MBB: Midwest Conference

[John Gleich]

Though Point and Carroll have already played this season, here's a reposting of something I typed up a little differently for the MIAC page earlier this week when asked:

How did Stevens Point lose to Oshkosh in their first meeting?

This probably would be of more interest to Carroll fans instead of just what Point does well!

But anyway, the way Point lost...


...Point scored fewer points...

But seriously, Oshkosh found a way to slow Point down.  Point scored just 55 points in this game (12 and 13 points less than their next-lowest outputs against La Crosse and 27 less than the season average).

The WAY they slowed Point down was by controlling the tempo, playing BIG defense (I'll qualify this in a bit), keeping Point to their lowest shooting percentages of the season, and by shooting extremely well.

Controlling the tempo: Oshkosh would pound the air out of the ball for 25 seconds on the shot clock, then dump the ball into Gibson.  If Point doubled, that left someone open.  If they didn't, then Gibson usually made the shot (9/13).  When he missed, the slashing guards Johnson and Marsh collectively got 7 offensive rebounds.

Playing BIG defense:  With 7'1" Gibson on the inside (5 blocks), it really kept Point's guards from driving and cutting, which forced Point to take more three's out of rather stagnant offense.  For the season, Point is 4th in the country at 3 point percentage at 42.3%, and 42.5% of their shots are from deep.  They make 10.7 3's per game (8th in the country).  In this game, Point shot 31 3's, only making 12, and their 31 3's were 58.5% of their total shots.  Also, even in a slowed down game, Oshkosh forced more turnovers (11) than Point averages (leading all of college basketball at 8.4... this is better than 1 TO fewer than the next-closest team in D3).

Keeping Point to their lowest shooting percentages of the season- Pretty self explanitory, but again, largely due to the fact that easier baskets were very hard to come by due to Oshkosh's size and defense... Point had just 14 points in the paint, and while they don't have a dominating big man, cutters routinely get open off of back cuts, curls, drives, and dishes.  Point leads all of college basketball in assist to turnover ratio at 2.04:1 assists:TO's.  This is because Point's players can all take the ball off the dribble and they are a very good passing team, but they are also very unselfish.  All 5 starters can hit the 3, and each have hit at least 19.  Point guard El-Amin has been hitting his three's of late, he's 10/19 in the last 6 games, and in his last 5 games he's got 27 assists to 3 TO's.  He's leading the WIAC at 3.13 A:TO ratio... but he's not alone.  Starters Brian Beamish and Steve Hicklin are 2 and 3 in the league, and Krull is 5th.  Even Pete Rortvedt, Point's leading scorer, who takes the plurality of Point's shots has a 1.45 A:TO ratio.

But Rortvedt is a much bigger shooting threat.  He's averaging 3.37 3's per game (his 91 for the season has already broken Nick Bennett's single season record, and he's on pace to shatter Bennett's school record and the conference record as well), which is 19th in the country, and he shoots them at a 42.5% clip.  But Steve Hicklin, who plays opposite P.R. on the other wing is shooting 50%, which is good for a tie for second in the land.  Jon Krull will bang inside and at 6'4" is a bit undersized at the post... but he typically posts up in the short corner and uses his quickness to get around bigger defenders and his toughness to muscle the shot up.  But he also can step out and hit the long ball... he's hit 46 on the year and is shooting 44.2%.

Finally, when the game is winding down, in close games, Point seals games by shooting 81.8% from the free throw line.  This actually is down from 84% during the year, but if you're forced to try and foul and play the 3 for 2 against Point, it isn't going to work too well...

Well, here's a tidbit about Point... there's lots more that I could say, but this just a taste.  The only losses Point has had, they were beaten as I stated above, and they were simply outscored by D-2 Northern Michigan.  Any insights on how Carroll is different from early in the year?

[scottie]

And still nothing on D3HOOPS. Carroll shocks 2 teams,and still not a thing for the MWC.

I wouldn't hold your breath.  Maybe, if they get to the Final Four.

Go MWC!

[ccfan69]

WOW!!!

Congrats Carroll!!!!

After getting home from a very long day in Milwaukee for college gameday and the marquette game I come home to find this news.  What a great day!!! 

Pumped as ever about this win.

Again, congrats to Carroll

[Pat Coleman]

And still nothing on D3HOOPS. Carroll shocks 2 teams,and still not a thing for the MWC.

I wouldn't hold your breath.  Maybe, if they get to the Final Four.

Go MWC!

Just got home, smartass. We got the 7 p.m. games but the 8 p.m. games were still in progress when I left. No Miss Coll, no Wash U, no St. Thomas, no UWSP.

And justin, did you not read the site on Thursday? Huh? Front page story and photo ring a bell?

[Pat Coleman]

And still nothing on D3HOOPS. Carroll shocks 2 teams,and still not a thing for the MWC.

But I guess I can spend more time in here on the board and NOT updating the front page, slowing down the whole process.

[y_jack_lok]

I don't like everything Pat Coleman says, but the guy works his ass off and runs a great website. Cut him some slack.

[Pat Coleman]

Thanks. I guess in Justintyme's world (and Scottie's, too) I never have to travel, I can update the site while driving, and everything is done perfectly.

[y_jack_lok]

Not to mention a wife, 3 kids, and another job. Do you ever sleep?

[Pat Coleman]

Not in March. 

[diehardfan]

Not to mention a wife, 3 kids, and another job. Do you ever sleep?

Answer: No.... not even during the off season!

[Drake Palmer]

I would call them a Cinderella.  You come in not even winning your conference regular season and then go to the Number 9 and number 6 teams in the country and win on their home floor.  Thats more impressive then a 13 seed beating a 4, and and 5 seed on a neutral floor to me, and those teams are cinderellas. 


