MBB: Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[Greek Tragedy]

It's Hope... they dominated Calvin. And yeah, totally at Point. But I said that yesterday and Old  School tried to shush me!

I always try to sandbag the Pointers, you know that! 

Looks like the geography is working out nicely for a sectional in Point with Carroll, Wash U. and Hope.

He was referring to the driving distance, not if Hope won.  And yeah, they should be driving distance since it's 3 hours to Aurora and probably less than 4 to Point, from there.

[David Collinge]

Good thing there's that magical mystical ferry across Lake Michigan; cuts down Hope's travel time by quite a lot. 

[BDshotblocker]

Good thing there's that magical mystical ferry across Lake Michigan; cuts down Hope's travel time by quite a lot. 

I believe there is a ferry.......could be wrong and might just be a summer thing.

Great time in Point tonight. Nice to meet BanditUWSP, Point Special, Swampgoon (sp), and even you again Old School

The one thing that concerns me about Point is if they play a hard fought game on Friday night, can they come back and do it again Saturday?  With only 6 guys playing 10+ min could be hard for them to pull it off.

Stoutguy, heard your excellent radio show this morning and it sounds like if the selection criteria changes like it might, the WIAC/CCIW challange could be benificial for both leagues. 

[Greek Tragedy]

I don't think it will be much of a concern.  The 2nd championship year, Point had five occasions when they played on back to back nights and they won each time.

That year, they had 7 players average 10 or more minutes and that's skewed a little because Hicklin averaged 10.3 minutes a game, and he had those numbers jump up a lot in the tourney because of Relerford's injury.

Kalsow:  32.4 mpg
Bennett: 32.1
Krull:  23.6
Maus:  26.9
Relerford: 24.3
Grusczynski:  18.1
Hicklin:  10.3

Nov 20 beat Soutwestern
Nov 21 beat U. of Chicago

Nov 26 beat Lakeland
Nov 27 beat Ripon

Dec 29 beat Viterbo
Dec 30 beat WLC

Mar 11 beat Puget Sound
Mar 12 beat Trinity (texas)

Mar 18 beat York
Mar 19 beat Rochester (NY)

They also had two occasions when they played Tues, Thurs and Sat.

This year's team:

Rortvedt:  28.8
Krull:  29.5
Hicklin:  29.1
Beamish:  28.4
El-Amin:  27.5
Jackson:  17.6

Krautkramer:  9.2

Matt Moses "averages" 11.2, but that was all at the beginning of the season and Shawn Lee left the team (non-basketball reasons).  I think what also helps the team is that they are more balanced, they don't have to worry about keeping one or two players on the floor for extended minutes, like we did with Bennett and Kalsow.  There are times when we have Krull and Rortvedt on the bench and still have Beamish, El-Amin and Hicklin to do the scoring, not to mention Drew, who can score when needed.

[Andrew Wagner]

Just got done spending 25 hours with the ESPN GameDay crew for a story (www.onmilwaukee.com ... shameless plug!!!) and had the pleasure of running into Pat Miller, who was safeguarding the Siemens National Championship Trophy. It's conversations like the one I had with him today that make me miss covering the WIAC. Down to earth, honest, cordial ... and one hell of a nice guy. Whitewater is damn lucky to have a guy like that in the ranks.

BTW ... also had a conversation with Crean today, who said Point was one of the best exhibition games he's ever been involved in.

I still don't like Marquette.

[BBGUY]

When will it be announced where SP, Wash U, Hope and Carroll will play? Seems like the strongest sectional.

[Mr. Ypsi]

When will it be announced where SP, Wash U, Hope and Carroll will play? Seems like the strongest sectional.

Since UWSP, Wash U, and Hope are all in the top 10, and Carroll just knocked off two top 10 teams (Augie and St Thomas) on their home courts, I think this qualifies as the understatement of the day!

I'd be shocked if the sectional was anywhere but Stevens Point.

[Greek Tragedy]

Since UWSP, Wash U, and Hope are all in the top 10, and Carroll just knocked off two top 10 teams (Augie and St Thomas) on their home courts, I think this qualifies as the understatement of the day!

I'd be shocked if the sectional was anywhere but Stevens Point.

Maybe they'll move it to Kolf at Oshkosh so they can fit all the Hope fans. lol I hear they travel well.  .  Plus, trips for Carroll and Washington U will be closer!  Hey, I'm a team player!  ...NOT. 

[Titan Q]

Titan Q,

I know you've mentioned Washington U. several times.  Could you post your feelings on Washington U. on the WIAC board for us...and anyone else that has seen Washington U. play...

Thanks a lot.

OS, good to see you Friday night at Aurora.

Wash U. is a very good team.  While they are not as good as some of the great teams I have seen play in Salem the last 10 years, in this year of great parity in Division III, I think they're good enough to win two games this weekend and get to the Final Four.  As I evaluate the best teams I have seen this year, I'd say Wash U. is right at the top of that list, dead even with Elmhurst, Hope, and Augustana.

