Summit League Hoops

...best of all, no oral roberts in either dance.

2009-03-23T10:16:00.000-07:00

It was nice to see North Dakota St. put up a spirited fight against the defending champion Kansas Jayhawks. No disrespect to the Bison, but I picked KU in my bracket. It had less to do with talent and more to do with experience.

I went 23-9 in the first round and 13-3 in the second. Not too shabby, although I expect better of myself than dropping nine like that.

Over on the women's side, congrats to South Dakota State for advancing to the second round of the women's Big Dance™. They'll take on tenth-seeded Baylor tomorrow night.

Most of all—and I don't mind saying this—it was nice to see someone other than Oral Roberts in either tournament.

You heard me. No, I'm not an objective bystander. :-)

championship tuesday predictions.

2009-03-10T06:25:00.000-07:00

Championship Tuesday is all set for the Summit League today.

Women's Championship
Oakland vs. South Dakota State University at 3 p.m.

Men's Championship
Oakland vs. North Dakota State University at 7 p.m.

The women's match-up might be the most intriguing of the two. OU's Beckie Francis is no stranger to championship-round basketball. Same goes for SDSU's Aaron Johnston. While conventional wisdom might suggest SDSU should win, I've got a hunch OU is going to pull this out.

On the men's side, it could be a real dog fight. Both teams surged into the tournament, with NDSU leading the way in its first year of post-season eligibility (in the conference). I think North Dakota gets the edge in this one based upon a few factors:
* Home Court. Perhaps not as stark as the previous four years in Tulsa, but they're playing in the Dakotas. More NDSU fans will make the trip.
* Player of the Year. Ben Woodside led the conference in scoring. But OU counters with Erik Kangas, who was No. 2 in scoring.

The game might tip on defense, where NDSU seems to hold slight advantages. But don't count out OU. Statistically speaking, they're not too far behind in defensive categories.

I think OU cuts down at least one set of nets today, but not two. I think it's going to be Oakland on the women's side and North Dakota State on the men's side.

Just a hunch.

jaguars knocked out.

2009-03-08T23:12:00.001-07:00

Well, that was quick. For the first time in its D-I-eligible history, the IUPUI Jaguars were knocked out in the first round of conference tournament play. It's not too terribly surprising, given that this really turned out to be a rebuilding year for Ron Hunter's team.

So, the perennial favorites (and last year's championship game teams, IUPUI and ORU) are out. That leaves a wide open tournament on the men's side of things. My money's on North Dakota State prevailing, but Greg Kampe has a way of getting his Oakland team to play inspired basketball in the conference tournament.

Over on the women's side, it's going to be tough to stop South Dakota State. But the only team to hand them a conference loss (Oakland) is alive and kicking in this tournament.

We'll see who can survive the second round tomorrow night.

DING DONG THE WITCH IS DEAD!!

2009-03-08T11:36:00.000-07:00

It's only been a year since my last entry here. What could awake the sleeping giant? The fact that Oral Roberts University got KNOCKED OFF in the opening round of the Summit League Championship Tournament!!

Which team? The men's team? The women's team?

BOTH!!!

That's right. ORU is already on a bus heading back to Tulsa.

Nothing could be finer than a quick exit for the team that was the benefactor of the most negligible home court advantage in the championship tournament over the past four years.

of mascot brawls, overnight 'net sensations & credit for breaking the story first.

2008-03-18T20:41:00.001-07:00

I don't know if I talked about it at length here, but I think I figured out how my video of Eli and Jawz squaring off in a Battle Royale with Cheese was the YouTube video that would launch a thousand blog entries, TV news stories, ESPN conversations, etc.

I think it all started here and here.

Let's go back to the beginning...

Tuesday
6:30 p.m. CDT: (or so): The mascots got ejected for fighting during a timeout.
6:41 p.m. CDT: I post a one sentence entry about the fight to this blog.

Wednesday
12:35 a.m. CDT: I uploaded my video of the fight to YouTube.
2:41 a.m. CDT: I upload a link to the video on this blog.
6 - 11 a.m. CDT: As I'm waiting for my flight home from Tulsa, I sit in the airport and bump around the Internet on my iPhone. Amidst the bumping, I notice I'm getting lots of traffic to this blog. All the hits seem to be coming from Tulsa.Rivals.com. By the end of Wednesday, this blog received 120 hits...a ONE THOUSAND PERCENT INCREASE!
7 p.m. EDT: After a long day of traveling, I go straight to bed once I get home. I don't re-surface until 7 a.m. the following morning.

And to what did I awaken?
* My YouTube video received more than 40,000 hits in about a day and a half
* I got word the Tulsa World ran a story about the brawl, directly citing (and linking to) my YouTube video: "The incident sparked interest Wednesday after a portion of the scuffle appeared on youtube.com, a popular Internet site for viewing, sharing and uploading video content."
* ESPN contacted me to use the video.
* Several local affiliates across the nation broadcast it or portions of other video captured by IUPUI and a Tulsa affiliate.
* It appeared on MSNBC's Countdown with Keith Olbermann Thursday night.
* By week's end, the Jawz vs. Eli scuffle has become an all-out Internet sensation...my YouTube video has garnered nearly a quarter-million hits.

Of course, no one knows nor cares about Patient Zero in this entire thing...unless you're Patient Zero. In this case, I am Patient Zero! And I will remind you of that as often as necessary.

Why? Since I stand to gain nary a penny from this whole thing, I feel it's to my best interest to remind the world who broke this thing wide open. This is my Watergate. My Zapruder film. My stained, blue dress. It is my one and only claim to Internet fame and I plan to exploit it so this site may receive more traffic.

Just remember, boys and girls, it was SummitLeague.blogspot.com who broke this story.

EVERYTHING AND EVERYBODY followed me on this one.

Let's not let that minor detail escape, eh?

system didn't reward good teams: ron hunter.

2008-03-17T02:07:00.001-07:00

IUPUI Head Coach Ron Hunter didn't hide his displeasure with getting ignored by the NIT and the ~~Biggest Farce in Basketball~~ CBI. From the Indianapolis Star:

Jaguars left out of postseason play
IUPUI doesn't receive and invitation to participate in any of the 3 tournaments despite putting together a 26-7 record
By Curt Cavin

IUPUI wasn't invited to any of this season's basketball dances.

Jaguars coach Ron Hunter believes being from a non-traditional hoops program cost his team a bid in any of the three events: the NCAA Tournament, the National Invitational Tournament or the new College Basketball Invitational.

"A lot of it has to do with what's written on our chests," Hunter said. "It wasn't about the body of our work." Read more.

I honestly wonder how this will motivate IUPUI's returning players next season. I guess time will tell.

college basketball invitational is a big, fat disgrace.

2008-03-17T01:40:00.001-07:00

When you hear the term "invitational" invoked for a basketball tournament, you can rest assured it means the best teams will not always get chosen. In the case of the College Basketball Invitational, it didn't matter who was best or even most deserving. In fact, I'm not really sure how the decision makers behind the CBI arrived at their pairings.

The 16 teams selected in the wee hours--after the NCAA and NIT fields were set--all have one thing in common: NONE HAVE A HIGHER RPI THAN IUPUI.

The upcoming games:
Tuesday, March 18
Richmond at Virginia - 7 p.m.
Houston at Nevada - 9 p.m.
Brown at Ohio - TBA
Rider at Old Dominion - TBA

Wednesday, March 19
Cincinnati at Bradley - 7 p.m.
Valparaiso at Washington - 9 p.m.
Miami (Ohio) at Tulsa - TBA
Utah at UTEP - TBA

Ron Hunter's IUPUI Jaguars were screwed not once, but twice today. The CBI proved itself to be a joke, a sham and a fraud. It was developed to reward deserving teams who were passed over by the bigger tournaments.

Well, they left one of the best mid-major teams standing out in the cold.

Without even playing a single game, the CBI already is dead to me.

How is a team that goes 26-7, has an RPI of 71, is ranked 14th on the Mid Major Top 25 gets left out?

Especially when you consider this about the current CBI field:
* Only two teams have less than 10 losses
* Only five teams have 20+ wins
* Four teams are only two games above .500
* Two teams are .500
* One team--Cincinnati--is FIVE GAMES BELOW .500!

This is an insult. The CBI clearly gave up on its mission before it even left the station.

What a shame for IUPUI. What a shame for George Hill. It was bad enough to be left out by the NIT. Being passed over in favor of mediocre and sub-par teams is nearly criminal.

Ron Hunter is right. There is no justice in the NCAA, and the Gazelle Group is guilty of the very crimes it set out to correct. They ignored the best of what's left in favor of...hell, you figure it out, because it makes no sense to me.

What a disgrace.

oru gets #13 down "south," iupui gets shafted by the nit.

2008-03-16T18:35:00.000-07:00

ORU (24-8) got a #13 seed and a date with the #4 Pittsburgh (26-9) in the South Bracket. That game will be played Thursday at Denver's Pepsi Center. Only in the Big Dance™ can a game played in Denver, Colo. be considered "south" by any standards.

