MBB: Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

Started by miac newbie, February 17, 2005, 03:57:25 PM

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Smitty Oom

Hey everyone, name is Smitty and like all of you, I am a big fan of MIAC Bball! Looking forward to next years season and conversing along the way with all of you. For now though, I am excited to see how our teams fair in the NCAA tourney. I think Thomas will be able to slow down Colby Taylor with Saarela and get back on track at home after its loss to Olaf. As for Olaf, it has a much tougher game against CCIWs North Central. It will be interesting to see what they do to try and stop the single high ball screen with Figini, St. Thomas couldn't stop it and it cost them the MIAC championship. Jayme Moten, New London Spicer HS grad and previously of MSU Mankato, has been good scorer for them all season. It will be fun to watch and it is good to be on the boards!

GoldandBlueBU

Smitty- Thanks for taking time away from listening to the Power Trip to post!

Seriously, though, good to have more folks here...perhaps next season a consistent dialogue could happen!

I'm always very interested to see how the MIAC will do on a national level...same goes for UNW.  I wonder if Olaf would have gotten an invite had they not won the auto-bid?

I'd categorize BU's season this year as disappointing overall...they had some good moments - beating SJU, beating Olaf, and a stretch early in the year when they looked tough to beat, and like a very legitimate challenger for the MIAC title, but in the second half of the season they were slightly above average at best.  It didn't seem like Wojta or Tusler were able to consistently perform at a high level, and Wojta just seemed much less aggressive than seasons past, especially when they really needed someone to step up.  I don't know if his late start due to the injury, or perhaps lingering effects from the injury were nagging him, but it felt like he would disappear for stretches.

Hall ended up being their most consistent (along with Magnusson), but I grew tired of his shot selection too often...he really needs to find a new move to complement his go to of "drive to the block and try several 'up and under' shots until just settling for a wild hook with his strong left hand" routine.

They've got a chance to have one of their better teams next year with Wojta, Tusler, Hall, and a more experienced Magnusson all back...I'm hopeful that Coach  Novak can get them to gel a bit better / more consistently next season.

Smitty Oom

I knew (and hoped) some people were going to catch the Power Trip reference!  :D

I was discussing the same thing about Olaf with a buddy, we both agreed they probably would have got in. We thought being in the tournament the past two years and having another MIAC champsionship appearance would have been enough for the resume. But looking at the last team that got in (LaGrange 20-8) and the first team out (New Jersey City 18-8) it would have been tougher than we originally thought. I would like to think that competing in the very tough and competitive MIAC would definitely help out the Oles but they would have been sitting at 17-10 asking to get in. Fun to talk and debate about.

As for Bethel, I totally agree about Hall being their best player. If there was a post season award for Most Improved he would hands down be the front runner for that award. He should be a member of the Defense team too. Returning all 5 starters next year Bethel will be real tough, especially with how many stud seniors will be leaving from the top teams. The top 4 teams of Tommies, Oles, Johns and Cobbers all were very senior heavy.

I sure hope next year we can get a good consistent dialogue!

AO

Quote from: Smitty Oom on March 01, 2016, 02:43:44 PM
I knew (and hoped) some people were going to catch the Power Trip reference!  :D

I was discussing the same thing about Olaf with a buddy, we both agreed they probably would have got in. We thought being in the tournament the past two years and having another MIAC champsionship appearance would have been enough for the resume. But looking at the last team that got in (LaGrange 20-8) and the first team out (New Jersey City 18-8) it would have been tougher than we originally thought. I would like to think that competing in the very tough and competitive MIAC would definitely help out the Oles but they would have been sitting at 17-10 asking to get in. Fun to talk and debate about.

The committee chair said on Hoopsville that LaGrange was actually not the last team in.  NYU was picked for the last spot over St. John's, Rochester and NJCU.  There is no precedence for a 17-10 team getting an at-large bid.  St. Olaf also would have lacked any wins over teams ahead of them in the regional rankings.  The Oles had the right idea by scheduling River Falls, Eau Claire and Point in the non-conference as that boosted their SoS, but unfortunately they lost those games and the WIACs didn't even do them the favor of being good enough to get in the regional rankings themselves.

Dave 'd-mac' McHugh

No team has ever gotten an at-large bid to the Division III tournament in the recent selection criteria era (let's say this century) with a .667 winning record or below. 17-10 is .608. Not a chance to even be considered.

Consider this, Virginia Wesleyan has been to ten or eleven consecutive NCAA tournaments. They had an 18-9 record (.667) - were stuck behind LaGrange and when they did get to the table, didn't really stand a chance.
Host of Hoopsville. USBWA Executive Board member. Broadcast Director for D3sports.com. Broadcaster for NCAA.com & several colleges. PA Announcer for Gophers & Brigade. Follow me on Twitter: @davemchugh or @d3hoopsville.

TommieHoops4Life

St. Olaf had zero chance of getting in as an at-large. Zero, none. They had a 2-3 non-conference record, whereas St. Thomas was 5-0 and had 9 wins over regionally ranked teams. The only way the MIAC was getting 2 teams in was to have St. Thomas not win the title, which is exactly what happened.

