MBB: Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[MNEagle]

Seeding procedures have been updated on the site. Division games only to determine the seeds.

By the looks of it if Platteville and Oshkosh win out this week there would be a coin toss.

Also, the Eau Claire women have already won their West division even before play starts tonight.

If Platteville and Oshkosh both win on Friday night, after the three weeks of divisional games, that would put Platteville at 5-1 and Oshkosh at 4-1.  Assuming the Oshkosh-Whitewater game will not be made up, that would leave Platteville with a 1/2 game advantage in the standings.  I didn't see any verbiage in the WIAC tourney procedures that dealt with this situation.

[badgerwarhawk]

They have tie breaking procedures which start with head to head and finish with a coin toss.  I don't know why they wouldn't simply follow those.  WHITEWATER/Oshkosh will not be made up.

[tomt4525]

UWRF/UWEC game tonight has been cancelled.

[Mr. Ypsi]

UWRF/UWEC game tonight has been cancelled.

Weather or COVID?

[tomt4525]

UWRF/UWEC game tonight has been cancelled.

Weather or COVID?

Covid protocols

[MNEagle]

They have tie breaking procedures which start with head to head and finish with a coin toss.  I don't know why they wouldn't simply follow those.  WHITEWATER/Oshkosh will not be made up.

While the women's first round WIAC tourney pairings are now posted, nothing on the men, due to the two COVID cancelled games.  If those game are not going to be made up, which it doesn't sound like they will, they've got to figure out what to do with the imbalanced records where four teams have played one less game than the other four.  With next week's cross-over games not counting, they have some time to work this out.

[PauldingLightUP]

Point snd Stout were out classed again on Friday night. Whitewater hung around for a while again against Platteville, but it wasn't enough as Platteville closed strong.

Oshkosh men's recap mentioned seeding will be finalized tomorrow, Sunday. West should be set at least. La Crosse and Oshkosh will host doubleheaders on March 1. Platteville and River Falls men will host while Whitewater and Eau Claire women will March 1.

[tomt4525]

6'3" Lake Mills G/F Charlie Bender has committed to play basketball at UW-Platteville.  The Pioneers recruiting class is really coming together so far with Bender being their 3rd commit.

Bender's high school coach is none other than former Pointer National Champion and 1000 point scorer, Steve Hicklin.  That connection still wasn't enough for the Pointers as I know they had interest in Bender as well.

[tomt4525]

6'7" Stoughton F, Reece Sproul, has committed to UWEC to play basketball.

He's the 2nd player, with UWSP interest, that committed elsewhere today. 

[tomt4525]

UWEC has cancelled their games this week with UW-Oshkosh after cancelling games against UWRF last week.  They have also pulled out of the pseudo "Conference Tournament" next week.

[MNEagle]

That brings up the interesting situation of one of the East division teams having a Monday (afternoon?) bye, but not necessarily the #1 seed.  If they use winning percentages to determine placement, that would put Eau Claire at Oshkosh on Monday, so the Titans would lose three straight games.  Nothing posted on the WIAC website for the men's tourney as of 1:00 pm today.

[PauldingLightUP]

Wow, Platteville got the East #1 seed and the bye.

[MNEagle]

They voided Eau Claire out of the West standings, giving Stout the #3 seed and a trip to Oshkosh with Platteville receiving the bye.  Probably a good decision to keep Oshkosh from sitting idle for almost two weeks between games.

Another interesting situation is this week's crossover games between La Crosse and Platteville.  If they hold on to their #1 seeds in the tourney and meet for the championship, it sets up a possibility they'll play each other three times in ten days.

[PauldingLightUP]

I'm happy to see the WIAC sticking to their plan of alternating who plays first and second in case of a doubleheader. Last year in Eau Claire women were at 6pm and men at 8pm against Stevens Point. This year, the men are playing in the afternoon in La Crosse and Oshkosh with the women to follow at night.

The March 1st games are spread out for the men which is nice to see. COVID protocol dictated more than anything, but still good for us fans catching the streams.

Stout at Oshkosh 2pm
Stevens Point at La Crosse  3pm
Whitewater and River Falls 6pm

[tomt4525]

6'2" Mt Horeb G, Torin Hannah, has committed to play basketball at La Crosse.  Hannah was a 2nd team All Conference performer in a tough Badger North Conference as a junior, 3rd known commit for Coach Dernbach.