As of 9:38 p.m. EDT, IUPUI and its 26-7 record, ranked 14th in the Mid Major Top 25, 72 RPI and a quarter will only get Ron Hunter a phone call. The Jaguars were snubbed by the NIT.

San Diego State, at 19-12 and an RPI of 77, earned an at-large bid. Rhode Island, at 21-11 and an RPI of 79, also received an at-large bid in the NIT.

And where is IUPUI? Sitting at home, done for the year (unless the CBI invites the Jags to play).

No justice, indeed.

Former Valpo head coach Scott Drew guided his Baylor Bears back to the NCAA Tournament as a #11 seed in the West Bracket. Once again defying laws of geography, they will head to that western city, Washington, DC, to face #6 Purdue on Thursday. Seriously, the NCAA needs to either buy a new atlas or re-name its brackets.

ron hunter: 'no justice' if jags bypassed for postseason.

2008-03-14T11:41:00.000-07:00

While bubble teams sit anxiously around television sets across the nation Sunday evening as the NCAA announces its 65 bids for the 2008 Men’s Basketball National Championship Tournament, IUPUI Jaguars Head Coach Ron Hunter and his team will be waiting just a little bit longer in hopes of securing a postseason bid in either the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) or the inaugural College Basketball Invitational.

"Take a look at our resume and look what we’ve done. We've beaten some good teams, we’re 26-7. This team has done a tremendous job," said Hunter. "I know it's about money and it's about match-ups, but at some point it's got to be about rewarding what a team does."

What has his team done? Despite losing the Summit League Tournament Championship game to Oral Roberts Tuesday night, the Jaguars have an impressive record (26-7), quality wins (UMass, Western Michigan, Oral Roberts) and Summit League Player of the Year George Hill. But is it enough? Hunter thinks so.

"I hope that people will see that and that we’ve got a marquee kid in George Hill that we know can play with anyone in the country," said Hunter. "We just hope that we get an opportunity to play in postseason play because these kids have worked hard for it."

NIT bids will be announced at 9 p.m. EDT Sunday night on ESPN2. The 32-team field begins play on March 18. The 16-team College Basketball Invitation also begins play on Tuesday, March 18. Bids will be announced after the NCAA announces its bids for the national championship tournament.

"I will be heartbroken and really disappointed if this team isn't in postseason play," said Hunter. "There is absolutely no justice if this team is not in postseason play."

farewell, tulsa: reflections on four days of peace, love mascot brawls & basketball.

2008-03-13T21:06:00.000-07:00

Now that we're a full 48 hours removed from Tulsa, the UMAC and the Summit League Basketball Championship tournament, I've had some time to reflect on the four days of peace, love and basketball. Okay, so Jawz and Eli pretty much tossed out the peace and love part of things. But at least we had plenty of basketball.

The UMAC
The venue itself is outstanding, albeit troubling that the UMAC is a high school gym. There are college programs—cough! IUPUI! cough!—that would kill for this sort of joint. The downside: locals who staffed the event patrolled the arena like stormtroopers. I was instructed by an usher I wasn't allowed to shoot video. Never mind I was wearing a media credential. In years past, fans were ordered to take down signs that were neither profane nor obscene. Someone decided they just didn't like it. And now I'm hearing that people were instructed on how to properly sit in a seat.

In the future, I'd like for ushers and volunteers to get a grip and not over-step their boundaries.

Tulsa, Oklahoma
The good people of Tulsa were nothing but kind to me. I've been there twice and found the locals to be pleasant, polite and downright hospitable. I would hope any future host cities have residents as gracious.

The Fans
Fans are fans. They cheer, they boo, they sometimes get overzealous. No team is immune to that. ORU's fans outnumbered all other fans combined because they weren't living out of suitcases like everyone else. Nevertheless I'm going to call out the ignorance of ORU fans chanting "steroids" at IUPUI's Jernisha Cann during the championship game. That's beyond bush league. It's shameful, downright shameful.

Star Spangled What???
I'm not trying to be mean, but is it asking so much for a guy singing the National Anthem before a championship game to get the words right? A representative from the Tulsa Beacon turned to me following the anthem and said with a beaming expression on his face, "he did a great job."

"Didn't he get the words wrong?" I said, somewhat incredulously. My man from the Beacon didn't seem to much care. He was a nice guy, to be fair, but the Beacon's Web site hasn't published a single new article since 5 March.

IPFW
Welcome to the conference, kid. All this ribbing was a hazing ritual of sorts. Yours is a young D-I program and is still learning how to fit in. IPFW's Pep Band was fun to watch at times, though, because they were obviously just happy to be there. But next time stick to standard Pep Band fare. The jazz power trio thing has to go.

Southern Hills Marriott
Great hotel. Salon E will never be the same after being invaded by the miscreants of press row.

Tulsa International Airport
Seriously, could you be any farther away from anything?

Southern Utah University
I'm disappointed in the program not for its on-court performance, but rather for sending their kids to the tournament with as little support as possible. No Pep Band. No cheerleaders. No mascot. No wonder the women's team looked relieved more than disappointed when they were bounced out by IUPUI. Perhaps SUU doesn't have the aforementioned amenities to furnish its program. If not: GET THEM. End of story.

Pep Bands, One and All!
By and large, they all were....LOUD! I still can't get OU's fight song out of my head. And I know this makes me a cornball, but I still love it when a band plays "Hey Baby," because they sing it. I don't know why, but I love that. UMKC got mad props on press row for Super Mario and The Family Guy. But the JagBand is still my first and only love.

ORU Cheerleaders
I admit I was a bit hard on them for their antics toward IPFW, but that's because I'm protective of the new, weaker kid in class. Don't pick on the weak kid, eh? But the lesson was obviously learned and ORU's kids were model cheerleaders on Tuesday.

The Mascot Melee

Yeah, it's all over the place. And yeah, I had more than just a little to do with that. And yeah, I will take some small measure of credit for being the first to post it on YouTube (158,000+ hits, as of today). So, thank you very much for giving me my YouTube moment. I'll re-cap the coverage this pulled in a later entry.

"Neutral" Sites
At least three coaches--OU's Beckie Francis, IUPUI's Shann Hart and Ron Hunter--playing their final Tulsa tourney games took parting shots on the "neutral site" term, calling the UMAC "neutral," pejoratively. While I didn't hear other coaches say it directly, you know the thought isn't too far from stumbling out in a post-game presser.

It's worth noting ORU men played in four championship games in Tulsa, winning three. The women? Three, winning three. Coincidence? You decide.

The coaches are not wrong, but so what. Lots of fans will bemoan it. But if you want to neutralize the another team's fans, bring more of your own. Period. Sadly, though, Summit League fans just don't travel that far. Valpo's fans did, that's for sure. But it's been so long (four years in Tulsa) that we have no idea how well ORU's fans will travel. We'll find out next year in Sioux Falls(!), South freakin' Dakota.

Post Season
ORU is looking at a possible 13-seed right now. Depending on their draw, they could have a puncher's chance at an upset. Let's just wait and see.

IUPUI should get an NIT bid, but we'll have to wait and see.

On the women's side, ORU is probably looking at a 15 or 16. Double digits in the loss column will keep your draw on the low side of the bracket.

2009 Summit League Tournament
...Sioux Falls? I'm going to Sioux Falls?????? It's going to SNOW there this week!

what i saw at the summit league: mascot brawl!

2008-03-12T00:29:00.000-07:00

There is one universal rule in collegiate athletics that proves its own validity every time mortal beings dare test it. That rule? Mascots from opposing teams should NOT be on the floor at the same time.

Don't believe me? Enter, Exhibit A:

twenty down, twenty to go.

2008-03-11T16:46:00.001-07:00

As poorly as IUPUI played in the first half—getting out-rebounded a thousand to one!—ORU only has a four-point lead.

Golden Eagles lead 31-27.

mascot wars.

2008-03-11T16:41:00.000-07:00

The mascots got ejected in the first half. You'll see it later on YouTube.

on the line: one dance card.

2008-03-11T15:47:00.000-07:00

ORU won the women's championship over IUPUI 66-53, thanks largely to Rachel Watman going bonkers from three-point land.

That was just the first half of today's Jaguars/Eagles doubleheader. Next up is the heavyweight fight we knew was coming back in November.

In about 10 minutes we tip off...should be a good one.

gimmick of the tournament.

2008-03-11T13:43:00.001-07:00

Whiteboards. Everybody's got 'em.

stay classy, oru.

2008-03-11T13:35:00.000-07:00

You know, fans are fans. They're no different in any college arena in America. Nevertheless, the ORU fans proved to be bush-leaguers with chants of "steroids" at IUPUI's Jernisha Cann.

Even the official admonished an ORU cheerleader for saying something in the direction of the court.

First IPFW, now this.

Stay classy, ORU!

oru cheerleaders get (another) thumbs.

2008-03-11T11:33:00.001-07:00

Looks like I wasn't the only one to notice the ORU cheerleaders were exuding a less than sportsmanlike attitude during this tournament. Steve Warden of the Ft. Wayne Journal Gazette agreed:

Eagles cheerleaders show pathetic sportsmanship
By Steve Warden

TULSA, Okla. – We weren’t aware that Tulsa is the cheerleading capital of the world, or at least the Oral Roberts cheerleaders think so.

