MBB: Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[Greek Tragedy]

I would have to say it's a great game, considering what you expect from him.  You can't ask for 15 and 9 all the time.  So, getting 10 and 6 with 4 assists is pretty good.  I mean, you didn't expect big numbers from Maus, did you?  I think you want JB to be good enough to keep the defenses a little honest, you don't expect them to double down on him for sure, but the opponents can't just leave the guy open all the time either.  Plus, he played 35 minutes (or was it 31).  That means he had to be effective.

[John Gleich]

Well, I haven't seen any games yet and I know there has been a lot of criticism on Point's lack of an inside game and more specifically JB.  From the boxscore, it looks like JB had a GREAT game.  He was 4 for 8 from the field, 10 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists and NO turnovers to go along with two blocks and a steal.  That's a pretty good line.

Point's lack of a bench seemed to show again as all five starters played 31 minutes or more with only three others seeing the floor.  It was a big week for Point, as mentioned above.  things don't get any easier to start the conference season with a trip to River Falls.  They could be the most veteran team with Manor there, Guerin back and former MIACer Chris Palmer, not to mention senior guards Anderson and Kimble

It wasn't great, but it was the "Good" JB. Trouble is you don't know which one will show up from game to game. This was definitely one of his better ones. It's apparent now that Point will go the season with just an 8 man rotation, which will work out OK as long as there are no injury issues. Trouble is how much will they have in their tanks come tourney time?  Alex Richard is playing OK as JB's sub, but he has missed several passes inside from a driving TT. Seems like he turns his head away for a split second and can't make the connection (not as bad as J. Finley from A. Rodgers lately though). Ryf is proving to be a steady ball handler, but is reluctant to drive to the basket, seems to always back out after driving to the FT line. Ritchay is gaining experience and is quick despite being a big guard. Point is learning to work better with one or the other Tillemas out of the game, but with both out at the same time there isn't anyone who can create their own shot.  Have yet to see a game where TT doesn't end up on the floor at least 5 times.

I think it was a great game in stretches... you have to ignore the fact that the other big guy for UST was 8/8 to start the game and ended up 10/13 from the floor for 22 points.

Brezinski stepped up when they needed him to... he did get 6 boards, which is good, including 3 on the offensive end and one on a Ty Tillema FT miss... JB's two FT's pretty much sealed the game.


I haven't seen too many games, but I've been pretty happy with the production from Richard.  He scored at least a couple of baskets on all three games last week and while he may not be a huge scoring threat, that will come.  I think he's more of a 4 than a 5, which is fine as long as Point is going to play a 4 guard offense... I just get worried about what will happen against guys like Cross... who at 6'10" will just tower over 6'4" Richard.

You have to remember... all three guys Point has coming off the bench are freshmen.  They've been thrown in there... a sort of trial by fire, and the big that Sem went with initially, Kacala, has been beaten out by Richard for that third spot.  The coaches clearly like what he's going and from the sounds of it, he has the strength to at least initially hold his own in the college game.  As he plays more with the top guys on the team, he'll learn what their tendencies are... If I recall correctly, Ty Tillema has been making great passes his whole career to guys who weren't ready for them, including Brezinski and Hoelzel last year.  Those guys figured it out and were the benefactors of great plays... which Richard will become too when he's able to figure it out.

I just hope that none of the top 5 get hurt...  Remember, Dan Tillema has been out with injury in the latter part of the year the last two years.  SP certainly can't afford to lose him again. 


The Godsend for this year's team has really been Hass, I think.  He's had one really bad game... the Augustana game, when he was sick (certainly not his fault) and the rest have been really good games, including coming on strong last week.  Heck, he was on the D3Hoops team of the week last week! 

I know that next year is a long way off... but the only thing I'd be concerned about would really be the lack of size.  Hopefully Nate Van Handel and/or Nick Kacala can come around, but it typically takes big guys a few years to develop. 

I think it's crazy that Point is in this position at this part of the season... they're 9-2 and have one bad loss... they really should have beaten St. Johns, and the thing is that they *could* have beaten Augie, especially if Hass had been healthy.  The WIAC will be a grind like always, but I like this team's chances. They need to get better defensively, but half of your top 8 weren't with the team last year!

