First Men's NCAA Central Region Rankings Released (2/15)

[86Catillac]

Re: First Men's NCAA Central Region Rankings Released (2/15)

IF Missouri Southern can win their next four in a row and make it to the MIAA championship game against Northwest Missouri (and that's a big IF), then I think they deserve a bid to the regionals as the MIAA's second best team.

That would be a six game winning streak, a regular season split with Northwest and Central Missouri, and a 4-0 record against Kearney, Fort Hays, Central Oklahoma, and Washburn. 2-0 against a pair of good NSIC teams (Mankato and St, Cloud).

A loss to Pitt State tomorrow or Central Missouri Thursday and toss that all out the window.

There is zero chance you lose to Pitt.

[CoachSalscheider]

Re: First Men's NCAA Central Region Rankings Released (2/15)

There is zero chance you lose to Pitt.

What happened to Pitt? Weren't they a contender last year?

[MisterWizard]

Re: First Men's NCAA Central Region Rankings Released (2/15)

Pitt - devastated by injury

[MrAugustana]

Re: First Men's NCAA Central Region Rankings Released (2/15)

Pitt - devastated by injury

For half a second I read that as, "Pitts (meaning Justin) - devastated by injury" without reading the previous post. I thought, "Well...that certainly changes things."

[Purple Mav Man]

Re: First Men's NCAA Central Region Rankings Released (2/15)

So you think Augie is in no matter what? If they lose to Northern still in? I just see that one as a play in game right now. Upper Iowa has most work to do but if they can get by Moorhead I think they could do it.

SCSU is not going anywhere even with Gage Davis. I didn't comment on the other thread about him but he doesn't play any defense, shows little leadership and hasn't carried them any where so far this year. He reminds me of Boogie Cousins since he is on the move, puts up numbers but doesn't bring much else to the table and has never won anything of importance. I do not have time to look up the record they have against .500 teams and above but I am guessing its not the greatest. They beat up well on the awful side of the NSIC.

I agree on the play-in game. But I think Augie will roll Northern if Northern doesn't have Smith. So yeah, at this point I think Augie is in for sure. Upper Iowa doesn't strike me as a team that will make a run right now either.

Completely agree on Davis and SCSU. To clarify, when I said put the Huskies on his back, I meant him going crazy and scoring 50ppg in the tourney. Or something equally ridiculous.

As of right now, I think Augie and Moorhead are the two best teams in the NSIC. And I think Augie wins the conference tournament.

[Stanger86]

Re: First Men's NCAA Central Region Rankings Released (2/15)

As of right now, I think Augie and Moorhead are the two best teams in the NSIC. And I think Augie wins the conference tournament.

Sleeping on the Mustangs, I see.....

[NSU4LIFE]

Re: First Men's NCAA Central Region Rankings Released (2/15)

Sleeping on the Mustangs, I see.....

And the Wolves...which if this board has learned anything that is better for us. Every time people come around to believe in us, we start losing games we shouldnt. Same thing happens to Witt in football. I wait for the Wolves to get some love and when they do...poof, they implode. I haven't heard that Ian is done for the year yet, so that is a positive...potentially.

[ddwitte]

Re: First Men's NCAA Central Region Rankings Released (2/15)

I agree on the play-in game. But I think Augie will roll Northern if Northern doesn't have Smith. So yeah, at this point I think Augie is in for sure. Upper Iowa doesn't strike me as a team that will make a run right now either.

Before Saturday I would have agreed with you about Augie likely rolling the Wolves. Ian didn't play in the first meeting with Augie, a game which I was at, and they did kind of roll us. However, the team that I saw Saturday night looked a lot different than the one that lost to Augie. Carter Evans was the biggest difference, having 12 points and 4 assists in 15 minutes on Saturday. We'll see if he can show up big in the conference tournament and give us a chance to win or maybe Ian plays.

[Guest69]

Re: First Men's NCAA Central Region Rankings Released (2/15)

As of right now, I think Augie and Moorhead are the two best teams in the NSIC. And I think Augie wins the conference tournament.

I think Augie has the edge in the conference tournament because of the extra game they get there on Wednesday. Smart move by the administration.

[NSU4LIFE]

Re: First Men's NCAA Central Region Rankings Released (2/15)

Wrong thread

[MrAugustana]

Re: First Men's NCAA Central Region Rankings Released (2/15)

The annual pre game crowning of Augie just never gets old, boy it's enjoyable to read.

If it makes you feel any better, I'll embrace my role as the Apostle of Apprehension and clarify that I don't see Augie winning the whole thing.