Hate to sound like a “homer,” but the Oral Roberts cheerleaders mocking the IPFW cheerleaders got more than wearisome. The word “classless” comes to mind.

When an IPFW pyramid broke down and there was a tangle of cheerleaders on the floor, the Golden Eagles cheerleaders thought it was quite amusing. They also taunted and even wrote signs on a whiteboard to the IPFW cheerleaders at the other end of the floor.

No wonder several of the Summit League folks I’ve talked with don’t care for Oral Roberts. Read more.

upon further review...#1 band: the jagband.

2008-03-10T22:21:00.000-07:00

Upon further review, my conscience, my heart and my head all got together and decided it's not even a close call....
IUPUI JAGBAND IS THE BEST BAND IN THE SUMMIT LEAGUE!!

Hands down, they're the best. They sound great, they cheer loud, they play with heart, and they make me proud (wow, that rhymed...thank you, Guinness!).

Despite what you read previously, I am here to tell you: The JagBand is where it's at.

I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me for straying, baby. It was just this once, and it'll never happen again.

That other band meant NOTHING to me. It's you I adore, JagBand.

jags/eagles doubleheader.

2008-03-10T21:41:00.000-07:00

Championship Tuesday is the ORU-IUPUI Invitational.

Women's Championship
(4) ORU Golden Eagles vs. (3) IUPUI Jaguars
3 p.m. EDT

Men's Championship
(2) IUPUI Jaguars vs. (1) ORU Golden Eagles
7 p.m. EDT

Game on, yo.

It should be a GREAT day of basketball.

More to come.

crenshaw hits the shot!!

2008-03-10T19:26:00.001-07:00

But not tonight. He's breaking down the first half with Greg
Rakestraw. IUPUI leads Oakland 37-33 at the half.

It's pretty much the sort of game we anticipated: OU is physical and
hitting threes, the Jags are riding on George Hill's back. He's got 16
so far.

Game on.

tulsa, ok umac ushers suck. (but i heart the media relations crew).

2008-03-10T18:22:00.000-07:00

Memo to: UMAC ushers in Tulsa, Oklahoma

When one is WEARING a media credential, one has already gotten clearance from the necessary authorities to shoot video inside your high school gym. So let this be an open letter to UMAC ushers and their management: recognize a media credential when you see it.

Bush league jackass.

But the Summit League media crew rock. YOU ROCK! I salute you, Hope Wagner & Co.

mastadons extinct.

2008-03-10T17:59:00.000-07:00

Despite a spirited and over-achieving effort, IPFW ran out of gas with about six minutes remaining. ORU won 58-42, heading back to the championship game for the fourth consecutive year.

Jaraun Burrows earned his way to the All Tourney team, but so did Robert Jarvis. He finished with 19 points off the bench.

The difference in the game? Robert Jarvis, second chance points and bench points. I suppose "bench" is too broad a term, since it was Jarvis who did the yeoman's work.

Next up, IUPUI takes on Oakland. The #2 vs. the #3. This should be an absolute grind.

jaraun burrows.

2008-03-10T17:15:00.000-07:00

No matter tonight's outcome, he's earned his way to the All Tournament
team with his performance against ORU.

iiiiiinteresting.

2008-03-10T16:15:00.001-07:00

Had you told me the score of the ORU-IPFW game would be 9-2 at the
outset I would have said, "yeah, I figured ORU would jumpout early."

Guess again. It's IPFW out to the early lead.

two down, two to go.

2008-03-10T16:01:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow afternoon's women's championship game is set: (4) Oral Roberts University vs. (3) IUPUI Jaguars at 3 p.m. EDT.

The Jaguars won the two regular season contests against ORU, but can they win a third time? Who knows.

Julia Whitted solidified herself as a member of the All Tournament Team with another monster performance—24 points, 14 rebounds, eight blocks. Her eight blocks set a new record for the tournament.

The ORU/IPFW men's game is just about to get underway. Following that, IUPUI vs. Oakland. Should be a good night of basketball.

jags locking down early.

2008-03-10T12:48:00.001-07:00

It's the Julia Whitted show today. She already has six blocks halfway
through the first half.

i've got a fever...

2008-03-10T11:46:00.001-07:00

...and the only cure is MORE COWBELL!!

crunch time.

2008-03-10T11:41:00.001-07:00

Perhaps I spoke too soon about OU's demise.

weathering the storm.

2008-03-10T11:13:00.000-07:00

Oakland came out of the half with momentum, but ORU is weathering the
storm. OU got it down to a six-point deficit, but the Golden Eagles
pushed it back 16. The Grizzlies are done.

timeout.

2008-03-10T11:02:00.001-07:00

ORU cheerleaders.

odds & ends.

2008-03-10T08:37:00.000-07:00

Best quote of the tournament (so far):
There is a simple philosophy two balls fit through one hole was a little tough tonight. Even a blind squirrel finds an acorn once in awhile, but quite frankly we didn't do that either.
Southern Utah women's head coach Steve Hodson, after losing to IUPUI 62-34.

Biggest disappointment:
Geoff Payne, Southern Utah. The league's Newcomer of the Year went 0-for-the night from the free throw line in losing to IPFW by four points.

Biggest surprise:
UMKC. Both the men's and women's team ignored their #7 seedings and played their hearts out. While the men's team ultimately lost a heart-breaker, they gave IUPUI all it could handle. We'll see if the women's team continues its Cinderella story.

Best pep band (so far):
UMKC Kangaroos Pep Band (I know, I'm going to get hammered by my beloved JagBand. I love you guys, but the UMKC band impressed me the other night).

Best women's players (so far):
Janae Voelker, ORU
Jernisha Cann, IUPUI
Julia Whitted, IUPUI
Johnna Lewis-Carlisle, IPFW
(I haven't seen too many other games just yet...I'll get back to this)

Best men's players (so far):
Moses Ehambe, ORU
Eric Kangas, Oakland
Austin Montgomery, IUPUI
Dan Brumagin, UMKC
Tim Blackwell, UMKC
Reggie Hamilton, UMKC
Tate Sorenson, SUU (for the simple fact that he took one of the worst spills I've ever seen last night and walked off the court...bloodied and woozy, but still, he walked off)

Best fight song:
Valparaiso's....I know, they're not even here. But any fight song that incorporates "Beer Barrel Polka" into it gets my nod every time!

The hot seat (after the first round):
Derek Thomas, Western Illinois: The 'Necks had chances, but couldn't throw it in the ocean. Five years after getting the job, you have to wonder if Thomas is on his way out.

Leslie Crane, Western Illinois: An early exit this year, which followed under-achieving performances in recent years at the tourney, makes you wonder if there might be double trouble in McComb.

semi predictions.

2008-03-10T08:09:00.000-07:00

It's been an fun tournament, so far. Not too many surprises, but enough to make it interesting. On the women's side of things, UMKC pulled off the biggest upset of the tournament. Otherwise, it's been business as usual.

On the men's side, the UMKC men nearly were just as miraculous, giving IUPUI all they could handle. We'll see if the Jags re-group in time for tonight. IPFW technically upset Southern Utah last night, but it really was about as evenly matched as you can get.

Let's take a look at today's action...

Women's Semis
(4) ORU vs (1) Oakland, noon. ORU will be tough, but Oakland will win.

(7( UMKC vs. (3) IUPUI, 2:30 p.m. Jags beat the 'Roos twice in the regular season and are playing at their peak right now. IUPUI wins this one.

Men's Semis
(5)IPFW vs (1)ORU, 6 p.m. The Mastadons might give ORU about 10-15 minutes of trouble, but that's it. The Golden Eagles will win this one going away.

(3)Oakland vs. (2)IUPUI, 8:30 p.m. This will be the most intriguing game of this round. Oakland has a knack for dragging teams into a street fight. So long as IUPUI plays its game and doesn't fall into OU's traps, they should win. But OU poses lots of problems. They're a big, physical team with a deadly perimeter shooter. They played an effective zone last night, but we'll see what they throw at the Jags. Hard to make a prediction on this one, folks, because OU is a problematic team. If IUPUI's perimeter shooters (Montgomery, Patterson) are lighting it up, it'll open up the inside game and I'd expect IUPUI to win. But they have to play better than they did Saturday night.

It's beautiful and sunny in Tulsa...think I'll go enjoy it.

'necks & grizz.

2008-03-09T18:48:00.001-07:00

Just underwat. Will OU break the curse of the #3 seed? Stay tuned.

not even a fair fight.

2008-03-09T13:29:00.001-07:00

At the half, IUPUI leads SUU 28-12. It isn't even a fair fight.

jags take on tbirds.

2008-03-09T11:57:00.001-07:00

Game time is a half hour away.

oru advances.

2008-03-09T11:56:00.001-07:00

In the women's bracket, ORU knocked off IPFW 80-67.

just between you and me.

