MBB: Northwest Conference

Pio20 · February 07, 2009, 01:59:43 PM

Tonight's NWC schedule:

GFU @ UPS
I know it won't happen....but I have to: GFU upsets the number 6 team in the nation 56-55!

Willamette @ Whitman
Willamette destroys Whitman 82-63

LC @ Pacific
If the Pios continue to realize that they need to get to the free throw line to win they will. 30 or more FTAs=Pios win. Papenfuss needs to control the paint. LC wins another ugly shooting game 54-47.

Linfield @ WW
WW avenges it's loss to Linfield and pulls away in the final minutes 78-70.

Bearcat Press · February 07, 2009, 02:08:57 PM

I wish I knew what's gotten into the Bearcats. It's like the entire team is in a shooting slump.

@ Pacific: 38.9%
vs. GFU: 40.3%
@ UPS: 40.3%, 9.1% on threes
vs. Linfield: 41.7%, 27.8% on threes
vs. PLU: 46.4%, but 8.3% on threes
@ Whitworth: 35.1%, 25% on threes

Average: 40.35%, 17.55% on threes.

We've got to take care of business at Whitman tonight. I'm also planning on rooting for Pacific, Whitworth, and George Fox (why not?!).

pineconefan · February 07, 2009, 02:37:48 PM

I don't think Whitworth can count on only payback or revenge tonight in the Fieldhouse. I didn't see the loss at Linfield, but when I look at the box score I don't see the kind of stats (bad shooting or free throw night) that just points to an "off night" at Linfield.

I do see a lot of turnovers (18) and a rebound deficit, that points out Linfield was able to take advantage of certain match ups. Unless the Pirates address those match ups, they could easily suffer a repeat of the first meeting.

nwhoops1903 · February 07, 2009, 04:05:18 PM

Quote from: pineconefan on February 07, 2009, 02:37:48 PM
I don't think Whitworth can count on only payback or revenge tonight in the Fieldhouse. I didn't see the loss at Linfield, but when I look at the box score I don't see the kind of stats (bad shooting or free throw night) that just points to an "off night" at Linfield.

I do see a lot of turnovers (18) and a rebound deficit, that points out Linfield was able to take advantage of certain match ups. Unless the Pirates address those match ups, they could easily suffer a repeat of the first meeting.

Let me put it this way, WW is the better team. They are at home. They should win this game based on conference results and stats..Vegas line has WW by 13.

Pugetsoundfan · February 07, 2009, 05:33:57 PM

Pio20's "know it won't happen but" pick of GF over UPS is crazy, even when qualified like that. This year's Loggers just aren't going to lose a home game to what we have to say is a considerably weaker opponent in Fox this year. There are too many tough-minded guys on the floor for UPS for this to happen--especially on a one game weekend.

It's interesting to track the NCAA stuff, since I can see the Loggers dropping one at home to WW, say in the NWC tournament final. But I'd say if a Loggers team that's this good with 1 or 2 losses to D3 competition isn't a lock for the D3 tournament there's a problem with the rules.

D O.C. · February 08, 2009, 12:33:38 AM

Not sure why I bother but, went to the LINFIELD home site to listen to the game tonight...."not available."

Tough to keep fans interested in that b-ball program.

nwhoops1903 · February 08, 2009, 12:49:59 AM

Quote from: D O.C. on February 08, 2009, 12:33:38 AM
Not sure why I bother but, went to the LINFIELD home site to listen to the game tonight...."not available."

Tough to keep fans interested in that b-ball program.

Or you could have gone to the WW site and streamed Live Video, but I know thats not your point. BTW did you?

TryMeTeam · February 08, 2009, 02:55:45 AM

Quote from: LogShow on February 07, 2009, 01:24:44 PM
Come on TMT, predictions are fun...you know you want to.

Yeah, you are right, I wanted to, but I was tired of going 2-2 or 1-3. HAD I gone out on a line and made the picks I would have been 3-1, losing the Wil vs Whit game. I just thought Wil would be able to take down Whit, but I was wrong.

OR teams go 1-3 on Saturday, not pretty.

How about that "re"-matchup Friday? Lets get the hype started soon, ala Super Bowl week. Let me get mine in early: UPS by 10.

LC keeps on winning, Pac and Wil sink further, and Lin will be the 4th seed in the tournament with UPS obviously top dog. The battle is now between WW and LC for the 2nd and 3rd seed. Who slips up between them? I wish I could go with LC, but without Kollasch and as much as it pains me to go with the WA team, I have to say WW 2 and LC 3.

