Friday, January 7, 2011
Big games coming up for MSU basketball
Minnesota State hosts Southwest Minnesota State on Saturday, with the women's game starting at 2 p.m. and the men's at 4 p.m.
It's getting close to the halfway point of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference season, and both the women and men need victories to keep momentum, especially on the home court.
The women (7-5, 4-4 in Northern Sun) have won four of their last five games to get back into the upper half of the league, tied for sixth with Mary and Northern State, next week's road opponents.
Southwest is 3-9, 2-6 in the conference, but with a new coach and new schemes, the Mustangs seem to be getting bettter.
It looks like the Mavericks will have sophomore post Ali Wilkinson available. She took a hard fall late in Tuesday's victory over Minnesota Crookston and left the court limping, holding her hip. She hasn't participated in the contact portion of practices, but coach Pam Gohl said Wilkinson, who leads the team in scoring and rebounding and has become a double-double machine, will play.
The men's team (11-1, 7-1) continues to roll, though the victories have not been easy. I thought Southwest would be a conference contender this season, but the Mustangs (6-5, 3-4) have struggled to score.
Senior Jefferson Mason has been playing at an MVP level, scoring 58 points in a pair of victories this week to earn Northern Sun Player of the year honors, and nearly every player contributes something important each game.
Southwest is a rugged rebounding team, which could give the Mavericks some trouble. Minnesota State has used perimeter pressure to keep the ball out of the post, but the Mustangs go hard to the offensive glass as a big part of their offense.
Freshman center Connor O'Brien is questionable for this game, spraining his ankle early in the second half of Tuesday's victory. The Mavericks can't afford to be without its post players, especially against Southwest.
Junior Mitch Grundman will start if O'Brien can't make it.
You can ask questions or make comments by following my live blog from courtside Saturday.
It's getting close to the halfway point of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference season, and both the women and men need victories to keep momentum, especially on the home court.
The women (7-5, 4-4 in Northern Sun) have won four of their last five games to get back into the upper half of the league, tied for sixth with Mary and Northern State, next week's road opponents.
Southwest is 3-9, 2-6 in the conference, but with a new coach and new schemes, the Mustangs seem to be getting bettter.
It looks like the Mavericks will have sophomore post Ali Wilkinson available. She took a hard fall late in Tuesday's victory over Minnesota Crookston and left the court limping, holding her hip. She hasn't participated in the contact portion of practices, but coach Pam Gohl said Wilkinson, who leads the team in scoring and rebounding and has become a double-double machine, will play.
The men's team (11-1, 7-1) continues to roll, though the victories have not been easy. I thought Southwest would be a conference contender this season, but the Mustangs (6-5, 3-4) have struggled to score.
Senior Jefferson Mason has been playing at an MVP level, scoring 58 points in a pair of victories this week to earn Northern Sun Player of the year honors, and nearly every player contributes something important each game.
Southwest is a rugged rebounding team, which could give the Mavericks some trouble. Minnesota State has used perimeter pressure to keep the ball out of the post, but the Mustangs go hard to the offensive glass as a big part of their offense.
Freshman center Connor O'Brien is questionable for this game, spraining his ankle early in the second half of Tuesday's victory. The Mavericks can't afford to be without its post players, especially against Southwest.
Junior Mitch Grundman will start if O'Brien can't make it.
You can ask questions or make comments by following my live blog from courtside Saturday.
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Monday, January 3, 2011
Monday, December 20, 2010
MSU basketball team earns nice break for holidays
Saturday's victory at Winona State was an early holiday present for the Minnesota State men's basketball team, and the Mavericks have two weeks off before home games against Minnesota Crookston and Minnesota State-Moorhead Jan. 1-2.
The Mavericks, who are 3-1 on the road, are the surprising leaders in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference race, tied with Minnesota Duluth and a full game ahead of four teams, including St. Cloud State and Winona State, two of the top threats in the league. And not for a couple of bad possessions late in the game at St. Cloud State, the Mavericks could be undefeated.
For the first time in coach Matt Marenthaler's career, which has now reached 200 victories, his team is an overachieving bunch whose sum is greater than the parts. This is a team that might not get a player of the week award, though Jefferson Mason and Marcus Hill are always a possibility, but it's a team that thrives on toughness and defensive intensity.
Winona State might be "the bad mix of good players," which has described past Minnesota State teams at times.
You still wonder how this bunch of Mavericks will fare in the final two months of the regular season and playoffs. Will the lack of size hurt? Winona State went hard to the offensive boards Saturday, and had the Warriors converted more often, the outcome may have been different. Other teams will try to do the same thing, especially Southwest Minnesota State.
