MBB: Midwest Conference

[TeeDub]

It is also interesting that the schedule makers never gave teams GC on friday twice during the season and always gave teams a non-playoff squad the next day.  Very interesting, although it probably means nothing.

Intentional??

[systemfan86]

Calm down viking...I don't think it's even remotely a slight to LU, so don't act like it is one.

Okay, okay... So maybe I jumped the gun a bit and got a little defensive - sue me - I played on the Viking football team for 4 years and am so excited to see an LU team being successful... I had to defend my football team for years (still do), so I can get a little defensive when it seems like people aren't respecting the Vikings...

My bad, I'm sorry
LU still champs in 06
Vikings to Salem

Thank you for that. Very honorable on your part.

I went back and looked at the box scores form the LU games this year. We know that the Vikings have ended up in the lead of all their games, so I was wondering if they had the lead at half in all those games.  

They only had two games where they didn't lead at half. December 3rd, Knox went into the half with the lead 32-28 (LU won the game 71-60), and on January 13th, GC was tied 59-59 at half (LU won 125-110). They've only been outscored in 5 half's (halves?) this year, and no one has outscored them in a half since Carroll outscored them 47-43 in the second half of the January 18th game.

That's mighty impressive.  

[viking68]

Re: Grinnell in first or second round

I don't know how much it matters... Obviously if you play GC on Friday, there is a chance that you would be tired on Saturday. But, I would want to get that game out of the way before playing in the title game.

The other thing to consider would be the impact of a GC upset. Obviously if GC makes it to the title game, they will have upset either LU or CC. Mentally, that might make the higher seeded team come out flat - assuming that they got an easier match-up in the title game than they could have (by not playing the 1 or 2 seed). Of course, the coaches at CC and LU I'm sure wouldn't let their players fall into that trap, but sometimes that is hard to do.

Tharp on Hoopsville said,
"I need a good bowl of soup"
Tharp Campbell's ad soon?

[systemfan86]

Tharp on Hoopsville said,
"I need a good bowl of soup"
Tharp Campbell's ad soon?

Only if his Momma is available for the shoot. 

[scottie]

"Here at Lawrence University, we always eat our Chunky soup before every game."

Hey Samuel J - "Chunky Soup named the official meal of MWC Blogspot."

[jeffdc]

Best of luck to GC (the real Pioneers!) in their matchup with IC.

And perhaps they'll get to play spoiler at the tourney - watch out, CC and LU!

Why sell Grinnell short?  There have been questions about whether they would want to play CC or LU first, and now that they might be a spoiler...  How about just having the attitude that they are going to the MWC tournament with the plan to win two games, regardless of who they play and in what order?

Oh, believe me, Scottie - I'm not selling the GC guys short! They'll come in expecting and ready to win their games. But I suspect that when they do, LU and/or CC might view them as 'spoilers'. 

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

So if GC and Knox both win tomorrow, they are all but assured of spots in the playoffs?  Beloit is still mathematically alive, but would have to beat Carroll to even tie.

This isn't nearly as exciting as I was expecting from the last week of the MWC season.

[Maverick]

So if GC and Knox both win tomorrow, they are all but assured of spots in the playoffs?  Beloit is still mathematically alive, but would have to beat Carroll to even tie.

This isn't nearly as exciting as I was expecting from the last week of the MWC season.

Not exactly...Knox doesn't play tomorrow so Beloit can pull within one game of the Fire in the MWC standings (with each having 2 games remaining after this weekend) if they can grab a win at St. Norbert.

[hjmphelp]

OK, so I may have to re think my question ater talking to a Grinnell player this AM. Seems they HATE to play back to backs BECAUSE of the way they play. They get just as tired as everyone else even if more people play. If a couple of days recovery is required to be back in top form, playing BTB 's supposaedly hurts them as much as it does the Friday night opponent. I doubt-if they make the tourney-they plan to just play spoiler, so let me reverse the original question and ask if you think GC is easy(er) pickin's the day after a BTB?

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

I know travel and venue figure in to this, but its a little interesting:

GC beat Ripon in Grinnell by 6 on a Saturday, but won at Ripon by 14 on a Friday.

GC beat Beloit at home by 28 on a Friday, but lost at Beloit by 8 on a Saturday.

GC lost at Lawrence by 15 on a Friday, but lost to them at home by 19 on a Saturday (with just awful three point shooting too, by the way)

They haven't played anyone else twice yet, but they did only beat St. Norbert by 3 on a Saturday, the day after playing Lawrence.


As much as people worry about playing GC on a weekend, the only team that has to run that much twice is Grinnell.  I'm not sure if it hurts them any more than any other team playing on back-to-back days, but it seems to take its toll, a little anyway.

[systemfan86]

The third example is the one that worries me.

You have to factor into the others the travel time of moving from one venue to another, overnight, when playing on the road. That can't help in terms of rest.

But the third example was at home, so the venue was the same and the opponents (CC and LU) are potentially the same. That said, I'm pretty sure that was the same week they lost Nordlund, so they were trying to adjust on the fly (literally, considering this is GC). Who knows what they can do now that they're settled in again.

While I don't wish ill on any player, a mild ankle sprain to a couple key players on the opponent's side wouldn't hurt GC's chances.

Need to take care of business first though. Focusing on Jacksonville and playing a good game there, I hope.

[hjmphelp]

SF86-
So, yer sayin' I should call off Guido and Lefty before the tourney?

[Greek Tragedy]

Usually when you favor a team to play against in the first night and then end up playing that opponent, bad things happen. 

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

That is true, the GC results are tainted by the loss of Nordlund, although Paul won't be back for the tournament either, as far as I know.  Having him may have changed those results, so the reason for the drop off might not have been because they were tired.

[Early]

The year SNC went undefeated they played GC Friday night, then Ripon beat them Saturday night.  SNC had a real bad shooting night against Ripon then, and seemed pretty tired.  Norberts didn't really have a hard time against Grinnell, I think.  It still is a very uptempo game that involves a lot of running.  It could wear a team down. 

I already said no one should want to play LU.  Also you really don't want to play GC, not because you are afraid, but they can wear you down.