I just hope the NWC tournament doesn't cost the NWC a second bid to the post-season.

Pio20 · February 08, 2009, 04:11:58 AM

Quote from: TryMeTeam on February 08, 2009, 02:55:45 AM
I wish I could go with LC, but without Kollasch and as much as it pains me to go with the WA team, I have to say WW 2 and LC 3.

I have to agree. I am surprised that LC hasn't slipped up yet (if you don't count the suspended game loss to Willamette). Even with Kollasch they were inconsistent. But who knows...maybe they will keep winning and pleasantly surprise me.

TryMeTeam · February 08, 2009, 05:23:59 PM

PIO:

I think they will do okay. There guards are pretty good, and the young ones are getting minutes without Kollasch. At this point of the season, they are no longer frosh, but closer to soph with almost a year under their belt.

But they have a terrible finish to their schedule: at home against Lin (playing some good basketball right now), and at Wil, Whit and WW to finish the regular season. All of those games will be tough. They could sweep or get swept!

If they get Lin, they can finish no worse than 3rd. Not too bad for such an inconsistent team that lost its best player!

LogShow · February 08, 2009, 08:21:44 PM

Good win for the Logs...not complete domination, but controlled it the entire game. 4 more left.

bbaddict · February 08, 2009, 08:31:55 PM

Quote from: D O.C. on February 08, 2009, 12:33:38 AM
Not sure why I bother but, went to the LINFIELD home site to listen to the game tonight...."not available."

Tough to keep fans interested in that b-ball program.

That's too bad, because the team is actually pretty good. Is basketball just not that popular at Linfield? More of a football or baseball following? Or is it because of the class act that the coach shows when he "high fives" a player for gettng a technical?

Pugetsoundfan · February 08, 2009, 10:08:18 PM

Logshow's right, not complete domination by Loggers at home last night. There was not a moment when it appeared GFU could win the game, but in the first half they hung tough. The development in Tacoma that I think is worth noting is that A. Williams, always terrific but inconsistent and prone to errors when he tried to make things just a little too fancy, is now just terrific. There's nobody in the NWC who can guard him; it'll be interesting to see if there's anybody in the nation in D3 who can guard him. He was the best player on the floor last night, and that's saying something because Krauel and Foster are playing great ball.

One quiet thing to look at is the way that the Logs have defended other team's best 3 point shooters. I haven't sat down and done the math, but if I did I think I'd find that they end up well below average in the # of shots, not to mention percentage. Robert Krauel just snuffed Dressler the other night in the halfcourt....

80sshorts · February 09, 2009, 12:58:12 AM

Dressler got shut down completely last tuesday by Puget Sound, I think he was 1-8. Williams looks much more patient and within himself now compared to last year, a very fun player to watch. Last year it kind of felt like he forced things at times, now he seems content to let the game come to him and it's rubbing off on the team well. He was quietly efficient against George Fox last night

TryMeTeam · February 09, 2009, 04:59:20 PM

Quote from: Pugetsoundfan on February 08, 2009, 10:08:18 PM
There's nobody in the NWC who can guard him; it'll be interesting to see if there's anybody in the nation in D3 who can guard him.

Sorry, NWCer, but I couldn't wait for you to jump all over this, and since I blasted your guards, I felt the need to stand up and say "Nah uh".

No doubt Williams is a very good guard, first team all-league if I had a vote, but he has been guarded and guarded pretty well. I am just going from statistics, but he scored 11 against LC on 1/30, 8 against Wil on 1/24 and 4 against Pac on 1/23. He has average just over 20 points in the last 3 games, but can't be guarded? Those are not the statistics of an unstoppable player! And he plays on a team that other teams can't afford to focus just on him with the likes of Foster, Krauel, etc.

In the national tournament, he will face better guards than in the NWC and they will be able to limit him if not close him down.

Dressler getting shut down should not be a surprise. He is playing on a team that is far out of the playoffs that is struggling after preseason optimism, as all teams have. Sitting for 5 games sure didn't help his flow this season, and the team has played inconsistent all season long. Being tied for last can't help his attitude. Checking out on any given night would seem likely given such a scenerio.

I wonder if the refs let rough play go uncalled like they did at LC (from Biddy). That would explain opponents poor shooting. But the UPS pressure is very good and that alone has put more than a couple of shooters into bad shooting games this year. But other teams have shut Dressler down too.