MBB: Midwest Conference

[hjmphelp]

This is all getting crazy! Story in today's news says that Alf..er, the coach at that unnamed Big Ten University is NOT on Indiana's short list! He is, however, on Missouri's!?!! In order for the rumors to take fruition, that particular coach has to go somewhere, so I think what Hoops Fan is hearing is on the button!

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

This is all getting crazy! Story in today's news says that Alf..er, the coach at that unnamed Big Ten University is NOT on Indiana's short list! He is, however, on Missouri's!?!! In order for the rumors to take fruition, that particular coach has to go somewhere, so I think what Hoops Fan is hearing is on the button!

I guess Indiana knows the same things the rest of us do about Alford, which is even more reason he'll go to Mizzou; they are a mess.

[The Roop]

You know Roop, I have heard some things through the grapevine, but I'm not sure I can confirm or deny anything until the Indiana job is officially filled.

I can't actually confirm or deny anything that I didn't witness myself. So for now the only thing I can confirm is the source is highly credible and JeffP is mad at me  because I scooped him.   

To my knowledge no grassy knolls are involved.

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

It's hard to believe you scooped the guy in Grinnell with nothing else to do but spy on the GC athletic department, but I will also not underestimate the power of the NRO.

[Maverick]

Simeon was the better team on Saturday night (not by much though), but I don't know how "desperate" Richwoods was to stay with them.  I think they proved they belonged after beating a 29-1 Aurora West team in the quarterfinals on Friday afternoon in a game that wasn't slowed down at all (many people thought Aurora West was far superior to Richwoods but that turned out to not be the case) and probably would have been able to hang with Simeon in a typical game.

Simeon would've won by 10-12 points in a typical game. Richwoods had no answer whatsoever for Derrick Rose (who does, though?), and Tim Flowers proved to be more than a match for Illini recruit Billy Cole, even though Flowers was spotting Cole four inches in height. Richwoods also lacked a wing with the athleticism of Josh Davis. Simeon was just a better team. Richwoods coach Mike Ellis did a very smart thing in refusing to expand or abandon his tightly-packed 2-3 zone; it really gave the Knights their fighting chance to win.

Simeon did slow down the game themselves at a couple of stretches, holding onto the ball for prolonged periods because Richwoods refused to come out of their zone. But that was strictly reactive on the part of the Wolverines; it was not their choice. They would've much preferred an open game. Simeon coach Robert Smith simply decided not to force the issue by playing Richwoods' game.

Okay, looking back at my other post I realized I was wrong on something--this was a "typical game" for Richwoods this season since they stayed in their 2-3 zone and forced the opposition to adjust to it.  I had forgotten but they've done that basically all season long (used their 2-3 zone very effectively).  So using that zone wasn't a desperation move by Richwoods to grind the game down and give them a fighting chance in the championship game; it's what they've used successfully for much of the season and Simeon chose several times to hold the ball to try and get them to come out of it (like you said Sager).  So technically, Richwoods was able to hang with Simeon in what was a typical game for them...love those technicalities.  Maybe if Simeon had forced the issue, attacked the zone more, and turned the game into their style, they might've actually won by double digits.  And since they're supposedly the far superior team, shouldn't they have been able to do that?  Who knows though, nobody can be completely sure since it didn't play out that way and none of that really happened.

[The Roop]

It's hard to believe you scooped the guy in Grinnell with nothing else to do but spy on the GC athletic department, but I will also not underestimate the power of the NRO.

In all honestly I wasn't trying to scoop anybody. It just all came together in a Forrest Gump kind of way. I merely emailed a humorous story to "the source" regarding a previous favor this individual had done for "The Roop". The reply to that email was essentially "Ha ha ha, great story oh and by the way........."

I guess it's one of the perks you get after establishing your own World Organization. Who'd a thunk it. I'd tell everybody what the previous favor was, but then everybody would say "Sure Roop, you keep believing that."

[Gregory Sager]

 Maybe if Simeon had forced the issue, attacked the zone more, and turned the game into their style, they might've actually won by double digits.  And since they're supposedly the far superior team, shouldn't they have been able to do that?  Who knows though, nobody can be completely sure since it didn't play out that way and none of that really happened.