2008-03-09T11:28:00.001-07:00

...as I sit here, courtside, at the ORU-IPFW game on the women's side, I have to say the ORU fans are typical college fans. They cheer. They boo. They throw some friendly ribbing at the IPFW cheerleaders. All part of the experience. No big deal, right?

However, the ORU cheerleaders could use a lesson in class. Openly mocking the opposing team cheerleaders is bush league.

Just my humble two pennies.

upset of the tourney.

2008-03-09T11:27:00.000-07:00

On the women's side, this is the story of the tourney (so far).

a little video from tulsa.

2008-03-09T09:25:00.000-07:00

Here's some stuff I shot during yesterday's men's games.

The big upset on the women's side was UMKC knocking off #2-seeded Western Illinois. The men's team for UMKC also did its level best to give Ron Hunter fits, but the Jags narrowly escaped with a four-point victory.

Who will win today? We shall see.

umkc hanging around.

2008-03-08T19:20:00.000-08:00

Halftime
IUPUI-36; UMKC-31

As Jaguars play-by-play man just said, IUPUI not have an easy time with the Kangaroos. In fact, The 'Roos briefly held the lead tonight.

Here's a stat to keep in mind: IUPUI has turned the ball over nine times. UMKC? Three times. And they've scored 12 points off those turnovers.

Another stat: UMKC started the game shooting 2-of-9 and when 10-of-23 the rest of the way. The only thing keeping the Jags in the lead is 50 percent shooting from the field.

Is it rust? Who knows. Either way, UMKC is definitely within striking distance and certainly has Ron Hunter's attention.

live, from tulsa.

2008-03-08T17:04:00.001-08:00

Here we are, courtside at the Summit League conference championship tournament. Day One is nearly over, with one surprise thus far: Seventh seeded UMKC knocked off #2 Western Illinois in women's action. Oakland cruised to victory over Centenary.

Currently, in men's basketball, top seeded ORU is handling Centenary 44-27. If I were Tim Russert, I'd be projecting victory for ORU right about now.

Coming up in about an hour and a half, #2 IUPUI takes on #7 UMKC.

Stick around.

men's hoops: oru clinches share of conference title.

2008-02-22T05:47:00.000-08:00

Thanks to a win over UMKC and an IUPUI loss at Oakland last night, Oral Roberts all but clinched the top seed in the Summit League last night.

The Golden Eagles put away UMKC 74-62 at Mabee Center last night for their 15th conference win of the season to clinch their fourth consecutive share of the conference title.

IUPUI fell two losses behind ORU as Oakland smoked the Jags 84-69 at the O'Rena.

IUPUI can fall no further than the #2 seed, but Oakland put itself in the driver's seat for the #3 seed. IPFW maintained a tie with Oakland, beating Western Illinois 85-62.

Oh yeah, Southern Utah beat Centenary, 98-94.

With three more conference games remaining, IPFW and OU are jockeying for position. It's really the only race left worth watching, as ORU and IUPUI have already determined their seedings.

The current seedings:
1. Oral Roberts — 15-1 / 20-6
2. IUPUI — 13-3 / 21-6
3. Oakland — 9-6 / 14-12
4. IPFW — 9-6 — 12-14
5. Western Illinois — 7-9 / 12-15
6. Southern Utah — 7-9 / 9-18
7. UMKC — 4-11 / 9-19
8. Centenary — 3-12 / 9-18

Friday Night Basketball
NDSU @ SDSU, 7 p.m.

Saturday men's hoops action:
IUPUI @ IPFW, 4 p.m.
UMKC @ Centenary, 5:30 p.m.
Western Illinois @ Oakland, 6 p.m.
Creighton @ Oral Roberts, TBA
Western Illinois @ Oakland, 7 p.m.

golden grizzlies host iupui on fox sports tonight.

2008-02-21T05:11:00.000-08:00

Grizzlies Host IUPUI in Regionally Televised Game

ROCHESTER, Mich. - The Oakland University men's basketball team (13-12, 8-6 Summit) will host IUPUI (21-5, 13-2 Summit) this Thursday night at 7:38 p.m. in the Athletics Center O'Rena. The game will be regionally televised on Fox Sports Net, with Mario Impemba and Rick Mahorn on the call.

The game will also air on OU's flagship station WDTW (1310 AM), and the student radio station WXOU (88.3 FM).

The Golden Grizzlies lead the overall series with the Jaguars, 16-11, and hold a 10-3 advantage at home. OU is 7-3 inside the O’Rena against IUPUI.

Other conference action tonight:
Southern Utah @ Centenary, 7 p.m.
UMKC @ Oral Roberts, 7:05 p.m.
Western Illinois @ IPFW, 7 p.m.

oru back on winning track.

2008-02-19T21:07:00.000-08:00

Somehow, I completely spaced tonight's conference game between ORU and Southern Utah in Tulsa. I honestly had no clue it was going on tonight. It's not everyday we've got Tuesday night action on the men's side in the Summit League. As it were, the outcome was no shock. ORU won 71-62.

The win gives the Golden Eagles a full game lead over IUPUI in the conference standings. The Thunderbirds are now 6-9 in league play. Their best-case scenario is...oh, who the hell knows. I don't have time to get a flow chart and slide rule out to figure out the shoulda, coulda, woulda tie-breakers that may or may not occur. Let's wait until Friday morning to speculate.

Men’s Standings (thru Tuesday, 19 Feb 08)
1. Oral Roberts — 14-1 / 19-6
2. IUPUI — 13-2 / 21-5
3. Oakland — 8-6 / 13-12
3. IPFW — 8-6 — 11-14
5. North Dakota State — 7-8 / 13-13
5. Western Illinois — 7-8 / 12-14
7. Southern Utah — 6-9 / 8-18
8. UMKC — 4-10 / 9-18
8. Centenary — 3-11 / 9-17
10. South Dakota State — 3-12 / 8-18

Thursday Night Action
IUPUI @ Oakland, 7:30 (on FSN)
Southern Utah @ Centenary, 7 p.m.
UMKC @ Oral Roberts, 7:05 p.m.
Western Illinois @ IPFW, 7 p.m.

iupui's jernisha cann: 1,000-point club last night; player of the week today.

2008-02-19T10:42:00.000-08:00

IUPUI's Jernisha Cann got what she deserved today: Summit League Player of the Week Honors:

Cann earns her third Player of the Week award this season after averaging a double-double in two Jaguar victories last week over Oral Roberts (69-66) and Centenary (97-45). She averaged 18.5 points, 14.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.0 steals per game, while shooting 58 percent (15-of-26). Against Centenary, Cann recorded her 1,000 career point to become the 18th player in IUPUI history to reach that benchmark. Her 17 rebounds against the Golden Eagles were the second-highest single-game performance in the league this season, and she now has 11 double-doubles, including three straight.

Who's got the inside track on Player of the Year? Good question. Lisa Bue might have a shot, despite NDSU being a lame duck all season. Cann certainly has a shot. We'll know more in a couple weeks.

Previous POTW winners
Feb. 12 - Lisa Bue, NDSU
Feb. 5 - Jerri Penley, NDSU
Jan. 29 - Johnna Lewis-Carlisle, IPFW
Jan. 22 - Jernisha Cann, IUPUI
Jan. 15 - Katy Davenport, WIU
Jan. 8 - Lisa Bue, NDSU & Gina Hugelier, WIU
Jan. 1 - Lisa Bue, NDSU
Dec. 25 - Jessica Pike, OU
Dec. 18 - Anne Westwood, SUU
Dec. 11 - Jenny Hardin, ORU
Dec. 4 - Chazny Morris, UMKC
Nov. 27 - Jernisha Cann, IUPUI
Nov. 20 - Kristin Rotert, SDSU
Nov. 13 - Jessica Pike, OU

today's vocabulary lesson.

2008-02-19T09:00:00.000-08:00

Get out your No. 2 lead pencils, boys and girls. It’s time for a little vocabulary lesson! The word of the day is:

MEDIA — / MEE dee uh / n. pl.
The means of communications, as radio and television, newspapers, magazines, etc., that reach very large numbers of people.

Used in a sentence, one might say, “Are the MEDIA going to be at tonight’s game?”

I’m sure you also know MEDIA is also an adjective, such as a “MEDIA timeout” taken at the first dead ball of the first half with less than 16 minutes remaining in the game. It describes the type of timeout (as opposed to a “called” timeout or “official’s” timeout).

Yes, you’re very smart, class. You knew that. But here’s something you may not know. MEDIA also can be used as an adverb. Yes, it can!

An example might be….oh, I don’t know…say you ask me a question, such as: “Hey, Summit Blogger, are you attending the Summit League Conference Championship Tournament in Tulsa this year?”

I respond, “I’m looking into it.”

You come back with, “so that means you’re AREN’T attending?”

And I say, “I just said I’m looking into it! Don’t try and MEDIA me, class!!!!!”

See? MEDIA as an adverb describes the act of asking leading questions to elicit an answer that is direct, rather than evasive.

I report. You decide. :-)

women's hoops update: playoff picture still a little fuzzy.

