MBB: Midwest Conference

[luvikings]

Lawrence is 17-6, the new top 25 poll out lists them at #25 at 16-6.  Not sure who can make this necessary change (the ripon game from saturday was left out)

[systemfan86]

The Grotberg fascination level here is sickening.  

Well, we (colletively) had to become fascinated with someone after the [edited out comment] deep fascination that was done for Braier. 

Anyway, I don't know why you're concerned about our fascination with them. You should be railing against the league coaches who will have voted him first team All MWC three years in a row. Morons. 

Wheaton just got by LU last year, and it was only because we clanked some free throws. Raymond put them on his back.  I agree, a lot better than Grotberg.   

Just remember T2K, The Bopper is gone. Your Vikes haven't ever one a NCAA tournament game that he didn't play in. Don't live in the past. 

[wc2viking]

Just remember T2K, The Bopper is gone. Your Vikes haven't ever one a NCAA tournament game that he didn't play in. Don't live in the past. 

You're right - please enlighten us by listing all those Grinnell NCAA tournament wins.  I'll get started:

(this space left blank intentionally)

[systemfan86]

Just remember T2K, The Bopper is gone. Your Vikes haven't ever one a NCAA tournament game that he didn't play in. Don't live in the past. 

You're right - please enlighten us by listing all those Grinnell NCAA tournament wins.  I'll get started:

(this space left blank intentionally)

Yup, we don't have a past to live in. No argument here. What else you got?

[systemfan86]

(one final post)
Have to say I'm surprised at the poll results so far. All but two votes have Grinnell and Larry, and the early voters favor Grinnell. Is that GC fans voting or do people think the home court is important? Or is it something else?

While I would prefer to pick with my heart and take Grinnell, I took Larry over Grinnell. The Vikings have played really well down the stretch against a tougher schedule than Grinnell.

Here's hoping I'm right on the teams in the Championship game and wrong on the outcome.

BTW, I was shocked when I saw that Norbs was 2-4 down the stretch. What happened?!

BTW, wc2viking, for a frame of reference...

[larry_u]

Just remember T2K, The Bopper is gone. Your Vikes haven't ever one a NCAA tournament game that he didn't play in. Don't live in the past. 

You're right - please enlighten us by listing all those Grinnell NCAA tournament wins.  I'll get started:

(this space left blank intentionally)

Yup, we don't have a past to live in. No argument here. What else you got?

I'd rather have a very memorable past them clamor for a future that is bleak...

[systemfan86]

Just remember T2K, The Bopper is gone. Your Vikes haven't ever one a NCAA tournament game that he didn't play in. Don't live in the past. 

You're right - please enlighten us by listing all those Grinnell NCAA tournament wins.  I'll get started:

(this space left blank intentionally)

Yup, we don't have a past to live in. No argument here. What else you got?

I'd rather have a very memorable past them clamor for a future that is bleak...

[snicker] Hit a nerve, did I?

Enjoy the memory, but let's accept that your past is a very recent past. Lawrence has been part of the MWC for 75 years. They have 8 championships in those 75 year, and five of those have come in the past six years. As far as the NCAA tournament goes, until you have more than Braier to look back on, you're Dexy's Midnight Runners...a one hit wonder.

Larry has been an excellent team MWC for the past ten years; arguably, they have been the best team during that time frame. A very large part of that is due to one unique player who is no longer there and one coach who is no longer there. Let's not make them out to be more than they are.

T2K claim is that people are sickeningly fascinated with Grotberg; my retort is that we all have our sickening fascinations...people in glass houses? 

[Gregory Sager]

That or the fact that LU smoked SNC by a combined 50 points in their two meetings. 

Well yes there is that....

But as they always say it's tough to beat a team 3 times in one season.

Sigh. When are people going to drive a stake through the heart of that dumb cliche?

[Mr. Ypsi]

That or the fact that LU smoked SNC by a combined 50 points in their two meetings. 

Well yes there is that....

But as they always say it's tough to beat a team 3 times in one season.

Sigh. When are people going to drive a stake through the heart of that dumb cliche?

Might as well surrender, Greg - posters still confuse preseason and nonconference!

[But I admire your persistence - to arms, Don Quixote! ]

[wc2viking]

That or the fact that LU smoked SNC by a combined 50 points in their two meetings. 

Well yes there is that....

But as they always say it's tough to beat a team 3 times in one season.

Sigh. When are people going to drive a stake through the heart of that dumb cliche?

Actually, the data must be out there.  Has anyone disproved the cliche?  I'm genuinely curious.

