MBB: Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[John Gleich]

Moses pours in 30 for the third time this season and snags 9 boards as Point coasts to an 80-61 win. 

Point led by 12 at the half and EC could get no closer than 8 the rest of the way.  Point regained their shooting touch from the line (11/14) and only turned the ball over 6 times (2 in the second half).  Point won the rebounding battle 28-25 and had 13 offensive which led to a 17-8 second-chance-point edge.

This was Point's 20th straight victory over the Blugolds.

[bulk19]

Moses pours in 30 for the third time this season and snags 9 boards as Point coasts to an 80-61 win. 

Point led by 12 at the half and EC could get no closer than 8 the rest of the way.  Point regained their shooting touch from the line (11/14) and only turned the ball over 6 times (2 in the second half).  Point won the rebounding battle 28-25 and had 13 offensive which led to a 17-8 second-chance-point edge.

This was Point's 20th straight victory over the Blugolds.

20th straight win... oh my!

Reminds me of the Ken Anderson/Dick Bennett days, when Blugold fans were treated to watching the likes of Terry Porter, yet still felt good about our chances of winning... Or maybe it doesn't remind me of that rivalry much at all. Oh well. Ha.

Oh, the pain...!

[stoutguy]

Another nice win for the Bluedevils tonight.  Stout shoots 60% in the second half to take down a very talented Superior team.  This Stout team is really fun to watch right now.  They are unselfish and 10 kids are getting quality minutes.  Hard to believe that this same team started the conference 0-4.  Eddie gets my vote for Coach of Year (Oh, that's right I don't have a vote.)

[chmarx]

Ken Koebl shakes up the lineup and wakes up his team for a nice win over Oshkosh.  Al Cherry started instead of Merklein, and Andrew Hass also started.  Both played well, especially Cherry.  When he got in, Merklein played with much more fire than in the last few games.

Oshkosh led most of the way.  La Crosse took the lead with a few minutes left and played well enough to win.

[stoutguy]

Moses pours in 30 for the third time this season and snags 9 boards as Point coasts to an 80-61 win. 

Point led by 12 at the half and EC could get no closer than 8 the rest of the way.  Point regained their shooting touch from the line (11/14) and only turned the ball over 6 times (2 in the second half).  Point won the rebounding battle 28-25 and had 13 offensive which led to a 17-8 second-chance-point edge.

This was Point's 20th straight victory over the Blugolds.

Jack Bennett was always a winner and coveted every win he ever got during his great tenure at Point.  But there was always something special about those EC wins for him.

[badgerwarhawk]

Platteville scored first before the WARHAWKS ran off the next 10 straight and maintained a lead for the rest of the game.   However in the second half each time the WARHAWKS appeared to be on the verge of putting the game on ice the Pioneers would rally and cut the lead down to single digits.  The game finished with the WARHAWKS on top 83-73.

The WARHAWKS shot really well from the floor (65%)(61% on 3-pointers).  In part due to a size advantage inside.  Dustin Mitchell went 9-10 for 20 points and Mike Bendall went 6-7 also finishing with 20 points.  DJ Dantzler was 3-3 from beyond the arch also scoring in double figures with 16 points.  Mitchell led the team with 10 rebounds recording another double-double.  Led by Nolan Free's 7 assists the WARHAWKS had 21 assists on 30 made shots.   Ten of Platteville's 13 turnovers were steals with Free having a team leading 4.  Cris Vines dressed but did not play.  It would be nice if we could get him back out on the floor and add depth to our front court.  Despite what appeared to be some very physical play underneath Mitchell only shot a single free throw.

Hanson led Platteville with 25 points.  I didn't notice any hot dogging or trash talking.  He was just very competitive and played hard.  Eric Wall also had a nice game with a double-double 21 and 10.  

[phoenix_rising]

Aaaannnndddd Logan Flora does not shake things up, instead choosing to face a fast-paced Stout team with horses that grow weaker and weaker as the night goes on. Here's a puzzle: you have four players/starters of proven quality, you have another three or four players of adequate or better talent, and you have a bench full of hopefuls who never see the light of day; do you let your first four get driven into the ground or do you take a chance and let some of the other horses out of the barn? I admit, I am merely a spectator, but spectating allows me to see that a guy can only run up and down the court at top speed so many times before he starts dragging. I can see that subbing frequently to keep fresh legs on the floor makes some sense.

