MBB: Ohio Athletic Conference

[Dr. Acula]

Mount dropped one 86-75 at ONU this afternoon.  They were up at the half 35-32, but ONU blistered the nets in the 2nd half (64%).  Both teams shot 40% in the first half and Mount dipped a touch down to 38% in the 2nd.  Not a recipe for success to shoot below 40% and the other guys are making almost 2/3 of theirs.  The 2nd half was not kind to Jackson (3-9) or Kukura (3-10).  Never easy to win in Ada.  On to JCU...   

[Fifth and Putnam]

Got to see a great battle this afternoon at Ban Johnson between Marietta and John Carroll. Another knock down drag out fight between these two with Marietta walking away with an 86-81 victory. The teams split the season series and it felt the whole time I was watching it I was watching the 2nd part of another trilogy between these two teams.

JCU a couple of times nearly walked away with it in the first half building the lead to double digits with incredible ball movement and guys knocking down open shots. At one point, JCU had an 18-0 run in the first half but settled for a 7 point halftime lead. Marietta completely flipped the table to start the second half and used a 16-0 run to build the lead that they protected the rest of the way. JCU got it down to a 1 possession game a couple of times but Marietta had the answer and would push it back out to 7-9 points.

Congratulations to A.J. Edwards today on surpassing the 1,000 point mark. It's been an amazing career for him at Marietta. I still remember sitting in the gym at Defiance Collefe a few years back at their holiday tournament and the light bulb going off in my head his sophomore year that he could be a special player. A class act, a great student, and a fantastic representative of the Marietta program.

[Beyond the Arc]

Mount dropped one 86-75 at ONU this afternoon.  They were up at the half 35-32, but ONU blistered the nets in the 2nd half (64%).  Both teams shot 40% in the first half and Mount dipped a touch down to 38% in the 2nd.  Not a recipe for success to shoot below 40% and the other guys are making almost 2/3 of theirs.  The 2nd half was not kind to Jackson (3-9) or Kukura (3-10).  Never easy to win in Ada.  On to JCU...   

Dr.  I agree on the tough second half for Mount.  They could not buy a bucket with many rimming out.  ONU was down early and came back to within 3 at half thanks to some great play from Nate Burger.  Second half Devon Allen Joey Diorio got hot and propelled ONU to a win.  ONU has won 5 in a row and looking like a contender in the OAC.

[Fifth and Putnam]

Mount dropped one 86-75 at ONU this afternoon.  They were up at the half 35-32, but ONU blistered the nets in the 2nd half (64%).  Both teams shot 40% in the first half and Mount dipped a touch down to 38% in the 2nd.  Not a recipe for success to shoot below 40% and the other guys are making almost 2/3 of theirs.  The 2nd half was not kind to Jackson (3-9) or Kukura (3-10).  Never easy to win in Ada.  On to JCU...   

Dr.  I agree on the tough second half for Mount.  They could not buy a bucket with many rimming out.  ONU was down early and came back to within 3 at half thanks to some great play from Nate Burger.  Second half Devon Allen Joey Diorio got hot and propelled ONU to a win.  ONU has won 5 in a row and looking like a contender in the OAC.

Ohio Northern has been a pleasant surprise this year...I think I pegged them to be around the middle of the pack this year and if you watched them in November you'd have thought that would have been about right. They went 2-5 out of conference but in OAC play they've been pretty darn good and nearly impossible to beat at home. They can shoot it...they put on one one of the best shooting performances I think I've seen when I saw them play Etta in Ada a few weeks back (I don't think anything will beat the shooting performance Mount Union and Marietta put on a few years ago..a combined 40 made 3's but I'm off track here). I said it a little bit ago and will say it again...Ohio Northern's title hopes rest in the last couple weeks of February...@John Carroll and @Marietta. Can they take the shooting on the road in two hostile environments late in the year? I know one thing....the OAC Tournament is going to be bonkers this year. Any one of 6-7 teams could get hot and win it this year...

[Dr. Acula]

Mount drops another close one to JCU.  Streaks won this one 82-78.  Mount had the ball down 80-78 with around 30 seconds to play so they had their shot at it.  Unfortunately they turned it over and didn't even get a shot.  Oddly, Jackson only had 3 shot attempts last night.  Even stranger was that Niamke (a rotational big man off the bench) put up 27 and 11.

[joelmama]

1st Mount game I have seen in a couple of years.

