MBB: American Southwest Conference

[gccfan]

I finally got to watch LeTourneau play last night and it was the second time I had seen TLU.  I thought TLU had a good game plan, employing a run and jump in the early going that the Jackets weren't prepared for.  The Jackets did show a calm that has not been there in recent years and put on a nice run in the second half.  Dewones Smith had his best game of the year and Will Smith was great on the defensive end.  Vanright made some unreal passes down the stretch.  Hayes is still out with an injury and Evers is battling through some sort of leg injury that has slowed him down a bit, but with Vanright he doesn't have to score as much.  I was looking at the LETU bench to start the game and four starters from last year were on it (D. Smith, Louimeus, Majors and Hayes).  I think Davis' biggest concern is to get a good rotation going.  TLU is definitely much improved, but just don't have an inside game that can stop the top teams in the conference, give them Tommy Stolhandske from a few years ago and they would be a playoff contender.

[#1ascfanman]

My Wildcats had a tough loss at a D1.  Hopefully we can bounce back the second half and get going. As for my picks:

Let over SU-Correct
CUA over Tyler-Correct
SRSU over HPU-Incorrect
TLU over ETBU-Correct

ETBU over SU-Correct
McM over HSU-Correct
Let over TLU-Correct
TLU over SU
LC over SRSU
MC over HPU
LC over HPU
SRSU over MC


Brings me to 13-4 with the last five to be played.

[Bearkat00]

Nice to see LeT letting their best player play....Smith with 18 points off of 7 shots, great efficiency. This team is doing a great job and their coach must be proud but if I had all that talent on my roster I would be winning games by 40. They have 4 players who should not be at the d3 level in Smith, Vanwright, Evers, and Rockmore. Add a solid point guard in Hayes and some nice athletes and they have a great team. It will be hard to beat them this year. All you LeT guys on this website should be very excited.

While D.Smith is their best athlete, he is by no means their best "basketball" player.  He has started the season off slow b/c of an ankle injury and when he came back too early, he started forcing things.   I think this road trip was good for him finally getting out of the blocks.  Against CUA and UMHB, he tried so hard to force things during the game and would make some very ill-advised TO's.  I am hoping that sitting for a while like he has will only motivate him to make himself a better "basketball" player.  We all know the guy can score as he's done so at LETU (over a 1,000 career points).   

For them, it's been a string of injuries that have plagued them, preventing them from getting together.  Evers has a bum knee, Hayes has a severly sprained ankle, D.Smith is coming off a severly sprained ankle and Rockmore has been banged up.  Thus, the rotation has been a little skewed these first few games.  J.Davis has done an amazing job at the PG position for LETU and I think in the last 4 games, the roation is starting to play itself out.

As for not winning by 40, I think that's a compliment to our strong our league is.  Most of the better teams should have 3-4 guys that could play @ the next level - i.e. MC, McM, UTD, UTT to name a few.  I bet all of us on this board could name a few guys that could even go play small D1 - possibly Josh Johnson?  I think we are finally seeing that between D2 & D3, there aren't a whole lot of differences outside the depth of the team.  (I am not saying that every D3 school could compete w/a D2 school, just saying that there aren't a whole lot of differences). 

With all that being said - it's fun to see LETU getting recognition on this board and fellow fans posting.  I hope they can keep up against UWW - who by the way on their schedule, are already planning to play the winner of the UMHB - LFF game - http://www.uwwsports.com/schedules.asp?path=mbball.  The guys on the team already saw this and are somewhat motivated by this.  Hopefully both LETU and UMHB represent the ASC well. 

[TheBuzz]

I'm new to the D3 scene in that this is my first year to follow LETU and attend games.  That being said, does a team like LETU have a good chance of beating a team like UWW?  How good is a top 10 D3 team?  Would it be a huge upset if LETU won?

One more thing.  Given the success Bob Davis has had in turning around LETU, what are the chances a larger school tries to hire him?  Do D3 coaches stay at a school long if they experience quick success?  Love the forum.

[Ralph Turner]

I'm new to the D3 scene in that this is my first year to follow LETU and attend games.  That being said, does a team like LETU have a good chance of beating a team like UWW? 

