Some conference upsets are starting to happen in our three blog conferences.
Last weekend, it was Superior knocking off Whitewater. Last night, it was Lake Forest trouncing Carroll. And there is bound to be more coming in the coming weeks.
1 Big Thing
Now many people might be wondering why this is happening. Why are teams that are on paper better losing to those on paper inferior teams?
Now there is any variety of answers.
First, is it conference parity? Are the teams really not that far apart in talent as it seems? Possibly.
Everyone talks about DI college basketball parity. Although there isn't as much of it at DIII level in, my opinion, on a year-to-year basis, that can definitely be true.
Even great programs have to stumble sometimes after they lose a talented class, while other teams may have a majority of upperclassmen, creating that year-to-year parity. So that is definitely a possibility.
Second, are the better teams maybe suffering from the grind? Are they hurting physically from injuries and bumps and bruises that's causing them to play not at 100 percent? Probably.
Every team has to go through stretches like that. Whitewater is playing without Cody Odegaard, one of their top shooters, for example. I'm sure that their are other injuries that are keeping guys out or causing them to play at less than 100 percent.
This in turn makes the team play at less than100 percent. And if you are playing at less than 100 percent and the other team is, it just makes you that much more likely to be beaten.
This happens to every team during this time of the year, when your body starts to deteriorate from entering the fourth month of play.
Third, aren't losses like those bound to happen anyway? Especially in conference play? Absolutely.
That's the beauty of conference play. You see these guys twice a year (mostly). You know the tendencies of the players. You know the style that they are going to be playing. You have generally two days to prepare. You are ready.
This leads to better gameplans, allowing teams to take away the others strengths, changing up personnel to get the matchups right on defense and offense.
And if your gameplan is working correctly, you can easily take down a top team on a good night.
Fourth, and foremost, aren't upsets the name of the game? Isn't that basketball? This is the gospel truth.
It's this fact that really made me fall in love with this beautiful game. It's a fact, more than any other sport (in my opinion), that any given night, any team can beat any other team.
You could take the best DI team and put them up against someone in DIII and if those DI guys are shooting terrible and the other team is shooting hot, it can happen. I don't think you can say that for any other sport other than baseball.
And all it takes is any one of those things mentioned above, whether it be an injury, supreme game plan, parity or simply just a cold/hot shooting night.
And all it takes is any one of those things mentioned above, whether it be an injury, supreme game plan, parity or simply just a cold/hot shooting night.
It's the nature and beauty of the beast called basketball. It's why I love it and it's why we all love this great game.
2 Small Things
-Who is the second-best team in the WIAC?
The No. 1 team has been clear cut for awhile now and that's UW-Stevens Point.
Going into Wednesday's games there was three teams tied at 5-2 for second place in the conference -- Stout, Whitewater and La Crosse.
On Wednesday, Stout took down La Crosse and Whitewater beat Oshkosh.
But those three teams have been near the top of the conference all season. So which one of those teams is the second best to Stevens Point?
For me, I have to go with La Crosse. I think that they have played the most consistent out of the bunch. They played Point very close on the road and even with the loss to Stout, they have the ability to outscore you or outdefend you to win games.
Whitewater has been struggling getting a consistent offensive rhythm going and Stout is good defensively but can struggle at times scoring, even though they didn't against La Crosse.
If I'm picking one of those three to make a run, it's the Eagles.
Going into Wednesday's games there was three teams tied at 5-2 for second place in the conference -- Stout, Whitewater and La Crosse.
On Wednesday, Stout took down La Crosse and Whitewater beat Oshkosh.
But those three teams have been near the top of the conference all season. So which one of those teams is the second best to Stevens Point?
For me, I have to go with La Crosse. I think that they have played the most consistent out of the bunch. They played Point very close on the road and even with the loss to Stout, they have the ability to outscore you or outdefend you to win games.
Whitewater has been struggling getting a consistent offensive rhythm going and Stout is good defensively but can struggle at times scoring, even though they didn't against La Crosse.
If I'm picking one of those three to make a run, it's the Eagles.
-What's going on with Carroll?
The Pioneers are still 7-3 in the Midwest Conference. But there is still a little room for concern as they have been wildly inconsistent since the later part of December, when they dropped two conference contests at home to Ripon and St. Norbert.
They then came back and destroyed Cornell, looked dominant again like the did in the first part of the season against Grinnell, then followed that up by squeaking by a surprising, yet, in my opinion, inferior team in Beloit at home (talent-wise I feel that Carroll should have won by at least 10, but that is just me).
The last two games have been a microcosm of this roller coaster for the Pioneers. They destroyed Knox on the road over the weekend 91-51.
They then turned around on Tuesday and lost to a 3-7 Lake Forest team. Actually, lost is an understatement. They laid an absolute stinker AT HOME to the Foresters, falling 73-54.
This concerns me in the fact that they are probably the most talented team in conference from top to bottom. They have good players and good depth at every position. But the inconsistent play has to stop if they want to stay near the top and pull out another NCAA bid like last year.
