MBB: Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[Greek Tragedy]

Interesting tibit at the River Falls/Point game. 

There was a time during the game when there was a "kicked ball" violation.  In years past, the shot clock was reset completely to 35 seconds.  This year, if the shot clock has more than 15 seconds on it, it stays at that time.  If there is less than 15 seconds left on the shot clock, it's reset to just 15. 

A lot of the reserved section in Quandt got pretty restless when the refs didn't reset the shot clock, waving their hands in the circular motion to reset the clock.  Of course, I knew that the refs had it right since I read ON THIS SITE the new rule changes!    Not sure how many of you know of this rule change.

I just felt smart.  Thanks Pat! 

[Pioneerbacker]

UWEC unfortunately frequently misses out on a handful of players around the area that have turned out to be good college players.

It is ridiculous to think other schools grab all the local athletes either.  Athletes are recruited to play basketball, but the school/coaches/major/playing time at a certain position/and host of other factors go into an athlete deciding on a college, not to mention they actually have to be admitted!  Stop generalizing!   

[frankiet]

Pioneerbacker,

You are right and I agree with you. At the same time, UWEC has potential in their backyard and decide to recruit elsewhere. Werner is an example that nipped UWEC in the butt. I know Gibby spends a good amount of time in the Fox Valley area which is where he has contacts. But thats a tough sell too when you go up against UWSP and UWO for those kids. I've noticed he has started to dip into the Twin Cities which is beneficially for anyone in the Western side of Wisconsin.

[John Gleich]

New Top 25

Oshkosh drops to #14 after their loss to UWSP.
Stout jumps to #22
Point jumps #31 "Recieving Votes"
Whitewater falls to #40 "Recieving Votes" after their loss to Carroll

Whitewater would probably be considered the favorite in the game tomorrow night b/c it is in Whitewater (not to mention the fact that Whitewater has handed UWSP their first loss in 4 of the last 5 seasons).

These are, however, different teams, and it's why they play the game.

WIAC weekly preview

(If you haven't checked out the new WIAC site, you really should... it's a lot better, and it wasn't that bad before.  See it HERE.)

[platteville1985]

guess i should never mention the name chris martin again lol.  I know that the WIAC is often refered to as the little big 10 and is arguably the best conference in D3, with whitewater and la crosse formally having success in football. I beleive whitewater also was v-ball national champs and they also are a baseball powerhouse. And platteville and point have dominated the basketball ranks for much of 15 years.

But anyway im fairly new to the wiac and d3 spors so my question is what are some other good conferences in D3.  What are the big easts and big 12 and ACC's of D3 lol.

[Greek Tragedy]

Not in any particular ranking-traditional powers

NESCAC:  Williams, Amherst and Trinity (CN)

ODAC: Hampden-Sydney, Randolph-Macon, Virginia Wesleyan

CCIW:  Illinois Wesleyan, Carthage, Elhmurst, Wheaton

NCAC:  Wooster, Wittenberg

MIAA:  Hope, Calvin, Albion

OAC:  Otterbein, John Carroll, Baldwin-Wallace

NJAC:  Ramapo, New Jersey,

UAA:  Chicago, Rochester

[cubs]

But anyway im fairly new to the wiac and d3 spors so my question is what are some other good conferences in D3.  What are the big easts and big 12 and ACC's of D3 lol.

You would have to put the CCIW (College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin) and the ODAC (Old Dominion Athletic Conference) near the top.  I would also put the the OAC (Ohio Athletic Conference) somewhere on this list.  

You could probably get a better answer from Greg Sager or Mr. Coleman himself but I thought I would take a stab at it.

[John Gleich]

Leagues who are tough and deep, from top to bottom (the cliche holds here... any team can beat any other on a given night):

1. WIAC
2. CCIW
3. OAC
4. NJAC

Leagues who are top-heavy but have good traditions

1. MIAA
2. MIAC
3. ODAC.
4. NESCAC
5. UAA
6. NCAC

The MWC has had success in recent years, and is seen as a more up-and-coming league, thanks at least in part to Lawrence's recent success, but also the conference's recent successes against their non-conference opponents. 
I'd put the ASC in that same "up and coming" category... the conference is huge, it's got two divisions of 8 teams each.  Sul Ross St. made the Sweet 16 two years ago, and Texas-Dallas came from nowhere and destroyed Mississippi College in the conf tourney (after two other upsets) and took Trinity to a 6 point game.  Mississippi College ended up getting an at-large last year, so the ASC got two bids.  Mississippi College had a good run, too, to the round of 16.

