MBB: American Southwest Conference

[Ralph Turner]

Chris, I think the 2001 team is why Finnman thinks this year's team is not as good as either of your 2000 or 2001 contenders.

In 2001, you were a Pool C bid, and you stomped the SCAC winner!

In 2000, you were a Pool C bid and lost to a good CNU team in VA.

[Pat Coleman]

I definitely feel the poll has gotten better. But even with the benefit of hindsight, I don't see Pomona-Pitzer 2000 or Maryville (Tenn.) 2000 getting into the Top 25.

That having been said, however, I think there were many ranked teams McMurry 2000 could have beaten, were it given the opportunity. The fact that the first ranked team it faced was the eventual champ shouldn't necessarily hurt it.

[golden_dome]

On the other hand, as for McMurry's competition in 2000, I have to believe that the NCAA had a very good handle on the strength of traditional D3members, the SCIAC Champ (Pomona-Pitzer) and the SCAC Champ (Trinity) and the 1999 runner-up/ODAC member Hampden-Sydney (which lost in double OT) in their seedings for the tourney.  The ASC was still the new kid on the block!

(We had 5 players to foul out of the MC (tourney semi-finals) game last year, and you only beat us by 11.)

I'm not trying to take anything away from the 2000 McMurry team. I thought they were a great team but in hindsight they didn't have a big win over a perennial top ranked team all year. I think they were certainly capable of beating a team like that but unfortunately their first opportunity to get it done was against the eventual National Champion on their own floor and the ASC got stomped. I point that out because people are always on here ripping MC for their tournament losses but that McMurry team had the same chance and suffered the biggest loss of any ASC team in the NCAA tourney.

Having said that, I know I will not get many national DIII fans to believe this but I think that McMurry team and last year's MC team potentially could have been Final Four teams if they get to play at home.

Chris, I think the 2001 team is why Finnman thinks this year's team is not as good as either of your 2000 or 2001 contenders.

In 2001, you were a Pool C bid, and you stomped the SCAC winner!

In 2000, you were a Pool C bid and lost to a good CNU team in VA.

I understand why he would say that because that team was solid but they didn't win the ASC. I think they were arguably our best chance to advance in the tourney due to their size but they lost their last two against McMurry so we will never know.  We had to go on the road and got beat by a McMurry team that I think shot 40-50 free throws. They had their chance when we hosted the ASC championship at home but couldn't close the game against a tough McMurry team.

Last year's MC team was a great team and I think they had their great season against a better overall ASC than the 2000 and 2001 McMurry and MC teams.

[Ralph Turner]

...
Having said that, I know I will not get many national DIII fans to believe this but I think that McMurry team and last year's MC team potentially could have been Final Four teams if they get to play at home.

No argument here!  You outlined that well in your "Top 25 discussion"about Final Four teams and "fly-ins".

[kid nice]

Having played on and against several of those teams I must say the 2000 McMurry team was the best in the ASC. I don't think that the 1999 Chocs are to far behind though. One of our best players had a car wreck and broke his hand on the way to the secound round game and our 6th man had a serious ankle injury or sweet sixteen game could have been a little different. There is no way the 2002 chocs were better than this team or the 01' version (of course I am biased).  The 01' Indians were a very good team as well with Denson, but we beat them in Abilene that year and the other two were absolute wars so I don't see either one of us being much better than the other with the slight advantage going to them with the two wins.  Have no idea about sul ross.  The 01' UMHB squad was a good one who never made it to the tourney as well.

[career_kid]

Oldest gym's in the ASC...
On the West side, w/o a doubt Lutheran's gym and the place in downtown Brownwood!On the East side, you'd have to go w/Ozarks and it's 'opening' across mid-court and no heat visitors dressing room...and of course the gym at Pineville.

[gccfan]

My take on the UTD-LeTourneau game on Saturday... Each team played excellent defense and for LETU it was probably their best defense of the year.  JJ Rockmore stuck to Salinas all game long and held him to 3 points.  If you are a Jackets' fan you have to be frustrated that you held Salinas and still couldn't pull out the victory.  Early on LETU went inside to Evers and they scored some easy lay-ups, but then they went away from him.  I was very impressed by Carruthers, doesn't really look like a player from appearances, but he controlled the game and then made 9-of-10 free throws at the end to ice the game.