That said, impressive performance, especially in the second half for the Oles in St. Paul on Sunday. Caught the first half online and both teams did a good job of moving the ball. St. Olaf did a great job of giving itself open looks at the basket. The Tommies had to earn a lot of their scores on tough baskets.

Assuming St. Thomas beats Central College and the Elmhurst/Oshkosh winner, it'll have one heck of a test to get to the Elite 8 assuming Whitworth does its job.

Pat Coleman

Folks, just five more hours to enter the men's D-III bracket challenge before tonight's tipoff!
https://d3challenge.com/login/register.php
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.

AO

Gustavus didn't have the best year, but Gus Young Court still saw some magic tonight.

Smitty Oom

That is as good as basketball gets right there. Looked like a great atmosphere!

Fannosaurus Rex

"It ain't what ya do, it's the way how ya do it.  It ain't what ya eat, it's the way how ya chew it."  Little Richard

Dave 'd-mac' McHugh

It may have been one of the best weekends of the Division III basketball tournaments in recent history. Upsets, close finishes, buzzer beaters, and more. Survive and advance hasn't fit better as a description than after the first two rounds of this year's championships.

Tonight, Dave McHugh recaps it all on Hoopsville tonight. From those who surprised to those who survived. Even the favorites had their moments. Dave will talk to many who are not only still playing, but get a chance to host next weekend and hope it helps them get to the final four.

Hoopsville hits the air at 7pm ET here: http://www.d3hoops.com/hoopsville/archives/2015-16/mar6

Guests include (in order of apperance):
- Brian Sortino, Oswego State junior guard
- Jason Leone, Oswego State men's coach
- John Tauer, No. 8 St. Thomas men's coach (Pat Coleman interview)
- Trevor Woodruff, No. 3 Scranton women's coach
- Megan Haughey, Stevens women's coach
- Bob Sheldon, No. 20 Tufts men's coach

You can also tune into the podcast(s) after the show has aired:
SoundCloud: www.soundcloud.com/hoopsville
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/hoopsville/id1059517087

Don't forget you can always interact with us:
Website: www.d3hoopsville.com
Twitter: @d3hoopsville or #Hoopsville
Facebook: www.facebook.com/Hoopsville
Email: hoopsville@d3hoops.com
YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/d3hoopsville

And the Hoopsville Fundraising project is in it's closing days as well, but we have not met the goal. Please consider helping us cover Division III basketball the way it deserves to be covered: http://igg.me/at/hoopsville-fundraiser/x/6029509.

Thanks!
Host of Hoopsville. USBWA Executive Board member. Broadcast Director for D3sports.com. Broadcaster for NCAA.com & several colleges. PA Announcer for Gophers & Brigade. Follow me on Twitter: @davemchugh or @d3hoopsville.

BDB

Congrats UST on making the Final 4. Watching the game, UST reminds me of the UW-Stevens Point championship teams. Good luck and bring it home.

SUMMIT!!!!!

Quote from: BlueDevil Bob on March 12, 2016, 09:51:51 PM
Congrats UST on making the Final 4. Watching the game, UST reminds me of the UW-Stevens Point championship teams. Good luck and bring it home.
3rd Final 4 in 6 years......wow, what a game! a pair of titans battling it out....gritty, physical play...athletic players well coached...its going to be hard for the semis or title game to top this one....shades of 2011!!
After the game, the king and pawn go into the same box.

Italian proverb

D O.C.


Drake Palmer

Quote from: miacmaniac on March 12, 2016, 11:50:02 PM
Quote from: BlueDevil Bob on March 12, 2016, 09:51:51 PM
Congrats UST on making the Final 4. Watching the game, UST reminds me of the UW-Stevens Point championship teams. Good luck and bring it home.
3rd Final 4 in 6 years......wow, what a game! a pair of titans battling it out....gritty, physical play...athletic players well coached...its going to be hard for the semis or title game to top this one....shades of 2011!!

Wow, who would have thunk?  Congratulations to UST on their advancement to the final four next weekend!  Outside of the Tommie team, I doubt there were very few MIAC hoops followers (I include myself in this category) who would have projected this group of young men as a final four caliber team.

Going into the season, most MIAC observers knew the UST guard play was going to be very good, but with major questions in other areas.  In the front court, Ryan Saarela was a solid to exceptional defensive player, but was a reluctant scorer, SO Ryan Boll was a virtual unknown, and the traditional Tommie depth was questionable at best.

What a difference good coaching and player growth can make in a year.  Heck, in the past month there was the inexplicable late season loss to Augsburg, and the defeat by St. Olaf in the playoff championship game.

Yet, in the past 2-3 weeks we've witnessed the offensive emergence of Saarela, to go along with his stellar defense, plus solid defense from Ryan Boll and timely baskets. The guard play has been great, the maligned Tommie bench has been making key contributions, led in a big way by Jimmy "I have no conscience" Remke; and the defense has been reminiscent of the baby-faced muggers from the 2009- 2011 era.  :)

Go get 'em fellas!
"If anything here offends, I beg your pardon. I come in peace, I depart in gratitude." ;)