Iba Season 81 Topic

well lets get this going. After recruiting against the Heartland this recruiting season, I'd say they're stacked for continued success.
8/19/2015 9:19 PM
North Central looks like it will have Pittsburgh-Johnstown and St. Cloud St. repeat as division favorites, and I'd put PJ as the favorite to take the conference. The Oakland City sim looks to be decent as well. We lost one coach but gained another, hopefully we grow further next season!
8/19/2015 10:05 PM
Capital Conference is about to pull itself out of the D3 basement!

Almost a full group of humans going at it, fighting to the death. Going to be a very competitive season!
8/20/2015 4:07 PM
Let the previews commence! 
8/20/2015 8:05 PM
GREAT LAKES VALLEY

Last season was a 'down' year for the GLV. Bellarmine made the Final Four and No. Kentucky lost in the 2nd round. The other 4 teams all were one-and-out, with So. Indiana and Mo-St. Louis losing in the PIT.

The six human-coached teams:

Bellarmine-  The Knights lost 4 starters from a 30-4 team. Those players also made the Final Four in their sophomore year and will be missed.  Expect a rebuilding year in Louisville. 

No. Kentucky-  The Norse were 25-5 and lost in the 2nd round. They, like Bellarmine, lost 4 key players.

Mo-St.Louis-   The Tritons look to rebound from an atypical year in which they finished 16-14. They return 10 players ready to do battle!

Mercyhurst-  Probably the class of the league this season.  They return 11 players from an 18-12 season.

Wisconsin-Parkside-  emy1013's teams was 19-9 and fell in the first round.  With losing 4 players, you'd expect them to take a step back. But, 4 seasons ago, with the same class distribution, they were National Champions. So, never count them out!

So. Indiana-  At 20-10, So. Indiana was 20 games for the first time since season #49.  With 6 new players, they aren't likely to duplicate that feat
8/22/2015 5:37 AM (edited)
CVAC preview coming tonight or tomorrow. 
8/22/2015 4:08 PM

PEACH BELT

After last season sending six teams to the NT and two more to the PI, it appears the “Peach” will take a step back this season, as seven of the twelve teams have four or more freshman on their roster.  But the conference should still have a sizable contingent heading to the post season, led by getbedarded’s two-time champion Lander squad.  Despite the six freshmen on their squad and a noticeable lack of rebounding, Lander’s inside-outside combo of Jimmie Pegg and Ernesto Miranda make them the class of the South Division and should take them to a 30th consecutive NT appearance.     

Close on their heels will be the Spartans of USC Upstate.  Despite being a young team themselves, 2nd team pre-season All-American Ryan David should be able to put the team on his shoulders and return them to the NT after three straight PI appearances.

Kennesaw St. might be the youngest of the young, but should have enough athleticism and defense to have them challenging for a NT berth.

Rounding out the South Division post-season-teams will be North Florida.  Douglas Taylor has Division I offensive skills and, combined with Sr. SG Rodney Denny, should have the Ospreys dancing at season’s end.  But will it be the big dance or the little one?

The class of the conference for this season, however, will reside in the North Division. Clayton State is loaded with upperclassmen and has the most athletic DII team in the nation.  They’re also rated third in defense.  If they can generate enough offense, they could go far.

Armstrong Atlantic is led by 1st team pre-season All-American Rick Wood and 5th-year Sr. Brian Wood, but is too deficient in their perimeter game to challenge Clayton St. They may have enough to squeak into the NT.

Pepsi has Georgia on the verge of the NT again and, if Christopher Boyd and John Katzenberger can provide enough offense, they should be there.

Frances Marion has new coach, with naskin taking over for the legendary skinnycat, and six freshman, so a NT bid may be a lot to ask of that team.  But if some of their talented, young players can help out Willie Wilson on the offensive end, the PI is certainly within reach.

Augusta St. is one of the few Sr. heavy teams in the conference, but their young bench is lacking, especially at the defensive end, and may be what holds the Jaguars out of the post-season.

Columbus St. took four walk-ons this past recruiting season and is clearly in rebuilding mode.

So we’re realistically looking at maybe 5 NT bids and 2 in the PI.  POY will be Taylor from NFla and COY will be wildblue from Clayton St.

8/24/2015 4:50 AM (edited)
the Great Northwest has few notable teams this season.  Seattle won it all 2 seasons ago, but in the 2nd year of the mhollebeek experience, they have just 2 upperclassmen on the roster.  

Humboldt is favored in the East.  mrwiggles will go anywhere for talent from Moscow to New York to Lodi.  a 6 pack of seniors should get him on the dance floor.

