MBB: Northwest Conference

[(509)Rat]

Was U. is now in the final four...they beat Hope last night.  Man, thats gotta be rough on the Whitworth players.  They all felt that they  could play with the best in the country and turns out they were right. 

For next year, Whitworth has already landed a JC point guard, shooting guard, and a forward.  I don't really know a whole lot about these guys but expect some brand new faces on the Whitworth team next year.  You'll see Symes, Willemsen, and Jurich getting a lot of playing time next season, but there will definately be new faces.  I think LC will be near the top of the league again, but they will still rely heavily on 3 point shooting meaning they can be beat by anyone on any night.  UPS will also be a force in the league.  Willamette hasn't been able to beat Whitworth in quite some time and I don't see next year being much different, even with Nugent having a year under his belt.  I think the same three teams make the conference tourney, LC, UPS, and WW.  And next year the NWC will get two playoff bids.

[bbaddict]

I would guess that Willamette will not be picked to finish in the top three of the league, thus, they are not expected to win.  No desrespect for them, just saying the truth of the matter.[/quote

In the 2006/07 coaches' poll, Lewis & Clark was picked to finish 4th.  What bearing did that have on reality?  Whitworth has had Willamette's number for a few games, but Willamette seems to know how to handle UPS, who by the way, usually knows how to beat Whitworth!  Don't think you can count anyone out.  Also, don't think you have a good grasp, bigfella, of Willamette's team.   They have a lot of talent -- teamwork style talent.  Guess we'll have to wait & see!

(509) Rat -- I sure hope you're right about 2 playoff bids!  The NWC women have that respect & it's time that the men get it!

[bigfella]

addict -

Your statement explains exactly what I meant.  LC was picked to come in 4th.  That means that no one, except the coaches and players in their locker room believed they could win the league.  I have seen it before.  No one had the LC games circled on their schedules.  Everyone was trying to figure out how to beat UPS Whitworth and Willamette.  That makes a team dangerous, especially if they are out there playing loose.

And, there are good players on Willamette's team.  But, you can't argue that the guards they had last year were a small step above what they have now, right?  Guards win championships in this league.  You have to have play makers.  Willamette has always done a GREAT job of having big strong play making guards who rebounded, handled the rock, and defended well.  I just don't see that on their roster right now, but I may be wrong.  And, I will admit it......

[bearcatsfan3]

2007-2008


1. LC: EVERYONE back, plus they beat UPS 2 out of 3 this season.

2. UPS: EVERYONE back, and just because they lost in the NWC tourney early, people seem to forget they've had a run of 4 years that NO ONE ELSE can match.

3. Whitworth:  The Pirates can and do reload every year....when they lost Avery, CWilliams, Bierlink and Jensen, people claimed they were dead in the water. Then they got BWilliams, Young, Tucker, and Pecht....they lost those guys, everyone said they were dead...so they got Symes and the Fus and JJones...and just keep on winning...I'm almost tempted to pick them higher...

4. WHO CARES....if you're not in the top 3, it doesn't matter, you're done by early February, and you're watching again...

As for Willamette, let's wait to see who they get in recruiting...let's wait and see what players return (as with the Fife and Stuvland sagas, nothing seems guaranteed with them right now)...let's see what condition players return (as posters are correct in saying they NEED TO IMPROVE)...let's see how they adjust to what LC and Whitworth are doing (as they went 0-4 there, with only 1 close game...but seem to have a handle on how to take on UPS)...as much as I'd love to say THEY'LL BE BACK...there are far too many questionmarks after such a dismal season...

[bigfella]

If there were a coach who can get those question marks answered, it would be Coach James, too.  He does a great job year in and year out.

[D O.C.]

Every single basketball coach should keep the last two minutes of the Winona State-Barton NCAA Division II championship game to play for his team every season to see if they can hear any fat ladies singing.

From the LINFIELD website comes this reason I am frustrated with the history being made nowadays.

Ted Wilson Gym bears the name of the man who coached the Linfield basketball team longer and to more wins than any individual in school history. In 20 seasons, Wilson directed the Wildcats in over 500 games, compiling a 324-213 record. Riley Gym was nicknamed the "House of Hustle" out of respect for Wilson's high-scoring teams, which averaged a school-record 96.5 points a game during the 1977-78 season.
Ted Wilson Gym is decorated with 18 Northwest Conference championship banners, 16 of which were won by Wilson between 1961 and 1981.

[NWFan]

It looks like the Lunt got the UPS job permanently.  Should be a fun team to watch next year!

[parklandpride]

That a kid Lunt....congrats. UPS will be strong for years to come with Lunt at the controls.

[diehardfan]

I wonder who the youngest head coach is in basketball right now... at least of a nationally well known program... he's probably close to the youngest. Or maybe it's just that I'm the same age and I wish I was still young.

He posted a very respectable record for a new/interim coach. Should be fun to see how he does in a long term permanent role with his own recruits after the strong legacy that Bridgeland left.

[pineconefan]

Congrats to Rodney Wecker being named head coach at Austin College.  I am sure all Pirate fans will be pulling for the Kangaroos to do well.

[NWCer]

Yes, congrats to the Whitworth assistant, do the NWC proud and go and turn around Austin!

Congrats to Lunt as well, does he follow Bridgeland's blueprint or does he start to really put his imprints on the program?

Any recruiting news?  The board has been quiet on this front.

Already excited for next year, lots of questions:

Can Whitworth stay dominant with the loss of those seniors as well as a key assistant? 

Will LC and UPS do as expected and finish as the top 2?

Will Willamette bounce back after an un-Willamette type season?

Does Pacific continue to climb?

Where in the world does Whitman go now that Born is gone?

2007-08 is my year to get out to as many NWC games as possible and at as many sites as possible, we should get together as NWC posters at selected games next year, that would be fun.

[(509)Rat]

Straight from the rumor mill...Whitworth has 9 commits as of right now.  7 freshman, 2 JUCO's.  Of course this is D III so you never really know who's coming until school starts.  One freshman, Drew Bruns (El Toro HS), was co-mvp of his leaugue along with Gonzaga top 100 recruit Austin Daye of Woodbridge High in Irvine, Calif.  From what I hear from the guys who are all playing open gym is that he could easily break all of Jon Young's outside shooting records.  Another freshman is a 6-4, 6-5 guy who's game looks a lot like Jones'....but they say he's already better than Jones (he's played in open gym as well).  One of the JUCO guys is from Delta CC, the other from Diablo Valley, but I don't know any names.  Looks like Hayford will once again have plenty of talent to choose from....but can this younger Whitworth team still get it done against a tough NWC?  I think so.

[NWCer]

Thanks for the update Rat, sounds like Whitworth, always talented and find ways to continue to get those quality transfers.

Any other news?  I've heard nothing.

[(509)Rat]

That's all I've got.  I'll know a lot more about next year's Pirate team once school starts up again.  Weck leaving for Austin College is the only other news I can think of for the Pirates but pineconefan has everyone already updated on that one.  Oh yeah, I forgot one thing...Whitworth will have black road uni's next year...   

[(509)Rat]

A new assisstant coach has been hired.  His first name is Josh, but I couldn't get a last name.  He was  GA at Gonzaga and did some assisstant coaching somewhere in Minnesota.  If I get some more info I'll post it.