MBB: Midwest Conference

[jeffdc]

St. Norbert is in and will host. With a win Grinnell will be in. Something tells me that happens tonight. That leaves 2 spots remaining and 4 teams fighting for it. Sounds like a pretty good season.

I think so as well.  Then of course we face LFC on their home turf - and I believe they are a little peeved at how our last engagement with them went. So that could be  a challenging last game of the season.

[scottie]

Good luck to GC tonight in their makeup game with KC! Keep focused, guys - KC is a better team than its record, IMO.

That is a fascinating observation.  How much better, or how much worse, could a team be that owns a 1-19 overall record? Unfortunately, in recent years, I've had to champion the idea that MC was the best 9th place team in the country.  If true, then I will grant that KC could very well be the best 1-19 team in the country. 

FYI - Knox's lone win is over a 2-win Eureka team.  Eureka's two wins include a 3 point win over Lincoln Christian and Fontbonne.  In RPI terms, that would probably put KC near the bottom.

Scottie predicts that the music will play and the coffee will flow at Saints Rest tonight.

[jeffdc]

That is a fascinating observation.  How much better, or how much worse, could a team be that owns a 1-19 overall record?

I will argue that there are certain teams that - because of inept coaching or pure bad luck - fail to perform, even though the outside observer can see that they *could* perform and in fact can put together some challenging basketball...for a while. That is what I think KC is...a team that could surprise an opponent on an off night.

I am pretty sure that coffee will flow at Saints Rest tonight - but as a GC fan, I learned a long time ago to never take ANYTHING for granted!  

[jeffdc]

GC 90, KC 76

Did anyone see the 1st half? That's why I was worried about KC. They led by a LOT, then GC managed to put together some shots in the last 2 minutes and get within 2. GC's shooting was cold in the 1st half and the team seemed a little flat on their feet.

A different team took over in the second half, defensively and offensively. Couple that with a gradual erosion of KC's energy, and the game was over.

We're in the conference hunt now!

[gcfan33]

Grinnell holds yet another team under 80 points.  The coffee may flow at the Saint's Rest... but there have been some pretty confused teams offensively against Grinnell in the past few weeks.

Taking a 3-6 team on this kind of run down the stretch, coming back from 25 down against Lawrence FTW, winning at Monmouth despite shooting under 20% (7-41) from the three point line, COY to new Midwest Conference Defensive Guru Coach A!

[The Roop]

For those of you that don't have the time to listen to Hoopsville in it's entirety I'll give you the Roops Digest version. The NathCon has a legitimate shot at getting two in, the UMAC gets an automatic bid this year, there's an undefeated #1 on the west coast and the NCAA still hasn't told the selection committee how many flights they are allowed. Translation = look for a bad bracket this year.

[bballer1280]

Grinnell holds yet another team under 80 points.  The coffee may flow at the Saint's Rest... but there have been some pretty confused teams offensively against Grinnell in the past few weeks.

Taking a 3-6 team on this kind of run down the stretch, coming back from 25 down against Lawrence FTW, winning at Monmouth despite shooting under 20% (7-41) from the three point line, COY to new Midwest Conference Defensive Guru Coach A!

I completely agree.  Coach A has done an outstanding job with this team as the season finalizes.  In addition, GC has a chance to be very, very good next year as the young players become upperclassmen.  Watch out MWC!!

[hickory_cornhusker]

For those of you that don't have the time to listen to Hoopsville in it's entirety I'll give you the Roops Digest version. The NathCon has a legitimate shot at getting two in, the UMAC gets an automatic bid this year, there's an undefeated #1 on the west coast and the NCAA still hasn't told the selection committee how many flights they are allowed. Translation = look for a bad bracket this year.

I always expect a bad bracket. This way I am never disappointed. And I have to tell you it feels incredible.

[System Error]

Grinnell holds yet another team under 80 points.  The coffee may flow at the Saint's Rest... but there have been some pretty confused teams offensively against Grinnell in the past few weeks.

Taking a 3-6 team on this kind of run down the stretch, coming back from 25 down against Lawrence FTW, winning at Monmouth despite shooting under 20% (7-41) from the three point line, COY to new Midwest Conference Defensive Guru Coach A!
[/quote

I do not know how serious you are about the Coach of the Year thing, but, I just can't see it happening. Not again so soon. He won two years ago when they won the conference at co-champions along with LU.  It is voted on by the coaches, and I can't imagine they will give it to him so soon. I could see Coach Vraney or Coach Worrell getting it however.

