MBB: Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference

[Pat Coleman]

Yuck.

Hope they gave you a good buyout offer, man, that sucks.

[Mr. Ypsi]

Yuck.

Hope they gave you a good buyout offer, man, that sucks.

Pat, thanks for the support.

Turns out they did (though I'm sure unwittingly) - our union contract (which I spent thousands of dollars and 9 years of my life to achieve) states "Any Employee may be terminated without cause in mid-appointment, in which case the University shall pay the Employee an amount equal to 135% of the unpaid wages for the remainder of his/her employment."  Someone didn't notice that I was only at the end of year one on a two-year contract!  Unless they can come up with some loophole, I'll consider it an early retirement buy-out!

[Greek Tragedy]

Wow, really?  I'm sorry to hear about your misfortunes...or fortunes! lol.  Hope all goes well for future employment...or retirement. 

[cardinalfanrochelle]

 I thought this was a basketball chat board? Heard Lakeland has a new coach (men's basketball)!!! When are we going to get the offical word? About time though, now let's get busy!!!!!

[Gregory Sager]

I'm sorry to learn of your parting of the ways with EMU as well, Chuck. It's particularly disturbing to see a non-profit institution discard so many years of an employee's loyal service in that manner. However, I'm glad that you have a nice golden parachute coming your way.

[The Roop]

Still, "The Roop" is correct that 80 students enrolled some other way (though hopefully not by lowering standards) would achieve the same benefit without the extra costs.

I doubt that the next 80 in line would be grossly underqualified to get in. It's really a matter of capacity isn't it. Do they even have the facilities, classrooms and housing, to grow at all?? That more than anything limits enrollments for schools the size of Clarke.

Last I heard they weren't exactly winning the endowment game. So where does the money come from to expand and increase enrollment; whether it be a football team or otherwise.

[Just Bill]

Release on Lakeland's new men's basketball coach (Not ex-Tar Heel Joe Wolf as many speculated);

http://www.lakeland.edu/AboutUs/news.asp?article=1946

[Greek Tragedy]

Just Bill,

You beat me to it!  Not sure how Lakeland will be this upcoming year.  They lose two starting seniors.  They also didn't fair too well against ex-NIIC teams. 

[The Roop]

Marian underacheived last year and Aurora returns lots of talent. I look for those two to be contenders in the new conference. No Pool Cs coming out but there could be 2 Pool Bs.

[Big_Uns]

Not sure how Lakeland will be this upcoming year. They lose two starting seniors.

With Grzesk's departure, who knows who else will be lost as well. Nothing against the new guy, that's just how college basketball works.

[Gregory Sager]

I wouldn't count Lakeland out so soon. They really struck me last year as a team that was made up of interchangeable parts, with no real standouts apart from Germayne James -- and he wasn't someone whose numbers were irreplaceably high. It's sometimes tough to transition to a new coach, especially one who has never been the guy in charge before, but if a team returns plenty of experienced players it can make up for that with its leadership on the floor. Lakeland returns eight players next year who averaged double figures in minutes played. I see them as a genuine NAthCon contender in 2006-07.

Kyle Brumett looks like he has good credentials, as D3 head-coach newbies go. My questions about his chances for success would revolve around recruiting. He's an Indiana boy who has spent his entire playing and coaching career in the southern part of that state (Hanover, Southern Indiana, DePauw). That's a long way from Wisconsin. Recruiting for Lakeland is no easy thing even for an experienced Wisconsinite, seeing as how WIAC teams get first dibs at most instate D3-level players, with Ripon, Lawrence, Carthage, and now Carroll also further up the prestige ladder than the Muskies (and look for St. Norbert under former Lakeland coach Gary Grzesk to start landing some nice recruits as well). Brumett faces a very steep learning curve in terms of recruiting at his new post.

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

Speaking of NathCon contenders, what did MSOE lose last year... oh wait... nevermind.

[Greek Tragedy]

Speaking of NathCon contenders, what did MSOE lose last year... oh wait... nevermind.

