MBB: Northwest Conference

[LogShow]

Both UPS and WW are in the Preseason Top 25...nice!  Surprised that UPS was #18, I thought they would be more around #22 or #23.  Must be that prestige     Now we got to earn that ranking!

[LogShow]

Wis Steven's Point is traveling back to Memorial Fieldhouse for the fist time since the sweet 16 in 05.  UPS ran in to a juggernaut in UWSP in the sweet 16 in 05 & 06...going on to win the national championship both years.  Those were 2 of the toughest UPS teams I have ever seen.  A combined 7 losses in about 54 games, with 2 of those 7 coming at the hands UWSP.  Boy, UWSP had a heck of a team.  But enough history  I would love for the Logs to finally get some revenge this time around!

[John Gleich]

LS,

Point graduated three four year starters and one additional senior who started half the year but was saddled with an injury.  Their leading scorer is back, but they had a very balanced attack with all 5 starters averaging at least 9.9 pts per game.  One of the things that Point has always done well is take care of the basketball... this (at least in the last 4 or 5 years) is due to a bit of a change in style of play.  The team routinely has been in the top 5 every year in team assist to TO ratio at about 1.5:1 and has also been in the top 5 of fewest TO's per game (hovering around or under 10 per game).  The graduating seniors were a large part of this (last year, the 3 4 year starters combined for 248 assists to just 132 TO's... a 1.9:1 ratio).

Point hasn't had the influx if big inside players, so they've been much more guard oriented (graduated senior Pete Rortvedt broke Nick Bennett's season 3 point record as a sophomore with 95 and shattered Bennett's career 3 point record (had been 232, Rortvedt had 309) and he also currently holds the conference record for made threes in a career.

And while it seems like the well may have run dry with those guys leaving, it certainly isn't.  Last year's leading scorer returns and Point also will have Louis Hurd for the whole year (he was hobbled early on last year with a foot injury and missed the first 8 or so games).  They also had some kids stepping up throughout the year who are ready for breakout years.

I wish I could make it out to Tacoma for those games...!  They should be very interesting to watch and they should be a great barometer on where these teams are!

What do UPS and Whitworth have coming back?  Is UPS still playing their high octane style?  And what style does Whitworth play?

[LogShow]

Point,

I try to do a little write up on UPS this weekend

[Pugetsoundfan]

Ouch, just thinking about Stevens Point reminds me of the tournament game they played here.  UWSP just dismantled a great, great Loggers team.  They were disciplined and careful with the ball against a fast, powerful pressing team. And it helped to be tall. 

Point, I think that this is a down year for Puget Sound.  The Loggers just graduated the three best players in the NWC and there's plenty of talent but lots of question marks.  This is unlikely to be one of the stronger Puget Sound teams of the past 5 or 6 years.

[John Gleich]

I think the game should be very interesting for Point too.  Guys need to step up and play roles they haven't played before on this level.  I think Point has the personel to do it... but seeing as the game is so early, things may not have figured themselves out by that point.  And a big contributor (Jared Jenkins) is still on the gridiron (having another all-conference, if not all american year)... depending what happens next weekend against UW Whitewater, he may be playing football for more than the three remaining weeks of the regular season.  One loss in conference, though, and Point's done, they likely won't get an at-large bid to the playoffs.

I'm wondering a bit about Whitworth.  They may provide some problems for the Pointers.  They seem to be on quite  a roll of late in the NWC... and Point actually plays them first.  I always am a bit concerned for any first-game-of-the-year... (though Point hasn't dropped an opener since the 1995-96 season, when they lost to Teikyo-Marycrest, a now defunct NAIA school in Iowa, before Coach Bennett came to Point), even moreso when they lose the amount of production AND playing experience that they lost from this past season...

But, as I said, I think they've got the personel to be really good again this year.  Coach Semling has brought in key guys to fill some holes... but it may take some time for the right guys to be slotted in the right spaces.

[TryMeTeam]

Point:

It sounds like all three teams are in the same boat.  Whitworth lost some keys players last year and will have to retool, but they do that better than any team in the NWC.  UPS also lost huge with, as PSF said the 3 best players in the league (probably a stretch, but not a huge one), and they will be well down from last year. 

Early is the best time to get these teams.  Whitworth has lost in preleague several times over the last several years, games they just don't lose once they get rolling.  UPS will have to have several players step up to fill in the holes the Fab-3 left, and that may be too much to ask early on. 

the rest of the NWC board:

Biddy said he has heard good things coming from LC practices and got word from Linfield that they are looking tough.   My preseason predictions are looking better!  Where are the rest of the board's predictions?  Come on now, anyone can do it after the games begin.  Get yours in now.

Nice to get two teams into the top 25, and more importantly, a little respect for the NWC.  With UPS losing so much, I don't see them staying there long.  It looks like their success over the last couple of years got them there.  Why do I say that?

I looked at their schedule and it is pretty daunting.  They may have trouble going into the season at .500 with 3 Wisconsin schools, two of them in WI and the toughest one at home, St Martins looking for some payback, an always tough Warner Pac game, and a strong Evergreen St, all looking to take down a top 25 team. 

Their roster is interesting, too.  Maybe more additions to it are to come, but right now there are 14 players, 5 of which are freshman, 5 sophmores and 4 seniors with no juniors.  That is a young team!  They can start 5 who had double digit minutes last year, but only 5, and only one (Boyce) can be considered a pre-season first team all-conference pick.  That means they will rely heavily on FR and SO who have little or no playing experience.  Lunt has his work cut out for him. 

