MBB: Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association

[Gregory Sager]

Rock Island it is.

Facing Augsburg and Augustana doesn't augur well for an august school such as Hope trying to augment its tournament record. It's a bad augury. Plus: Lutherans.

... and some Free Methodists to spice things up as well.

[sac]

Given what was out there I think this is a good draw for Hope.

I don't know if they messed up during the announcement but their bracket had Hope in the two slot.  I think Hope vs Augsburg is probably two #3 seeds playing each other.  Hope was never a #2 on my charts.  I had Augsburg as a marginal #2, more likely a #3 and ranked higher than Hope.

Augustana is maybe the #5 overall seed if we did things that way nationally.  Frankly Augustana got a game they didn't want against a Greenville team that runs the Grinnell system and does it at a higher pace.

[Gregory Sager]

Augustana will be affected less by having to play Greenville than would most teams, because Grey Giovanine always uses a deep rotation. Augie had ten players on this year's team who averaged ten or more minutes per game.

[HOPEful]

...Frankly Augustana got a game they didn't want against a Greenville team that runs the Grinnell system and does it at a higher pace.

This. Orange, Ebel, Sortillo, and Benning all typically play 30(ish) minutes in close games. If Greenville keeps it close, the high pace and one day turnaround could gift the Augsburg/Hope winner with a tired opponent.

[Flying Dutch Fan]

...Frankly Augustana got a game they didn't want against a Greenville team that runs the Grinnell system and does it at a higher pace.

This. Orange, Ebel, Sortillo, and Benning all typically play 30(ish) minutes in close games. If Greenville keeps it close, the high pace and one day turnaround could gift the Augsburg/Hope winner with a tired opponent.

My thoughts as well - not to mention having to plan for playing against the system and taking your team a bit out of the norm...

[Gregory Sager]

 I don't think that the Panthers will keep it close.

[sac]

I don't think that the Panthers will keep it close.

Probably not, I bet Grey could use his bench for most it and still win easily.  But I bet if you asked him, he didn't want Greenville as a first round opponent.

[sac]

The other side of this, is that in person scouting of Augustana for the Saturday night contest for either Hope or Augsburg will be pretty useless.

[HOPEful]

Augustana will be affected less by having to play Greenville than would most teams, because Grey Giovanine always uses a deep rotation. Augie had ten players on this year's team who averaged ten or more minutes per game.

I think it will depend on how close Greenville is able to keep it. A decent lead early will mean a lot more playing time for Simon, Kellen, Youngblut, and Frakes. I would say this is the most likely scenario.

Still, the Auggie v. Hope winner will be rooting for a double OT, 200 pt. each thriller!!!

[Gregory Sager]

I don't think that the Panthers will keep it close.

Probably not, I bet Grey could use his bench for most it and still win easily.  But I bet if you asked him, he didn't want Greenville as a first round opponent.

Yeah, I'm sure that he will view this game as an inconvenience, given that he's gonna be forced to play somebody else's style in the opening round. He's very big on Augustana imposing its will upon an opponent and forcing that opponent to play his game, and that's just plain impossible against the System. But Augustana is hosting a pod, and the team he's seeded to play is a legit #4 rather than a #3 slumming as a #4, so I don't think he has too much to complain about.

[Winifred Durfee]

Some Hope vs. Augsburg thoughts/numbers:

Both teams are pretty equal from 3-point range. Augs shoots better at the line but Hope gets there more. Augs turns it over a bit less. Rebounding is pretty even as well.

Defense: Hope gives up 80 ppg, Augs gives up 68 ppg.

Massey has Augs at #7, Hope at #42, and gives Augs an 81% win probability. A big part of that is the defensive numbers listed above. Augs #15 D, Hope #212 D

[HOPEful]

... so I don't think he has too much to complain about.

Other than of course all the Michiganders who don't know the difference between Auggie and Augie, right?

And Waaaa hooo!!! I almost missed hitting the milestone 200 negative k!!!! (I wish there was a way of telling how many of those 200 came from calvin fans...)

[Gregory Sager]

Augustana will be affected less by having to play Greenville than would most teams, because Grey Giovanine always uses a deep rotation. Augie had ten players on this year's team who averaged ten or more minutes per game.

I think it will depend on how close Greenville is able to keep it. A decent lead early will mean a lot more playing time for Simon, Kellen, Youngblut, and Frakes. I would say this is the most likely scenario.

The interesting thing to me about this matchup is how Grey Giovanine will fill out the fifteen-man roster to which he is limited by NCAA tourney rules. Augie has a truckload of Goliaths that are 6'7 or bigger, as is the case every season, and there's just not a lot of need to use multiple guys like that against the System. I could see him leaving off bigs like Donovan Ferguson and Andy McLaughlin that aren't highly end-to-end mobile, while dipping down into the JV ranks to dress guards such as Jack Jelen, Nick Uhlir, and Austin Elledge.

... so I don't think he has too much to complain about.

Other than of course all the Michiganders who don't know the difference between Auggie and Augie, right?

Ha! There's that, too, of course.

[sac]

Other than of course all the Michiganders who don't know the difference between Auggie and Augie, right?

Speak for yourself

[HOPEful]

Other than of course all the Michiganders who don't know the difference between Auggie and Augie, right?

Speak for yourself

I was

Mr. Sager politely taught me the difference "long ago" on these boards after I blundered