2022 Central region Tournament

[Thunder]

[NWHoops]

Interesting to see those Massey ratings but I think Massey emphasizes historical data. NW at #2 in the country. Both NSIC and MIAA with 4 in Top 20, MIAA with 5 in Top 25.
NSIC second ranked conference with MIAA at third.

[NWHoops]

UCO is extremely athletic which is the type of team that has given NW troubles in the past, hence a loss this year to UCO and two to ESU. Despite some thoughts to the contrary in past years, NW has never been overly athletic, more fundamentally sound (don't get me wrong, there have been some good athletes on NW teams but not as many as some other teams).

[Btech#3]

I agree with NW Hoops. UCO and Emporia State are similar from an athletic standpoint. Isaiah Wade for UCO is a beast and is the best athlete that I have seen in D-2 this year. They don't guard as well and I think that will get them in the NCAA's. I also think they have a talented point guard but he is highly emotional and I think it hurts them from that standpoint. It seems Hudgins and Geiman are calm and settling and I don't see that out of UCO's point guard. Givens and Wells are two gifted scorers and then they have 3 or 4 nice complimentary players that seem pretty athletic as well. I think athletic size is effective against NWMS. I think the Bearcats struggled having anyone to match up with Wade. Same with Emporia State. Van Dyke and Buom are athletic bigs and that gave NWMS some problems. Clausing from Washburn has given NWMS some problems in the past but Big Jonny was out of gas playing his 3rd game in 3 days on Sunday. NWMS took advantage of that. Bottom line--no one is beating NWMS if they play like they did Sunday against Washburn. I thought we played well but the Bearcats were hitting on all cylinders and Hudgins was special.

[NWFanatic]

[Augieholic]

I agree with NW Hoops. UCO and Emporia State are similar from an athletic standpoint. Isaiah Wade for UCO is a beast and is the best athlete that I have seen in D-2 this year. They don't guard as well and I think that will get them in the NCAA's. I also think they have a talented point guard but he is highly emotional and I think it hurts them from that standpoint. It seems Hudgins and Geiman are calm and settling and I don't see that out of UCO's point guard. Givens and Wells are two gifted scorers and then they have 3 or 4 nice complimentary players that seem pretty athletic as well. I think athletic size is effective against NWMS. I think the Bearcats struggled having anyone to match up with Wade. Same with Emporia State. Van Dyke and Buom are athletic bigs and that gave NWMS some problems. Clausing from Washburn has given NWMS some problems in the past but Big Jonny was out of gas playing his 3rd game in 3 days on Sunday. NWMS took advantage of that. Bottom line--no one is beating NWMS if they play like they did Sunday against Washburn. I thought we played well but the Bearcats were hitting on all cylinders and Hudgins was special.

I was just doing to research on UCO and they shot 200 more FTs than their opponents! I didn't realize Wade was a Wazzu transfer and it appears UCO has decent size which always gives UIU fits. At the NSIC Tourney they had Jareese Williams guarding numerous forwards so I would expect that to continue.

If you think the UCO PG is emotional then his matchup with Jake Hilmer will be a must watch.

[libertybearcat]

I agree with NW Hoops. UCO and Emporia State are similar from an athletic standpoint. Isaiah Wade for UCO is a beast and is the best athlete that I have seen in D-2 this year. They don't guard as well and I think that will get them in the NCAA's. I also think they have a talented point guard but he is highly emotional and I think it hurts them from that standpoint. It seems Hudgins and Geiman are calm and settling and I don't see that out of UCO's point guard. Givens and Wells are two gifted scorers and then they have 3 or 4 nice complimentary players that seem pretty athletic as well. I think athletic size is effective against NWMS. I think the Bearcats struggled having anyone to match up with Wade. Same with Emporia State. Van Dyke and Buom are athletic bigs and that gave NWMS some problems. Clausing from Washburn has given NWMS some problems in the past but Big Jonny was out of gas playing his 3rd game in 3 days on Sunday. NWMS took advantage of that. Bottom line--no one is beating NWMS if they play like they did Sunday against Washburn. I thought we played well but the Bearcats were hitting on all cylinders and Hudgins was special.

