MBB: Northwest Conference

[Gregory Sager]

If they beat UPS this Friday I would hope they would get a few votes. Of course, we all know how hard it is to get into the top 25 when you don't start out the season there.

As LogShow pointed out, Puget Sound started out the year outside of the Top 25. The Loggers were 31st in the preseason poll with 69 points, two places ahead of Whitworth (40 points). UPS is ninth in the latest poll, and if the Loggers get through the weekend unscathed they'll move up to at least eighth in next week's poll (since #7 Wheaton, which was only 25 points ahead of the Loggers in the current poll, lost last night to unranked North Central).

[bbaddict]

Baddict,

Is this Erickson's 7th year at WU?  I know he has had lots of injuries (aka: he probably has 60 year old knees)  I am kind of surprised he is still getting after it.  Do you know what his story is?

It might be his 6th year at WU, but not playing basketball, obviously.  He played in 2003-04; was hurt in 2004-05, played & was listed as a sophomore 2005-06, then at that nasty triple OT game at UPS on 12/1/06 he re-injured his knee, played part of one more game at Linfield & was done for the 2006-07 season.  He's had several knee surgeries, but he's pretty tough!   Now, he's a grad student at WU and still has eligibility, so he's playing again.  He sat on the bench & helped coach the years he wasn't playing, so that's probably why you think he's been around so long.  The guy just loves basketball and wants to play as long as he can move & is eligible.  He's good.  I think some of the guys just thought he was done & it might be throwing off the rotation.   Just my opinion--I'm not in a position to actually know!

Loggerfan, I gave  you a +K as a welcome.  Have fun joining in -- we occasionally argue! My karma got dinged all to H*** on the football board by the wonderful Wildcat people.  It's OK---they have K, we had the winning FB team!!  They're just bitter.  Glad it's basketball season--friendlier people!

[LogShow]

Thanks Bballaddict!

Lol, yeah the NWC board is strictly a Linfield board...I dont even venture there.

[Pio20]

If they beat UPS this Friday I would hope they would get a few votes. Of course, we all know how hard it is to get into the top 25 when you don't start out the season there.

As LogShow pointed out, Puget Sound started out the year outside of the Top 25. The Loggers were 31st in the preseason poll with 69 points, two places ahead of Whitworth (40 points). UPS is ninth in the latest poll, and if the Loggers get through the weekend unscathed they'll move up to at least eighth in next week's poll (since #7 Wheaton, which was only 25 points ahead of the Loggers in the current poll, lost last night to unranked North Central).

Fair enough...let's go with it's hard to break into the top 25 when you don't start the season with any votes. I'm sure it has happened. It just seems hard to do.

[bbaddict]

But does it really matter (if you're in the Top 25) if you win & produce results?  Better to be under-rated than over-rated!

Sure LogShow--it's great to be back on the basketball board, but let me tell you, it was fun being in their faces!!  Worth every ounce of lost K.

So, GO Bearcats---beat PLU and make it the start of a new winning streak.

[LogShow]

If UPS could put together a decent football season, I would be on that board too 

Big big games tomorrow!!! Looking forward to them.   8)

[Pio20]

But does it really matter (if you're in the Top 25) if you win & produce results?  Better to be under-rated than over-rated!

No but it definitely helps in terms of national recognition and earning more respect for the West Coast. I agree that it is better to be under-rated. The Pios never played well with the target on their back last season. That is actually what makes me think they can beat UPS Friday. If they go out and play to win instead of playing to not lose they might just do it.

[bbaddict]

You realize Pio20, that if L&C wins both games this weekend & UPS loses both, they'll be tied for 1st place?  Not saying it will happen, but it could.

Or if Linfield loses to UPS & Willamette wins over PLU, they'll be tied again for 4th place.

Whitworth has to travel to the scarey home court of Fox & the dark, eerie bat cave called Pacific, so who knows what their weekend holds?!

It's still a very close race for the top & will continue to be until the end of the regular season.  Then, with our conference playoff season, it all starts over for the top 4 teams.

What a great conference to be a hoops fan!  In the NWC, any team, any night in the NWC can win, depends on who shows up to want it more!  I've seen it happen over the years so many times that nothing surprises me.

And LogShow, your football team will put together a winning season -- I've seen them play.  So, do you suppose we'll be hearing from the Linfield people soon?  Or do they not know their way over from the FB board?

[Bearcat Press]

But does it really matter (if you're in the Top 25) if you win & produce results?  Better to be under-rated than over-rated!

Sure LogShow--it's great to be back on the basketball board, but let me tell you, it was fun being in their faces!!  Worth every ounce of lost K.

So, GO Bearcats---beat PLU and make it the start of a new winning streak.

Come on, you had some help over there on the football board!