That's what really blows my mind... of the 18 guys on the team last year, 12 are gone... and 2 of the 6 aren't in the top 8.  So you've had to rely on a great transfer in Hass and 3 freshmen.  I don't know that you can really expect more at this point!

[frodotwo]

I would have to say it's a great game, considering what you expect from him.  You can't ask for 15 and 9 all the time.  So, getting 10 and 6 with 4 assists is pretty good.  I mean, you didn't expect big numbers from Maus, did you?  I think you want JB to be good enough to keep the defenses a little honest, you don't expect them to double down on him for sure, but the opponents can't just leave the guy open all the time either.  Plus, he played 35 minutes (or was it 31).  That means he had to be effective.

Not to mince words, but 15 and 9 is great, 10 and 6 is good. I said this was one of his better games and it was. He is the best they've got at the position period.  And I can to ask for 15 and 9 all the time

[John Gleich]

I would have to say it's a great game, considering what you expect from him.  You can't ask for 15 and 9 all the time.  So, getting 10 and 6 with 4 assists is pretty good.  I mean, you didn't expect big numbers from Maus, did you?  I think you want JB to be good enough to keep the defenses a little honest, you don't expect them to double down on him for sure, but the opponents can't just leave the guy open all the time either.  Plus, he played 35 minutes (or was it 31).  That means he had to be effective.

Not to mince words, but 15 and 9 is great, 10 and 6 is good. I said this was one of his better games and it was. He is the best they've got at the position period.  And I can to ask for 15 and 9 all the time

... If we're in the asking mood, why stop at 15 and 9?  What about... 26 and 18?


Maybe that's a little too far...?



Merry Christmas everybody!

[palum]

The bad news UWP loses to Otterbein (OH) last night the good news is Chas Cross played 23 min for his first playing time since a preseason injury.  Cross's return come just in time for the heavy part of the WIAC schedule.

[Falcons04]

RF beats winless Macalester 77-58 in a sloppy game that was never in doubt.  The biggest news from the game is Chris Palmer did not play and Shane Manor appeared to hurt his ankle or knee with about 5 minutes to go.  The announce said he walked off on his own, so I'm not sure if it's anything to be worried about.  RF plays at Sioux Falls on Saturday before a huge week against Point and Whitewater.  We should get a feel for how RF stacks up over the next 10 days.

[John Gleich]

RF beats winless Macalester 77-58 in a sloppy game that was never in doubt.  The biggest news from the game is Chris Palmer did not play and Shane Manor appeared to hurt his ankle or knee with about 5 minutes to go.  The announce said he walked off on his own, so I'm not sure if it's anything to be worried about.  RF plays at Sioux Falls on Saturday before a huge week against Point and Whitewater.  We should get a feel for how RF stacks up over the next 10 days.

Is Palmer hurt or is it something else?

[fredfalcon]

RF 77, Macalaster 58. The Scots had one player, Peters, who had 25 pts. by my count. Beyond that, they had very little tonight.Manor with 12, White with 18, and Aric Smith (a freshman) with 11 (3/4 threes) were other players scoring in double figures.

Palmer has quit the team, according to a student I talked to. He has a young child he feels he should be spending more time with, says the student. Palmer's absence will be significant.

Manor's injury did not appear to be serious, but it was hard to tell.

[Greek Tragedy]

I think that's a big blow to River Falls, but I think we all wish Chris the best.  Who, if anyone, will fill Palmer's void?  Is there someone off the bench that will get more PT or will the current rotation just have all their minutes increased a little?

[Greek Tragedy]

Point takes on St. Olaf tonight.  It looks like they are a two man show. 

http://www.stolaf.edu/athletics/basketball/men/statistics/teamcume.htm

Stu Neville is averaging almost 19 and 9 a game while Bobby Fong is averaging 17.6 and 6 .

Neville is a 6'7" senior forward and Fong is a 6'3' senior guard

They've shot 106 and 101 times while the 3rd leading shooter has just 67.

