MVP

[Hilltopper]

Earlier in the season ZW said he thought Nate Linhart was our MVP. I Agree. I would hate to see where this team would be at without Linhart. He has been our most consistant player in all aspects of the game this year. I would dare to say if his shot was more consistant he would be NBA material at the 2 guard. He has the ability to cover smaller faster guards as well as bigger forwards. For a 6-7 guy he has above average ball handling skills. He is my MVP.

[RACER]

i think dials would be the mvp at this time.nothing against nate but he did not do much the begging of the season.

[skip-zip]

Ok..I'll chime in....This team could not win without Jeremiah. Just his presence alone changes the way teams play defense against us. Without him in the low post, our perimeter guys would struggle to get off shots every night.

[jeaglet1]

Ok..I'll chime in....This team could not win without Jeremiah. Just his presence alone changes the way teams play defense against us. Without him in the low post, our perimeter guys would struggle to get off shots every night.

I agree, the Zips will go as far as Wood takes them. In addition to what skip says, Williams, Tillman, Reitz, even that guy for Can't would be able to dominate inside without Wood.

[Blue & Gold]

I'll toss out my opinion: J-Wood's the man. He's our MVP. His statistics still bear it out, even though he's currently playing on a gimp knee. But even if he wasn't statistically lighting it up, his presence out there alters the way teams can and do play us. Wood is often triple teamed! I don't think you can say that about anyone else in our conference. I think all the coaches know he's the best player in the league. I just hope his knee starts shaping up.

[Valpo Zip]

IMHO, Nate is the biggest contributor on the floor. Hustle, running, rebounding etc... no one even comes close. In that sense, he has a great case as the MVP.As far as difference making, J-wood is the toughest matchup for other teams to guard and our biggest offensive threat, that is another great case for an MVP.However, you have one guy who is willing to change his position to help his team, he is directing the younger players on the floor, and being the emotional leader. You add to that great defense, shooting and passing skills, ball handling at crunch time and a 90 something FT percentage (even under pressure) and Nick Dials is our MVP.

[Captain Kangaroo]

I think we are an MVP-less team.Linhart's play since mid-December has been solid. Offensively and defensively.Dials is doing a nice job both offensively and defensively. Especially considering he's got a 60% healthy Ced and two freshman as his running mates.Wood is pretty much our only force underneath. If he was gone, I shudder to think what our points-in-the-paint might be.If we're going to make any noise whatsoever in March, we will need someone else to step up.Was McNees really hurting (Achilles) vs. K.e.n.t. and CMU...or is he ready to handle heavy pressure from a quality opposing guard.Can Conyers contribute on offense at ANY level?Does KD play "Dr. Frankenstein" and try giving Bardo some extended time at the #4 position alongside Wood?Can either McKnight take some inside heat off Wood?Can Ced get healthy? He looked a little better vs. EMU...was it an illusion?What else can Roberts give us that we haven't already seen? A little dribble penetration would really help.Is KD going off Kevin Mackey's "40 Minutes of Hell," but dividing it by two? Do we see the Zips trying to "hold serve" in the first half of games, substituting liberally to preserve Wood/Dials/Ced, then unleashing the beast in the second half? Regardless of all the questions, we're a pretty good team. But to have any success in March we have to get a little healthier, and find a consistent contributor or two off the bench.

[ziptrumpet87]

Does KD play "Dr. Frankenstein" and try giving Bardo some extended time at the #4 position alongside Wood?

That might be interesting... I was impressed with Bardo's D when he had to come out to the 3-line by himself on EMU's G on a switch-off. He seems pretty quick for a guy his size.

[nbs95]

I agree Linhart is the man!!!!Woods could not get a bucket to save his life against Toledoeven though Dials and Roberts have talent it's Linhart who motivates the team.McNees is good but he is not consistent, but he is still young.

[skip-zip]

Ok...If anyone has a theory of how this team could score points without Jeremiah on the floor, I want to hear it. As someone who has spent nearly my entire life around basketball, coaching, and around some very successful coaches, I can tell you that every team that plays us would play tight man defense on every player on the floor for us, and could completely contest every one of our shots, if it wasn't for the fact that we have Jeremiah standing in the post. Let me clarify... I am not talking about his scoring....or his rebounding..... I'm merely talking purely about his presence on the floor...ALONE. And just for the sake of argument, someone mentioned that Nate is the emotional leader on the floor. But, I clearly have thought that guy has been Nick Dials for the last couple of years. Captain's point is well made. Where is MORE help coming from?I will keep saying what I have been saying for weeks....We DEPERATELY need someone who can score some points in the post, AND provide a defense/rebounding presence, for a decent number of minutes each night. And I still believe that the only guy capable of making that contribution at both ends of the floor is C. McKnight. If he doesn't get more minutes now, I think we'll miss our opportunity to have that "other presence" when we get to the games that really matter.

[The Hip Zip]

Nate's been great but Dials is the blood and guts of this team. Nick's grit, determination and leadership make him my MVP.I really believe if we were without him that we would be close to .500 team.