Commentary: MIAA teams show dominance
Blake Toppmeyer
Issue date: 11/15/07 Section: 2007 South Central Regional
As I watch the action from day two at the South Central Region, I am presented with a familiar sight: four MIAA teams competing in semifinals action at Pershing Arena.
I witnessed the same situation just a weekend ago. The only difference this time is that the University of Central Missouri replaced Pittsburg State University as the fourth team in the semifinals.
Last weekend it was a lock that I'd see this. Then, it was the MIAA tournament.
But this weekend, I was supposed to be treated to the four best teams that emerged from the MIAA, Gulf South Conference and Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference squaring off against each other. But the fact is, the four best teams all can be found within the MIAA.
MIAA schools comprised five of the eight teams in the region, and after just one day of play, the two schools from the GSC - the University of West Florida and the University of West Georgia - and Albany State University from the SIAC have faded away.
In the three first-round matches in which MIAA schools battled an opponent from a different conference, West Florida was the only non-MIAA school able to win even a single game.
That's not to say the schools from the other conferences couldn't compete with MIAA teams. West Florida averaged 27 points per game against Central Missouri, and West Georgia took Washburn University to extra hits in two of three games. Only Albany State looked out of their league in its match against Truman. But when the dust settled at the end of day one, a contingent of four MIAA teams - Central Missouri, Washburn, Emporia State University and Truman - had advanced to the second round.
"The MIAA is the strongest conference in the region, no doubt," Central Missouri head coach Peggy Martin said. "I'm not sure it's not the strongest conference top to bottom in the country. I'm real proud of our conference."
After its game against Truman, Albany State head coach Robert Skinner said the Bulldogs were the best team from top to bottom his squad had faced all season. That makes sense. Truman is No. 4 in the nation.
I witnessed the same situation just a weekend ago. The only difference this time is that the University of Central Missouri replaced Pittsburg State University as the fourth team in the semifinals.
Last weekend it was a lock that I'd see this. Then, it was the MIAA tournament.
But this weekend, I was supposed to be treated to the four best teams that emerged from the MIAA, Gulf South Conference and Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference squaring off against each other. But the fact is, the four best teams all can be found within the MIAA.
MIAA schools comprised five of the eight teams in the region, and after just one day of play, the two schools from the GSC - the University of West Florida and the University of West Georgia - and Albany State University from the SIAC have faded away.
In the three first-round matches in which MIAA schools battled an opponent from a different conference, West Florida was the only non-MIAA school able to win even a single game.
That's not to say the schools from the other conferences couldn't compete with MIAA teams. West Florida averaged 27 points per game against Central Missouri, and West Georgia took Washburn University to extra hits in two of three games. Only Albany State looked out of their league in its match against Truman. But when the dust settled at the end of day one, a contingent of four MIAA teams - Central Missouri, Washburn, Emporia State University and Truman - had advanced to the second round.
"The MIAA is the strongest conference in the region, no doubt," Central Missouri head coach Peggy Martin said. "I'm not sure it's not the strongest conference top to bottom in the country. I'm real proud of our conference."
After its game against Truman, Albany State head coach Robert Skinner said the Bulldogs were the best team from top to bottom his squad had faced all season. That makes sense. Truman is No. 4 in the nation.
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