Reason #1: We are no longer going very deep into our bench. We basically play our starting 5, Steven Schaefer, Austin Saugstad and Marcus Asmus. We have two guards who were playing earlier in the year no longer able to play (Matt Brazendale due to leaving the team after several injuries, Levi Jansen due to surgery on an injury that had hampered him all season long), and our young bigs, Lucas Walford and Andy Kerkman, just aren't ready to play in end-of-game situations at this point in their careers.

The Vikes are perfectly fine going back-to-back on a weekend, but it's not ideal for playing what would ultimately be 6 games in 12 days if they make it to the NSIC Tourney championship game. I think the Vikes will be gassed by Monday (if they even get that far), but maybe they are tougher than I'm giving them credit for. I certainly hope they are.

Reason #2: I think Moorhead is primed to win it this year. I think the Dragons have a killer starting five and a strong enough bench that they will be able to go several games deep. Plus, I believe they have the ideal schedule when it comes to amount of rest time in between games, unless I did the math wrong. My guess (and, based on where Augie is likely to end up in the Regional Rankings this week, my hope), is that Moorhead wins the whole thing if Augie doesn't. Or that SMSU does.

As far as you and Stanger being emotionally scarred by people not jumping on your teams' bandwagons or sleeping on your teams (just kidding, fellas, seriously), yes, you both have good squads. Honestly, I think almost everyone would agree that there are 3-4, maybe even 5-6 teams that all have the potential to win this whole tournament. Without Ian Smith it will be tougher for the Wolves, but they have a strong inside game and guards that can shoot it. That's a pretty lethal combo. Same with SMSU.

Anyway, I know you (NSU4LIFE) will probably say something like, "It's really not a big deal to me, I just think it's funny" but it does seem to bother you a little bit. Sort of reminds me of how touchy Herdman can get when message boarders don't pick the Peacocks on the pick 'em threads. ;)

Should be a fun tournament. But before anyone crowns Augie, I'd like to see us win tomorrow night first. We're playing well, but as we've shown with a loss to Minot and close losses to SMSU/Moorhead/etc., we can beat just about anybody and we can lose to just about anybody on any given night. I would prefer the G's of Bemidji not sneak up on us.

That being said, my prediction is that Augie beats Northern by 70 and Sundance sends lamenting, whiny tweets that he promptly deletes after Sather or someone in the athletics department yells at him for it. :)

(Again, kidding.)

EDIT: I see you switched your comment to another thread. Guess I shouldn't have written so much.

[MrMustang]

Re: First Men's NCAA Central Region Rankings Released (2/15)

Sleeping on the Mustangs, I see.....

One thing that worries me a bit is 4 games in 6 days. We only play 8 1/2 guys and Weg is banged up. So, to run to the title game will really take it's toll.

I want to win the tourney and enter the regional 26 -5 which will make us the #2 seed. That is what I want because I actually think we are better than given credit for from a team standpoint. It is true we don't have a Jordan Spencer or an Aaron Lien on our roster, but Bruggeman is pretty good and we have a very very good team.

But, if we win 2 then lose in the semis, we still enter the tournament 24-6, we'll almost certainly be a #2 or # 3 seed so maybe we don't need the extra 2 games. But, you'd hate to see is go 2-1 in the tourney and somehow slip to the#4 seed.

[MrMustang]

Re: First Men's NCAA Central Region Rankings Released (2/15)

Looking through the bracket, neither looks easier than the other side. They both are hard for a team to win 4 . In other words, I don't see one side of the bracket "easier" than the other.

Here is what I see:

round 1 -- all home winners EXCEPT USF. I see them beating Minot. Obviously anything is possible, but I don't many upsets

round 1 winners:

Moorhead
Kato
Upper Iowa
Cloud
SMSU
USF
NSU
Augie

Round 2 winners:

Moorhead
Upper Iowa
SMSU
Augie

That's a really solid Final 4 and a really good pair of semifinal games. Should be a one helluva night at The Pentagon in Sioux Falls. If Upper Iowa was playing either SMSU or Augie in the semis I would probably pick Upper Iowa as the play a lot of kids and I see them being fresher, but I don't see them beating Moorhead.

SMSU - Augie is a tossup. No way Jordan Spencer goes for 39 again as Micheal Lee will be playing, but SMSU may be out of gas by Monday night. We'll see.total tossup.

At the moment pick to win the title is Moorhead. I reserve my right to change my mind.

[Purple Mav Man]

Re: First Men's NCAA Central Region Rankings Released (2/15)

Sleeping on the Mustangs, I see.....

Not sleeping. Just don't think they've got what it takes to win the conference tournament. But we'll find out soon.