MBB: Northwest Conference

[bigfella]

Oops, take Krauel off the second team and add Berggren

[pineconefan]

Bigfella,

Welcome to the board.  Interesting take on Rivera.  You may be right about him being the key to that team, but I think to most outside observers, he gets lost behind Tillery and those three point shooters.

Interesting rematch tonight for your guys.  How do you think the fact that UPS and L&C just played five days ago will impact tonight's game?

[bigfella]

Remember, the coaches pick the all-league teams.  And, I am sure they all were impressed with Rivera.

I think it will be a good game tonight.  Both teams will be ready, I think.  Playing a team twice within a week is tough on both sides.  Whoever controls the boards and turnovers should be fine.  It will be a fun game to watch, though.  It is win or go home for both.  Neither will get an at large.  If they don't get the auto, it will be recruiting and preparing for next year. 

[NWCer]

When does the all league team come out?

Just some jibberish on some topics:

Dissapointments - Willamette, UPS, Linfield (even though they were picked to finish last, how can a place with those resources be so bad?).

Surprises - Whitman winning at UPS, LC winning the title (I think they were picked 4th), Pacific finishing 4th.

Thoughts on tourney - I think Whitworth is the best team, but LC is playing the best, and I think UPS is in a whole lot of trouble

Next year - LC loses nobody, Whitworth loses a lot, UPS loses nobody, Pacific loses nobody, Fox loses a lot, Willamette loses very little, Whitman loses a lot, Not sure about PLU, and don't think it really matters about Linfield (being a Boxer fan and having them dominate us for so long, feels good seeing them struggle  )

[UPSoundLogs]

Welcome Big Fella, 

It's always nice to see someone besides the usual (3-5) suspects around here.  I'm not judging your all nwc picks, just curious as to why no Jason Foster?  He is the second leading scorer in the league and one of the best rebounders too, he seems like a shoe in to me. 

NWCer,

I think Bartlett is a good player, but not enough to fill two NWC spots .  I agree with your "thoughts on the tourney" LC is playing the best bball of any team in the conference right now.  If they can get past a spirited UPS team tonight, I think they have a great chance of beating WW. 

Pinecones,

I think if Born was on a team with a winning record he would have to be POY.  He may be the goofiest looking bball player in the league but you can't argue with 19pts 11rbs...if his team had more wins.  He's certainly a first teamer this year though, even if Whitman is in the cellar. 

Thoughts for next year...

WW is gonna take a serious nose dive, graduating everybody good but Symes is not gonna be helpful for 07-08.  LC will be very tough once again, Rivera and Toboni are coming back(I think ).  Those two are what makes LC go, they are physical and both play great defense.  UPS will return to the top of the league next year, they will have senior leadership, it won't be Lunt's first year as head coach, they have great returning guards and if Krauel and Foster gain 10 pounds each in the weight room they will be completely unstoppable.  As for the rest of the league, I look for WU to regain some power and Pacific to be in the mix as well.  Not sure what the bottom feeders will do, especially Whitman who loses Born, Faidley, and Warner...OUCH !!!

[bigfella]

Foster is a great player in this league and he could be a first teamer as he deserves recognition.  I am only going on the games I have seen in person.  But when UPS needed a bucket, it was time to get it to Krauel and Taylor Marsh hit bis shots when needed.  Not to say Foster hasn't, but from watching, it seemed pretty clear who they relied on when it was go time.

And Bartlett was consistant throughout the season while the other big cat was not available.  He held that team down.  14 and 9 is a good year on a team that doesn't score much.

And, you never know what will happen as to next year.  Whitworth lost two all-league players including the MVP and returned to the top.  They will get three jucos and two good frosh and be right back in the mix.  UPS return a lot and bring in good players.  I think Pacific will bring in players, also.  There are teams with advantages and those teams will never really hurt for good players.

