MBB: University Athletic Association

[Wydown Blvd.]

Emory men, NYU men, and Brandeis are off to a hot start and all undefeated... Is it a product of weak scheduling or establishing a turn of the tables in the UAA?

[WUPHF]

Washington University defeated the visiting Fontbonne Griffins, 82-65.  The press release mentions the only thing worth mentioning and that is the career nights by Dylan Richter with 23 points, Spencer Gay with 22 points, and Tim Cooney with 14 points.  Easily one of the best offensive performances by Richter who went 7-11 from the field, including 6-9 from three point range.

Otherwise, most everyone else looked as if they had been up all night studying for Chem 111.

New York and Rochester with double-digit wins over TCNJ and Elmira tonight as well.

[Hugenerd]

Emory men, NYU men, and Brandeis are off to a hot start and all undefeated... Is it a product of weak scheduling or establishing a turn of the tables in the UAA?

Emory has some impressive wins.  NYU always schedules weak (opponents are a combined 10-29, they have no wins over teams with a current winning record).  Brandeis is young and inconsistent, but they have gotten it done so far.  They will have plenty of time to get the young guys more comfortable in the system, as they now have a month off until January.

[NYCHOOPER]

Emory men, NYU men, and Brandeis are off to a hot start and all undefeated... Is it a product of weak scheduling or establishing a turn of the tables in the UAA?

Emory has some impressive wins.  NYU always schedules weak (opponents are a combined 10-29, they have no wins over teams with a current winning record).  Brandeis is young and inconsistent, but they have gotten it done so far.  They will have plenty of time to get the young guys more comfortable in the system, as they now have a month off until January.

Come on man... Nesci has to get his wins up so he can forgo getting fired after another year of mediocrity. It's a shame that a good university in the middle of NYC allows such a sham of a coaching staff to walk onto that court every weekend. Too bad the current AD won't get rid of Nesci and start a younger more in-tune regime.

And will someone explain to me why Richie Polan is coming off the bench for the violets? The kid cannot be stopped. He's averaging 17 and 10.5. He should be getting 35 minutes a game.

[WUPHF]

Washington University leads Wheaton by eleven on the road, 33-22.  Spencer Gay and Dylan Richter are leading the way with 8 and 11 points respectively.  The Bears are capitalizing on poor shooting by Wheaton and need a quick start to the second half to keep the momentum going.

[WUPHF]

Dang!  A tale of two halves as the Thunder come roaring back, erasing the 11 point lead to take the win 56-55.  Gay had the last shot to win it but was off the mark.  Gay was offensively a non-factor in the second half thanks largely to a great defensive effort by Wheaton.

Other quick thoughts: this is the second time the Bears scored 55 points against Wheaton on the road with the Bears winning the first game 55-52.  Kent Raymond had a last second shot to tie the game but to no avail.  The Bracket of Death seemed so long ago.

[Titan Q]

Wash U's in-region record is now 4-4 (with non-conference home games left vs Illinois Wesleyan and Benedictine). It's possible that the loss tonight @ Wheaton has put the Bears in position to have to win the UAA to make the NCAA tournament for the 5th consecutive season.

With wins over IWU and Benedictine, the Bears would finish the non-conf at 6-4 (in region).  A 10-4 UAA record (most likely 11-3 or better would mean a conference title, and the Pool A bid) would mean 16-8 (.667), and .667 is usually not good enough.  I think Wheaton had the worst in-region winning % among Pool C's last year at .680.

I think the Bears have a great chance at winning the UAA...but due to the 4 in-region losses already, they may need to if they want to play in March.

[Titan Q]

Just realized something as I was typing that...

I don't remember seeing Caleb Knepper tonight vs Wheaton.  Anyone know the situation?

[Wydown Blvd.]

Could be the back spasms that were bothering him earlier in the season?

[GoGreenGoRed]

How much do you think the departure of Tim Whittle has affected Wash U? Though the team was good last year, it definitely wasn't as consistent as before. This is definitely a rebuilding year no matter how you cut it, but I wonder if Whittle leaving has had a bigger impact than initially meets the eye.

[NYCHOOPER]

How much do you think the departure of Tim Whittle has affected Wash U? Though the team was good last year, it definitely wasn't as consistent as before. This is definitely a rebuilding year no matter how you cut it, but I wonder if Whittle leaving has had a bigger impact than initially meets the eye.

Former Wash players have told me that while Coach Edwards is a fantastic coach and theres not another coach in the world they'd rather play for... It was Whittle who was the brain trust the last couple of years.

[Wydown Blvd.]

How much do you think the departure of Tim Whittle has affected Wash U? Though the team was good last year, it definitely wasn't as consistent as before. This is definitely a rebuilding year no matter how you cut it, but I wonder if Whittle leaving has had a bigger impact than initially meets the eye.

Former Wash players have told me that while Coach Edwards is a fantastic coach and theres not another coach in the world they'd rather play for... It was Whittle who was the brain trust the last couple of years.

Heard the same and the recruiter of the crew... (although their success has and will have excellent recruiting fallout for near future). Whittle just getting primed to take over when Edwards retires?

[WUPHF]

How much do you think the departure of Tim Whittle has affected Wash U?

This is a great question.  I have heard similar comments and concerns and I am sure that the loss of Coach Whittle is significant.  But for me, it is hard to know how significant the loss, not only because of the loss of four starters in 2010, but because of the loss of one key starter in 2009: Tyler Nading.

I have said this before here, but I do think that Nading was one of the best basketball players I have ever seen.  I am prone to exaggeration, but without Tyler Nading, the Bears may have bowed out in the 2009 Wheaton regional and this conversation may have never happened.

I would love to ask Sean Wallace who he enjoyed playing with the most in his four years on the floor.  I suspect his answer would be Nading and vice versa.

[Wydown Blvd.]

How much do you think the departure of Tim Whittle has affected Wash U?

This is a great question.  I have heard similar comments and concerns and I am sure that the loss of Coach Whittle is significant.  But for me, it is hard to know how significant the loss, not only because of the loss of four starters in 2010, but because of the loss of one key starter in 2009: Tyler Nading.

I have said this before here, but I do think that Nading was one of the best basketball players I have ever seen.  I am prone to exaggeration, but without Tyler Nading, the Bears may have bowed out in the 2009 Wheaton regional and this conversation may have never happened.

I would love to ask Sean Wallace who he enjoyed playing with the most in his four years on the floor.  I suspect his answer would be Nading and vice versa.

Wallis would be a little bias. He'd have to pick his best friend  Nading was also the most versatile athlete on the floor and could play (at an All-American level) basically 2-5.

Nading was incredible, and his graduation was huge, but if you look at Ruths, Wallis, Nading, Thompson (and then excellent role players), who is next in line? Maybe I'm missing someone who could step up on this current squad (Spencer Gay is certainly coming into his own), but that talent pipeline was amazing over that stretch.

[Wydown Blvd.]

Dec. 18
Carnegie Mellon at St. John Fisher    2:00 PM    
Hiram at Case Western Reserve    3:00 PM    
Ill. Wesleyan at Washington (Mo.)    4:00 PM


Massey has it being a close one today at the Fieldhouse, with WashU taking the winning nod.

IWU (7-1) 66.6 WashU (4-4) 68.8 (58%)