he isn't even their focus, apparently they hope the big guy will get the rebounds if Rob Hern misses his fade-aways. Or this freshman #30 they got, he's a liitle trigger happy, he shoots it more than the big guy. Ive never seen that good a player be such a little focus. I almost feel sorry for him. Aren't these the same Denison coaches that saw him play for two years? 

I don't get it guys, I think Coach of the Year has gone to Ghilonis head, he thinks he can play all these guys when their maybe 6 or 7 deep.  Then thay play all these freshman and sophomores who just llok scared out there to me. I'd understand it if I was new to college hoops and had to play Wooster, Witt, and Akron, but I was at the Marietta game, they don't know what their doing, they couldn't even get the ball past half-court to even give the big guy a chance.

For all you other teams, you wanna know how to beat the Big Red? Press 'em, because of the 7 guards they play, 2 are good. And don't worry about the big guy, he'll get his by picking up a loose ball or getting an offensive rebound,  they wont pass it to him, and the coaches sit there and watch it like their not dropping the biggest ball ever.

Whatever, I've griped, I'm just upset because I thought they were going to be good this year, and maybe Im wrong because I dont have the basketball knowledge that I'm hoping Ghiloni has, but "back on track" seems like a stretch at this point. I've already jumped off the Browns bandwagon and on to Cincy's I don't wanna have to change my name to GoLords, too.

[David Collinge]

If you're going to jump off the GoBigRed bandwagon, you might want to reconsider where you land.  GoLords might not be any more satisfying!   

(I should tread lightly; I got in trouble with a Kenyon fan in here a couple of years ago, and I don't want that to happen again.  I have numerous relatives that went to Kenyon and others to Denison, so I pull for these teams often.  But Kenyon's bandwagon seems to pull in the general direction of the natatorium!)

Anyway, I wouldn't jump just yet.  The only really bad loss is the one to Marietta (although the Wooster loss, while not unexpected, was surely ugly.)  Who cares how they looked against Akron?  That's like comparing your prom date to Grace Kelly (oops, I'm dating myself again) Jennifer Aniston.  Let's at least give the Big Red a shot at Wabash before we send out the jury.

[GoBigRed]

I agree, Dave, I'm just letting out my frustrations with what Ive seen.

I didn't expect them to beat Wooster, and I didn't think they'd win @ Witt, so we'll see how they do against the teams that, on paper, they "should" beat. Refer to my last post to get the vaildation for saying "on paper."

I'll see how they do in these two home games and I'll let you know.

Go Big Red!

[wally_wabash]

Halftime at Chadwick:

Tri State 33
Wabash 34

Wabash started hot and held a 22-10 lead in the first 10 minutes of the game.  Then the Wabash swoon hit and Tri State got back into the game.  The teams traded the lead several times over the last five minutes of the half.  Wabash has committed 6 offensive fouls.  That's not good.  I think I just heard our radio color guy tell me that there were 31 total turnovers in the first half.  Yikes. 

[Mr. Ypsi]

IWU played national runner-up Illinois in an exhibition.  The game was VERY close right up to the final few minutes.

Whoa ... easy there, big fella. The game was tied at 41-41 with 14:37 left, at which point the Illini went on a big run and built up a 63-48 lead with eight minutes and change remaining, and ended up with an eventual 22-point victory, 82-60. (Here's the Illini press release: http://fightingillini.collegesports.com/sports/m-baskbl/recaps/110405aab.html.) Your Titans made an outstanding showing that night, but let's not gild the lily, Chuck.

And I think that DC hit it on the head with his "Who's Dee Brown?" retort. Dee Brown's a fine ballplayer, but I wouldn't hold my breath on that NBA-Top-50-list thing coming to pass.

Greg, are we gonna quibble over the definition of 'final few minutes'?!

Actually, I admit I had remembered the Illini run as a few minutes later than that (damn memory!); but I still contend that if IWU had shot FTs like they usually do, and if Cory Jones had been available (the run didn't happen 'til our front court was in foul trouble - give 'em 5 more fouls to play with...), the game might have gone all the way to the wire.

OK, scratch Dee Brown - how about a d3 player being able to say he outplayed a Big 10 POY?

If we continue any comments on UI-IWU, perhaps we should relocate to CCIW Chat and leave these good folks to debate the big Oberlin-Hiram showdown.  [Sorry, couldn't help myself!   And Woo-Witt, as usual, should be among the top games of the season.]

[wally_wabash]

Final from Chadwick:

Tri State 70
Wabash 82

22 points from Medeiros to lead the Little Giants tonight as Wabash pulled away in the second half.  Up next for the little Giants is Denison next Saturday. 

[smedindy]

Five Wabash players in double figures, three with five or more assists.

Tri-State runs and presses. They used to run a Grinnell system of sorts but now just try to press and create turnovers. It was a sloppy game with a lot of them. Wabash held their ground on the boards and shot well for the win.

[hoopsfan1111]

However, Steve Moore spends a good deal of time around the edge of the court jawing at the refs.

I have seen enough Witt/Wooster games in the past, to be able to say Coach Brown spends his fair share of time at the edge of and/or on the court "jawing" at the refs...

[sac]

I'll assume one of the resident Wabashians has the TSU/Wabash score correct.  The MIAA site is reported the reverse result.

[smedindy]

Wabash does win - as I saw it with me own eyes!

[Kramer]

Go BigRed - I totally agree with you.  Ghiloni goes way too deep.  Lets face it, they were going to have a hard time winning any of the last three but when he puts five people on the floor that can't score for an extended period of time things blow up.