MBB: Midwest Conference

[The Roop]

It's only worse if you are listening to the webcast.

Great Gooly Mooly. It's very likely that I could call a game between Russians and Koreans and get the names right better than this crew did with Americans.

[fightintitan2006]

This is probably a question for the Jeffs or SystemFan, but the Roop seems to be all knowing, so please chime in, but has Grinnell ever beaten a ranked team or any very good programs with the system. Especially out of conference?

[WLCALUM83]

Final:  UW-Oshkosh 123, Grinnell 105.

[The Roop]

Yes, The Roop is all knowing but congrats to the Titans this evening. When you can handle the ball you can beat "The System" every time. This is a nice win for Oshkosh. Tough loss for Americas 2nd Team but that's what recruiting is for. I'm just glad that the NCAA wised up and made this game count for both schools. What bearing it has on Pool C bids is too early to speculate. Although I don't expect a Pool C to come out of the MWC this year.

For all those wishing to worship The Roop, I will be at Lawrence on Tuesday to see Americas Team. 

And there's a good chance you can find me at the Wooden Nickel a few hours beforehand.

[Greek Tragedy]

It's the audio version of Blues Clues

lol!  Oh my gosh!  Too funny. 

For all those wishing to worship The Roop, I will be at Lawrence on Tuesday to see Americas Team. 

I was looking foward to worshipping The Roop tonight. 

[diehardfan]

Looks at Roop determinedly and says in her best Mark Hammill voice... I'll never join you!!!  (with props to Early of course who sports the pic)

Seriously... worship?

Alright, now down to serious business. First of all, Korean people don't have complicated last names... Mine, for example, is Lee... other Korean people have such complicated names as Kim, Park, Yoo, Chin... so, if you can't say those as an announcer, you have some serious issues. No one can pronounce my Korean middle name... but it's not like an announcer refers to people by their first names!

Secondly, if I could smite all you Blues Clues haters on the lame cell phone version of the posting board, I totally would. That show is a classic... and seriously quality entertainment! Rar.

[The Roop]

April, you are West Coast Chapter President of the NRO, like it or not, so would you please learn how to spell Mark Hamill already. You've joined me. 

Old School.............. You may call me a liar for a day. Dad showed up unannounced and neither of us are ready to speak to each other for a few days. I hope a few days = Wednesday as I will be in Appleton on Tuesday. Whether he stops at my place on his way home or not. GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

[systemfan86]

This is probably a question for the Jeffs or SystemFan, but the Roop seems to be all knowing, so please chime in, but has Grinnell ever beaten a ranked team or any very good programs with the system. Especially out of conference?

Can't be certain on the ranked teams if the questions is did they win when the other team was ranked, but I believe the answer is yes, they have defeated teams that were ranked at some point during the year.

Out of conference is also a tough question since a lot of teams seemed (until this year) seemed unwilling to schedule them. I know they played and beat a good Wartburg team in 2004. That Wartburg team ended up 23-5 overall and 15-1 in their conference. Wartburg's losses that year were to Grinnell, Calvin, Augie, and BV (twice). I'm not sure why I remember that one exactly, but I'm sure jeffp could give you other examples.

 

[schwanman]

This addresses Dolph's question on scheduling. Here's my two cents:

I have had the opportunity to coach a college team and to be the person in charge of scheduling. What I did with my most recent group was not necessarily try to schedule Ws, but I did try to steer clear of what could turn into lopsided losses. We lost a lot of seniors to graduation and, at the time the schedule was being prepared, I had no idea what recruits we'd bring in. It turns out we were able to recruit OK, so what I'm hoping to do down the road is step up our non-conference competition, especially if we can follow with another good class.

My answer, then, is that it depends on the specific group of players you have. And I'll say this also ... recruits ask what your record was last year. If you overschedule and go 1-6 in non-conference basketball games, your record is going to take a big hit and it MIGHT turn away some recruits who opt for a program with a better record.

Finally, I don't get offered the opportunity to receive, say, $2,000 for bringing my team to some DII university to get blown out, as is the case in basketball. If I did, I would seriously have to consider it as a way to raise to money to fund an out-of-region road trip or some such thing. Playing a school like that is definitely dangerous, as Dolph said, because they might be so much better that you can't really work on your game because of the difference in talent. On the flip side, if you can perform reasonably well, you can use that experience to say, "Hey, we stood toe-to-toe with State U., so we should be able to hang with Lawrence (or whoever)."

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

You know, now that April's back, maybe we'll see JeffP posting more as well as he ends his sympathy boycott.

[diehardfan]

Secondly, if I could smite all you Blue's Clues haters on the lame cell phone version of the posting board, I totally would. That show is a classic... and seriously quality entertainment! Rar.

Done. As two of my good friends and recipients of diehardfan karma on numerous occasions in the past, just suck it up and deal with it.

Brought to you courtesy of Mr. Salt and Mrs. Pepper. 

[diehardfan]

You know, now that April's back, maybe we'll see JeffP posting more as well as he ends his sympathy boycott.

I wish that was the only reason HoopsFan. As someone who has numerous experiences with such, If I ever meet the person terrorizing JeffP he's going to get a good swift kick in the... well, you know...

Incidentally, in a transaction that most of you are not aware of, JeffP and I did a cookie/blueberry scone exchange via an intermediary when I was in Chicago the other weekend and went to a Grinnell game. Unfortuantely, as the story goes, some Grinnell player ate most of Jeff's cookies... what's up with that? Jeff P made scones for the team too... and gets rewarded with his cookies being eaten?  If that guy ever reads this board, a big huge "shame on you!!!"

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

Are you sure Jeff made the scones?  When I was in Grinnell he had an amazing chef in his employ responsible for many of the fattening delectables at the Rest.

[hjmphelp]

Well, well, well! Looks like I need to check in more often!

Welcome home, DHF!

AM, you are right on the button. Grinnell did beat Wartburg in Dec of 2004 in an OT game at Wartburg while Wartburg was ranked in the top 25. That is the only one that I am aware of, mainly because they haven't had much chance to play ranked teams. They have 3 NCAA Tourney losses and with Larry's recent success, a number of in conference losses to ranked teams, and those have been the only opportunities that I am aware of until this year with losses to Carthage, Whitewater (now dropped out) and Oshkosh.

BTW, jeffp, Mrs p, 'that girl' and a completely uninitiated 'that girls boyfriend' will be in attendance at LFC this weekend. Considering GC's current "one on, one off" performance schedule, Grinnell may very well be able to beat LFC there for the first time in quite a while. Also considering same, Larry might become the next win against a top 25 team on the 12th.

Did I say Welcome home, DHF?

[Greek Tragedy]

OMG.............. I think I could iPod a talk to myself and be more entertaining than the UW-Oshkosh Crew. It's Ar sen No, not Ar sen Not for crying out loud.

That sounds French to me, so what do you expect?! 

Secondly, if I could smite all you Blues Clues haters on the lame cell phone version of the posting board, I totally would. That show is a classic... and seriously quality entertainment! Rar.

My nephews loved Blues Clues when they were younger and I'm at least familiar with that.  If you smited me, you better give me my karma point back! lol