MBB: Ohio Athletic Conference

[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).

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

No reprimand..like I said, I am guilty of thinking of at-large resumes watching big non-conference games in November. It's never to early to start building a resume as we all know how wild conference tournaments can be. It's nice having a great resume in your back pocket just in case. 

[Fifth and Putnam]

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.

That's the question I have been asking myself the last few weeks. The last few seasons have been Marietta, Mount, JCU and everyone else. I really think the bottom has improved. Muskingum has showed a huge jump in talent and competitiveness over the last few seasons with Schwab at the helm. Otterbein is showing signs of improvement after a couple years at the bottom. Ohio Northern is very consistent and knocked off JCU earlier in the year. This is probably the best top to bottom OAC I've seen in awhile and it's going to bite the teams at the top who pick up a few more losses throughout conference play.

[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.

No reprimand..like I said, I am guilty of thinking of at-large resumes watching big non-conference games in November. It's never to early to start building a resume as we all know how wild conference tournaments can be. It's nice having a great resume in your back pocket just in case. 

I probably put way too much emphasis on those games as a Carroll fan because I firmly believe that the only reason we made the 2014-2015 tournament with 7 losses was because of a non-conference win over a St. Norbert team that would not lose another game in the regular season that year. 

[Onward on, John Carroll]

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.

That's the question I have been asking myself the last few weeks. The last few seasons have been Marietta, Mount, JCU and everyone else. I really think the bottom has improved. Muskingum has showed a huge jump in talent and competitiveness over the last few seasons with Schwab at the helm. Otterbein is showing signs of improvement after a couple years at the bottom. Ohio Northern is very consistent and knocked off JCU earlier in the year. This is probably the best top to bottom OAC I've seen in awhile and it's going to bite the teams at the top who pick up a few more losses throughout conference play.

I think the bottom has improved this season but I assume, in time if not this season, some school will take Muskingum's place and the pecking order will have new names but the same result.  Muskingum took Marietta's place so, in turn, it is likely that someone will take Muskingum's place.  It does seem though that no one this season is as poor as Muskingum was last season - that I will give you.

I am of the opinion that the conference is better this season than last season, not down.  I could be wrong.  Time till tell.

[Beyond the Arc]

The up and down season for Ohio Northern cannot be explained.  The last four games ONU has looked miserable, and then yesterday they upset Marietta.  They were able to do so without their two starting big guys who are out with injury.  Aron Tress and Joey Diorio both had their best games of the season and Nate Burger, Devon Allen and Konner Baker all played well.  It should be an interesting rest of the season.

[Fifth and Putnam]

The up and down season for Ohio Northern cannot be explained.  The last four games ONU has looked miserable, and then yesterday they upset Marietta.  They were able to do so without their two starting big guys who are out with injury.  Aron Tress and Joey Diorio both had their best games of the season and Nate Burger, Devon Allen and Konner Baker all played well.  It should be an interesting rest of the season.

Credit ONU, they got their fair amount of open shots yesterday and every time they needed a big basket, they knocked it down. They answered every time Marietta looked like it was going to mount a run and never let the lead get under 5-6 points. ONU shot 59% and were a similar number from behind the arc (54.5%). ONU has struggled for consistency at times this year, but I walked away from the ONU Sports Center very impressed with the Polar Bears. They're going to be a factor in the OAC race this year if they can put together more performances like that.

[Dr. Acula]

I watched Mount lose at home to Ott yesterday.  It was painful to watch to be honest.  Mount's D was awful.  And their offense looked terrible for stretches due in large part to some less-than-smart shot selections mainly by Kukura (7-23 FG).  Jackson was great (again) and nearly saved their a$$ (again) by hitting a huge 3 with 10 seconds left to take the lead.  But Ott hit a loooong 3 at the buzzer to force OT and that deflated Mount.  Fuline's quote per The Review post game summed it up.  "We have too many guys worrying about their next shot and not making their next stop."  Amen.

