MBB: North Coast Athletic Conference

[wally_wabash]

Yes, it was a no brainer, but making the change, and actually being hugely successful at it are two different things.  Wooster has run their offense through the post since Moore has been at Wooster.  To make this change wasn't as easy as just snapping your fingers.  To do what Coach Moore did this season could almost be like Woody Hayes changing his offesive philosophy from 3 yards and a cloud of dust, to an empty backfield and 5 wide receiver sets.  OK, maybe not that drastic, but you get my point.  The decision to change may have been a no brainer, but to actually implement it and be successful at it was a very well done coaching job by Moore and his staff.

And the worship of Saint Moore continues....

He has a roster full of guys who can shoot from all over the floor.  He said "Go shoot the ball.  A lot."  This wasn't exactly wizardry. 

[WoosterFAN]

Wally - I think we agree more than we disagree.  My point about easy "points in the paint" is not that Wooster lets teams score easy two's.  My point is that Wooster cannot stop easy points in the point when you have 6'6" post with 6'5" post coming off the bench and another 6'5" wing playing defense in the post, you cannot expect to hold the likes of Torii Davis, Russ, Borchers, etc... to low FG% inside.  Wooster simply does not have the horses to man handle teams inside.  Just because you do not have Schlingman to block shots and hold down the middle does not mean that you do not play defense.  They play big time 'D'.
   But to say that they do not play defense or trade two's for three's inaccurate.  Watch Wooster, watch the pressure on the ballhandler, watch the pressure of the passing lane, watch Vandervaart and Port hustling to get in defensive position to front or side front the post.  To say that Wooster does not contest every shot or want to is inaccurate.  Trust me on this one. 
    There is nothing and I mean nothing that Coach Moore hates more than a uncontested shot from inside of 10 feet.  WoosterBNel - Can you back me up on this one?

[pennstghs]

WoosterFAN-i believe coach moore may hate a subpar NCAC official's call more than an uncontested shot, by showing of his emotions towards the officials

also, in an attempt to form a student section tomorrow night since witt will be on spring break, the first 100 students will be getting in free. i have to work friday so hopefully a win means i can attend saturday. hopefully we will have two competitive games to watch, with the second game hopefully being less competitive if you know what i mean.

Predictions:  Carnegie Mellon 69 Baldwin-Wallace 77

Wittenberg 63 Lake Erie 54

[WoosterFAN]

The defensice 3pt FG% statistic is what I was looking for.  I do not think the NCAC publishes that stat.  Wooster is 2nd in the NCAC though. And 3rd in blocked shots...but no defense?? I don't think so. 

Someone please point out to me the last time or the next time, Wooster just lets someone have drive for a layup or an uncontested shot.

[TigerFan_1973]

I'm new on these boards, so people may already be aware
of this, but there is a list of Div III schools with audio links at

http://www.ncaasports.com/broadcast/schedule/champ-audio

The list is not complete however.  For instance, Wittenberg's link is not listed.

I have found a good listing of audio feeds at

http://secure.stretchinternet.com/broadcasts.php

The Wittenberg feed can be found at
http://www4.wittenberg.edu/news/athletics/broadcast.html

Also, there is a link to Baldwin-Wallace's feed at the NCAA site above.

[sac]

NCAC teams aren't involved but you'll find links to the Hope and Calvin broadcasts here.......

MIAA.org

.......the Calvin broadcast may even stick around and do the Hope game, I haven't heard for sure.

[augie_superfan]

I've got 1 extra ticket for Friday's Transy regional...if anyone is interested, e-mail or PM me.....$6

Jim

[WoosterBNel]

I got a chance to see lake erie's team walking into the HPER today so I think I'm ready to put a line on the game.   Witt -17.
BW -9 against carnegie mellon.

[zosobob]

Should be great games this weekend.

Good luck to the W's!

[WoosterBNel]

There is nothing and I mean nothing that Coach Moore hates more than a uncontested shot from inside of 10 feet. WoosterBNel - Can you back me up on this one?

O yea, nothing he hates more.

[kiltedbryan]

There is nothing and I mean nothing that Coach Moore hates more than a uncontested shot from inside of 10 feet. WoosterBNel - Can you back me up on this one?

O yea, nothing he hates more.

Well, and when Woo can't pull down defensive rebounds...drives him crazy...had him slamming his hand into a bench chair during Woo-Witt III.