But for now, the Mavericks are in first place with winnable games coming up against Minnesota Crookston and Minnesota State-Moorhead. When the regional rankings come out in mid-January, the Mavericks could begin at No. 1.
Who would have thought that?
The roster remaions in flux. Backup center Mitch Grundman didn't play last week with a bad back, though Mike Bisenius saw his first action since suffering a collapsed lung during a fall in practice Dec. 9. Anthony Brant, who has shown glimpses of the 3-point prowess he's supposed to have, but Margenthaler said that a knee injury has bothered Brant, who wants to take off the rest of the season and apply for a medical redshirt.
It's going to be an interesting final two months of the regular season for Minnesota State, which should make it fun to watch.
The Mavericks, who are 3-1 on the road, are the surprising leaders in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference race, tied with Minnesota Duluth and a full game ahead of four teams, including St. Cloud State and Winona State, two of the top threats in the league. And not for a couple of bad possessions late in the game at St. Cloud State, the Mavericks could be undefeated.
For the first time in coach Matt Marenthaler's career, which has now reached 200 victories, his team is an overachieving bunch whose sum is greater than the parts. This is a team that might not get a player of the week award, though Jefferson Mason and Marcus Hill are always a possibility, but it's a team that thrives on toughness and defensive intensity.
Winona State might be "the bad mix of good players," which has described past Minnesota State teams at times.
You still wonder how this bunch of Mavericks will fare in the final two months of the regular season and playoffs. Will the lack of size hurt? Winona State went hard to the offensive boards Saturday, and had the Warriors converted more often, the outcome may have been different. Other teams will try to do the same thing, especially Southwest Minnesota State.
But for now, the Mavericks are in first place with winnable games coming up against Minnesota Crookston and Minnesota State-Moorhead. When the regional rankings come out in mid-January, the Mavericks could begin at No. 1.
Who would have thought that?
The roster remaions in flux. Backup center Mitch Grundman didn't play last week with a bad back, though Mike Bisenius saw his first action since suffering a collapsed lung during a fall in practice Dec. 9. Anthony Brant, who has shown glimpses of the 3-point prowess he's supposed to have, but Margenthaler said that a knee injury has bothered Brant, who wants to take off the rest of the season and apply for a medical redshirt.
It's going to be an interesting final two months of the regular season for Minnesota State, which should make it fun to watch.
Friday, December 17, 2010
Weber, Freisen earn all-state honors
The Associated Press' al-state football team finally came out Thursday, and Mankato West's Drew Weber and Hunter Friesen both earned second-team honors.
Weber, a senior linebacker, was named the Big Nine Conference's defensive player of the year, making 25 solo tackles and 131 assists. Freisen, a junior cornerback, had nine interceptions, including three in the playoffs.
Several area players received honorable mention, including Nick Kaus, Philip Nelson and Adam Athey from West.
Other local honorable-mentions were defensive lineman Michael Kroells of Belle Plaine; running back Zach Tvedten of Blue Earth Area; running back Mario Arroyo of Le Center; defensive end Cole Brown of Minnesota Valley Lutheran; lineman Dan Simon of New Ulm Cathedral; quarterback Sean Murphy, receiver Jamie Fischer and defensive back Nick Mans of Nicollet; lineman Teddy DuFrane of Sibley East; and quarterback Conrad Masberg and receiver Jordan Gregor of Waterville-Elysian-Morristown;
The player of the year was De La Salle running back Reggie Gandy, whom Le Sueur-Henderson fans might never forget from the state quarterfinals.
Weber, a senior linebacker, was named the Big Nine Conference's defensive player of the year, making 25 solo tackles and 131 assists. Freisen, a junior cornerback, had nine interceptions, including three in the playoffs.
Several area players received honorable mention, including Nick Kaus, Philip Nelson and Adam Athey from West.
Other local honorable-mentions were defensive lineman Michael Kroells of Belle Plaine; running back Zach Tvedten of Blue Earth Area; running back Mario Arroyo of Le Center; defensive end Cole Brown of Minnesota Valley Lutheran; lineman Dan Simon of New Ulm Cathedral; quarterback Sean Murphy, receiver Jamie Fischer and defensive back Nick Mans of Nicollet; lineman Teddy DuFrane of Sibley East; and quarterback Conrad Masberg and receiver Jordan Gregor of Waterville-Elysian-Morristown;
The player of the year was De La Salle running back Reggie Gandy, whom Le Sueur-Henderson fans might never forget from the state quarterfinals.
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