MBB: Northwest Conference

[LogShow]

While as a Pirate fan I am not thrilled with playing Caltech again this year, I am more concerned with how hard it is for Whitworth to get non-conference home games.  Second year in a row we play every non-conference game on the road.  I know Eastern Washington is isolated, but geez - there is an airport right in town!

I hear ya pinecone!  UPS can't get any worthy opponents to come into Memorial Fieldhouse either.  We only have two home games...And one is the Banana Slugs.

I suppose that Hayford knows that his team pretty much wins every home game they play so he wants to get in as many road games as he can for practice.  Not a bad strategy, but tough for the home fans that want to see some good games!

[Greek Tragedy]

Cal Tech may not be the cream of the crop when it comes to nonconference scheduling, but it is this:

An in-region game

When you win, it's a WIN.  Back when they had that crazy formula in figuring out your SOSI or whatever, a win against an 0-24 team got you more points than losing to a 24-0 team.  Take the win.


It takes two to tango.  So, other teams have to be WILLING to play you as well.  Sure, playing CLU or CMS would be nice, but they have to be willing to play you, most likely a home and home series. 

At least those "home games" in San Francisco are regional against Simpson and Gustavus Adolphus.

[Pio20]

Pios 2008-9 schedule is up. UW-Whitewater and UW-Oshkosh on the schedule! Looks like the Pios are trying to get some respect from back "East". I like it!

[(509)Rat]

Whitworth update:

Two years ago Whitworth was supposedly in trouble after losing POY Pecht, last year 4 seniors were gone and it was supposed to be everyone else's chance to take the conference, this year I'm sure you'll hear about the loss of Symes opening the door for everyone else in the NWC...This might be the best basketball team Whitworth has had in a long time.  The Germans are for real and the bigger one (his first name is Felix) at 6'9" should be the most dominate big man in the conference.  This Whitworth team has one of the league's best point guards, shooting guards, and the biggest front court.  I said last year that Hayford had done a good job in the offseason of replacing his seniors with guys that fit his system and would give him the same type of production as the year before...I was criticized but low and behold Riley replaced Young, Nakamura filled in for Williams, Montgomery and Jurich replaced Hasenfus, Willemsen replaced Jones and another NWC crown was won.  This year the only loss is Symes and while there is no player that fits his or Pecht's mold, the scoring will come from elsewhere on the court.  Whitworth will have a lot more points in the paint with the Germans playing down low alongside Jurich and Montgomery, as well as more looks for Riley and Nakamura in the backcourt.

All of this is very preliminary but this board is dead so I thought I'd add a little something to keep it interesting

[NWCer]

Thanks Rat, seems like the Pirates are up to there same old thing, quite a factory.

I've heard out at Pacific that my Boxers are excited for the year, Bartlett is back and will be paired with Howe and they have a couple transfers along with a good guard out of California.

I read the websites from PLU, UPS, and LC about their freshmen classes, any insight on how good these groups are?  Logs!?!?  Where you at, gotta give us a report!

And Rat is right, we got to get the board up and going again, besides, I'm only 1 post now away from being a starter!!!!

[Pio20]

Thanks Rat, seems like the Pirates are up to there same old thing, quite a factory.

I've heard out at Pacific that my Boxers are excited for the year, Bartlett is back and will be paired with Howe and they have a couple transfers along with a good guard out of California.

I read the websites from PLU, UPS, and LC about their freshmen classes, any insight on how good these groups are?  Logs!?!?  Where you at, gotta give us a report!

And Rat is right, we got to get the board up and going again, besides, I'm only 1 post now away from being a starter!!!!

I can't speak much for the LC freshmen, but I can say that I think they will see more playing time than LC freshmen in the past simply based on how many seniors were lost.

[NWCer]

Pio20,

Yes the Pios lost a lot with their class last year.  What's your take on the LC returners? 

[Pio20]

Pio20,

Yes the Pios lost a lot with their class last year.  What's your take on the LC returners? 

