MBB: Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[robertgoulet]

It's only a requirement that you submit a bid, so good forward thinking by NCC to submit a bid for an alternative site for this weekend. Schools in New Jersey played home games at other schools too last weekend, due to the NCAA's sports gambling ban.

Really, UWW should consider it a bonus. You get to play a neutral site game instead of a road game.

It's a bit of a stretch calling it a neutral site. The game is down the streeet from NCC's campus.

Still better for UWW then playing on NCC's campus. I can't figure out why UWW fans don't like it. They caught a break.

Yea, it is a bit of a break. I actually fully expected NCC to host this game after both teams won.

But to call it a "neutral" site...I'm not buying it.

NCC played @ Benedictine earlier this season and had a rough go of it, squeaking out a 61-55 win. They only shot 40% from the field.

AND NCC has experience playing on this so-called "neutral" court???!!!

   

Well, one could say that playing a game there, and playing poorly, doesn't bode well and that the players confidence shooting in that building isn't very good!

That being said, I'd rather be playing at BU than UWW!

[Greek Tragedy]

You are completely missing my point. If you can't play the game on-campus or on your regular home court, I don't think you should have the option to host.

Is it a slight "break" that NCC doesn't get the true homecourt advantage? Sure, but I think Whitewater should be hosting because their facility is actually available.

[ziggy]

You are completely missing my point. If you can't play the game on-campus or on your regular home court, I don't think you should have the option to host.

Is it a slight "break" that NCC doesn't get the true homecourt advantage? Sure, but I think Whitewater should be hosting because their facility is actually available.

If we're modifying the requirements for hosting, how about we add in providing a video feed?

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

You are completely missing my point. If you can't play the game on-campus or on your regular home court, I don't think you should have the option to host.

Is it a slight "break" that NCC doesn't get the true homecourt advantage? Sure, but I think Whitewater should be hosting because their facility is actually available.

Normally, this probably wouldn't happen. I highly doubt the NCAA would allow a school to host a pod of games (three) at a neutral site. However, this year isn't normal and hosting just one game is probably something the NCAA is willing to allow. They understand this isn't normal and schools shouldn't be overly punished by it. Also, I doubt this discussion only happened this week. NCC most likely chatted with those at the NCAA prior to putting in their bid as to what they could do as an option. So the NCAA probably approved this weeks ago if not further back.

Again... if this was a pod year... I highly doubt the NCAA would have allowed this for so many different reasons - so don't expect this in the future.

[Just Bill]

I don't think it's a one year kind of thing. I think the precedent has been set over time. Until they built their new palace, Hope College played their NCAA Tournament games at the Holland Civic Center for years, because their old on-campus gym didn't meet minimum standards.

If people think the NCAA needs to change that policy, that's fine. I'm just saying it's not really unusual or unprecedented and it's not just a one-year special situation.

[voice]

The Jefferson County Daily Union's Jeff Seisser (Sports Editor) and Josh Smith (UWW Sports Beat Writer) do a yeomen's job covering UW-Whitewater sports from preseason throughout NCAA championship competition. While the area's major newspapers largely put the Warhawks on the "back burner."  – Jeff and Josh are there all season long.

At this past weekend's Wisconsin Newspaper Association's 2012 Better Newspaper and Advertising awards banquet in Madison -  Josh won first place in the WNA's Sports Story and Sports Feature Category.  Jeff brought home first place in the Sports Column category.

Believe me  I know how difficult it is putting in multiple 14 to 16 hour days per week. Thank you for the effort you do in chronicling UW-Whitewater athletics. It is much appreciated!!!

[ziggy]

I don't think it's a one year kind of thing. I think the precedent has been set over time. Until they built their new palace, Hope College played their NCAA Tournament games at the Holland Civic Center for years, because their old on-campus gym didn't meet minimum standards.

If people think the NCAA needs to change that policy, that's fine. I'm just saying it's not really unusual or unprecedented and it's not just a one-year special situation.

That's actually kind of backwards. The Holland Civic Center was where Hope played all their home games but a tournament game was moved on campus because of minimum dimension standards. The Dow Center on campus is where the women's team played but had a smaller seating capacity than the Civic Center.

[Just Bill]

I don't think it's a one year kind of thing. I think the precedent has been set over time. Until they built their new palace, Hope College played their NCAA Tournament games at the Holland Civic Center for years, because their old on-campus gym didn't meet minimum standards.

If people think the NCAA needs to change that policy, that's fine. I'm just saying it's not really unusual or unprecedented and it's not just a one-year special situation.

That's actually kind of backwards. The Holland Civic Center was where Hope played all their home games but a tournament game was moved on campus because of minimum dimension standards. The Dow Center on campus is where the women's team played but had a smaller seating capacity than the Civic Center.

Right, sorry. Had it backwards, but same principle.

