MAC Quarterfinals Thread

hammb · Post by **hammb** » Fri Mar 10, 2006 2:32 am

Got back from the Gund...err the Q...just a little while ago. All in all it was another fun day of MAC basketball, even though only 1 of the 4 games really came down to the wire. For starters let me say that the new scoreboard at the Q is amazing. Definitely putting some of the Quicken Loans money to good use.

Onto the games...

The day started quite sloppily. NIU played a first half that was as awful as you can imagine. Turnovers, fouls, shoddy defense, couldn't even get a shot off in their offensive sets. Essentially they looked a lot like BG has looked a lot of the way this year. UT took advantage of this by finally (he's been awful the last 2 years) getting a good game from Sammy Villegas in Cleveland. Sammy was hot the first half scoring like 15 or 16 points. Like the rest of the Rockets he cooled considerably in the 2nd half. Once the 2nd half started NIU looked like they actually wanted to play...still UT was playing pretty well and kept pulling away getting the lead to 21 at one point. Then NIU started draining 3s and playing some defense. UT was totally lost when NIU switched to a zone defense and they went awhile without hitting any FGs. NIU hit a couple 3s in the last :25 of the game, but Ingram nailed a late 3 pointer that put them just out of NIU's reach. NIU got the ball down 3 with :07 on the clock, but their 3 ball missed and it was tipped in with :00.2 left on the clock...ballgame. UT was VERY unimpressive in this game. NIU giftwrapped them a 16 point halftime lead and UT struggled down the stretch. Akron was very impressive in this game. Throw everything else out, if you dominate the boards like they were able to you will win a lot of games.

The second game pitted Akron against WMU. The story of this game was totally what I love about watching Akron play and hate most about watching BG play...they REBOUND. And they rebound again. Even when they don't rebound they are boxing these guys so far out they're halfway to the 3 point arc. Futch, Travis, and Linhart put on a box out clinic. Hell even Dru Joyce got a number of boards. Even getting dominated on the glass WMU was able to stay in it for the first 25 minutes or so, but eventually UA just wore them out. Joyce had a good game shooting the 3 & getting to the rim as well. Romeo was a force in the paint and Cedric Middleton hit a lot of shots as well. Nick Dials hit the shot of the day as the buzzer sounded to end the first half...banked hit home from about 15 feet beyond midcourt; unfortunately it was ruled he didn't get it off in time. Even though UA pulled away and never really was in trouble Bufford for WMU was the best player on the court this game...looked very good.

As the second session tipped off it was clear that KSU came ready to play. Arman Gates couldn't miss from 3 land (I think he was 5-5 at one point), and they were scoring at will against UB. Buffalo was their own worst enemy as they couldn't make a layup. They were running their offense and getting a lot of good looks inside (especially Idbihi), but none of them could finish near the rim...they missed at least 7 layups in the first half of this game. The second half was more of the same as KSU was running them out of the gym. UB tried to go to a press and got burnt on 2 straight 2 handed slams. But, similar to UT, KSU went cold. VERY cold. What's more UB started to make some of their good looks. In actuality UB was able to run their offense to get good looks this entire game...in the final 10 minutes, however, they were able to knock down those shots. They also started drawing more fouls and getting a lot of points with the clock stopped. UB had it to 4 at one point, but Warzynski (who always kills BG) hit a huge 3 pointer to help KSU pull away for good. KSU was pretty impressive, but their defense was not that stellar...

The final game was the one I was most looking forward to, and I have to say I was pretty disapponited. OU just flat out out-athleted Miami. Something I noticed when Miami played us this year was that they really weren't much more athletic than BG was...although they were a better team. That lack of athletic ability really shone through this evening. OU was able to get to the basket (and the freethrow line) at will, and they were also able to stifle Miami's offense. On top of the athletic disparity OU was able to rain 3 pointers throughout most of the game. Troutman, Green, and Halbert were light's out both from 3 & off the dribble. Leon did a good job on the glass and OU looked like the team that won the MAC tourney last year. This team was clearly the most talented team on the court today, and when they're hitting jumpers they are unstoppable. I came away from the first day last year thinking OU was gonna take the title, and I'm led to believe that will be the case again this year...still this team is very enigmatic and they could quite possibly choke at some point. Hatcher was the only RedHawk who could matchup with OU athletically and he had a very good game. Pollitz was very ineffective as was pretty much everyone else. As I told the MU fans that were sitting next to me, "Miami is way too slow and way too white to beat OU when they're on."

In the end it was another fun day of MAC basketball. It certainly would've been a lot better to have BG there to cheer for, but it was a good time nonetheless. I will say that none of these teams looks good enough to even think about an at large bid. I'm also not sure that I saw a single NBA caliber talent on the court today. It was a good day of basketball, but the conference is not nearly as strong as it was in '02 with BG, BSU, and KSU all touting top notch athletes and high quality teams.

San Diego Falcon · Post by **San Diego Falcon** » Fri Mar 10, 2006 11:20 am

Miami is way too slow and way too white to beat OU when they're on

So teams should try to not recruit white players?

Flipper · Post by **Flipper** » Fri Mar 10, 2006 11:28 am

commonsense · Post by **commonsense** » Fri Mar 10, 2006 11:36 am

San Diego Falcon wrote:
Miami is way too slow and way too white to beat OU when they're on
So teams should try to not recruit white players?

