How Big 10 Basketball Compares to the MIAC
As I sat watching the Gustavus women play Wednesday night at Saint Mary’s, SMU athletic director Nikki Fennern briefly joined this crippled Gustie alumna in the stands. Our idle chatter was soon interrupted by the announcer happily informing us of the men’s score at Gus Young Court – Saint Mary’s 36, Gustavus 31 with two minutes remaining in the first half.
My response: “Wow, that’s embarrassing.” It was a bit unfiltered for her taste, but I didn’t apologize. It would have been an ugly, unexpected and discouraging loss that put this student to shame. I didn’t expect her to enjoy my honesty, but it would also be hard to disagree with her too vehemently. Still, she seemed to briefly reflect on the battle before realizing that it was an argument she couldn’t win.
Consider the following, as you watch my Gusties come back to win 66-59:
* Gustavus has made the MIAC playoffs every year since the 1999-00 season, when it was still just a four-team affair. The Gusties tied for fourth, but lost the tiebreaker.
* The last time SMU finished with a winning record was in the 1984-85 season. To the best of my ability to investigate, he has never made it to the league playoff tournament.
* The Gusties are 210-73 (.742) over the past 10 years and haven’t had a losing season.
* SMU is 63-182 (.257) over the same stretch without a single winning season under his belt.
* If you combined the winning percentage of the two schools, it equals .999. And that? That means they’ve had the exact opposite record over the last 10 years: a Gustie win has meant a SMU loss and vice versa. Interesting, right?
*GAC have qualified for the national tournament six times since the 1997-98 season, although their last appearance was in 2005.
* After 15 minutes of searching the MIAC and SMU websites, I can’t find the Cards. I may be missing something, but they certainly haven’t been to a dance in the last 20 years. I’d ask Doug Luebbe, former great SMU resident and current Rochester resident, for confirmation, but I’m stuck on the couch for the foreseeable future.
* The SMU team of thirteen cheerleaders were intimidating the Gustie women with a cheer that said “Defense, become the offense.” How do you keep a straight face while singing that 10 times in a row? And I’m not sure how three of them were allowed to cheer after forgetting their pom-poms. Did Wisconsin courts really just declare cheerleading a contact sport? Let’s move on…
So what is my point here? Everyone who follows MIAC basketball knows that the Gusties should beat the Cardinals. If the Cards had won, I bet SMU SID Donny Nadeau would have used a headline that included the word “annoying.” Heck, I’d expect it, but would the SMU AD disagree with that too? It’s essentially the same point he was making, but from the opposite perspective.
More to the point – finally, right? – That’s how that conversation made me think about the big picture. What are the expectations for each program in the league? How many really expected SMU to compete with the Gusties, given the school’s tradition (or lack thereof) and the disparity in coaching experience?
For those of you stumbling across this site for the first time, I’m going to draw comparisons between the 11 MIAC schools and their Big Ten counterparts based on expectations, talent, and style of play. Hopefully, it will help you better understand how many watch the small college basketball scene in Minnesota. Pass? Disagree? Feel free to tell me what you think.
Disclaimer: There are more “good” teams in the Big 10 than there are in MIAC this year, so some of my choices might be overkill. deal with it.
MIAC School – Big 10 School
Current league standings listed in parentheses
Saint Thomas (1st) – State of Michigan (1st)
Possibly the most consistent and best coached teams in both leagues. Each relies on hard rebounding and tenacious defense to ignite an offense that isn’t always efficient in half-court sets, though that hasn’t been much of an issue this season. Even if talent isn’t always apparent, they’re still hard to beat.
Bethel (2nd) – Michigan (7th)
Packed with talent, a strong brand and a unique style of play – an aversion to defense and a love of longball, basically – both programs should have been much more successful in recent years than they really are. They have a recognizable group of alumni, but they have yet to really live up to their great potential. The battle cry of “Wait until next year!” he must be getting a little job in Ann Arbor and Arden Hills.
Augsburg (3rd) – Minnesota (4th)
Experienced guards and a freshman job leading a team that struggled a year ago? It’s been the recipe for success for both teams so far, but it also feels like the fans are holding their breath after recent matches. A wait-and-see approach before releasing its March travel schedule would be wise.
Carleton (3rd) – Purdue (3rd)
Disappointing losses at home to St. John’s and Duke, respectively, marred both schools’ strong starts, but each has bounced back nicely to be in contention for postseason success. The Knights are led by Zach “Goose” Johnson, a do-it-all senior, while the Boilermakers are more balanced. Both are currently in third place, but could be the biggest threat to the current leaders.
Gustavus Adolphus (3rd) – Wisconsin (8th)
The systems have a proven track record of success, but it’s an old school approach that some find hard to enjoy, both to play and to watch. Trainers Mark Hanson and Bo Ryan can usually squeeze every ounce of talent out of their rosters. The sum of the parts is always more impressive than the individual parts, though that train of thought is being challenged for both teams this year.
St. John’s (6th) – Ohio State (6th)
Every school depends almost exclusively on young people. SJU’s top three scorers are sophomores, while the Buckeyes are led by two sophomores and one freshman. That dependency has led to some shaky performances, but the future for each show looks bright. Will each coach stick around long enough to enjoy it? Jim Smith is in his 45th season and Thad Motta may look for a “bigger” opportunity after this year: Arizona or Georgia, maybe?
St. Olaf (7th) – Penn State (4th)
These two don’t mesh at all, but these are the last two left after my other decisions were made. Olaf is led in scoring by two freshmen in Bobby Fong (14.8) and Alfred Jaryan (7.9). The Nittany Lions are led by a couple of seniors. The Oles haven’t won or lost more than three games in a row all year, which should be expected when you’re relying so much on youngsters. PSU has already posted two separate 5-game winning streaks.
Concord (8th) – Illinois (2nd)
The Cobbers and Fighting Illini rely on their strong interior game to set the tone. Concordia sophomore John Fraase is the only MIAC player currently averaging a double-double (15.5, 10.9) and his classmate Darrin Olmscheid provides a solid partner in crime. However, Illinois has benefited from equally solid guard play thus far to claim the title of biggest upset in the Big 10, pending Thursday’s matchup at The Barn, anyway.
Hamline (8th) – Iowa (10th)
Up-and-down shows that have been criticized by their supporters. Are either of you on the right track? The Pipers have struggled with injury and changed their lineup throughout the season, while Iowa’s top freshman, Minnesota’s Anthony Tucker, was suspended for an ugly alcohol-related incident. Can he regroup for the stretch run or will things continue to fall apart?
Saint Mary’s (8th) – Indiana (11th)
Some interesting and talented players on both sides, but not enough to challenge quality clubs on a consistent basis. Both have struggled badly in recent years with head cases and defections, but every fan base remains cautiously optimistic with the addition of new coaches. How long will honeymoons last?
Macalester (11) – North West (8)
Each school is limited by elite academic requirements, but the Scots have fallen on hard times while the Wildcats are thriving. Mac’s coach, Curt Kietzer, used his recruiting magic to lead the Scots to their best season in 20 years…in 2003-04. There’s a very real chance Mac won’t win a game this season. Where did things go wrong?
I’ve already spent too many hours on this project to figure out how to make some square pegs fit into the round holes. What suggestions would people have for me? I’m curious to see what people agree with or how things would change, and why.
While I wait for feedback, I’ll take another pain pill and relax until the gophers start. The surgery went well, but my foot is killing me right now.