MBB: Ohio Athletic Conference

[Dr. Acula]

Mount is playing like complete crap.  They can't buy a basket.  Shooting 20% on 3's.  They're down 77-52 to Berg.  Berg is 6-9 in OAC play so the score is pretty self explanatory when it comes to the Raiders' performance.  Very disappointing. 

[Dr. Acula]

There is nothing better than tuning into WMOA for Etta sports.  Obviously it's mostly for baseball for me, but I just love it in general.  They do such a nice job and you can't beat Wharff's voice!  You guys are so lucky.

[EttaFan1]

There is nothing better than tuning into WMOA for Etta sports.  Obviously it's mostly for baseball for me, but I just love it in general.  They do such a nice job and you can't beat Wharff's voice!  You guys are so lucky.

We are spoiled. The wharf brothers are great guys and know their stuff.  Their late father was the guy who really got it going, but Chris and John do a very good job.

The game was fabulous. I really like how jcu comes at you for 40 minutes. Wave after wave after wave. I can see where they wear teams down. Linane had a really bad day. Neither team shot particularly well but it was a fast paced up and down game that was a joy to watch.

[Fifth and Putnam]

Marietta-John Carroll highlights (courtesy of Marietta College)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dEpNgKW8nNA

[Onward on, John Carroll]

It was an enjoyable game and a great environment.  I thought the game was called a little too tight on both ends of the floor which didn't allow for the free flow affair that I was hoping to see on Saturday. I am sure the refs were afraid of the game getting away from them with these two physical, high-octane teams but the result was a staggering 60 total fouls called and a choppy pace to the game.  It is also no secret that JCU is at a disadvantage when a game is called tightly so perhaps the Etta fans will have a different opinion.  Regardless, these are two of the finest OAC teams I have seen take the floor and I hope we are given the gift of them playing twice more - in the OAC and the NCAA tournament.  This year's games have reminded me very much of the 2008-2009 games between Capital and JCU in that you left wishing you could see them play again the next day (Guilford and UT-Dallas had other plans and did not allow the 4th match-up to occur). 

Some questions for the Etta fans:  (1) Garcia is such an outstanding player and a joy to watch.  How did he find his way to Etta from South Florida?  (2) On senior day, all of the players were announced as have a foster family.  What is that?  I assume it is some sort of high-level boosters or we are all missing the boat by not recruiting from orphanages.  (3) While I am not a fan of the NBA-style constant music and noise being pumped in through the PA, it did make for an intimidating environment at the Banjo.  Do they do that for every game?

[Onward on, John Carroll]

Given Mount's loss on Saturday and assuming Etta will not be upset this week, it looks like JCU will be the 2 seed regardless of the result against Mount on Wednesday.  So, JCU will be tasked with beating Mount twice in 9 days and then heading back to the BanJo for a OAC title game.  I think there will be a lot at stake in the game including the ability to host the Sweet Sixteen should both teams be lucky enough to advance.

[Fifth and Putnam]

It was an enjoyable game and a great environment.  I thought the game was called a little too tight on both ends of the floor which didn't allow for the free flow affair that I was hoping to see on Saturday. I am sure the refs were afraid of the game getting away from them with these two physical, high-octane teams but the result was a staggering 60 total fouls called and a choppy pace to the game.  It is also no secret that JCU is at a disadvantage when a game is called tightly so perhaps the Etta fans will have a different opinion.  Regardless, these are two of the finest OAC teams I have seen take the floor and I hope we are given the gift of them playing twice more - in the OAC and the NCAA tournament.  This year's games have reminded me very much of the 2008-2009 games between Capital and JCU in that you left wishing you could see them play again the next day (Guilford and UT-Dallas had other plans and did not allow the 4th match-up to occur). 

Some questions for the Etta fans:  (1) Garcia is such an outstanding player and a joy to watch.  How did he find his way to Etta from South Florida?  (2) On senior day, all of the players were announced as have a foster family.  What is that?  I assume it is some sort of high-level boosters or we are all missing the boat by not recruiting from orphanages.  (3) While I am not a fan of the NBA-style constant music and noise being pumped in through the PA, it did make for an intimidating environment at the Banjo.  Do they do that for every game?

I will have to defer to someone else in the know about how Luis Garcia and how he ended up at Marietta. I can however answer the question about foster parents. Marietta has a system in place and has for as long as I can remember of having members of the community "adopt" players when they arrive on campus to play at Marietta. It's meant to give players who mostly are not from the area the ability to have folks close by that they talk with, have dinner with, and lean on during their 4 years at Marietta. A lot of the players get very close to their foster parents and many of them travel to watch the team home and away every single game which is why they get introduced on Senior Day in addition to their actual parents and family.

