MBB: Northwest Conference

[LogShow]

Logshow,

With all the Logger peeps goin' back and forth I've been waiting for you to jump on here!

I'm ready, hope my Boxers (most notably the Bartletts) are healthy and that they're ready too!

The Bartletts are like Deion Branch...just can't stay on the field.  Really too bad for them.  What's their eligibility status at?

[NWCer]

As far as know Show R. Bartlett is a senior/grad and C. Bartlett is a redshirt soph......

[TryMeTeam]

NWCer:

The PU website indicates Carson to be a sophomore last year with no redshirt season indicated.  That would make him a junior this year unless last year was the redshirt year.  Did he reshirt last season?

Actually the only way to redshirt is to pay for a fifth year.  You indicated Ross is a graduate student?  That would work too, except that is quite a load to add BB to a graduate students workload. 

Either way, PU will be vastly improved if both of them play this year.  It will be fun to watch the Boxers this year if they both stay healthy.

[NWCer]

Hey TMT,

I looked at the website after your post.  Saw last year's roster.  What I've heard is that the younger Bartlett will be a sophomore again because he got a medical redshirt, got his year back last year, because the injury happened so early in the season.

According to their website Ross Bartlett is indeed going to graduate school at Pacific, and will play this year, yes quite a load, hoping he's up to it.  Hearsay from the open gyms this fall is that the older Bartlett is playing well and feeling good and looks to be healthy and ready to go.

Vastly improved is a great thing TMT.

What's the latest from your "biddy"?

Go Boxers!

[TryMeTeam]

Biddy said Kollasch is back, but nowhere near full strength.  He was only released by the doctor in mid-August.   He might not be at full strength until after the first of the year, maybe not at all. 

LC may have a new feature, long missing, this year, an inside game.  They have two or three bigs this year.

Only two of the four freshmen who got plenty of playing time last year are back, grade issues.

He said the players feel they will be pretty good this year, but at this point, what players don't think their team will be pretty good.

It will be interesting how they match up with Lin and PacU.  I don't think Wil or GF will be deep enough to play with these three.  Tesoro and Wiser will be tough to match up with, and Linfield is suppose to the a good point guard coming in, but they lost a lot in Olson and Weber, and maybe McCollum graduating.  They will be hard to replace.

PacU will be led the the Bartletts, but Howe leaves a huge hole for them.  I wasn't a big Gaulton fan last year, but he might do well this year.  The Bartletts may not have enough support for PU to contend.  NWCer, any word on transfers or freshmen?

Mitchell will dominate the league this year, but losing 6 seniors who played a lot will be hard to overcome, and I just don't see them doing it.  Add a rookie coach, and "rebuilding" might be the description for this years' team.

GF has Stockner and Martin back, but I think Atwater is gone (their roster is not available), and that won't be enough to compete in the NWC.  They probably will finish last of the OR teams again.

So I have, in OR and in order, LC, PU and LIn tied with the tiebreaker going to Lin, Wil, and GF. 

WA will be more evenly matched, but I don't have a good feel for those teams yet.   

[NWCer]

Thanks TMT, good insight.

I have gotten a little "word" TMT.... I'll spill it  , I know a few alums who play in open gyms at Pac during the fall, I would play but I suck  .....  What I'm hearing is that the older Bartlett is looking good, the younger Bartlett is working himself back, Jury is looking like he could be "ready"....  As far as the new guys they said its a pretty good group, they like the transfer, from Yakima Valley I believe, a pretty athletic post guy, they also said a guard from Sherwood (I think its Wester) is going to be good, and Lowery also snagged a couple good ones from Seattle I've heard.  I hear ya on Gaulton TMT, but maybe with the younger Bartlett back, this Wester kid, and possibly a better guard group (which you ripped last year   ), maybe that will take some of the "shine" off of him.....

[Pugetsoundfan]

So is there any word on new Loggers--anybody coming in who will contend for playing time?  Looks like a starting five of Boyce, Colin K, Heyman, Shelton, and Edric E....If Shelton proves out, Edric E. and Heyman are as good as advertised, and Boyce plays to his potential, not bad at all.  But I'm thinking about last year's younger players and don't see a ton of help there. Aberg got some time in the early games last year and looked like he might be a useful player, Gehring brought some good stuff (but he's hurt, right?), and after that I'm struggling to name anyone who had enough time on the floor to be expected to give much this year.  As much as I hate to say it,  I keep thinking this is a .500 team

[NWCer]

Good assessment PSfan...  With the balance this year, and probably the lack of that ultra dominant team, a .500 team may still be able to get into the playoffs.  Will there be many 10 plus league game winners this year?  In '07 my Boxers came in 4th with and 8-8 record, and in '08 there was that log jam at 9-7...  So maybe this is the year 8-8 or 9-7 gets you in, although I know UPS has set one helluva standard and maybe a 4th place finish won't appease the Tacoma masses....