Amazingly, the stat sheet claimed UWS(uperior) outrebounded UWS(tout) offensively. They say numbers(tatistics) don't lie. But, can we believe these?

Eddie ran us to death last night, and Flora let him do it. I'm not bitter.

On the bright side, our women threw an upset in the faces of the Stout crowd last night, and I found that somewhat satisfying if not totally consoling.

[stoutguy]

Aaaannnndddd Logan Flora does not shake things up, instead choosing to face a fast-paced Stout team with horses that grow weaker and weaker as the night goes on. Here's a puzzle: you have four players/starters of proven quality, you have another three or four players of adequate or better talent, and you have a bench full of hopefuls who never see the light of day; do you let your first four get driven into the ground or do you take a chance and let some of the other horses out of the barn? I admit, I am merely a spectator, but spectating allows me to see that a guy can only run up and down the court at top speed so many times before he starts dragging. I can see that subbing frequently to keep fresh legs on the floor makes some sense.

Amazingly, the stat sheet claimed UWS(uperior) outrebounded UWS(tout) offensively. They say numbers(tatistics) don't lie. But, can we believe these?

Eddie ran us to death last night, and Flora let him do it. I'm not bitter.

On the bright side, our women threw an upset in the faces of the Stout crowd last night, and I found that somewhat satisfying if not totally consoling.

PR  Please refer to women's board for my already posted remarks.

[stoutguy]

Another nice win for the Bluedevils tonight.  Stout shoots 60% in the second half to take down a very talented Superior team.  This Stout team is really fun to watch right now.  They are unselfish and 10 kids are getting quality minutes.  Hard to believe that this same team started the conference 0-4.  Eddie gets my vote for Coach of Year (Oh, that's right I don't have a vote.)

Okay, I get it.  No one has a comment about Eddie as COY.  Let's try this one:Superior interim will not get head coach position next year.  Anyone care to bite on that one?  Work with me here.  Thursday is my only non-busy day when I have time to post.

[badgerwarhawk]

Ok, I'll play on the Eddie thing, SG.  You know that I personally like Eddie.  He's personable and always has treated those of us at the table well.  He's done an excellent job rallying the Blue Devils in the second half of the season.  They're probably playing better than any other team during this stretch.  I think Eddie's doing a great job and if the award were based on half a season I'd probably see things your way.  

But I honestly think that, up to this point in the season, Miller deserves the award. How's that for a surprise?  I wasn't going to say anything because it would sound like a homer.  But, what the hell, everyone knows I'm a homer anyway.  We graduated and had to replace all five starters.  Additionally we lost a significant part of our front court when Vines went down essentially for the season to date.  Yet with three games remaining we sit with 18 wins, tied for first in the conference and ranked #1 in the region despite some clunkers and a challenging schedule.  

I accept that my opinion could change by the season's end but at this point in time I'd have to vote for our guy.  Incredibly, like yourself, I do not have a vote.  I just can't understand why they don't let guys like you and me vote.  After all were both old, you're bald and I'm as gray as gray can get.  Denying us the vote just isn't right.    

I don't know about the Superior guy.  After Rising's Hitler analogy I'll have see him in action to form an opinion.   I assume he knows his team and puts the players on the floor who he feels gives them the best chance to win.  Eddie seems to be running everyone out of the gym lately.      

[stoutguy]

Thanks for responding. BW.  I was bored and needed someone to talk to.  The half season vote thing I get completely.  I have a great deal of respect for your guy.  The stereotype of Pat just always having the best players is a very unfair one.  I think he is outstanding and whomever wins the conference tournament will probably get the COY vote and this year, that would probably be fair unless it's anyone besides Miller, Semling, or Andrists (my three favorites).

[John Gleich]

Another nice win for the Bluedevils tonight.  Stout shoots 60% in the second half to take down a very talented Superior team.  This Stout team is really fun to watch right now.  They are unselfish and 10 kids are getting quality minutes.  Hard to believe that this same team started the conference 0-4.  Eddie gets my vote for Coach of Year (Oh, that's right I don't have a vote.)

Okay, I get it.  No one has a comment about Eddie as COY.  Let's try this one:Superior interim will not get head coach position next year.  Anyone care to bite on that one?  Work with me here.  Thursday is my only non-busy day when I have time to post.

now you see why I  was forced to write a 3 volume set on the WIAC earlier this year!  comments seem to be down to me too!