They were dead even with St. Thomas at the half when they played them earlier this year but eventually fell by 16.

[fredfalcon]

GT--Ollie White, who was starting (6'7") before Palmer made the starting lineup, got 18 last night. Then, we have a couple of freshmen who will steadily get more pt:  Aric Smith (11 last nite) and Bo Manor. We will still have pretty good depth.

Incidentally, Pat Coleman and his color guy did a good job on the women's tourney in Las Vegas. RF won one, lost one in o.t., and are now 11-1 going into the Point game next Wednesday.
RF has an "Altoona Pipeline" with the Manor bros. and the Gregorich sisters.Tiffany Gregory scored 33 vs. Simpson recently and made the d3 team of the week.

A double win vs. Point is in the offing Wednesday, January 4.

[frodotwo]

Monster game by Dan Tillema tonight with 21 pts, 7 reb, 8 assists, 6 steals, 3 blk and two dunks. In one sequence early in the first half he had a block, followed by a steal, another steal and dunk and another steal and a layup. Point followed that with two more steals and turned a close two point game into a 13 point lead that remained a double digit lead for all but 25 seconds of the rest of the game. Jordan Brezinski missed 3 easy first half layups but had his best game of the year, scoring 21 (15 in 2nd half) with 6 rebs. Hass and TT with 14 and 12 respectively. Fong led the Oles with 20 points, 18 in the second half including some nifty fall away jumpers and a couple of treys. He's got great hops and nailed some leaping inside jumpers. Jaryan (18 pts, 8 asst) and Neville (9 pts , 13 reb) were also second half standouts.  Point's defense was awesome in the first half, awful in the second. On to conference play and a Wednesday date in River Falls

[badgerwarhawk]

The shorthanded WARHAWKS had little problem with Marion defeating the Sabres 74-51.  Marion scored the first basket of the game for the only lead they would hold as Chris Davis scored the next five points and the team made a 14-0 run.  Davis scored 22 points in the half as the WARHAWKS shot 60% from the floor, holding Marion to 25%, and held a 45-19 lead when it ended.  With bench personnel getting significant minutes in the second half the lead got as high as thirty five but was never less than twenty one. 

Davis ended up with a double-double 32 points and 11 rebounds in 24 minutes. Cody Odegaard and Luke Knoble also finished in double figures with 11 and 10 points respectively.   Quardell Young's stat line read 7 points, 2 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 blocks and a steal.  Recent addition George Derwin added 4 assists and a steal in his first action of the year.  The WARHAWK defense held Marion's two leading scorers, who came into the game averaging 17.8 and 16.9 points, to a combined 10 points.

The WARHAWKS will wind up the non-conference portion of the schedule with a home game against Edgewood College Wednesday evening.     

[Greek Tragedy]

Why were they shorthanded?

[Greek Tragedy]

The conference schedule kicks into high gear starting Wednesday.

1.  Stevens Point  10-2, 3-0:  4 of the next 5 on the road-@ RF, EC, @ ST, @ LX, @ PL
2.  River Falls  9-3, 3-0:  3 of the next 4 at home-SP, @ WW, LX, EC
3.  Whitewater  11-1, 3-1:  Edgewood at home on Wed. and then 3 in a row at home, RF, PL, SUP
4.  La Crosse 9-3, 2-1:  Next three on the road; @ PL, @ OSH, @ RF
5.  Platteville 8-5, 2-2:  2 of the next 3 on the road, then followed by 3 in a row; LX, @ SUP, @ WW
6.  Superior 8-5, 2-2:  Alternate for 5 game days; @ OSH, PL, @ WW, RF, @ PL
7.  Eau Claire 8-4, 1-3:  Two tough road games coming up; ST, @ SP, OSH, @ RF
8.  Oshkosh 4-8, 0-3:  Two home games out of the gate; SUP, LX, @ EC, @ ST
9.  Stout 4-8, 0-4:  4 of 6 at home and then 4 of 6 on the road; @ EC, OSH, SP, @ LX, RF, WW