[lcwildcatfan]

What about those LC Wildcats making a comeback in the East!! I believe they're a team to be reckoned with as long as they stay healthy.

[Ralph Turner]

Welcome lcwildcatfan,  Please post any thoughts, hyperlinks to stories in The Town Talk or other info on the Wildcats that you can.

[golden_dome]

Here is an article on D. J. Jones in his hometown paper Vicksburg Post. The article has several errors but here it is http://www.vicksburgpost.com/articles/2007/01/14/sports/sports01.txt

Tidbit on D. J. He led his Vicksburg High team to a 5A State title over a Starkville team featuring 6'8" guard Travis Outlaw who was drafted straight out of high school in the 1st Round that year by Portland. D. J. was selected 2nd Team All-State by the Clarion ledger. Not bad considering four of the five 1st Team selections are in the NBA and three drafted straight out of high school.

Here is an article we released on D. J. today. http://www.gochoctaws.com/News/mbball/2007/1/22/MBSKDJJonesStory.asp?path=mbball

I guess East Division Player of the Year will come down to D. J., Timothy Broomfield, Chris Isom or Martin Salinas..

[gccfan]

I think the Wildcats will be a tough out over the last four weeks of the season.  It seems that they have righted the ship and are really playing well lately.  This will be a big week for them with ETBU and LETU at home. 

My vote for player of the year would go to Broomfield right now, I haven't seen him play yet this year, but I remember him from last year. 

BTW, here is an article about LeTourneau Dewones Smith http://www.natchezdemocrat.com/articles/2007/01/23/sports/sports108.txt
for some reason they say LeTourneau is in Richardson, but otherwise it's not a bad article.

[gccfan]

Ralph, I noticed Glenn Gilliard hadn't played the last few games.  I was wondering if he got hurt or something. 

[Ralph Turner]

Ralph, I noticed Glenn Gilliard hadn't played the last few games.  I was wondering if he got hurt or something. 

He had 3 points the other night.

I really think that Coach Holmes has 10-12 players who can come in a play their role.

He got great defensive minutes out of several players the other night.

Look at the box score.  If they got minutes and not points, they were shutting down Zach Pickelman and working on Mardochee Jean***.   I remember defensive props were given to Drew Rigney, Emile Brown, Christopher Beck, Chris Gammage and Cole Dickerson.  Robert Moreno, our "injured" point guard is working back into shape.

This is an unselfish team.  I can see them clawing back into the title run.  They are one game back now.

***My all-West Team at this time is UMHB's Guyden, HSU's  M. Jean, Pickelman, CUA's McDonald and McM's Alvin Stevens.

[golden_dome]

***My all-West Team at this time is UMHB's Guyden, HSU's  M. Jean, Pickelman, CUA's McDonald and McM's Alvin Stevens.

Ralph,
   I think that is the All-West team when we are done. Valentino Maxwell would have taken one of those spots but not with just nine games played.
  In the East I would guess it is MC's D. J. Jones, Timothy Broomfield, LC's Josh Johnson, ETBU's Chris Isom and UTD's Martin Salinas. Dusty Evers of LeTourneau also could make it.

My early All-ASC team right now would be MC's D. J. Jones, Timothy Broomfield, ETBU's Chris Isom, HSU's Pickelman and UMHB's Kevin Guyden. But I would also like spots for LC's Josh Johnson, HSU's Jean, McMurry's Alvin Stevens, UTD's Martin Salinas and Concordia's McDonald. It will be a hard team to pick this year, lots of good players.

[Ralph Turner]

Chris, I like your ASC-East.  (I wish we could split into 2 full conferences!!!)

For the All-Conference, I would save one slot for the champion, e.g., M Jean or Stevens, if they won.

If LeTU makes the finals, then I consider Evers.