Today's games

[Goods]

Last week's CWU results were 0-4 for the men and women. Very frustrating. Congrats to SFU for the huge upset of SMU. Happy to see Fairbanks beat Anchorage men too.

CWU men need to sweep this weekend's home games versus the Great White North. I'm interested to see how SPU and Billings do in Bellingham this week.

For the women, again, I'd be thrilled to see a home sweep of WWU and SFU, but definitely 1-1 is expected.

[northernGNAChoopfan]

Yeah, there are some good games this week. I don't see a game on tomorrow's GNAC schedule that isn't interesting. It's that time of the year. Ummmm, did you guys see the Kai Johnson dunk from last week? I don't usually get so excited about dunks, but this one is pretty darn cool. Sorry Tsull, it's against your team, so that always feels like salt in the wound, but as a Fairbanksan we've been on the losing end of most things far more often than most other teams in the conference. It's the second video clip down in this weekly update... https://www.gnacsports.com/mbasketba...dings-shakeup/

[Goods]

Yeah, there are some good games this week. I don't see a game on tomorrow's GNAC schedule that isn't interesting. It's that time of the year. Ummmm, did you guys see the Kai Johnson dunk from last week? I don't usually get so excited about dunks, but this one is pretty darn cool. Sorry Tsull, it's against your team, so that always feels like salt in the wound, but as a Fairbanksan we've been on the losing end of most things far more often than most other teams in the conference. It's the second video clip down in this weekly update... https://www.gnacsports.com/mbasketba...dings-shakeup/

um............dyam.

[tsull]

um............dyam.

Impressive and shows you just how bad WOU is, out of defensive position again. I'm just not sure why nothing is going right in men's hoops in Monmouth. Now we're getting posterized at home. No pride.

[CWU Wildcat Nation]

CWU cruised past UAF 88-60 tonight, and CWU's top 4 scorers were ALL freshmen!!! This freshman class of CWU is really something special

[northernGNAChoopfan]

CWU cruised past UAF 88-60 tonight, and CWU's top 4 scorers were ALL freshmen!!! This freshman class of CWU is really something special

Yeah, I have noticed through the season that CWU is and has remained very tough to beat at home - good record there, and big wins over good teams at home. GNAC teams should take note as the GNAC tournament will be held there, and that might be a huge advantage for a CWU team that is doing pretty good this year, but importantly, doing really well at home.

While the Nooks have made a lot of strides since early in the season, they didn't rebound well early last night and then started turning the ball over way too much. The road is a much harder place for most teams to play up to their abilities. I will be curious to see how UAA does there Saturday, as they are usually not a team that takes 3 losses in a row, but this year they seem a bit softer at home, falling to WOU and UAF, let alone prevailing in a tough environment, like CWU. Hoping the Nooks can settle in and play a more complete game in Nampa and keep it close enough to be competitive.

[Anchorage]

Well UAA has fallen on hard times. I didn’t have a ton of faith in them coming into the season but then they surprised me with that red hot start and I started to believe a little bit. But they have dropped yet another game to fall to 5-7 in league play. Turns out my initial reaction that a lack of size and shooting was going to be a big issue this season for them is unfortunately coming to fruition.

The coaching staffs ability to put together a roster that makes sense in 2024 has to be under serious doubt at this point in time. Because they want to play a style and build a roster that just ultimately won’t win big today. You can’t be super small while trying to play a defense first style. I’m not sure why that is so hard for them to understand these last 5 years. Ultimately other teams size are going to get them easier shots than you, they are going to control the boards and your one equalizer, the three point shot, you don’t have the shooters to maximize that. This shouldn’t be difficult for coach of 30 years to comprehend.

[tsull]

Moral victory for the Wolves is the only lost by three to Saint Martin's. So good effort. I'm not sure why half the roster is injured or gone. I do know that the three Salem, Oregon, kids that they did not recruit once again scored more than half their points and all had double figures. That's four games in which they've done that. We'll carry on and try to finish out the season with maybe one more win. This is by far the worst year of athletics at Western Oregon since I was an undergrad many years ago. We are no longer competitive in any sport, and that's on the administration.