I think you're spot on with Eddie for COY.  the only way he doesn't get it is if Stout misses the conf tournament... not sure how great of a possibility that is 'cause I can't  remember their remaining schedule.  I think he should get the nod over Miller because Stout was picked 9th.  As in last.  And they're sittibg in third right now by a game, set to host a conference tournament game!

They are the team that I want to see the least in the conference tournament.  They're not jusy the hottest team in the conference... they could be one of the hottest teams in the country.  

Now, after I say that, they'll lose 3 straight and miss the tournament altogether...

In terms of the Flora question, I've actually got another one... has a WIAC coach ever been fired due to his team not living up to expectations?  the only coach I can think of that didn't at least appear to leae of his own volition was Kaminsky, but that had more to do with breaking immigration laws than his coaching I think...

I don't know of any interim coaches in the WIAC who haven't been retained... but that's because the only coaching change I've followed was UWSP, and we all know how Sem has done.

D-III schools don't have pressure from boosters in the same way that D-I schools do... but the standard is still pretty high.

any thoughts?

[Pioneer Hoops Fan]

In terms of the Flora question, I've actually got another one... has a WIAC coach ever been fired due to his team not living up to expectations?  the only coach I can think of that didn't at least appear to leae of his own volition was Kaminsky, but that had more to do with breaking immigration laws than his coaching I think...

I don't know of any interim coaches in the WIAC who haven't been retained... but that's because the only coaching change I've followed was UWSP, and we all know how Sem has done.

D-III schools don't have pressure from boosters in the same way that D-I schools do... but the standard is still pretty high.

any thoughts?

This I'm sure should get Phoenix going, but who's to say that if Buchanan was still at Superior they wouldn't be in the same position.  He's done a great job in getting kids that probably wouldn't think twice about going to Superior getting them there.  Here's the thing though.  Has he really proven that he could develop and get that talent to play for him consistently?  Or for Flora in this matter?  We don't know that obviously because he left for Carroll.  Personally, I think they're tremendously talented and really for the most part with this group playing major big time minutes two years ago as Freshman and Sophomores, they should've been better last year than they were.  I know they were still young, but that group got minutes, playing together in this league that most recruiting classes don't get until their Junior or even Senior years.  New faces always come in, but they were thrown in the fire early, and which IMO should have accelerated their learning curve.  Its not like they were staying the same age and the gap was increasing between them and the upperclassmen.  They were moving right along with everyone else, so maybe the job on the sidelines wasn't being done the way it should've been last year either.

I don't know how the players reactions were when Flora was named interim, but the situation certainly called for them pick him.  They quite possibly will have to go through it again last year.  Personally, I think you give him at least another year if not two to make a case for himself.

[phoenix_rising]

OK. I'll take the bait.

Flora probably should get the coaching job--not because he deserves it, but because this group of players has already gone through too must distraction/disruption. Personally, I think his strategy is too much like Buchanan's, and that's the problem. Buchanan recruited an outstanding bunch of players and then stifled their growth. They should have done better their sophomore year; they should be outstanding this year. I don't think they have good direction; I think their instincts have been smothered; I think they are thrown into games without proper preparation for the team they are about to play; I think the bench is used too sparingly. I think the game-time coaching tactics are counter-productive. He's toned down some, but I watch him pacing with that glowering stare and wonder what the hell he's thinking. I don't see him analyzing what's going on, I see him looking at someone to yell at. What do I know; maybe he is analytical but hiding it really well.

[frodotwo]

OK. I'll take the bait.

Flora probably should get the coaching job--not because he deserves it, but because this group of players has already gone through too must distraction/disruption. Personally, I think his strategy is too much like Buchanan's, and that's the problem. Buchanan recruited an outstanding bunch of players and then stifled their growth. They should have done better their sophomore year; they should be outstanding this year. I don't think they have good direction; I think their instincts have been smothered; I think they are thrown into games without proper preparation for the team they are about to play; I think the bench is used too sparingly. I think the game-time coaching tactics are counter-productive. He's toned down some, but I watch him pacing with that glowering stare and wonder what the hell he's thinking. I don't see him analyzing what's going on, I see him looking at someone to yell at. What do I know; maybe he is analytical but hiding it really well.

This seems to be more of a condemnation than recommendation. Why would he keep the job? I haven't seen much or heard much of the bench behind the starters. Sup appears to be that Jekyll or Hyde bunch, up one game, down the next. Speaks to consistency and coaching?