NW Men's Basketball Pushes Past Losing Season, Restarts With Roster Changes

[NWFanatic]

This will be Marcus Glock’s 1st trip to Bearcat arena since transferring to WU…WU will likely stomp NW and the WU fans might outnumber the NW fans☹️

[northwest missouri state]

i've seen enough.

[NWFanatic]

i've seen enough.

Entirely different type of player now…after the UNK win one of them announced he and a teammate were 2 of the best shooters in the conference. You never heard something like that from Trevor, Ryan, Wes, Diego etc

[NWFanatic]

Another double digit loss to fall to 9-10(2-4). Another season that can’t end soon enough.

[NWFanatic]

NW lost big again to MoWest to fall to 10-12/3-8…NW was plagued again with turnovers(20). Kudos to any NW fans that are roughing it out and coming to the games. We only lasted 1 game this year despite 2 free season tickets.

[NWFanatic]

NW came back from a 21 pt 1st half deficit to briefly lead RSU by 1pt late in the 2nd half before losing again at home 77-69. They fall to 11-13/4-9…

[ZubCat81]

Not a good look for NW in a MIAA Conference that's looking pretty soft this season. Five games left in the season wrapping up this month of February. Not going to venture a guess with any of these games.

Home Games with Northeastern State (Feb 19) and Arkansas-Fort Smith (Feb 21).
Away Games with Missouri Southern (Feb 12) and Pittsburg State (Feb 14) and Newman (Feb 26)

Newman on their home court last game of the season. GO BEARCATS!

MIAA Men's Basketball Standings 2025-26

Washburn	12-1	.923	22-1	.957	L1
Arkansas-Fort Smith	9-4	.692	18-4	.818	W3
Central Missouri	9-4	.692	18-7	.720	W3
Rogers State	9-5	.643	15-8	.652	W1
Missouri Southern	7-5	.583	13-8	.619	W4
Pittsburg State	7-5	.583	13-9	.591	W1
Central Oklahoma	8-6	.571	15-11	.577	W1
Missouri Western	7-6	.538	15-9	.625	L1
Fort Hays State	7-7	.500	15-8	.652	L4
Northeastern State	5-8	.385	12-10	.545	L1
Northwest Missouri	4-9	.308	11-13	.458	L1
Nebraska Kearney	4-10	.286	11-14	.440	W1
Emporia State	4-10	.286	8-15	.348	L1
Newman	1-13	.071	5-18	.217	L14

[Inkblot]

Not a good look for NW in a MIAA Conference that's looking pretty soft this season.

I wouldn't say it's looking soft. It could easily have 4 or 5 teams in the regional.

[ZubCat81]

I wouldn't say it's looking soft. It could easily have 4 or 5 teams in the regional.

Arkansas Fort-Smith ... 2nd place in this 14-team MIAA Conference at 9-4 won-loss record. Just over 2 weeks ago they host Newman ... again, last place team in the MIAA with a 1-13 record ... currently on a 14-game losing streak ... Arkansas Fort-Smith beat Newman 94-87. Sticking with the MIAA is soft this 2025-26 season.

By the way, I like the look of the Stubblefield Center at UAFS. Something to look forward to, UAFS will get their first taste of Washburn this Thursday, February 12 in Topeka. Blue will be "in" that night.

[Try II]

I wouldn't say it's looking soft. It could easily have 4 or 5 teams in the regional.

Um, yeah. MIAA did well in non-con (18-6 vs. NSIC, 13-10 vs. GAC with several losses to Southern Naz)

[Stanger86]

I wouldn't say it's looking soft. It could easily have 4 or 5 teams in the regional.

They had a stronger start in November for sure.

I just think Division II basketball as a whole is lower than it was 10, 20, 30 years ago. The transfer portal and NLI being a major part of it. So I don't think calling the MIAA soft is out of line, just like I understand those who call the NSIC soft. Because compared to yesteryear, it is.

[ZubCat81]

So this video pic shown below is posted from the video on the NW Bearcats sports webpage ... BearcatSports.com ... under Men's Basketball. Not sure I understand what could possibly be going on with that look on the face of Northwest HC Matt Keeley. A little moment of pondering a tough question? Or just a little befuddled about going into this final week of Bearcat basketball? Feel bad for what HC Keeley had to walk into. He was in a really good place having some decent success down there in Arizona with his NAIA team Ottawa University Arizona (OUAZ) before Northwest AD Peterson thought his 94-78 record is what we needed to replace the hottest coach in NCAA DII Basketball, and certainly one of the hottest coaches in the country at ALL levels of NCAA Basketball. Coach Keeley had no reason to not grab onto that opportunity to come to Northwest when AD Peterson (sigh) called. Wish this coach had stayed and continued to work on his successes down there in Arizona before taking on such a load of taking over the incredible successes of the NW Bearcat program when Coach Mac departed for DI Creighton BlueJays the next season followed by being hired as the next Iowa Hawkeyes Head Coach for this 2025-26 season. Back to HC Keeley and taking over the Bearcat basketball program. It should be remembered that NW Coach Ben McCollum left behind 9 Bearcat players (despite Mac taking 3 returning NW starters with him to Drake), and many of those players saw some really good playing time and, also with the understanding that a couple of Coach Mac's new recruits stayed onboard with the Bearcats after Mac's departure. No one should blame HC Keeley for jumping at the opportunity. I still wish AD Peterson had an explanation how he arrived at the decision he did. The MIAA has seemed to proved to be a ONE-TEAM conference this season with the Washburn Icabods. Besides the bottom team Newman who only has the one win in the MIAA Conference with two games left in the season (and NW plays them on the road their final game of the season), any given MIAA team, 2nd place thru 13th place, in this 14-team MIAA Conference, would seem to be anybody's guess on any given day who could walk away with a win. Just doesn't seem to a strong conference this year. Same could easily be said about the NSIC Conference. Hope Coach Matt Keeley the best with his final two games of the season with this Bearcat team. GO BEARCATS! Northwest AD Peterson ... phfttt.

