MBB: American Southwest Conference

[crufootball]

First I would like to congratulate Millsaps on coming from behind and beating the Crusaders tonight.

Now that I got that out of the way I have to start the conversation, does UMHB lose the game if it was in Belton rather than Jackson? I don't want to take anything away from the Majors because they won, fair and square, but when a game is that close I have to think home court is worth at least a few points.

[frank_ezelle]

crufootball, Millsaps had their worst shooting night of the season, some thanks to the UMHB defense and some just misses on shots they normally make.  On a night like that it would have been easy to let down just a little, something that would have allowed UMHB to blow the game wide open.  It certainly helped Millsaps that there were hundreds of cheering students in the stands who kept up an incredible amount of intensity throughout the game.

So to answer your question, yes, UMHB probably would have won in Belton if Millsaps had shot that poorly.  If Millsaps went on the road and had an average shooting night, then maybe Millsaps gets the road win.  If Millsaps went on the road and had a better than average shooting night, then Millsaps probably gets the road win. 

As a Millsaps supporter, I'll be the first to admit that hosting this regional was a big plus for the Millsaps team and I think it was a factor in the two close wins.  On the flip side, Millsaps has only lost twice to D3 teams this year and that was when they had the long bus ride to Centre and DePauw in mid-season.  If this was the alternating year on the schedule where Centre and DePauw came to Millsaps, then I think Millsaps wins both those games and at 27-1 with the one loss being to a D1 team, I think Millsaps would have been a host based on their outstanding season. 

The bottom line:  1)  Millsaps lost the chance to be a top 5 team in the country because they had to go on the road instead of stay at home during regular season play; 2)  Millsaps got to host because they were in the right spot on the map for the NCAA to avoid paying for air fare; 3) And playing on your home court should always be an advantage which I think it was this past weekend.

May I add that in a year of watching Trinity win a football game over Millsaps thanks to 15 laterals on the last play, and one where Thomas Britt of Centre hit a buzzer beating 3-pointer to send the Millsaps-Centre game into overtime, it was certainly a joy to have Millsaps be on the winning end of one of those incredible endings.  Millsaps fans this year know better than most how it feels to have victory snatched away in the closing seconds, so I feel for the UMHB team.  This just seemed like the night when things would balance out for Millsaps athletics and UMHB was the unlucky victim.  Congratulations to the UMHB team on a great season.

[Ralph Turner]

Frank, I actually think that you saw CRU and ASC defense.

This was an UMHB team that was hobbled with two major injuries.  I thought that Wagner was the most valuable outside threat and the most athletic player that UMHB had.  He was playing with a torn ACL.  I also thought that Matt Dickey of broken hand misfortune was the guy who made Ryan Burgart inside.  I thought that Dickey complemented (with an "e" -- completed) Burgart.

I know that my common metric in this was the Millsaps/Louisiana College game prior to this.

With the parity of outcomes that we are seeing across the country, I now believe that home court advantage has been a major factor in previous D-III history.  In the case of Millsaps, there is a huge helping of (greatly appreciated) luck, too.

It goes without saying that we need a strong showing by Millsaps to uphold the honor of South Region basketball.  With the spankings/edgings that Centre, Guilford and VWC took, it is good that Millsaps is still there.  The foray by the South Region to have 4 teams in the Sweet 16 (and three of the Elite 8 ) fell way short!

Go Majors!

[fcnews]

Ralph - Dickey played 16 minutes in the previous game against Fontbonne. But, I haven't seen him play all year to tell how much he was hampered by the hand. It didn't appear to be taped up. I think the downfall for MH-B was their troubles at the free throw line. They had more attempts in both games then their opponents and really struggled.

The conversation of MH-B hosting is a moot point, with the guidelines of the NCAA in tournament play. It is just a problem that will arise again. It was a very tough pod, with three teams in the top 25 placed together.

[golden_dome]

First I would like to congratulate Millsaps on coming from behind and beating the Crusaders tonight.

Now that I got that out of the way I have to start the conversation, does UMHB lose the game if it was in Belton rather than Jackson? I don't want to take anything away from the Majors because they won, fair and square, but when a game is that close I have to think home court is worth at least a few points.

crufootball,  
      Here is a couple of thoughts on the game for the UMHB fans who didn't make the trip. It's hard to say who has a better team since they only play once, but I would say that UMHB was an awful matchup for Millsaps and the Cru would probably win more times than not. But you have to give the Majors a lot of credit for pulling out a game they might should have lost, you need some good fortune to win the tournament.

I've watched Millsaps 4 times this year, and last night was the only time I've seen them struggle to get open shots. UMHB's size hurt them and forced them to take bad shots. Burgart shut down Montgomery and forced him into the worst game I've seen him play in three years. Gaddy did a great job on Bailey most of the game, but UMHB lost Bailey for some reason in the last ten minutes and he scored 14 of his 21 points. If he gets open shots, he can hurt you and he kept the Majors in the game when UMHB could have pulled away late.

The travel thing with the NCAA is what it is. Millsaps is benefitting from the same location that has helped MS College the last two years. They are centrally located in the deep south and had three NCAA Tournament participants within 500 miles. UMHB will always be up against the 8-ball when it comes to hosting basketball regionals or sectionals.

