MBB: Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

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Drake Palmer

Quote from: Gregory Sager on March 14, 2011, 11:36:00 PM
Quote from: miacmaniac on March 14, 2011, 11:15:42 PM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on March 14, 2011, 09:32:34 PM
Enough with the geography talk, already. How about discussing the real precedent that is at stake here, which is that St. Thomas has a shot at becoming the first MIAC team to ever win the D3 title. I would think that in this room that'd be about a zillion times more important than whether UST's campus is located east of or west of the Father of Waters.

The MIAC is not considered to be a power conference in D3 circles, and one of the reasons why is that it so seldom gets to the Final Four. This will be only the fourth time in the 37 years that the tourney has been held that a team from this league has reached the D3 season's final weekend. The Tommies can go a long way towards striking a blow on behalf of the entire league with a good showing in Salem.
so we go from Geography class to History class?  :)  when's recess?  :)  :)  :)
yes, it will be a huge feather in the league's hat when UST brings home the title....I for one am very psyched about that.  Did GAC's near-miss elevate us in the circle's eyes?

No. There was no follow-up. That GAC appearance was a long time ago. Right now the MIAC is working on a one-Final-Four-per-decade pace, the Eighties excepted. Getting the appearance for the Teens out of the way relatively early lends one to hope that the league can accelerate the pace. ;)

Quote from: AO on March 14, 2011, 11:25:10 PMI'd say it's pretty hard to judge power conferences in D3 based upon final four trips when to get to the final four in the midwest you have to beat the best of the CCIW, WIAC and UMAC.

:D Thanks for the chuckle, AO!

Don't rise to the bait fellas. In his own snarky way, Sensei is over here trying to get someone to talk some smack.    ;)

Greg - high hopes & low expectations.  Remember this is Lake Wobegon -Minnesota country you're talking about, where modesty is the rule, not the exception.   :-* ;)

Here's a scouting report from Middlebury

Another tall, athletic team - (similar to Augustana?) that really gets after it on the defensive end.  In their 4 NCAA tourney games they've only allowed 52.25ppg.



"If anything here offends, I beg your pardon. I come in peace, I depart in gratitude." ;)

piperinsider

They play basketball in Vermont? I thought Middlebury was a women's hockey school??? I like the matchup for the Tommies. Both teams can play some defense, but the way the Tommies are playing, I like their offensive game a bit more.

Quote from: Gregory Sager on March 14, 2011, 09:32:34 PM
The MIAC is not considered to be a power conference in D3 circles, and one of the reasons why is that it so seldom gets to the Final Four. This will be only the fourth time in the 37 years that the tourney has been held that a team from this league has reached the D3 season's final weekend. The Tommies can go a long way towards striking a blow on behalf of the entire league with a good showing in Salem.

The Big Ten is considered a power conference despite winning one NCAA title (2000 - Michigan St) in the past 20 seasons. Although it's had six runners-up. Power isn't just about Final Four or championships.

Pat Coleman

But in Division III, where you're not getting six teams from one conference into the tournament, there aren't too many other ways to look at it.
Publisher. Questions? Check our FAQ for D3f, D3h.
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.

SUMMIT!!!!!

we must do something right here in the MIAC, the way we dominated the All-Region team.

http://www.d3hoops.com/awards/all-region/2010-11/west-men

Congrats Tyler, Aaron, Carl and Jeremy---not only on tremendous seasons but outstanding careers!!!
After the game, the king and pawn go into the same box.

Italian proverb

SUMMIT!!!!!

nice writeup on Mr Nicolai in today's Strib(altho I have no idea why they'd put in their "Gophers" section....but we are talking the Strib):

http://www.startribune.com/sports/gophers/117979949.html
After the game, the king and pawn go into the same box.

Italian proverb

Drake Palmer

#17030
Quote from: miacmaniac on March 15, 2011, 01:11:05 PM
we must do something right here in the MIAC, the way we dominated the All-Region team.

http://www.d3hoops.com/awards/all-region/2010-11/west-men

Congrats Tyler, Aaron, Carl and Jeremy---not only on tremendous seasons but outstanding careers!!!


I was just typing the same announcement myself when I noticed your post Mose.  That would be Aaron Burtzel, Carl Hipp, Tyler Nicolai, & Jeremy Sutherland.  :-*

Nice job fellas!

**
In other news, I've heard rumors off & on all winter that SMU's Chris Palmer was considering transferring, but I would have never thought Bethel might be one of his considerations.

