MBB: Northwest Conference

Bearcat Press · February 08, 2011, 11:35:06 PM

Quote from: TryMeTeam on February 08, 2011, 07:37:08 PM
Ask Doty! He must have a reason.

TMT, thank you for that!

Seriously though, congrats to the Pirates. Much deserved.

nwhoops1903 · February 09, 2011, 04:36:49 AM

Quote from: nwhoops1903 on January 24, 2011, 12:30:25 AM
...
So last weekend's games told us what?

I think Pac is good but not good enough. They don't appear to be improving or playing as a unit right now, but that might just be what WW does to you.

Wil isn't....much and I don't think they will spoil much either for top5.

GF is the official spoiler.

UPS at 3-5 after 2-0 start, hmmmmmm. IF they can and that's a big if find a way to #4 I will be surprised but it is still possible.

LF and WHIT are both 4-4 and consensus is LF is a better team, can you say Wiser bud? However, I think Walla Walla is on the rise and will beat LF at home. They could even beat LC at home. If they sweep next weekend, they could be headed to #2 or #3, real possible.

LF is my choice to finish 5th. They just aren't very good defensively and rely ENTIRELY on 1 guy. Bad combo.

PLU was my pick to finish 2nd and I am still on that. They will overtake LC if they win at LC and give WW their biggest remaining test in Tacoma Feb 5th.

LC shouldn't fall out of top 3, but could. I think the deck is stacked against them but they are well coached.

WW...c'mon!! A real nice team. #1 in the nation by the time the conf. tournament begins, if not sonner.

My earlier post from half way point and here is TMT's!

Quote from: TryMeTeam on January 27, 2011, 11:35:09 PM
Okay, everyone agrees that WW is the best team in the conference.

Who will be the other 3 teams in the playoffs?

Gotta go with LC as the #2 seed (way out on a limb there, huh?). But they will be challenged in the second half. 5 of their 8 second half games on the road including the first 4 makes for a tough road. Only home games: Pac, PLU and UPS. They have to get Whitman tomorrow or even the second seed may be in danger. Not sure they will go after WW too much because a win doesn't help them. They will have to go through WW in the playoffs and everyone knows it is tougher to win 3 in a row, and the last game is the most important. But even if they do win the 3rd, they will be back in Spokane for the DIII playoffs. WW has all the advantages, but they earned them.

Whitman as my #3. Reverse schedule of LC, 5 of 8 at home, and 4 of those teams have to go to WW to play the night before or after. Away games: at Pac, PLU and UPS, all should be wins with UPS being the focal point tough game. They could easily go 6-2 in the second half, and 10-6 would be good enough for 3rd.

PLU is my #4, but not a strong pick. Their schedule is favorable, 4-4 home/road, and their EastWA trip is over. They start the 2nd half at GF and PacU, two games they should win before taking on the EastWA teams at home. Other than the blip against PacU, they have only lost to WW and LC. I think Whitman gets them this time around as well as WW and LC, and another surprise loss to finish 9-7.

There very well could be a tie for that last spot or even last two spots. UPS seems to be playing better (Dre will say/has said definitely playing better), and only have to play LC on the road for a tough game. Their other games are at Wil, GF, and PacU, very win-able games. But being a game out and behind the other playoff teams could really hurt them.

Linfield's bubble could pop with 3 losses in the second half to start. They got Whitman the first time, but Whitman is better now and Linf has to play at WW first. We saw what happened to PacU on the second night of that trip. 4-4 games at home/away doesn't aid their chances, and I see them going 4-4 to finish 8-8, and just outside.

TMT nails it.

TryMeTeam · February 09, 2011, 11:49:14 AM

Thanks, Hoops! First one I've nailed in the last.....ever!

But it is not over yet. The teams are pretty much set, but the order could change. If LC wins out, that will settle things the way I predicted, but one blip and it could all change.

But I am happy with the way it sits right now.

Thanks, BP, too! I hoped someone would enjoy that one!

TryMeTeam · February 09, 2011, 11:54:01 AM

Oh, yeah, my congrats to the Pirates and their fans, too! Well deserved, but I honestly didn't think they would get the nod over the other undefeated teams. Maybe the NWC is getting some respect.

So why is WW that much better than the other teams from the near past? I firmly believe the other WW and UPS teams were not much inferior on offense, but I am very much impressed with the defense. It will carry them a long way, with crossed fingers, in the playoffs. It would be fun to see WW upset in the NWC playoffs to get another team in, but it would just mean another game in Spokane. And it just won't happen.

Go NWC!