They then came back and destroyed Cornell, looked dominant again like the did in the first part of the season against Grinnell, then followed that up by squeaking by a surprising, yet, in my opinion, inferior team in Beloit at home (talent-wise I feel that Carroll should have won by at least 10, but that is just me).
The last two games have been a microcosm of this roller coaster for the Pioneers. They destroyed Knox on the road over the weekend 91-51.
They then turned around on Tuesday and lost to a 3-7 Lake Forest team. Actually, lost is an understatement. They laid an absolute stinker AT HOME to the Foresters, falling 73-54.
This concerns me in the fact that they are probably the most talented team in conference from top to bottom. They have good players and good depth at every position. But the inconsistent play has to stop if they want to stay near the top and pull out another NCAA bid like last year.
3 Performances of the Week
Chris Hortman, UW-Stout (against UW-La Crosse)
The senior guard was on fire for the Blue Devils, knocking in 5-of-8 from deep and scoring 21 points in the big win. Hortman also pulled down 13 rebounds in the game for Stout.
Jeff Beck, Lake Forest (against Carroll)
The Foresters senior went crazy against the Pioneers, racking up 34 points as Lake Forest dominated Carroll in Waukesha. Beck went perfect from behind the arc (4-of-4) and the free throw line (6-of-6) in his big game.
Anthony Keener, Dominican (against Rockford)
The Stars guard recorded a double-double against the Regents, scoring 25 points and grabbing 12 boards. His 25 points included a 5-of-6 night from deep in the victory.
4 Power Teams in Two Words
WIAC
1. UW-Stevens Point (15-2, 8-0) Words: Still victorious
2. UW-Whitewater (13-3, 6-2) Words: Shaky winning
3. UW-Stout (13-3, 6-2) Words: Surprise, surprise
4. UW-La Crosse (12-5, 5-3) Words: Two losses
MWC
1. St. Norbert (11-3, 8-2 MWC) Words: They're streaking!
2. Grinnell (11-3, 8-2 MWC) Words: No Taylor
3. Carroll (11-4, 7-3 MWC) Words: Shaky, shaky
4. Beloit (8-7, 6-4 MWC) Words: Staying surprising
NAC
1. Aurora (12-4, 7-0 NAC) Words: Very impressive
2. Lakeland (15-2, 8-0 NAC) Words: Coasting through
3. Concordia-Wisconsin (9-6, 6-2 NAC) Words: Small hiccup
4. MSOE (11-5, 5-2 NAC) Words: Grinding away
5 Worth the Price of Admission
1. WIAC, UW-Stout at UW-Whitewater, 4 p.m. Price I would pay: $8
This game just became increasingly bigger, as these two teams are tied at 6-2 after Wednesday's games.
One of Stout's two conference losses this season was to Whitewater at the beginning of conference season, so this game starts the second half of conference play.
But Stout looked impressive against UW-La Crosse and got a big night from guard Chris Hortman, who has the ability to go off on a given night or run his team into the ground with how much he shoots. The Blue Devils are also solid on the defensive end and are one of the tops in the nation in those categories.
Whitewater got a victory over Oshkosh on Wednesday and nothing really jumped out about the Warhawks lately, following a tough loss up in Superior.
The keys for this game: one, how will Hortman play against the Warhawks and two, how will Stout contain the lightning-quick Quardell Young. Those guys are the two keys to both teams and will very much impact who comes out victorious.
2. NAC, Aurora at Marian, 4:15 p.m. Price I would pay: $5
The NAC South leaders have been playing very impressive basketball of late, playing their up-tempo game to out-athletic teams and will be coming off of wins of Concordia-Wisconsin, Wisconsin Lutheran and, probably, Benedictine (I'm trying to give my Eagles some ammo here for their rivalry game).
Marian, meanwhile, has been playing better, beating Edgewood and Wisconsin Lutheran, then just missing out on coming back against CUW. They will becoming off of a likely win over Maranatha.
For Aurora, this is probably the toughest game that they will have before their matchup in two weeks against Lakeland. It's a similar roadtrip and a chance to get that kind of experience playing on the road in a North gym.
Marian hopes that this can be signature win on a resume that lacks a big one. And with Aurora coming off a rivalry game and having the 3-to-3-and-a-half hour roadtrip, they could very easily pull it off.
One of Stout's two conference losses this season was to Whitewater at the beginning of conference season, so this game starts the second half of conference play.
But Stout looked impressive against UW-La Crosse and got a big night from guard Chris Hortman, who has the ability to go off on a given night or run his team into the ground with how much he shoots. The Blue Devils are also solid on the defensive end and are one of the tops in the nation in those categories.
Whitewater got a victory over Oshkosh on Wednesday and nothing really jumped out about the Warhawks lately, following a tough loss up in Superior.
The keys for this game: one, how will Hortman play against the Warhawks and two, how will Stout contain the lightning-quick Quardell Young. Those guys are the two keys to both teams and will very much impact who comes out victorious.
2. NAC, Aurora at Marian, 4:15 p.m. Price I would pay: $5
The NAC South leaders have been playing very impressive basketball of late, playing their up-tempo game to out-athletic teams and will be coming off of wins of Concordia-Wisconsin, Wisconsin Lutheran and, probably, Benedictine (I'm trying to give my Eagles some ammo here for their rivalry game).
