MBB: American Rivers Conference

Started by sidelines, May 02, 2005, 09:03:57 PM

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rlgyank

Just in case anyone cares, Nebraska Wesleyan is receiving their National Championship rings tomorrow afternoon at halftime of the football game. Everyone is invited to come!!!!!! ;D


Pat Coleman

Quote from: rlgyank on September 21, 2018, 01:58:41 PM
Just saw that NWU was preseason  ranked #1 by Street & Smith's magazine.

https://nwusports.com/news/2018/9/21/mens-basketball-nebraska-wesleyan-preseason-1-in-street-smiths-magazine.aspx

Street & Smith's doesn't tend to know a lot about Division III, but that's a solid pick, for sure. :)
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Quote from: old 40 on September 25, 2007, 08:23:57 PMLet's discuss (sports) in a positive way, sometimes kidding each other with no disrespect.

Hoosiersfan2323

Quote from: BLynn on September 18, 2018, 03:58:23 PM
The Plainsmen, ah, the Prairie Wolves will dominate this year.

Feels like a tough take when there's a Loras team around that beat the Prairie Wolves once, barely lost to them the second time, graduated one player, and added a freshman big man (interior defense was a glaring weakness for the Duhawks last year) who had several D2 offers, including one from the defending D2 national champs. Should be a war at the top.

dunkin3117

I'd saw NWU will be the unanimous #1 when all rankings come out.  I'd be interested to see what the Streets and Smith top 25 look like for comparison sake to when D3 Hoops release theirs (any idea when that is?)

Pat Coleman

Quote from: dunkin3117 on September 24, 2018, 02:52:51 PM
I'd saw NWU will be the unanimous #1 when all rankings come out.  I'd be interested to see what the Streets and Smith top 25 look like for comparison sake to when D3 Hoops release theirs (any idea when that is?)

I'd like to say we will have ours up around Oct. 15, but we haven't started the process yet.
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Quote from: old 40 on September 25, 2007, 08:23:57 PMLet's discuss (sports) in a positive way, sometimes kidding each other with no disrespect.

Dave 'd-mac' McHugh

Quote from: dunkin3117 on September 24, 2018, 02:52:51 PM
I'd saw NWU will be the unanimous #1 when all rankings come out.  I'd be interested to see what the Streets and Smith top 25 look like for comparison sake to when D3 Hoops release theirs (any idea when that is?)

I usually find the comparison to be ... sadly laughable. Nothing against Street and Smith because I have no idea how they try and put out their Top 25 ... but each year there are a lot of choices that I just can't grasp.
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Gregory Sager

I have a great deal of respect for Chuck Mistovich, who does the Street & Smith D3 preseason ranking. He's been working the small-college basketball beat since approximately forever, and I can remember back in the dark ages before d3hoops.com when Chuck's Basketball Times column was the only source of information available as to what was going on in-season on the D3 men's hoops national scene. (I subscribed to Basketball Times for the sole purpose of reading Chuck's column in it.)

The fact of the matter is, though, that he's only one man, and his assignment is to cover small-college varsity basketball in its entirety. That includes D2, D3, and the NAIA. That's simply too much ground for one journalist to cover effectively. I mean no insult to Chuck, but the manpower, resources, and specific focus upon D3 alone that d3hoops.com brings to bear on the subject of D3 men's basketball coverage in general (and the preseason ranking and preview process in particular) make it a far superior source of information and opinion than Street & Smith.
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dunkin3117

One individual cover that much is ridiculous.  The guy clearly, based on what you've said, has a passion for the D3 level.  Maybe D3Hoops could get him as a guest writer periodically?  I've personally never read any of his stories. 

Any IIAC teams other than NWU that you think will crack the top 25 to start the season, Dave/Pat?

Pat Coleman

Quote from: dunkin3117 on September 25, 2018, 03:57:38 PM
Any IIAC teams other than NWU that you think will crack the top 25 to start the season, Dave/Pat?