It is so hard to say. Last season transfer Papenfuss led the team in scoring in non-conference and still ending up leading the NWC in shooting at 60%. Yet for whatever reason he never played that big of a role in conference games. I think part of the reason for LC's non-conference success last season was their ability to break out of the old one-dimensional game they have played forever (shooting threes). Papenfuss was a big part of this. He is not big but his inside moves are solid. Also, Josh Kollasch had a lot of early season success before he got hurt. He will play a much bigger role this season if he stays healthy. He was tearing it up, both on offense and defense, before he got hurt last season. He is very athletic and can shoot the mid-range jumper. I think those two players are the ones who will dictate how the Pios do this season. Otherwise, you will see much of the same...living and dying by the three resulting in inconsistent play.

[LogShow]

Thanks Rat, seems like the Pirates are up to there same old thing, quite a factory.

I've heard out at Pacific that my Boxers are excited for the year, Bartlett is back and will be paired with Howe and they have a couple transfers along with a good guard out of California.

I read the websites from PLU, UPS, and LC about their freshmen classes, any insight on how good these groups are?  Logs!?!?  Where you at, gotta give us a report!

And Rat is right, we got to get the board up and going again, besides, I'm only 1 post now away from being a starter!!!!

NWCer, my apologies...I have definately been missing in action for some time.  The season (practice) is almost upon us so hopefully this board will pick up again.  As for the Loggers...what you see is what you get.  The same core group of guys return to take one more chance at winning a conference title.  If UPS again fails to preform well in the second half of the season and win conference, then I think this year's senior class was never able to live up to their potential.  They came in with high accolades, with quite a few getting good mins their freshman year.  I am really interested to see how they fair.  And will be very disappointed if they can't put it together their senior year.

As far as recurits go.  I heard that UPS got a stud guard from Corvallis, OR.  Appearently he could challenge for playing time early...excited to see him play.  And just excited to have college basketball start.

[LogShow]

NWCer, I forgot to ask how does it feel getting off the bench and becoming a starter!?

[NWCer]

It feels great Logshow to get introduced at the beginning of the game!!  I'm glad coach has me starting now!!

Yeah I've heard about the frosh from Corvallis, sounds like a good get for the Loggers.

Thanks for your honest assessment of your Loggers over the last 3 years with that core group, well done, especially coming from a supporter.

Excited to get out and see some games this year, I need to see all teams in the NWC play at least once and get out to more NWC venues or I need to get rid of the handle "NWCer"!!

[logshock101]

whats up everybody, im new to the board and just wanted to make my first post before practices begin. Im definitely excited to see what my loggers can bring to the table this year after 2 disappointing finishes in 07 and 08

[LogShow]

It feels great Logshow to get introduced at the beginning of the game!!  I'm glad coach has me starting now!!

Yeah I've heard about the frosh from Corvallis, sounds like a good get for the Loggers.

Thanks for your honest assessment of your Loggers over the last 3 years with that core group, well done, especially coming from a supporter.

Excited to get out and see some games this year, I need to see all teams in the NWC play at least once and get out to more NWC venues or I need to get rid of the handle "NWCer"!!

Nwcer, I try to be honest in my assesments of the Loggers.  It's tough...cause they are my guys, but being critical was waranted.  That being said I will stand by them till the end and am pulling for them to finally reach their potential...before they run out of time.

How are the Boxers looking?

[LogShow]

whats up everybody, im new to the board and just wanted to make my first post before practices begin. Im definitely excited to see what my loggers can bring to the table this year after 2 disappointing finishes in 07 and 08

Always glad to have another poster on the board...especially another UPS supporter

Welcome and looking forward to having some new input this year

[NWCer]

Logshow,

All I've heard of my Boxers is that they're "excited", but honestly, isn't everyone excited on Oct. 15th??  But I do have to admit that I am excited to see Bartlett back playing alongside Howe, that's two returning all leaguers (1st and 2nd teamers, not honorable mentions), I have to do some research to see when the last time Pacific has done that.  As I posted earlier I heard they added a couple of transfers and like their young guard.  Should be a fun season, looking forward to watching them and all the other conference teams.  And excited to get the board up and going again and ultimately hoping if this is the year we get another Pacific supporter up on the board!!!