MBB: Northwest Conference

[Pat Coleman]

Nobody cares what you think ...

Please stop reposting this. I have removed it -- several times -- for a reason. Check the Terms of Service if you have questions.

[Pio20]

Pretty big news out of Lewis & Clark: http://www.oregonlive.com/sports/index.ssf/2010/10/former_trail_blazers_star_terr.html

[Titan Q]

Who will be the favorite in the NWC this year?  Is there an NWC team we should be looking at as a preseason Top 25 candidate?  Seems like Whitworth lost a lot from that great team last year...


#7 Whitworth (26-3 overall, 16-0 NWC) – West

Starters Returning: (2) F David Riley, 6-5 SR (13.4 ppg, 3.8 rpg), G Clay Gebbers, 6-1 SR (5.6 ppg, 3.2 rpg)

Starters Lost: (3) C Nate Montgomery, 6-8 (16.8 ppg, 8.3 rpg), G Eric Beal, 5-11 (14.3 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 5.7 apg), F Bo Gregg, 6-5 (11.5 ppg, 4.9 rpg)

Top Returning Reserve: F Jack Loofburrow, 6-6 JR (8.0 ppg, 2.7 rpg)

http://www.d3boards.com/index.php?topic=4097.5655


Are they expected to reload, or is someone else the favorite?

[nwhoops1903]

Who will be the favorite in the NWC this year?  Is there an NWC team we should be looking at as a preseason Top 25 candidate?  Seems like Whitworth lost a lot from that great team last year...


#7 Whitworth (26-3 overall, 16-0 NWC) – West

Starters Returning: (2) F David Riley, 6-5 SR (13.4 ppg, 3.8 rpg), G Clay Gebbers, 6-1 SR (5.6 ppg, 3.2 rpg)

Starters Lost: (3) C Nate Montgomery, 6-8 (16.8 ppg, 8.3 rpg), G Eric Beal, 5-11 (14.3 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 5.7 apg), F Bo Gregg, 6-5 (11.5 ppg, 4.9 rpg)

Top Returning Reserve: F Jack Loofburrow, 6-6 JR (8.0 ppg, 2.7 rpg)

http://www.d3boards.com/index.php?topic=4097.5655


Are they expected to reload, or is someone else the favorite?

Whitworth has reloaded with some impressive newcomers and returns some key players not mentioned above.  Felix Freidt will play the post and has size.  Wade Gebbers could be a First Team conference player this season as a sophomore.   Senior transfer player Michael Taylor is special.  Whitworth is excited to have this former D1, Big Sky, FOTY on the roster.  WW's depth inside goes 6'8, 6'7, 6'8, 6'8, 6'6. 

Replacing Montgomery is the most difficult for obvious reasons ALL AMERICAN, a great player.  Very good players are always missed, Beal and Gregg's replacements are up to the task of maintaining their excellence.

WW has 5 players that can post 20+ performances on any night.  I think this team might set school record for point differential this season.

Should WW get off to a good start (5-0), I think they will vault into top8 in national poll.

Finally, NWC preseason coaches poll was released today.

http://www.nwcsports.com/sports/mbkb/2010-11/news/poll

2010-11 Men's Basketball Coaches Pre-Season Poll:
    School                     (1st)   Pts.     2009-10 All      2009-10 NWC
1. Whitworth (Wash.)  (9)     90         26-3                        16-0
2. Linfield (Ore.)                    62         12-13                      10-6
3. Lewis & Clark (Ore.)          58         10-16                       9-7
4. George Fox (Ore.)             42         13-14                       9-7
4. Pacific Lutheran (Wash.)   42         9-14                         7-9
4. Whitman (Wash.)              42         12-13                     6-10
7. Willamette (Ore.)               35         9-16                      6-10
8. Puget Sound (Wash.)        34         9-16                       5-11
9. Pacific (Ore.)                      10         8-17                      4-12

[Pio20]

ooops just kidding about Terry Porter being a LC coach:
http://www.lcpioneers.com/sports/mbkb/2010-11/releases/Terry_Porter_statement

[TryMeTeam]

Hey, everyone.  Late start this year.  

Funny how the coaches poll mimics last years standings/league records.  Whitworth is definitely the number one seed.  No more to say.

