MBB: Ohio Athletic Conference

[David Collinge]

Worst uniforms:

3. Marquette men's basketball, back in 1977 or so.  Shirt tails worn out, and that's where the name was printed.  Ridiculous.  This is the only picture I could find.


2. Houston Astros candystripe model, from the 1980s.  They painted rows of seats in the Astrodome in the same candystripe pattern.  Nauseating.


1. Chicago White Sox knickers model, from the late 1970s IIRC.  Of course, anything that involves the White Sox immediately zooms to the top of any "worst" list.

[Toph]

I forgot about the White Sox Beer League Softball uniforms.  Oh Bill Veeck...

[sac]

Your welcome to put in-game updates here

http://www.d3sports.com/post/index.php?topic=5127.75

[ScotsFan]

David, thanks for bringing back images of those hideous south sider uniforms! Just another example of how they will always be the 2nd team in the Second City!!!

[Toph]

David, thanks for bringing back images of those hideous south sider uniforms! Just another example of how they will always be the 2nd team in the Second City!!!

You know, I once made the argument with a White Sox fan who's a friend of mine that the White Sox are the 5th team in a 4 team town behind the Cubs, Bears, Bulls, and Blackhawks....even after they won the World Series.

[ScotsFan]

You know, I once made the argument with a White Sox fan who's a friend of mine that the White Sox are the 5th team in a 4 team town behind the Cubs, Bears, Bulls, and Blackhawks....even after they won the World Series.

Of course, I was just talking baseball. 8) 

You forgot about the Fire as well. 

[wooscotsfan]

Final:  John Carroll 76  Baldwin-Wallace 69

Blue Streaks advance to the OAC tourney final game.

[wooscotsfan]

Final:  Capital 69  Otterbein 49

Capital vs. John Carroll tomorrow night for the OAC automatic bid.

[kiltedbryan]

I took in the OAC semifinals tonight; I'll post a more detailed description of the games soon, but my question for this board is for someone to determine what they think about this:

ONU and Witt have lost; no Pool Cs for them.  Because they are out, and Wooster, Hope and Lake Erie have taken care of business to this point for the "A" bids- do both Capital and JCU make the tournament regardless of outcome tomorrow night?

[ScotsFan]

scotsbrod,

My gut tells me that Cap needs the automatic to get in.  I don't know what their QoWI  is, but I'm basing this on the fact that they have yet to check into the GL Regional Rankings.  Of course that is bound to change now that ONU and Witt are bound to be checking out of said rankings.  It's funny how this year's Cap team could get a Pool C if they don't beat JCU tomorrow night, yet, those good Cap teams from a few years ago that REALLY deserved Pool C bids never got one.

[David Collinge]

Don't think regionally.  The Pool C bids are given out on a national basis.  How many GL teams have fumbled away their Pool C chances, and how many other GL teams have earned anticipated Pool A bids, has no bearing on whether Capital has a chance at one.  The only possible effect is that it could move Capital to the "table" sooner, but it doesn't improve their selection odds once they get there.  (I use Capital in the example because I think JCU is probably in if they lose.)

[kiltedbryan]

I have a tendency to think that this year's Cap team deserves one, too, but I'm skeptical.  Capital's regional winning percentage after losing tomorrow night would be, well, crappy.  18-9, .666ish (I've learned that this last digit is variable).    .666 or .667 does not equal a Pool C, probably regardless of whether their QoWI can actually end up reasonable.  8 in-region losses is just too many.

But on the other hand, JCU will have 7 such losses if they lose and become a Pool C tomorrow:  18-7, .720, with a pretty darn good QoWI.  I think even that is below the Pool C win % threshold from last year.  The fact that they've been ranked might help, in so far as we know that their name is under serious discussion.  The GL is falling apart in terms of Pool Cs; I'm not sure how many we'll really end up getting.

I've become a fan of the OAC this year, with my move to the Columbus area, and I think it would be decidedly sad if only the AQ made it from the league.  I hope that doesn't happen.

Three of the teams I saw tonight- B-W, JCU, and Capital, could all give Wittenberg, Wooster and OWU a serious basketball contest.  I'm not sure that these OAC teams all deserve slots in the top 25, but I think all three of them could beat Wittenberg, who spent most of the year in the top 10.  This year, the "hyped" OAC team (ONU) didn't deliver, and I don't think anyone nationally has been able to quite reverse the image of ONU as the unquestioned "best team in Ohio" after their impressive string of December wins during Jan/Feb when ONU failed to even be the fourth best team in their conference.

I think it would be a shame to only get one OAC team- and I hope that their representative(s) to the NCAA tourney win two or three games each to show the country how well they can play.

[onefan]

Scotsbrod....Good post regarding the OAC....I think the OAC, while traditionally very competitive was above average this year. I believe ONU was the only team in the conference tournament that had swept their opening round opponent during the season and they end up getting a loss hung on them at home. As to Wooster and Witt, if they were in he OAC they would of course be very competitive and no doubt win their share of conference games and OAC titles, but year in and year out they would not dominate. ONU manhandled Witt this year(I saw that game] and beat Wooster in a very hotly contested game on Wooster's home court...and got only one win in six passes against BW,CAP and JOHN CARROLL. As to the NCAA tournament,  I presume the geniuses will once again choose to take the OAC  tournament winner and call it a day.

[kiltedbryan]

Report from the OAC semis:

Game 1:  Baldwin-Wallace vs. John Carroll

This was an intense, entertaining, hotly contested basketball game.  A real pleasure to watch.  Both teams seemed to have a simple gameplan: don't let the other team's superstar beat you.  JCU always doubled-down on B-W standout Tori Davis.  Every single time he got a pass into the post, Carroll smothered him with defenders.  I know he ended with 15 (he averaged 22), but they felt like a quiet 15.

On the other side of the floor, B-W was in the business of denying Brandon Mimes the ball, too.  He ended with 11 (averages 20), and was also taken out of the offensive flow via strong defense.  Both Mimes and Davis are incredible athletes, though, and watching them fight for rebounds and work in the post- they were often defending one another- was fun.

Carroll's largest lead came with only a few minutes left.  Until the last minute or so this one was still in the air.  The second half consisted of a lot of little short runs 7-2, 5-2, 4-0 etc. that kept both teams in striking distance of each other.  Shooting precentages ended up almost identical: both teams shot 37.1% overall, only around 20% from 3, and Carroll made one more foul shot and three more FGs than B-W for the difference.  Rebounds were even too: 46-45 in favor of B-W.

One last thought: JCU traveled much better than B-W did.  Many more Carroll fans in attendance coupled with only Carroll's cheerleader team and pep band made the gym feel like a home game for Carroll.

[kiltedbryan]

I've gotta run to work- and will miss any and all games tonight because of it.  I can't get a full game two recap written.  Here are the essential highlights:

Capital contained Tyler Ousley.  Otterbein couldn't shoot well enough to compensate for not having too many points from Ousley (2-19ish from 3 pt land for the game!).  Regardless, though, this was the best game I've seen Capital play of the four times I've seen them now.  They deserved the victory.

Tonight:  I'll go with the mini-upset and root for Capital.  They shoot better than JCU, and that could be the difference.  I think Cap's Quinten Mitchell will be key for matching up with Brandon Mimes.