MBB: Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[wcbsas]

Pioneers annouced to HS Seniors that have committed to play at UWP

Tanner Carlson

Alex Bondar

I saw the Bondar kid play in the sectional finals against Monroe.  Only scored 6 points, but was basically guarded by two Cheesmakers at all times.  Has a nice touch around the basket.

Nice start for commitments thus far for the Pioneers.

UWP has Skemp (senior) and Henney (sophomore) as well as a couple other big guys ... what does this mean for PT?

[Hoops Junkie]

Any truth to the rumor that Eddie Andrist is hanging them up after this upcoming season

[Pioneer Hoops Fan]

UWP has Skemp (senior) and Henney (sophomore) as well as a couple other big guys ... what does this mean for PT?

Three of their 5 returning post players from last year are going to be Seniors.  Skemp, Tetschlag, and Gibbons.

Wall started a few games, and like you said Henney getting some minutes last year may possibly hamper what this kid may get for playing time.  But, with all the previous discussion about reshirting before, this now makes Wall, Henney, and Bondar work that much harder in the offseason and push for playing time.  Wall and Henney obviously have the upper hand for having a year under their belt, but their is definitely nothing wrong with have good competition in practice either. 

[wcbsas]

UWP has Skemp (senior) and Henney (sophomore) as well as a couple other big guys ... what does this mean for PT?

Three of their 5 returning post players from last year are going to be Seniors.  Skemp, Tetschlag, and Gibbons.

Wall started a few games, and like you said Henney getting some minutes last year may possibly hamper what this kid may get for playing time.  But, with all the previous discussion about reshirting before, this now makes Wall, Henney, and Bondar work that much harder in the offseason and push for playing time.  Wall and Henney obviously have the upper hand for having a year under their belt, but their is definitely nothing wrong with have good competition in practice either. 

I wonder if UWP will struggle to keep all the players.  There is a balance between having great depth and not playing players!  Skemp averaged 28.8 minutes per game and the next closest post player in minutes/game was Henney at 4.8 per game.   

It wouldn't surprise me to see the Pioneers lose a player due to playing time.

Don't get me wrong Skemp is a great player who averaged 15 ppg and 8 rpg.  You can't really take him off the court but recruiting a kid like Henney and expect to "work harder" while waiting for Skemp to graduate while you recruit other players behind him isn't going to work in the long run..

[Greek Tragedy]

I will totally disagree with this.

Unless you are a fringe player to begin with, you'll probably stick around to "play for a winner" even if that means you either "grey shirt" or play sparingly while learning "from the best" your first year. 

Even if you are a fringe player, sometimes practicing and getting very limited playing time throughout your career is worth it when you are on a team that can compete for a conference or national championship. 

I have no doubt players (and I could name a ton from past Point teams) that have transferred or simply stopped playing because they weren't getting minutes and were frustrated, but I don't know if there are too many players that think they'll be a huge impact their freshman year, especially if they know who's playing ahead of them to begin with.  I don't think there is any player who gets recruited that doesn't know the situation when he comes in as a freshman ("Oh, that guy [Jeff Skemp, Dan Beyer, Matt Goodwin] is here?  If I would've known that, I wouldn't have come!"-I doubt that happens too often.  Sometimes it takes players until their junior year before they make a big impact on the team and I'm sure it's worth the wait for them.

I also think the opportunity to play behind someone that is a senior all-conference player is something incoming freshman welcome...

[Greek Tragedy]

Looks like the WIAC will have a pretty good conference next year with a lot of experience and production returning (not that I didn't know that already!)

OF THE...(overall statistics)

Top 30 scorers:  25 return (#1A Miles Webb, #17 Steve Hicklin, #23 Jordan Johnson, #25 Willie Wright graduate)

Top 20 rebounders:  15 return (#2 Jordan Johnson, #7 Eric Heisler, #10 Miles Webb, #15 Willie Wright, #17 Billy Kegler)

Top 15 assist leaders:  12 of 15 return (#11 Johnson, #12 Hicklin, #13 Zach Ryan)

Top 15 stealers:  13 of 15 return (#6 Johnson, #13 Webb)

Top 15 3-pt shooters:  13 of 15 return (#10 Hicklin, #13 Scott Kelly)

Top 15 blocked shots:  12 of 15 return (#4 Heisler, #11 Billy Kegler, tied #14 Webb)

9 of 10 1st All Conference players return

6 of 9 Honorable Mention players return

[wcbsas]

I will totally disagree with this.

Unless you are a fringe player to begin with, you'll probably stick around to "play for a winner" even if that means you either "grey shirt" or play sparingly while learning "from the best" your first year. 

Even if you are a fringe player, sometimes practicing and getting very limited playing time throughout your career is worth it when you are on a team that can compete for a conference or national championship. 

I have no doubt players (and I could name a ton from past Point teams) that have transferred or simply stopped playing because they weren't getting minutes and were frustrated, but I don't know if there are too many players that think they'll be a huge impact their freshman year, especially if they know who's playing ahead of them to begin with.  I don't think there is any player who gets recruited that doesn't know the situation when he comes in as a freshman ("Oh, that guy [Jeff Skemp, Dan Beyer, Matt Goodwin] is here?  If I would've known that, I wouldn't have come!"-I doubt that happens too often.  Sometimes it takes players until their junior year before they make a big impact on the team and I'm sure it's worth the wait for them.