Millsaps now has a great opportunity to get to the Final Four with Augustana, Guilford and Stevens Point all out of it. They were probably the top three teams in this part of the bracket. I don't think Millsaps will face a taller lineup the rest of the way, and they can probably beat anybody if they are getting open three point attempts.

[Ralph Turner]

+1 Chris!  Thanks for the post!

That is what I thought!

[HSWho2007]

Congrats on a great season. Tough losses help reveal character.

Sounds like turnovers were the difference...

[crufootball]

Thank you Chris and Frank for reponding to my comment, and I want to make it clear that I wish nothing but good luck to the Majors and I hope that the Cru can say they were 2.3 seconds away from beating the National Champs.

It just gets a little frustrating being a D3 fan from Texas. I feel like we got invited to the party, but no one really wanted us to come.

[CruGuy]

I will preface this post by saying am I a biased UMHB alum, and that this is the only UMHB basketball game that I saw in person all season, so I really can't comment on how they normally play or how they would have played with fewer injuries.

That said if this game is anywhere but on Millsaps court UMHB wins by twenty. They were close to blowing this game wide open before the half and early in the second half when they experienced two strings of the most grevious officiating I've ever witnessed in my life. With just under ten minutes remaining the CRU were up 10 and in the bonus and were only able to attempt six more shots from the feild. When on offense the CRU were held, harrassed, and tackled, and in at least four instances that I can vividly remember crusaders were taken to the floor with the ball and then called for traveling. It's not that the whole team of referees were awful, there was one ref. who blew at least fifteen calls and robbed UMHB of the opportunity to participate in a fair contest.

You can't blame a game on the referees for one blown call or two. When one man makes a mockery of the game as happened saturday night it's a travesty for all who are involved. Having seen Coach DeWeese plenty in my time as an undergrad I can comment on his conduct and he showed amazing personal restraint in not getting T-ed up and giving Millsaps more free points than they were already getting. I've seen him thrown out of games for far less.

Congratulations to the Millsaps players for finding their shot late and hitting them when they needed to put the points on the board to win the game. I hope that Millsaps plays well and can win four more games, but there is no way you can convince me that Millsaps deserved to win that one.

[#1ascfanman]

i have not been on in a while since my boys did not get in but every team in the asc can say they lost a game because of a ref.  get over it.  LC always get bum officiating on the road and I am sure everyone says the same things when they come here.  That is why it is so difficult to win on the road and why home court advantage is so important.  I looked at some stats and saw the big kid from HSU fouled out early in an important game, they are probably saying if it had been at HSU they would have won the game.  It has always been that way and it will always be that way.  UMHB probably does not win if the tournament is held somewhere else.  They looked to be some good close games and all the teams were pretty evenly matched, i think the only game that had a large deficit was UMHB and ETBU who from what I saw had it to three at some point.  Lets don't start playing the we have won but the ref game stuff.  Good teams find a way to win through adversity, plain and simple.  I could make excuses all day about LC not getting in but I won't, they had a chance to win two and they blew it.  We really need teams from our conference to get deeper than what they have, whoever it is or we will never get the homecourt advantages we so desperatley need.

[frank_ezelle]

Wow!  Millsaps gets called for 19 fouls and UMHB gets called for 15.  Millsaps gets 15 free throws and UMHB gets 28.  Isn't it quite obvious that the refs, or at least one ref, had an agenda to throw the game for Millsaps. 

Crukid, the numbers don't add up to your observations and no post in the past has said anything about the refs calling a poor game or a one-sided game.  I think you believe what you wrote, but it is an observation that is obviously filtered through a tremendous amount of biase if you think one ref made a 20 point difference in the game.  May I point out that the refs were selected by the NCAA.  Plus, I don't think I've seen any of those refs at a Millsaps game in the past so it's not like Millsaps brought in 3 alums to screw over UMHB.

[fcnews]

You can also look at the difference in free throw attempts the night before. This is while Fontbonne was in a zone most of the second half. FU ranked amog the top of all D3 teams in fewest fouls committed, too. MH-B would have still needed to convert at a much better percentage than they did.

[scottiedoug]

Anybody want to read a rant about how if Millsaps had played Maryville in Tennessee, Maryville would have won?  I thought not.  Of course home court is a big advantage and decisions about who gets home court are made in the time-honored American tradition---money talking..  I'm pulling for Millsaps.  Somebody has to represent Southern basketball and it's the Majors' turn!

[rimrocker]

Milsaps wins again...82-73 over St. Mary's.

[Gray Fox]

Just a quick update/reminder that "Quantum Hoops" will
be playing for one week (March 28-April 3) in Boston
and Seattle.

The Boston location is the Landmark Kendall Square
Cinema - across the strett from MIT.

The Seattle location is the Landmark Metro Cinemas.

We will also be playing for one night only in San
Antonio (April 10) and Austin (April 24).

If you are in these areas or know anyone who is,
please pass this email on to anybody you think might
be interested.

Feel free to email me directly with any questions or
suggestions.


THANKS FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT!

Rick