MBB: North Coast Athletic Conference

Started by WoosterFAN, January 27, 2005, 10:51:56 AM

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smedindy

Well, I think there's a reasonable chance someone not named Wooster or Wittenberg will win the NCAC this year!

Obviously the LGs have roadies against Witt and Wooster, and that pesky DPU rivalry can always cause angst, but there is hope that the NCAC tourney will be played outside of Ohio.

A chance...




wally_wabash

Dude soooo many games left!  And the last 11 games here for Wabash are road heavy including Witt and Woo and the Allegheny/Hiram back-to-back which is never easy.

I do think this is Wabash's best chance at the top seed since probably their first year in the league ('99-00).  Definitely doable if they stay consistent.  Wabash's per 100 stats are ludicrous.  It's not just that they have an elite scorer (they do, which is obviously awesome), they just don't take bad shots.  Almost everything they shoot is either a layup, an open three, or a free throw.  It's analytically ideal basketball and good gracious it is fun to watch. 

Senior Ben Stachowski is on with Dave McHugh on Hoopsville tonight.  You know your team is really on one when you get invited to the H'ville.   :)
"Nothing in the world is more expensive than free."- The Deacon of HBO's The Wire

Dave 'd-mac' McHugh

To prove the point ...



The grind of conference play is in full gear. Nothing beats a team up or reveals how good one is like the grind of conference play.

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wally_wabash

Everybody has played everybody once...some observations:
- Wabash swept the first trip through the league, which is a program first.  Well done.  The back half is road heavy with games at Wooster, at Witt, at DPU (who, as we learned last night, seems to match up well with Wabash), and the Hiram/Allegheny trip.  Not out of the woods by any stretch, but getting the front 9 is a pretty nice accomplishment for this team.
- Wooster's back half includes hosting Wabash and Wittenberg, so the schedule is favorable for the Scots.  It definitely feels like the race to host the league tournament is between Wabash and Wooster because...
- It's hard to see how Wittenberg makes up three games here in the last four weeks.  The loss to Denison (2-7 in league play) is one the Tigers are going to want back because that's probably the one that keeps them out of the the chase for the top seed.  There's not really a big difference between being #2 or #3 in the tournament (unless, for Witt at least, they catch Hiram in the QF). 
- In the big surprise column, how about Oberlin?  They dropped a tough one last night, but they are in 4th place position right now and I don't recall Oberlin ever hosting a conference tournament game.  I think they were close in one of the Chris Ikpoh years, but didn't quite get there.  I do think Oberlin is going to stay competitive for that #4 seed - they've already won road games at DePauw, at Denison, at Hiram, and at OWU(!).  That's how you get into the top 4. 
- OWU is a huge surprise and not in a good way.  I think you knew they would come back to the pack a bit post-Axelrod, but the Bishops are 3-6 in the league (in the 7/8 spot with Allegheny, one game ahead of Denison on the cut line), lost three in a row, and kind of fishing for answers. 

The last month of the regular season should be fun in the North Coast. 
"Nothing in the world is more expensive than free."- The Deacon of HBO's The Wire

URBAN4PREZ

Love seeing some real analysis on this board again.  And there's no sitting at the table if you're bringing nothing to it, so here's my not-so-scientific guess for the remainder of the season:: 

1- I think Wooster ends the season as the top seed and hosts the conference tournament.  As you noted, they have the most favorable schedule down the stretch, playing Wabash, Wittenberg, and Oberlin (i.e. the top 3 remaining teams) at home.  Plus, Hempy and Dupler seem to be playing their best basketball lately. 

2- I think Wabash finishes as the second seed. They have six road games remaining, including @ Wooster, @ Wittenberg, and @ rival DPU.  Right or wrong, I'm not sure Davidson is going to get a favorable whistle in some of those away gyms - a potential problem for a guy who has shot nearly 50 more FTs than the next closest player in the conference.  I can't put my finger on the reason, but I'm not quite sold on Wabash despite their excellent start.  Next weekend's game @ Wooster will be a big test.