[voice]

Veteran Wisconsin State Journal sports columnist Tom Oates' column on Saturday focused on UW-Whitewater men's basketball and head coach Pat Miller 
Click on the link to access the column:
http://host.madison.com/sports/columnists/tom_oates/tom-oates-arduous-journey-has-uw-whitewater-prepared/article_5d447ef2-82db-11e2-b59a-0019bb2963f4.html

[John Gleich]

It's only a requirement that you submit a bid, so good forward thinking by NCC to submit a bid for an alternative site for this weekend. Schools in New Jersey played home games at other schools too last weekend, due to the NCAA's sports gambling ban.

Really, UWW should consider it a bonus. You get to play a neutral site game instead of a road game.

It's in a better venue as well.

Gregory Arena (aka the Airplane Hangar) is sort of like a combination of Kolf and Mortorelli gyms...



It really is what it looks like... a basketball court smack dab in the middle of an indoor track.

The Kolf-ness of it is just the vast open area behind the baskets. There's no shooting background. There's a balcony that's set back pretty far (old "Memorial gym" style built after WWII... concrete "steps" built into the building itself), complete with Wrigley Field obstruction columns:



The Mortorelli-ness of it is due to the fact that there are low 6-bench bleachers around the court instead of the typical stadium-style seating.

Benedictine has a very nice facility... they just finished renovating it in 2011:



And yes, though Benedictine is just down the street, NCC will still have to pack their bags and get dressed, etc, in a different locker room.

[John Gleich]

Veteran Wisconsin State Journal sports columnist Tom Oates' column on Saturday focused on UW-Whitewater men's basketball and head coach Pat Miller 
Click on the link to access the column:
http://host.madison.com/sports/columnists/tom_oates/tom-oates-arduous-journey-has-uw-whitewater-prepared/article_5d447ef2-82db-11e2-b59a-0019bb2963f4.html

Great piece!

Ya know, I really want to dislike Whitewater... Excellent rivalry between SP and WW and all that, especially the last 10-15 years. But it's so hard because there's so much about Coach Miller that I like so much that it's nearly impossible!

[voice]

UW-Whitewater's highly successful athletic director Paul Plinske WILL NOT be the next AD at UW-Milwaukee. UWM announced it's choice this afternoon.

Amanda Braun has been named the new athletic director at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, the school announced Monday afternoon.

Braun is a Brodhead, Wisconsin native who has worked in the athletic department at Northeastern University in Boston since 2006. Before that, she worked various athletic administration jobs at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay.

Plinske was one of three finalists for the position.

Clock on the following link to read UWM's press release:
http://www.jsonline.com/sports/panthers/uwm-picks-amanda-braun-as-new-athletic-director-559171p-195160841.html

[iwumichigander]

It's only a requirement that you submit a bid, so good forward thinking by NCC to submit a bid for an alternative site for this weekend. Schools in New Jersey played home games at other schools too last weekend, due to the NCAA's sports gambling ban.

Really, UWW should consider it a bonus. You get to play a neutral site game instead of a road game.

It's in a better venue as well.

Gregory Arena (aka the Airplane Hangar) is sort of like a combination of Kolf and Mortorelli gyms...



It really is what it looks like... a basketball court smack dab in the middle of an indoor track.

The Kolf-ness of it is just the vast open area behind the baskets. There's no shooting background. There's a balcony that's set back pretty far (old "Memorial gym" style built after WWII... concrete "steps" built into the building itself), complete with Wrigley Field obstruction columns:



The Mortorelli-ness of it is due to the fact that there are low 6-bench bleachers around the court instead of the typical stadium-style seating.

Benedictine has a very nice facility... they just finished renovating it in 2011:



And yes, though Benedictine is just down the street, NCC will still have to pack their bags and get dressed, etc, in a different locker room.

The Hangar (built in 1931) has terrible site lines for shooters which visiting opponents struggle with.  The 1200 seating is terrible consisting primarily of wood benches (which feel if not in fact like 1931).

Take the Rice Center at Benedictine anytime

[Gregory Sager]

Take the Rice Center over the hangar, but not because of wooden benches. Those are the concerns of fans, not basketball players. Frankly, it should be every fan's wish to see his or her team placed in the most advantageous position possible, regardless of the comfort of the fans. To do otherwise is selfish and self-defeating.

Take the Rice Center over the hangar because North Central loses a significant advantage at both ends of the floor by moving out of a gym that has no shooting background. It can be a difficult thing for a team to move from always playing in gyms that have shooting backgrounds to a gym that has none. Conversely, the team that shoots every day in an open-ended gym is used to it. That particular advantage has now been denied to the Cardinals.

[chmarx]

In 1996 La Crosse had home field for a national semifinal game with Mount Union.  But our field was unplayable, so we hosted them at Camp Randall.  Playing in Wisconsin was so difficult for them that they beat us for the first time, after we had beaten them in previous years both in La Crosse and Alliance. 

So there is precedent, favoring a WIAC team, for a relatively close neutral site.  So Whitewater needs to just go down there and beat them.