MBB: Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[Mr. Downtown]

Stout's problem - Offense. Too much dribbling and not enough passing from the back court. That will come in time with Enerson-Matthews.

Yes, this will be a big stretch for Oshkosh, but I think they can pull it off. Ted Van Dellen always finds a way for his team to get on a roll during winter break.

For the students...I hope finals are going well.

[Greek Tragedy]

The funny thing is, that even though Point won the game by 22, I didn't think that, aside from Hicklin, they were particularly crisp.  Many of the guys seemed tired on their shots, and I think it showed in their shooting percentage. 

I think that will happen when you play two emotionally and physically draining conference games (Wed. and Sat.) and then play another game two days later and then yet another one two days after that.  They have a much needed break before heading out West to Colorado, and then to Northern Michigan.

Lax just loses in OT at Carleton after leading almost the entire game.  21 turnovers for UWL.
Can somebody besides Point win a big non-conference game?

Luckily for Stout, that Northern Michigan game "doesn't count".  It's a big blow, IMO, that La Crosse falls to Carleton.

I'm curious to see how UWO does over the next week as they have three games in five days as they host St. Nobert (Saturday,) Lawrence (Monday,) and Carroll (Wednesday.)  I would hope they could go 3-0 but they have lost to Lawrence in three straight seasons, so it will be tough.

That's going to be a real tough stretch.  St. Norb's isn't going to be the patsy they were last year with new coach Gary Grzesk bringing in a more disciplined approach.  As mentioned before, they have two 2-pt losses to Elmhurst and a good Ripon team.  Lawrence, of course, continues to do well despite losing All-world Chris Braier, while Carroll was humbled by Point in the season opener and stumbled against Monmouth by two.  Point just got done with a Saturday-Monday-Wednesday stretch, but (with apologies to Edgewood and Viterbo) Oshkosh's stretch looks a lot more demanding.  If they win two, I would probably be happy as an Oshkosh fan.  It's not even the new year, but this stretch could really make or break Oshkosh's season.  They come through 3-0 and they have all the confidence in the world, they tank and it might be 2005 all over again.  I'm hoping to make the Carroll and Lawrence games.

[fredfalcon]

RF 97-57 over Crown College, at Crown. Falcons up by 21 at half. Subs rack up big minutes as starters ride pine. Thompson w/18 (4/5 threes) and Koonkaew w/10 only guys with double figure point totals.

Crown can't be too good--nobody over 6'5". Superior beat them by nine on Crown's court earlier this week.

[chmarx]

I can't figure our team out.  We win big road conference games.  Lose a quality game at Point.  Lose to two weak nonconference foes.

Focus seems to be an issue with this team.

[Greek Tragedy]

Very nice article on Stevens Point in the Around The Nation section.  Admittedly, sometimes I just skip the front page and go to the Post Up page...just wanted to make sure you WIACers caught that.  I just hope there isn't any "front page of Sports Illustrated" curse on d3hoops! 

[Greek Tragedy]

Anyone want to clue me in on Whitewater's win vs. Grinnell in Elmhurst?  126-90 or something like that.  Oshkosh leads St. Norb's at the break 33-26 or abouts.

[chmarx]

wow!  High scoring game.

[buf]

wow!  High scoring game.

Grinnell plays a very unique and fast style.  So far this season they have averaged 126 points per game.  So actually WW did very well to hold them under the century mark

[Greek Tragedy]

Platteville goes down to Robert Morris-Springfield, 82-74.  Isn't Springfield the lesser of the two Robert Morris'?  Chicago being the other one.  No disrespect to Springfield, of course.

d3hoops story

[buck14]

Yes Springfield is the lesser of the 2. RMC Springfield is a USCAA D1 team who recently had over half of the team get dismissed from the team. The core 5 from the past few seasons is still there and they took complete control of the game. Each player getting around 38 minutes. The bigger, stronger Platteville team could not keep up with the quickness of the eagles. Corley Lee led the eagles with 23 pts and 8 rebounds.

[frankiet]

why did the players get dismissed?

[buck14]

RMC is a private school and i dont know abuot any other colleges but RMC requires student-athletes to achieve a decent GPA to play sports. Some of the players were unable to achieve that GPA.

On another note, RMC soph Shawn March had a career high tonight with 20 pts(10-11), he made a lot of easy buckets when UWP went to a 1-3-1 zone. Still confused on why they played a 1-3-1.

[frankiet]

does Skyler McKinley still play at RMC? Or where did he go?

[Greek Tragedy]

On another note, RMC soph Shawn March had a career high tonight with 20 pts(10-11), he made a lot of easy buckets...

i'm guessing when you shoot 10 for 11, there might have been some easy baskets! lol 

[Greek Tragedy]

The WIAC is now on break until the new year, so it's time to focus on the nonconference schedule over the holiday break and look back at the other nonconference games, since we all know they are just as important as the conference games when it comes to selection Sunday in March.

nonconference record

Point (5-0):  Point has played a very tough NC schedule with Carroll, Lawrence and Ripon on the schedule thus far.  Including the recent Viterbo game, Point will play three games that won't count (non-d3 opponents).  A huge game at the end of the year vs. Augustana looms after that.

La Crosse (3-2):  Don't know much about Loras (they lost by 8 to Platteville as well), but that Carleton loss really hurts.  Things don't get any easier for the Eagles as they play at St. Thomas, Calvin and then either Ohio Northern or Wooster...ouch.  Last year La Crosse was 20-7 and got a Pool C bid.  They could have more than seven losses this year.

Platteville (4-1):  Well, good thing for Platteville, that Robert Morris-Springfield loss doesn't actually count..and of course, neither does that Viterbo win.  NC games vs. Richard Stockton and possibly Randolph-Macon are quality opponents, but again, I don't think either of those games will count as in-region.  In total, Platteville could only have FOUR nonconference games that will count (BV, Dub, Loras and Clarke).

Oshkosh (2-1):  That tough loss at Elmhurst could've gone a long way had the result been different.  Like Point, Oshkosh gets a MWC trifecta in St. Norb's Lawrence and Carroll.  And also like Point last year, they head to the Clarke Holiday tourney where they could play at two D3 teams (there seems to be a lot of NAIA teams that play down there).  In the end, they'll have a lot more NC games that count than Platteville does.  If I'm correct, with the new In-Region rules, games against teams in regions that border the West Region count, no matter how far away they are.

Stout (3-1):  So far, I think only two of those games count, wins against Northland and Finlandia.  I believe they only have one NC game left that is against a D3 opponent (Buena Vista).  It depends who they play in Vegas on the 2nd day.  Aside from their 16 conference games, they'll only play THREE other games "that count". 

Eau Claire (5-1):  I'm not sure if EC's first two games vs Alma (at Manchester) and at Manchester count, but I think they are in the Midwest Region, so they should.  Alma is in the Great Lakes region, but the game was played at Manchester...too lazy to look it up now.  They are in good shape, NC-wise, but I think the WIAC will beat them up.

Whitewater (4-1):  Whitewater is in good shape, despite their losing record in the WIAC.  A tough loss at home to IWU is the only NC blemish.  Carroll will be a tough game, but that's at home and Maranatha Baptist and MSOE should be winnable NC games that remain.  WW only has 24 games on their schedule?

River Falls (3-3):  River Falls has their two eligible wins against UMAC foes and then they also play Finlandia.  I think they'll pull a few surprises in the WIAC, but other than that, not really heading anywhere.

Superior (2-3):  Superior also taking advantage of the UMAC with a win against St. Scholastica (split) and Crown.  They get another shot at Northland, as well as another one against Finlandia.