MBB: Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[UWRF]

Guerin shuts down DSA.

Koonkaew has 15 points in the final 11 mins.

Falcons win 69-59.

http://www.uwrf.edu/sports/bbmen.story.php

[John Gleich]

From a different board:

Well 11-5 is now very likely. I have seen 4 of WW's games and have seen more 1 on 1 bb than I care to see. We are a completely different team from last year. Hard to believe with 4 starters returning.
Hard to understand what Miller is thinking with his substitutions. And now yesterday he changes the line up, he puts in a new point guard who has more turnovers than assists on the year. Good move when we are already having turnover problems.Just look at the box--- 3 to's and 1 assist in 33 min. Give Point a ton of credit---played harder and better coached, congrats to them, long year for us.

COMPLETELY AGREE  !!!!! BRILLIANT MILLER

Hard to believe I'm "consoling" Whitewater fans... but you're never as bad as you feel when you lose and you're never as good as you feel when you win.

Whitewater is a really, really good ballclub and they're going to do just fine this year.

I'm really, really impressed by what Point did yesterday... but it makes me wonder if it took playing the #2 ranked team to do it.  They got beaten by 15 earlier in the week by a team that isn't as good as Whitewater.


I'm interested in hearing what OS and the other naysayers have to say after yesterday... I've gotta admit that I was surprised... but I DO think that Point is a top 10 team this season... and the difference between this Point team and the Point teams of 4+ years ago is a big man.  That really is it.  Point has always had good, big guards, like they do now.  They've shown that the have the tools to do the things they need to not to beat themselves.  But the one missing piece is a big guy.

And I really don't consider Wotachek a big man.  When he takes all of his shots outside of 17 feet and he's only gotten 3 defensive rebounds all year... that doesn't fit the qualifications.  Perhaps he's still dinged up... I heard he had an ankle injury... so maybe he, like most of the rest of the team just needs to be healthy.  But Point needs something more than a 6'8" outside shooter.  As good as Iserloth was... and he certainly could be excellent, he disappeared far too many times and when he WASN'T hitting outside, he wasn't who we needed him to be inside.  And on a team like this that has the school's all-time leading 3 point shooter in Pete Rortvedt, they need some attention to be drawn INSIDE.  Even if they play 4 out 1 in, it allows for driving lanes and screening action, and then the defender has to acknowledge the presence of someone who can score.... and after the game at La Crosse last year, we know it IS possible... Jerome had 17 points on 7/11 shooting.

Maybe I'm being too critical... but each of the last two seasons, Point was beaten by in the regular season and the NCAA tournament by teams that out-rebounded them and out-muscled them inside, and they happened to be on nights when the outside shot wasn't hitting.  At that point, ya don't need more outside shooting... you need determination... and it helps to have broad shoulders and a big butt, too.

[John Gleich]

Pat Coleman talks about the two Point/WW matchups (and the rest of the WIAC) during the Hoopsville broadcast.  You can listen to the podcast if ya want HERE

[Greek Tragedy]

I'll have to listen to it at a later time. 

As for me being a naysayer. 

Yeah, I will openly admit that I was suprised as to Point's opening #6 preseason pick.  Yes, Point has a solid potential starting lineup of Rortvedt, Louis Hurd, Kalifa El-Amin, Beamish and now Matt Moses. 

But, as BANDITUWSP and I talked about, the depth isn't there.  Ross Rortvedt was really solid off the bench.  He was an above average defender, a solid shooter and a nice spark off the bench.  Drew Jackson was a spark off the bench as well, coming in and giving us some athletic ability.  Scott Hoelzel was another bench player who I looked forward to coming off the bench.  He had some nice games.  For one reason or another, all those guys are gone. 

In Saturday's game, you can add the Pete Rortvedt AND Louis Hurd were both out and Beamish sat most of the 1st half with an ice pack on his knee and El-Amin was out with foul trouble.  Down 12 to Whitewater, it was going to be real hard to come back.  I'm still amazed as how they did it. 