3 - I think Wittenberg finishes third, but they've done little to inspire any confidence over the past 2 weeks.  If they can find a way to make the national tournament, they'll owe a thank you to the ref who made the call at the end of regulation last night.  It was probably the right call, but most officials swallow their whistles in that situation. A loss there might have been fatal to any Pool C hope. Witt seems to have the most talented roster, but they haven't quite put all the pieces together yet. 

4- My surprise choice: I think DePauw finishes 4th and hosts a game.  No knock on Oberlin or Hiram, but the Tigers look to be turning a corner after somewhat underperforming early. 

Just my guesses.  Agree that the rest of the year will be fun.

wally_wabash

It's a good point there about Davidson getting whistles on the road.  On Wednesday, the officials were letting them play so to speak and it definitely frustrated Davidson.  Early in the second half, Davidson was fouled on a fast break drive, did not get a call, said something out of frustration, got T'd up, and then got subbed out.  This all happened with 15 minutes left in the game and (after the techincal foul shots) Wabash down 3.  Davidson did not re-enter the game (strong move by Brumett, really, to keep the league's top scorer on the bench in a tight rivalry game with eyes on winning the league) and Davidson's teammates picked him up and found a way to win. 
"Nothing in the world is more expensive than free."- The Deacon of HBO's The Wire

CollegeGolf18

#15487
As we kick off the back half of NCAC play (and since I watch most of the games) I am gonna give a little analysis, along with a standings update each night there are games. This is for me to ramble (basically) and others can jump in where they see fit.

Friday, January 19th scores
Wabash 84 vs. Denison 74
Ohio Wesleyan 98 vs. Allegheny 84

#14 Wabash vs. Denison
Big win for Wabash today. After struggling for the first half they separated themselves in the second. I never felt like Wabash had lost control of the game, but Denison was hot early on and stayed with them. Davidson came out angry after his performance on Wednesday and hit 3 or 4 really deep 3-pointers. He scored 26 in the first half and set a new career high with 43 points. Really solid performance from Wabash and good on Denison for staying with them. Thought they played pretty well but just got cold in the second half. 8/18 3FG in the first half and then 2/15 3FG in the second half just isn't going to win many games, especially like a team such as Wabash. https://d3hoops.com/seasons/men/2018-19/boxscores/20190118_bjo4.xml?view=boxscore

Ohio Wesleyan vs. Allegheny
This was one of the highest paced games that I have watched in a long time. OWU just could not miss anything and pulled away. Allegheny looked solid and freshman guard Brian Roberts Jr. was a bright spot for them. I thought him and junior Jordan Rawls played really well but they weren't enough to keep pace with OWU who had 3!! 20+ point scorers in the game. Freshman Ethan Stanislawski played probably the best game of the season for him. Junior Grant Gossard and freshman Gabe Johnson both played great underneath and Allegheny just was not able to score at the rim efficiently. I think OWU is starting to turn a corner and the game at Wabash next week is huge for them. https://d3hoops.com/seasons/men/2018-19/boxscores/20190118_bw5b.xml?view=boxscore

Standings are below. I will soon start to "eliminate" teams as they are unable to get to the tournament or as soon as they "clinch".

Edit: If anyone can tell me how to put the URL of the box scores in a hyperlink that says just plainly "Box" I will give you a thank you.
Former Collegiate Golfer
Current Sports Nut

CollegeGolf18

Saturday, January 20th scores
Wittenberg 92 vs. Oberlin 84 - OT
Kenyon 54 vs. DePauw 62

#25 Wittenberg vs. Oberlin
In a matchup of the third and fourth place teams, Oberlin almost came away with the huge win at home. Wittenberg is just struggling a bit since the turn of the year. They are 3-3 and two of those wins have come in OT. I have to think that they'll fall out of the poll, even though they secured two wins this week. Wittenberg won this game on the back of Connor Siepel who scored 33 points in the game. Both teams shot the ball well as both FG% were >55%. Balser had a look to win it in regulation, but missed. In OT, Oberlin went on a quick 6-2 run to make it 84-80 but then it was all Witt. Two Oberlin turnovers turned into six points for Witt and the game was over. Big game here for Witt as they have an easier stretch coming up that they can accumulate some conference wins. https://d3hoops.com/seasons/men/2018-19/boxscores/20190119_x4nj.xml?view=boxscore