As another side note to this whole discussion, in Woo-Witt I this year, I was sitting directly behind the Wooster bench.  When it was 20-6 Wittenberg after about five minutes, Coach Moore called a timeout.

What bothered him at the time out was not that his guys had only 6 points...it was that Witt already had 20, and many of them on easy put-backs or poorly contested shots.  He got in their face about their defensive intensity, and Wooster started their come back.  He wasn't worried about the fact that they weren't scoring...he knew that would shape up.  He wanted to make sure they gave the defensive effort.

I think Moore focuses even more on defense this year than in year's past, because he knew this team would score, but he knew that every night was going to be a defensive challenge because pretty much every other team was going to play bigger, taller guys in the paint.

Wooster does give up uncontested shots, sometimes (who doesn't??).  But often, it's because a guard was trying to help out down low and credit the other team for finding the open man.  Woo's guards are very good on the dribble defenders, however, and they will pressure ballhandlers all over the court.

You're right, Wally.  Wooster is willing to trade 2s for 3s.  But why not, when you shoot 3 pointers at the same rate as your opponent's overall shooting %?

[wooscotsfan]

Less than 24 hours until the Wooster - Randolph Macon tip so here are a few comparative team stats to ponder: 

Offensive Field Goal %
Woo:  52.9%
RMC:  50.0%

Defensive Field Goal %
Woo:  44.1%
RMC:  38.6%

Rebounding Margin vs. Opponents
Woo:  +7.3 per game
RMC:  +3.8 per game

Offensive 3 Point Shooting %
Woo:  44.1%
RMC:  41.5%

Defensive 3 Point %
Woo:  33.0%
RMC:  30.7%

Assists to Turnover Ratio
Woo:  1.68
RMC:  0.88 (that's right, more turnovers than assists each game)

RMC's top 2 scorers are their big men, Justin Wansley 6'6" at 15.7 ppg and Phil Hawley 6'8" at 11.5 ppg.

Woo's top 2 scorers are guard James Cooper at 19.4 ppg and wing Tom Port at 15.4 ppg

Wooster seems like the much better offensive team and Randolph Macon seems like the much better defensive team so which style will prevail in tomorrow's game?

Randolph Macon has the better front line while Wooster has the better guards and ballhandlers so which will play a bigger factor in this game?

Good luck to both Wooster and Wittenberg in tomorrow's games!

GO SCOTS!!

[c-busballer]

Tonights Games

Wooster vs Randolph Macon:

I have seen Macon a few times over the years.  I have seen them this year.  Those teams Reminds were similar Wooster teams before this year.  Great Inside / Outside action between post players and guards with great ball movement.  Solid Defensively.  Very well coached and play extremely hard.  My belief with Wooster is that few teams are going to beat them if Wooster gives them a top performance.  They are going to struggle and lose when they have an off night shooting the ball.  The great aspect once you get into the tournament is that you may play a couple of teams that you have not played this year, for a couple of years, or ever and teams are not familiar with your teams style, pace of the game, or the players.  I think the first 3 teams they face may be shell shocked by their offensive fire power. 

Witt vs Lake Erie:

If Lake Erie can get by all the firsts in their program's history (wins, conference championship, tournament championship, NCAA birth), get by the fact that they are playing at Witt and all of their history, and the fact that they have never seen the quality of big men in Russ and Borchers, they can make a game of it.  Lake Erie will try to make it an ugly game, similar to JCU.  They will adjust their variation pressure defense.  They can force turnovers and teams to take bad shots.  I still take Witt.

BW vs Carnegie Mellon:

CMU has some great wins this year.  Do not know anything about them.  I am an Ohio guy so I will stick with the Yellow-Jackets.

Sectional Final Predictions:

Amherst vs WPI (Amherst)
WOO vs Witt (WOO)
Whitewater vs Augustana (Whitewater)
Lincoln vs William Patterson (Lincoln)

WOO over Amherst
Whitewater over Lincoln
WOO over Whitewater

[c-busballer]

Sorry about my last post.  My post about RMC looks like a 2nd grader.  What I was trying to say is that I have seen RMC in the past, not this year.  Their teams in the past reminded me of a traditional Wooster team before this season.

[smedindy]

Just so you know:

My final four in the pick 'em is Wooster, Lawrence, Lincoln and Amherst

I have Wooster winning it all

So know you know who to throw things at if they lose this weekend!