2008-02-19T03:56:00.000-08:00

Very quickly, here's the women's hoops re-cap from last night:
NDSU-94, UMKC-81
IUPUI-97, CENT-45
SDSU-82, SUU-36
WIU-54, ORU-51

With those results, here are the latest seedings for the conference tournament:
1. WIU (11-4)
2. IUPUI (9-6)
3. OAK (8-6)
3. ORU (8-6)
5. IPFW (7-7)
6. SUU (4-10)
7. UMKC (2-12)
8. CENT (0-13)

Too bad for South Dakota State (13-2) and North Dakota State (10-5). They'd be #1 and #3.

IUPUI's Jernisha Cann gets my vote as POTW, based on reaching the 1,000-point mark for her career last night. IUPUI's Julia Whitted also earns a look...especially since she got hosed a week or so ago.

lucky 13.

2008-02-18T20:46:00.000-08:00

Looks like I was soft-pedaling my optimism for IUPUI in the latest Mid Major Top 25. The Jags climbed eight spots to #13 in the latest poll on the strength of two conference wins. ORU held steady at #19 in the poll.

attention, iupui students: midmajority.com would like to have a word with you.

2008-02-18T20:32:00.001-08:00

In case you missed it, MidMajority.com called last Saturday's IUPUI-ORU game its Game! Of! The! Night! In its regular Boubacar wrap-up, Mid-Majority also had this to say about the game:

...despite the fact that the Jaguars are still in second place with a 13-2 record, the fans stormed the floor. We still have mixed feelings about in-season bum rushes (I got kicked in the head when Loyola Marymount beat Gonzaga last year)... because come on, IUPUI is still in second place.

I can't say I totally disagree with the sentiment, but this game had plenty of significance for IUPUI. As the Tulsa TV play-by-play man said, (I'm paraphrasing) ORU wanted to win the game, but IUPUI needed to win the game.

Nevertheless, the point is somewhat valid. Don't cheapen what it means to storm the court after a team wins its conference tournament title, earning the Golden Ticket to the Big Dance™.

And oh yeah...if you're over the age of 23 and/or have not seen the inside of a college classroom in more than two years, YOU DO NOT BELONG ON THE COURT! All too often I see one or two dudes who have beer bellies, mustaches or gray hair running about on the court amidst the students like they belong. This just in: you do not belong!

These clowns are tantamount to the guys who still go to high school parties when they're in college...or go to college parties after they hit the big 3-0. At some point, you just have to accept that you're too old to partake in the court-storming and let the kids have their fun.

ehambe named player of the week.

2008-02-18T12:57:00.001-08:00

The League just made it official:

ORU's Ehambe Named Player of the Week
Ehambe earns Player of the Week honors after averaging 29.5 points on 70 percent shooting last week. He scored a career-high 40 points at Western Illinois, setting additional career highs in field goals (12), three-point field goals (9) and free throws (7). He followed that up with 19 points at IUPUI. Ehambe became the first ORU player since Reggie Borges in 2002 to score 40 points in a game, and just the sixth player in ORU history to do so. Read more.

Not terribly surprising, despite going 1-1 for the week. Carson's game for IPFW was good, but it was just one game. And oh yeah...Ehambe dropped 40 points in one game. That just doesn't happen too often.

will iupui move up?

2008-02-18T11:14:00.000-08:00

I'll be curious to see the latest Mid-Major Top 25 Poll later this afternoon. If you recall, ORU was #19 and IUPUI was #21 heading into the weekend. Given the results of that game--and the fact that four of the teams just above ORU in the polls lost--IUPUI should jump up to around 14 or 15. ORU shouldn't be too far below IUPUI either, since they only have six losses compared to the seven, eight or even nine losses of other teams ranked higher.

It's also worth noting ORU's RPI is relatively high, compared to all the teams surrounding them in the polls.

Again, I said SHOULD. ORU head coach Scott Sutton possesses the lone Summit League vote. I wonder what his vote will look like.

I guess we'll know later today.

oru assistant coach needs a hug.

2008-02-17T12:43:00.001-08:00

Sources tell me one of ORU's men's basketball assistant coaches wasn't happy with the clock management in the closing moments of the ORU-IUPUI game Saturday night.

As Robert Jarvis' potentially game-winning three-point attempt missed and players fought for the rebound, the ball trickled out of bounds along the baseline as time expired. The clock went to zeros, the horn sounded and the officials blew their whistles.

Game over, right?

Well...

As the teams lined up to shake hands, ORU assistant coach Conley Phipps turned to the clock operator and tersely said, "you know you're supposed to stop the clock only on the official's whistle...did you know that?"

The tone of his remarks, sources say, would suggest Phipps thinks ORU got "homered" by an exuberant clock operator.

Independent video replay (i.e. - ME WITH MY DVR!) confirmed the ball rolled out of bounds with 0:0.8 seconds remaining on the clock.

HOWEVER... To Phipps' point about the official's whistle: the underneath official (Bill Neketis, I think) was on top of the play and blew his whistle as time expired on the clock. His whistle blew a fraction of a second before the final horn sounded. None of the officials requested a video review of the play. Referee Lamont Simpson signaled the game was over and that was that.

It's also worth noting my video review also indicates Neketis signaled possession was to IUPUI, not ORU (but then appears to point possession to ORU). While the TV replay doesn't fully show who knocked the ball out of bounds--IUPUI's Jon Avery and ORU's Marcello Vealy both scrambled for the loose ball--it appeared Vealy last touched it. I'm not saying he did, but it certainly appears he may have touched it last.

But this all conjecture. Lest we forget, the officials have the last word, Coach Phipps. It is not for the table crew to determine the outcome of the game. While your frustration at dropping a tough road game in the conference is certainly appreciated, your flip remarks to the crew was bush league.

full-tilt saturday: nothing set in stone for march madness...yet.

2008-02-17T12:08:00.000-08:00

Men’s Hoops Wrap-up: Jags Turn Back ORU, Still Hunting for Top Seed
Full-Tilt Saturday settled plenty of drama and answers for post-season seeding in men’s basketball. The top two seeds are locked down between ORU and IUPUI while the bottom two seeds are all but determined. The middle four brackets are shaping up to be a horse race all the way to the end of the season; perhaps relying on a series of tie-breakers to determine seeding.

In the biggest showdown of the night, ORU and IUPUI went at each other like Rocky Balboa and Apollo Creed. It would be unfair to call the second-place Jaguars an underdog, as both teams are poised to Dance in March Madness™. While the Golden Eagles notched a tough, one-point victory in the first salvo at Mabee Center last month, George Hill and Co. staved off a fierce ORU comeback to win 69-66, giving ORU its first conference loss of the season and narrowing the gap between first and second place to a half-game. Austin Montgomery led the Jags with 18 points. Moses Ehambe scored 19 for the Golden Eagles to lead all scorers.

The game was more of a must-win situation for IUPUI to maintain at least a #2 seed, with Oakland still within shouting distance. As Tulsa broadcast announcers said, ORU wanted to win, but IUPUI needed to win.

The Jags win coupled with IPFW’s upset victory over Oakland at Rochester clinched the top two seeds for ORU and IUPUI. David Carson’s 18 points led the Mastadons to a 71-66 victory over the Golden Grizzlies, keeping Dane Fife’s squad in contention for the #3 seed. Were it not for Ehambe’s 40-point explosion vs. Western Illinois Thursday night (and the fact that IPFW only played one conference game this week), Carson might get consideration for POTW honors. As it stands, Ehambe will probably win out over SUU’s Geoff Payne or George Hill (by default) for the simple fact he blew up for 40 points.

Saturday Scoreboard — Men’s Hoops:
IPFW @ Oakland — IPFW 71-66
North Dakota State @ Southern Utah — SUU 72-67
Oral Roberts @ IUPUI — IUPUI 69-66
Centenary @ Western Illinois — WIU 68-67
South Dakota State @ UMKC — UMKC 68-63

Men’s Standings (thru Saturday, 16 Feb 08)
1. Oral Roberts — 13-1 / 18-6
2. IUPUI — 13-2 / 21-5
3. Oakland — 8-6 / 13-12
3. IPFW — 8-6 — 11-14
5. North Dakota State — 7-8 / 13-13
5. Western Illinois — 7-8 / 12-14
7. Southern Utah — 6-8 / 8-17
8. UMKC — 4-10 / 9-18
8. Centenary — 3-11 / 9-17
10. South Dakota State — 3-12 / 8-18

Thursday Night Summit League Action:
IUPUI @ Oakland, 7:30 p.m.
Southern Utah @ Centenary, 7 p.m.
UMKC @ Oral Roberts, 7:05 p.m.
Western Illinois @ IPFW, 7 p.m.

Friday Night Summit League Action:
North Dakota State @ South Dakota State, 7 p.m.

