MBB: Ohio Athletic Conference

[NW Hope Fan]

Anyone know if there are MIAA/OAC games scheduled next year?

[Pat Coleman]

Feature on the front page of interest to Final Four participants and fans here.

Faces of a champion

[OC_SID]

Big news out of the OAC today:

http://www.bw.edu/athletics/mbb/info/bankson/banksonretirementrelease/

[bouncer1]

Congratulations to Coach Steve Bankson of Baldwin Wallace College on his retirement from coaching and athletic director duties at BW.  Coach Bankson has had an illustrious career and his accomplishments are many. He has had some great teams and great players over the years and his teams always played with passion and heart which is a reflection of their coach. He has always conducted himself with the utmost class and the OAC is losing one of its best.  It has been truly a pleasure to watch his teams perform through the years. Best of luck in the future to Coach Bankson.

[JK]

Had this happened a few years ago, it's likely BW could have gotten Duane Sheldon.  Now I find it highly unlikely that he would leave the Berg.

[bouncer1]

JK,  now that you have mentioned Duane Sheldon, who else might be a viable candidate for the BW job opening. Does anyone out there know the process that BW will take in looking for their new coach. It has to be a desirable job for many prospective coaches.  Coach Sheldon would certainly be a candidate if he wants it. He is a BW grad and also was an assistant coach there before taking the Berg job.  Would be a good time for him to leave with all the players that are about to leave the Berg this year.  He is from the BW area with a lot of contacts. He has done a nice job with the Student Princes.  Anyone else have thoughts about possibilities??

[JK]

I don't think Duane is leaving the Berg because he is now the AD to go along with being the BB coach.  Plus his middle child has some health issues, and it's hard to leave a doctor and go find a new one in a situation like that.

I don't know who else might be a viable candidate for that job.  They have had some success through the years, so you might think they could promote from within and try to continue what they have built.  No need to blow everything up and start over when things are working.

[privacy]

Sheldon may leave since he visits that area so I do not think a doctor will have anything to do with the decision. It may be ten times as easier to get recruits to go to bw instead of heidelberg. Which means more successful seasons on a regular basis and not once every four to five years.

[bouncer1]

Any word out there on the progress of choosing a coach for the BW Yellow Jackets?  It seems to be taking a long time. How will this affect their recruiting process? Any names being thrown around for the job? Front-runners?

[jcu_fan]

Just wanted to announce that the JCU Pep Band got some national press on their trip to Salem for the DIII Championship.  NCAA Champion Magazine did a feature on our group.

http://www.ncaachampionmagazine.org/Championship%20Magazine/ChampionMagazineStory/futurearticletemplate/tabid/78/articleType/ArticleView/articleID/92/Default.aspx

(if that doesn't work, go to www.ncaachampionmagazine.org and search for John Carroll.)

p.s.  Stevens Point fans:  Please excuse the typo that says that JCU won the national titile in 2004.  They certainly didn't get that from my part of the interview...

[Basketball23]

Tommorow at 2pm BW will announce their new head basketball coach... Duane Sheldon. It appears the fighting student princes will be a one hit wonder after all. Losing there coach, 3 starters and their top bench player cant bode well for them. You also have to wonder what this does for recruiting? Some of the guys they have will probably leave and with no coach for the time being how many guys can they get?

[privacy]

I said it all along that Duane would leave. The Berg would have been a one hit wonder regardless if he would have stayed or left. Not to many people can build there own strong program. It is easier to go to one already built than stay and build one yourself. As far as recruiting not much was coming in anyway so either way Heidelberg was going to be hurting. One good season does not mean the program was a success.

[privacy]

Great pick up by Heidelberg. If he stays there for a long tenure Heidelberg will be in good hands. This might be the best hiring since John Hill coach at the BERG.

[hoopscoach]

What does the incoming freshman classes look like for the OAC teams?

[David Collinge]

Kyle Pottkotter is the new men's assistant coach at Otterbein.  Kyle has been an NCAC man since he left high school, graduating from Denison in 1999 and coaching first at Wooster and then, for the past 6 seasons, at his alma mater.  As he has pointed out, he'll become one of the few assistant coaches in the NCAA to work with two 575+ victory head coaches (Steve Moore, Dick Reynolds.)  Please join me in welcoming Kyle to the OAC and wishing him well in Westerville.