MBB: Ohio Athletic Conference

[Onward on, John Carroll]

Game article from the News Herald :
http://www.news-herald.com/sports/20161207/college-basketball-john-carroll-edges-mount-union-in-early-oac-showdown

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

The season has started fast and for some teams they still haven't lost. Not unexpected for some, maybe completely unexpected for others.

And there is a big battle between #1 and #2 in Division III men's basketball on tap!

On Thursday's edition of Hoopsville, Dave is back in studio and talking to some of the teams who find themselves without a loss, but probably still with plenty of questions that remain unanswered. Many of the teams are nationally ranked, but one of the teams tonight finds itself undefeated and receiving narry a point in any of the Division III polls.

Also on Thursday's edition, Dave will talk LIVE with either #1 Amherst or #2 Babson. The two men's programs face off in a rare #1 v #2 regular season battle. We chat with the winning coach after the game.

You can watch Hoopsville below staring at 7:00 pm ET. We are also experimenting with simulcasting the show on Facebook Live! More info here: http://www.d3hoops.com/hoopsville/archives/2016-17/dec8

Guests included (in order):
- Bob Amsberry, No. 8 Wartburg women's coach
- Amy Reed, Rochester Tech women's coach
- Landry Kosmalski, No. 22 Swarthmore men's coach
- Jon VanderWal, No. 3 Marietta men's coach
- Either Dave Hixon (No. 1 Amherst) or Stephen Brennan (No. 2 Banson) men's coach

This is most likley the last Thursday edition of Hoopsville before the holiday break (due to D3football.com coverage of Gagliardi Trophy and Stagg Bowl next week and proximity of Christmas the following week). The Thursday edition of the show will return January 5, 2017 - but stay tuned if we change our minds in two weeks.

You can also tune into the podcast(s) after the show has aired:
SoundCloud: www.soundcloud.com/hoopsville
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/hoopsville/id1059517087

Don't forget you can always interact with us:
Website: www.d3hoopsville.com
Twitter: @d3hoopsville or #Hoopsville
Facebook: www.facebook.com/Hoopsville
Email: hoopsville@d3hoops.com
YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/d3hoopsville

[Beyond the Arc]

The Polar Bears scored a sloppy win last night verse Wilmington.  ONU has looked much better the last two games with the scoring more evenly distributed.  Nate Burger continued to lead the team with a career high of 23 last night.  Wilmington did not shoot well and ONU rebounded well.

This Saturday's game at Mount Union is going to show if ONU can be included in the top half of the OAC.  The game also features a match-up of the leading and third leading scorers in DeAllen Jackson and Nate Burger.  Hopefully for all of us fans these two point guards play well and it is a good game.

Go Polar Bears!

[Dr. Acula]

Just cruised by this board to see if it was a safe space for actual OAC discussion. Maybe we should move the Top 25 posts here, and let someone have a monologue there.

/sarcasm
//or is it?

Is someone an OAC poster?  I didn't think any of us posted enough on hoops to have a monologue!   

Read the past week's posts on the Top 25 board ... if you dare.

I didn't make it all the way through the last week.  Who could?  Sheesh. 

[Dr. Acula]

And just like that things are very interesting in the OAC.  JCU takes care of Etta, Musky tops BW in OT, Mount holds off ONU.

[ElRetornodelEspencio]

Just cruised by this board to see if it was a safe space for actual OAC discussion. Maybe we should move the Top 25 posts here, and let someone have a monologue there.

/sarcasm
//or is it?

But I'm the troll. Indeed.

[Onward on, John Carroll]

And just like that things are very interesting in the OAC.  JCU takes care of Etta, Musky tops BW in OT, Mount holds off ONU.

Looks like it's going to be a wild ride this season. I just hope there's not too much cannibalization that leaves everyone beat up and with one or two too many losses to get an at-large bid.

[Dr. Acula]

Mount (7-2, 3-1) picked up a road win at Berg (6-4, 2-2) today, 95-83.  Berg didn't shoot the ball well (35%) even though they scored 83.  Kukura had a big game with 31 points, 8 reb, 6 asst, 2 blocks.  Not surprisingly Jackson did too (21 pts, 7 reb, 4 asst, 3 steals).  As those two go so goes the team.  Stenger hit 4-5 from deep.  He's over 50% on the season which has been a great surprise. 