Saturday Night Summit League Action:
IUPUI @ IPFW, 4 p.m.
UMKC @ Centenary, 5:30 p.m.
Western Illinois @ Oakland, 6 p.m.
Creighton @ Oral Roberts, TBA

On the Women’s Side…
South Dakota State is serving notice in the Summit League: there’s a new sheriff in town. At 12-2, the Jackrabbits have quickly established themselves as the team to beat. With hopes of an at-large berth to the NCAA or NIT, SDSU took UMKC behind the woodshed yesterday, 74-48. Stacie Oistad led a balanced attack with 18 points. Western Illinois maintains a scant 1-1/2 games lead over ORU for the top seed in the conference tournament by virtue of beating Centenary 67-43. The Ladies are in an absolute tailspin right now at 0-13 for the season. Stephanie Lovingood went bonkers for the Westerwinds, scoring 19 points and grabbing 14 rebounds.

But Lovingood’s efforts on the day were outdone by IUPUI’s Julia Whitted. She scored 26 points and 14 rebounds to lead the Jags to a comeback victory over ORU, 69-66. Jernisha Cann added 21 points and 17 boards in the win. Depending on Monday night’s outcome, I think we can safely say this week’s POTW will be Lovingood, Whitted or Cann.

As it stands, five teams are still jockeying for the top seed in the conference tournament: WIU, ORU, Oakland, IUPUI and IPFW. Monday night’s ORU-WIU game should provide some answers.

Saturday Scoreboard — Women’s Hoops:
IPFW @ Oakland — Oak 79-64
Oral Roberts @ IUPUI — IUPUI 69-66
Centenary @ Western Illinois — WIU 67-43
South Dakota State @ UMKC — SDSU 74-48
North Dakota State @ Southern Utah — NDSU 87-62

Women’s Standings (thru Saturday, 16 Feb 08)
1. South Dakota State — 12-2 / 19-6
2. Western Illinois — 10-4 / 12-13
3. North Dakota State — 9-5 / 14-10
4. Oral Roberts — 8-5 / 14-10
5. Oakland — 8-6 / 15-9
5. IUPUI — 8-6 / 12-14
7. IPFW — 7-7 / 10-15
8. Southern Utah — 4-9 / 6-18
9. UMKC — 2-11 / 9-15
10. Centenary — 0-13 / 3-20

Monday Night Summit League Action:
North Dakota State @ UMKC, 7 p.m.
Centenary @ IUPUI, 7 p.m.
South Dakota State @ Southern Utah, 7 p.m.
Oral Roberts @ Western Illinois, 7 p.m.

Saturday Night Summit League Action:
Western Illinois @ IPFW, 1 p.m.
UMKC @ Oral Roberts, 2:05 p.m.
IUPUI @ Oakland, 3:30 p.m.
Southern Utah @ Centenary, 3 p.m.
North Dakota State @ South Dakota State, 7 p.m.

oral roberts, iupui....collision course.

2008-02-16T07:59:00.001-08:00

It's a full slate of action tonight in the Summit League. Ten schools, five double-headers:
* IPFW @ Oakland
* Oral Roberts @ IUPUI
* Centenary @ Western Illinois
* South Dakota State @ UMKC
* North Dakota State @ Southern Utah

I know the League office is calling the SDSU-UMKC its Game of the Week, but we all know where the real Game of the Week is: THE JUNGLE!

ORU and IUPUI are the top two teams in men's hoops. Truth be told, the game means a whole lot more to the Jaguars than to ORU. At this point, the Golden Eagles are already assured of nothing less than a #2 seed in the conference tournament. IUPUI, at this point, still needs two wins to get at least a #2...and they've got to go to third-place Oakland after today. The Golden Grizzlies' toughest part of their schedule is in the rearview mirror (IUPUI game notwithstanding). If they run the table, they could force a tie for the second seed.

That, of course, begs teh question: who will be looser tonight? ORU has nothing to lose, really. IUPUI could slip from a #2 to a #3. Of course, if they win tonight, they'll be breathing down ORU's neck for the top seed. However, I don't really see the Golden Eagles relinquishing the #1, no matter what happens tonight.

We'll know soon enough.

Men's standings.
1. Oral Roberts: 13-0 / 18-5
2. IUPUI: 12-2 / 20-5
3. Oakland: 8-5 / 13-11
4. IPFW: 7-6 / 10-14
5. North Dakota State: 7-7 / 13-12
6. Western Illinois: 6-8 / 11-14
7. Southern Utah: 5-8 / 7-17
8. Centenary: 3-10 / 9-16
8. UMKC: 3-10 8-18
10. South Dakota State: 3-11 / 8-17

Women's standings.
1. South Dakota State: 11-2 / 18-6
2. Western Illinois: 9-4 / 11-13
3. Oral Roberts: 8-4 / 14-9
4. North Dakota State: 8-5 / 13-10
5. Oakland: 7-6 / 14-9
5. IUPUI: 7-6 / 11-14
5. IPFW: 7-6 / 10-14
8. Southern Utah: 4-8 / 6-17
9. UMKC: 2-10 / 9-14
10. Centenary: 0-12 / 3-19

viva las vegas.

2008-02-15T22:19:00.000-08:00

I must be nuts. And gullible. I was talking to someone at one of the Summit League schools this week who planted the seed that the tournament should be held in Las Vegas. Said person threw this notion at me because it's public knowledge around the program that I'm relocating there in a few months (if things fall into place). I'm not sure if my obsessive nature about wild-hair ideas is also public knowledge, but thanks to a flip comment about Sin City hosting the Summit League Basketball Championships has got my wheels turning.

In the interest of full disclosure, I know nothing--NOTHING--about staging such an event much less producing a bid for it. But now, I'm doing some pithy research into it.

The casual observer may argue it's foolish for numerous reasons:
* No Summit League schools are even located in Las Vegas (the nearest is Southern Utah University).
* Las Vegas is a huge tourist town...the Summit League would get lost among the lights.
* It would be a 'dangerous' location to send all your student-athletes who may become tempted by the surroundings.

Valid points, but each is refutable.
* For starters, the league already has precedence for hosting the tournament in a non-Summit League town (Ft. Wayne).
* The thought that Vegas would deter fans is backwards. There's lots of downtime at a tournament. It would be a great vacation package for all those cold-weather Summit League fans.
* College kids face distractions every day. And those hotels and casinos on The Strip don't want their business. They want your business, Mr. and Ms. Grown-up!

It's an idea that's worth examining, I think, because the League traditionally loses money on the tournament. Tulsa has been a fortuitous host city for the obvious reason: Oral Roberts University fans. While Vegas presents no definitive home court, I think more fans would be apt to make the trip to Vegas instead of, say, Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

Perhaps I'm just having a Walter Mitty moment about this, but it never hurts to ask questions. Sometimes, people even listen to crazy ideas.

t-birds' dax crum to appear on espn today.

2008-02-12T05:08:00.000-08:00

From Southern Utah's Athletics Web site:

Dax Crum to Appear On ESPN2’s First Take

CEDAR CITY, Utah, Feb. 11 – Southern Utah University basketball player Dax Crum, who is a scholarship Division I athlete despite being born without a right hand, will appear live on ESPN First Take Tuesday morning.

The program runs daily on ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD from 8-10 a.m. (Mountain). Crum's segment is scheduled to air at approximately 9:40 a.m.

First Ron Hunter, now Dax Crum. The Summit League is getting some good PR of late. I have to admit...I didn't even pay any attention to Crum when I saw him play a couple weeks ago. He came in toward the end of the IUPUI game at Indy on 31 Jan (The Jags won 88-66). He took a three-point shot later in the second half. I turned to the SID and said, "boy, he's got a weird release!"

"That's because he's missing a hand," retorted the SID, in an are you an idiot?? tone. Obviously, I am. I didn't even pay any attention to that. To Crum's credit, he scored five points in that game.

women's hoops monday night roundup.

2008-02-11T22:02:00.000-08:00

It's really too bad South Dakota State won't be eligible for this year's championship tournament...well, unless you're everybody else. The Jackrabbits won their seventh in a row tonight, pounding IUPUI 68-44. SDSU's Ketty Cornemann and Kristy Rotert combined for 36 points—eight less than the entire Jaguars team.

Western Illinois lost its second in a row, getting blown out by North Dakota State, 62-43.

Monday night wrap-up:
Western Illinois-42, North Dakota State-63
IPFW-74, Centenary-47
Oakland-66, Oral Roberts-73
IUPUI-44, South Dakota State-68

With that, things are tightening up for March Madness. But it didn't change the seedings one bit.

Excluding the Dakota teams, five teams are within two games of one another for the top seeds in the conference tournament, and it's a full slate of action this Saturday. The Dakotas are taking on the bottom teams in the conference (UMKC, SUU) and Western hosting Centenary, that leaves two games with post-season implications: IPFW at Oakland and ORU at IUPUI. Those are the games of the week.

Saturday games scheduled:
IPFW @ Oakland, 3:30 p.m.
Oral Roberts @ IUPUI, 4:30 p.m.
Centenary @ Western Illinois, 4:30 p.m.
South Dakota State @ UMKC, 4 p.m.
North Dakota State @ Southern Utah, 5 p.m.