Linfield #2?  Seems too high to me.  They lost 2 senior point guards and one of the best in the league in Tesoro, and only have a slower (for point guard), young Vance returning.  They also lost Schroeder, Weber, Paul and Rainwater.  That's a lot.  I heard Wiser had back surgery this summer.  Is he back healthy?

My biddy says the Pioneers got some good recruits, very athletic, but not very big.  Their big man last year was a bust, but Meuwsen could be beast inside this year.  They have 8 new faces and only 6 returning, so chemistry could be a factor.  Could be an interesting team if the recruits are as good as advertised.  Porter was supposed to be a part-timer at best, but you can't be affiliated with both the NBA and any college team in any capacity.  He was never really intended to be a full time coach.  3rd seems right.

Fox lost 7 seniors, 6 regular participants and 3 starters (I think), so I can't see them in the 4th spot (tied).    I see them back in the lower portion of the league.

PLU is an enigma to me.  They have a few starters back, but they weren't that good last year.  MacTaggart, Trondsen and Bull can play, but do they have enough of a supporting cast to compliment them?  They tend to fade as the season goes on, and they just don't seem to play up to their talent level (time for a coaching change?).  Another team probably ranked too high.

Whitman will be better this year, but how much is a real question.  14 players on their roster is not enough to run a Bridgeland system, and I heard a rumor the kid from Newberg left the team and school.  4th to 6th seems about right for them.  

Willamette finished last year very strong, a real tribute to Coach Ione.  But they are again young with 8 freshmen coming in and one of, if not the best, players in the conference last year in Mitchell gone, and only 2 seniors back.  I think they are ranked too low.

My how UPS has fallen!  Their roster is not up, so I can't tell who is coming back and how many they brought in.  But 8th?  Seems like they have enough talent returning to finish much higher than that!  Is Lunt under the microscope? 

Pac U has a new coach, and I hear he is a good one.  But the senior Ross is gone and so is the Boxer's hopes.  I heard a couple of others are gone too with knee injuries, so it may be a long year for NWCer and Pac U.  But keep the faith, if the coach is as good as I hear, they will be good soon.

What is the word out there for new players on these teams?  Sound off, we are getting a late start and the games will begin soon.

[NWCer]

Yes TMT, could be a long year....

Lunt was perfect in the conference the season before last, but now you think he's under the microscope?  Wow, I guess it's what have you done for me lately?........

[TryMeTeam]

I don't know if he is under the microscope or not, just wondering.  It usually is "what have you done for me lately", and now that Bridgeland's recruits are gone, it is all on Lunt.  Not trying to berate him, but now he is dealing with his own recruits, and has fallen off the top tier pretty fast.  He just seems more like a high school coach than a college coach to me.  His animation and antics on the sidelines doesn't seem to be working now that the talent level has dropped off (eg Williams, Foster and Kraul are gone).

It will be very interesting who he brings in this year and how well they respond to him.  Seems like there was chemistry problems last year. 

Anyone have any information on who and how many they brought in?   

[TryMeTeam]

Not often you can take positives from a 30 point loss, but PLU must be looking at their game with Seattle U. as such.  Bull, McTaggert, Schilling all shooting the ball well against a D1 is not bad.  54% from the field from these guys will win most games.  They may not be deep, but their top 6 or 7 can be effective in this league.  Might be that 4th seed come February.

Good job, Lutes!

[nwhoops1903]

DII Seattle Pacific and Central Washington are picked to finish first and second in this winter's Great Northwest Athletic Conference men's basketball race.
The Falcons received eight first-place votes and a pair of seconds, while the Wildcats received one first-place vote and seven seconds in the Coaches annual pre-season poll.

Yesterday WW played a closed door scrimmage against CWU.  Game officials and clock, no scoreboard and no 1&1 free throws.  CWU scored the 7 of the first 9 points.  After that I can safely say, WW outscored CWU the rest of the game.  When I say safely I mean 10+ points.  WW undoubtably left Ellensberg with Coach Sparling's respect and Coach Hayford happy.

Everyone (14) that dressed played minutes for WW, including all freshman.  An eye opener for some of the young guys in their first college experience, good minutes from some other players outside the first 7.  Very encouraging and a positive early experience for WW.

[TryMeTeam]

The 2 games on the 6th provide some interesting points. 

Pacific gets stomped by NW Naz, as was probably expected.  Their big gun, Anglin, didn't play in that one.  Big loss leads to a big loss.  Without him, PU will be in big trouble.  With him, they might squeak out a few wins.  McElwee looks like he might have a good season.

