MBB: Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[badgerwarhawk]

I doubt the facility will have much to do with whether we win or lose. 

[badgerwarhawk]

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

Note to self:  Remember to write thank you notes to UW-Milwaukee athletic director selection committee members.

I feel sorry for Dr Plinske because I know he would like to have landed this job.  On the other hand, if I'm going to be completely honest, I'm thinking that their loss is our gain.   

[Just Bill]

I said this over on the football board, too.

If a guy like Paul can't get this job at a bottom-feeding D-I program, then I can only conclude that the jump from D-III to D-I AD can't be made in a single step. Clearly, a D-I school will simply not pull the trigger on a D-III guy no matter what the circumstances.

I know little about Ms. Braun and I'm sure she's an excellent person and administrator, but it just baffles me how Paul didn't get this job. Again.

[voice]

I said this over on the football board, too.

If a guy like Paul can't get this job at a bottom-feeding D-I program, then I can only conclude that the jump from D-III to D-I AD can't be made in a single step. Clearly, a D-I school will simply not pull the trigger on a D-III guy no matter what the circumstances.

I know little about Ms. Braun and I'm sure she's an excellent person and administrator, but it just baffles me how Paul didn't get this job. Again.

UWM passed over Paul Plnske for a second time in a year after naming him as a finalist for the school's athletic director's job. My gut feeling is the committee had reservations AGAIN about Paul not having D1 experience.

Plinkse arrived at UWW nine years ago replacing Shawn Eichorst who left WW to become AD at D1 University of South Carolina.  Barry Alvarez brought Shawn back to Wisconsin four years later to become a UW associate athletic director. After a short stint as Miami's AD, Eichorst is now in his first year as Nebraska's AD replacing legendary Tom Osborne.

Plinske followed Eichorst to UWW and publically voiced his mission statement in his welcome to WW press conference by challenging his coaches to "reach for the stars" and asked coaches to set goals each year of winning conference championship and a National Title.

Now in his ninth year UW-Whitewater has won eight national titles and had six national runner-up finishes under Plinske's watch and he has secured more than $11 million to support facility enhancements to UW-Whitewater athletic facilities.

You are right UWM selection committee, it would have been a huge mistake to select a highly successful candidate without D1 experience!!

[John Gleich]

I don't know if there are any NCAA rules about it.   But wouldn't it be kind of classless to deliberately seat the school's band behind the opponent's bench?  It just doesn't seem appropriate and/or in the spirit of sportsmanship to use a band for that purpose.  At least it doesn't to me.
We were entertained by the Carthage pep band this weekend.  They were fantastic and their director was insane.  He jumps around, dances with the mascots and generally speaking gets into the music.   They were a great addition to the venue and were seated across the court from either bench.  One night they were opposite their own bench and the next night opposite ours.

It wouldn't be "behind" the opponent's bench... but it could very well be in the section behind the basket on the opponent's end. Many schools have the students in the section opposite the opposing bench (in D-I, lots are even right behind the bench... Look at Michigan).



At UWSP, the band sits behind the basket on the Pointers' bench side. Those "behind the basket" seats have three sections... and the band is in the 1/3 that is closest to the Point bench.
It's just to the right of the camera man this picture:



In theory, the band would work in any of the 4 "outside" (i.e. non-middle) 1/3's on either end... either on the opposite side of the court (away from the benches) or on the opposite end of the court (either by the opponent's bench or opposite the opponent's bench on the other side... the part we can see in the picture above)

I'm not privey to any discussions about the location of the band... but it does seem like it would make sense for them to be away from the bench, just so the team could hear better. That doesn't necessarily mean putting them TOWARDS the opponent's bench necessarily, but it would potentially work.

I wonder, in part, if the band is there (as opposed to the opposite end of the court by the opponent's bench) simply because that's where it has always been.

I've seen video from the '91-92 team, so I know that the benches used to be on the other side of the court (opposite where the balcony is). However, I don't know where the band was at that point (I'll have to watch that video again and see if I can tell!)



As an aside, in the Pointer Hoops Radio show last night, they mentioned that of all 30 hosting sites, UWSP was 2nd in attendance behind Wooster. Point had just over 2100 and Wooster 2500. It's certainly possible for several hundred more people to fit in Quandt. I assume that Calvin, though they can pack their own place, won't send a huge contingent around the pond.

[ziggy]

Many thanks to the fine people at UW-SP as it looks like they are set to provide a video feed of Saturday night's game: http://www4.uwsp.edu/media/live/LiveStreamsports.html

[John Gleich]

Many thanks to the fine people at UW-SP as it looks like they are set to provide a video feed of Saturday night's game: http://www4.uwsp.edu/media/live/LiveStreamsports.html

Woo hoo!  Pointer fans several hundred miles away rejoice too!

