MBB: Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[Pioneer Hoops Fan]

I agree with Stoutguy.  Thing is the WIAC could get 5 teams in, and we'd still complain about not getting 6.  It's the facts of life.

WIAC has coporate sponsors, maybe they could get into the mix of handing over some cash for events like this.  

You definitely want to make it so the fans will show.  Probably the best thing for that is holding it at a few of the schools as suggested before with groups of four.  Then switching the locations so at some point each of the schools has hosted the event.  Big negative ,IMO, would be a scenario where Suptown has to travel to Millikin, or vice versa.

Trying to centralize this could be a possibility as well.  11 of 17 teams are within 3 hours of Madison.  This would leave a lot to the schools to market the event in order to fill the seats.  I'm sure there are closet fans out there somewhere that will show up to see some good basketball.  I can't speak for all of the school's alumni by any means, but if UWP were in an event like this held either in Madison or Milwaukee or probably even Chicago, it gives us another opprotunity to get together, drink, and watch our former team, maybe former teammates (depending how old or young you are) play a good competitive game in a somewhat "big time" environment.

We need Andrew Wagner to make this his baby for class, crunch the numbers, visualize the possibilities.  MAKE IT HAPPEN!!!!!!!

[Stout survivor]

I have brought this up to the CCIW board to here their thoughts since the WIAC/CCIW challange would involve the CCIW   

[Greek Tragedy]

I think trying to get all 8 CCIW teams and 8 of 9 WIAC teams to play in the first few years is asking a bit much.  Start small, say 4 teams like the old WIAC/LMC challenge or even a travelign partners situation like the last few years when La Crosse, Stevens Point, Lakeland and Ripon shared hosting and traveling duties.  Point and La Crosse at Ripon and Lakeland one night and then swap opponents with Ripon and Lakeland again hosting...then switch hosts the following year.  Baby steps...

[Pioneer Hoops Fan]

Point plays the winner of Loras and St. John's on Saturday.

St. John's schedule

Loras schedule

Loras beat La Crosse at the beginning of the season. boxscore

Any La Crosse fans want to fill us in?

And Platteville topped Loras around Thanksgiving. boxscore

Any Platteville fans at the game?

I was there Old School for the Loras game.  Was a game where everything was falling for both teams.  Kyle White is Loras' best player.  He can beat you inside and out.  Kolze was lights out for them for a stretch.  Teams combined for 11 asts, 25 TO's.  Alot of dribbling in that game.  Goose carried us.  Platteville's offense is designed to have your big man hit jumpers from 15-17 feet.  In this game Goose just took a step back instead.  Loras scraps and hustles, but when Goose got hot they still didn't come out on him as much.  They have a couple of guys that can bang as well, but they're slow and prone to fouls.  What is interesting to me is that LaCrosse and Platteville run the same motion offense (LaCrosse stole the idea   ) but Platteville came out on top in this one.  Neutral floor too (Kinda).  I know every team matches up differently, but Loras' "Pit" is tough to play in.  Kyle Tetschlag hurt Loras on hustle plays.

Kind of a hodge Podge all over the place post, but if you want more info let me know and I'll try jogging the ole noggin!

[Greek Tragedy]

What is interesting to me is that LaCrosse and Platteville run the same motion offense (LaCrosse stole the idea   )

I'm guessing La Crosse stole it from Point since Ken Koelbl was an assistant at Point! 

[Pioneer Hoops Fan]

I think trying to get all 8 CCIW teams and 8 of 9 WIAC teams to play in the first few years is asking a bit much.  Start small, say 4 teams like the old WIAC/LMC challenge or even a travelign partners situation like the last few years when La Crosse, Stevens Point, Lakeland and Ripon shared hosting and traveling duties.  Point and La Crosse at Ripon and Lakeland one night and then swap opponents with Ripon and Lakeland again hosting...then switch hosts the following year.  Baby steps...

Which teams do we start with?  I agree with you in starting slow, because too much too soon could be a disaster, but we're already looking forward to the future!!!!!

