MBB: Midwest Conference

[Greek Tragedy]

Any Carroll fans out there?  How do you (or anyone for that matter) feel about your chances against Whitewater tonight?  I'll be in the usual garb, so feel free to say hi.

[schwanman]

Wasn't 1986-87 the year that the University of Chicago used an ineligible player and had to forfeit all of its games after the season?

If that's the case, I think that excludes them from the "winless team" discussion.

Roop, what's the early line on Beloit vs. Grinnell on Jan. 19?

[monmcali]

"Judging by how they won a game tonight scoring 65 points, I'm guessing Redlands is no longer running the system.  That Grinnell game out there is not going to be quite as exciting now.  Well, at least the Redlands kids know how to run it.  Maybe they'll get up for that game."

Redlands is definitely not running the system anymore.  Watching them play Chapman University without the system was an eye opening experience.  They have (i believe) three guys on the current team that averaged double figures in scoring last year.  One guy was the teams second leading scorer at 18pts. a night last year.  if he scores 18 in any one game this year it will be surprising.  I know these guys will be missing the system b/c it was definitely hiding players inabilities.  Watching Redlands is proof positive that "the system" turns bad players into role players, role players into good players and good players into all-americans and national scoring champions.

its great that grinnell is playing redlands this year.  maybe coach smith can talk arsenault into playing traditional style against his old school.  Redlands has 5 sophomores on the team.  i wonder how many of them are thinking about transfering to Grinnell.  they know how good they had it, and how bad it is now.

[jeffdc]

Grinnell over Waldorf - I think the final was 114 to 102, but forgot to look at the board on the way out...

Very evenly matched teams - despite a shallow bench, Waldorf played hard against GC the entire 4 quarters. GC even trailed at times in the 1st half! But it's hard to win against a GC team that was knocking down 3s the way these guys were tonight. Schmidt, Grotberg, Long all had lots. Very promising work from a freshman, #54, Kale Knisley. Arsenault as usual was reliable in scoring and moving the ball around.

I didn't see JeffP in the stands, though! I'm in shock!!

[TeeDub]

...One guy was the teams second leading scorer at 18pts. a night last year.  if he scores 18 in any one game this year it will be surprising.  I know these guys will be missing the system b/c it was definitely hiding players inabilities.... 

In classic 'OFS' style, you are misrepresenting the facts to hide your everlasting bitterness to a school that elected not to recruit you.  This player that you reference has absolutely taken a downward turn in production (please note the sarcasm).  He has gone from providing Redlands with 15.37% of their points down to only producing 15% of them, a whopping reduction of .37%  As always, your obsersvations are outstanding.

Sorry MWC room, but he elected to talk trash on Redlands outside of the SCIAC room.  I'll try and refrain from further acknowledgement of this poster.

[pgkevin]

saw Hanley from LFC did not play in their game on Sunday?  Anyone hear of any injury or any other reason why he didnt play, he logged significant minutes in the first game so I cant imagine it was a DNPCD?

[Gregory Sager]

Wasn't 1986-87 the year that the University of Chicago used an ineligible player and had to forfeit all of its games after the season?

If that's the case, I think that excludes them from the "winless team" discussion.

Could be, but if that was the case you'd think that the U of C's media guide would indicate that. As it is, it lists the Maroons as having gone 13-8, 8-6 that season.

Grinnell over Waldorf - I think the final was 114 to 102, but forgot to look at the board on the way out...

College nicknames that should be, but aren't:

1. Transylvania Vampires
2. Creighton Barrels
3. Waldorf Salads

[monmcali]

...One guy was the teams second leading scorer at 18pts. a night last year.  if he scores 18 in any one game this year it will be surprising.  I know these guys will be missing the system b/c it was definitely hiding players inabilities.... 

In classic 'OFS' style, you are misrepresenting the facts to hide your everlasting bitterness to a school that elected not to recruit you.  This player that you reference has absolutely taken a downward turn in production (please note the sarcasm).  He has gone from providing Redlands with 15.37% of their points down to only producing 15% of them, a whopping reduction of .37%  As always, your obsersvations are outstanding.

Sorry MWC room, but he elected to talk trash on Redlands outside of the SCIAC room.  I'll try and refrain from further acknowledgement of this poster.

Jordis,
Happy Thanksgiving.  I am not sure how you know who recruited me or how you would want to think you know that much about me (creepy),  but the statement was more about "the system" and how not having it has changed a program.  I know you already know this but, just in case you didnt, the new assistant at Grinnell
was the maestro of the system at redlands last year.  and grinnell will play at redlands this year.  thus the reason for the post on the MWC board.  Hope that clears things up for ya buddy. 

