Thursday Night GNAC matchups

[northernGNAChoopfan]

Hey! Fun matchups tomorrow night.

1) WWU @ MSUB - WWU's likely looking to avenge their only conference loss in Montana tomorrow and MSUB is looking to pick itself up after a rough week in Seattle last week.

2) UAA @ SMU - UAA needs this one on the road for many reasons and SMU was looking pretty darn smokin hot @ home last week. Both teams really need this one, for different reasons. UAA needs it for their confidence on the road and SMU needs it to stay in the top 6 in the conference and learn to keep the pedal down when they're hot.

3) UAF @ SPU - Neither team is playing for post season, but the chance maybe remains possible for SPU? SPU played well last week and got a split and UAF executed really well against CUP last week and had a second of confidence, then lost it with WOU. Both teams have the "tougher game coming on Saturday, so both would love to get a Thursday win and week started off right... Go Nooks.

4) CUP @ CWU - CWU better not sleep on Concordia... Cause Concordia sorta almost gave UAA a heart attack last Saturday where they shot it well and passed it well.

5) WOU @ NNU - I'm guessing Tsull will be all over this game! Have a fun night Tsull! Your boys will want revenge over NNU big time and they should have a head full of steam after rolling the Nooks last Saturday. Hopefully they won't go back to bricklaying, or I can only imagine your rant. But NNU is not serving up wins to opponents on big platters this year, so WOU better have their heads there.

Super fun night and good matchups. I suspect there will be some nail-biters and perhaps a blow-out in there too. We should have someone on every game except for the MSUB game, right? Have fun all. Let us hope that UAA wins, otherwise we won't get a report on that game, cause they usually aren't so chatty after losses. Prediction in Lacey = nail-biter!

[tsull]

Re: Thursday Night GNAC matchups

Unfortunately I took an extra job this winter in the evenings, it's hit and miss if I make it over to NNU tonight, which is a major bummer. NNU rallied big past WOU in Monmouth, so it won't be easy. Wolves went something like 8 minutes without a field goal last time vs. the Crusaders. If they do that this time, they'll get blown out. I think it will be a great game.

UAA vs. SMU looks like a great game tonight, too.

[tsull]

Re: Thursday Night GNAC matchups

WOU wins on a shot with 2 seconds left by Ali Faruq-Bey, a driving layup on the break, great move. I saw the 2nd half, WOU let a 7-point lead slip away and again had a very long scoring drought -- 5 minutes plus -- before guard Malik Leaks saved their butts with two key three's. Omlid made some great inside shots. He plays way bigger than his height.

NNU had a deep shot at the end and it appeared the player either traveled or was fouled, but he was 30-plus feet out, wasn't going to get that call.

Tough win by WOU, but boy are they offensively challenged. As noted all year by me, they struggle putting the ball in the hoop. Luckily they play excellent defense and rebound well for being rather short. Faruq-Bey is very athletic, but he takes some crazy shots. He gets triple-teamed going to the hoop and just goes up with it. I'm guessing some of the other new guards besides Leaks can shoot it, they came in billed as shooters. Leaks was the only guy I saw who could knock down an outside shot. I think Trammell has that ability, but he was doing the bad body-language thing when things weren't going his way and when he had to sit. He's got to be tougher mentally than that.

Which brings me to this: Odd team mentally, they have trouble with leads but can fight back and win. Guys celebrate making shots and look at the bench for affirmation, it's freaking weird. I forgot last year's team was extremely mature. Athletically pretty good, would win a track meet against last year's WOU hoop team, but would lose by 20 to that 2015-2016 team in a basketball game. They run good sets, but unlike last year, they don't know what to do when the sets are shut down. Liked the defensive effort. This year's team hopefully can make the conference tournament and maybe win a game there. They have a few holes.

NNU again puzzles me. My 2nd favorite GNAC team always has talent. Since I've been in this area a little more than a decade, they've had 4 coaches -- that's not good. Two of them are good coaches, including the latest guy. They have great size underneath, some excellent shooters, some very good athletes. I'm not sure what is missing; I've seen them lose tons of close home games over the years. They handled UAA and beat WOU on the road and just lost to an OK WOU team that isn't nearly as good as UAA in my opinion.

Cold, icy, freezing night kept the locals away, but the paltry crowds need to change, too. The entire NNU athletic scene baffles me ... I hope they make the conference tourney.

* If you've read this far, I applaud you ... carry on.

[CWU Wildcat Nation]

Re: Thursday Night GNAC matchups

Well, 3 minutes to go and CWU blew it. Hunter career high 34 points with 6 assists. Fuquan Niles unstoppable 16 points 17 rebounds 5 blocks, 8/9 shooting. But not enough to prevent the upset at home.