[Redhawk312]

I might have gotten bad Karma, but I spoke the truth. St. Norberts had everyone back with the exception of a back up post player. They completely dominated the conference and im not sure if they had a loss, but i know it wasnt nearly like it was this year. This year they should be blowing out teams each night in our league. Our league is very average this year as you can tell by the number of .500 teams in the league. Heck Lawrence is 11-10 overall, but is currently tied for 2nd if they win because our conference is average. Norberts had the talent last year to go far in the tournament, and they got some recruits who were studs. I am not sure if trying to get them minutes, along with the returners did it, or if they played out of their minds last year, or if everyone else got THAT much better. But If you ranked the freshman classes, im not sure Norberts wouldnt have come in 1st. So when you add they had EVERYONE back, throw in a terrific recruiting class, why did they do worse in conference play this year?

Now I am not saying they cant make a run, or wont in the tournament, but I would have guessed they would have gotten at at large bid before the season. Now, if Grinnell/IC/Ripon or whoever is in the conference tourny and they upset them I am not so sure.

So yes, I know you all can jump on me for stating my case, but I feel as if they have underachieved. Coach of the year should go to Grinnell's coach for their turnaround, or lawrence if they happen to make the tourny as they were picked second to last. Ic's coach can make a case, but no way shape or form does Coach G deserve it this year.

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

Week 3 Regional Rankings are out: http://www.d3blogs.com/d3hoops/2011/02/16/ncaa-2011-regional-rankings-week-3/

[sncdangler]

I might have gotten bad Karma, but I spoke the truth. St. Norberts had everyone back with the exception of a back up post player. They completely dominated the conference and im not sure if they had a loss, but i know it wasnt nearly like it was this year. This year they should be blowing out teams each night in our league. Our league is very average this year as you can tell by the number of .500 teams in the league. Heck Lawrence is 11-10 overall, but is currently tied for 2nd if they win because our conference is average. Norberts had the talent last year to go far in the tournament, and they got some recruits who were studs. I am not sure if trying to get them minutes, along with the returners did it, or if they played out of their minds last year, or if everyone else got THAT much better. But If you ranked the freshman classes, im not sure Norberts wouldnt have come in 1st. So when you add they had EVERYONE back, throw in a terrific recruiting class, why did they do worse in conference play this year?

Now I am not saying they cant make a run, or wont in the tournament, but I would have guessed they would have gotten at at large bid before the season. Now, if Grinnell/IC/Ripon or whoever is in the conference tourny and they upset them I am not so sure.

So yes, I know you all can jump on me for stating my case, but I feel as if they have underachieved. Coach of the year should go to Grinnell's coach for their turnaround, or lawrence if they happen to make the tourny as they were picked second to last. Ic's coach can make a case, but no way shape or form does Coach G deserve it this year.

St. Norbert needs to win the conference tournament to get into the NCAA Tournament. The MWC is a one-bid league this year. And I'm not so sure the league is average, as you put it, this year. There's a lot of good players and talent in the league right now.

Looking back, two years ago Lawrence was absolutely loaded with seniors. They sputtered most of the year until they came up to DePere and handed SNC their hides on a platter. They got hot, won a share of the league title, went to the NCAA Tournament and lost in the first game despite having a highly experience team. Yet I don't remember anyone saying how much LU had underachieved until they got it going. Maybe they did but I don't remember.

Looking at SNC's five losses. The two to Beloit on the surface look like head-scratchers but there's an assistant coach there who played two years in Grzesk's system and knows this year's seniors probably better than they even do and knows all the stuff SNC runs. You can't tell me that doesn't make a difference. The Grinnell game they got ambushed by a major change in The System, and it's the toughest road venue in the league. The Ripon game, there was no way SNC was going to win that game after SNC beat them three times last year considering how much pride Ripon and Coach Gillespie have in their own program. And then there's the one-point loss to Augustana, who has done OK this year. Those aren't excuses, but things happen and there's a reason they happen.

[jeffdc]

Coach of the Year should absolutely go to Coach Arsenault - complete turnaround of the season, lots of freshmen turned into solid producers, and a brilliant rework of the GC defense that shut down the top 3 teams in the conference. Show me another coach that's done more this season.

[System Error]

Coach of the Year should absolutely go to Coach Arsenault - complete turnaround of the season, lots of freshmen turned into solid producers, and a brilliant rework of the GC defense that shut down the top 3 teams in the conference. Show me another coach that's done more this season.

The real question is should the Coach of the Year go to Little A, and not big Dave...

[The Roop]

Ripon over Lawrence 63-60. I think that just shut out the Vikings from the MWC Tournament. Carroll stayed alive with a 71-57 win over Beloit but needs help from Grinnell against Lake Forest.