MBB: Midwest Conference

[Maverick]

Wrong......................

Typically it's the top 4 but this year it will be a random draw and be held in New Roop City in CityVille.

Wait...so the Scots aren't out of it yet after all?!   So will the tournament be held in the Roop Center or the Roop Arena?

[OBC]

Now that's what I'm talking about. A lot of innovation on the board.

A Random draw with reverse weighting like the NBA draft. All 4 teams on the floor at one time and 2 basketballs. The Grinnell system would floursish with 2 basketballs available.

I think The Roop Center seats 62,221 for basketball, while The Roop Arena only seat about 19,000+ so definitely at the center. Unless I have that backwards?

[The Roop]

Scottie Court at Saints Rest Arena. It seats 87,523 for basketball. 89,401 for wrestling.

[OBC]

And Roopacino vendors in the aisles keeping the crowd wired.

[John Gleich]

And Roopacino vendors in the aisles keeping the crowd wired.

... When I read that the first time, I totally thought you said "keeping the crowd weird..."

   

[The Roop]

And that sports fans is your dyslexia for cure found moment of the week.

Brought to you in part by Wen chainsaws. Official chainsaw of the NRO. Also by Milwaukees Best Ice. It's cheap, drink enough and after a while it doesn't matter.

[OBC]

PointSpecial, the crowd stays weird on it's own.

[Redhawk312]

My predictions:

Norbs
Ripon
Carroll
Lake Forest.

Also, just want to throw this question out there. Will Bob Gillispie retire when his son is done? Or does he have a ton of years ahead of him?

[The Roop]

Well, that's the story any way. What he actually does is his own business. Ripon would have to fill lots of positions given all the hats he wears. 

[jeffdc]

GC 87, LF 76

Great game. Both teams successful in pushing the other out of its comfort zone. But GC ended up running LF ragged. Very iffy officiating. No standout performances IMO from GC, but a solid team effort across all squads. The low score tells you how aggressively and successfully LF defended GC. The most impressive team I've seen other than SNC.

Congrats GC!

[OBC]

Grinnell 87, Lake Forest 76 and what a great college basketball game for both teams. Lake Forest came out with a smothering defense (a little too smothering IMHO) and Grinnell gave back as good as they got. Lake Forest led 33-30 with the ball and seconds left in the first half when Matt Skelly stole the ball and found a wide open Aaron Levin, bingo, as the clock expired the game was tied and the Pioneers went to the locker room on a high note.

Second half, Grinnell jumped out to a small lead as Kale Knisley hit a 3 to counter a Lake Forest deuce. They rode that lead back and forth between 2 and 8 points, eventually building it up to 11 points at about 10 minutes left.

Nice work by Dominique Bellamy overall. And it wouldn't have happened without several good hustle plays by Scott Kaitz and Garrett Nitz. And again a very nice job by Maher.

Grinnell hit it's free throws at the end (for the most part) and that was all she wrote.

I have to say that Lake Forest looked like on of the better teams I've seen all year. They were extremely well prepared and played hard the whole game. Coach Conger deserves a lot of credit for a very effective game plan and superb execution. Grinnell just made the shots when we had to.

I had hoped to finish my epic tome on who would make the conference tournament, but domestic responsibilities took precedence this morning. More on that later. Just a hint, it all comes down to the 4th seed, with 4 teams having a shot to complete the field.  

[OBC]

Please update the Ripon/St Norbert and Carroll/Lawrence games as soon as you can....Please, someone.

[Gregory Sager]

St. Norbert beat Ripon, 83-64. Carroll @ Lawrence isn't reporting updates, probably because Lawrence doesn't have live stats.

[OBC]

THANKS GREG.

[OBC]

Well, maybe a shortened version will do;

But first, the Lawrence/Carroll game baffles me to a certain extent. Not necessarily that Lawrence won at home, but that it was such a dominant win. But despite that, it looks like Lawrence will have to buy tickets if they want to see the MWC tournament. The schedule is just too tough against them. The Vikings have to play at Ripon, at Lake Forest, at IC and at St. Norbert, and then they have to play Ripon again at home, and they have to play at Beloit which is not exactly a gimme.

St Norbert is a lock. I believe Ripon is as well. Before today's games, honestly, I would have said Carroll was a lock as well.

But there are now 2 playoff spots in play. Carroll has almost as tough a row to hoe as LU. At Lake Forest, at Ripon, St Norbert and at IC.

The most favorable schedule lies with Illinois College. They only have one more road game, at Grinnell. Then they have home games with Beloit, Lawrence, Knox, Monmouth and Carroll.

Grinnell has an uphill climb. They can only afford one more loss. The Pioneers have Ripon and St Norbert back to back in Darby gym, and then finish with IC and at Lake Forest. I'd like to think they can pull it off. St N is the only team to really dominate Grinnell this year, but Lake Forest impressed me today and anything can happen as that last game may determine a playoff spot.

I can see the possibility of 3 teams at 11-7 for 2 spots. In that scenario, Grinnell would lose out on tie breakers.

So, it's:

St Norbert - Ripon - Carroll - Illinois College

Unless it's:
St Norbert - Ripon - Illinois College - Lake Forest

Or maybe:
St Norbert - Ripon - Grinnell - Illinois College

But probably the first grouping