MBB: Northwest Conference

[Pat Coleman]

It's especially hard when a voter sees a neutral floor loss to Bridgewater State on the resume.

[nwhoops1903]

Tuesday is a potential trap game for the Pirates:

1.  There has to be a natural let-down after such a big weekend
2.  Third road game in a span of five days - fatigue
3.  Fatigue could be a big issue because the starters played so many minutes this weekend

1. I don't see this unit being spent emotionally.  Probably just us fans are.
2. Fatigue...they didn't show fatigue Sat. from Friday's game at all.  They might be the best conditioned team WW has ever had.
3. See #2

 

[nwhoops1903]

Are you kidding?  Bridgewater appears respectable.  They lost to Brandeis on the road by only 5 and have now won 6 straight.  Their preseason schedule looks very respectable.  You know more about East coast D3 than all of us on the West Coast combined.  I am now forced to track them throughout the season...lol.

[LogShow]

Good post Pinecone, I was wondering if you might be worried about a let down.  Faidley is a pretty good player.  WW can't afford to let him get going.

NWHoops, I do think they showed some fatigue in Sat. game...still made plays, but they did look tired.  Not taking anything away from them.  It doesn't matter who you are playing 40min night in night out is tough and does wear on a player.  WW may not feel much fatigue right now but as the season wears on I can see them wearing out.

[Gregory Sager]

Are you kidding?  Bridgewater appears respectable.  They lost to Brandeis on the road by only 5 and have now won 6 straight.  Their preseason schedule looks very respectable.

That winning streak was snapped this evening, as Bridgewater State (or, as my Mass friends like to call it, Bilgewater State) was beaten by Mass College of Liberal Arts, 100-94.

The league in which Bridgewater State and MCLA play, the MASCAC, gets very little respect in general. I'm sure that that's part of the reason why Pat dissed the Bears in his response to your raising the subject of Whitworth and the Top 25.

Oh, and it's non-conference schedule, not "preseason schedule". Those games count, too.

[LogShow]

Oh, and it's non-conference schedule, not "preseason schedule". Those games count, too.

Uh-oh don't get Sager started on that one Sager that should be your quote at the bottom of your posts.

[Gregory Sager]

Oh, and it's non-conference schedule, not "preseason schedule". Those games count, too.

Uh-oh don't get Sager started on that one Sager that should be your quote at the bottom of your posts.

Nah, I can't abandon my man Homer.

[LogShow]

True dat, he is a great philosopher!

[nwhoops1903]

Thanks for the explanation Sager.  That helps explain the shot.  But as I said, you guys know the score.  I would also say that 3000 miles away is never a neutral site for a NWC school vs what? 50 miles for Bridge?

I think WW showed some moxy traveling cross country to play a tourney that apparently couldn't help them with the pollsters.

[Pat Coleman]

Bridgewater State is 8-7 (and Sager pointed out the conference issues) -- a Top 25 lock should beat them on any floor. With a loss, there's bound to be questions raised and mixed opinions, and that's why Whitworth isn't in the Top 25, I think.

Losing at Linfield isn't great but I think we understand that Linfield is a couple steps ahead of their recent level. Losing to Chapman isn't great either, but that was Chapman's third game and Whitworth's first. So a voter could be convinced to overlook those.

Where the tournament helps Whitworth is it gets them on a plane to an unfamiliar part of the country, which they'd have to do again if they make the NCAA Tournament, no doubt.

And it's a four-hour drive if traffic is perfect from Bridgewater State to Staten Island. Not that I ever saw perfect traffic on 95 between Boston and NYC.

[pineconefan]

NWhoops - While I think tonight's game is a potential trap, I don't think the Pirates will fall into it.  I think Hayford is smart enough to address those issues (light practice on Monday, reminder about Faidley, etc.).

[pineconefan]

No reason to sweat about the polls, but they do create interesting conversation.  What is more important is the regional rankings.

Pat, any idea when the first regional rankings will be released?

[LogShow]

Thats true...national polls are good for patting yourself on the back, but at the end its only the regional ranksing that matter for the tourney.

Pinecone is the game going to be on the internet tonight?

[David Collinge]

No reason to sweat about the polls, but they do create interesting conversation.  What is more important is the regional rankings.

Pat, any idea when the first regional rankings will be released?

Feb. 13.

[pineconefan]

Thanks David.

Logshow - Yes, you can listen to the audio broadcast.  I believe there is a link on the NWC site and D3hoops.com.