I also think the opportunity to play behind someone that is a senior all-conference player is something incoming freshman welcome...

I understand some of the points you raise but I also feel that you under-estimate how important playing time is to these uber-athletes.

There is no doubt that:
- Playing for a winning program is important
- Playing in front of 3,000 people instead of 300 is important
- Playing with other extremely talented teammates is important

But, if you are talking to a guy who could play at Oshkosh, Eau Claire, LaCrosse, Platteville or Point ... a true competitor isn't going to want to sit for 2 years to wait for his opportunity.

Very few freshmen can come in a play well in the WIAC but most are not going to wait until their junior year before any serious PT becomes available.  Most athletes are too competitive and most think they're good enough to be playing right now.

Big guys are so valuable in the WIAC given the lack of true talented size.  Point would be a national title contender if they could locate a great 6'-8" post player.  Skemp automatically makes UW-Platt a conference title contender.  For UW-Platt to have 5 guys 6'-7" or taller is a plethora of abundance as compared to someone like Oshkosh who has no one over 6'-7".  And then to get a 6'-8" recruit just amazes me ... I just really wonder how Combs is able to keep them satisfied and motivated.

[badgerwarhawk]

Obviously there's a lot of reasons, playing time among them, why players decide to leave a program and transfer.  However the reality is that the overwhelming majority of players in the WIAC stay where they started or decide to quit playing.  While we do have players who decide to transfer they are in a distinct minority.  If what you're saying is true, wcbsas, we'd have transfers all over the place.  The league is full of players sitting for two or three years behind players with less talent than Skemp.   Every program has them.

[Pioneer Hoops Fan]

Pioneer 07-08 Roster

Here is UWP's roster from last year.  Next year, you will notice that Skemp, Gibbons, & Tetshlag will be seniors.  Gibbons didn't play all that much this past year, but he transferred in from MATC, and his working on completing his degree.  Tets and Skemp have been a tandem the past couple of seasons, but this past year Tets didn't play all that well.  Eric Wall played well enough in practice not only to see more minutes as the season progressed, but earn a few starts.  Henney was a fill in guy for Skemp from the get go.  The more they play, the more comfortable Combs will be putting them on the floor, allowing more rest and fresher legs.

In comes Bondar, a freshman...a year behind the college game from Henney and Wall.  If his game doesn't improve much during the course of the year, he waits one year.  Coming in, he is #6 on the list, mainly because he's a freshman.  If he stays there, he waits one year and now he at the least is #3.

I think you're also underestimating the fact that these are student-athletes.  He's already said he's going to be an engineer.   Basketball happens to be a bonus.  Coach Combs is recruiting guys that fit his system.  That means have more than two big guys, and guys that can shoot the ball. 

I also agree with Old School.  These kids know exactly what they're getting in to.  It would be stupid to hide it.  The recruits all meet the players, get to hang out with them a little bit.  Its hard to sell the program you've got without exposing you're next possible stud, or scout team player for that matter to what the team concept is, what it consists of, what academic programs are interesting, etc.  I don't know about other schools, but at UWP, recruits definitely know what here.

[Greek Tragedy]

If Bonder is worried about playing time, he can come to Point. lol...Wotachek will be a senior and we also have Louis Hurd, but he's shorter.  At the least, we could use the depth!  That's my pitch. 

[Pioneer Hoops Fan]

If Bonder is worried about playing time, he can come to Point. lol...Wotachek will be a senior and we also have Louis Hurd, but he's shorter.  At the least, we could use the depth!  That's my pitch. 

This is from the Wisconsin Sports Network website...

"Green Bay East senior Ben Schumacher, a 6-9 forward, has committed to play collegiate basketball for coach Bob Semling at UW-Stevens Point. Schumacher averaged 14.2 points and 7.6 rebounds per game for the Red Devils last season. He also made 63 three-point shots, including seven in a contest against Ashwaubenon"

Doesn't sound like he's a big body, but none the less, he's 6'9"

[Greek Tragedy]

Two things stand out:

He's 6'9" and he's a Red Devil (Manchester United, anyone?) lol...

Good to hear.

[chmarx]

Anyone know how big his frame is?  If he has wide shoulders and is six nine, he should fill out nicely.

[John Gleich]

If Bonder is worried about playing time, he can come to Point. lol...Wotachek will be a senior and we also have Louis Hurd, but he's shorter.  At the least, we could use the depth!  That's my pitch. 

This is from the Wisconsin Sports Network website...

"Green Bay East senior Ben Schumacher, a 6-9 forward, has committed to play collegiate basketball for coach Bob Semling at UW-Stevens Point. Schumacher averaged 14.2 points and 7.6 rebounds per game for the Red Devils last season. He also made 63 three-point shots, including seven in a contest against Ashwaubenon"

Doesn't sound like he's a big body, but none the less, he's 6'9"

Hmmm... Josh Iserloth clone?  Hope he can play some defense!

[LAXGUY]

So far Joe Werner has been doing a heck of a job playing professional ball in Australia.

GAME 1: 18 pts & 21 reb
GAME 2: 29 pts & 26 reb (10 offensive)
GAME 3: 17 pts & 11 reb

AVE: 21.3 pts & 19.3 reb

Nice Dunk...
http://www.brightcove.tv/title.jsp?title=1460747196