MBB: Midwest Conference

judgetrainer · November 15, 2016, 04:50:24 PM

So, really, cubs, what is the beef with DePagter? I get the results have not been what every fan would like (everyone likes to win) but your hard on to bash him just seems...personal.

gbpuckfan · November 15, 2016, 08:36:18 PM

SNC missed at the buzzer. UWEC wins 68-67

cubs · November 15, 2016, 10:05:40 PM

Quote from: judgetrainer on November 15, 2016, 04:50:24 PM
So, really, cubs, what is the beef with DePagter? I get the results have not been what every fan would like (everyone likes to win) but your hard on to bash him just seems...personal.

I have ZERO beef with DePagter... Have never talked to the guy. (For that matter, I have never seen the guy in the Fox Valley high school gyms recruiting, so maybe there is a connection to LU's record over the last seven years!!!

)

I just find it interesting that ever since Tharp's players graduated, he has done next to NOTHING at LU while recruiting his own players. However if you read some of his quotes in the Post Crescent year-after-year, you'd think they were competing for MWC titles on a regular basis.

Greek Tragedy · November 16, 2016, 08:54:50 AM

No one in their right mind expected DePagter to have the same success as Tharp. But cubs has a point. The drought has been longer and deeper than most expected or thought. Obviously a certain guy in Green Bay knows what he's doing. He improved Lakeland prior to his move to St. Norbert. I mean, the MWC isn't the CCIW or the WIAC, I wouldn't think it would take this long to crack the top 4.

judgetrainer · November 17, 2016, 02:58:39 PM

Thank you for that explanation cubs and the follow up Tragedy. That makes sense to me.

And this does not defend the absence of men's basketball success at Lawrence but have you seen the football or women's basketball programs? Lawrence has not exactly set the world on fire athletically for a long time. I think it is a systemic issue that is being addressed with the current administration.

OK, I will let you and Rocks keep going at each other and step away, now.

gbpuckfan · November 17, 2016, 07:45:35 PM

Let's face it, there aren't many 6'5", 325 pound cello players to play on the OL.

It should be a bit easier for LU to compete in hoops because you only needs 2-3 players to build around. Much harder at football to get the critical mass. But given the size of school, and music nature, it's a tough spot for them to recruit.

cubs · November 17, 2016, 08:45:03 PM

Quote from: gbpuckfan on November 17, 2016, 07:45:35 PM
Let's face it, there aren't many 6'5", 325 pound cello players to play on the OL.

It should be a bit easier for LU to compete in hoops because you only needs 2-3 players to build around. Much harder at football to get the critical mass. But given the size of school, and music nature, it's a tough spot for them to recruit.

Didn't seem to be too hard for Tharp!!!

Unless Braier, Holinbeck, MacGillis, Kroeger and Hurley were all playing the saxaphone, drums, piano, etc.. and I was unaware of it!!!

judgetrainer · November 18, 2016, 10:02:48 AM

Only about 10% of the students at Lawrence are in the conservatory. The public reputation of the school as music and little else is simply not true. It is a liberal arts school first and foremost.

What I was referring to with the systemic issues have more to do with admissions and facilities. There was major lifting done to get the Banta Bowl renovated. There was a second part of the plan to build a new field house but the money just wasn't there. They are advertising now to hire an assistant AD to raise funds for athletics. We will see how long that position supports itself.

Tharp's time was magical. There was little success before him and little since. I would be happy with .500 to start with.

cubs · November 18, 2016, 11:13:32 AM

Quote from: judgetrainer on November 18, 2016, 10:02:48 AM
Only about 10% of the students at Lawrence are in the conservatory. The public reputation of the school as music and little else is simply not true. It is a liberal arts school first and foremost.

What I was referring to with the systemic issues have more to do with admissions and facilities. There was major lifting done to get the Banta Bowl renovated. There was a second part of the plan to build a new field house but the money just wasn't there. They are advertising now to hire an assistant AD to raise funds for athletics. We will see how long that position supports itself.

Tharp's time was magical. There was little success before him and little since. I would be happy with .500 to start with.

You got that right!!!!

Can't help but wonder what was so different that he was able to be SOOOO successful?!?!

Greek Tragedy · November 18, 2016, 12:29:49 PM

There are master recruiters and master coaches. Sometimes there's both. Other times there neither.

judgetrainer · November 18, 2016, 02:25:00 PM

Quote from: Greek Tragedy on November 18, 2016, 12:29:49 PM
There are master recruiters and master coaches. Sometimes there's both. Other times there neither.

Oh, ++ if I could...

Gregory Sager · November 18, 2016, 04:27:25 PM

Coaching and recruiting are not separate categories; the second is a subset of the first. Recruiting is simply the most important aspect of the overall job description of coaching.

If you're a master coach, you're either a master recruiter as well (which is usually how it works on the D3 level), or a master administrator who hires master recruiters (which is how it tends to work in D1).

gbpuckfan · November 18, 2016, 04:51:04 PM

Quote from: judgetrainer on November 18, 2016, 10:02:48 AM
Only about 10% of the students at Lawrence are in the conservatory. The public reputation of the school as music and little else is simply not true. It is a liberal arts school first and foremost.

That's a bit low. According to the school:
For the current school year (2016-17), 18.7% of our degree-seeking students are either pursuing a bachelor of music degree or are in our five-year double degree program (that allows them to graduate with both a bachelor of music AND a bachelor of arts degree).

AppletonRocks · November 18, 2016, 06:58:17 PM

I like both Tharp and DePagter so this is not a discussion I want to get too deep into.
But check the trends in admissions standards and tuition levels vs. other competitive schools. Hard to measure "focus" on athletics, but that is a factor as well. There have been discussions about facilities here in the past.

Not 100% of the story, but it is much more of a factor than it was 10 years ago.

I enjoy the MWC, except for the sh*t show they run at Grinnell, regardless of who is winning.

CCRamFam · November 21, 2016, 10:34:45 AM

Good season opening win on Saturday night for Cornell. Beat Coe College 88-83, first victory over their local rivals since the '09-'10 season. Corey Davis filled up the stat sheet with 25 pts, 6 rbs, 8 assists and 6 steals.

Cornell returns everyone from last season plus a transfer from Mount Mercy (local NAIA school) and a couple of freshman that will see some time. Should have a good shot at the conference tourney for the first time in several years.