MBB: North Coast Athletic Conference

[WoosterFAN]

Back to POY/MVP discussion:  I personally hate to say. But age and years int eh league come into play for all post season awards.  As a high school basketball coach and having voted in All-League, All-City and All-County meetings.  Seniors and previous first team selections carry a lot of wieght. 
    We can argue and discuss that in a perfect world that the best player regardless of year, team record, etc... should win but the fact is the human factor always creeps in despite the best intentions.
   The same holds true for dropping from 1st to second team or 2nd team to HM or 1st team to HM.  Once you have earned the honor, you do not have to do much but maintain in order to stay there. 
   All of that said, here are my picks:

Ben Chojnacki     OWU
Dan Hodgkinson       DEN
Brandon Miller          Earlham
James Cooper   Wooster
Daniel Russ    Wittenberg POY/MVP
Kyle Witucky    Wooster

The only change from last year is that Cooper replaces Port who falls to 2nd team due to missed games due to injury.  I don't know when the voting is but the NCAC press release last year was dated after the NCAC tourney where I imagine there is a coaching muster (military term) similiar to what happens at the Final Four for Division I coaches.

[witt4ever]

Info about NCAC's plans to broadcast games:

http://www.northcoast.org/news/MBKBTRNYVIDEO.html?id=813

Link to broadcast:

http://www.teamline.cc/teampages.html?teamcode=1061

[wally_wabash]

POY is going to be an interesting choice this season.  The league's best player is a sophomore (Cooper) and underclassmen rarely get rewarded here.  The guy that fills the boxscore better than any other player in the league (Miller) played on a team that lost 7 conference games and finished fifth.  The preseason favorite for the award (Russ) put up nice numbers (16 pts, 6 boards) but they don't scream POY.  The upperclassman stalwart from the league's best team (Port) missed enough games that it would seem improbable for him to be considered strongly.  On any other team Borchers would get some consideration, but he plays next to Russ and given Russ's previous accolades, he will have to defer to Russ.  

It's going to be an interesting pick.  If I had a vote, I'd give it to Cooper because he's the most potent offensive player in the league (has anybody been able to guard him?) and he's played big in big games...highlighted by the shot that beat Witt in December.  

[jimmychitwood15]

wally- good points all around

However, I would have to say Russ comes out on top b/c he is is a very solid defender where as Cooper has been known to disappear on the defensive end. Also, Russ' numbers (16pts, 6reb) don't scream POY, yet he won it last season with less impressive numbers (14pts, 6reb). Not to mention he has to play along side Borchers, which definitely cuts into his post touches.

[DenisonFan]

All good points.

My POY vote goes to Cooper.  I don't think age should be a factor.  He is the best player on the best team.  When Port went down he didn't miss a beat.

It is between Russ and Cooper and I go with Cooper.

[jscwittfan]

As a Wittenberg fan, it pains me to say this, but if I had a vote in POY, I would have to give it to Cooper.  I have seen him once this year (and many people have talked about how their one viewing can have a large impact), and was awed by what he did to Wittenberg in Springfield.  Add to that the fact that Cooper's numbers have been outstanding, and he stepped up to another level when Port got hut and I can't see not giving it to him. 

Dan Russ is second . . . right now.  He is such a dominating presence inside that is makes it hard for anybody to stop him.  It will be interesting to see if postseason play does play a role in the vote, because if it does, and if Witt can win the tourney, I think Dan has a shot.  Look at what he did Tuesday against Denison (27 pts, 5 rebs, compared to Cooper's 14 against Kenyon), and his season numbers against the 3 teams he possibly could play (OWU - 18.5 ppg, 5 rpg; Earlham - 15.5 ppg, 6.5 rpg; Wooster - 27.5 ppg, 7.5 ppg).  He'd definitely be tournament MVP if he put up numbers like that, and you know it would influence voters on POY.

However, with that said, I still have to go Cooper.  He's 4 points a game ahead of Dan, shoots 56% from the field (which is incredible for a guard, especially considering Dan is at 57% down low shooting "high percentage shots"), is a far better free throw shooter (81% vs. Dan's 63%), and has 25 more assists than Russ.  I enjoy watching Russ, and I don't think we could complain if he was named POY, but I think it is Cooper's award unless Dan takes it away here in the tourney.