[System Error]

Carroll College vs Lawrence University (1/18/06 at LU)
at #5 Lawrence 86, Carroll 81

Lawrence University vs Carroll College (2/15/06 at Carroll)
#5 Lawrence 64, at No. 14 Carroll 63

Carroll College vs Lawrence University (2/25/06 at LU)
MWC Tournament Championship
at No. 1 Lawrence 68, No.2 Carroll 62

"Its never easy to beat a team three time in one year....."
Well here it is! Not saying it was easy but it was the first thing that came to my mind...talk about living in the past...

[titan2000]

Just remember T2K, The Bopper is gone. Your Vikes haven't ever one a NCAA tournament game that he didn't play in. Don't live in the past. 

You're right - please enlighten us by listing all those Grinnell NCAA tournament wins.  I'll get started:

(this space left blank intentionally)

Yup, we don't have a past to live in. No argument here. What else you got?

I'd rather have a very memorable past them clamor for a future that is bleak...

[snicker] Hit a nerve, did I?

Enjoy the memory, but let's accept that your past is a very recent past. Lawrence has been part of the MWC for 75 years. They have 8 championships in those 75 year, and five of those have come in the past six years. As far as the NCAA tournament goes, until you have more than Braier to look back on, you're Dexy's Midnight Runners...a one hit wonder.

Larry has been an excellent team MWC for the past ten years; arguably, they have been the best team during that time frame. A very large part of that is due to one unique player who is no longer there and one coach who is no longer there. Let's not make them out to be more than they are.

T2K claim is that people are sickeningly fascinated with Grotberg; my retort is that we all have our sickening fascinations...people in glass houses? 

I didn't know Grotberg's dad posted here. 

Funny, I didn't mention Bopper once and/or mention anything about Grinnell's past or future, nor ours.  I guess Bopper must have rally cut you deep. 

I think that there was more than Bopper to LU basketball.  I can think of lots of great players who played well in a lot of NCAA tourney games.  I expect that will be added to in 2009. 

[systemfan86]

I didn't know Grotberg's dad posted here. 

He does?!? Cool. Greetings, Mr. Grotberg!

Funny, I didn't mention Bopper once and/or mention anything about Grinnell's past or future, nor ours.  I guess Bopper must have rally cut you deep. 

I feel your pain. I made no claims that Grinnell was a better team and the response(s) I received,  pointed out that Grinnell didn't have LU success.
The Bopper didn't cut me deep; I'm impressed that one player could carry a team and university fans like he did.

I think that there was more than Bopper to LU basketball.  I can think of lots of great players who played well in a lot of NCAA tourney games.  I expect that will be added to in 2009. 

I have no doubt that there were others that played well. But the Bopper was a once in a lifetime player, and without him, LU basketball history is significantly different. Is your contention that they would have made the run they did in 2004 without him? He was a man among boys. He is one of the all-time great MWC players.

But Grotberg is arguably one of the top all time MWC players as well, and you are attempting through your comments to diminish his contribution. The numbers bear out his perfromance and the coaches votes bear it out as well. He was second team all conference as a freshman. He has (and likely will be) first team the other three years. Even great players like Drury haven't done that.

But to your comments, we have a sickening facination with Grotberg. Why do you think that? Please explain. 

Honestly, I think if you went back through the post from this season, I think you'd find quantitatively very few posts regarding Grotberg. Do Grinnell fans post about him? Sure. But they also post about the year Long has had. And Larry posters talk about  their players, and Norb posters talk about their players. 

Personally, the thing I find somewhat sickening is that you let your distaste for a style of play negatively affect your opinion of a player who deserves to be applauded rather than panned.

I've gone on record saying that I think LU is the favorite to add to their NCAA history this year. I hope for the player's sake and for the league's sake that they play well. Somehow I doubt you'd make the same comment were Grinnell to win the MWC tournament. I fully expect that you would enjoy it if they lost in the tournament. I'll take it a step further and say that my impression is that you would feel that way ONLY about Grinnell, and that you would cheer on any other MWC team. Well, maybe not Ripon.

I hope that I'm wrong on that account...but I don't think I am.

[The Roop]

60% chance that I can make the tournament. Whether I can keep T2K in line; I'm not even giving odds on that one. LOL. I will inspect and verify any and all Taco Johns purchases however. I should know more tomorrow and make it official one way or the other.

[larry_u]

Carroll College vs Lawrence University (1/18/06 at LU)
at #5 Lawrence 86, Carroll 81

Lawrence University vs Carroll College (2/15/06 at Carroll)
#5 Lawrence 64, at No. 14 Carroll 63

Carroll College vs Lawrence University (2/25/06 at LU)
MWC Tournament Championship
at No. 1 Lawrence 68, No.2 Carroll 62

"Its never easy to beat a team three time in one year....."
Well here it is! Not saying it was easy but it was the first thing that came to my mind...talk about living in the past...

Well if you look at the scores...it wasn't easy.  It happened.  But it sure as hell wasn't easy.