The latest standings:
1. South Dakota State 11-2/18-6
2. Western Illinois 9-4/11-13
3. Oral Roberts 8-4/14-9
4. North Dakota State 8-5/13-10
5. Oakland 7-6/14-9
5. IUPUI 7-6/11-14
5. IPFW 7-6/10-14
8. Southern Utah 4-8/6-17
9. UMKC 2-10/9-14
10. Centenary 0-12/3-19

mid-major top 25: oru on the move; iupui holds steady.

2008-02-11T14:55:00.000-08:00

I stand corrected. Only Oral Roberts moved up in the Mid-Major Top 25 today. IUPUI held steady at 21. The Golden Eagles and Jags will have a chance to settle things on the court this week as they square off at IUPUI Saturday night. No doubt that will be the Game of the Week for the Summit League.

Before that, both teams have business to tend to Thursday night. IUPUI takes on Centenary at home while ORU is on the road at Western Illinois. The Jags have an opportunity to avenge their only conference losses of the season this week. Both teams should come into Saturday night's game ready for battle. It's always a big game in the Jungle when ORU comes to town.

Current Mid-Major Top 25:
1. Butler (20) (21-2)
2. Drake (11) (22-1)
3. St. Mary's (20-3)
4. Davidson (17-6)
5. Gonzaga (18-6)
6. VCU (18-5)
7. South Alabama (20-4)
8. Western Kentucky (19-5)
9. Kent State (19-5)
10. George Mason (17-7)
11. Stephen F. Austin (19-3)
12. Sam Houston State (18-4)
13. Akron (17-6)
14. UNC-Asheville (18-5)
15. Ohio (16-7)
16. Pacific (17-6)
17. Creighton (17-6)
18. Cal State Northridge (16-6)
19. Oral Roberts (17-5)
20. UC Santa Barbara (17-6)
21. IUPUI (19-5)
22. Illinois State (17-7)
23. Morgan State (14-8)
24. Rider (18-7)
25. Wright State (17-6)

mid-major top 25: golden eagles, jags should move up.

2008-02-11T11:37:00.001-08:00

The men's Mid-Major Top 25 hasn't been released yet today, but I predict ORU and IUPUI to move up a notch or two. The Golden Eagles were #20 while the Jags were #21.

Cal State Northridge and Illinois State were ranked just ahead of the two Summit League teams (as well as Creighton) and both lost last week.

Valparaiso, by the way, is not ranked in the Mid-Major Top 25.

Stay Tuned.

george hill earns fourth potw honor.

2008-02-11T11:25:00.000-08:00

Well, here's the least-shocking news of the day:

IUPUI’s Hill Named Player of the Week

Hill earns Player of the Week honors for the fourth time this season after averaging 28.5 points on 65 percent shooting, 5.5 rebounds and 5.5 assists in a pair of wins last week.

The junior opened the week with 23 points, including 19 in the second half, to go with five rebounds and four assists vs. South Dakota State. He followed that up with 33 points, one shy of his career high, seven assists and six rebounds in a come-from-behind win at North Dakota State.

Hill, who made a career-high 14 free throws in the victory, assisted John Ashworth on the game-winning three-pointer as the Jaguars closed the game on a 14-0 run. IUPUI has now won six in a row and sits in second place in The Summit League standings.

Also nominated: Tim Blackwell, UMKC; Brett Winkelman, North Dakota State; Johnathon Jones, Oakland; Geoff Payne, Southern Utah.

I can't see anyone coming close to Hill in Player-of-the-Year honors.

Previous winners:
Feb. 4 - Gary Patterson, IUPUI
Jan. 28 - George Hill, IUPUI, and Robert Jarvis, Oral Roberts
Jan. 21 - Jaraun Burrows, IPFW
Jan. 14 - Shawn King, Oral Roberts
Jan. 7 - George Hill, IUPUI
Jan. 2 - Tate Sorensen, Southern Utah
Dec. 26 - Derick Nelson, Oakland
Dec. 17 - Brett Winkelman, North Dakota State
Dec. 10 - Demetrius Johnson, IPFW
Dec. 3 - George Hill, IUPUI
Nov. 26 - Ben Woodside, North Dakota State
Nov. 19 - Nick Stallings, Centenary
Nov. 12 - Jeremiah Hartsock, UMKC

women's hoops: no clarity for the top five seeds...yet.

2008-02-09T22:47:00.000-08:00

As the regular season winds down, five teams are still within shouting distance of one another, competing for the top seeds in the conference tournament. South Dakota State claimed sole possession of first place, pounding Western Illinois 85-60 back into second place. The Jackrabbits hit 14 three pointers en route to victory.

Led by Mariana Camargo's 21 points, Oral Roberts defeated IPFW 88-71 to reclaim third place in the conference. By virtue of losing to North Dakota State 65-60, IUPUI dropped into a three-way tie for fourth place with the Bison and Golden Grizzlies, who defeated Centenary 72-55. The Ladies have yet to win a conference game this season.

Rounding out the games, Southern Utah edged UMKC 51-49.

Monday night basketball:
Western Illinois @ North Dakota State, 7 p.m.
IPFW @ Centenary, 7 p.m.
Oakland @ Oral Roberts, 7:05 p.m.
IUPUI @ South Dakota State, 7 p.m.

Monday night action between OU and ORU might clear up the picture for #2 seed in the tourney, but there's simply too much basketball left to be played before Tulsapalooza. If IUPUI can upset the top team and best conference road team—South Dakota State—the Jags are probably staring at a #3 at best.

The latest standings:
1. South Dakota State—10-2/17-6
2. Western Illinois—9-3/11-12
3. Oral Roberts—7-4/13-9
4. Oakland—7-5/14-8
4. North Dakota State—7-5/12-10
4. IUPUI—7-5/11-13
7. IPFW—6-6/9-14
8. Southern Utah—4-8/6-17
9. UMKC—2-10/9-14
10. Centenary—0-11/3-18

men's hoops saturday round-up: jaguars 2, dakotas 0....and oru 12, the rest 0.

2008-02-09T22:00:00.000-08:00

Despite North Dakota State's best efforts tonight, the Summit League men's conference remains The Big Two and little eight. Oral Roberts University and IUPUI continue on a collision course that may not be settled until the conference championship. The Golden Eagles made easy work of IPFW tonight, winning 88-56. Moses Ehambe led all scorers with 21 points to end IPFW's one and only road winning streak at one for the season.

While road losses mount for the Mastadons, they've got one last legitimate shot at the #3 seed when they host Oakland next Saturday.

North Dakota State had IUPUI right where they wanted them, leading by 12 with about 5-1/2 remaining in the game. And then the Jags closed out the game with a 14-0 run, winning 69-67, thanks to a John Ashworth three pointer. While Ashworth provided the heroics, George Hill made his case for POTW by scoring 33 points.

Oakland took sole possession of third place, defeating Centenary 97-61 in Shreveport. It was the worst Gold Dome loss in school history for the Gents. Ouch. Derick Nelson scored 22 points to lead the Golden Grizzlies.

Rounding out Saturday action, Southern Utah defeated UMKC 78-73 and South Dakota State topped Western Illinois, 81-75 in the Pork (???) Classic. Seriously...pork???

The latest standings:
1. Oral Roberts—12-0/17-5
2. IUPUI—11-2/19-5
3. Oakland—8-5/13-11
4. IPFW—7-6/10-14
5. North Dakota State—6-7/12-12
5. Western Illinois—6-7/11-13
7. Southern Utah—4-8/6-17
8. Centenary—3-9/9-15
8. UMKC—3-9/8-17
10. South Dakota State—3-10/8-16

Thursday's game:
Oral Roberts @ Western Illinois, 7 p.m.
South Dakota State @ Southern Utah, 7 p.m.
Centenary @ IUPUI, 7 p.m.
North Dakota State @ UMKC, 7:05 p.m.

grizz, 'dons & 'necks still gunning for #3 seed.

2008-02-07T19:41:00.000-08:00

Wow! Did Western Illinois lay an egg in my master plan of a three-way tie for third place! They went to North Dakota State and got a beatdown, 86-62. Brett Winkelman led all scorers with 21 and Ben Woodside added 20. What was the big difference? Western Illinois couldn't throw it in the ocean. They hit just 29.8% from the field. That ain't gonna get it done.

So here are the scores from Thursday night:
IUPUI - 70, South Dakota State - 56
IPFW - 65, Centenary - 44
Western Illinois - 62, North Dakota State - 86
Oakland - 53, Oral Roberts - 60

Oral Roberts handled Oakland 60-53 to stay undefeated in the conference while the Golden Grizzlies are now in a bit of a fight for the #3 seed. But the big story tonight is IPFW who won their first road game OF THE SEASON! George Hill dropped 23 for the Jags, leading a group of four double-digit scorers.