I think he's the one who took Trev to the basket and made a contested layup then shooshed the crowd down 30 in last years MIAA tournament...SMH.

[NWHoops]

I was just doing to research on UCO and they shot 200 more FTs than their opponents! I didn't realize Wade was a Wazzu transfer and it appears UCO has decent size which always gives UIU fits. At the NSIC Tourney they had Jareese Williams guarding numerous forwards so I would expect that to continue.

If you think the UCO PG is emotional then his matchup with Jake Hilmer will be a must watch.

Emotional is nice, annoying is a better term. He's either playing well and clapping in other players faces, talking trash, etc. OR playing poorly and complaining to officials on every call.

[NSU4LIFE]

Emotional is nice, annoying is a better term. He's either playing well and clapping in other players faces, talking trash, etc. OR playing poorly and complaining to officials on every call.

I can remember a Northwest squad that played up in Aberdeen around 15 years ago that I am quite positive had all five players slap the floor when back on defense, every possession, as if it was required by law.

Now that was annoying. ;)

[NWHoops]

I can remember a Northwest squad that played up in Aberdeen around 15 years ago that I am quite positive had all five players slap the floor when back on defense, every possession, as if it was required by law.

Now that was annoying. ;)

Yes that was a staple of the previous coach, Tappmeyer. I don't remember it being every possession- only when they needed a critical defensive stop. Maybe every possession that game was critical :).

[Augieholic]

Notable going into the weekend:

https://twitter.com/GoodmanHoops/sta...kMVrdeamg&s=19

[NSU4LIFE]

Notable going into the weekend:

https://twitter.com/GoodmanHoops/sta...kMVrdeamg&s=19

Had heard a murmur of Saul for this gig but, as of now, glad to see his name not mentioned.

[Taxman]

UCO is extremely athletic which is the type of team that has given NW troubles in the past, hence a loss this year to UCO and two to ESU. Despite some thoughts to the contrary in past years, NW has never been overly athletic, more fundamentally sound (don't get me wrong, there have been some good athletes on NW teams but not as many as some other teams).

DB is going to be the best athlete on the floor nearly every single night out. I'm more in the camp that NW's athleticism has been underrated over the years. Sure, there is going to be a matchup here and there that is more difficult. Give me athletic basketball players over basketball playing athletes.

[Btech#3]

Taking nothing away from Bernard. I just saw a 6'7" Wade do some things that I had never seen in the MIAA. Maybe not a better athlete than Bernard but his size might make it more impressive.

[Taxman]

I agree with NW Hoops. UCO and Emporia State are similar from an athletic standpoint. Isaiah Wade for UCO is a beast and is the best athlete that I have seen in D-2 this year. They don't guard as well and I think that will get them in the NCAA's. I also think they have a talented point guard but he is highly emotional and I think it hurts them from that standpoint. It seems Hudgins and Geiman are calm and settling and I don't see that out of UCO's point guard. Givens and Wells are two gifted scorers and then they have 3 or 4 nice complimentary players that seem pretty athletic as well. I think athletic size is effective against NWMS. I think the Bearcats struggled having anyone to match up with Wade. Same with Emporia State. Van Dyke and Buom are athletic bigs and that gave NWMS some problems. Clausing from Washburn has given NWMS some problems in the past but Big Jonny was out of gas playing his 3rd game in 3 days on Sunday. NWMS took advantage of that. Bottom line--no one is beating NWMS if they play like they did Sunday against Washburn. I thought we played well but the Bearcats were hitting on all cylinders and Hudgins was special.

I thought that ended up being the difference on Sunday. Geiman got caught playing hero attempting to match Hudgins and missed.

I'm interested to see how the Regional is officiated. The games I got to see NW play over the past few weeks were awful. The games were played closer to FB than basketball. Every team is trying to be uber physical with NW all over the floor the entire game. Freedom of movement has apparently been abandoned for the time being. Fortunately, NW has had a sence of urgency to match the physicality and play just a bit better basketball.