MBB: Northwest Conference

[TryMeTeam]

I don't know.  LC is down to 11 players with two that never play.  The core of the 11 are underclassmen with only two seniors.  They start two frosh and a junior with the other two frosh getting signifcant minutes.  Saturday, according to the play-by-play, they had all 4 frosh and a senior on the court at one time.  Not the makeup for a last hurrah.  More of a building project that has gone very right this year. 

They definitely did not play well last year, but that happens sometimes.  I don't know what their problem was, but they just did not play well consistently.

It would seem with the four frosh and Kollash coming back next year, any coach would  want to work with that group and a couple of new recruits, but we will have to see.  They have an associate head coach, maybe they are grooming him to take over next year or the one thereafter. 

[TryMeTeam]

PS  Pio might have more information on this.

[Pio20]

T-M-T,

Hare to argue with any of your points.  The second half is shaping up as a battle for second place and a first round home game in the playoffs.

Question for you and Pio20 - Could this season be Gaillard's blaze of glory?  Last season was a disaster.  With so many players back from the previous season's co-title, and the influx of new talent, L&C seemed torn apart from inside.

But Gaillard has clearly cleaned out whatever was dragging down the team.  Addition by subtraction.  Is this season his last?  Like I said, his chance to go out on a blaze of glory?  Maybe that is an added motivation (officially stated or not) for this group of players...

Well word was that when Jeff Christensen graduated Gaillard was going to hang em up. Christensen was the core player from the group that came in 2004 and was set to graduate in 2008, but then he transferred to Eastern Washington before the last season. I don't know if Gaillard will call it quits after this season. David Bergrren and Tyson Papenfuss will be the only two significant seniors lost after this season. There is still a lot of promise. Josh Kollasch has been the team's best player all around this season and will be a senior next year. Kyle Meeuwsen has shown promise as a athletic and long sophomore and freshmen James Hollins has shown he can be a big-time scorer. I think we will have to wait to see how the rest of the season goes. The past couple of seasons the Pios have been good (and gotten very close to the NCAA tourney). If the Pios can one way or another get to the tourney this season that might be Gaillard's blaze of glory.

[TryMeTeam]

UPS jumps 2 spots in todays D-3 poll to #9.  Congrats to the Loggers!

[logshock101]

great weekend for the loggers. missed the game on firday, but caught saturday nights pummeling of the bearcats. ups looked very good, playing hard defensively, and patiently on offense. lunt moving williams off the point has been his best move this season besides changing the defensive principles. the ball gets A LOT more movement and opens things up offensively.

no let downs this year guys, lets take care of business the 2nd half of conference!

[pineconefan]

Important games in the NWC tonight as teams try to position themselves to make a run at the conference playoffs.

PLU at Pacific - If the Lutes and Boxers are going to make themselves anything other than a spoiler, they pretty much need to start the second half with this win.

Linfield at Willamette - A battle of teams currently tied for fourth (this season the final playoff spot).  Normally I'd say I like the Bearcats at home, but they have been hard to figure this season -both home and away.   Linfield comes in after two road wins, and Willamette comes in off of two bad losses.

[bbaddict]

Bad losses, but not a bad team.  The Bearcats will kick into gear tonight & win.  We'd like to see less TO's, more assists & some good defense.   I know Simon's on the bench (injured) but there are plenty of guys who can kick it up defensively.  It will be a good game.  Always is between the two kinds of Cats!

There's still 1/2 of the conference season to go, too soon to count out any teams.  UPS has a clear advantage since they haven't lost any, but this is NWC basketball, interesting to the (bitter) end!

[NWCer]

Important games in the NWC tonight as teams try to position themselves to make a run at the conference playoffs.

PLU at Pacific - If the Lutes and Boxers are going to make themselves anything other than a spoiler, they pretty much need to start the second half with this win.

Linfield at Willamette - A battle of teams currently tied for fourth (this season the final playoff spot).  Normally I'd say I like the Bearcats at home, but they have been hard to figure this season -both home and away.   Linfield comes in after two road wins, and Willamette comes in off of two bad losses.

Actually bbaddict, the PLU at Pacific game is a first round game, a make up game for the Jan. 9 cancellation.  So whoever wins it will be 3-5 for the 1st round, just 1 game out of the 4th and final playoff spot.  If my Boxers win I still have hope because they'll have 5 home games during the second round, and have already got the Eastern Washington swing, and games at UPS, and at LC out the way (as well as Fox).  If they can get healthy (don't know what is up with Bartlett - the PLU website says he may or may not return tonight) then maybe it can get interesting....

[Bearcat Press]

Bad losses, but not a bad team.  The Bearcats will kick into gear tonight & win.  We'd like to see less TO's, more assists & some good defense.

You forgot free throws.  Over the last two games, Willamette is 16-41 from the stripe!  To quote the great Schonz, "You've got to make your free throws!"