[oldwittfan]

Miller is a great talent, but he has often self destructed against Wittenberg.  Has that not shown up against other teams?  Otherwise, let this weekend decide.  I still think Port is Wooster's most complete player.  (Is scoring the only thing that counts?)  If Wittenberg and Wooster get to the final game and if Dan Russ plays as he has in the past against Wooster, it would be hard to choose someone else.

On  another topic, it is great to see Mike DeWitt's team playing so well.  If they were not playing the Tigers, I would be rooting for them.   By the way, he also started his college basketball at Wittenberg.

[ScotsFan]

I'd throw my vote in the direction of Russ.  If the numbers in the tournament are included in the vote, and given Russ' propensity to have huge games against the remaing 3 teams left that he would have to go up against, I think he's got to get it.  The arguments for Cooper have been pretty strong too.  The way he stepped up during Port's absence should go a long way in his consideration.  However, since Port's return, he hasn't seemed to have that same take over a game attitude that he seemed to thrive on while Port was injured.  I kept waiting for him to do it last Saturday, but it never happened.  Personally, I think it really could come down to who has the bigger weekend.  If Russ leads Witt to the tournament championship, POY should be his, hands down.  If Cooper comes out to lead Wooster to the championship, it will make the decision that much more difficult.  There's definately no clear cut POY that just jumps out at you for sure.

[billy_pilgrim]

Well, I've had my share of POY talk.

But, I will say again. I can live with posters (and I know you guys don't have votes) siding with Cooper or Russ over Miller because you really think they're better players. But, I can't live with giving them awards because they play on better teams. Again, put Miller on Wooster or Witt, results are the same. Shift Cooper or Russ to Earlham.......probably still don't do better than 4th.

Anyway, enough of that, Earlhamalum and I will be at Wooster tonight......and we'll certainly be heading out after the games. Drop by and say hello if you get the chance and certainly drop by for a beer afterward. Hope everyone has a good weekend and enjoy the games.


Go, pacify, win Quakers!!!!!!!!

[zosobob]

I second that, everybody have a great weekend and enjoy the games.

They should be good ones!

[pennstghs]

i third that-hopefully witt wins tomorrow night to set up my excursion up north saturday with a carful of witt fans, so if witt is in the finals the support for the tigers will be strong. tickets for the game are not an issue any longer as i have found out some valuable information from our athletic department.

predictions for tomorrow

witt 71 ohio wesleyan 63 in game number one with witt jumping out early and owu hanging around just like in delaware

wooster 95 earlham 80 earlham hangs close in the first half but a run by the scots from behind the arc opens this game up

[WoosterBNel]

Vegas odds are out
Witt -7.5 against OWU
Woo -13 against Earlham

I'm not buying into this epidemic of being scared to losing to OWU. After all it is OWU. In my lifetime at Witt I don't ever remember losing to them. Although I love Chojnackis game. He reminds me a lot of myself in my prime as a ripe 17 year old ready to prove myself with a repetoire of effective post moves. If anyone is wondering I'd say both teams cover setting up a dare I say......Pick EM, even odds game ncac championship game. Should be one for the ages.

[earlhamalum]

Witt/Owu    Witt wins by 13

EC/Wooster   *3 point game at half-time... Wooster by 11

If you guys (old-timers) want to go out for Drinks/Food afterwards... Win or Lose Billy_pilgram and I are down... just let us know the way... I mean the Championship game isn't until 7 the next night!

[David Collinge]

Tomorrow (my time) we have two semifinal games.  In the second, most feel that Wooster will win, but most give Earlham a decent chance to pull the upset.  In the first, Witt is a slight favorite over OWU at best.  In other words, we have two potentially competitive games, and it really wouldn't be a shock if Earlham and OWU came out on top.

Now couple that with the fact that neither Wooster nor Wittenberg has spent one minute outside the national top 10 this year (in fact, Wooster has not been lower than 3rd, and Witt has not been lower than 6th since the preseason poll,) and one or the other was ranked number one in exactly half of the polls during this regular season.

Does anyone besides me this this is important?  Isn't this the beginnings of the parity so many of us have hoped for so long? 

[Gregory Sager]

I would suggest that we wait and see the results of the semifinal games before we jump to any conclusions about parity in the NCAC.