UPS may be the surprise team of the league, and they will be if they can contend with their young team, but I see the surprises coming elsewhere, from former title contender in LC, a perennial middle of the pack team in Linfield and a year after year lower tier team in Whitman. 

So, practices have been going on for almost two weeks now, and nothing.  What it the word out there?

Let the games begin!

[NWCer]

TMT, what's the good things he heard from LC's practices?

[TryMeTeam]

NWCer:

He said the bigs are going to provide an inside presence that LC has not had in awhile replacing Bergren (really a guard) and Pappenfuss (a finesse small forward) with strength and inside play.  That will be a big change right there.  Kollasch apparently is mostly back and participating in all practices.  And the new guard (didn't get his name, Jerry I think) recruited heavily by UPS, Whitworth and Whitman, is going to be very good in this league.

Wish I had more, but that is all he had.  I can hardly wait to get a look at LC, Linfield, UPS and Whitworth to see what they look like.   I might venture into WA to see those early season weekend games with Whitworth and UPS at UPS.

I kind of thought I might get more of a reaction to my "attack" on UPS.  Maybe it is still being composed.  

[B Hoops]

OK-I will give it a shot! My prediction in order for the NWC Mens B-Ball Season.

            1. Whitworth University--Their Coach can flat out can recruit and is  excellent with game preparation. There won't be a Team in the NWC who is better conditioned or who will play a tougher pre-season schedule in preparation for the demanding NWC conference schedule.
            2. Linfield--with their talent and a good season last year I feel like they will be there at the end. They could be in the number one spot if they can prevent losing games they should win and have a successful trip to the Whits.  They also provide a very tough match-up for teams in the conference.
            3. UPS--I think with their system and Coach they will retool quicker than most think and be in the top 3 at the end.Their system breeds wins and is always tough for opponents to compete with for 40 minutes.
            4. LC--very talented and should place higher but haven't proved they can hold it together and survive down the stretch in the very tough NWC.. Tend to fade down the stretch of a season and really have struggled in closing games against more disciplined teams in the NWC.

[TryMeTeam]

BHoops:

Do you have a 5 thru 9?  And will it be different than NCWer's picks since your top 4 are the same as his?  If you were going to copy someone, it should have been mine. 

Have to take exception with one point though.  This is the first year in a long time that Whitworth hasn't scheduled CalTech, and sometimes twice.  And they play S. Cruz twice.  Any preleague schedule that includes CalTech is not a "tougher than anyone else" schedule.  LC, Linfield, and Willamette almost always have a DI on their schedule (LC has two this year although one is after the season ends) and UPS plays Evergreen State and Warner Pacific every year along with 3 WI schools this year (although Whitworth has the same this year).    Linfield has two DI's this year too, playing Portland and Portland State, and along with Evergreen State and Warner Pac, they may have the toughest preleague schedule in the conference.  But the rest of your points are good ones.

Anyone:

Has Weber been at Linfield practices?  I know he was indicated to be a Junior last year by someone although the website said he was a senior.  They don't have their roster posted yet.

NWCer:

What do you hear from Pac?

[NWCer]

TMT, I'm on it!  Let me see what I can find out, haven't heard anything since practice started... 

[formercat]

BHoops:
Has Weber been at Linfield practices?  I know he was indicated to be a Junior last year by someone although the website said he was a senior.  They don't have their roster posted yet.

I answered this a while back, but maybe you missed it. Last years roster is wrong, he was a senior academically, but not eligibility wise. He never played at Concordia in Cali and played 1 year of JV and 2 years of varsity at Linfield. He was playing with the Varsity level players in open gyms and I asked him myself just to make sure I was correct.... he is a Senior THIS year. The sports information director at Linfield, who also runs the website, is too busy with Linfield football year around to make sure the information is correct.

[Bearcat Press]

Hi again everyone!

Thought I'd take a break from football coverage on the bye week to bring you some news from Salem, though I wish it were more positive.  Cam Mitchell is out with a broken wrist.  Just a freak fall at practice.  No word yet on when he'll be ready.

On the good side, Gordie was inducted into the Willamette Hall of Fame last Saturday. The link below has more details.  From everything I've heard, it was a great ceremony.  I can say that it was pretty special when he led the students in the "Ooh Aah Bearcats!" chant during the football game.

http://www.willamette.edu/athletics/news/article/2009/10/hall_of_fame_focus_gordie_james.xml

[TryMeTeam]

Former:

Yeah, you are the one I was referring to.  I really like Weber and I think Linfield will be a much better team with him back.  No offense, but I was just looking for verification that he actually was in practice now.  All sorts of rumors (isn't that what a lot of this board is all about, rumors) fly around.  If he is sighted at practice or their roster is posted, that would seal the deal.  I guess the SID would be pretty busy this time of year with the year the Cats are having.  I spoke with the GF coach the other day, and he said he thought Weber had graduated, too.  But you probably have it right.


He also said practice is going well with most of his team (GF) returning.  They did lose significant team members in Strutz and Ahn, but he liked their recruiting class (no specifics there) and thought they will be much better this year.

When it rains, it pours, especially in OR.  An already depleted Wil team with graduation becomes a ton younger with Mitchell out.  Press, right wrist or left?  Not that it matters a whole lot, but if it is his shooting wrist, that will delay his return even more.  Isn't that a 4-6 weeks injury?  He should be ready to go come the start of league, but he will miss the chemistry pre-league games would have developed.  Maybe a blessing though in that the young players will be relied on more heavily early on and could step up their development. 

Not good news for rookie coach Ione.  Tough way to come out of the blocks in the NWC race.