Side note, that coach for Ott does a nice job.  They have no athletes.  He knows it.  And he wisely plays zone and then grinds out half court offensive possessions.  There were zero fast break points in that game.  None.  They just execute enough to score, make their FT and make you beat the zone.  A good, consistent team won't have a problem.  Inconsistent teams?  Buckle up. 

[Onward on, John Carroll]

Inconsistent teams?  Buckle up.

Bad news for my Streaks!!

[Dr. Acula]

I thought Mount might steal one on the river.  Woulda been huge.  But that last 5:50?  Yikes.  The final ends up looking like you're Wilmington.

[Onward on, John Carroll]

I watched your game as the JCU game was audio only at the Rike Center.  I thought you had them right where you wanted them and  . . .then . . .well, just like you said, the last 5-7 minutes happened. 

As for Otterbein, I can see how they could be dangerous but we buried them with a big run over he last 6 minutes or so of the first half and they never really threatened us after that. Onto Wilmington.

[Dr. Acula]

Cap 30, Mount 29 at half.  That was not a pretty half of basketball.  Both teams look very average.  Cap doesn't really appear to have a lot of scoring threats.  Jackson is 1-6 for Mount.  Just not an offensive display so far.  Lots of ugly possessions from Mount. 

[Dr. Acula]

I watched your game as the JCU game was audio only at the Rike Center.  I thought you had them right where you wanted them and  . . .then . . .well, just like you said, the last 5-7 minutes happened. 

As for Otterbein, I can see how they could be dangerous but we buried them with a big run over he last 6 minutes or so of the first half and they never really threatened us after that. Onto Wilmington.

That's how it should be for a good team, right?  That's why Mount losing to them at home was a head scratcher.  Just a bad loss.  You can't lose to Ott at home.  They bounced back to pick up a solid win at Cap.  I didn't exactly have that game penciled in as a sure W so I'll call those two a wash I guess.

[Fifth and Putnam]

Conference   Overall
#23 Marietta   6-2   11-4
John Carroll   6-2   9-5
Ohio Northern   6-2   8-7
Mount Union   5-3   10-5
Muskingum   4-4   10-5
Capital           4-4   9-6
Baldwin Wallace 3-5   8-7
Otterbein           3-5   7-8
Heidelberg   2-6   6-9
Wilmington   1-7   6-9


Thoughts as we approach the end of the first round of conference play:

I've been pleasantly surprised by Ohio Northern and Muskingum this year. Ohio Northern will have to get a win at Marietta and/or John Carroll though to stay in the conference race which will not be an easy task. Muskingum is playing a much higher level of basketball but has not shown they can play top notch basketball every night. I have gone on record though thinking the Muskies will be in the top tier of this conference next year. Otterbein continues to show signs of life again after a rough couple of seasons. Marietta and John Carroll have both shown at times this year they are the best team in the conference and look vulnerable at others.

I know it sounds like a broken record but I think we end up where we thought we would at the beginning of the year with Marietta and John Carroll battling it out for the title. Obviously, the head to head match up this Saturday is very important. How does the addition of RaNeal Ewing change things for Marietta?

[Dr. Acula]

Ewing???  That kid is still playing?!?!  I watched him as a senior at Scioto and I haven't been to a game there since I moved in Dec. 2010! 

[Dr. Acula]

Mount fights off Musky 85-82 for a much needed win to move to 6-3 in the OAC.  This is not the Musky of years past.  They have a couple dudes on that team.  They're going to be a handful the next couple of years. 

I looked at the schedule and this stretch of Musky, ONU, JCU, Wilm to finish January they need to go 3-1 to have any real shot at finishing in the top 2.  It'd help tremendously to get a win over JCU to split that head-to-head.  At ONU is going to be a challenge.  That'd be a big win.  Having watched a fair amount of OAC ball this year I think this is one of the more fun seasons so far.  Very competitive.  Mount individually has played in a ton of close games already.  It's been fun to watch.