This subject could get ugly, but I would not make a practice of filling your roster with white players. However, there are always exceptions.

bgsufalcon24 · Post by **bgsufalcon24** » Fri Mar 10, 2006 9:55 pm

Bleeding Orange wrote:
OhioBobcat wrote:
bgsufalcon24 wrote:
BGSU33 wrote:Ohio does it again, OU spanked Miami tonight, 73-58. Miami may have beaten the Bobcats twice in the regular season, but Ohio knocked out Miami again when it counted most – in the MAC Tournament. Until someone knocks Ohio out of this thing, they are the defending MAC Tournament Champs and the ones to beat in my mind. They and are starting to resemble the team that most everyone picked to win it and they without a doubt have the talent to do it. They are probably the team no one wants to play right now.
That Ohio-Kent State game tomorrow is gonna be awesome. Akron should have their way with Toledo, but the Bobcats and Flashes are going to put on a show.
$\:D/$ $\:D/$ $\:D/$ $\:D/$ $\:D/$ $\:D/$
May your return have the lifespan of a mosquito.

With Kent State's win over Ohio tonight, consider it done.

Tricky_Falcon · Post by **Tricky_Falcon** » Fri Mar 10, 2006 11:21 pm

Tough loss OU so much for that tournament run

Bleeding Orange · Post by **Bleeding Orange** » Fri Mar 10, 2006 11:50 pm

Be on your way Bobcat.

My dad just called me and told me that Toledo beat Akron. He's joking, right?

Rightupinthere · Post by **Rightupinthere** » Fri Mar 10, 2006 11:52 pm

Bleeding Orange wrote:Be on your way Bobcat.

My dad just called me and told me that Toledo beat Akron. He's joking, right?

He is not. 72-66 was the last score I saw with :40 left in the game.

They peaked at the right time, I guess.

h2oville rocket · Post by **h2oville rocket** » Sat Mar 11, 2006 12:23 am

No joke. Unheralded freshman who flushed an impressive jam at the BG game came on and got 11 points for a career high including two dunks off of steals and Toledo came back from 13 point second half defecit.

Nice win for the LAdy Falcons today at our expense, too. Good day for both schools! Good luck against Kent tomorrow-recalls some of the classic matches of yore...

Red Wing Fan · Post by **Red Wing Fan** » Sat Mar 11, 2006 12:30 am

h2oville rocket wrote:No joke. Unheralded freshman who flushed an impressive jam at the BG game came on and got 11 points for a career high including two dunks off of steals and Toledo came back from 13 point second half defecit.

Nice win for the LAdy Falcons today at our expense, too. Good day for both schools! Good luck against Kent tomorrow-recalls some of the classic matches of yore...

Thanks! That Toledo - Akron game turned out to really be a good one. I thought Akron was going to win by 20 points and then Toledo goes on that big run. I'm glad for Stan. Nice man - who never gets a good word from the Toledo Blade. Maybe now they'll have to say something nice about him.

Bleeding Orange · Post by **Bleeding Orange** » Sat Mar 11, 2006 12:53 am

h2oville rocket wrote:No joke. Unheralded freshman who flushed an impressive jam at the BG game came on and got 11 points for a career high including two dunks off of steals and Toledo came back from 13 point second half defecit.

Nice win for the LAdy Falcons today at our expense, too. Good day for both schools! Good luck against Kent tomorrow-recalls some of the classic matches of yore...

No doubt h2oville. I guess I had just assumed that Akron would roll in this game, not so much because of my opinion of Toledo, but rather, because Akron is just so good. I had them pegged to win it all this year. But, and I say this in all seriousness, major props to Toledo for really coming together at the end of the year.

I have always felt bad for the beating that Stan has always taken from Toledo fans and media, and I have come to truly understand how difficult that must be given the beating our own coach has very, very quickly begun to take. Toledo's success actually gives me hope for next year. If Toledo can somehow continue to defy the laws of reason and beat Kent tomorrow, it would be an absolute joke if his contract was not renewed, and it would give me hope that Dakich may be able to right the ship enough to stick around at BG.

I don't think I will be able to bring myself to actively root for Toledo tomorrow, but somewhere in the deep, dark, evil recesses of my soul, I will be. After having actually just written that, I can only pray that God has enough compassion to strike me down immediately out of pity,..

h2oville rocket · Post by **h2oville rocket** » Sat Mar 11, 2006 1:02 am

That's OK. You didn't think I was serious about that Good Luck to the Lady Falcons thing did you?

Bleeding Orange · Post by **Bleeding Orange** » Sat Mar 11, 2006 1:02 am

h2oville rocket wrote:That's OK. You didn't think I was serious about that Good Luck to the Lady Falcons thing did you?

Of course I knew you couldn't have been.

Red Wing Fan · Post by **Red Wing Fan** » Sat Mar 11, 2006 1:11 am

h2oville rocket wrote:That's OK. You didn't think I was serious about that Good Luck to the Lady Falcons thing did you?

And I WAS being nice to you ! Truthfully, I was so glad to see our women make your women look soooooooo bad today.

There - take that!!!!!!!!