MBB: Northwest Conference

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

Point's issue will be their lack of size this year.  In a typical year, they'd be able to slow the pace down AND bang it inside against a smaller Whitman team.  This year the teams are much more alike in size and I suspect Whitman's pace and athleticism is the difference.  If Point can do a classic UWSP-perimeter defensive job, they can win, but I'm not sure this team is quite up to it.  I'd say 80-20 Whitman - not a surprise, necessarily if Point wins, but it would definitely be an upset.

[blackhawks4]

 Who wants to see me break the golden rule with this question?

What would a Whitman-Platteville matchup look like?

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

Who wants to see me break the golden rule with this question?

What would a Whitman-Platteville matchup look like?

Platteville's main contributors are on the small side as well.  I'd say they probably lack Point's defensive ceiling, but are a far better offensive team.  Platteville was roundly better than UWSP during the bulk of the year.  Pace will again likely be the determining factor.  I believe Platteville is more prepared and capable of playing a faster pace than is Stevens Point.  Although, this makes NWU a tougher matchup for them as well.  Maybe some tired legs, if they come through at all?

Not a bad draw for the Blues - if they'd been with Oshkosh, Augie, and JCU, it could've been tougher, matchup-wise.

[(509)Rat]

I'm with blackhawks. It doesn't matter what Howell's shot selection looks like (before it goes in the hoop), because he makes a majority of them. He gets to the rim and finishes anywhere within 10 feet of it, better than anyone on that team. To me his apparent bad shot selection only matters if he doesn't make them. And it looks like he shouldn't...but he does.

I think he does more for Stewart and Osborne than any of the other guards and I think several other players are going to be less effective without Howell. Now Duckett does some things better than Howell (mostly just a more effective midrange shot/game), but I'm not convinced he's an immediate upgrade year one A.H. (After Howell..don't lecture me on the misused anno domini reference, I went to a Christian school too). As an opposing fan I would also like to see the ball in Butler's hands more often when the Blues are on offense, though his role may not change much without Howell.

I don't know anything about Platteville other than watching them for 10-15 min against St. Olaf. It seems UWSP is playing better than they did earlier in the season when they lost round 1 to Whitman, but I'm not sure how much better. I don't think a lack of size is guaranteed to hurt you against Whitman. It only really helps if the post player is very effective offensively. Whitworth matched up better this year IMO after losing a 6-10 center, because he wasn't that good and ended up being a liability against the Blues. But if you're gonna be small you have to be athletic enough to keep up and you gotta make shots from the outside.

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

The Sectional Round games are here. Soon 16 teams on both the men's and women's brackets will be whittled to eight ... and before we know it just four will remain.

Who will advance, who will fall short of the final weekend, and who is best prepared? Hard to answer all of those questions, but on Thursday's edition of Hoopsville Dave will have plenty of guests who will give us their insight on their programs.

Hoopsville is presented by D3hoops.com and airs from the WBCA/NABC Studio. You can watch the show LIVE starting at 7pm ET right here:http://bit.ly/2FBCA0N.

If you have questions, be sure to email them to hoopsville@d3hoops.com or interact with the show via the social media avenues.

Guests include (in order of appearance):
- Bob Amsberry, No. 2 Wartburg women's coach
- Brian Morehouse, No. 4 Hope women's coach (WBCA Center Court)
- Glenn Robinson, Franklin & Marshall men's coach
- Charlie Brock, Springfield men's coach
- Eric Bridgeland, No. 1 Whitman men's coach
- Jim Scheible, No. 16 Rochester women's coach

If you enjoy the show via the podcasts instead, you can get access to them or subscribe one of the three following ways (click on the images when necessary):
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[John Gleich]

Point's issue will be their lack of size this year.  In a typical year, they'd be able to slow the pace down AND bang it inside against a smaller Whitman team.  This year the teams are much more alike in size and I suspect Whitman's pace and athleticism is the difference.  If Point can do a classic UWSP-perimeter defensive job, they can win, but I'm not sure this team is quite up to it.  I'd say 80-20 Whitman - not a surprise, necessarily if Point wins, but it would definitely be an upset.

This is an important point. This matchup reminds me a lot of the 2003-04 Sweet 16 match-up between UWSP and another Eric Bridgeland coached team in Puget Sound... when Stevens Point was able to slow UPS down and cut down their drives (with a zone... which isn't in Bob Semling's vocabulary) and the taller Pointers threw over the top of the press (the '03-04 Stevens Point team had 11 guys 6'5" or taller).

Nick Bennett had 37 that night, most shots of the lay-up variety.

[(509)Rat]

Whitman having a relatively easy time with UWSP. Up 13 a quarter of the way through the second half.

[blackhawks4]

Anybody got anything to say about Tim Howell's performance tonight?

[D O.C.]

Yes. What are the shooting and free throw percentages?
Didn't watch.
THX

EDIT:
I found the box score on Hoops:
8 for 13
0 3 TP
5 TO
4 AST
2-3 FT
1 REB
4 PF

[(509)Rat]

Whitman getting absolutely monkey stomped. Down 26 with 1 sec left in the first half...

[(509)Rat]

It's getting worse...

[(509)Rat]

NWU on pace to drop 130 on Whitman

[(509)Rat]

I will never admonish a NWC team who exits earlier than expected from the tourney. It's typically a tough road where you play national champion caliber teams on their home courts in the second weekend. Congrats to Whitman on a good season even if tonight's performance was a huge letdown.

[Smitty Oom]

Whitman ran into a NWU team that would have beat ANY team in the nation tonight, nothing to be ashamed of for the Blues. Another great season and should be very solid again next year, returning a lot for 2018-2019 season.

I have heard rumors about Whitman possibly adding a real nice player, but I will wait until I see something more concrete to comment further.

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

NWU shot 68% and more than 70% for most of the game... that's insane.

I have heard rumors about Whitman possibly adding a real nice player, but I will wait until I see something more concrete to comment further.

Well ... hopefully two guys who were supposed to start this year and didn't play.

I heard something similar, BTW... but I work on the idea that until that individual has paid their deposit, shown up on campus, starting to go to class, gotten to practice, gotten a jersey, and then actually gotten into a game... I don't usually worry about it.