[northernGNAChoopfan]

Re: Thursday Night GNAC matchups

Anybody care to know what happens in the basement? UAF lost a tight one in OT. Great defensive effort in getting SPU to cough it up a million times and hold them offensively for much of the night, but on the offensive end, UAF struggles mightily to find somebody to drive that ship. In the end, scoring the ball wins games. Darn. SPU is playing so many freshman and they put themselves into the knot of 6th in the GNAC tonight, so I was wrong in saying they weren't really playing for post season this year. SMU, SPU and NNU all knotted up there for that spot.

Looks like SMU again kept UAA reigned in and keeping them pretty inefficient offensively, but when you do that to UAA, they've got this tool called Suki the foul drawer. Best in the league at that and it's a good tool to have on nights like tonight, even if I rag on it.

Wow. Must've been super fun to be @ CWU if you were Concordia tonight. There were 1400 people there. I relish the day when the Nooks have a team and the schedule works well so I can be in Ellensburg for a night like that (last year woulda been hella fun, but alas, I wait). NNU was without Jones who has been a near double double for them all year, so that probably hurt a bit. WOU got it on that defensive stuff they do, getting NNU to cough it up a ton. Be interesting to see how Concordia does there on Saturday... I agree with you Tsull on WOU. Weird attitude that emanates from this team. I'd take last years team any day over this year's team too. Probably a fun game @ CWU on Saturday with them too. Sorry Tsull~go Wildcats!

[Rob_AK]

Re: Thursday Night GNAC matchups

All but WWU-MSUB game were barn burners tonight.

UAA finally gets a road win, just barely. Always expect the worst when Wiggs takes 23 shots. That means the other players aren't getting good looks.

Saw the end of the Concordia-CWU game - not sure how CWU gives up a 16 point lead and loses but that is college basketball.

Don't worry tsull, I will root for WOU against CWU every time.

[tsull]

Re: Thursday Night GNAC matchups

All but WWU-MSUB game were barn burners tonight.

UAA finally gets a road win, just barely. Always expect the worst when Wiggs takes 23 shots. That means the other players aren't getting good looks.

Saw the end of the Concordia-CWU game - not sure how CWU gives up a 16 point lead and loses but that is college basketball.

Don't worry tsull, I will root for WOU against CWU every time.

Thanks, Rob. Interesting year in the GNAC, hoping someone can knock WWU out in the regionals as I think it might be a one-bid league to regionals this year unless WWU gets beat. Not sure the conference is that talented. Last year WOU, both Alaska schools, and SPU were excellent, and WWU back-doored their way into the tourney. This year I think WWU and UAA are the only really good teams, and UAA might not be playing to their potential.

WOU is just an odd team, so many newbies that I applaud coach Shaw and staff in getting them to where they are this year. As I've said, I'm stunned at how bad of shooters they are and had to see it in person to believe it. Yep, they can't shoot well. They really rush shots and some guys have really poor form. Last year's so-so shooter Nichols, would be one of the top shooters on this team. Omlid is a slasher, not a shooter. F-Bey is a slasher, not a shooter. Berg and Trammell are supposed to be shooters; not seeing it with a few exceptions this year (like Berg's attitude a lot, seems to really care). Garrison has one of the ugliest jumpers I've seen, though he's an excellent ball handler and defender. Leaks has a nice looking jumper, takes his time, on balance. Losing Alex Roth to injury was a killer, he's their best shooter. Hope he returns next year.

Stunned at the CWU home loss to Concordia. Not that Concordia is bad, they are talented and well-coached. It just shocked me. SPU-UAF sounded like a good game, too.

[Rob_AK]

Re: Thursday Night GNAC matchups

UAA's issue is that they do not have enough scorers. Hammell is a rebound machine and Devine is a rim protector/defender, but neither is going to put up 20 points very often - more like 8-10. Mitchell, Svejcar and Wiggs can all put up the points, but if the opposing team can stop even 1 of the 3 and hold Hammell and Devine to below their season averages, then they have a shot to win. I think the real key to UAA winning is going to be their defense and rebounding. SMU game was a perfect example as UAA only shot 37% from the field and 20% from 3 but managed a win I am a little concerned about the second half of the season. Having most of the better teams at home is a recipe for a lot of close games both at home and on the road. Could be a blessing or a curse.

Not surprised with Concordia after the game they played at UAA the other night. UAA had them by 14 at one point, and they really started hitting threes - think they have finally found some shooters to complement their inside game. CWU is a little like WWU this year - they try to put up as many points as possible and don't worry too much about how many the opponent scores. So far it has worked pretty well for both teams, though not for CWU on Thursday.