MBB: Northwest Conference

[Pat Coleman]

Losing to a 4-8 team is not really a positive. Whitworth was already in the bottom half of the poll to begin with.

[TryMeTeam]

Is UPS really the 12th best team in the country?

Right now, they certainly are!  After this weekend or a trip through OR, they may not be.  If they keep winning, they deserve to keep rising.  They certainly have the talent to do so, but I am a little luke warm on whether they have the coaching to take them higher.  Lunt is a litte young to be leading a top ten team, and I think it will catch up with him.  But until, and if, they lose, keep on going up the ladder!

As has been posted here before, the NWC teams have knowledge on how to play UPS, and a season long of that style of play can wear a team down.  But their big 3 know they are on their last leg, and that may inspire them to surpass the last three years.  The rest of the season starts Friday.   I imagine the hut will be rolling!

Greg:

The 5 primary criteria.  Are they in order?  Is that why WW schedules Cal Tech every year? 

[logshock101]

Is UPS really the 12th best team in the country?

Right now, they certainly are!  After this weekend or a trip through OR, they may not be.  If they keep winning, they deserve to keep rising.  They certainly have the talent to do so, but I am a little luke warm on whether they have the coaching to take them higher.  Lunt is a litte young to be leading a top ten team, and I think it will catch up with him.  But until, and if, they lose, keep on going up the ladder!

As has been posted here before, the NWC teams have knowledge on how to play UPS, and a season long of that style of play can wear a team down.  But their big 3 know they are on their last leg, and that may inspire them to surpass the last three years.  The rest of the season starts Friday.   I imagine the hut will be rolling!

Greg:

The 5 primary criteria.  Are they in order?  Is that why WW schedules Cal Tech every year? 

1) Loggers play in eastern WA this weekend
2) Lunt gained a ton of experience the last 2 season and is finally coaching his own style and the the team plays pretty good defense and doesnt just try to outscore everybody which should make them much more consistent this year

[Gregory Sager]

The 5 primary criteria.  Are they in order?  Is that why WW schedules Cal Tech every year? 

Theoretically, there is no order of precedence among the five primary criteria; they're all equal. However, those of us who follow the national D3 scene from year to year tend to suspect that regional won-lost percentage carries a little more weight than the other four. Generally, if you can't pull off a .725 winning percentage in regional games, you can forget about getting a Pool C bid -- and you really ought to get up to .750 or above if you want to ensure that your bubble won't be burst on Selection Sunday by conference champions with gaudy records that get upset in their respective conference tournaments.

Whitworth's scheduling of Caltech is a mixed blessing as far as tournament criteria are concerned. The easy win helps the Pirates' regional won-lost percentage, but it hurts their strength of schedule.

[80sshorts]

I've seen UPS play, they're fast, athletic, deep, and they have the best PG in the conference along with Foster up front.  I think they're the real deal and sweet 16 is worst case scenario for them

[cawcdad]

I too have seen UPS play. Twice. They are good, but sweet 16? They played so-so and had trouble with a mediocre NAIA2 team, Cal Maritime. I then saw them race up and down the court and overwhelm a decent Gustavus Adolphus team. If they can keep up the tempo and play like the GA game, you may be right. For the Logger fans, can they honestly keep that up?

[Pugetsoundfan]

Who can say if they're top 12, but this looks like the best Loggers team in several years.  Their top three players (Williams, Foster, Krauel) are outstanding offensively, and in terms of schemes and commitment it looks like the whole team is more focused on the defensive end this year.  The Loggers are deep at the guard position--the frosh Hayman is lightning fast and sometimes moves Williams to the 2; Brown and Koach bring different things but excellent play off the bench, and the frosh Aberg is a true point who can run the team. (Mr. Brown can shoot the 3.)  They're not as strong up front after Krauel and Foster, but Shelton is a load, a good defender and a solid rebounder, If he can just finish a little better, watch out.

So I think they're deep enough to maintain pressure for longer and harder than they have the past couple of years, even while they've backed off the pressure quite a bit.  They are not giving up nearly as many easy buckets as they have the last couple of years, when in my opinion they played lots of tight games against inferior teams because they conceded too many layups against the press.   And of course they were tortured by stronger teams with poised point guards (L&C takes them by 30 last year in the Fieldhouse, and Whitworth's playoff win....)

What a weekend for UPS--Whitman will be interesting for obvious reasons, and as usual Whitworth is a real test.....

[logshock101]

pugetsoundfan don't forget about Boyce, hes another good inside outside threat the loggers have

[Pio20]

They are not giving up nearly as many easy buckets as they have the last couple of years, when in my opinion they played lots of tight games against inferior teams because they conceded too many layups against the press.

From seeing them several times last year I couldn't agree more with this statement. LC was always able to manage the press well thanks to the ball handling skills of Tillery and then break it for easy layups. So are they just not pressing as much now? Or doing it more conservatively?

[LogShow]

It really is the difference in defense.  That has made this year's logger stand out.  And I think that it will take them far.

[LogShow]

Pio, I am not sure exactly what the difference is...the games I have seen, they are still seem to be playing a high pressure game.  The difference is that they are getting back on defense and not giving up easy lay-ups.  Some how Lunt has been able to motivate them to play D in the half.  Their opponents field goal percentage is considerably lower.

[LogShow]

Big big games tomorrow...pretty excited for it! 

[D O.C.]

Linfield took a whooping tonight...40-85. yikes!

Double yikes!

I suppose that has not been done since Elgin Baylor played there.

[LogShow]

NWCer, Pacific is on the board!  How are they going to fare this weekend?

[LogShow]

Willamette at. Pacific
PLU at Whitman
LC at Linfield

and the biggest game of the weekend UPS at Whitworth.

any predictions?  Other then UPS taking down WW