MBB: American Southwest Conference

[Bearkat00]

Disappointing loss by LETU vs LC on Saturday.  LC gets credit cause they hit some key shots, but they didn't do anything spectacular to win.  Josh Johnson has mastered the art of the fade away jumper, but outside of him, we contained everyone else.  We just couldn't finish close to the basket and I would say we missed almost a dozen open shots within 5 feet of the basket.   Frustrating loss to follow up the MC game. 

[gccfan]

I like the idea about splitting the conference.  The only problem would be that some sports there probably wouldn't be enough teams to get that automatic bid.  Now if each side picked up two other schools then I would say they would probably be safe.  I thought I heard that the NCAA is putting a freeze on NAIA schools jumping over though.

[Ralph Turner]

I like the idea about splitting the conference.  The only problem would be that some sports there probably wouldn't be enough teams to get that automatic bid.  Now if each side picked up two other schools then I would say they would probably be safe.  I thought I heard that the NCAA is putting a freeze on NAIA schools jumping over though.

I think that a conference must sponsor 5 sports for men and 5 for women to be official.  It would be possible for those affected teams to become affiliates of the other conference.

I will post a scenario tonight.

[Warren Thompson]

For what it may be worth ....

The latest update for the Concordia/Austin relocation site shows what appears to be a football stadium, stands, and track.

QUESTION: is football in the works for this venue? Experts kindly chime in, please  ....

[Ralph Turner]

For what it may be worth ....

The latest update for the Concordia/Austin relocation site shows what appears to be a football stadium, stands, and track.

QUESTION: is football in the works for this venue? Experts kindly chime in, please  ....

Concordia-Austin campus map.  Please click on January 2007 update.

I have heard nothing.  I have only heard rumors of an investigative commitee being formed.  Or was that another person running for president?

[kid nice]

Splitting the conference would also give more time to play the what seem to be all-important out of region games. Also, how did the LETU loss affect MC's positioning in the tournament ( if they win the rest of thier games)

[Ralph Turner]

Splitting the conference would also give more time to play the what seem to be all-important out of region games. Also, how did the LETU loss affect MC's positioning in the tournament ( if they win the rest of thier games)

Kid, one correction...

"out-of-region" games are not important.  Out-of-region games do not help with tourney consideration.

The games that help MissColl most with the tourney and seedings are:

1) conference games.
2) South Region (non-conference) games like Fisk.
3) administrative region games. (Miss Coll did not play any of these, but games against John Carroll or Wooster or Hope would have counted towards the "in-region".)
4) 200-mile radius games.  In parts of the country where a school is in another evaluation region, but is less than 200 miles away as in the New York City area, these are counted as in-region.  We don't worry about this criterion in the ASC.   

Look on the Regional Standings board .

The games versus Wesley MS, JHU and Westmont will have virtually no impact on NCAA Tourney seeding.

[Bearkat00]

Someone please explain how UMHB is not nationally ranked?  There three losses have come against quality teams (@MC, vs. UTD, @LETU) and they've beaten nationally ranked Virginia Wesleyan.  I guess I really don't understand why they haven't cracked the yet.

[Ralph Turner]

Someone please explain how UMHB is not nationally ranked?  There three losses have come against quality teams (@MC, vs. UTD, @LETU) and they've beaten nationally ranked Virginia Wesleyan.  I guess I really don't understand why they haven't cracked the yet.

Bearkat, the ASC has only had one Elite 8 appearance in the decade that we have been D3.  Even then McMurry (in 2000) made the Elite 8 by beating SCIAC (Pomona-Pitzer) and Maryville TN to get there.

We have never defeated a Great Lakes Region opponent in the tourney, and therefore the conference is not perceived as being as strong as we might think.

I think that UMHB gets to the Top 25 if they run the table in the regular season.  They have been slowly gaining votes each week as their record continues to improve.

Please look for the all-important "South Region Rankings" which the NCAA releases this week.

[Bearkat00]

Thanks Ralph.  Much appreciated.  Do you see Guyden getting any national recognition this year for his play?

[gccfan]

Thanks for the link to the regional standings... My guess is that even if MC loses in the conference tourney they would still be 1st or 2nd in the region.

[golden_dome]

Someone please explain how UMHB is not nationally ranked?  There three losses have come against quality teams (@MC, vs. UTD, @LETU) and they've beaten nationally ranked Virginia Wesleyan.  I guess I really don't understand why they haven't cracked the yet.

Bearkat,
  I have been wondering the same thing. Here is something I posted on the Top 25 board.

As a south region poster and for debate sake, I do not understand why UMHB has not cracked the Top 25 when compared to other teams.

I use Hope as an example only because I think the schedules are similiar and I think UMHB has a better body of work this year if we don't consider years previous. But I do understand Hope is arguably one of the top few DIII programs traditionally and they have certainly earned it.

Hope is 6th and on a 16-game winning streak

• No big wins against ranked teams or out of region teams, only two wins all season against winning DIII teams
• Eight of their last ten wins against losing teams in what is a weak MIAA this season
• Two losses to Wheaton and Carthage, middle of the CCIW this year. Honestly their biggest argument for their ranking are these losses
• Eight of their last ten wins against losing teams in what is a weak MIAA this season

UMHB is not ranked riding a 13-game winning streak

• Beat #4 Virginia Wesleyan, defending national champion
• Beat Ripon, leader of the MWC. I know the MWC is down this year, but at least it is a win against someone outside their conference as a gauge.
• Five wins against winning DIII teams
• Last seven wins against Losing teams

I don't know anything about the Christian Colleges and NAIA schools that Hope plays, but I am assuming they are like the ones here in the south. UMHB has good wins over #4 Virginia Wesleyan, Ripon and McMurry and decent wins against Trinity and Hardin-Simmons. Hope has beaten Calvin and Tri-State.

I am not saying UMHB is better then Hope, I have no idea because I have not seen Hope play. But if someone looked at the numbers this year and not the name of the school most would swap them in the rankings.

[Pat Coleman]

And I followed up by noting that the Massey Ratings, which are computer based and do not look at the name of the school, have Hope fourth and UMHB 30th. So there must be something there. Although I don't have Hope nearly that high on my own human ballot.

[CUAfan]

For what it may be worth ....

The latest update for the Concordia/Austin relocation site shows what appears to be a football stadium, stands, and track.

QUESTION: is football in the works for this venue? Experts kindly chime in, please  ....

Some thought is being given to starting a football program here, but I don't know what the chances are of it happening or what the time frame would be if we did.

So in short, the answer's "maybe". 

[Bearkat00]

Thanks Chris for the post about UMHB.  I guess it's safe to say is that UMHB really needs to win out and make a strong showing at the Conf. tournament to get in.  Who votes on the Top 25 polls?  Who votes on who should earn an At-Large Bid to the tournament?