[logshock101]

i've had several conversations with coach lunt (last time was before the bahamas trip) and the impression i got was that the loggers are going to be pretty tough again.  Also there was mention of a frosh post that brought comparisons to a young McVey.If this kid matures the way McVey did look out, however in the one time i did see him play i didn't think he had the same freakish athleticism and strength. PSfan you forgot about Bryce Levin who was ice cold last year, but has the potential to be the lights out shooter that the loggers will need to stretch the floor and create lanes to attack the basket. and yes gehring is out, tore his achilles, which is too bad because he was finally moving pretty good last season after being slowed by a prior knee injury in the previous seasons

[TryMeTeam]

Shock:

I gotta say that if PSF's starting lineup is correct, I have to agree that that is not a team to strike fear in the opponents, and I think the other 8 teams will be looking to tee off on UPS this year to make up for all the beating they got over the last 3-4 years.  If Lunt said they will be pretty tough, what does that mean?  Similar to last year or like LC and Lin last year, good enough to make the playoffs with no real hope of winning the post-season tournament.  I see it like PSF, probably close to a .500 year.  A couple of good players added to that group, though, might make them a force again.

NWCer:

You might be right about a log jam around .500.  Taking GF, PLU and Wil out of the group, you have 6 teams that could beat up on each other.  I have a feeling, though,  Whitw will probably reload and be the strong favorite this year.  That leaves 5 teams fighting for the final three spots, and that could be the interesting part of the season.  .500 should put you in the middle of the pack, and 4th place will get you into the playoffs, probably at 9-7 or 8-8 with maybe a tiebreaker to take the last seed.  Maybe that is a good reason they should go back to 3 teams for the playoffs.  A .500 team should not be in the playoffs.

Looking forward to it!   

[NWCer]

I can see what you're saying TMT about an 8-8 team should not be in a playoff.  Why should a 14-2 league champ have to play an 8-8 team in a conf tourney?

[formercat]

but they lost a lot in Olson and Weber, and maybe McCollum graduating.  They will be hard to replace

Jon Weber has another year. I do not see Linfield missing a beat as long as the new guys gel well. They got the point guard you mentioned and grabbed a couple of really long athletic players and I saw Tesoro recently and he looks like he will pick up right where he left off.

So I have, in OR and in order, LC, PU and LIn tied with the tiebreaker going to Lin, Wil, and GF. 

How is LC gonna keep pace in Oregon after losing two of their top scorers and Kollasch quite possibly not being at full strength for maybe the whole year? Do they have some amazing recruits coming in?

I can see what you're saying TMT about an 8-8 team should not be in a playoff.  Why should a 14-2 league champ have to play an 8-8 team in a conf tourney?

I know this is not big time Division 1, but Syracuse a few years back was the 8th team in the big east tournament and ended up winning it. So why not have to play an 8-8 team, if you are that much better than them then you will take care of business.

[TryMeTeam]

FC:

I just went by the roster on their website where it say Weber was a "Sr/Sr".  Tesoro is a beast, and if Weber is back with good recruits, I would have to rank them higher.  If Kollasch is back, I think LC will top them.  If not, and with Weber back, I would have to go with Lin.  Historically, LC has done better than Lin, so I went with them.  I have heard their recruits are pretty good.

Your qualifier says it all:  This is not DI.  The fourth seed (had there been one for more years than just last year) would not have upset any of the top seeds in the tournament over the last, say 5, years.  I just don't see it happening ever (okay, I said ever, and I might be wrong once every so often, but probably 99% right).  A .500 team loses to some lower echelon teams, or they lose to all the top teams and beat all the bottom teams.  Either way, it does not paint a rosy picture for an upset at the home court of the league champion for a very important game.  It could happen, but if I say it won't, you won't be saying I told you so very often.

It just seems like a waste of time and money.

[NWCer]

From the Linfield Site:

Jon Weber
SPORT    Men's Basketball 2008-2009
YEAR    Senior
ELIGIBILITY    Senior
HEIGHT    5-11
WEIGHT    175
HOMETOWN    Redmond, Wash.
PREV. SCHOOL    Eastlake
MAJOR(S)    


BIOGRAPHY
Point-guard mentality...Wildcats most improved player since last season...able to orchestrate the offense...capable scorer when needed...two-year letterwinner...voted Wildcats most improved player as a sophomore in 2006-07...averaged 5.2 points, 2.8 assists, and 2.2 rebounds...rookie of the year and most valuable player for the Linfield junior varsity squad in 2005-06...majoring in psychology...attended Concordia University in Irvine, Calif., before transferring to Linfield...lettered twice in basketball at Eastlake High School in Samammish, Wash....named Wolves' best defensive player and most valuable player...led the KingCo Conference in steals.

   I think this means his eligibility is done, I'm pretty sure junior varsity counts as a year of eligibility at the Division III level. 

   I remember seeing Tesoro play at Pacific last year, I was very impressed, really fast with the ball, played hard, was fun to watch.

  You seem to know the league very well TMT, I need to get to more than several Pacific home games this year to take in more, so with your knowledge what is your ranking 1 thru 9?  Or is it to early to throw out predictions?

[formercat]

Brookie of the year and most valuable player for the Linfield junior varsity squad in 2005-06

I can see how this information would lead you to believe Weber is done, but it is wrong. He did not play at Linfield in 05-06, he was going to school in California and every time I go down to Linfield to play ball he is playing with the top varsity team. Would not make sense to have him playing with them instead of the alumni team if he is not eligible this year.

TMT:
In 1999 the standings before conference playoffs were: 1st - LC, 2nd - Pac, 3rd - Lin, 4th - Will.  Willamette beat LC and Linfield beat Pacific in the first round with Willamette over Linfield in the conference championship. The only playoff team that Willamette had beaten in the regular season was Linfield. That's why they play the games.