MBB: Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference

[BadgerFan42]

I'm pretty confident in saying that CUW was the best team at CIT this weekend.  CU-AA was absolutely on fire from behind the 3 point line, shooting 73% in the 2nd half.  Those same guys that shot well on Friday couldn't hit on Saturday.  That leads me to believe that CU-AA had a career night shooting the ball on Friday against CUW or CUC's defense was better.

To comment on your earlier post: 

As a former player and now spectator of the CIT tournament I would say that it carries that same importance now that its had in years past.  I know that the guys on CUW's team were disappointed in their showing on Friday night against CU-AA, but they are playing for a regular season crown and looking to avenge last seasons early departure from the  conference tourny.  Not that CIT wasn't important, you're playing for bragging rights and everyone always plays with more intensity in hopes of holding the trophy.

Luke Doedens has been a phenomenal player so far this season for the CUW men.  He definitely had a coming out party of sorts at CIT this past weekend.  Dominating both games.  As I mentioned before, and RFMichigan eluted to it, no one on CUW's team is in position where they have to put up huge numbers in order to for their team to win, which isn't something you see with the other top players in the conf.  On a given night any one of the 5 starters for CUW can put up huge numbers.

I am going to change my vote for conf POY to 'Skip' Newton-Kemp from CUW.  Skip played just as well, if not better at times than Luke Doedens did this weekend and he has been doing it all year.  SKip is by far the most athletic player in the conf and one of the most skilled.   

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

First Regional Rankings: http://www.d3blogs.com/d3hoops/2011/02/02/ncaas-mens-regional-rankings/

[Just Bill]

NathCon well represented in the Midwest. CUW #2, EC #4 and MSOE #8.  Looks like a strong out-of-conference performance early on has paid off for the league.  We're still a long way from those rankings translating into at-large bids though.

[WLCALUM83]

Ah, yes, a couple of us remember last year's NAthCon Men's Tournament, when Dominican made it all the way to the final--as a #8 seed, before losing to Aurora.

[Just Bill]

Ah, yes, a couple of us remember last year's NAthCon Men's Tournament, when Dominican made it all the way to the final--as a #8 seed, before losing to Aurora.

I don't see the relavence to the regional rankings. Or were you referring to something else?

[WLCALUM83]

I was just meaning to say "plenty can still happen between now and tournament time" (generally speaking).

[John Gleich]

I was just meaning to say "plenty can still happen between now and tournament time" (generally speaking).

While that's true, I think that the NAthCon is just better this year than that year.

[RFMichigan]

The conference had a pretty decent out-of-conference record, but in no small part because of the large number of contributing seniors for many of the teams who have had some decent out-of-conference wins. Snelling, Licht (BU); Stark, Newton-Kemp (CUW); the Turleys (DU); Deacon, Meier (MSOE); Young, Gary, Morgan (CUC) come to mind.

[John Gleich]

The conference had a pretty decent out-of-conference record, but in no small part because of the large number of contributing seniors for many of the teams who have had some decent out-of-conference wins. Snelling, Licht (BU); Stark, Newton-Kemp (CUW); the Turleys (DU); Deacon, Meier (MSOE); Young, Gary, Morgan (CUC) come to mind.

The impact of good senior leadership is huge.  That can help win multiple games just by good decision making.

[WLCALUM83]

Rockford 76, Dominican 69   4 seconds left (Regents' Dixon hit a clutch 3 to put them up with approx. 2 1/2 min left, then they hit their late FTs to seal this one-Dominican stats)

CUW 69, Marian 64  1 sec left

(4 Falcon players scored in double figures-Falcons hit 23 FTs for the game - Marian had 28 turnovers--Saber stats)

[jdubb104]

New to posting on D3Boards...

With the regular season ending here in the last few games. Any thoughts to who will finish in the top 8 to make the conference tournament? I know CUW, Edgewood, and Lakeland already have spots locked in the North. But it is a tight race for the 4th spot and not one of the South spots is locked in yet. It looks to be a tight race to the finish.

My predictions are as follows.

North
1. CUW
2. Edgewood
3. Lakeland
4. Marian (turning it on late)

South
1. MSOE
2. Benedictine
3. Aurora
4. Rockford

[WLCALUM83]

Welcome to the board!

I agree with you on all but one of your picks--I'd go with Maranatha as taking the last spot in the North, only because they're at home more often than not from here on out.

Lakeland will have a big say, (still having to play 2 of the 3 teams in the North dogfight-)

[BadgerFan42]

I agree with the rest of the picks by jdubb104

but I think Bendictine will finish in the top spot out of the south...

[RFMichigan]

New to posting on D3Boards...

With the regular season ending here in the last few games. Any thoughts to who will finish in the top 8 to make the conference tournament? I know CUW, Edgewood, and Lakeland already have spots locked in the North. But it is a tight race for the 4th spot and not one of the South spots is locked in yet. It looks to be a tight race to the finish.

My predictions are as follows.

North
1. CUW
2. Edgewood
3. Lakeland
4. Marian (turning it on late)

South
1. MSOE
2. Benedictine
3. Aurora
4. Rockford

Welcome to the board!
I generally agree with your picks, although the last spot in the south will probably come down to Rockford at CUC a week from this Saturday unless one or the other can manage a couple of wins vs. the teams currently at the top of their division prior to that.

[Pat Coleman]

Newest men's regional rankings are up. Pass it on:

http://www.d3blogs.com/d3hoops/2011/02/09/ncaas-2011-regional-rankings-week-2/