Chaminade is yet again favored in the West.  It's good to be the king and joewhatever is King of the Big Island with 20 consecutive West titles.  The Silverswords are led by PG Steve Urbano, a returning 2nd team All-American.  He's a tireless worker and the only A+ free throw shooter in Div2.
8/23/2015 10:25 PM
Northeast 10 Preview:    

South Division:

The south division carries both of the heavy weights in this conference.

Le Moyne returns 8 upperclassmen from a (26-4) record and a disappointing 1st round loss in the NT a season ago. They have a preseason AA in William Houle coming off the bench. They scheduled somewhat lighter this season but have already picked up three quality wins. At first glance Le Moyne seems to be running away as the top team in the conference this season. They should have no problems advancing into the 2nd round or beyond of the NT this season.

Merrimack also returns 8 upperclassmen returning from a (23-7) 2nd round NT team last season. They bring a balanced attack and despite a couple of early losses this season, expect this squad will be in the running for a divisional championship and NT birth. 

Expect these two to battle it out as they have for the last 5 seasons for their divisional championships. 


North Division:

Bentley
, (24-7) and a 2nd round NT team last season, returns only 3 players that have been in the program long term. While on paper there's potential for success by seasons end, expect them to struggle at times this season as they seek their 8th consecutive Northern conference title. As long as the new players can learn their system, they should be in a position to compete for a conference tourney title and have the potential to be an at large NT team that other coaches don't like seeing when tournament pairings are announced.
 
Bryant returned to the post season tournament scene last season with a (22-8) record. They have a preseason AA in John Pecor. This team will likely show their inexperience this season as they list 6 young players on their roster. If they can put together a string of wins with a couple of quality W's they may have an outside shot at post season tournaments.

The north is currently being led by an undefeated SIM American International. Their roster doesn't suggest the fast start will last.

Predictions:
North Div champs: Bentley
South Div champs: Le Moyne (tie breaker overall record)
Conference tourney champs: Merrimack

NT births: Le Moyne, Merrimack, Bentley (on the fringe)
PIT births: Bentley, Bryant (on the fringe)











8/31/2015 2:14 AM (edited)
CVAC Preview

The CVAC has a ton of Jr. laden teams, and very few Seniors across the board....so maybe the CVAC is one season away from really challenging the Heartland and Peach

East

#1 - Belmont Abbey  - Kevthephenom's first season in the CVAC could be a good one. He has a solid team that struggles a little bit to score inside, but can hit 3's and play very good defense. They have a shot for a mid to low NT seed. The east looks pretty weak this season overall, so they should win with not much of a problem. 

#2 - Coker - Lbrown's team is pretty young, but they have enough talent to win over half their conference games. SF James Carey is one of the more well-rounded talents in the conference. However, they are a poor passing team and their youth could keep them from really contending. 

#3. Erksine - bahul's squad is extremely young, with 11 underclassmen. They will be much better late season than at the beginning, but they could really struggle to get anything going in non-conf play. 

#4. Lees Mcrae - Similar to coker in lack of passing ability without a stud like Carey on the team. They're also very young. The CVAC East will be much better next season. It will take a monumental coaching effort for Hurkman's squad to be a big factor. 

#5. Mt. Olive. A very experienced SIM team full of veteran players that suck at basketball. 

#6.  Anderson. A less experienced SIM team full of younger players that suck more than the Mt. Olive players at basketball. 

West

#1 Queens - This is one of Muskies' better teams. They have experience, athleticism, defense, depth and one of the best frontcourts in DII. They do have a major hole at PG which could be exploited come tourney time. 

#2.  Limestone - The best backcourt in the conference. Their success heavily depends on Schauer's ability to hit 3-pointers, because nobody else on the team is capable. Very solid lineup all the way around. 

#3 Longwood. - A very deep team without a big time go-to player. They are still pretty young, with no seniors. They should make the NT as a lower seed, but are looking to the next 2 seasons to make a lot of noise. 

#4. Pfieffer - they won't be mediocre for long. Zorzii knows how to recruit. That being said, they're mediocre right now. 

#5. St. Andrews - good enough to upset a strong team now and then, but not good enough to consistently win a whole lot, especially with no seniors. 

#6 Mt Olive - In 6 non-conference games, their opponents have shot 51%. that's not good. They have a lot of juniors, so they could steal a game here or there. 