[EttaFan1]

There are about three young men on the roster from Florida.  How Coach VanderWal has convinced them to come to a small town in the arctic is beyond me.  But Luis has been a joy to watch grow over his four year career.  He has matured greatly on the court.  And by many accounts is really a terrific young man.  One of the good things about following D3 sports is you normally get to see these kids over a four year span (no early entries to the pay for play leagues).  Luis got playing time as a freshman, and had to learn to accept his role on the team as he got older.  He went from a kid who often played out of control to one who is now a steadier hand on the court.  I think at times last year, he expected to be "the man" and many times forced his influence on the game.   This year, he has done a much better job of letting the game come to him.   

Yes they have the PA system cranked for every home game, and have had for a few years.  It isn't my favorite thing either (as most of it is not my kind of music) but the games are a lot of fun.  The community support has been tremendous.  I've heard the crowd louder (I can remember a tourney game a few years back where Marietta came back against JCU from 20 down at one point and won it at the buzzer.....Deafening at many points of that game), but when they fill it up, it gets very loud. 

Here is what I will say about the officiating.  It was a departure from the typical OAC games I have watched this year.  The OAC is a physical league and the officials let A LOT of stuff go most of the time.  I think the kids get used to that.  I think they practice and prepare for that physicality.  Then you have a crew come in and tighten things up and the game becomes a lot different for both teams.  It becomes something they are not accustomed to doing and it is very difficult for them to adjust their style of play from how they prepare.  So I think it impacted the game for both teams quite a bit.   

I know a number of the foster families, and they are not necessarily what I would call "high level boosters."  More like long term friends of the program, a few former players who still live in the area, etc.    They have the same thing for the women's team. 

I would also say that Marietta is on upset alert when they wander to ONU.  Northern gave us fits at home earlier this year, a game Marietta won by a point and struggled all game long.   Otterbein is just all kinds of bad.  I guess if you are going to have an opponent to face after two high energy wins, the Cardinals are perfect for that.

I will be surprised if Mount defeats JCU this week, which is just my opinion.  I know the game is in Alliance, but I don't think the Raiders are as strong this year as they were a year ago, and JCU is quite a bit better in my eyes.  Now, I can see a scenario where JCU comes out flat and drained coming off of a high energy game like they had, but I think it is unlikely. 

[Fifth and Putnam]

Muskingum 83
Mount Union 80
OT

The wheels are completely off the bus in Alliance. What happened?

[Dr. Acula]

Losing to 5-17 Musky isn't "wheels off the bus" it's worse.  Embarrassing doesn't even do it justice.  At this point I'm just glad they can't finish worse than 3rd for All-Sports purposes.  I don't know what happened, but it goes without saying that you can't lose to freaking Musky.  Geez.

[EttaFan1]

Ouch.  That leaves a mark.  Of course this also happened with two of their best players (Kukura and Jackson) not playing.  Kukura only scored four points in their loss on Saturday too.   I'm sure it is frustrating for the Raider nation, as there were (rightfully so) high expectations coming into the season with the returning talent on the roster.  The inability to stay healthy has hurt them greatly. 

In other news.  Marietta climbs to #4 in the most recent D3hoops top 25.  JCU drops to 8.  Mount drops out. 

D3hoops.com men's Top 25, Week 10

Through games of Feb. 14, 2016:

# School (1st votes) Rec Pts Prev.
1 Augustana (17) 23-1 617 1
2 Benedictine (8) 24-0 607 2
3 Whitworth 22-1 563 5
4 Marietta 21-2 534 8
5 Christopher Newport 22-1 519 6
6 Hope 21-2 507 7
7 St. Thomas 21-2 460 4
8 John Carroll 21-2 414 3
9 Whitman 20-3 396 12
10 St. Norbert 20-2 367 11
11 Ohio Wesleyan 20-3 337 10
12 North Central (Ill.) 18-6 335 18
13 Elmhurst 20-4 331 9
14 Alma 18-5 313 13
15 Lancaster Bible 22-0 284 15
16 Amherst 20-4 276 19
17 Johnson and Wales 21-2 186 14
18 Susquehanna 19-3 168 17
19 Tufts 19-5 155 25
20 Babson 17-5 113 --
21 Roanoke 19-4 94 --
22 Franklin and Marshall 18-4 81 16
23 Plattsburgh State 18-4 60 22
24 Penn State-Behrend 20-2 58 21
25 Trinity (Conn.) 18-6 48 --

Dropped out: No. 20 Wesleyan; No. 23 Mount Union; No. 24 Emory.

