WBB: Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[JMM]

Under estimating EC who beat SP, WW and more last year. Almost all folks are back should be much more seasoned. Stiff competition at the start of the season will have them ready for WIAC:
1. SP (national #1 contender)
2. EC
3. RF
4. PL (should show lots of improvement)\
5. LC
6. WW (talent of past 3 years is now gone, gone, gone so is WW for the present)
7. ST (time for MT to go - new recruits but these days kids don't respond to yelling and mind-game playing.)
8. SUP
9. OSH

[billys]

Let me go first.

1. Why would Platteville POSSIBLY finish fourth? Who exactly is going to score points, get rebounds, etc., etc. They may win 5 games TOTAL including non-con. You honestly believe they can win 9-10 conference games? Did they get a bunch of transfers none of us have heard about?

2. Time for Mark Thomas to go?  Something tells me someone you know transferred from Stout to Platteville? He should GO? The winningest all-time coach? Hirrsig (sp?) didn't seem to have a huge problem playing four years for him. This comment reeks of an agenda.

3. WW may indeed drop to 6th (doubt it) but you say they don't have the talent ... then pick Platteville 4th.

Can you explain some of these? You may end up right ... now I'm just wildly curious what you're basing these predicitions on.

[PRF2009A]

Let me go first.

1. Why would Platteville POSSIBLY finish fourth? Who exactly is going to score points, get rebounds, etc., etc. They may win 5 games TOTAL including non-con. You honestly believe they can win 9-10 conference games? Did they get a bunch of transfers none of us have heard about?

2. Time for Mark Thomas to go?  Something tells me someone you know transferred from Stout to Platteville? He should GO? The winningest all-time coach? Hirrsig (sp?) didn't seem to have a huge problem playing four years for him. This comment reeks of an agenda.

3. WW may indeed drop to 6th (doubt it) but you say they don't have the talent ... then pick Platteville 4th.

Can you explain some of these? You may end up right ... now I'm just wildly curious what you're basing these predicitions on.

Back from my hiatus.  I would also like to hear reasoning behind these 3.  Stout is great year in and year out... not sure why it would be time for the coach to go?

I do agree with the EC comments though, they should be solid.  Lax's top 5 can play with anyone, but depth is going to be the real question.  Van Handel decided to not go out for ball this year.  That is going to hurt big time.  If they stay healthy, they will be very fun to watch.

[BDB]

7. ST (time for MT to go - new recruits but these days kids don't respond to yelling and mind-game playing.)

Completely assinine and ridiculous.

Not only does billys probably have it right saying this comment reeks of an agenda, but do you realize the 400 page volume of posts this will get started by The Champ?  

JMM, that's a crazy statement.  

[Just Bill]

I often step in to moderate when The Champ starts to hyperventilate over perceived slights against Stout. But I won't this time since that was one of the stupider statements I've ever seen on this board. Have at 'em.

[The Champ]

I often step in to moderate when The Champ starts to hyperventilate over perceived slights against Stout. But I won't this time since that was one of the stupider statements I've ever seen on this board. Have at 'em.

LOL....

There were no perceived slights - it was pretty obvious that JMM was continuing his/her rant against one of the best coaches in WIAC history - because he/she knows nothing about athletics.

I read this yesterday morning before anyone else responded (and before JMM edited out the extended 5 line rant against Mark Thomas - what you read now is quite tame, really), and resisted the temptation to post. 

I decided it would be better to let the rest of you pick apart this agenda driven drivel.  My only disappoinment I have is that I don't think the rest of you got to see how insane JMM's post really was.

Thanks to all for having my back...

[badgerwarhawk]

Who are you and what have you done with Champ? 

[The Champ]

Who are you and what have you done with Champ? 

It's me, BW....  

Just felt it would be better to let others on the board have first crack at that particular post. 

Sure wish JMM had left it totally intact, as it was a much more humorous (or was that delirious ) post before the edit 11 or 12 hours later...

[billys]

Yeah ... that was my fault; I should have went back to look at past posts. I forgot Thomas was an animal and Heeren was a great coach cause she was always positive. Completely forgot that rant.

I'm over that; but I still do want to know how Platteville is possibly going to finish 4th?

[PRF2009A]

I'm over that; but I still do want to know how Platteville is possibly going to finish 4th?

It must be one of two things behind the reasoning for a 4th place finish.

1.  The fact that they have 2 returning starters.
2.  They are dumpinig the WIAC and jumping to the Big 10.
http://www.uwplatt.edu/athletics/basketball/womens/1011/9-15nu.html

[billys]

Welsh-Ryan Arena isn't a whole lot different than the Quandt to be honest; not sure how much atmosphere they'll get out of that.
Northwestern is a tough exhibition match-up because they play an 1-1-3 amoeba zone ... so you can't really figure out what you've got with your offense that you'll run during the year. Hopefully they're making it worth their while with $$$.

I will be interested to see what La Crosse can do at UWM. Last year Milwaukee lost to Parkside and struggled mightily with Stevens Point til they got some breathing room VERY late.

BTW- Anyone else not a fan of the new WIAC website. I tried to go look for a composite schedule; I mean the season starts in 2 1/2 weeks right? No such luck.

[Just Bill]

UWSP at UW-Green Bay should be an interesting exhibition game as well. UWGB is much better than UW-Milwaukee so I wouldn't expect Point to stick around in the second half, but you never know.  The D-I teams play much deeper rotations than they would in a regular game so sometimes the D-III can keep it close.

[billys]

UWSP at UW-Green Bay should be an interesting exhibition game as well. UWGB is much better than UW-Milwaukee so I wouldn't expect Point to stick around in the second half, but you never know.  The D-I teams play much deeper rotations than they would in a regular game so sometimes the D-III can keep it close.

Green Bay overwhelms people so much with how hard they play and their defensive pressure/switching ... so if they want to make sure you don't score (as a D3); they will.

You're right though; with extended rotations and probably some experimenting, they may keep it around 25-30.

Any other D1 exhibitions?

[Out_Of_My_Kitchen]

I was thinking La Crosse would be a lock since they had 100% of their scoring and rebounding back from a team that was as hot as any until the WIAC tournament.  That of course changes now that Van Handel is not playing this year. 

I would think that if Platteville finishes with the same record they had last year in conference that would be big for them after losing the talent they did to graduation.  They are going to be a better team in a couple years, but I am thinking 5-6 wins in conference is going to be their max. 

EC should be better, but I would like to see who they brought in before I say they are a top 3 team. 

It's just hard for me to say WW is going to be a top 5-6 team with the quality of the guards they lost. 

UW-Green Bay is good, really good.  They were a couple possessions form being in the Sweet 16 last year.  I don't know what the spread will be, but I would be surprised if Stevens Point can hang with them in the second half.  Last year St. Norbert's lost by 30ish. 

[The Champ]

I was thinking La Crosse would be a lock since they had 100% of their scoring and rebounding back from a team that was as hot as any until the WIAC tournament. 

Not sure how you figure this? 

La Crosse had 6 WIAC losses last year, being swept by both WW and UWEC during the WIAC season and lost to Point and Stout on their home court. 

To their credit, they did beat Point at Point by 12, but it took 2 overtimes at Johnson Fieldhouse to win that battle - something LC hadn't done since 1998. 

One could say they were due for a win their after that many consecutive losses, but I know it was a long drive home for me after that game as I really had expected a Stout win.

Once again, to LC's credit, they did win both games against RF.  But they did catch RF during the stretch where RF lost 7 of 11 games. 

It was strange to see RF collapse after their 13 consecutive wins (conference and non-conference) to start the season.