2025-2026 MIAA Men's Basketball Standings

Washburn -x	16-1	.941	26-1	.963	W4
Central Missouri	12-5	.706	21-8	.724	W1
Arkansas-Fort Smith	11-6	.647	20-6	.769	W2
Rogers State	11-6	.647	17-9	.654	L1
Missouri Western	10-7	.588	18-10	.643	W1
Missouri Southern	10-7	.588	16-10	.615	W3
Fort Hays State	10-8	.556	18-9	.667	W1
Pittsburg State	9-8	.529	15-12	.556	L1
Central Oklahoma	8-9	.471	15-14	.517	L3
Northwest Missouri	6-11	.353	13-15	.464	L1
Nebraska Kearney	6-12	.333	13-16	.448	L2
Northeastern State	5-12	.294	12-14	.462	L5
Emporia State	5-12	.294	9-17	.346	W1
Newman	1-16	.059	5-21	.192	L17

x - Clinched #1 Seed in the 2026 MIAA Men's Basketball Championship

[northwest missouri state]

So this video pic shown below is posted from the video on the NW Bearcats sports webpage ... BearcatSports.com ... under Men's Basketball. Not sure I understand what could possibly be going on with that look on the face of Northwest HC Matt Keeley. A little moment of pondering a tough question? Or just a little befuddled about going into this final week of Bearcat basketball? Feel bad for what HC Keeley had to walk into. He was in a really good place having some decent success down there in Arizona with his NAIA team Ottawa University Arizona (OUAZ) before Northwest AD Peterson thought his 94-78 record is what we needed to replace the hottest coach in NCAA DII Basketball, and certainly one of the hottest coaches in the country at ALL levels of NCAA Basketball. Coach Keeley had no reason to not grab onto that opportunity to come to Northwest when AD Peterson (sigh) called. Wish this coach had stayed and continued to work on his successes down there in Arizona before taking on such a load of taking over the incredible successes of the NW Bearcat program when Coach Mac departed for DI Creighton BlueJays the next season followed by being hired as the next Iowa Hawkeyes Head Coach for this 2025-26 season. Back to HC Keeley and taking over the Bearcat basketball program. It should be remembered that NW Coach Ben McCollum left behind 9 Bearcat players (despite Mac taking 3 returning NW starters with him to Drake), and many of those players saw some really good playing time and, also with the understanding that a couple of Coach Mac's new recruits stayed onboard with the Bearcats after Mac's departure. No one should blame HC Keeley for jumping at the opportunity. I still wish AD Peterson had an explanation how he arrived at the decision he did. The MIAA has seemed to proved to be a ONE-TEAM conference this season with the Washburn Icabods. Besides the bottom team Newman who only has the one win in the MIAA Conference with two games left in the season (and NW plays them on the road their final game of the season), any given MIAA team, 2nd place thru 13th place, in this 14-team MIAA Conference, would seem to be anybody's guess on any given day who could walk away with a win. Just doesn't seem to a strong conference this year. Same could easily be said about the NSIC Conference. Hope Coach Matt Keeley the best with his final two games of the season with this Bearcat team. GO BEARCATS! Northwest AD Peterson ... phfttt.

2025-2026 MIAA Men's Basketball Standings

Washburn -x	16-1	.941	26-1	.963	W4
Central Missouri	12-5	.706	21-8	.724	W1
Arkansas-Fort Smith	11-6	.647	20-6	.769	W2
Rogers State	11-6	.647	17-9	.654	L1
Missouri Western	10-7	.588	18-10	.643	W1
Missouri Southern	10-7	.588	16-10	.615	W3
Fort Hays State	10-8	.556	18-9	.667	W1
Pittsburg State	9-8	.529	15-12	.556	L1
Central Oklahoma	8-9	.471	15-14	.517	L3
Northwest Missouri	6-11	.353	13-15	.464	L1
Nebraska Kearney	6-12	.333	13-16	.448	L2
Northeastern State	5-12	.294	12-14	.462	L5
Emporia State	5-12	.294	9-17	.346	W1
Newman	1-16	.059	5-21	.192	L17

x - Clinched #1 Seed in the 2026 MIAA Men's Basketball Championship

that az record is 100% meh. nobody forced him to take this job so feeling bad for him is possibly unnecessary. this isn't a 'looked good on paper just didn't work out' sitch (you did not say that, i am pivoting). this failure is foreseeable & thusly an unforgivable hire.

hopefully football saves him (ap) - which is very tbd - i can easily argue last seasons success was quite circumstantial looking around the league. time will tell.

[TigerAlum]

that az record is 100% meh. nobody forced him to take this job so feeling bad for him is possibly unnecessary. this isn't a 'looked good on paper just didn't work out' sitch (you did not say that, i am pivoting). this failure is foreseeable & thusly an unforgivable hire.

hopefully football saves him (ap) - which is very tbd - i can easily argue last seasons success was quite circumstantial looking around the league. time will tell.

What were the other options for HC when this was filled? Was it a job that had so much pressure and so big that people didn't want it?
Was there a NW connection?

[TXTRH]

What were the other options for HC when this was filled? Was it a job that had so much pressure and so big that people didn't want it?
Was there a NW connection?

I remember being extremely surprised at the candidates being considered when they released the list. I was thinking surely there had to be better options that inquired. But maybe everyone stayed away with Ben's record when he was here.