MBB: North Coast Athletic Conference

[Mr. Ypsi]

Advance congratulations to Steve Moore!  It took Dennie Bridges (still the AD at IWU, but retired as hoops coach in 2001) 36 years to reach 667.  Barring retirement or dismal fortune, Coach Moore should blast right through that mark.

[David Collinge]

Aaron Dorksen reports in today's Daily Record that Brandon Johnson will be sidelined when the season begins:

Johnson, who averaged 11.3 ppg and a team-best 3.8 assists, suffered an ACL tear in his knee and had surgery in early July. The Scots hope they can have him back for the second half of the season.

I need not point out what a huge loss this is; Johnson is a two-time all NCAC performer and would have been a legitimate All-American candidate this season.  Best wishes for Brandon's full and speedy recovery.

[David Collinge]

One more Wooster note:  the Scots have added an exhibition game with Ohio University to their schedule, to be played Nov. 1 in Athens.  This will be the first game of any variety for either squad.  It is listed on both schedules as an "exhibition game" and not as a "scrimmage."  I had thought that exhibition games counted against a team's maximum 25-game schedule, but Wooster still has a full compliment of 25 games scheduled, starting with the Van Wie Classic in late November--the Ohio game would make 26.  So I guess I must be wrong. Nevertheless, anything that brings the season on three weeks earlier is a good thing in my book.

[Mr. Ypsi]

In 2005-06, when IWU played an exhibition at U of Illinois, we still had a full schedule, so apparently they don't count against the limit.

Perhaps Pat (or someone) could clarify the rule?  Perhaps scrimmage and exhibition are counted the same by the NCAA?

[woosterbooster]

I wonder; if Brandon Johnson's recovery happens to proceed more slowly than is desired, were he to be held out this season could he possibly be granted another year of eligibility?

[Pat Coleman]

In 2005-06, when IWU played an exhibition at U of Illinois, we still had a full schedule, so apparently they don't count against the limit.

Perhaps Pat (or someone) could clarify the rule?  Perhaps scrimmage and exhibition are counted the same by the NCAA?

As of this year, actually, an exhibition game no longer counts against your limit of 25.

[imderekpoe]

Today's Wooster Daily Record has a nice article on the Scots' incoming 7-footer's journey from tribal live in the Sudan to the Wooster campus.

http://www.the-daily-record.com/news/article/4326461


I wouldn't be too terribly surprised to see Mabeny get some decent minutes as the season progresses.  He doesn't have much basketball experience, but appears to be athletic, smart and eager to learn (plus he's got that 7-foot thing going for him.)  There aren't many better to learn from than Steve Moore and Doug Cline.

[woosterbooster]

If Mabeny becomes a fan of D3Hoops, maybe he can tell me if my sign-off is an actual African proverb or not.

[ScotsFan]

I wouldn't be too terribly surprised to see Mabeny get some decent minutes as the season progresses.  He doesn't have much basketball experience, but appears to be athletic, smart and eager to learn (plus he's got that 7-foot thing going for him.)  There aren't many better to learn from than Steve Moore and Doug Cline.

They always say, you can't teach height!   

Hard to believe he is 3 inches taller than the tallest big man Moore has ever recruited.  Stan Aukamp at 6'9" was Moore's tallest player prior to Mabeny's arrival.

[David Collinge]

Coaching carousel:

• Anthony Gholson is the new head coach at Heidelberg College, replacing Duane Sheldon who has moved over to Baldwin-Wallace.  Gholson had been an assistant to Jeff Coleman as well as the head men's golf coach at Ohio Northern.
• Replacing Gholson in both positions in Ada will be 2005 ONU grad and former hoops standout Chad Bostelman.  Last season, Bostelman aided Mike DeWitt in leading Ohio Wesleyan to the NCAC tournament championship and the NCAA Sweet Sixteen.
• Stepping into Bostelman's shoes in Delaware will be Scott Cutter, a 2002 graduate of Wilmington and formerly an assistant coach at Defiance.

Congratulations and best wishes to Anthony, Chad, and Scott on their new assignments.

[David Collinge]

I happened to be on Wooster's campus on Wednesday, where I happened to cross paths with someone who couldn't have been anyone other than Gideon Mabeny, the "Dunking Dinka."  And...he was on crutches.  I've since heard through the grapevine that he has suffered an ACL injury and may be out for the season.  

Elsewhere:
Denison has posted their schedule, the highlight of which is a New Year's Eve visit to the Boston area.  The Big Red open with what appears to be a three-day, three-team tournament with Goshen College and Hanover (in Granville.)  The two teams that Denison will face just once are Wittenberg (12/10 at Springfield) and OWU (1/7 at Granville).

[billy_pilgrim]

Oh yes, you know you've been anxiously awaiting it. I present to you, the fine folks at D3Hoops.com, the 2008-09 Earlham men's basketball schedule.

http://www.earlham.edu/athletics/content/sports/men/basketball/2008-09/schedule/index.html

Highlights again include the exhibition at beautiful Roberts Stadium against the Evansville Purple Aces.

Also, there's the return of the Quaker Bowl....the always popular showdown between Earlham and Wilmington.

Fight, Fight, Inner Light!
Kill, Quakers, Kill!
Knock 'em Down, Beat 'em Senseless!
Do It 'til We Reach Consensus!

[woosterbooster]

Second Verse?

Consensus Reached
We Beat 'Em Dead!
Punched Them, Mauled Them
Kicked 'Em In the Head!

[Gregory Sager]

George Fox is spinning in his grave like a rotisserie chicken.

[David Collinge]

One more piece of assistant coaching news: Wooster has a new (part-time) assistant coach in the person of Evan Will.  Will replaces Nate Gaubatz, who has moved to northwest Ohio and is coaching at Anthony Wayne High School.  Congratulations, Evan!