[bbaddict]

Important games in the NWC tonight as teams try to position themselves to make a run at the conference playoffs.

PLU at Pacific - If the Lutes and Boxers are going to make themselves anything other than a spoiler, they pretty much need to start the second half with this win.

Linfield at Willamette - A battle of teams currently tied for fourth (this season the final playoff spot).  Normally I'd say I like the Bearcats at home, but they have been hard to figure this season -both home and away.   Linfield comes in after two road wins, and Willamette comes in off of two bad losses.

Actually bbaddict, the PLU at Pacific game is a first round game, a make up game for the Jan. 9 cancellation.  So whoever wins it will be 3-5 for the 1st round, just 1 game out of the 4th and final playoff spot.  If my Boxers win I still have hope because they'll have 5 home games during the second round, and have already got the Eastern Washington swing, and games at UPS, and at LC out the way (as well as Fox).  If they can get healthy (don't know what is up with Bartlett - the PLU website says he may or may not return tonight) then maybe it can get interesting....

Actually NWCer, the person you were quoting was Pineconefan, but I'm sure you didn't notice that since you were wrapped up in your own argument.   I was the one saying it's the NWC & there's still 1/2 a season to play (conference wise) so it's too EARLY to count anyone out!  So, what exactly is your argument with me?

Just curious why it's reassuring to you to "have already got the Eastern WA swing & UPS & LC games out of the way" since they all beat you by more than 15 points -- sometimes 20 or 30 and your conference wins have been by 10 or so, excluding the PLU game.

BearcatPress-- tough loss tonight, but they did get better on the free throws!   Linfield just played well tonight and they outsized us by a lot.   Really missed having Currie & Cantrell out there -- good defense & bigger bodies!  Still lots of games to win!!  Go Bearcats---keep at it & quit turning the ball over.

[bbaddict]

UPS jumps 2 spots in todays D-3 poll to #9.  Congrats to the Loggers!

Wow, beating the Bearcats put UPS up two spots in the top 25?  Amazing....

[NWCer]

Important games in the NWC tonight as teams try to position themselves to make a run at the conference playoffs.

PLU at Pacific - If the Lutes and Boxers are going to make themselves anything other than a spoiler, they pretty much need to start the second half with this win.

Linfield at Willamette - A battle of teams currently tied for fourth (this season the final playoff spot).  Normally I'd say I like the Bearcats at home, but they have been hard to figure this season -both home and away.   Linfield comes in after two road wins, and Willamette comes in off of two bad losses.

Actually bbaddict, the PLU at Pacific game is a first round game, a make up game for the Jan. 9 cancellation.  So whoever wins it will be 3-5 for the 1st round, just 1 game out of the 4th and final playoff spot.  If my Boxers win I still have hope because they'll have 5 home games during the second round, and have already got the Eastern Washington swing, and games at UPS, and at LC out the way (as well as Fox).  If they can get healthy (don't know what is up with Bartlett - the PLU website says he may or may not return tonight) then maybe it can get interesting....

Actually NWCer, the person you were quoting was Pineconefan, but I'm sure you didn't notice that since you were wrapped up in your own argument.   I was the one saying it's the NWC & there's still 1/2 a season to play (conference wise) so it's too EARLY to count anyone out!  So, what exactly is your argument with me?

Just curious why it's reassuring to you to "have already got the Eastern WA swing & UPS & LC games out of the way" since they all beat you by more than 15 points -- sometimes 20 or 30 and your conference wins have been by 10 or so, excluding the PLU game.

BearcatPress-- tough loss tonight, but they did get better on the free throws!   Linfield just played well tonight and they outsized us by a lot.   Really missed having Currie & Cantrell out there -- good defense & bigger bodies!  Still lots of games to win!!  Go Bearcats---keep at it & quit turning the ball over.

You're right bbadict, meant to quote Pinecone there... My mistake... Wasn't any argument I was wrapped up in, just clarifying that tonight's game was a 1st round game and Pacific with a win would still be alive with Bartlett and 5 home games down the stretch...Still good to have those roadies out the way (to feed your curiosity), also played those without Bartlett, who came back tonight going 7 for 11 after a month plus out... will be a little different in the Grove down the stretch with him back... See what happens, as you said, and I'm correctly quoting you this time (actually a cut and paste) "it's the NWC & there's still 1/2 a season to play (conference wise) so it's too EARLY to count anyone out!" 

[LogShow]

Willamette loses again at Cone...surprising, they are usually really tough there.

[LogShow]

NWCer, are you predicting a Boxer run in the second half!!??  Can Lowery get them together now that Bartlett is back?  When was the last time Pacific was involved with any kind of postseason play?

[LogShow]

NWC standings as of 1/28:

UPS   8-0
LC     6-2
WW  5-3
Lin    5-4
UW    4-5
Pac    3-5
PLU    2-6
GFU    2-6
Whit   2-6