MBB: Northwest Conference

nwhoops1903 · January 29, 2011, 02:51:07 PM

Whitworth clamped down on D as LF tried to slow it down first half and play for a good shot. Holding a team to 16 points is not bad offense. WW was switching on some screens which tells me they have tremendous confidence in themselves to guard and help any matchup. Might be a reason why Loofburrow didn't get many minutes. They didn't need his offense, I know that much is true.

70-43 or 90-57, WW is clearly VERY MUCH better than the number 4 team in conference as I predict LF to be battling for that 4th spot.

Pio20 · January 29, 2011, 03:58:10 PM

Pios lose to Whitman. Tough to win a game when you give up 21 offensive rebounds and turn the ball over 19 times.

Keandre · January 29, 2011, 05:56:37 PM

Good win for UPS on the road at Pacific. Pacific may not be winning games but with the exception of the WW WM road trip, those kids play very hard. They have a pretty good group of guards that play very scrappy. I like Wester and Bartlett.

What are everyone's predictions for toinights match ups?

UPS over Wil
Pac over PLU
WW over LC
WM over Linfield

Keandre · January 29, 2011, 05:58:32 PM

Can LC beat WW tonight?

(509)Rat · January 29, 2011, 06:51:04 PM

They CAN...this is basketball. One player can make a difference, a team can go real cold (or get real hot) shooting from the outside, etc.

Just don't expect LC to win. Is McCoullough hurt? I don't know how they match up in the half court without him at least defensively, offensively he's seemed pretty irrelevant all year. When you have the guards that LC does I guess there isn't a need to go inside to him.

Look for Freidt and gaurd Taylor to have very efficient games on the inside. LC needs to pray that both Gebbers' go cold, then they need to get Riley in foul trouble (not the hardest thing to do) and make Loofburrow work inside-out when he comes off the bench. I don't think there is anything you can do to rattle Whitworth and force turnovers, so you also better shoot a high % because you aren't going to get a lot of extra possessions. After you do ALL that you still might not win but it would be a heck of a game to watch at the end.

nwhoops1903 · January 30, 2011, 12:23:24 AM

UPS over Wil
PLU over Pac
WW over LC
Linfield over Whit

I know this is late but its what I would have done

(509)Rat · January 30, 2011, 11:42:47 AM

Whitworth      10-0   19-0
Lewis & Clark     7-3     14-5
Pacific Lutheran 7-3     12-6
Whitman     6-4     13-6
Puget Sound     5-5     8-11
Linfield     4-6     8-11
George Fox     3-7     5-14
Pacific (Ore.)     2-8     3-16
Willamette     1-9      4-15

Whitworth all but locked up the #1 seed for the conference tourney, but they need to keep winning for any chance to host past the second round. Whitman, UPS, and Linfield look like they are the going to battle for that last playoff spot. I like Whitman, but I don't know how much I trust them to win on the road. Watching Linfield this weekend I don't see them getting through the rest of the schedule without dropping a couple and jumping both UPS and Whitman.

PLU will stay 3rd after they drop the Whitworth game and then go down to LC and lose.

loggerfan1 · January 30, 2011, 06:01:36 PM

As much as I dislike saying it, I think Whitman will beat Puget Sound handily next weekend. The UPS backcourt is too inexperienced and turnover prone--over 30 turnovers last night in Salem, and WU isn't WC. The same problems that lead to all those lost second half leads will hurt Whitman. WW wins here, too, of course, though I am hoping for some frenied Logger play and a close contest.

loggerfan1 · January 30, 2011, 06:02:55 PM

...whoops, I meant the factors leading to lost second half leads willmhurt UPS.

TryMeTeam · January 30, 2011, 11:36:45 PM

Dre:

I finally got to see UPS play this weekend, and I have to agree, Gittens is a speciman. He is pretty raw right now, and his statics confirm that. But he has a ton of potential.

I got to see PLU play for the first time this season, and they looked darn good to me, although they were only playing the lowly Boxers. They shot very well, rebounded well, and played an up-tempo game that gave PU a ton of problems. But they had retaliation on their minds having lost the first round game to the Boxers. I still like them as my #4 pick at the end of the season.

WC came through and beat LC leading pretty much for most of the game. LC struggles trying to keep up with the fast pace both Fri and Sat. Like I said, that EWash round trip is tough.

All WA and all OR games this weekend. I gotta say, the WA games look a lot more exciting! I will go to a couple of the OR games, but I will be watching the games up North on the internet stats with interest.

etule · January 31, 2011, 03:15:44 PM

The biggest improvement in PLU this year is their defense! Playing much better team defense which is what got them by GF. The Pacific game was definitely pay back. They did not play well in the first game!
This weeks games in Wash will be interesting! I think PLU Whitman is going to be a great game! I would love to see someone give Whitworth a challenge and see how they react!
From what Ive seen this year PLU can play half court or up tempo depending on who they are playing. Best PLU team in a few years!

Keandre · January 31, 2011, 05:18:08 PM

Ups has redemption on their mind these next 4 games, Whitworth will get more than a challenge and Whitman will get beat. Plu is coming in and they will get beat, after that, linfield comes in and they will get beat. Ups is a team that may turn the ball over but they are still in games with a chance to win. Their guards get better every game and Anthony will have a better showing against the eastern washington teams. Redemption and a spot in the top 4 is what is on their mind, they will b hungry.

etule · January 31, 2011, 06:11:50 PM

UPS may well win all those games but it won't happen if they turn the ball over! Whitman and Whitworth and PLU will win if they win the turnover battle. UPS is a tough team but to win they will have to be efficient.
If they are they are very tough!

nwhoops1903 · January 31, 2011, 08:47:43 PM

Being a Tar Heel fan, it was fun to see Duke get their butts kicked on Sunday. It also made me realize once again, that in college basketball you can lose ANY game on the road. Poor shooting happens and when a team punches you in the mouth everytime you go inside, eventually you take the jumper out of self preservation even if you know you are gonna miss. I think the only way you stop WW is to catch em cold and shut down the inside. Fortunately, Pirates have 5 guys that have to be off. Duke only has 4.

TryMeTeam · January 31, 2011, 10:52:28 PM

Dre:

You are a typical UPS fan!

I love your loyalty, but I just don't see them on your fantasy winning streak. Let's see: they won their last two games on the road, always a good thing. But against Wil and PacU by a total of 10 points. That means they just barely won over the two weakest teams in the league.

Before that, the lost to LC, but played them tough until the end, a team WC beat pretty soundly. They got Fox at home, another lower level team, by 5, and lost to Linf in OT before that on the road.

I love your optimism, but it just seems misplaced. UPS looks like they will go 2 and 4 over the last 6 games, not 3-1 over the next two weeks, with Linf and Fox being the only wins I can see, and they are not a certainty by any means.

They may be hungry, but the pressure that got them the win at PU will not work in the last 6 games against upper tier teams. Their size will be tough to match up with, but they will have trouble matching up with the guard oriented LC ad WC while WW and Linf can match up with their size.

But it is good to hear from someone who is not spouting off about the wonderful Pirates!!!!!!!