I hope you are able to watch a lot of football and eat lots of turkey tomorrow 

[Greek Tragedy]

Went to the Carroll/Whitewater game last night...and after watching Carroll get smoked against both Point and Whitewater, I'm not sure what to think of the Pioneers.  They've played arguably the WIACs top two dogs (geez, do they play Platteville too?) and they've looked bad in both games.  Aside from Ladwig, Carroll really doesn't have anyone to go to.  Mueller had a decent game against Point, but if Carroll plays anyone with size, like Whitewater had last night, it could be a tough season for them.  Their interior defense is horrible and no one seemed to know what "boxing out" means.  You don't have to be tall to rebound well.  There was a lot of 1 v 1 play, shown by their SIX assists to 17 made field goals.  They did have assists on half of their FGs against Point though.  Anyway, they are obviously a shell of last year's team and need a lot of work before the MWC season opens up.

[Vikes More Vikes]

Good to hear that Carroll is looking soft.

After all, it is a girl's name.

[bucs r bust]

I was at the Beloit/MSOE game the other night and must say it will be a very long year for the Bucs.  I look at their schedule and don't see anyone that I can say Beloit should or could beat.  I don't know how much difference Horton will make when he returns but they will need him all year long.  From what I hear he should play in the conference opener next weekend at IC.  All in all a pretty poor performance from mostly everyone on the team.  They show bright spots once and a while, but the bad plays by far out weight the good.  No post presence on O or D and the guards almost look scarred when they get the ball.  That might be why they shoot so many 3's...they just don't want the ball I guess.  Anyways, I hope Vraney can turn them around but he definitely has his work cut out for him.  BUCS in '09!?

[Greek Tragedy]

Made the Oshkosh opener vs. St. Norb's on Wednesday.  St. Norb's is not a tall team, but neither is Oshkosh, aside from Dane Seckar-Anderson.  Jordan Johnson is 6'5" but plays a lot taller than his height.  No one from the Green Knights could stop JJ or DSA on the boards, while D.J. Marsh also chipped in with 7 boards.  JJ and DSA (22) had nearly as many rebounds as the whole St. Norb's team which resulted in a lot of second chance points for the Titans.  No one, defensively, could stop Marsh and they also had a hard time keeping track of DSA because he got a lot of easy baskets with his solid off the ball movement down low.  Though lacking in size, St. Norb's interior players were able to get Jordan Johnson to foul out and get Dane Seckar-Anderson to get four fouls.  DSA had two fouls with 10 minutes to go in the first half and I'm wondering why St. Norb's didn't go after him and try to get him to pick up his 3rd foul.  Incidently, he didn't get his third until 10 minutes left in the second half, or around that time.  I think St. Norb's would've had a lot better shot at winning had they gotten JJ and DSA into foul trouble because then you really only need to worry about Marsh shredding your team.  On the other hand, Marsh can't stop anyone driving to the basket.  There were at least a half dozen times when he was taken one on one from the perimeter and the guy just blew by him. 

St. Norb's did take care of the ball well, only coughing the ball up 8 times, but there was little movement and too many times when one player tried to do too much on their own and didn't get enough of their own off the ball movement to counter Oshkosh's height.  They only had 10 assists to 25 FGs made.  Obviously, rebounding was a huge problem (40-24) but you don't necessarily need height to rebound.  St. Norb's just had a real hard time boxing out and their help defense out on the perimeter was pretty bad, especially when they tried to contain Marsh.

All in all, a tough day for the Green Knights and I'm not sure what kind of height the other MWC teams have.  Better TEAM defense and better rebounding as well as TEAM offense (not just going one on one for Jandron and Dowden) will all need to get better for St. Norb's to compete with Grinnell, Lawrence, Lake Forest and the rest of the MWC.

[Gregory Sager]

Good to hear that Carroll is looking soft.

After all, it is a girl's name.

Not that again.

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

I didn't see JeffP in the stands, though! I'm in shock!!

Is he still alive?  I'm counting on hanging at the Rest for a few hours when I'm up there next Saturday.  He didn't answer my email.

[Greek Tragedy]

Good to hear that Carroll is looking soft.

After all, it is a girl's name.

Not that again.

Vikes More Vikes only has about 3 posts and he was over in the WIAC board having positive thoughts about T2K, claiming we missed him!  So, take that into consideration...