Niamke was able to do whatever he wanted and neither JCU big man could stop him.  JCU's full court pressure tired out Mounts main scoring threat until they started having other players bring the ball up court.

[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.

Welp, that didn't go as hoped.  Mount drops 3 of the 4 and is limping into a game with Etta tomorrow on a 3 game skid.  They got their a$$es kicked at Wilm Saturday.  The Quakers (2-9 in OAC play entering the game, BTW) blow their doors off in the first half leading by 21 at half.  I have no idea how that even happens.  Well, I guess I do.  The other team shooting 68% from the floor is probably an issue.  Mount also had 3 guys foul out in 20 minutes or less.  That's tough to do.  Actually, in the 2nd half Jackson picked up his final 3 fouls in 4 minutes total.  They had an absurd 25 fouls in the 2nd half.  And not a bunch at the end trying to stop the clock.  The game was never closer than 12 points.

The Raiders are now 6-6 in the OAC and most definitely trending in the wrong direction.

[Fifth and Putnam]

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.

Welp, that didn't go as hoped.  Mount drops 3 of the 4 and is limping into a game with Etta tomorrow on a 3 game skid.  They got their a$$es kicked at Wilm Saturday.  The Quakers (2-9 in OAC play entering the game, BTW) blow their doors off in the first half leading by 21 at half.  I have no idea how that even happens.  Well, I guess I do.  The other team shooting 68% from the floor is probably an issue.  Mount also had 3 guys foul out in 20 minutes or less.  That's tough to do.  Actually, in the 2nd half Jackson picked up his final 3 fouls in 4 minutes total.  They had an absurd 25 fouls in the 2nd half.  And not a bunch at the end trying to stop the clock.  The game was never closer than 12 points.

The Raiders are now 6-6 in the OAC and most definitely trending in the wrong direction.

Just remember this is the OAC and logic rarely applies. Mount is due for one of those games where they hit 20+ 3 pointers again like they did a few years back against my Pioneers.

Remember just a game before Ohio Northern put up 101 on Marietta earlier this month, Otterbein held them to just 50 points. LOL

[Dr. Acula]

They don't have the shooters for that this year I'm afraid.  Other than Jackson I don't know that anyone is getting that hot.  Stenger has shown flashes of that so maybe him if I absolutely had to pick a 2nd guy.  They just have too many guys shooting in the 30's from the field.  We're deep enough into the season that it kind of is what it is at this point.   

[fishermba]

Has John Carroll decided what it is going to do for coaching next year after Moran retires?

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

Has John Carroll decided what it is going to do for coaching next year after Moran retires?

They are opening it up to a national search when the season ends.

[Onward on, John Carroll]

Has John Carroll decided what it is going to do for coaching next year after Moran retires?

They are opening it up to a national search when the season ends.

I can confirm that fact.  It will not be a coronation of Pete Moran without a search as Coach (Mike) Moran, I assume and to which he alluded to wanting in an article, would like.  I have heard that he is not out of the question but there will be a search and a process.

Interesting that Flannery transferred from Gannon.  His father is the well-thought-of coach at Lakewood St. Edwards who also has a role with USA Basketball.  Conspiracy theories abound that he is coming to JCU because his dad is coming after the season as head coach but, honestly, I have heard more rumors about Flannery replacing Waters at Cleveland State than I have heard about him coming to JCU.

[fishermba]

 Flannery seems like a heck of a great replacement if JCU can get it done.

[Onward on, John Carroll]

I don't think we can put together a financial package that will make sense for him to leave Saint Ed's.  I know he has an OAC-like salary there plus USA Basketball stipend plus a VERY lucrative camp situation which I do not think would easily transfer to JCU (though it could be built up to that in time).  The free tuition would be a great benefit, of course, but if he has his eyes set on CSU and D1 basketball, I just cannot think that he will go to a D3 program for a financial package that is the same or (or, if we stretch the budget) slightly better than what he makes now.

[Beyond the Arc]

Another good win for Ohio Northern tonight.  They are on a roll with 8 wins in a row.  Devon Allen, Ryan Bruns and Joey Diorio all looked good.  Nate Burger and Aron Tress were also in double figures.  They are playing great ball right now and I hope it continues.  There next two games are at home verse Muskingum and Heidelberg.  They need to make sure they do not overlook these two.  The final three games are going to be difficult.  At JCU, home verse Otterbein (one of their OAC losses this year) and then at Marietta.  It is going to be a fun final five games to watch.

Go Polar Bears!!!