Kenyon vs. DePauw
Wow. This was one of the ugliest first halves of basketball I have ever seen. Kenyon missed five point blank shots and DePauw couldn't hit a jumper. It was ugly. DePauw held a 22-21 edge at the end of 1H and the teams combined for 18/61 FG, 2/16 3FG, and DePauw had 9 turnovers. DePauw finished the game 2/18 from behind the arc. That isn't going to win many games in this conference. Period. DePauw won the game via their rebounding as they had a 49-31 rebounding edge. 15 offensive rebounds led to 13 second chance points and there was the difference in the game. Fouls were a big story for Kenyon as DePauw was in the bonus with 15:32 LEFT IN THE GAME. Not going to win games letting opponents shoot 23 second half free throws. Ugly win, but a win. https://d3hoops.com/seasons/men/2018-19/boxscores/20190119_oflu.xml?view=boxscore
Former Collegiate Golfer
Current Sports Nut

wally_wabash

Quote from: CollegeGolf18 on January 18, 2019, 09:33:43 PM
Edit: If anyone can tell me how to put the URL of the box scores in a hyperlink that says just plainly "Box" I will give you a thank you.

I got your boxscores right here.   :)

If you quote this post, you'll see the coding that you want that lets you hyperlink.  Also a quick help page here if you want. 
"Nothing in the world is more expensive than free."- The Deacon of HBO's The Wire

CollegeGolf18

Quote from: wally_wabash on January 20, 2019, 05:13:50 PM
Quote from: CollegeGolf18 on January 18, 2019, 09:33:43 PM
Edit: If anyone can tell me how to put the URL of the box scores in a hyperlink that says just plainly "Box" I will give you a thank you.

I got your boxscores right here.   :)

If you quote this post, you'll see the coding that you want that lets you hyperlink.  Also a quick help page here if you want.

AWESOME. Thank you!
Former Collegiate Golfer
Current Sports Nut

CollegeGolf18

Sunday, January 20th scores
Hiram 80 vs. Wooster 106

Hiram vs. #21 Wooster
This one was over quickly. Wooster was hot the entire game and once it got to 9-2 within the first three minutes of the game, I knew it was all but over. Danyon Hempy scored his 1000th point with his first basket and then added a few more in the first half to give him 17 first half points. Wooster KILLED Hiram in bench points, and it was all due to two guys. Their second and third leading scorer came off the bench. Four players for Wooster had 17 or more points in this one. When Wooster hits 18 3-pointers, they won't be beat by anyone in this league. Hiram didn't look bad, Wooster just played a great game. Box Score

Standings are attached. Right now, Oberlin would have the tiebreaker. I think that it's a four team race for that four seed. I believe that Witt will be the 3 seed and it's a two team race for the conference crown. No one has been eliminated, or locked into their spot.

Former Collegiate Golfer
Current Sports Nut

CollegeGolf18

Big night throughout the NCAC tonight as all 10 teams were in action.

Wednesday, January 23rd scores
Denison 89 vs. Hiram 91
Wittenberg 75 vs. DePauw 77 - OT
Wooster 81 vs. Allegheny 72
Ohio Wesleyan 68 vs. Wabash 80
Oberlin 66 vs. Kenyon 57

Denison vs. Hiram
This was a little bit of a weird game. Hiram got off to a quick five point lead early, but that was the biggest lead they had all game. Denison then went on a 15-3 run to take a 7 point lead, but that was the biggest lead anyone had all game. Both teams shot the ball really well from deep as Hiram shot over 50% and Denison hit 44% from deep. The sole reason Hiram was able to hang on and win this game (even though Kirksey did make two FTs with 11 seconds left in the game), was the play of Antonio McQueen, a 6'6 freshman forward who was playing his fifth game of the year. McQueen scored 26 (17 in 2H) and grabbed 11 rebounds (7!! offensive). I would have to imagine he was either hurt or academically ineligible? Not sure, but he is a huge addition as this was his second 20 point game in five games. Nice win for Hiram here. Box Score