Whitman goes to a NAIA I school and does pretty well.  Down by only 9 points late in the game after a big first half deficit, they outscore San Jose St by 8 in the 2nd half to lose by 17.  But they were over 50% (18-35) from the 3, and only 3 of the 9 players playing over 10 minutes were upperclassmen (3 frosh and 3 soph).   3 fouled out and 2 had 4.  Looks like they are playing very aggressively (no surprise) and shooting the ball well.  Bridge's 2nd season might be a successful one!  Watch out for the Missionaries!

[3peatchamp10]

Nice that its finally time to talk college hoops again! I am expecting UPS to be much improved this year. They have a whole new team out there this year, very young but might be pretty tough once they get the system down. If UPS actually finished 8th in the NWC this year i would be surprised. If i woke up tomorrow i wouldn't be more surprised. seriously though I think that they will actually benefit from that though and catch people by surprise.

On to other things posted...Sounds like WW will be tough again this year, big surprise there. Hayford does a great job of reloading the talent, but i dont think that replacing a player like montgomery is going to go flawlessly.

Anybody else hear that Whitman lost to their Alumni? Cause that was word on the street over on the west side. Also heard that one of their top players from last year quit. Insight anybody?

[TryMeTeam]

Pio20:  Did you make the game last night?  I had to work and couldn't be there.  So I go for the stats.

Who is Master's College?  I googled them, and they are a small, Christian, NAIA div 1 school in a tough SoCal conference with a 18-13 record last year.  They have some height with front line players of 6-6, 6-7, 6-8 and 6-11.  

Turns out it was a big win for the Pios then.  Low scoring game with neither team shooting too well, both 36% from the field and 25-28% from the 3, and lots of turnovers.  But good news for the Pios:  the bigs went 8 for 14 and McCullough, who went like 10 games last year without getting into double digits in TOTAL points or TOTAL rebounds, going for 6 and 9.  Not great, but a much better start.  

Large minutes from the starters, may take awhile for the new guys to fit in.

Up next:  Willamette and UPS tonight, both too far into WA to get to (more stats analysis tomorrow), and two tough places to play.  I don't see wins for either team, but good luck to them!

The games have begun!

[TryMeTeam]

Hey, TMT, how about them Loggers?
Well, they suck!  Poorly coached, Lunt should be fired!  No fan support, and they play in the worst venue in the league!
Pretty harsh TMT.  Why the animosity?
I just call 'em like I see 'em.
Whew!  How about the Pirates?
Hayford can't coach his way out of a wet paper bag.  I heard he has to pay to get those JC transfers, and the school has had enough. He is about to be canned.  They lost too much last year to have a chance this year.  I have them about .500 in league.
You have to be kidding!  What a bomb?  Hayford cheating?
And from a very reliable source!
Stop.  How about the Pios?
O-V-E-R-A-T-E-D!!!  4th?  You have to be kidding!  How can you center a program around shooting the 3!  Gaillard is too old to coach anymore and should just pack it in.  They have no chance to finish in the top 4 this year.  They better get somebody who can actually hit a 3 at a better than 15% clip for next year!  This year is a washout.
Willamette?
Another terrible coach who never deserved the job in the first place.  He is living on Gordies reputation and has no chance of being successful.  Bad recruiting class this year, they may not win a game.
And the Boxers?
No Ross equals no talent equals no wins!  Welcome to the NWC, new coach!  I don't even know his name, and he won't be there long  enough for me to learn it.
Linfield?
Should be Lossfield.  After Wiser, they look like a high school team.  No fan support, they are terrible.
Having a bad day, TMT?  What is really eating on you?
Okay.  (Deep breath)(Another deep breath).  Here's the rub, games have begun, and we are still on the first page of this rag for this year!  And the first two posts are from last year!  If it weren't for TMT's long winded posts, we might be only half way down the column!  Where is everybody?  My hope is that some of you posters can't read well enough (Another deep breath, 1-2-3-4-5), get this far down this post, and light into me thinking this is for real.  Let's get this going.  I read somewhere that the NWC page is the joke of Posting Up (okay, another rib).  

Is there any life out there on this planet?

[etule]

Are you serious about Hayford? I think Whitman will be good this year! Unsure about everyone else except Whitworth. They will be good!