[Goods]

I'm interested in Thursday's matchup in Seattle. SPU vs. St Martin's who seems to have shown a bit of vulnerability.............and I say that knowing the Saints are still 19-3. Saturday's game in Billings for the Saints might be game of the year, part 2. Then in a battle for playoff seeding or making the cut, both CWU at NNU and Western at Anchorage will make that top 6 cut easier for two, more difficult for the other two.

[Goods]

This is by far the worst year of athletics at Western Oregon since I was an undergrad many years ago. We are no longer competitive in any sport, and that's on the administration.

Mediocrity and/or just flat out being terrible destroys fan interaction, attendance, merch sales and then the long term effects of that are often difficult to overcome. I hate to be doom and gloom, but I've always felt WOU hovered on the edge of being priced out of D2 athletics, but they could get away with it by squeezing every drop of athleticism and hard work from every player.........WOU baseball is one example. WOU bball a handful of years ago another. D2 has turned into such an arms race compared to just 10-20 years ago.

[tsull]

Mediocrity and/or just flat out being terrible destroys fan interaction, attendance, merch sales and then the long term effects of that are often difficult to overcome. I hate to be doom and gloom, but I've always felt WOU hovered on the edge of being priced out of D2 athletics, but they could get away with it by squeezing every drop of athleticism and hard work from every player.........WOU baseball is one example. WOU bball a handful of years ago another. D2 has turned into such an arms race compared to just 10-20 years ago.

I agree with all of this, Goods. We are still stuck in extremely low scholarship numbers after two decades in division 2. Our football stadium looks like a small high school stadium. What's even more worrisome is our baseball team is off to a 0-4 start, our men's basketball team is last in the conference, and our women's basketball team is second to last in the conference. With the exception of the new men's soccer program, which I believe had a winning season, every other program has had a losing season.

Of course there's no urgency to get it flipped around, there's no fan pressure in Monmouth. There's a few of us paying attention but that won't matter in the long run. It bothers me that this is accepted. I don't think they should win league titles in every sport, every year, but they need to be competitive. Right now we are not competitive.

Maybe our complete lack of funding and infrastructure is finally catching up with us. I know a guy on the football board doesn't like me talking about this, but I will continue to do so because I think it's important to get it out there even if no one at Western Oregon is reading this.

[Anchorage]

Well UAA has fallen on hard times. I didn’t have a ton of faith in them coming into the season but then they surprised me with that red hot start and I started to believe a little bit. But they have dropped yet another game to fall to 5-7 in league play. Turns out my initial reaction that a lack of size and shooting was going to be a big issue this season for them is unfortunately coming to fruition.

The coaching staffs ability to put together a roster that makes sense in 2024 has to be under serious doubt at this point in time. Because they want to play a style and build a roster that just ultimately won’t win big today. You can’t be super small while trying to play a defense first style. I’m not sure why that is so hard for them to understand these last 5 years. Ultimately other teams size are going to get them easier shots than you, they are going to control the boards and your one equalizer, the three point shot, you don’t have the shooters to maximize that. This shouldn’t be difficult for coach of 30 years to comprehend.

Checking out the GNAC conference stats which backs up a lot of what I’m talking about with UAA.

dead last in offensive rebounding
8th in defensive rebounding
dead last in rebound margin
8th in FG% defense
shooting just 31% from 3 on offense
dead last in FG% at 41% on offense
7th in free throw attempts, 8th in percentage

They do have the least amount of points allowed but also far and away the least scored. The defense is a product of playing at a snails pace, not because of actual efficient defense.

This is all a product of trying to grind out wins with 4 guys 6’3 and under and an undersized 6’7 forward on the court at all times, very few of whom can shoot.

I mean if I can point this nonsense out in the preseason before I even watch a game…how does a coach of 30 yers not see the nonsense he puts out on the court?

But he will get 5 more years because they had a hot start and that one game they beat St Martin’s who was #1 at the time. How do you go from 10-2 to having a very real shot of missing the GNAC tournament? Oh it’s because you are now playing real teams who actually have a chance to scout you and know your weaknesses…that’s how. Anyone want to trade coaching staffs…yes even you Tsull. Christ…can we get Milo down here?