Predictions. 
East - Bel Abbey 12-4, Coker 9-7, Erksine 8-8, Lees Mcrae 7-9, Barton 4-12, Anderson 1-15.  
West - Queens 14-2, Limestone 12-4, Longwood 11-5, Pfieffer 9-7,  St. Andrews 6-10, Mt. Olive 3-13                                                        

NT Bids  -  Queens #4 seed,  Limestone #6 seed, Bel Abbey #9 Seed,  Longwood #10 Seed, Coker #14 seed 
PIT Bids -  Pfieffer #4 Seed, Lees Mcrae #7 seed, Erksine misses due to losing record. 








8/25/2015 7:46 PM
Been on a two-week business trip (and my record reflects it). Here's the Heartland preview/review in descending non-con record order:

#8 W Florida (10-0): With only two human coaches (with 3 wins between them) on the non-con schedule, you can’t accuse fussyd of over-scheduling. However, wins are hard to come by in conference play so RPI (#57) and SOS (240!) should skyrocket once the street fight starts. 10 wins in the pocket is smart scheduling for this conference. The all-senior starting lineup, led by Jake Foster’s 19 ppg (and 98 PER), can hang with anyone.

#7 Montevallo (9-1): Aperi is living right with 2 OT wins and a 3rd win by a bucket so far this season. The lone blemish is a 6 point road loss to Mercyhurst. Wins over Adams St & Abilene Christian have propelled the Mont to the #6 RPI against the 53 SOS. On the surface, the team doesn’t stand out in any particular area. But aperi has the right players in the right spots. Marc Heard leads the team in scoring at 15.6 ppg, rarely coming off the floor (96 STA) and also leading the team (and all of D-II) with 6.8 assists per game (95 PAS). Rebounds are corralled by Bernard Nguyen (98 REB) and Joseph Matthews (96 REB).

W Alabama (9-1): I have to admit, I’m puzzled over what to say about bowen_brian’s team. They have an impressive win against Johnson C Smith and have generally handled the rest of their non-con to the tune of #16 RPI and 46 SOS. Leading scorer Henry Pittman doesn’t jump out as a particularly efficient scorer (41LP, 36 PER) but it’s working. The best thing I can say is that if bowen_brian had been coaching my kids, we’d probably have more wins.

#15 Lincoln (9-1): Newcomer rupp has Lincoln off to a sizzling start. Good wins against Missouri, St Louis and St Cloud St have them at the #18 RPI and 78 SOS. The lone loss was at Johnson C Smith by 3. A team of athletes (6th most athletic team in D-II) share the ball on the offensive end (5 scorers between 9 and 12 points a game). It’s your classic press team and the results have been excellent so far.

#11 Rockhurst (9-1): The loss was at West Georgia and duece_duece handled the other two human coaches in non-con, for RPI of 25 and SOS of 106. I think the key for this press team will be matchups. Rebounds will be hard to come by against teams with talented big-men. The Rock is one of two teams in D-II with 60 ratings in ATH/SPD/DEF (Lander is the other). They also boast the 4th highest PER and 3rd highest BH. They will be a nightmare matchup for a lot of teams.

#16 St Mary’s (8-2): If you ever underestimate mduncanhogs, you do so at your own peril. A pair of losses in the Yarnell, to Merrimack and undefeated Dominican, are offset by wins against Hillsdale and St Cloud St. The #9 RPI and 19 SOS with 8 wins are a solid non-con for anyone. David Shepard provides the outside punch at 19 ppg (80+ PER/BH/PAS). Clarence Falls and surprising soph Luther Croft clean up the boards. They are athletic, they defend, and get enough points from the key options in their triangle offense. A typical mduncanhogs team.

Drury (8-2): Another team built on athleticism (ATH 60) and defense (DEF 62), bentlie29 racked up 8 wins in non-con. The losses were in OT and a one point loss at Abliene Christian. The competition wasn’t top notch, as evidenced by the #62 RPI and 209 SOS. William High leads them from the post with 13.5 ppg. You’ll love watching them if you like D. Will they get enough points and how will their 5 freshmen respond to the conference grind?

N Alabama (8-2): Pinkeye’s enthusiasm for scoring from in close is contagious. Paul Gray probably had to do extra sprints in practice after he made the team’s only 3-point bucket of non-con. The speedy backcourt duo of Kenneth Declue (93 SPD, 13.3 ppg) and Kevin Olkowski (92 SPD 20.3 ppg) will chew you up with dribble drives. Don’t let the two walk ons delude you into disrespecting this team. Anthony Frase (96 REB, 90 BLK), Henry Covington (91 DEF), and Paul Gray (91 LP) are talented pieces. The non-con was Heartland-appropriate with 74th RPI and 175th SOS.