[UPSoundLogs]

Big Fella,

I guess I can understand your reasoning on Foster, he must have played pretty poorly when you watched him   Obviously we are all entitled to our own opinions about players in the league, although it does seem a little strange to judge a player on a single game   oh well...
By the way I'm glad you mentioned Marsh in your picks, he's had a great season. 

[bigfella]

I have seen Foster play in multiple games, actually.  And, he is a great player who is deserving of props and he definitely gets props from me.  I just think that other teams work on how to stop Krauel on the inside and how to limit Marsh from getting off.  And, I think Foster is in a situation sort of like Borne, but on the other end.  If he were on a lessor team, he would shine more than the other stars out there.

In my opinion if you lose Marsh and/or krauel from this team, UPS is a 5th or 6th place squad.  But, the way your team plays with their backs against the wall, someone might step up, so what do I know.

[pineconefan]

Bigfella,

You are right, with the way Hayford has recruited over the years, Whitworth won't "nosedive" next year.  I don't think they'll be conference champions again, but they could certainly challenge for the NWC tournament.

L&C has EVERY player back next year.  UPS has nearly every key player back.  Those two teams should be the clear favorites for next year.

One will get a leg up tonight...

[NWCer]

Big Fella, I can see your analogy regarding the UPS personell, good points.

You're also right about Whitworth, I think their coach is too good to just take a dive because he's losing some key guys, I'm sure he'll find a way to reload.

I also hope you're right about my Boxers bringing in guys, like I've said in earlier posts, Lowery needs to bring in some athletes, that seemed to be the difference between them and the top 3 teams this season IMO.  Funny you say that they will never really hurt for good players, I hope you're right, because we had a stretch there where that wasn't the case, hopefully things will be different now.

And I saw my Boxers in about 10 games this year, though awkward looking out there, that Bartlett is consistent like you said, and always looked impressive in the box score.

[NWCer]

Pineconefan, we think alike, Whitworth will find a way to be in the mix next year.

UPS and LC are the clear cut favorites, they do bring everyone back, but does UPS bring back their coach?  Does he lose the interim tag or do they bring in someone else meaning we've seen the last of the system?  Regardless, Williams, Delong, Marsh, Kraeul, and Foster will be good in any system.

[bigfella]

Coach Lowery does a good job with what he has and I am sure he sees the need for better athletes.  They have a strong base with the inside guys and a hungry scorer in Harrison.  Add two one athlete to that coupled with the maturation of all those frosh he had and you have a scary team.  It really would be sracy if he let them open it up a little.

UPS is by far the most talented team top to bottom and will be for a while.  The scary thing is, what if they do drop the system and just play teams straight up where there aren't 50 lay-ins per game for the other team. 

LC's coach has been in the mix for years.  They seem to have gotten back where they were actually used to being.  I think Bridge would say that he learned a lot while being Gaillard's assistant.   

Hayford works hard at it and has a pipeline in Cali Jucos (Delta, DVC) so he will not hurt and they have guys on the bench now that can play.  It just seems like he likes to play only seven.

[bucs77]

sorry I have been away for a bit.  Out of town for a funeral.   Glad to see the board is lively.  Listening to the game tonight and so far so good for LC.   I think if you asked a WW fan they wouldn't actually care who they played in the Championship,  they might want UPS to get another shot at them, I dunno.   In looking at the at large bids it also doesn't look like WW is any guarantee.  It would be tough to leave home a team with 22 wins and a few solid wins in pre season as well as co champs in the NWC, but to be sure they have to win.  I just hope that if they do win they are not shipped out to minnesota or SOCal because of budgeting issues.  In 2002 WW was hosed a bit when they won the NWC and the conference tourney and was sent to Gustavus Adolphus because it was cheaper to then bus them to Wisconsin rather than pay for the gusties to come to Spokane and then both to fly back if WW had won.   I don't think that the commitee realizes how important home court is in the Playoffs let alone the NCAA tourney.  I know money is a factor however in decision making and has to be.