I'm really, really hoping the Bearcats can snap out of their funk against PLU.  I'm passing up tickets to see Nobel Laureate Paul Krugman on campus tonight - ah the sacrifices of being a reporter!

At any rate, here's a link to my recap of last weekend's games.  Tuesday night against Linfield was just too close to press time (paper comes out Wednesdays), so I'll have that along with PLU next week.

http://www.willamettecollegian.com/2009/01/28/bearcats-on-ropes-following-winless-weekend/

[bbaddict]

Nice article BearcatPress.  One thing, though, George Fox is not & hasn't (recently) been a mediocre team.  They are a team whose W/L does not really show who they are and often acts as a spoiler for the top teams.   Another interesting note:  Even with the recent losses, if Willamette wins the rest of their games or even loses to UPS again, they still finish better than last year's season when they were in 3rd place.  There's still a lot of season left.  They just need to get it done & we know they can.

I know you were on the FB boards, too, but did they ding the heck out of your K?  Mine's now in a negative situation, which means people were dinkin at it even when I wasn't on the boards at all.  (Got kinda busy after football ended and disappeared for awhile -- so did my positive karma.)  They can take away my +K, but they can't take away the WINS WU had over Linfield and the Perfect 2009 Conference Season.

Looking forward to a double win tonight.  The Lady Bearcats need to finish some business they started with PLU in Tacoma.   The men's team has the tools they need, they just need to activate them.

[cawcdad]

I spend time on the hoops board. Most of my posting happens in the early season when I get to see NWC teams down here in CA. It's kind of hard to comment once I quit seeing them. Enjoy the rest of the season. Stay warm and dry as we bask in our warm dought sunshinme.

[Pugetsoundfan]

I think the L&C game tonight is a dangerous one for the Loggers.  The Pios are playing well and UPS is due for a flat outing, one where that 8-0  or 10-0 run just doesn't come.  I'm optimistic because it's long been teams with fine, quick point guards that give the Loggers trouble.  Having seen the UPS-LC game in Tacoma, it looked like LC has nice players at the guard positions, but not as much quickness as they had with Tillery.   

[Bearcat Press]

Nice article BearcatPress.  One thing, though, George Fox is not & hasn't (recently) been a mediocre team.  They are a team whose W/L does not really show who they are and often acts as a spoiler for the top teams.   Another interesting note:  Even with the recent losses, if Willamette wins the rest of their games or even loses to UPS again, they still finish better than last year's season when they were in 3rd place.  There's still a lot of season left.  They just need to get it done & we know they can.

I know you were on the FB boards, too, but did they ding the heck out of your K?  Mine's now in a negative situation, which means people were dinkin at it even when I wasn't on the boards at all.  (Got kinda busy after football ended and disappeared for awhile -- so did my positive karma.)  They can take away my +K, but they can't take away the WINS WU had over Linfield and the Perfect 2009 Conference Season.

Looking forward to a double win tonight.  The Lady Bearcats need to finish some business they started with PLU in Tacoma.   The men's team has the tools they need, they just need to activate them.

I agree that GFU is better than they've shown this year - and they've given the Bearcats fits for the last few years.  Perhaps "inconsistent" would have been a better way to describe them, but they are tied for last place.  Hopefully they can play spoiler in Spokane tonight.  I also agree that WU still has the potential to finish as a top three team in this league.  But we need to rediscover our defensive mojo immediately.

Frankly, I was impressed by the way we played against Linfield on Tuesday.  The Wildcats hit some big shots, Doty seems to have figured out how to sub effectively, and Tesoro has ice in his veins.  He would not be rattled.  But we looked significantly better on offense, and we hit most of our free throws!!

I was really hoping Schoettgen and Leslie would go off on Tuesday night so we could fire up a "Just like football!" chant, à la last season.  Even Speckman was chanting last year!

[TryMeTeam]

The UPS - LC game is a tough one to call.  PSfan is right, Tillery gave UPS fits with his quickness.  But the LC guards are good and Gaillard should have them ready tonight.  You just can't describe and be prepared for UPS, and 4 of LC guards had not seen "the press" before.  Now they have, and they now know what to expect.  But UPS is "top 10" good.  Lets go with the home (OR) team on this one.

Wi will take down PLU tonight.  It sounds like PLU had a bad game at Pac, and they may be on their annual downfall.  Players are playing big minutes and then few minutes.  Dickerson might be having players pack it in like when the last coach was there.

I would like to go with Fox over WW, but that is not going to happen.

Pac with Bartlett should be more than Whit can handle if the Pac guards can play anywhere near well.

So now I am 3-1 for the OR teams over WA, up from 2-2 earlier in the week.  And I am hoping for a 3-1 record tomorrow night.  More on that tomorrow.

[logshock101]

big time win for the loggers. if they take care of business tonight against linfield they put themselves in a great position to win the conference. they have 4 in a row at home before finshing the last 2 on the road.