Carroll played well, but I've seen St. Thomas play a few times this season and this was by far the worst I've seen them.  It it their fault for not coming to play, yes.  Did carroll deserve to win, yes.  If they play best of 7 does St Thomas win in 5 or 6 games. Yes.
But, Its one game for the money, and Carroll took it so congrats to them.  Lets see if they can break the curse of MWC Teams playing in Quant.  I think were like 0-20 in the last 5 years there or something....

Lu- I'm curious to know which UST games you've seen this year? I've seen a number of Tommie games this season, & I certainly wouldn't say tonight was one of their worse games I've seen them play.  I thought Carroll did a great job on both ends of the court, & did an excellent job of taking UST out of their offense.

I'm also posting a recap of my post from the MIAC board.

[Drake Palmer]

Recap of MIAC post ...

Tonight was an excellent ball game by the Carroll Pioneers & the UST Tommies.  Unfortunately, if you're a UST or MIAC fan, it was a tough season ending loss.  Carroll College was one of the quickest & most athletic teams I've seen this season.  IMO, they effectively lured the Tommies into playing the game at a pace the quicker Pioneers preferred.

In a close, well played ball game such as this, each mistake seemed to be magnified, and the 9 1st half TOs by the Ts were almost all as a result of trying to push the tempo, & beat Carroll down the court.  After pushng the proverbial rock up the hill for most of the game, midway through the 2nd half, it looked like the Tommies would be able to weather their own mistakes & overcome some of the unreal sharp shooting by the Pioneers.  However, I believe the effort of chasing the quicker Pioneers for most of the game led to a few, critical, defensive lapses in the closing stages of the game.

But no doubt about it, Carroll College won this game as opposed to the Tommies giving the game away.  The Pioneers refused to fold under the Tommie pressure & had an answer for practically everything UST wanted to do.  One of the big tactical moves of the night that paid off for Carroll was to have lanky, 6-7 Buck Colomy guarding 6-1 Bryan Schnettler.  Although he didn't shut Schnettler down - 26 points, he harassed Sensei into a 4-15 shooting performance from behind the arc, 1-7 in the 2nd half.  Schnettler was most successful scoring by beating the slower Colomy to the rack or getting to the FT line.   Another defensive matchup that I thought UST could have done a better job of exploiting was to have 6-6 Mike Keating post up his shorter 6-3 opponent – Adam Ligocki.  I don't recall anytime at all in the first half when the Tommies went inside to Keating.  In the 2nd half right out of the box, the Tommies must have heard me screaming (not) & went inside to Keating on two straight possessions.  But then Carroll made another defensive adjustment & shut off that option.

Offensively, Carroll had the best tandem of guards I've seen all year in sr. Nathan Drury & soph Wes Ladwig.  Both of them have excellent handles, could drive to the basket, dish, & were more than capable of filling it up from the outside.  In the first half Ladwig was ridiculous & was a disgusting 4-7 from behind the arc, scoring 14 first half points!  Lonnie Robinson did a decent job of containing superstar Nate Drury – 11 1st half points, so in the 2nd half the Tommies switched Robinson to Ladwig & Andy Dwyer to cover Drury.  Drury ends up with 17 total points & Ladwig with 25 points.  Sadly, Carroll had other scoring options they decided to deploy as the previously mentioned Buck Colomy decides to get in on the aerial attack.  Colomy does his best Dirk Nowitzki impersonation & starts dropping bombs from all over the court & scores 13 of his 15 points in the 2nd half!  In the UST game summary they said he dropped in an NBA 3, which was not an exaggeration. He was a good 5-6 feet in back of the 3-pt line - a disgustingly good shot!    And, it wasn't a case of the Tommies playing that poorly on defense, these guys were just shooting unreal & kept hitting big shot after big shot. Adam Ligocki also proved his mettle & was an effective slasher around the glass, scoring 14 of his 17 points in the 2nd half. 

My props & respects to the Carroll College Pioneers.  I also hope the ankle injury to Ladwig in the closing minute of the game was minor & that he'll be able to play at full force next week.  Well done & good luck!

[Greek Tragedy]

I'm looking forward to seeing the MIAA's player of the year, Cramer, take on the Midwest Conference's player of the year, in Carroll's Drury.  Both are guards, coincidently, but I don't see them guarding each other. 

Carroll College

Drury:  32.7 mpg, 75-206 from 3-land, 4.5 rebs, 117 asts, 95 TOs, 39 stls, 20.1 ppg

Hope College

Last five games:  17 pts, 32, 16, 22, and 23

Cramer:  25.9 mpg, 49-113 from 3-land, 3.1 rebs, 51 asts, 57 TOs, 17 blks, 31 stls, 16.3 ppg

Last five games (most recent first):  26 pts, 32, 28, 11 and 12

[The Roop]

I'm looking forward to seeing the MIAA's player of the year, Cramer, take on the Midwest Conference's player of the year, in Carroll's Drury.  Both are guards, coincidentally, but I don't see them guarding each other. 

Probably not at first but I think it will be tried a time or two. Depends on how the rest of the match ups shake out.

Here's my crisis. Root for Carroll out of MWC loyalty despite not really liking them, or root for Hope because of the hottie factor. You see I've recently learned that Rachel Reenstra (aka Ms. Adventure on Animal Planet) is a Hope grad. Don't worry April she's 37 so you can't have a fit about this hottie.

[Greek Tragedy]

Here's my crisis. Root for Carroll out of MWC loyalty despite not really liking them, or root for Hope because of the hottie factor. You see I've recently learned that Rachel Reenstra (aka Ms. Adventure on Animal Planet) is a Hope grad. Don't worry April she's 37 so you can't have a fit about this hottie.

Unless she's actually in attendence, you go for Carroll.  I'm rooting for Carroll as well in the first game.