MBB: Northwest Conference

[TryMeTeam]

Wait, are you questioning me, Playball?  How dare you!

Yeah, there seems to be something not clicking with LC.  The luster of a new season seems to have worn off.  You are right, the bigs, except for Erickson, contribute little and the 3's are not falling like they were early in the season.  Just hoping Hollins can provide some inspiration.  Speaking of which...

Merry Christmas to all!  Enjoy your family and friends!

[playball]

Wait, are you questioning me, Playball?  How dare you!

Yeah, there seems to be something not clicking with LC.  The luster of a new season seems to have worn off.  You are right, the bigs, except for Erickson, contribute little and the 3's are not falling like they were early in the season.  Just hoping Hollins can provide some inspiration.  Speaking of which...

Merry Christmas to all!  Enjoy your family and friends!

No, I would never, EVER question anything you say TMT! 

Looks like the 3 actual post guys (Erickson doesn't count really) are nearly non existent.  Two of them get very limited minutes and the third, Bradley Carter, isn't even in the stats!  Rayford and Leathers need minutes to get better and they are not getting them.  I saw Leathers play this summer and actually played against him a little.  Could blossom in to a good post player if given the time.  Rayford, I have to admit, I don't know much about other than the stats show.  Is Carter injured also?

Looks like the best way to play LC would be to chase nearly everyone off of the 3pt line except for Erickson, and have them try and finish at the rim.  As a team they are shooting about 39% from 3.  That will stand up against some of the other lower tier teams in the league, but against anyone who pays attention LC will struggle to score.

So with some games played and teams being a little easier to dissect, what is everyone's predictions?

I have it this way

Whitworth
Whitman
PLU (Lost a couple close ones to some quality teams) Going out on a limb!
Fox
Linfield(one can hope...)
Pacific (starts hot, finds ways to falter)
Willamette (could finish higher depending on how Dart keeps going/stays healthy)
UPS
LC (No bigs!)

And like TMT said, happy holidays to everyone!

PS. Im shocked and happy that I never get docked Karma points for bagging on Hollins!  Must mean I'm on to something!

[A Buc Forever]

Playball,

Your predictions are as good as any for how the league will shake out beyond the two Whits.  It looks like PLU will be 3rd.  After that, I think it will be random every night. It seems like the league has become more stratified the last 3 or 4 years. Any ideas why?

Happy Holidays to all.

[playball]

Playball,

Your predictions are as good as any for how the league will shake out beyond the two Whits.  It looks like PLU will be 3rd.  After that, I think it will be random every night. It seems like the league has become more stratified the last 3 or 4 years. Any ideas why?

Happy Holidays to all.

You already know my answer!  It has to do with money in the athletic departments being allocated to Basketball.  Being able to travel around and play better teams helps with national exposure and recruiting.  To me, I have no idea why anyone would want to go to Spokane or Walla Walla! But those schools have made an effort to put sports on a higher level.  Pacific also, but they are still in the building stages. 

And to rephrase what I said earlier with "I must be on to something" I really meant to say that I must be saying something right and agreeable. 

[(509)Rat]

UPS and LC aren't spending any less on basketball than they have in the past. They both currently have less talent than in years past and its showing. Wether thats a result of coaching, recruiting, or just bad luck is up for debate though. The league has always been fairly deep IMO, but when you have a year where 2 traditional playoff teams have dropped off the face of the earth, it magnifies the issue of parity.

Merry Christmas and Happy (late) Hanukkah

[playball]

Rat, what is your finishing order for the conference standings?

[D O.C.]

playball...if I remember correctly from last season you are of cardinal and purple blood such as I, non?

Being able to travel around and play better teams helps with national exposure and recruiting.

You do not showcasw a doting team when you want to recruit. You might do so with a winning team on the way up.

Perchance you can meet me in Las Vegas for some first quarter cheering.  I just found out we are playing there.

[(509)Rat]

Rat, what is your finishing order for the conference standings?

Whitw
Whitm
Pac
PLU
Fox
LC
Will
Linf
UPS

After the Whit's...I honestly would not be shocked with any of the other teams in the conference getting the 3rd and 4th spot. Total crap shoot this year IMO

[playball]

playball...if I remember correctly from last season you are of cardinal and purple blood such as I, non?

Being able to travel around and play better teams helps with national exposure and recruiting.

You do not showcasw a doting team when you want to recruit. You might do so with a winning team on the way up.

Perchance you can meet me in Las Vegas for some first quarter cheering.  I just found out we are playing there.

We are from the same school but you only bleed for football and maybe baseball.  And I will not be able to go to the games in Vegas, I will be in Paris for New Years. 

And when I was being recruited from some of the schools in the NWC (About a decade ago it seems now!!) a few of them used travel as a recruiting tool.  But yes, winning helps.

[D O.C.]

I will be in Paris for New Years

WOW! Bon Voyage!

[(509)Rat]

Hamline beat Whitman 92-89. Looks like Hamline was talented and disciplined enough to handle the Whitman press and got some easy buckets. Whitman couldn't keep up on the other end.

It's always tough to gauge common opponents based on their play against Whitman, because of the "system". It really exposes some teams and can allow a less talented team to stay in (and win) the game. Hamline faces Whitworth up in Spokane tomorrow. Should be a good game and another opportunity to see how the Pirates stack up against another conference (MIAC).

[(509)Rat]

Whitworth handles Hamline 77-67 thanks to a handful of Technical fouls by the Pipers. Sounds like their coach really cost em the game. I don't care how much you disagree with the calls, more than 2 technical fouls is completely unnecessary and counterproductive to whatever it is you're trying to accomplish (unless losing is your ultimate goal).

Good to see Farnsworth starting to assert himself on the offensive end as well as on the glass. Whitworth seems to get big contributions from different players every other night which is what they need without a Symes, Taylor, Lassisi type player.

On a separate note, if any of you get the chance to go to Tahiti when it's cold and snowing in the NW, I highly recommend it...here's a picture from the fishing boat


happy new year everyone

[A Buc Forever]

Dear Rat,
  I got tired of the California sun and heat and came to Spokane for Christmas.  Loved it.  Nice to see some snow and ski a bit.  Why do you go to Tahiti when you live in paradise?

Nice win by the Pirates.  It will be interesting to see how the Pirates do in league. Always tougher playing against teams that scout you well.  Weaknesses and youth are often exposed.  It will be interesting to see how Whitworth's young guys play in the league games.

[(509)Rat]

Don't worry about me A Buc, I'll get my turns in this season.

This Whitworth team doesn't have the go to scorer that they've had in years past, which should make me nervous going into the conference schedule. But this team plays good defense and is really deep. There are 7 or so guys that can hit double figures on any given night. And most nights, you have 4-5 of them scoring in the low to mid teens.

It also helps that the other traditional "powers" are down. Even though the rest of the league seems a little more dangerous, they have all been wildly inconsistent. Oh, and no David Michaels for Whitman 

As long as the Bucs don't drop more than a couple conference games I also think they've put together a resume that would get them into the tourney even without the auto-bid. Unlike the OR and Western WA teams, Whitworth has played almost an entirely DIII schedule. Which, those of us who follow football know is what you have to do to be a strong at-large, pool c, whatever you want to call it, candidate

[A Buc Forever]

Whitman    84    Lewis & Clark    88   
Willamette    62    Puget Sound    75   
Whitworth    80    Pacific (Ore.)    77   
George Fox    71    Linfield            67- OT

Interesting night of basketball.  Would not have picked LC and I thought WW would pull away from Pacific.  Would not be surprised by anything that happens in this league at this point.  Nice to see WW with another win.