[Pioneer Hoops Fan]

Actually Koebl stole it from Combs, who stole it from Bill Self when he was at Illinois.  Or maybe Coach Koebl just got it from Self himself.  To be honest with you, I'm not sure I can remember what LaCrosse was running when Koebl got the job, probably what was in place at Point, but since then has switched over the same motion.   No Biggie, just trying to throw a little bit of nothing into the post.

[Just Bill]

The WIAC team that does not qualify for the conference tourney the year before can be the one left out of the WIAC/CCIW challange.

By the time the ninth place WIAC team is determined in February, it would likely be too late for them to pick up 1 or 2 non-conference games to fill the schedule for the next year.  It would need to rotate somehow.

[Stout survivor]

Starting slow will happen cause i dont think that all coaches wil want to do it right away, but if the fans are there and i would think that the players would like too  it should become a fun event for all.

I just see how (at least on these boards) we take pride in our conferences and like good ball, WHY NOT put the two together.

It should give us a good idea who will be a force and who still needs work and maybe match teams up based on preseason predictions rom the year before adn take senior loses into acount so we dont have an 8th seed WIAC going against #1 seed CCIW and we should know who is better that year.  My guess ... on any year any conference could win.

[billys]

Or maybe Coach Koebl just got it from Self himself. 

Correct.

[titan2000]

I think if you have it at a neutral site on a Friday/Saturday  and have big parties sponsored by various beer and liquor companies, then a lot of fans will come to check out the fans from the other teams.  Maybe Motel 6  and Trojan might want to jump in on the sponsorship. 

Then, in the morning, Big Apple Bagels and Starbucks could take over and feed the masses.

This is gonna be great. 

[diehardfan]

Maybe Motel 6  and Trojan might want to jump in on the sponsorship. 

Heh... I think Wheaton needs to bow out of this one already. 

[fpc85]

OS, I'm as critical of the NESCAC as anyone around, and for the reasons you state. Their namby-pamby justifications for their single round-robin league scheduling don't wash with me. However, you have to cut Amherst a little slack for that upset loss to Williams. That is a massive rivalry game, perhaps the second most intense rivalry in all of D3 after Calvin/Hope, and we all know that rivalry games are in a category by themselves in which "favorite" and "underdog" take on much less meaning.

You know me Greg, I'm the last person you have to tell about the big Williams/Amherst rivalry, but I'm not biting on that this time.  It was a total choke job by Amherst.  Apparently they knew they were in the tourney and didn't care or something, because when you are THAT MUCH BETTER than your opponent, blow them out two other times and have them down 15-0 AT YOUR place, what else do you call that? 

If those other two games were remotely close, I might buy that "rivalry" stuff this time around, but they weren't.

I hope you are kidding......Yeah Amherst lost on purpose ....Williams was lights out......Amherst struggled but your comments are a bit off base...If you could have talked to some of the Amherst players after the game you would know that beatng Williams is always the first option....Amherst had not lost to them in over 2 years...so chalk it up to a bad night...

[LAXGUY]

Just wanted to put my thoughts out there about all conference.

Joe Werner UW-L (POY)
Pete Rortvedt UW-SP
Jon Krull UW-SP
Jim Capelle UW-O
Leonard Cobb UW-SUP
Chris Ask UW-L
Kerry Gibson UW-O
Jacob Nonemacher UW-ST
Steve Hicklin UW-SP
Dan Beyer UW-EC

Just missed
Jerrel Enerson-Matthews UW-ST
Nate Robertson UW-RF
Jason Price UW-WW

[Greek Tragedy]

I hope you are kidding......Yeah Amherst lost on purpose ....Williams was lights out......Amherst struggled but your comments are a bit off base...If you could have talked to some of the Amherst players after the game you would know that beatng Williams is always the first option....Amherst had not lost to them in over 2 years...so chalk it up to a bad night...

I wasn't saying they sandbagged.  Sometimes when a team knows they are already in the tourney, they might not play with as much intensity.  I know there was some concern by Point that they might come out a little flat since they knew, win or loss, they were in the NCAAs, while La Crosse had their tourney lives to play for.  Sometimes the mindset isn't what it should be...kind of like when a player may take a lesser opponent lightly and then needing a wake up call to get their act together and finish off their business. 

I used that last part as an example, in no way do I feel Amherst took Williams lightly.