(509)Rat · February 09, 2011, 11:57:49 AM

Trymeteam,
LC has too much talent to slip up. You nailed the Whitman prediction and should be safe with LC at #2.

89,
http://www.whitworth.edu/Athletics/Teams/BasketballMen/Statistics/10-11/html/teamcume.htm

Only 7 guys play more than 6 minutes per game and number 7 (Ramey) is at 8 min per game. You won't find another team in the NWC who has a playing time distribution that looks like that. And every year Hayford does this. Its been working real well for him. Did you really not understand what I meant when I said 7-8 guys play???

etule · February 09, 2011, 01:10:28 PM

PLU wins a big game last night! They controlled the game but it got a little nervous when they had trouble with the press! They found a way!
Big game for them this weekend in Portland! Nobody wants Whitworth in the first game of the playoffs!
Been a long time since the Lutes made it to the playoffs. The players have stepped up!

Keandre · February 09, 2011, 02:43:01 PM

UPS loses 3 in a row. They get down big early and then they start to turn up the heat to get back in the game and cause turnovers. I think they should be pressing a lot more in the full court before they get so behind. It seems the kids play harder in the press.
Big win for PLU. Great crowd for both teams and it was a battle at the end.

For those that have seen this young UPS team, do you think they should be pressing more?

Keandre · February 09, 2011, 02:46:24 PM

By the way, MacTaggert and Bull are the biggest whinners I have ever seen and they flop like they just got hit by freight trains when they are bumped coming through the lane. I hope PLU gets WW in the first round so they can get beat by 30.

(509)Rat · February 09, 2011, 03:43:10 PM

Whitman is ahead of LC in the newest regional rankings
http://bit.ly/f20PQV

nwhoops1903 · February 09, 2011, 04:31:15 PM

Quote from: (509)Rat on February 09, 2011, 03:43:10 PM
Whitman is ahead of LC in the newest regional rankings
http://bit.ly/f20PQV

To see Whitman in the regional rankings...WOW. Whether you like him or not EB is a winner.

TryMeTeam · February 09, 2011, 06:18:58 PM

Dre:

It depends on who you are playing whether to press or not. The starting lineup has had Borboa and Shelton the last few games, and it is tough to press with them in there. They try hard and play hard, but they are just not good enough to press. I have felt for the last few years, the press has worked against UPS, giving up too many easy baskets and not getting the turnovers they used to get. When they add Gittens and go into a zone, they can match up pretty well with anyone.

The flexibility of this team, especially next year with all but one back, could be very tough to match up with: Go big and zone, go small and press, etc. I'm just not sure Lunt is wired to do this. They pressed a weak PacU team and that worked for them very well. Against LC they just fell back, knowing they couldn't press that guard oriented team. If they go big, I just don't see how they can press for too much of the game.

The regional rankings will change again after WC plays WW. LC gets 6 votes in the Top 25, WC gets none, but WC is 7 and LC 8 in Region. Probably because WC has played one more game, and won. I don't think that is accurate (I think LC is slightly better with each team winning on their home court), but they deserve to be present in the rankings!

Any way you look at it, the NWC only gets two teams in the DIII playoffs if WW is upset in the NWC tournament.

bbaddict · February 09, 2011, 07:17:38 PM

How cool is it to see 3 NWC teams in the top 8 of the West Regional Rankings? Speaks well for the conference. Wish that WU could be in the thick of that story, but we're having a year of transition and rebuilding. Looking forward to better, more winning times. Go Bearcats!

WTG to the others!

etule · February 09, 2011, 08:13:09 PM

Hey Keandre whose a whiner? Just checking! UPS is a physical tea,m . I like that about them. They get away with some fouls its all part of the game!

loggerfan1 · February 10, 2011, 06:16:48 PM

UPS lost to PLU because it shot barely 50 percent from the FT line, repeating the (roughly) 50 percent performance against WW. There's something to work on! Loggers brought pressure like the old days for a few minutes against PLU and nearly stole the game. Also thought that WW was really bothered by the press. Keandre is right...crazy whining from the guys in black on Tuesday. Buck up. You are winning the right to be crushed at WW again!

etule · February 10, 2011, 07:01:05 PM

The foul disparity in that game was tilted towards UPS until the end when they had to foul. It was a great game and PLU won. I like Shelton and he is a beast inside. If you got banged around by him a few times you might complain also.
It was more execution rather than the press from what I saw. They PLU panicked.
Fourth place in the NWC is not settled just yet! But PLU will be in the playoffs this year and not UPS.
Judo's to PLU to making progress to get to the playoffs.