MBB: Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[buf]

Superior upsets EC by 2

Did you see the paper tonight? It said it was the lowest attended game at Zorn in 39 years!  Seriously, how does he keep his job losing at home to Superior in front of such few fans?!!! 

Yeah.  I saw the attendance.  Has been pretty low all season.  It shows just how far the program has dropped.  Even the author of the article mentioned how the program is clearly heading in the wrong direction.  In fact there has been some articles in the past few years getting on Gibbons case (from weak non-conf. schedules to recruiting efforts).  But I don't plan on seeing things change in the near future.  According to a newspaper article from last year, the AD pretty much said that Gibbons has his job as long as he wants it.  Here's to hoping Gibbons doesn't want it anymore    In all seriousness, its a shame what has happened in EC.  A once proud program has now been torn to shreads.  The team does return basically everyone (except Riley) next year.  However, this year they returned everyone except Birkel, and even added a few transfers and they are going to end up with a worse record than last season.  So whos to say they are going to do any better next season with all the returners.

The situation at EC is definately sad.  I am always hoping that it will get better.  I do think that Gibbon's CAN turn things around, at least a bit, but I just do not see the effort (esp. from a recruiting standpoint).

[John Gleich]

Superior upsets EC by 2

Did you see the paper tonight? It said it was the lowest attended game at Zorn in 39 years!  Seriously, how does he keep his job losing at home to Superior in front of such few fans?!!! 

... If nobody's there *when you lose, then there can't be THAT many people who are upset...!

[BoBo]

Superior upsets EC by 2

Did you see the paper tonight? It said it was the lowest attended game at Zorn in 39 years!  Seriously, how does he keep his job losing at home to Superior in front of such few fans?!!! 

... If nobody's there to lose, then there can't be THAT many people who are upset...!

or...if you lose and nobody is there to see it, have you really lost?

[chmarx]

WTF?

[stoutguy]

WTF?

Looks like the perfect time to plug our show, "Western Wisconsin Sports Saturday".  It airs Sat. morning from 8-10 and this week's show features WIAC men's coaches Ken Koelbl and Terry Gibbons.(I will ask him about the article).  On the women's side we will talk to Tonja Englund and Mark Thomas and we will also chat with Stout's Terry Watkins about hockey as well as area high school basketball coaches.  The show airs on WMEQam 880 sports radio and WBIZam 1400.  Just click on WMEQ.com and click "Listen Live".  Last week we had a great chat with Jack Bennett regarding assistant coaches and their roles in his basketball life. 

[BDB]

Pat will be sending Clear Channel and you a bill for that shameless plug. 

Actually, it's time to get him on again as well if he's willing.

[stoutguy]

Pat will be sending Clear Channel and you a bill for that shameless plug. 

Actually, it's time to get him on again as well if he's willing.

We are planning on asking Pat next Saturday to help us sort out this WIAC teams in the tournament thing and hope that his crazy schedule will allow it.

[janesvilleflash]

Time for some WIAC baseball coaches on the radio show.

[stoutguy]

Time for some WIAC baseball coaches on the radio show.

Good idea, but the problem is our show ends in a few weeks and Up Nort, here, we don't get too excited about baseball until the white stuff goes away.  I will tell Craig Walters (Stout coach) though, that you brought it up.  We could interview the Blugold coach or the Badger coach----opps, that's right they don't have a team.

[John Gleich]

For Stevens Point, that is two games in a row that Khalifa El-Amin has hit a 3 in a crucial  point of the game and swung momentum into a Pointers win. Is KEA the X-factor?

HIs play really has been key, not only his scoring of late, but his distribution as well.  He is truly an unselfish player who really paces Point's offense, and lately, he's been picking up the slack a bit when Hicklin and Rortvedt have been held under wraps.

[John Gleich]

Top 4 teams could all win the tournament, but my best guess is UWSP w/ their shooting, home court also helps.

Any upset specials??  Can UWSP lose?  

Yep, each of the top 4 are vulnerable.... but I'm glad that Point will be playing in the friendly confines of Quandt throughout...

I think it's beginning to look like Pool C bids will be hard to come by for any team other that Point... they're a definite lock, even if they would lose their next two games (which would both be against Superior if Sup beats Point and EC loses...  Sup then becomes the #8 seed and would make the return trip to Point).

The likihood of this isn't great... seeing as Point won the game in January by the largest margin of victory in 24 years... but crazy things happen in the great white north...

[Greek Tragedy]

I think Oshkosh has a real good shot at a Pool C bid, despite getting beat on the road to Whitewater.  Before the game, they were 5th in the West Region...behind Point, St. John's, St. Thomas and Whitworth, with Oxy, Loras and Redlands behind them.

St. John's and St. Thomas play each other this weekend and will most likely play each other in the MIAC final.  So, that means one or both will get at least one more loss.  Oxy and Redlands also play each other Saturday.

[bulk19]

Superior upsets EC by 2

Did you see the paper tonight? It said it was the lowest attended game at Zorn in 39 years!  Seriously, how does he keep his job losing at home to Superior in front of such few fans?!!! 

... If nobody's there *when you lose, then there can't be THAT many people who are upset...!

I'd say Point Special may have things partially right... If you're a senior at UWEC, the men's team hasn't given you much to cheer about during your four years of schooling here. And, it feeds on down to the lower classmen, too. Why go watch a team that isn't winning? Maybe that's apathy, and there are betting things to do, I guess... Winning would help, but I'm really not sure how much it would boost attendance among those who have been used to the losing?

But those of us old farts who do care, perhaps have decided not to spend our $6 on a game or two. I think it was SuperFanP who suggested making a statement with our feet, or wallets, or whatever, by staying away...

As for me, I've used free throw shooting as an example of what upsets me; Lord knows I've harped on it here. This team shoots 60% from the charity stripe; that's just bad basketball. It's fundamentals... When you shoot that poorly, you better be doing a lot of other things right to compensate. And that just isn't happening...

If I wanted to see guys who only shoot 66%, that's 2 of 3, I'll go watch the Gus Macker tourney, like I have in past summers... Or, I'll sneak into McPhee here for free and watch intramurals. Although I'm sure there are some gym rats in there who can make 66% or better...

Your #1-ranked Pointers certainly didn't attain that status due to height. They are undersized, a bit. But how have they compensated? Only by leading D3 in fewest turnovers per game, and assist-to-turnover ratio. Oh, and at 82.3 %, they are leading ALL of college mens' hoops from the free throw line. I don't think that lofty ranking is a coincidence...

* stats were from before Wednesday's game...

[buf]

WTF?

Looks like the perfect time to plug our show, "Western Wisconsin Sports Saturday".  It airs Sat. morning from 8-10 and this week's show features WIAC men's coaches Ken Koelbl and Terry Gibbons.(I will ask him about the article). 

Stoutguy-

Here is the quoted paragraph from Thursday's Eau Claire Leader Telegram article on the EC-Sup game:

"Afterward (the game) Yellowjackets coach Dave Buchanan slapped backs in the bleachers with the family of his prized recruit, Altoona's Shane Manor.  Meanwhile, Blugold's coach Terry Gibbons and athletic director Scott Kilgallon leaned quietly against the scorer's table, absorbing the reality their program wasn't the one in the gym moving in the right direction."

[janesvilleflash]

My advise to Gibbons, Don't go on the radio with Stoutguy!!!!!