#24 Wittenberg vs. DePauw
This was a bit of a weird game for Wittenberg. DePauw isn't going to come out and win a shootout, but their defense keeps getting better. Wittenberg was awful offensively as they had an uncharacteristic 21 turnovers. Witt shot 49% from the floor and DePauw shot 39% from the floor. DePauw had more 2nd chance points and points off of turnovers in this one so they definitely took advantage. Nick Felke hit a huge 3-pointers in OT to go up one and thn Wittenberg just couldn't get the lead back. Nolan Ginther led DePauw with 18 points but as a post player to take 21 shots, that's not really a recipe to win but when you play as bad as Witt did, you could. DePauw now has a little momentum. I said last week that I thought Wittenberg would fall out of the top 25 with two OT wins, but this really drops them out and not to be back again I would assume. Box Score

#18 Wooster vs. Allegheny
Wooster escaped in this one. Despite scoring 81 points, they could just not manage their offense. They grabbed 18 offensive rebounds which led to 23 2nd chance points. They were 5/24 from deep and 15/24 from the line. It was just an ugly shooting night for everyone. Danyon Hempy, their leading scorer with 25, shot 9/20 from the floor to get those points. They also turned the ball over just seven times compared to 22! for Allegheny. When you outrebound a team on the offensive glass 18-7 and have a +15 turnover margin you should win every game, no matter how you shoot. Gotta give it to Jordan Rawls for Allegheny though as he had 33 points on 11/15 shooting. Big game for him and kept Allegheny in it. Just a weird showing for Wooster in this one as they just completely could not shoot. Box Score

Ohio Wesleyan vs. #11 Wabash
Well, if you're Allegheny and Wabash you're happy you don't have to play OWU again. They are a young team, but as I noted a few games ago, I think they are starting to come around and play some good basketball. They held a three point lead at the half 36-33 but they Wabash came out shooting the ball quite a bit better. Wabash was 3/18 from deep in the first half, but in the second half they were 5/9 from deep. Harry Hallstrom was a beast for Wabash as he scored 20 points on 9/12 shooting. He really got going in the second half early on and OWU didn't have an answer for him. Grant Gossard was a pain to contend with and ended with 17 points as he was in foul trouble all game long. OWU threw a full court press, a 1-3-1, 2-3, and a 3-2 zone at Wabash and did a really good job defending what Wabash likes to do. Wabash only hit 8/27 3-pointers and scored 80 points, that is scary for teams in the league. OWU is going to be a tall task coming up for every team in this league. Two starters were also missing for Wabash in this one as Rotterman and Stachowski did not play. Box Score

Oberlin vs. Kenyon
The late game of the night might have been the one that was the least notable. Kenyon just isn't good (despite almost beating DePauw on the road last week *what?*). The leading scorer for both teams had just 14 points. All ten players who played for Oberlin had at least three points...weird. Nothing much notable here as I watched the second half. Both teams missed a bunch of shots and nothing really stood out. Just a game against two teams that struggled a lot. The box isn't posted yet so you can just look at this instead.

No change in the standings although Wittenberg pulled closer to the middle of the pack with their loss.
Former Collegiate Golfer
Current Sports Nut

URBAN4PREZ

Simply put, Wittenberg is just not a good team currently.  They consistently seem out of sorts offensively. They've never had a particularly imaginative offense, but last year's team was so talented and meshed so well that they made that potential concern a non-factor.  This year's team is still a work in progress, but the season is only so long.

I still think this team could make a run and win the conference tournament based on their personnel.  However, today's loss likely cost them any outside shot at a Pool C bid. 

CollegeGolf18

Quote from: URBAN4PREZ on January 23, 2019, 10:23:18 PM
Simply put, Wittenberg is just not a good team currently.  They consistently seem out of sorts offensively. They've never had a particularly imaginative offense, but last year's team was so talented and meshed so well that they made that potential concern a non-factor.  This year's team is still a work in progress, but the season is only so long.

I still think this team could make a run and win the conference tournament based on their personnel.  However, today's loss likely cost them any outside shot at a Pool C bid.

Totally agree, although after the loss to Denison I think that knocked them out. Losing Roy last year was a huge loss for them. I still expect them to be able to compete vs. Wabash and @ Wooster but definitely aren't favored in either of those. I could see them falling to not even hosting a game, although I still think they will stick at #3.
Former Collegiate Golfer
Current Sports Nut