[voice]

UW-Whitewater freshman forward has made his mark for the Warhawks in his first season.  He arrived at UWW after spending his senior season in high school at a prep school just ourside Houston, Texas. He played his first three seasons at Milwaukee Hamilton High School.  Plenty of rumors and conjection has swirled in chat rooms this season wondering why he's playing at D3 UWW and not at D1 Cleveland State where he was originally scheduled to attend.

So what is the story? Daily Jefferson County Union sports writer Josh Smith has written a story this week on Darnell. Its a great read!!

http://dailyunion.com/main.asp?SectionID=37&SubSectionID=111&ArticleID=13911&TM=46124.06

[02 Warhawk]

UW-Whitewater freshman forward has made his mark for the Warhawks in his first season.  He arrived at UWW after spending his senior season in high school at a prep school just ourside Houston, Texas. He played his first three seasons at Milwaukee Hamilton High School.  Plenty of rumors and conjection has swirled in chat rooms this season wondering why he's playing at D3 UWW and not at D1 Cleveland State where he was originally scheduled to attend.

So what is the story? Daily Jefferson County Union sports writer Josh Smith has written a story this week on Darnell. Its a great read!!

http://dailyunion.com/main.asp?SectionID=37&SubSectionID=111&ArticleID=13911&TM=46124.06

Hopefully it works out where him and Young are playing side by side over the next few seasons. Those two can do some damage in the WIAC in years to come.

[cubs]

Who knows, maybe they Young and Harris will be playing side-by-side for Lance Randall at St. Leo the next couple of years....   

Just kidding guys......

[John Gleich]

Stevens Point Journal article on a couple of their bench players: http://www.stevenspointjournal.com/article/20130307/SPJ02/303070462/Bench-players-step-up-contribute-Pointers-success?nclick_check=1

Nice piece about Point's bench...

[John Gleich]

I doubt the facility will have much to do with whether we win or lose.

I posted this on the CCIW page earlier today:

Just saw this posted on the Harvard Sports Analysis website:

http://harvardsportsanalysis.wordpress.com/2013/03/08/the-best-home-court-advantage-youve-never-heard-about/

The discussion is about Jadwin Gymnasium at Princeton. As noted in the article, on both ends of the court, there is no shooting background (like in the Hangar at NC).


According to the analysis, there is statistical significance (at least at Princeton). By inference, one could confer this same significane to the Gregory as well... and so the movement of the game to the Rice Center at Benedictine may negate some or all of the home court advantage that NCC would have had in this game.

The fact that the game is not at Gregory Arena may, in fact, make a difference due to the "normalcy" of the backdrop. According to the article, the lack of a backdrop at Princeton does, in fact, have a significant affect on visiting shooters.

Any idea how large of a UWW contingent is heading down to Lisle? With the UWW women hosting a pod themselves, it seems like that could take away from the numbers willing to travel.

[havej]

Not sure how much the "lack of back drop" will impact UWW - perimeter shooting is not what got them this far

[John Gleich]

Not sure how much the "lack of back drop" will impact UWW - perimeter shooting is not what got them this far

They haven't been the most prolific 3 pt shooting team in the country, no. But 1/4 of Whitewater's points have come from 3 pointers this year. At the very least, a "normal" background could/should/would allow them to maintain this. In some respects, because they're not worldbeaters from 3, a change in backdrop would probably affect them MORE than good shooters (good shooters tend to be more likely to be good shooters no matter what the situation. Bad shooters tend to be bad shooters no matter what the situation. If you start changing more variables, then there's MORE wrong for the bad shooter... and things didn't start out great).

Btw, I'm not saying that UWW are bad shooters. Just making conclusions based on havej's point.

Read the article I posted above if you haven't already. It talks about how teams have shot a worse percentage at Princeton (due, likely, to the venue without a backdrop) than they have in their other games elsewhere. In a close game, one made 3 could be the difference between winning and losing... so not having to overcome this could help UWW to the win.

[frodotwo]

Not sure how much the "lack of back drop" will impact UWW - perimeter shooting is not what got them this far

They haven't been the most prolific 3 pt shooting team in the country, no. But 1/4 of Whitewater's points have come from 3 pointers this year. At the very least, a "normal" background could/should/would allow them to maintain this. In some respects, because they're not worldbeaters from 3, a change in backdrop would probably affect them MORE than good shooters (good shooters tend to be more likely to be good shooters no matter what the situation. Bad shooters tend to be bad shooters no matter what the situation. If you start changing more variables, then there's MORE wrong for the bad shooter... and things didn't start out great).

Btw, I'm not saying that UWW are bad shooters. Just making conclusions based on havej's point.

Read the article I posted above if you haven't already. It talks about how teams have shot a worse percentage at Princeton (due, likely, to the venue without a backdrop) than they have in their other games elsewhere. In a close game, one made 3 could be the difference between winning and losing... so not having to overcome this could help UWW to the win.

Haven't seen either of the aformentioned basketball courts, but Kolf in Oshkosh has the same lack of a backdrop. Stout has some wide open spaces as well.