Marian, meanwhile, has been playing better, beating Edgewood and Wisconsin Lutheran, then just missing out on coming back against CUW. They will becoming off of a likely win over Maranatha.
For Aurora, this is probably the toughest game that they will have before their matchup in two weeks against Lakeland. It's a similar roadtrip and a chance to get that kind of experience playing on the road in a North gym.
Marian hopes that this can be signature win on a resume that lacks a big one. And with Aurora coming off a rivalry game and having the 3-to-3-and-a-half hour roadtrip, they could very easily pull it off.
3. MWC, Cornell at St. Norbert, 5 p.m. Price I would pay: $3
The Green Knights will be looking for payback against the Rams, who beat them earlier in the season in Iowa.
But St. Norbert is a different team now, as they have rattled off eight straight wins -- 6 in conference -- heading into this matchup and have been looking every bit the conference favorite, getting consistent offensive and defensive efforts every night.
But Cornell had the blueprint to beat them the last time and the Rams have proven that they are no slouches in conference, taking a 4-5 record into the game.
I'm looking for Norbert to really dominate this game in Green Bay. But if the Rams can hang around, they have the offensive weapons to pull it off again.
The Green Knights will be looking for payback against the Rams, who beat them earlier in the season in Iowa.
But St. Norbert is a different team now, as they have rattled off eight straight wins -- 6 in conference -- heading into this matchup and have been looking every bit the conference favorite, getting consistent offensive and defensive efforts every night.
But Cornell had the blueprint to beat them the last time and the Rams have proven that they are no slouches in conference, taking a 4-5 record into the game.
I'm looking for Norbert to really dominate this game in Green Bay. But if the Rams can hang around, they have the offensive weapons to pull it off again.
4. WIAC, UW-Platteville at UW-Superior, 1 p.m. Price I would pay: $3
This is a pretty big game as far as seeding goes for the WIAC tournament.
Both teams are locked into a spot right now. Platteville is a game ahead in the standings at 4-4, while Superior is 3-5.
Platteville has lost it's last two games, and who wouldn't, to Whitewater and Stevens Point, while Superior beat Whitewater over the weekend, but lost to River Falls on Wednesday, who hadn't won a conference game.
Both teams feature big men in Platteville's Chas Cross and the Yellowjackets Bronson Byrne. I think this one comes down to which big man has the better all-around day for his team. As in, who helps his team the most rebounding, passing and scoring, will be the team that comes out on top.
5. NAC, Benedictine at MSOE, 4:15 p.m. Price I would pay: $2
I'm putting this game on here because I'm actually going to go to this game (we'll actually see what I pay on Saturday).
MSOE has been staying right around the top of the North division, still grinding away games with a Bo Ryan-type defensive efforts night in and night out.
For Benedictine, they are just looking for a little momentum. They finally picked up their second conference win in a blowout Tuesday over Concordia-Chicago and they will be coming off a game against Aurora. They have a bunch of new players in the rotation so it will be interesting to see how that goes for the Eagles.
MSOE has had difficulty with teams that are taller in the middle (i.e. Concordia-Wisconsin) and Benedictine will boast two big posts in Tim McGinty and transfer Luke Johnson.
But we as Eagles have never played good at Kern. MSOE just has our number there and again this game will come down to pace, which I think MSOE controls.
But I'm hoping for something different!
Thanks for tuning in again. As always you can follow my basketball thoughts on Twitter at @turkdigg40 and stay tuned for my weekend analysis blog coming on Sunday.
Both teams are locked into a spot right now. Platteville is a game ahead in the standings at 4-4, while Superior is 3-5.
Platteville has lost it's last two games, and who wouldn't, to Whitewater and Stevens Point, while Superior beat Whitewater over the weekend, but lost to River Falls on Wednesday, who hadn't won a conference game.
Both teams feature big men in Platteville's Chas Cross and the Yellowjackets Bronson Byrne. I think this one comes down to which big man has the better all-around day for his team. As in, who helps his team the most rebounding, passing and scoring, will be the team that comes out on top.
5. NAC, Benedictine at MSOE, 4:15 p.m. Price I would pay: $2
I'm putting this game on here because I'm actually going to go to this game (we'll actually see what I pay on Saturday).
MSOE has been staying right around the top of the North division, still grinding away games with a Bo Ryan-type defensive efforts night in and night out.
For Benedictine, they are just looking for a little momentum. They finally picked up their second conference win in a blowout Tuesday over Concordia-Chicago and they will be coming off a game against Aurora. They have a bunch of new players in the rotation so it will be interesting to see how that goes for the Eagles.
MSOE has had difficulty with teams that are taller in the middle (i.e. Concordia-Wisconsin) and Benedictine will boast two big posts in Tim McGinty and transfer Luke Johnson.
But we as Eagles have never played good at Kern. MSOE just has our number there and again this game will come down to pace, which I think MSOE controls.
But I'm hoping for something different!
Thanks for tuning in again. As always you can follow my basketball thoughts on Twitter at @turkdigg40 and stay tuned for my weekend analysis blog coming on Sunday.
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