I don't know the young man, but his game persona seems like it would be a better fit at someplace like Augsburg or Hamline.  Plus, I've got to believe those two schools will be in the general playoff hunt next year while Bethel will be struggling to be competitive. And if that's the case, Palmer might as well stay at SMU, although the Royals will have a few more options than the Redbirds.   I sure hope Coach Landrum & staff are doing their due diligence and putting in some serious recruiting miles. Unless they're going to pull off a "St. Olaf" & bring in 6-8 FY who can make immediate contributions, their team is going to be in a world of hurt next season.

"If anything here offends, I beg your pardon. I come in peace, I depart in gratitude." ;)

Buddo

If I had the chance to join any MIAC team right now, it might be Olaf. They have a great combination of youth and athleticism. The playoff berth this year was a good sign.


Gregory Sager

Quote from: Drake Palmer on March 15, 2011, 01:02:40 AMDon't rise to the bait fellas. In his own snarky way, Sensei is over here trying to get someone to talk some smack.    ;)

I'll admit to doing a little cage-rattling -- strictly in the interest of sparking some conversation, mind you ;) -- but, on the other hand, I am rooting for the Tommies to win the Big Doorstop this coming weekend, so my snark is completely benign.

Quote from: piperinsider on March 15, 2011, 10:05:39 AMThe Big Ten is considered a power conference despite winning one NCAA title (2000 - Michigan St) in the past 20 seasons. Although it's had six runners-up. Power isn't just about Final Four or championships.

As Pat pointed out, you're comparing apples to oranges. The D1 and D3 tournaments are dramatically different in terms of the number of at-large bids that are available and the manner in which they're allotted. Besides, a league that has put seven teams in the national championship game over a twenty-year period -- although the two Michigan runner-up appearances in '92 and '93 were later vacated because of the Ed Martin payment scandal -- has more than enough in the way of Final Four bona-fides.

I do agree with you that there's more to being a D3 power conference than Final Four appearances or national championships. Overall non-conference record is another key indicator. But the MIAC hasn't really shone all that well in that category over the years, either, as compared to the leagues that are generally considered to be among the elite, although the relative scarcity of non-conference games in the overstuffed MIAC somewhat handicaps the league in that department.
"To see what is in front of one's nose is a constant struggle." -- George Orwell

SUMMIT!!!!!

also congrats to Steve Fritz on being named West Region Coach of the Year.

Also, kudos to Fritz as he moved past Joe Hutton on the MIAC all-time wins list n Saturday....Fritz only trails Jim Smith and should get his 600th win in December!
After the game, the king and pawn go into the same box.

Italian proverb

sumander

Mose, are you going to make the trip to watch your Tommies in action?
I fly any cargo that you can pay to run
The bush league pilots, they just can't get the job done
You've got to fly down the canyon, don't never see the sun
There's no such thing as an easy run

Drake Palmer

Ha - Sum lives! I though he had joined the virtual resting home for old, retired posters.  ;)

Scouring the net for more news:

Hipp & Nicolai make All- Star rosters

and tourney tidbits...

Quote from: Bucket on March 15, 2011, 07:43:04 PM
A fascinating match-up to look forward to on Friday night is Middlebury's Nolan Thompson on St. Thomas's Tyler Nicolai.

During Midd's tournament run, Thompson has guarded three consecutive conference players of the year: Western Conn's Daquan Brooks, Rochester's John DiBartolomeo, and St. Mary's Alex Franz.

He hounded Brooks into a 5-13 shooting night and 11 points, half his 22 ppg average. DiBartolomeo? 5-13 also and 5 points below his season average. Franz hit his 16 ppg average exactly, but he had to take 18 shots, making 7, to do so.

Yes, Midd's shot-blocking trio of Locke, Sharry, and Davis had an impact in this regard--making drives to the hoop perilous and allowing Thompson to know he had a lot of help inside--but his on-the-ball defending is tenacious. Should be fun to watch this match-up on Friday.

Quote from: nescac1 on March 14, 2011, 08:35:05 AM
While I didn't make that comment (another NESCAC poster did), I don't think Whitworth is chopped liver.  But neither are Amherst and Virginia Wesleyan, believe me!  Whitworth is better than Amherst, but I think Virginia Wesleyan is better than Cabrini by a wider margin, than Whitworth is better than Amherst.  In all events, both Wooster and Williams had tough paths to the Final Four -- as did all four Final Four teams this year.  All deserve to be there, and I think it's fair to say that the four best teams in the country, or at least the four teams PLAYING the best right now, are in Salem. 

