MBB: Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[badgerwarhawk]

Downtown,

All you have to do is remember where Oshkosh was ranked in the preseason poll  last year and where they finished to realize that the preseason polls have some flaws. I've mentioned we should field a very competitive team and I'm not surprised that we're ranked.  After all  we finished the season 14th.  But 4th is a lot higher than I would have guessed.  We're returning all but two (Manchester and M Williams) of our players off last year's team though both were significant contributors and Manchester the conference's POY.   We haven't really added that much though I expect two newbies will be contributors this year. 

At any rate there's still 30 games to play so we'll see how it all shakes out.  The WIAC is a darn tough league so I hope the players don't get too caught up in a preseason poll or we could end up like Oskhosh did last year.   Not that they had a bad year, relatively speaking, but it wasn't one expected of a top ranked team.

[titan2000]

BW:


How do you think Lawrence felt after the preseason poll last year?  I know it motivated them when the #2 ranked Titans came to Alexander.  Pissed 'em off I'd gather from last year's 25-1 result.

[cubs]

Interesting to see that 6 of the 9 WIAC teams garnered at least "one" vote (Stout could have been ranked the #20 team on one ballot and only received "one" vote, yet six points.) 

I wonder how that compares to the other conferences around the nation??

[Mr. Ypsi]

Interesting to see that 6 of the 9 WIAC teams garnered at least "one" vote (Stout could have been ranked the #20 team on one ballot and only received "one" vote, yet six points.) 

I wonder how that compares to the other conferences around the nation??

Haven't tallied other conferences, but you edged out the CCIW (5 of 8 had votes).

[Greek Tragedy]

I don't take the preseason polls too seriously, but they are fun to analyze and such.  I'm very surprised to see Whitewater so high.  As BW said, they only lost two players, but when they are the POTY and Marvin Williams, come on...    Obviously I'm not sure who recruited who, but I think WW lost more than Point did.

Oshkosh had a very down year last year, according to expectations, but I gather they'll get back near the top of the WIAC and in the national spot light.

Considering LU's previous year, I was shocked they weren't in the preseason poll last year.  Surprised to see Point ranked, though it's cool.

[John Gleich]

From this poll, I think Oshkosh, Stout, and La Crosse are at least a bit too low, and Whitewater is at least a bit too high. 

It would be interesting to see the materials that each team provided that Pat distributed to the poll votes.  I would have to think that Whitewater's was pretty impressive, for them to recieve as high a vote as they recieved, especially losing the two players they did lose.  I realize that they do return 5 seniors and 5 Juniors, making them, again, one of the more senior teams in the league, and they have a taste of the NCAA tournament, having hosted the initial two rounds of the tournament.  But losing two All-Region players like they did may be hard to replace.  Per UWW's website:

"Fifteen lettermen from last year's 23-6 team have Coach Pat Miller eager to open the new season... Top scorers include 6-8 Andy Freund, 6-4 Rob Perry, and 6-2 Anthony Mlachnik."

So maybe there is a bit more promise than last year.

... but there are other teams in the league who return players too...

Oshkosh returns 9 lettermen and 4 seniors.  This group has something to prove, you'd have to believe.

La Crosse returns 11, including 2 seniors and three juniors.  The team may still be coping with the loss of Luke Holmen, however.

Point lost just two, but they were the two bigs, Bauer and Bouche.  Point is very young again, just two seniors and 3 juniors for the second straight year (last year actually just had two juniors).  But the freshmen who were the meat of the team last year are one year older, and with the leadership of hardened vererans Jon Krull (who, as a sophomore, was on the All-Tournament team in the Final Four) and Steve Hicklin (who was thrust into the starting roll and played the point in UWSP's final 3 games, including the National Championship as a freshman), I think this team will do nothing but continue to mature and get better as a team.  They may struggle against the teams with lots of size, but they showed last year that they could exploit some of these larger teams with perimeter play and quickness (beating Stout 2/3, Oshkosh once, La Crosse twice).