[Gregory Sager]

Not in any particular ranking-traditional powers

NESCAC:  Williams, Amherst and Trinity (CN)

ODAC: Hampden-Sydney, Randolph-Macon, Virginia Wesleyan

CCIW:  Illinois Wesleyan, Carthage, Elhmurst, Wheaton

NCAC:  Wooster, Wittenberg

MIAA:  Hope, Calvin, Albion

OAC:  Otterbein, John Carroll, Baldwin-Wallace

NJAC:  Ramapo, New Jersey,

UAA:  Chicago, Rochester

You forgot Wash U in the UAA; they've been one of the best programs in that league since its inception in the late 80s. NYU has also been perennially strong in the UAA. And yet the best team in that league this season may be "none of the above", aka Carnegie-Mellon. In the NJAC, the traditional powers are Rowan (the only NJAC school to win a national title) and New Jersey City (formerly Jersey City State). Ramapo did have a Final Four team a decade and a half ago, but their resurgence has been a more recent development. William Paterson has really been a mainstay of that league's first division as well.

As for the CCIW, Elmhurst and Carthage are comparative johnny-come-latelys. Elmhurst didn't even win its first CCIW title until '01 (and this is a school that had been a founding member of the league back in 1946!). Carthage had been a doormat for eons until Bosko Djurickovic showed up in the late nineties; they've since won three CCIW titles and went to the Final Four in '02. And if you're strictly talking in terms of tradition, you have to mention North Park (five national titles, more than any other school in the nation) and Augustana (four Final Four appearances). The balance of power this season in the CCIW at this early point appears to rest with Illinois Wesleyan, Augustana, and Elmhurst.

Ohio Northern is a glaring omission from your OAC list. And I'd definitely list Roanoke as a traditional ODAC power.

Leagues who are tough and deep, from top to bottom (the cliche holds here... any team can beat any other on a given night):

1. WIAC
2. CCIW
3. OAC
4. NJAC

Leagues who are top-heavy but have good traditions

1. MIAA
2. MIAC
3. ODAC.
4. NESCAC
5. UAA
6. NCAC

The MWC has had success in recent years, and is seen as a more up-and-coming league, thanks at least in part to Lawrence's recent success, but also the conference's recent successes against their non-conference opponents. 
I'd put the ASC in that same "up and coming" category... the conference is huge, it's got two divisions of 8 teams each.  Sul Ross St. made the Sweet 16 two years ago, and Texas-Dallas came from nowhere and destroyed Mississippi College in the conf tourney (after two other upsets) and took Trinity to a 6 point game.  Mississippi College ended up getting an at-large last year, so the ASC got two bids.  Mississippi College had a good run, too, to the round of 16.

I line 'em up pretty closely to PS's rankings. I'd call the top ten thus (allowing for year-to-year fluctuations):

1. WIAC
2. CCIW
3. OAC
4. NJAC
5. NESCAC
6. MIAA
7. UAA
8. MWC
9. NCAC
10. (tie) ODAC and MIAC

(Keep in mind that the NESCAC is more of a loose configuration than an actual conference in terms of in-house competition. They only play a single round-robin, as opposed to the double round-robins (or near-double round-robins) that everyone else plays, which means that only nine of their 25 regular-season games are conference games (the so-called WAW rivals, Williams, Amherst, and Wesleyan, play additional non-conference games against each other). Add that together with the fact that bad D3 teams are thick on the ground in New England, and you're looking at some pretty unfair advantages for the NESCAC.)

There's a modest gap between #1 and #2, a more significant gap between #2 and #3, and an even more significant gap between #4 and #5. Like PS, I'd call the top four the creme de la creme of D3.

[Greek Tragedy]

Oh well, so I missed a few! 

[Gregory Sager]

You set the table, OS. All I did was toss a couple of extra pieces of silverware onto it. 

[John Gleich]

hmm...  I guess I didn't really "rank" the second 6.  I was going to, but then I just listed them.  In number order.  If that makes any sense...

GS has a better handle on how they stack up anyway, so listen to him.   

[platteville1985]

Thanks for your help guys its a lot different than high school where i knew where and who the good conferences are.  I knew the Milwaukee area, the big 8, and accasionaly the big rivers conference and the green bay area was tough.  I dont know much outside of wisconsin though as far as d3hoops are concerned. 

[playdefense]

You guys should check out the article about Gibby and UWEC in the Leader Telegram!  The reporter rips the **** out of the Blugold program.  Then..............the A.D. has his say and backs Gibby all the way.  How many boosters are pulling their money as we speak?

[cubs]

You guys should check out the article about Gibby and UWEC in the Leader Telegram!  The reporter rips the **** out of the Blugold program.  Then..............the A.D. has his say and backs Gibby all the way.  How many boosters are pulling their money as we speak?

I took this information from another message board........

Whether he is doing well or not, I would like to see someone else step in his spot with 2 exceptions for recruiting along with the high academic standards.  He was handicapped by a "woman FIRST, men don't exist" AD in Marilyn Skrivseth.  The new AD, Kilgallon is helping Gibbons to get some top notch players back in the program because Skrivseth GREATLY handicapped him in recruiting.  I don't think it was any surprise that the women flourished even after Lisa Stone left.  It's pretty hard to get top notch players in the program when the deck is so heavily stacked against you.

I don't know the specifics, but I believe most of the WIAC programs are only allowed two exceptions.  I am not close to the UWEC program, but I found this interesting so I thought I would share it.