MBB: Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[Titan Q]

I'm going to check out the Pointers this afternoon - they play at UT-Dallas, which is just 15 minutes from my house. 

Looking forward to seeing UWSP in person.

[tomt4525]

UWSP did a great job at doing whatever they could to lose a 15 point lead with about 8 minutes left.

They are just flat out not good enough on the offensive end to make any noise this year.

[Greek Tragedy]

Wow. According to PbP, up 60-47 with 6:30 left and lost 61-60. Ouch.

[palum]

Mary Hardin Baylor scores with 2.8 seconds  left to beat Platteville  74-72. Numerous lead changes in the second. Platteville's biggest lead was 5 point MHB biggest lead was 7 points. From my tablet screen it looks like MHB has a nice arena.

[PauldingLightUP]

After watching Platteville-Mary Hardin Baylor, I'm glad the WIAC doesn't have replay. It takes too long and probably very few calls get overturned with a single camera. 

[Titan Q]

UWSP did a great job at doing whatever they could to lose a 15 point lead with about 8 minutes left.

They are just flat out not good enough on the offensive end to make any noise this year.

I made it out to this one.  It turned out to be a great game.

Stevens Point played very well in the 2nd half to open up that 15 point lead. At that point I was thinking the Pointers are good enough to win the WIAC in that crowded/messy picture.  They really looked good overall for those first 32 minutes or so.

The Pointers do not really have a superstar, but everyone that gets on the floor can play.  Bublitz is really active and does a ton of things well - seems to be their engine.  Spray and Ehrke are tough matchups for opponents most nights out.  And, as always, the Pointers play great defense for 40 minutes.

After being down 15 with 8 minutes left, UT-Dallas came storming back.  The Comets are a dangerous team - I've seen them in person 3 times now (I guess they are my local D3 team).  They are missing their best player - preseason All-American Dimitrius Underwood - but they have several guys who can really play.   The Comets have a PG I really like, and two combo forwards who are good. And they generally play really well together as a team.

UWSP's biggest challenge is that they don't have a back-to-the-basket offensive player.  They have some size, but those guys are face-the-basket guys that shoot 3-pointers and penetrate.  There isn't anything remotely close to a Jack Flynn type of back-to-the-basket 5.  So when the Pointers are not shooting it well for stretches, they get in trouble.

I have watched Platteville play a few times now, and I think the Pioneers are pretty significantly better than UWSP.  I also think the Oshkosh team that started the season is better than the Pointers by a good margin...but it sounds like UWO has lost some a couple key players?  So I need to see the Titans play again to see where they stand.  (I have not seen La Crosse, Eau Claire, and River Falls enough yet to have a great feel.)

But UWSP is going to be right in every game they play because of their defense.  They are a good team...just not a great team.  The good news is that this is kind of a year with a whole bunch of good teams and not a ton of great ones...so you never know.

The CCIW and WIAC are so similar this year.  Both leagues have 5 or 6 pretty even teams than can win it.

[Greek Tragedy]

Thanks Bob. Hopefully they'll rebound and finish off the NC slate with a win. Are making today's Point game too?

[badgerwarhawk]

Trailing by 13 points late in the first half and by 10 points at the half the WARHAWKS rally in the second half and beat Hamline 65-60 in Naples Fl..  Details aren't available but if memory serves me Ards ended with 19, Kale with 16.  I think someone else hit double figures but at my age I can only remember so much.

We'll have to play really well tomorrow to be competitive with Amherst.

[fredfalcon]

RF over NJ City College 79-69. Stensgard had 20, Ohde and Keller 14, Jackson had 18. RF vs. Muskingum tomorrow.

[Greek Tragedy]

Point turns the tables and basically hits a buzzer beater to win 62-60.

[gbpuckfan]

SNC beats Stout.

That means the Green Knights went 4-1 against UW schools: beating Oshkosh, Eau Claire, Superior and Stout and losing to Green Bay.

[badgerwarhawk]

WARHAWKS smoked by Amhurst 76-54.  Leading by 7 33-26 at the half Amhurst turns it into double figures in the first minute and half of the second half and the WARHAWKS never get within single digits again.  Ards scores 14 in court time abbreviated by foul trouble.  Baily adds 9 and 3 assists.  That's about it.

Conference play starts Saturday in Eau Claire who beat St Olaf by ten tonight. 

River Falls was beaten  72-70 by a Muskegum three pointer with 4.1 seconds remaining. 

[Greek Tragedy]

La Crosse 10-0
Good wins vs Augsburg (7-2), Bethel (6-3) and Augustana (7-4).

Platteville 9-1
Good wins vs Washington U. (9-1), Bethel and LeTourneau (7-2). Lost to MHB (9-1) 74-72

Eau Claire 9-2
Good win vs Whitworth (6-3). Lost to Washington U. 56-55 and lost to SNC (7-2).

Stevens Point 8-3
Good wins vs Christopher Newport (9-4) and ETBU (7-2). Lost to Bethel, Augustana and Texas-Dallas (7-3)

River Falls (7-4)
Good win vs Nebraska Wesleyan (10-2). Lost to Wheaton (9-2), Augsburg (7-2) and Muskingum (7-3) at the buzzer.

Oshkosh 6-5
Good wins vs Augustana and North Central IL (9-3). Lost to Carthage (9-1), Elmhurst (10-1), SNC and Emory (10-1)

Whitewater 5-6
Lost to Washington U., Augustana and Amherst (8-2)

Stout 4-8
Lost to SNC

Saturday, Jan. 4

Whitewater at Eau Claire
La Crosse at Oshkosh
Stevens Point at River Falls
Stout at Platteville

[Greek Tragedy]

Stole this idea from BobbyO on the CCIW page...

.700 winning % seems to be the unofficial line when it comes to Pool C chances. You have a lot better chance to get into the Pool C consideration if you're above that and very little chance if you fall below that, though neither is guaranteed.

Conference tournament wins and losses do count, so for arguments sake, everyone is assumed to go 1-1.

16 wins in 23 games = .695
17 wins in 23 games = .739
17 wins in 24 games = .708

18 wins in 25 games = .720
18 wins in 26 games = .692

19 wins in 26 games = .730
19 wins in 27 games = .703

20 wins in 27 games = .740
20 wins in 28 games = .714

Everyone has 14 conference games left. I'm taking out results vs non D3 teams as well. Results from non D3 teams do count, but o ly as secondary criteria, I believe. Remember, everyone will go 1-1 in the conference tournament. Below, I'm using regular season results.

La Crosse 10-0, has one game vs Crown - needs to go 8-7 (1-1 tourney) to finish 19-8

Platteville loses two non D3 wins, 8-1 needs to go 9-5 (1-1) to finish 18-7.

Eau Claire 9-2 needs to go 9-5 (1-1) to finish 19-8

Stevens Point 8-3 needs to go 10-4 (1-1) to finish 19-8

River Falls loses a loss v Viterbo, 7-3 needs to go 11-3 (1-1) to finish 19-7.

Oshkosh 6-5 needs to go 12-2 (1-1) to finish 19-8.

Whitewater 4-6, loses a win v Viterbo, needs to go 14-0 (1-1) to finish 19-7

Stout 4-7 needs to go 14-0 (1-1) to finish 19-8

[Greek Tragedy]

Oshkosh shows La Crosse who's still King in the WIAC 79-63