It’s tournament weekend and although there is the ODC and the Beast we cannot forgot about the Zanderthon Throw-Down 3.0
The most anticipated tournament of the weekend, of course
On Saturday February 24, 2018, two of the top teams in the Midway Conference will go head to head in a double header. This will be the third time that University Wisconsin-Platteville (UWP) and University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) will have played each other and Platteville has got the better of the Cornhuskers each time. The games will be played at the Williams Fieldhouse (350 Jay St Platteville, Wisconsin 53818). We will also be featuring an alumni game against the current UWP varsity crew. The following is the schedule below (UNL vs Alumni if time available).
| Time | Team | Team | Referee |
| 8:25a.m | Platteville JV | Nebraska JV | Nebraska/UWP |
| 9:00a.m. | Platteville Varsity | Nebraska Varsity | Alumni |
| 10:15a.m. | Platteville Varsity | Nebraska Varsity | Alumni |
| 11:30a.m. | Platteville Varsity | Platteville Alumni | UWP |
Platteville JV vs. Nebraska JV
For this matchup, it will be interesting to see how it turns out. Both teams have several freshmen that need the experience and it will be fun to watch who will step up and lead without the veteran players on the court.
On Platteville’s squad they decided to choose Austin Kurey #32 and Logan Stevenson #9 as captains. Both have been playing exceptional well this semester and have been picking up on how Platteville wants to play the game of dodgeball.
Nebraska chose Kegan Cullen and Brennan Roberson as their captains. Tanner hopes they can take what they have learned so far and use it to their advantage to start the day off strong.
Platteville Varsity vs Nebraska Varsity
The first match up the day should be interesting for both teams. Nebraska has a young squad with not much experience and Platteville has young squad too, but these younger individuals have played against some of the top teams in the county at the King of the Mountain (CMU, GVSU, and SVSU). It is the first game for both these teams this semester and it will be fun to see how they decide to attack.
For Platteville, I’m expecting Tim Ebert, Louis Thompson, and Will Martin to take charge and be a vocal presence on the court. These individuals need to keep their team under control and attack Nebraska early on in order to put up a win. If this does not occur UNL has a chance to play competitively with UWP and pull off the win.
Now, the key for Nebraska’s success to stay in the game involves a few of their key players. Players such as Brennan Roberson and Rob Gabel who have excellent hands and love to catch. Catches will be important for Nebraska if this young team is to stick with Platteville. They will also have to rely on Kennan Croteau #20 with his powerful arm and Kegan Cullen #11 with his intensity and blocking skills.
Gonzalez Exchanges:
Game 1. UWP (44.227+1) v UNL (38.979) for 0.375 [or 1.625 as a #17/280 upset]
If UWP wins Game 1: UWP (44.602+1) v UNL (38.604) for 0.300 [or 1.700 as a #13/280 upset]
If UNL wins Game 1: UWP (42.602+1) v UNL (40.604) for 0.700 [or 1.300 as a #103/280 upset]
UWP Alumni vs UWP Varsity
I cannot wait for this match up. It will be fun to watch because a few top players are back and ready for action. Alex Higbee and Matt Bautch will be in attendance along with Nick Harding and Brian Hargrove all of which have strong arms and will leave a mark on you the next morning. If the alumni come to play hard I feel they have a good chance of beating the current team. It will be a close match up for sure. Other alumni in attendance include: Alycia Riehl, Brandon Chappell, and Drew Van Asten all of which are good at blocking and know how to have fun on the court.
Predictions from the Content Team
KB:
UWP-JV def UNL-JV 3-2
UWP def UNL 5-2
UWP def UNL 4-2
UWP def UWP-Alumni 3-2
HF:
UNL-JV def UWP-JV 3-2
UWP def UNL 4-1
UWP def UNL 4-0
UWP def UWP-Alumni 3-1
FP:
UWP-JV def UNL-JV 4-2
UNL def UWP 3-1
UWP def UNL 3-2 OT
UWP def UWP-Alumni 4-2
CB:
UWP-JV def UNL-JV 3-1
UWP def UNL 3-2
UNL def UWP 3-2
UWP-Alumni def UWP 4-2
EZ:
UWP-JV def UNL-JV 2-1
UWP def UNL 5-0
UWP def UNL 4-2
UWP-Alumni def UWP-Varsity 2-1
Final Thoughts
In the end, I feel Platteville should have no problem taking care of business against the Cornhuskers. They have more experience and it is on their home court. Either way both of these teams will use this as an opportunity to grow and prepare for nationals. Both are hoping to make a statement and surprise teams on the amount of talent that is there. What are your predictions for these games? Do you think Platteville rolls easily or does Nebraska put up a better fight this time around?