If LeTU is that good of a team, then yes they have a chance.

How good is a top 10 D3 team? 

Better than UMHB last year.  Better than Mississippi College almost every year.  We may have to go back to the 2000 McMurry team to find a team that good.  A top 10 D-3 team will sneak up on a mid-level D-1.

Would it be a huge upset if LETU won?

Huge upset in the eyes of UWW fans.  A good win and for a "Top 10 ASC team".

One more thing.  Given the success Bob Davis has had in turning around LETU, what are the chances a larger school tries to hire him?

SRSU won the West in 2004 and 2005 and made the Sweet 16 in 2004.  Coach Rudy Davalos is now head coach at UTSA.

Do D3 coaches stay at a school long if they experience quick success?

The coach of  HPU's national champion women was at HPU for 7 (?) years.  He took at D2 job in Iowa to move closer to home last spring.  ETBU's women's coach won the East in 2007 and then took a D2 job at U-Missouri St Louis.

Love the forum.

Glad to have you on the boards!  +1! 

[Bearkat00]

I'm new to the D3 scene in that this is my first year to follow LETU and attend games.  That being said, does a team like LETU have a good chance of beating a team like UWW?  How good is a top 10 D3 team?  Would it be a huge upset if LETU won?

One more thing.  Given the success Bob Davis has had in turning around LETU, what are the chances a larger school tries to hire him?  Do D3 coaches stay at a school long if they experience quick success?  Love the forum.

To follow on Ralph's comments:
LETU does have an opportunity to beat a UWW team.  I believe LETU will be more athletic, however, UWW should be more disciplined in their play.  I also forsee UWW being a better shooting team. 

A top 10 D3 team is a usually a team that plays sound, fundamental basketball.  They may have one SUPERSTAR, however, plenty of role players and a very strong BENCH (thinking of the Calvin teams a few years back). 

While it would be an upset, I don't think it would be a huge upset.  LETU is a 7-1 team that has beaten a D2 team this year and played close to the #20 D2 team in the country.  They have one D1 transfer.  I believe that if Vanwright can have a huge game, Smith can come off the bench and contribute, the Jackets have a great shot at winning.  While winning or losing this game will NOT define their season, it will help us in gauging them as well as the ASC IMHO. 

IMHO - this will be Coach Davis's last stop in the coaching realm.  He's done a great job with this program and considering his coaching career, this would be a great place to finish it. 

[ASCfan237]

lets go LeT then

[kid nice]

Choctaws finally back in action tonight at Howard Payne on the dreaded Brownwood-Alpine trip.  I think they rode camels this year.

[ASCfan237]

MC with another loss.....tough start to the conference

[kid nice]

Very bad start.  They have had the two toughest road trips (arguably) to start with.  Still have to go to SRSU.  Not sure what the problem is, maybe Chris can enlighten us a little.  Looks like they played pretty good defense only giving up 71.  I don't think we have ever started 2-3 in conference or possibly ever even had a losing record in conference.

[Ralph Turner]

Very bad start.  They have had the two toughest road trips (arguably) to start with.  Still have to go to SRSU.  Not sure what the problem is, maybe Chris can enlighten us a little.  Looks like they played pretty good defense only giving up 71.  I don't think we have ever started 2-3 in conference or possibly ever even had a losing record in conference.

Here is one question that I am not sure where to get the answer this morning, but have there been some players who are no longer with Mississippi College?

There are some former Choctaw players who did not lose 3 conference games in their careers.

[Titan Q]

Ralph, good luck today in the matchup between your school and North Central from the CCIW!  Should be interesting to see what happens. 

[ASCfan237]

Has MC ever not made the conference tournament?

[kid nice]

Ralph i don't know the answer to that question but these results do make you wonder.  Havent heard anything from Chris on here in a while which also makes me curious.  I don't think we have ever missed the conference tournament. 

[Ralph Turner]

Ralph, good luck today in the matchup between your school and North Central from the CCIW!  Should be interesting to see what happens. 

Thanks TitanQ.

I always use the CCIW as a yardstick!