No offense, but it didn't look good at the break.  However, Moses took over and players such as Ritchay, Krull and Jenkins did just enough to help out.  It was a big step for the youngsters and I give them all the credit in the world. 

I don't think this team is like the past few years because it lacks depth.  Wotachek continues to frustrate me.  Get in the paint and pretend to rebound.  Pick and rolling and launching 17 footers is not something he should be doing. 

So, I'll stand by my "overrated" feeling at this time.  We struggled to score without our starting 5 out there and rebounding continues to be a major issue.

[chmarx]

Congratulations to the Pointers on a huge win.

I didn't go to the La Crosse game.  Brian Carroll, Big K (who just posted his first picks this week), and I were at a party earlier.  Brian went to the game, and Loren and I stayed at the party.

I think Brian hopes to get online again Tuesday.

[wcbsas]

Off the topic question .... someone asked me this and I do not know the answer ... I'm sure one of the esteemed board members knows the answer to this inside and out!

If an athlete at a D1 or D2 college wants to transfer to a WIAC school mid-season ... can he?  I suspect he's not eligible to play because he was not on the initial 20-man roster.  Could he practice with the team?

Thanks in advance!

[Assassin14]

After checking out the UW-Stout men's basketball webpage I noticed 9 of 18 players are transfers, either from juco or other schools.  What is to be made of this?  Is Stout having trouble recruiting local and twin cities HS kids?  In my eyes they have certainly become a quintessential renegade school.  Hopefully these players have little effect against the Falcons on weds night! GO RF!!

[Assassin14]

Let me rephrase that, renegade team, not school

[stoutguy]

After checking out the UW-Stout men's basketball webpage I noticed 9 of 18 players are transfers, either from juco or other schools.  What is to be made of this?  Is Stout having trouble recruiting local and twin cities HS kids?  In my eyes they have certainly become a quintessential renegade school.  Hopefully these players have little effect against the Falcons on weds night! GO RF!!

I don't know------"quintessential" and "renegade" in the same sentence.  Pretty big words for a RF guy.

[Assassin14]

What can I say, I went to a decent high school!!!  But no, I'm not dissing stout, as much as I dislike them.  I was just wondering if maybe they are having problems luring local talent thats all.

[badgerwarhawk]

Eddie has long been big on transfer athletes.  I'm not suggesting that there is anything wrong with it.  Other schools in the WIAC have transfers as well, like UW-W.  I'm also not suggesting he's having any problems recruiting local talent.  I don't have a clue about that.  All I'm saying is that where ever he's coached he's had transfers on his rosters.

[stoutguy]

Eddie has long been big on transfer athletes.  I'm not suggesting that there is anything wrong with it.  Other schools in the WIAC have transfers as well, like UW-W.  I'm also not suggesting he's having any problems recruiting local talent.  I don't have a clue about that.  All I'm saying is that where ever he's coached he's had transfers on his rosters.

True, BW.  The other factor, I believe, is the "new kid on the block".  Superior, these past few years, has made  EC's, RF's, and Stout's recruiting wars a bit tougher.  Eddie also lost his Minnesota connection, assistant Lionel Jones, who is coaching Ed's daughter at the local high school.

[Pat Coleman]

Could he practice with the team?

Under D-III rules he would use a year of eligibility to do so.

[Stout survivor]

I dont think that having a bunch of transfers is not necessarily a bad thing, it depends on the person themselves, just like incoming freshman.  After last season a healthy dose of new blood maybe a good thing and if this were to become a perpetual deal then talk to me.  After all an infusion of talent, no matter if it comes via high school or transfers, after a down year trully can't be as detrimental, as it may appear, to a team and a program.  I will not argue that having a core of freshman that you can build with and around is a better way but lets see how the season goes and if these guys can get better every week. 

[Greek Tragedy]

Other schools in the WIAC have transfers as well, like UW-W.  I'm also not suggesting he's having any problems recruiting local talent. 

Technically, the most recent "high profile" transfers that Whitewater has recruited have been local.  Goodwin went to Milwaukee King and McKay went to Menomonee Falls.  They are both transfers, right?