Not at the moment. Who do you think should be on our radar?
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Quote from: old 40 on September 25, 2007, 08:23:57 PMLet's discuss (sports) in a positive way, sometimes kidding each other with no disrespect.

Dave 'd-mac' McHugh

Quote from: dunkin3117 on September 25, 2018, 03:57:38 PM
Any IIAC teams other than NWU that you think will crack the top 25 to start the season, Dave/Pat?

I could see Loras getting some attention. I know they were on my radar the second half of the season, but I didn't feel comfortable putting them on my ballot. With what they return and how they played against the defending champs ... maybe they get some attention? I'm not sure they can crack the Top 25, though. There are far too many terrific teams returning this year after having pretty good seasons last year.

We have talked about parity in Division III men's basketball the last few years. That conversation revolved around the fact that there were a lot of good teams, but no great or exceptional teams. I know I discussed that there were teams far too high on my ballot, but I needed to fill out spots 8-15 and did so with teams that in the past I wouldn't consider being that lofty.

I think the parity conversation will continue this year, but instead of a convo of Team X being far too high at 8... it will be a convo of Team Y being far too low at 20, but there being no place to put them above - because there are SO many good teams this year.

There are a lot of teams who basically bring back everything from a squad that started to get good earlier than expected or put it together earlier than usual. I can think of ten teams I could make argument should be in my Top 5.
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Smitty Oom

Loras will more than likely land in the ORV category for the preseason top 25.

dunkin3117

I would say Loras might be the only other that may garner a look.  In looking at their schedule this morning, I think we will find out if they would be deserving of that or not.  They've got a couple teams who I would assume will be in top 15 when rankings come out in Augustana and UW-Whitewater along with Lake Forest, Augsburg, and Monmouth who could be in that ORV category as well.  Throw in 2 games with NWU and you might be looking at one of the toughest schedules in the country. 


Greek Tragedy

Quote from: dunkin3117 on September 26, 2018, 11:27:02 AM
I would say Loras might be the only other that may garner a look.  In looking at their schedule this morning, I think we will find out if they would be deserving of that or not.  They've got a couple teams who I would assume will be in top 15 when rankings come out in Augustana and UW-Whitewater along with Lake Forest, Augsburg, and Monmouth who could be in that ORV category as well.  Throw in 2 games with NWU and you might be looking at one of the toughest schedules in the country.

Uh. No. Not a bad schedule, but hardly "one of the toughest". Granted, Greenville, Augustana, Monmouth and Augsburg made the tournament last year, but three of those four are hardly annual participants, let alone from so-called power conferences. Whitewater had a down year but is expected to improve. Lake Forest, Olivet, St. Scholastica and Blackburn round out the nc schedule. NWU obviously improves their schedule strength, but the rest of the conference didn't sniff the Top 25 towards the end of the regular season, I believe.
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Quote from: Greek Tragedy on September 26, 2018, 01:25:27 PM
Quote from: dunkin3117 on September 26, 2018, 11:27:02 AM
I would say Loras might be the only other that may garner a look.  In looking at their schedule this morning, I think we will find out if they would be deserving of that or not.  They've got a couple teams who I would assume will be in top 15 when rankings come out in Augustana and UW-Whitewater along with Lake Forest, Augsburg, and Monmouth who could be in that ORV category as well.  Throw in 2 games with NWU and you might be looking at one of the toughest schedules in the country.

Uh. No. Not a bad schedule, but hardly "one of the toughest". Granted, Greenville, Augustana, Monmouth and Augsburg made the tournament last year, but three of those four are hardly annual participants, let alone from so-called power conferences. Whitewater had a down year but is expected to improve. Lake Forest, Olivet, St. Scholastica and Blackburn round out the nc schedule. NWU obviously improves their schedule strength, but the rest of the conference didn't sniff the Top 25 towards the end of the regular season, I believe.
Last year Loras had the 31st toughest SoS per KenPom and 12th toughest SoS per Massey.