Business has me in northwestern Ohio area this week, along the I-75 corridor between Toledo and Dayton. Naturally, I checked the D3 schedules and saw that I was just 30 miles from both Bluffton, OH and Ada, OH, where both Bluffton and Ohio Northern were hosting HCAC and OAC contests respectively.
I saw most of the first half of Manchester at #25 Bluffton and all of the second half of Wilmington at #22 Ohio Northern…
Some immediate thoughts re: Bluffton…
1. Bluffton is a decent basketball team, but they are small. A good chunk of time in the first half with four players on floor that went 5’8, 6’2, 6’2, 6’2. They shoot the ball well form the perimeter. Take away their “J” and you take away their bread and butter. 4 of their first 5 baskets were from beyond the arc. While this was the first time I’ve seen them play, but first impressions are lasting ones…the Beavers seem vulnerable to cold streaks with their jump shots (I witnessed a 4 to 5 minute FG drought)…that could spell trouble for a team that comes out to play them tight.
2. I found both Bluffton and Manchester overpursuing on defense – they’d collapse when the ball came down low and find an open man outside. Bluffton got past CMU and the voters recognized their efforts more quickly than many other occasions…it’s unusual to see a team go from 0 votes to #25…given what has transpired so far this week, Bluffton might be in a bind to stay in the Top 25, even if they win out this week.
3. Very nice court in my first visit to an HCAC facility. Seating on only one side of the gym, half of which are actual seats (a bit cramped) and the upper section which are open benches. A impressive crowd for a game over winter break.
4. Room for improvement: C’mon…you don’t need to practice dunks before the game while the other team is on the court…as was happening on and off from a few players with 50 to 25 minutes remaining in the warmup.
With six minutes remaining in the first half, I hightailed it out down Ohio 103 and turned right onto Ohio 235 which took me straight into Ada to ONU. ONU’s campus is huge, for D3…reminded me a bit of UW-Whitewater in terms of its size.
1. Wilmington certainly seemed for real. There had clearly been some question about it given their weaker non-conference schedule and the 15 point loss to JCU.
2. Both ONU and Wilmington are all over the court on defense – never letting their intensity level fall. Neither team made egregious mistakes with the basketball, but both teams managed to step up their defense and force the other team to make mistakes they otherwise wouldn’t be making against weaker opponents. Witnessing this game made it clear to me that the OAC is right there with the NCAC, CCIW, MIAA, and WIAC in terms of high-level competition over the rest of D3.
3. Neither team allowed easy baskets – fighting for every point they had. Both move the ball with precision.
4. ONU never led in the 2nd half, the closest they got was a 54-54 tie with 3:56 remaining.
5 Another good crowd for a winter break game…the ONU Sports Center is an older facility but it’s huge and would seem a worthy host for postseason action as it has in the past. Unusual to see the huge scoreboards down just above the baskets mounted on the wall. Lowest scoreboards I’ve seen in basketball…almost to the point where it would seem to impact your vision when shooting.
6. Glad to know there should be room for both teams in the tournament if they continue their winning ways. ONU has 3 losses now, but they are quality.
7. Wilmington now has to go to B-W. If they win there…well…good things.
8. Funny random D3 moment…walking out the gym and Wilmington players were walking towards their locker room when one player uttered, “If we’re not Top 25…” Could you have found a better time to say that…and they surely don’t know who I am.
Oh yeah, IWU lost tonight…