St Edwards (7-3): gohall’s team is a dangerous, under-the-radar team. Two of the three losses are to New Mexico Highlands (#1 RPI) and Le Moyne (#3 RPI). Athleticism (61) and Defense (61) are team trademarks. Talented players abound in the form of lockdown guard Steven Bains (DEF 99), swat machine Brian Davis (BLK 99), post-scorer James Honeycutt (98 LP) and perimeter threat Richard Swaim (PER 93). Good luck Heartland teams.

Oklahoma Panhandle St (7-3): The record is good but winmag might be a year away. Jr Steve Warren is an efficient post scorer (94 LP, 10.8 ppg, 59% FG), but seven underclassmen might be a tough hurdle to overcome in conference play, particularly against press teams. Non-con RPI of 111 and SOS of 183. Still 7 wins is halfway to NT eligibility.

#20 Incarnate Word (6-4): davefilby didn’t do himself any favors in non-con scheduling, with the #1 SOS. The losses are respectable, if there is such a thing: 4 points at New Mexico Highlands (#1 RPI), 7 points to Ouachita Baptist (#4 RPI), OT versus Mercyhurst (#12 RPI), and 3 points versus Adams St (#20 RPI). The 13 point win against formerly #1 CSU, Los Angeles does show IW’s ability to beat anyone on any given night. Aside from pre-season all-American Harry Curl (18.4 ppg), it’s a team effort at IW. Pretty skilled in most categories (except DEF), the 8 upperclassmen should be a handful in the zone defense, but it hasn’t been consistent.

Valdosta St (6-4): Off back-to-back Elite 8s, this might be a step backwards for kelby_03 with 6 freshmen on the roster. Four losses to Sims in the non-con might not be an indicator of good things to come in south Georgia. The upperclassmen have some skill: John Bachorski (92 SPD), Andrew Pitts (97 SPD), Frank Midkiff (90 DEF), Russell Harland (95 BLK), and Robert Whitehead (90 LP). But it might be disastrous when the second unit tries to run the press.


8/29/2015 5:44 PM
South Atlantic Preview: The South Atlantic has bounced back on the coaching side, with 4 human coaches once again residing in the conference, including at the 3 most consistent programs in the league. The University of DC faces a rebuild after being in the Sweet 16 two years ago and returning to the NT last year with Sim AI. They have faced a tough schedule in the non-con and emerged 5-5 (RPI 39, SOS 16) they would have to assume the favorites position at this point. Green Mountain is a little further removed from their last NT appearance (season 75) and they have had a bit of a tough start at 4-6 (RPI 221, SOS 218) one would imagine they will turn their record around against the many SIM teams in the conference. Mars Hill is another rebuild - before being picked up last season they had only had 2 human-coached years since season 16. 6 freshmen, a transfer, and a JuCO were brought in to try to begin the turnaround process. Wingate has gotten off to a bit of a slow start, already equaling their loss total from last year's 25-5, NT campaign, however, it is not unexpected as three key starters were replaced by a sophomore and a pair of freshmen. Overall, a down year for the conference will likely only yield an automatic bid that will likely come down to UofDC, Green Mountain, and Wingate.
8/30/2015 3:58 PM
At least we are running away with the SOS title. If you're looking for a common opponent when evaluating the top seeds come tourney time, look no further than Incarnate Word. We have 9 games scheduled against the current top 12 on the projection report, more if the CT breaks right (wrong?).

Here are the results so far:

Vs Ouachita Baptist, 70-63 L
vs Adams St, 78-75 L
at New Mexico Highlands, 79-75 L
vs Mercyhurst, 101-98 OT L
vs CSI, Los Angeles , 75-62 W
vs Montevallo, 75-74 OT L
vs St Mary's (TX), 80-76 W
at Montevallo, 97-95 W
vs Rockhurst, 94-88 L

I've learned
1) there are some damn good teams in D-II Iba
2) I'm scheduling some sims next season





9/9/2015 3:53 PM (edited)
Wow - was going to brag about our tough schedule, with the #3 SOS, but then I saw that the #1, #2, #4, #5, and #7 SOS all reside in the heartland. That's fairly insane. 

I envy the beastly conference that the Heartland has become - hopefully the CVAC is having a renaissance, we are back up to #4 conference RPI, and should be stronger next season overall. 


9/12/2015 12:06 AM
After that nasty 3-7 OOC start, it feels nice that Longwood got to 14 wins and a probably NT berth (unless there's a complete collapse). We graduate nobody, so we should have 2 very strong seasons ahead of us. 
9/14/2015 7:03 PM
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Iba Season 81 Topic

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