Heading into Saturday's games, the top six seeds are getting awfully bunched up.
Current standings:
1. Oral Roberts 11-0/16-5—W11
2. IUPUI 10-2/18-5—W5
3. Oakland 7-5/12-11—L1
3. IPFW 7-5/10-13—W3
5. Western Illinois 6-6/11-12—L1
5. North Dakota State 6-6/12-11—W1
7. Centenary 3-8/9-14—L4
7. UMKC 3-8/8-16—L2
7. Southern Utah 3-8/5-17—L3
10. South Dakota State 2-10/7-16—L4

Saturday's games:
IPFW @ Oral Roberts - 7:05 p.m
Western Illinois @ South Dakota State - 7:30 p.m.
IUPUI @ North Dakota State - 7 p.m.
UMKC @ Southern Utah - 7:30 p.m.

Since Oakland is idle, I'm going to call the IPFW-ORU game the Game of the Week. Why? Because if the Mastadons do the impossible and win, they stand alone in third place.

men's hoops: no room for error this thursday.

2008-02-05T15:15:00.001-08:00

Until next weekend's showdown between league-leading Oral Roberts and pre-season favorite IUPUI, it's shaping up to be a relatively quiet Thursday is on tap in Summit League men's hoops; mostly teams jockeying for position in the middle of the pack.

Coming up Thursday:
* IUPUI @ South Dakota State - 7 p.m.
* IPFW @ Centenary - 7 p.m.
* Western Illinois @ North Dakota State - 7 p.m.
* Oakland @ Oral Roberts - 7:05 p.m.

We don't want to play favorites here, but IUPUI should win on the road while the Golden Eagles are heavily favored to beat the Golden Grizzlies (does the winner take the gold in this one?). Having said that, I'm going to call the ORU-Oakland game the Summit League Game of the Week.

It could get really interesting down the stretch for OU if they stumble. If Oakland loses and Western and IPFW win, we'll have a three-way tie for third place. Two losses and they're staring up from a #6 seed.

I guess we have to wait and see.

Of course, IUPUI has no room for error on their road trip to the Dakotas. After losing to ORU and Centenary on the road last month, they need at least a split this weekend.

Current standings:
1. Oral Roberts 10-0/15-5—W8
2. IUPUI 9-2/17-5—W4
3. Oakland 7-4/12-10—W3
4. Western Illinois 6-5/11-11—W2
5. IPFW 6-5/9-13—W2
6. North Dakota State 5-6/11-11—L2
7. Centenary 3-7/9-13—L3
8. UMKC 3-8/8-16—L2
9. Southern Utah 3-8/5-17—L3
10. South Dakota State 2-9/7-15—L3

rabbit punched. south dakota st. beats ipfw in ot; maintains first place.

2008-02-05T10:06:00.000-08:00

The four-way tie for third place on the women's side was broken last night by a pair of road wins for the Dakota schools. By virtue of IUPUI's home victory over Southern Utah, the Jags currently sit all alone in third place. Oral Roberts was idle last night, trailing IUPUI by a half game.

Monday Results
Southern Utah – 46 @ IUPUI – 71
North Dakota State – 58 @ Oakland – 54
South Dakota State – 74 @ IPFW – 72 (OT)
UMKC – 46 @ Western Illinois – 56

That latest standings:
1. South Dakota State 9-2/16-6
1. Western Illinois 9-2/11-11
3. IUPUI 7-4/11-12
4. Oral Roberts 6-4/12-9
5. Oakland 6-5/13-8
5. North Dakota State 6-5/11-10
5. IPFW 6-5/9-13
8. Southern Utah 3-8 5-17
9. UMKC 2-9/9-13
10. Centenary 0-10/3-17

Saturday's games:
IPFW @ Oral Roberts — 2:05 p.m.
IUPUI @ North Dakota State — 2 p.m.
Oakland @ Centenary — 3 p.m.
Western Illinois @ South Dakota State — 5 p.m.
Oakland @ Centenary — 5:30 p.m.
UMKC @ Southern Utah — 5 p.m.

It's almost too difficult to pick just one featured game this weekend, since all but one has post-season implications. But the Game of the Week is going to be Western at South Dakota State. Despite SDSU being ineligible for the tournament, this is the battle for first place. Everything else falls behind that game.

latest summit league standings.

2008-02-03T18:06:00.000-08:00

The latest standings in both men's and women's hoops.

Men’s Basketball
1. Oral Roberts 10-0/15-5—W8
2. IUPUI 9-2/17-5—W4
3. Oakland 7-4/12-10—W3
4. Western Illinois 6-5/11-11—W2
5. IPFW 6-5/9-13—W2
6. North Dakota State 5-6/11-11—L2
7. Centenary 3-7/9-13—L3
8. UMKC 3-8/8-16—L2
9. Southern Utah 3-8/5-17—L3
10. South Dakota State 2-9/7-15—L3

Women's Basketball
1. South Dakota State 8-2/15-6—W4
2. Western Illinois 8-2/10-11—W1
3. Oakland 6-4/13-7—L2
3. Oral Roberts 6-4/12-9—W2
3. IUPUI 6-4/10-12—W2
3. IPFW 6-4/9-12—L1
7. North Dakota State 5-5/10-10—W1
8. Southern Utah 3-7/5-16—L1
9. UMKC 2-8/9-12—L2
10. Centenary 0-10/3-17—L8

no road dogs (or: how i learned to stop worrying and love the three-ball).

2008-02-01T05:57:00.000-08:00

The road teams last night were roadkill in the Summit League as all the home teams prevailed, causing some minor shifting in the standings.

The scores:
* North Dakota State 74, Oakland 77
* UMKC 62, Western Illinois 77
* South Dakota State 63, IPFW 73
* Southern Utah 66, IUPUI 88

Nowhere was that more evident than Indianapolis, where Jags guard Gary Patterson made a statement for Player of the Week. He was unconscious from beyond the arc, finishing with 37 points on 11 three-pointers to lead IUPUI to an 88-66 win over Southern Utah.

Speaking of three-pointers...over in Rochester, Erik Kangas of Oakland hit a clutch three-pointer to stave off North Dakota State, 77-74, and move the Grizzlies up to third place. The Grizzlies overcame an early 14-point deficit to defeat the Bison.

Western Illinois and IPFW staged home wins to basically keep pace with one another for the #4 seed in the tournament. The Leathernecks used balanced scoring--five players with double-digit points--to put away the 'Roos. DeWitt Scott of the Mastadons dropped 25 points to lead all scorers in the win over SDSU.

In looking at this weekend's games, conventional wisdom would suggest nothing will happen to cause any major shifts in the standings. But don't tell that to the underdogs. Saturday's games:
* South Dakota State @ Oakland
* Centenary @ Oral Roberts
* UMKC @ IUPUI
* Southern Utah @ Western Illinois

Current Standings
1. Oral Roberts – 9-0, 14-5
2. IUPUI – 8-2, 16-5
3. Oakland – 6-4, 11-10
4. North Dakota State – 5-5, 11-10
4. Western Illinois – 5-5, 10-11
4. IPFW – 5-5, 8-13
7. Centenary – 3-6, 9-12
8. UMKC – 3-7, 8-15
8. Southern Utah – 3-7, 5-16
10. South Dakota State – 2-8, 7-14

Bison Looking For Revenge?

2008-01-31T07:00:00.001-08:00

The Golden Grizzlies eeked out a 2-point road victory over the Bison earlier this season. In that 73-71 nail biter, Tim Williams hit the game-winning bucket with two seconds remaining. Nevertheless, OU is looking up at NDSU in the conference standings. The Bison have to sit out of post-season play this year, due to transfer rules.

So really, all NDSU is playing for tonight is pride.

I'm not going to go out and predict anything tonight, but having seen both teams play, I'd say Oakland is the more physical of the two. And if OU's perimeter shooters are hitting tonight, it could be a long game for the Bison.

Time will tell.

T-birds vs. Jags: Reversal of Fortune?

2008-01-31T06:52:00.001-08:00

The T-Birds are looking for a reversal of fortune tonight in Indianapolis:

'Birds look for revenge on Jaguars

What's the word on the street in Indy? About what you would expect.

Thursday Night Fights

2008-01-31T05:59:00.000-08:00

Four conference games are scheduled tonight in men's hoops:
* North Dakota State @ Oakland, 7:30 p.m.
* UMKC @ Western Illinois, 7 p.m.
* South Dakota State @ IPFW, 7 p.m.
* Southern Utah @ IUPUI, 7 p.m.

Depending on outcomes in the NDSU-Oakland and UMKC-WIU games, this week could potentially have seeding implications come tourney time.

The latest conference standings:
1. Oral Roberts - 9-0, 14-5
2. IUPUI - 7-2, 15-5
3. North Dakota State - 5-4, 11-9
4. Oakland - 5-4, 10-10
5. Western Illinois - 4-5, 9-11
6. IPFW - 4-5, 7-13
7. Centenary - 3-6, 9-12
8. UMKC - 3-6, 8-14
9. Southern Utah - 3-6, 5-15
10. South Dakota State - 2-7, 7-13

first post.

2008-01-30T22:34:00.000-08:00

Get ready, Summit League fans. This blog will be your official" unofficial place for all things Summit League. Wanna run smack? Fine by me. Wanna pass along a tip? Shoot it my way.

I'm creating this blog so Summit League fans can have a little fun as we head toward the tournament.

Enjoy!