On my All NWC Team I have

COTY:  LC Coach
POTY:  BWilliams WW

first team:
     Foster
     Born
     Symes
     Tillery
     Kraul

Second:
     Bartlett
     Satern
     AWilliams
     Taboni
     Nugent?
     Faidley?
     Harrison-Davis? (Not sure about that last spot)

Honorable mention:
  Good Luck to the coaches here there are a ton:
Marsh, Parker, Timperley, Dressler, Brandeberry, Warner, Berrgren, Rivera, (Any of the other WW starters)   GOOD LUCK!!

Looks like a final LC66 UPS60   
Anybody watch the game?   why such a low score?     

[Seattle Buc]

Hello everybody,
I am an Whitworth alumnist and currently live in the Seattle area.  Because of the distance between myself and Spokane, I can only follow the bucs and the NWC through looking at stats, box scores, press releases, and this message board.

Congrats to LC on their big win tonight at home vs the always dangerous team from UPS.  In looking at the stats and catching the end of the broadcast, it sounds like UPS went cold and LC turned up the D.  It is shaping up to be a great one in Spokane on Saturday.  Lets not forget that Whitworth was not anywhere near full strenght when the two teams met at LC.  My brother who lives in the Portland area went to that game and it sounds like BWilliams early fould trouble really dictated the outcome of that game.  Plus not having James Jones in line up was very costly to the Bucs. 

As for all the talk about the All-NWC team.....  It is a little suprising to me that Tillery is in talks of being a first-team selection.  His numbers are roughly 11 ppg and 5 rebs.  For a point guard his 2. something assissts a game are not that impressive.  From what I have heard, he is no threat what so ever to shoot the ball.  Now with that said... I agree he is a good player and maybe a good 2nd-team selection but first is a bit of a stretch.  Like I said before, I am a stats guy and apparently so are the other people on this site for picking thier all-conference teams.  However, you have to play in 75% of the games to be listed on the season stats on the conference web site.  James Jones from Whitworth missed 6 games with an injury (4-2 record during that stretch) and looking back at the stats not a Whitworth starter played against Cal Tech.  Therefore, Jones is not registering on the stats page.   How can bucs77 be leaving him of his list???  Anyway Jones appeared in 18 games and is averaging 16.6 on a team that has 5 players averaging double figures.  He would rank #2 in ast/to ratio, #3 in 3pt fg %, #4 in scoring, steals ppg, 3pt fg made, #9 in fg percentage (for a guard) and minutes played pg, and #10 is assists.  Additionally for conference games only he is averaging 17.3 ppg which would place .2 behind Born and Foster.  His conference only numbers also increase in other categories as well.  Accoring to a few guys I still talk to back at Whitworth, he probably would have been a front runner for POY had he remained healthy all year.  I realize now that is a far stretch, but a first-team All-NWC seems pretty obvious.  That is of course if you only look at the current conference stats that appear when you click on the link.  I would bet the coaches will get it right when they vote. 

Also, BWilliams is probably the best choice for POY, but I agree that Born from Whitman deserves some strong consideration.  Foster from UPS made a late season case for it during his Whitworth/Whitman weekend as far as the stats go.

Again, these are just some observations from a long-distance fan.  I would love to make it to the fieldhouse on Saturday and bring back some old memories, but I don't think I will make it.  I will definately by listening to Bob Castle.  If the Bucs host an NCAA game, I might just have to re-schedule some appointment and take the short flight to Spokane.

[bbaddict]

I was at the LC/UPS game tonight and the scores were low because of poor shooting, not necessarily defense.  Both teams were colder than I've ever seen them!   Lots of missed shots, no shots & turnovers!  Thought UPS was going to take over during the first half, but LC got it together in the 2nd half.  LC  trailed by 8-10 points most of the game but when they finally took the lead, they stayed there.  Very loud crowds for both sides.   What UPS's crowd lacked in size, they made up for in noise!  No one seemed to like the refs, what's new?  Entertaining game.  Not sure if LC can beat Whitworth, especially if they play like they did tonight.