[Beyond the Arc]

A huge must needed win for ONU.  Polar Bears come from behind to rally past John Carroll by 2.  Nate Burger continues to lead the team with 29 today.  Both teams played their hearts out in a tough game that either team could have won.  After JCU layup with 7 seconds left and a ONU time out, Burger came the length of the floor and hit Ryan Bruns with the game winning lay-in.  Konnor Baker added 20 for the Polar Bears.  He is having a great senior season.

[Dr. Acula]

DeAllen Jackson is having a fantastic season so far.  Aside from leading the OAC in scoring (20.5 ppg) here are some other figures:

7.5 RPG (#6 in the OAC)
2.5 SPG (#1)
2.8 APG (#10)
50.6% FG (#12)
50.8% 3FG (#4)
80.4% FT (#8)
2.9 3FG made/gm (#2)

His shooting efficiency is unreal for a 2 guard. 

[Dr. Acula]

Mount takes care of BW at home 90-81.  Raiders are now 9-3, 4-1.  All 3 losses have been by 3 or less so they've been competitive.  Jackson led the way again going for 22 pts, 6 A, 4 R. 

[Onward on, John Carroll]

Mount takes care of BW at home 90-81.  Raiders are now 9-3, 4-1.  All 3 losses have been by 3 or less so they've been competitive.  Jackson led the way again going for 22 pts, 6 A, 4 R.

They are a solid team, no doubt.  Great start and positioned well for a Pool C even if they do not with the OAC tournament if they win 9-10 of their last 13.  In short, there is room for error.

[Fifth and Putnam]

Mount takes care of BW at home 90-81.  Raiders are now 9-3, 4-1.  All 3 losses have been by 3 or less so they've been competitive.  Jackson led the way again going for 22 pts, 6 A, 4 R.

They are a solid team, no doubt.  Great start and positioned well for a Pool C even if they do not with the OAC tournament if they win 9-10 of their last 13.  In short, there is room for error.

I agree Mount is a great team and I'll admit to being a bit surprised they're in this spot at this point in the year. My only worry on Mt. Union's Pool C chances are SOS. They've played a good schedule but not a great schedule. Massey (which is starting to get to the point in the year where I'll peek at it) lists their best win this year as being over Heidelberg. If Mount can finish the year with a loss or two and then one in the tournament 20-6 or 21-6 could very well get them in. However, they still have 2 games left against Marietta, another go with John Carroll, as well as two with Capital left to get through. I don't know how I feel about a 18-8 Mount Union team getting a Pool C.

Long story short is we have a long way to go (still half the season) and it's early to talk about anyone's Pool C chances at this point (something I'm always guilty of myself).

[Onward on, John Carroll]

Mount takes care of BW at home 90-81.  Raiders are now 9-3, 4-1.  All 3 losses have been by 3 or less so they've been competitive.  Jackson led the way again going for 22 pts, 6 A, 4 R.

They are a solid team, no doubt.  Great start and positioned well for a Pool C even if they do not with the OAC tournament if they win 9-10 of their last 13.  In short, there is room for error.

I agree Mount is a great team and I'll admit to being a bit surprised they're in this spot at this point in the year. My only worry on Mt. Union's Pool C chances are SOS. They've played a good schedule but not a great schedule. Massey (which is starting to get to the point in the year where I'll peek at it) lists their best win this year as being over Heidelberg. If Mount can finish the year with a loss or two and then one in the tournament 20-6 or 21-6 could very well get them in. However, they still have 2 games left against Marietta, another go with John Carroll, as well as two with Capital left to get through. I don't know how I feel about a 18-8 Mount Union team getting a Pool C.

Long story short is we have a long way to go (still half the season) and it's early to talk about anyone's Pool C chances at this point (something I'm always guilty of myself).

I accept your reprimand and promise not to bring up Poll C until February 1, at the earliest.

[Dr. Acula]

Honestly, while I'm pleased with the season to date I had not even considered Mount as a pool C candidate.  They've pretty much beaten who they should IMO.  If they could have pulled off the Williams game that would have been a nice feather in the cap.  They played JCU toe-to-toe in UH, but I'm waiting to see how the Etta games go before I get too excited.  The thing that gives me hope is that they have 2 guys that can score in bunches.  I like having go to scorers in tight games.   

It looks like there is definitely some parity in the OAC this year too.  Wilm beat Cap last night.  Ott beat ONU.  I don't know if the conference is down as a whole or if the bottom just improved.  Maybe partially both.  Either way it should make for an interesting ride if there are no guaranteed W's this year.