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About 1/3 of the conference season is in the books. What have we learned? NWMS is still the team to beat. There closest conference games have been a 7 pt. home win against Lincoln and a 8 pt. home win against Washburn. Everything else in conf. to this point has been a double digit win. It appears there are six teams that are starting to appear to be in contention. NW is a clear #1 and then you have four 1-loss teams (Pitt St., Washburn, Fort Hayes, Linclon) and then a two loss Missouri Southern team. Who has the edge in scheduling? In an unbalanced schedule where we don't play a round robin, there is clearly a difference depending on what division you are in. There is also a difference in home games and away games that are left on the conference. Washburn and Lincoln have the most favorable schedule left with both having 8 at home and 6 away. On the flip side Pitt State, Northwest Mo. St, and Mo. Southern all have 5 home and 8 on the road. Fort Hayes sits in the middle with 6 at home and 7 away. As far as strength of schedule, Lincoln has the most favorable schedule left. Assuming these 6 teams are the top teams in the conf., Lincoln only has 4 against this group with 2 left vs Washburn. Fort Hayes has the toughest with 7 left against this group with still 2 against Pitt St. and 2 against Mo. Southern. In analyzing the home and away along with the strength of schedule combined I think the easiest schedule left of the contending teams is Lincoln and the toughest schedules left are both Pitt St. and Southern. Both only have 5 home games left and both have 6 against the contending teams left with 2 against each other.
All this goes out the window if someone gets hot in the bottom half of the conference. It looks like UCM with their post player back could get back in it and it also looks like Lindenwood could contend as well. They have had some great performances and look like they could beat anybody on any given night. I think it is probably premature to look at things this early with only 1/3 of the way in the books but it is still fun. After week 5 when everyone has played 9 or 10 games, we should know a lot more at the halfway mark. However, from the looks of NWMS (I saw them Sat.), they look really tough to beat. Very impressed with their team chemistry and their team defense. It might help the contenders that they only got 5 home games left but they have been really good on the road so far. They have tough road trips @ FHSU/UNK, @ Lincoln/Lindy & @Wash and on the flip side they get Pitt St. and Mo. Southern at home. At this point, I think it is NWMS's conference unless they get tripped up on the road a couple of times.
Most intriguing games this week: Lincoln @ UCM on Wed. night and Fort Hayes at Washburn on Sat. I think it will be interesting how Pitt St. and Missouri Southern do on the road at the Oklahoma schools. That is tough road trip and both should be on upset alert. Another exciting week in the MIAA!
All this goes out the window if someone gets hot in the bottom half of the conference. It looks like UCM with their post player back could get back in it and it also looks like Lindenwood could contend as well. They have had some great performances and look like they could beat anybody on any given night. I think it is probably premature to look at things this early with only 1/3 of the way in the books but it is still fun. After week 5 when everyone has played 9 or 10 games, we should know a lot more at the halfway mark. However, from the looks of NWMS (I saw them Sat.), they look really tough to beat. Very impressed with their team chemistry and their team defense. It might help the contenders that they only got 5 home games left but they have been really good on the road so far. They have tough road trips @ FHSU/UNK, @ Lincoln/Lindy & @Wash and on the flip side they get Pitt St. and Mo. Southern at home. At this point, I think it is NWMS's conference unless they get tripped up on the road a couple of times.
Most intriguing games this week: Lincoln @ UCM on Wed. night and Fort Hayes at Washburn on Sat. I think it will be interesting how Pitt St. and Missouri Southern do on the road at the Oklahoma schools. That is tough road trip and both should be on upset alert. Another exciting week in the MIAA!
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