Pointers Advance and Warhawks Fall

StP 67 Chicago 53 I have never seen Point come out as flat as they did in this game. It was painful to watch. I was beginning to think hell had frozen over or some other drastic event happened because I have been programmed to see Point play well at all times. Chicago went on a 17-0 run to start the game and yet I was not the least bit worried that Point would lose. Right on cue, Point went on a 26-2 run and headed into the locker room with the lead. Point owned the second half for the most part. Chicago had a couple runs, but Point worked their offense like a charm and they had control of the game.

Beamish was a monster. Single handedly brought the team back from the early deficit. He was money from three and Chicago couldn’t stop the offense that he was creating for himself and for his teammates near the hoop. I’ve seen him play well, but he looked like a MVP in this game.

Scott Hoelzel had a terrific game off the bench. He provided a much needed spark, more like a jump start, when he first got in the game.

Rortvedt was in a walking boot. I don’t think he will see the floor anytime soon.

Chicago was a weird team in the sense that they had very little on court chemistry and their fan base was minimal. They had very few fans, admittedly it’s quite the haul from Chi-town to Minneap, but the fans who were there weren’t into the game at all. The coach pulled the starters when the game was all but over and none of the parents clapped for the players. Very strange.

Speaking of fan base, come on Pointers, where are the students? I seriously didn’t see a single Point student in the crowd! Lots of adults but no students! Point will need to bring some students over tomorrow because Buena Vista had a rowdy and large student section for their game.

I am disappointed that I won’t get to see the WIAC/MIAC match-up that I have waited for, but Buena Vista is a worthy adversary and it will be a great game. The Buena Vista/St. Thomas game was unreal. The atmosphere was D1 level stuff. Noise makers (which had to be put away), painted chests, security throwing people out and a mascot with a rim attached to his back a la “Crunch” at Minnesota Timberwolves games. Every possession was hard fought and the fans were into the game as soon as the players hit the floor for warm-ups. St. Thomas relied too much on the three pointer and came up a bit short. Buena Vista has some big boys inside and Point’s big men will have their hands full tomorrow night. Should be an awesome game.

Loras 71 WW 70 Damn it! The run comes to an end. I thought WW had the tools to go deep in the tourney. What a terrific year for the Warhawks though. Too bad it had to end like this. If anyone was at the game feel free to leave a comment about what the game was like.

St. Thomas

The madness has just begun. With two WIAC teams in the tourney, we are bound to have one of them go deep into the tourney and hopefully both can do just that. I can’t wait for tomorrow night. It is going to be great to watch the Pointers play some NCAA tourney ball. I am pulling for both Point and St. Thomas to win so I can see that match-up with my own two eyes. Both teams have tough games against Chicago and Buena Vista, so I can’t look ahead too much. In case it happens, I will give my thoughts about St. Thomas’s players, so Pointer fans can know what to expect in case that match up happens.

They start: Joe Scott, Lonnie Robinson, Tyler Nicolai, BJ Viau and David Baker. They play a very aggressive style of defense and they look to push the ball on offense. They rotate a lot of players in and out, very similar to what Point does. The Coach has confidence in his bench and he uses it every game. They handed Winona State their only loss of the season, so that tells you what they are capable of.

Joe Scott: His lights out shot reminds me of Rortvedt’s. He has a lightning quick release and when he is on, St. Thomas is tough to beat. He has more athleticism than most of the guards in the WIAC though. He likes to go to the rack and can throw it home if he needs to.

Tyler Nicolai: Seriously looks like he is 8 years old. I still can’t believe he is in college. He makes Khalifa and Adam Chandler look like they are middle aged men. Runs the offense with a great demeanor though and loves to hit the 3 ball.

Lonnie Robinson: I don’t want to call him a role player because he has more talent than that, but he has definitely stepped up as the leader and glue of that team. He has tremendous ability, but his shot is bit suspect at times. Terrific defender.

BJ Viau: I really like his game. He plays much taller than what he is and he is one of those guys who is always around the ball. He can use either hand to finish around the hoop and he is tremendously athletic. He doesn’t have much of a shot at all, but he low post game makes up for it.

David Baker: David gets to start every game, but eventually gives way to Al “The Real” McCoy for the majority of minutes at center. Baker is a nice player though.

Bench:

Al McCoy: Wow, wait till you see this guy play. He is listed as 6’6”, but I don’t think he is much over 6’3”. Think Charles Barkley. Barkley was short, but everyone assumed he was tall because he played so big. That is how Al plays. He is strong and wide. I have yet to see a big man stop him on the low post. He clears out space better than any D3 player I have ever seen. He can finish against guys much taller than him and no rebound is safe if he is in the game. Don’t let his size fool you though, he is quick and athletic. He is fun to watch!

Anders Halvorson: Freshman with a ceiling that isn’t even close to being approached yet. He plays sort of like Kalsow did. Can go down low, but he is just as comfortable shooting the 3-ball. His post moves are not even close to Kalsow’s, but as he gets stronger and more confident he will be unstoppable. Does a nice job off the bench.

Sam Eicher: Another nice low post player who can step out and hit the 15 footer with ease. He causes issues because he is left handed.

Teddy Archer: I saved the best/worst for last. All I have to say is Dennis Rodman! This guy might be the most polarizing player I have ever seen at the D3 level. He gets into the game and his #1 mission is to get into the head of the opposing teams best player. He has mastered the quiet elbow and flop already. He will draw a stupid foul on someone just by flopping, guaranteed. He jaws with anyone who will talk back. He just wants to mix it up. He has a great ability, but he loves playing that bad boy role. All you need to do is ask a MIAC fan about him and you will get an ear full.

St. Thomas is young and talented and they will be a dangerous team to play. I just hope Point gets the chance!

NCAA Tournament

I could not be more happy with the release of the brackets yesterday. Not only was I happy to see Point make the tourney, I was also happy to see they will be playing in my neck of the woods!!

Whenever the WIAC games were out of my viewing radius, on a given night, I usually went over and watched St. Thomas play, so I am familiar with them. It's funny because I have been talking about how it would great to see Point and St. Thomas play and it might actually happen! Both teams would match up extremely well with each and I think it would be an outstanding game.

Hopefully both teams can take care of business in the first round!

Whitewater: WIAC Champions

Congrats to the Warhawks for winning the WIAC tournament! What an unbelievable run these guys put together despite all the road blocks that have jumped in the way as the season progressed.

By looking at the box score and game write-ups it looks like it was an excellent game with high drama at the end and great play by both teams. It would be awesome, if you were at the game, if you left a comment about what the game was like. I would love to hear it.

Hopefully WW can continue the magic in the NCAA tourney and hopefully Point gets the at large bid that they rightfully deserve.