Wash U is dangerous because they have great balance.  Like Illinois Wesleyan's nucleus of the last 3 years, they have a great point-guard (6-2 sophomore Sean Wallis, 12.9 ppg/7.4 apg), a great wing (6-6/200 sophomore Tyler Nading, 15.3 ppg/6.3 apg), and a great low post player (6-6/235 junior Troy Ruths, 19.4 ppg/7.9 rpg).  The other two starters, 2-guard Aaron Thompson (6.8 ppg) and 6-5/195 power forward Nick Nikitas (6.8 ppg), are solid role players.  Where Wash U is nowhere near as good as that IWU nucleus is in the depth department.  Where IWU had Chris Jones, Steve Schweer, Matt Arnold, Mike McGraw, and Andrew Freeman, Wash U really only has two bench players that get 10+ minutes consistently -- 6-5 freshman Cameron Smith and 6-2 sophomore guard Phil Syvertsen.  6-7/235 freshman Zach Kelly plays 5-6 minutes per game, but he is really just a space eater...not a big scoring threat while he's in there.
 
Troy Ruths is Wash U's best player, but the guy that really makes them tick (as with a lot of great teams) is their point-guard, Sean Wallis.  Last Saturday I saw Wallis set the school single-game assist record with 16 vs Chicago in a winner-take-all UAA finale vs Chicago.  Wallis was the point-guard for the Glenbrook North H.S. team that won the Illinois Class AA state championship in 2005...

http://www.marchmadness.org/records/yearly/2005baa.htm

Just as he was in the shadow of Jon Scheyer (who starts at Duke) at Glenbrook North, he's in the shadow of Ruths at Wash U, but he may be their MVP.  Not flashy at all and not really a great shooter, but just a good, solid point-guard.

Tyler Nading, the 6-6 wing, is extremely talented and a probable future Division III All-American.  He can hit the 3 and also penetrate and finish strong.  Troy Ruths is an absolute ton down low, and he just seems to keep getting better every time I see him play.  Again, they just have great balance and I am a huge believer in balance come tournament time.  You have to have both an inside game and an outside game, and Wash U certainly does.

I am not 100% sold on Wash U's toughness up and down their rotation...especially here in the Sectional round vs the likes of UW-Stevens Point.  When the going gets tough vs the Pointers in a tough environment, I'm just not sure how they will respond.  Without question the Bears have the talent to get it done this weekend but they may be missing some intangibles.  We'll see.  That's a great Sectional field.

I know one thing - Wash U. will be the 2007-08 D3hoops.com preseason #1.   

[Greek Tragedy]

I know one thing - Wash U. will be the 2007-08 D3hoops.com preseason #1.   

Thanks for the post about Washington U.  So, you think they'll be the preseason #1 even if they don't make it to Salem?

Washington U.'s Roster

[Titan Q]

I know one thing - Wash U. will be the 2007-08 D3hoops.com preseason #1.   

Thanks for the post about Washington U.  So, you think they'll be the preseason #1 even if they don't make it to Salem?

Washington U.'s Roster

Without question.  IWU lost at home to Hanover in Round 2 in 2004-05 and was the preseason #1 in 2005-06 just simply due to all of that returning talent (Dauksas, Amelianovich, Freeman, and supporting cast).  Wash U returns Wallis, Nading, Ruths and almost the entire supporting cast.

It's a no-brainer.

[frodotwo]

Stevens Point will be hosting the sectional this year. Shades of 2005?  I know I'll be in the ticket line much earlier than last week, when my favorite tix were sold out in less than an hour.

[John Gleich]

Stevens Point will be hosting the sectional this year. Shades of 2005?  I know I'll be in the ticket line much earlier than last week, when my favorite tix were sold out in less than an hour.

I got there at 6:45 last Tuesday... I was aiming for earlier, and I don't think it really mattered too much.  I'm planning on getting there for 6:15 or 6:30 this next week.

[titan2000]

I will be out of town so the Mrs. and I won't be there.  We'll be pullling for Carroll (girl's name) as they are the MWC team and well, everyone loves a Cinderella story. 

I do think the NCAA would be  better served to have these games at larger neutral sites, like the Kolf Center, but they won't because they are cheap.  Yet they could sell 6,000 tickets at Kolf vs. 2,800 at Quandt.  My economics training would suggest that it would be worth having these at large venues if you charge a fair price for the tickets, say $15 per game or $20 for two games. 

It could be at an NCAA institution and provide room for all the traveling fans, instead of the crammed in treatment they'll get at Quandt. 

I felt the same way about what we needed to do at Alex last year when LU hosted; that would have been a better situation if they could have moved it, even just to a local venue, say Appleton East,  that has more seats.  Kolf would have been perfect and the IWU fans would have had a better experience.  But LU had no option according to the NCAA.

I know about the high school sectionals, but if the NCAA guaranteed the facility, it wouldn't matter.  In fact, one could be played during the day and one at night, easily in the example of the Kolf Center.

Other venues in the other parts of the country could be established in advance. 

MAYBE NEXT YEAR?

[David Collinge]

We'll be pullling for Carroll (girl's name)