Nice one Hoops Fan.  With that little shot at MSOE, I'll still answer the question.  They lose both Jeff Mikos and Sleepy (on defense) Floyd Bayiha.  Scott Murphy returns and he (5 times) along with Jake Gay (joint game high scorer twice) and Jamal Sabree (2) also led the team in scoring just a handful of times.

I wouldn't count Lakeland out so soon. They really struck me last year as a team that was made up of interchangeable parts, with no real standouts apart from Germayne James -- and he wasn't someone whose numbers were irreplaceably high.

They did have a very balanced team and if Brumett can keep the same philosophy using ball movement, unselfishness, motion offense and all that, they should still pretty good next year in the new conference.

Recruiting for Lakeland is no easy thing even for an experienced Wisconsinite, seeing as how WIAC teams get first dibs at most instate D3-level players, with Ripon, Lawrence, Carthage, and now Carroll also further up the prestige ladder than the Muskies (and look for St. Norbert under former Lakeland coach Gary Grzesk to start landing some nice recruits as well).

 

And you didn't even mention any of the old LMC rivals who's colleges may have better "perks" (WLC, Concordia (WI) have the Milwaukee area, Edgewood as Mad City, and even Marian is actually located in the city of Fond du Lac).

Marian underacheived last year and Aurora returns lots of talent. I look for those two to be contenders in the new conference. No Pool Cs coming out but there could be 2 Pool Bs.

Don't they only get ONE Pool B as a conference with no automatic qualifier?  Or because they have so many teams, they get two?  Is there a cut off when you get an extra bid (12)?

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

I actually forgot MSOE wasn't elligible for the conference this year, but it turned out to be funny.


And all the Pool B's can come from one conference, no matter the size, it just depends on how good the teams are.

[Ralph Turner]

Speaking of NathCon contenders, what did MSOE lose last year... oh wait... nevermind.

Nice one Hoops Fan.  With that little shot at MSOE, I'll still answer the question.  They lose both Jeff Mikos and Sleepy (on defense) Floyd Bayiha.  Scott Murphy returns and he (5 times) along with Jake Gay (joint game high scorer twice) and Jamal Sabree (2) also led the team in scoring just a handful of times.

I wouldn't count Lakeland out so soon. They really struck me last year as a team that was made up of interchangeable parts, with no real standouts apart from Germayne James -- and he wasn't someone whose numbers were irreplaceably high.

They did have a very balanced team and if Brumett can keep the same philosophy using ball movement, unselfishness, motion offense and all that, they should still pretty good next year in the new conference.

Recruiting for Lakeland is no easy thing even for an experienced Wisconsinite, seeing as how WIAC teams get first dibs at most instate D3-level players, with Ripon, Lawrence, Carthage, and now Carroll also further up the prestige ladder than the Muskies (and look for St. Norbert under former Lakeland coach Gary Grzesk to start landing some nice recruits as well).

 

And you didn't even mention any of the old LMC rivals who's colleges may have better "perks" (WLC, Concordia (WI) have the Milwaukee area, Edgewood as Mad City, and even Marian is actually located in the city of Fond du Lac).

Marian underacheived last year and Aurora returns lots of talent. I look for those two to be contenders in the new conference. No Pool Cs coming out but there could be 2 Pool Bs.

Don't they only get ONE Pool B as a conference with no automatic qualifier?  Or because they have so many teams, they get two?  Is there a cut off when you get an extra bid (12)?

Old school, there is no limit to the number of teams that may get a Pool B bid from a single conference.

My first impression is that the LMC's going to Pool B is offset by the NEAC moving to Pool A.  We should find out in the summer if the NEAC has been recognized as a Pool A conference.  That still leaves 4 Pool B bids.  The NAthCon members will be impacted by their QOWI, especially if they schedule most of their non-conference games with the CCIW, WIAC and maybe the MWC teams.  If 2 NAthCon teams run away with the conference, then we might see 2 bids.

Villa Julie (in the North Eastern AC) should be Pool A.
Bethany in the Presidents AC will be back for one more year in Pool B.
Maryville TN will probably reload.
Finally, Lincoln may have the horses after Myrick and crew have left.  Lincoln is headed to D2 in 2007-08.

Those are last year's Pool B's.  This year's will be interesting!