This season, unlike last (with the exception of with Whitewater's seniors), the WIAC seems to be a league led by seniors.  USUALLY that's the case with this league, but last season, it seemed like underclassmen, or at the very most, juniors were the ones leading.

[Brian Carroll]

The 2006-07 Wisconsin Basketball Yearbook has hit my mailbox. Here is how the magazine rates the WIAC teams this year:                    1. Oshkosh                        2. Whitewater                     3. Stevens Point                  4. La Crosse                      5. Platteville                    6. Stout                          7. Eau Claire                     8. Superior                       9. River Falls                   POY: Werner                       COY: TVD

[frodotwo]

Pointers first seven games includes 5 of the top 27 teams (Carroll #17, Lawrence #13, Oshkosh #27, Whitewater #4 and LaX #26) in the nation as rankings stand right now. That's a very tough early schedule. Then throw in two DII teams on the road and Augustana (#24), all in their first 11 games. That type of schedule should help this young team as they get to the latter stages of the season and the WIAC tourney.

[John Gleich]

I agree with that Frodotwo...  It will be interesting to see how the Pointers fare.  A couple of big wins early can get them ready for big games later in the year, but it may also add to the team's confidence, which, at times, was lacking last year (especially around Christmas).

[bulk19]

Blugold men won tonight! Woo hoo!
Intrasquad game. Heh, heh.
Whites 96, Blues 81 - score may be deceiving, because I think they played 23 minutes per half???

Dan Beyer 30 points, Jared Bardon 24 for the Whites; Luke Meier had 18 for the Blues... Shooting percentages were both over 50%...

Random thoughts - the Bulgolds added size with their transfers and freshmen. Will give them some depth and bodies to bang around with inside, and some fouls to give, too...

I was impressed with Geoff Probst, a 6-6 the University of North Dakota transfer. He had 13 points, and brings some intensity.

Two freshmen two keep an eye out for down the line - James Bowman, a guard, and Chance Weisensel, who played together on a state championship runner-up team in New Mexico, if I've done my research correctly... Weisensel, 6-6, had 13 points, too.

[badgerwarhawk]

OS,

Not that it matter but it's Melvin Williams, not Marvin. 

[Greek Tragedy]

OS,

Not that it matter but it's Melvin Williams, not Marvin. 

Marvin was probably in my head from Pulp Fiction...the guy who accidently has his head blown off by Vincent when Jules "hits a bump in the road".  Sorry Marvin...and Melvin. 

[uww4ever]

I'm surprised too at the #4 pre-season, little scared because of what Oshkosh went through with their hype, but hopefully we can live up to that ranking. 

We are indeed returning a lot of big-men talent, but the guard play will be key.  I think GIO can be a floor leader, but he hasn't played a lot of minutes w/ Chester running things last year and Melvin taking a lot of shots.  I don't like Anthony M's shot at all, hopefully the percentages can improve this year. 

Projected 5-Malachnik, Riley, Toellner, Freund, and Perry.  Please ignore spelling errors, point 'em out if you want, but I like another 13-3 record for us in conference, big wins on the road, Werner POY and Miller COY.

[cubs]

Anyone have the same feeling that the first place votes will be spread around when Media Day comes up?

I see WW, SP, LAX, and OSH all getting at least one first place vote.

Well so much for that thought, as Whitewater garnered 7 of the 9 "First Place Votes" to be the favorite among the WIAC SID's.  Stout recevied the two remaining "First Place Votes" but is actually predicted to finish 4th, behind Oshkosh and Stevens Point.

Here is a link to the predictions, and a quick look at each team:
http://www.uwsa.edu/wiac/mbasket/0607prev.html

[Greek Tragedy]

Very nice work, cubs.  I couldn't remember when the media day was.  I'm not in the media, but it sounds like something interesting to attend.