Troy is not 6'6, no doubt.  I'd say he is more like 6'4 (he was listed at 6'5 until this year, but suddenly gained an inch, without visibly growing :)).  But he has super long arms, a high release point, ridiculous ups, and is also super strong and extremely quick. 

I am not sure how healthy he will be, but believe me, if you take anything away from those highlights besides, a healthy Troy can not be guarded one-on-one by anyone in D-3, you aren't seeing what Eph fans have seen all year.  Or what Stevens Point fans saw in last year's Final Four.  Or what Trinity or Virginia Wesleyan fans saw in recent weeks (the only two teams who left Troy on an island in that time frame, and he ate them for breakfast, lunch, and dinner).  Or what Midd fans saw when he came back from ten staples in his head mid-game to give Middlebury its only loss of the year.  I don't think anyone in the Final Four, including Wooster, will make that mistake, unless he simply can't grip a basketball.  But believe me, I'd love it if you tried ... I'll gladly rest my hopes on a guy who shoots 72 percent despite being the primary focus of every defense he faces ... even at less than 100 percent.   And trust me, no one in the country plays better defense than Middlebury (best D-3 defensive team I've ever watched, and I've seen Williams in several Final Fours now), so it's not as if Troy hasn't played against tough competition this year. 

(And remember, btw, the other half of that pick and roll features James Wang, an all-American himself ... the Wang/Whittington duo can make a lot of good teams look very bad on D). 

Williams is younger and from the look of things not quite as deep as Wooster, but no one in the country has a better 1-2-3 punch than Whittington/Wang/Robertson.  Unfortunately, there have been very few games this season when all three have been 100 percent at the same time, including, it looks like, at Salem.  Even still, I think this game will be a toss-up.   


Quote from: ScotsFan on March 14, 2011, 11:35:07 AM
Quote from: nescac1 on March 14, 2011, 08:35:05 AM
And trust me, no one in the country plays better defense than Middlebury (best D-3 defensive team I've ever watched, and I've seen Williams in several Final Fours now), so it's not as if Troy hasn't played against tough competition this year. 

I'm not going to argue about Midd's defense as their numbers are quite impressive.  But Wooster can play some pretty good defense themselves.  They held a very good offensive team in Whitworth to 18 points below their season average and held the Pirates to under 70 points for the first time all season.  And they also held a good Manchester team to under 50 and 27 points below their season average.

BTW, it can't be a coincidence that the top 3 teams in defensive fg% are playing in Salem this weekend.  Midd is #1, Williams #2 and Wooster is tied for 3rd!  They don't say defense wins championships for nothing!

Sounds like a formidable task ahead for the Tommies!
"If anything here offends, I beg your pardon. I come in peace, I depart in gratitude." ;)

bethelguy

Quote from: Drake Palmer on March 16, 2011, 02:50:10 PM
Ha - Sum lives! I though he had joined the virtual resting home for old, retired posters.  ;)

I suppose I am a member of said virtual resting home, I'm surprised my log in still works.

Drake Palmer

 ;D
Quote from: bethelguy on March 16, 2011, 04:48:43 PM
Quote from: Drake Palmer on March 16, 2011, 02:50:10 PM
Ha - Sum lives! I though he had joined the virtual resting home for old, retired posters.  ;)

I suppose I am a member of said virtual resting home, I'm surprised my log in still works.

BG - dang! good to see you around.  This FF appearance seems to be drawing a bunch of the old guys back from the nursing home.  In astronomical terms, I guess St. Thomas reaching the Final Four is equivalent to Halley's Comet.  So we might want to call this historical event the MIAC Comet.  ;D

In keeping with this momentous occasion, the Tommies might want to pay homage to those earlier Tommie teams who helped pave the way for this team's success. ;)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZbkPN1QkNgE
"If anything here offends, I beg your pardon. I come in peace, I depart in gratitude." ;)

jwebster1

And it's official... http://www.winonadailynews.com/sports/article_d12ffc38-5051-11e0-91d4-001cc4c002e0.html

Palmer leaves SMU. It was definitely fun watching this guy for the last two years. Good luck to a good friend in the next stage of his life.

Westlund must be ecstatic...

jimhoops1234

Next stage of his life? If you're a good friend give us some info. What's the real story?