Others receiving votes: New York U. 43; Rochester 43; Northwestern (Minn.) 29; Emory 25; Albertus Magnus 24; Salisbury 22; Texas Lutheran 20; WPI 20; Scranton 15; Chicago 11; New Jersey City 9; Carroll 7; Wesleyan 6; Virginia Wesleyan 6; Catholic 5; Wooster 5; St. John's 4; MIT 3; Stockton 2; Dubuque 1; UW-La Crosse 1.

The D3hoops.com Top 25 is voted on by a panel of 25 coaches, Sports Information Directors and media members from across the country, and is published weekly.

[Fifth and Putnam]

Ouch.  That leaves a mark.  Of course this also happened with two of their best players (Kukura and Jackson) not playing.  Kukura only scored four points in their loss on Saturday too.   I'm sure it is frustrating for the Raider nation, as there were (rightfully so) high expectations coming into the season with the returning talent on the roster.  The inability to stay healthy has hurt them greatly. 

In other news.  Marietta climbs to #4 in the most recent D3hoops top 25.  JCU drops to 8.  Mount drops out. 

D3hoops.com men's Top 25, Week 10

Through games of Feb. 14, 2016:

# School (1st votes) Rec Pts Prev.
1 Augustana (17) 23-1 617 1
2 Benedictine (8) 24-0 607 2
3 Whitworth 22-1 563 5
4 Marietta 21-2 534 8
5 Christopher Newport 22-1 519 6
6 Hope 21-2 507 7
7 St. Thomas 21-2 460 4
8 John Carroll 21-2 414 3
9 Whitman 20-3 396 12
10 St. Norbert 20-2 367 11
11 Ohio Wesleyan 20-3 337 10
12 North Central (Ill.) 18-6 335 18
13 Elmhurst 20-4 331 9
14 Alma 18-5 313 13
15 Lancaster Bible 22-0 284 15
16 Amherst 20-4 276 19
17 Johnson and Wales 21-2 186 14
18 Susquehanna 19-3 168 17
19 Tufts 19-5 155 25
20 Babson 17-5 113 --
21 Roanoke 19-4 94 --
22 Franklin and Marshall 18-4 81 16
23 Plattsburgh State 18-4 60 22
24 Penn State-Behrend 20-2 58 21
25 Trinity (Conn.) 18-6 48 --

Dropped out: No. 20 Wesleyan; No. 23 Mount Union; No. 24 Emory.

Others receiving votes: New York U. 43; Rochester 43; Northwestern (Minn.) 29; Emory 25; Albertus Magnus 24; Salisbury 22; Texas Lutheran 20; WPI 20; Scranton 15; Chicago 11; New Jersey City 9; Carroll 7; Wesleyan 6; Virginia Wesleyan 6; Catholic 5; Wooster 5; St. John's 4; MIT 3; Stockton 2; Dubuque 1; UW-La Crosse 1.

The D3hoops.com Top 25 is voted on by a panel of 25 coaches, Sports Information Directors and media members from across the country, and is published weekly.

The injuries and struggles Mount have seen this year remind me a lot of the 2011-2012 Pioneers team that was so highly ranked heading into the season when they brought back the entire 27-4 team that went to the Sweet 16 the year before. Marietta struggled with so many injuries that year and the whole season they just never seemed to be a full strength and struggled to go 17-9 and crashed out of the OAC Tournament in the first round. Injuries are something no one can account for or expect and you  hate to see it ruin a season that could of been special. I sympathize with Mount because I know what that disappointment feels like.

[Dr. Acula]

I was admittedly a little harsh last night.  I'm just disappointed because things just seemed to break against Mount all year.  Scelza and Jackson missing so many games out of the gate, Kukura battling this back injury.  They just can't seem to put together their best 5 guys this year.  It bums me out because it's Ruffin's senior year and he's been a guy I've really enjoyed watching play over the years.  I'm sad that they didn't get to make one more push with him.  It also stinks for Jake Jacubec who transferred in for his senior year and has played very well all year at the point.  It is what it is.  Keep playing hard, get Francesconi and Neuenschwander some more minutes.   

[EttaFan1]

Kudos to mount for their bounce back victory without their top player playing. Must have been a helluva game.  100-94, are you serious?!?  This game was 93 all with under a minute to play.

And this also means that Marietta is the outright league champ for 2015-16.

[Dr. Acula]

Mount was without Jackson and Kukura again tonight.  Absolutely a great effort.  If Musky was beyond embarrassing in my words, then this effort is beyond great.  They didn't hang their heads. They came out swinging.  Fantastic job.