It all came down to tactical decisions made by the two coaches, as opposed to a more open, "just let them play" sort of an affair. It's one of the reasons why I enjoyed watching the game, in spite of the relative lack of scoring. It was as much of a chess match between Smith and Ellis as it was a basketball game. Smith could've attacked the zone with dribble-drives in the seams when instead he chose to have his guards hold the ball, or he could've been more intentional about putting Josh Davis in the high post to negate the top of the zone. Smith didn't do those things, and instead had his Wolverines hold the ball, because he didn't want to play the game upon Ellis's terms. It's an arguable decision on his part, but his team walked away with the big trophy so it all came out for him in the wash.

What I liked about his decision, though, was that it flew in the face of the common stereotype about city teams that they aren't disciplined or well-coached enough to play under control like that. According to that stereotype, a Public League team shouldn't have been able to switch gears and use alternatives in the halfcourt offense. The Simeon players aren't just a bunch of one-on-one streetballers. They showed a lot of patience, discipline, and coachability (including crazy-talented first-team All-Stater Derrick Rose) in playing the championship game the way that Smith wanted them to play it. Simeon teams under Smith, as was the case under his predecessor and mentor Bob Hambric, are well-coached and disciplined and defy that stereotype about players from the 'hood.

[Greek Tragedy]

Though I never saw St. John Fisher play last year, I think it's safe to say that Lawrence was probably a lot better than that team.  Why I mention SJF?

They went undefeated in the regular season last year, but never made it past #3.  Like Lawrence, they lost their first game in the 3rd round and dropped from #3 to #17 after the tourney.  Lawrence dropped from #1 to #5.  So, there is a little love for Lawrence! lol.    Sure, I may be comparing apples and oranges, but they are both fruit.

[Old Fighting Scot]

When will the IHSA catch up to the real world CIF (california is in its 10th year) and institute a h.s shot clock?  those 30-40 championship game finals have to be brutal.  they might as well be playing w/o a three point line!

Hey I heard Monmouth made the big dance, oh wait...... Nevermind.....

[The Roop]

I've always felt that the tournament never "really" started until the round of 16 anyway. Looking back at this years tournament it's hard to complain about anything. Whether it was due to the expanded field, better seeding or the lack of a juggernaut like Point was last year, I'm having a hard time trying to determine if anybody that was left out would have made it to the Sweet 16. Not sure I can think of one.

Albion ?? They had their chances but played themselves out of a bid at the end. Lakeland ?? As Sager has pointed out a few times, if you're the best team in that conference you should be able to win the conference tournament. Ohio Northern ?? Kind of a "what if" there. "What if" they hadn't started so slowly.

In reviewing the final poll my only question is, "Why is Baldwin-Wallace so high considering their early exit"

[Pat Coleman]

Who did they exit to?

[The Roop]

Don't bring logic into this Pat. I had BW in my Final Four bracket, I want them punished for letting me down. 

[Pat Coleman]

Gotcha.

Unfortunately they ran into a Final Four team on the first weekend.

[The Roop]

So did SUNY-Farmingdale but I'm not complaining about their ranking. LOL.

[Mr. Ypsi]

I've always felt that the tournament never "really" started until the round of 16 anyway. Looking back at this years tournament it's hard to complain about anything. Whether it was due to the expanded field, better seeding or the lack of a juggernaut like Point was last year, I'm having a hard time trying to determine if anybody that was left out would have made it to the Sweet 16. Not sure I can think of one.

Albion ?? They had their chances but played themselves out of a bid at the end. Lakeland ?? As Sager has pointed out a few times, if you're the best team in that conference you should be able to win the conference tournament. Ohio Northern ?? Kind of a "what if" there. "What if" they hadn't started so slowly.

In reviewing the final poll my only question is, "Why is Baldwin-Wallace so high considering their early exit"

I'd leave out Lakeland, but I think Albion and ONU were both contenders for at least sweet sixteen (depending upon matchups, of course), and I'd add Elmhurst.  But I have trouble envisioning any of them as legitimate Final Four contenders.

While lightning CAN strike with unlikely teams, expansion has made it unlikely that any team with a really legitimate shot at the title has been left out (whereas this year's IWU team almost certainly would not have been in the tourney by last year's numbers).