I agree 110% with hopefan concerning his thoughts on the All Conference selections. This isn't an all conference "team" at all. It would be like the NFL having eight fullbacks and one offensive linemen on its All Pro Team or Major League baseball have ten outfielders on no catchers on its all star team. With all due respect to the SLIAC, this isn't right. An all conference team should have a point guard, a shooting guard, two forwards, and a center. The 2006-2007 SLIAC All Conference team has five players who played either the #4 or #5. Tarpley and Hammond would roam on their individual team's offense and sometimes appear to play the #3 - but that's not their position. In one of my previous all conference team selections, I had Tarpley at the #3 because that's where I thought he played. I was wrong. I understand an outstanding player may be placed on the second or honorable mention team because he's behind another outstanding player at the same position - but it happens all the time in every other sport. Maybe this is the way the SLIAC has always done it - but it needs to be changed to truely reflect a "team."

I also agree with hopefan that this is a process that needs to be conducted in the light of day and not secret ballot. Too easy to harpoon a player - i.e. leave a deserving player completely off the 15 player ballot, while at the same time knowing your player is going to be getting votes from just about everyone else. Not saying this happens - but it could. Not good. Bring all of the coaches or their representatives in one room at one time and ask everyone to announce their votes.

Trevor White was a first team player, period. Just another flaw in the system, but I don't know how you fix that.

Finally, and I won't hit this one too hard, but more than one player on the honorable mention team - according to the SLIAC stats - were one diminsional players at best. I may be the lone wolf on this, but there were a half dozen kids who did more things well (rebounding, shooting percentage, steals, assists, blocked shots, etc.) than some of the players who were chosen. I guess it just goes to show you what at least some of the coaches were thinking, and I, for one, don't understand it. To select players based on last year's reputation or his ability to do only one thing well is a head-scratcher to me.

All that being said, congratulations to Fontbonne for winning the SLIAC tournament and representing the SLIAC in the NCAA D3 tournament. I hope they play well and pull the upset in the first round. They can do it.

And congratulations to Coach Steve Hettinga for being named "Co-Coach of the Year." No one accomplished more, in my view, than he did in 2006-2007. Took over a program last June that hadn't had a winning season in five years, had time to recruit only one player (Farrid Coleman), saw his tallest and one of his best players quit the team three games into the season, and picked by the coaches in the pre-season to finish seventh. All Hettinga did was bring the very best out of every kid and mold this young, undersized group of young men into conference co-champions and their best record in 15 years. And he did it the right way. He never embarressed himself, his players, or MacMurray College. Even after the Highlander's best player went down in the second half against Fontbonne, MacMurray dug deep and pulled out wins at Blackburn and then clinched the co-championship at home in OT against Maryville. I wonder how Webster would have done without Hoggatt, Fontbonne without Foggerty, or Eureka without Tarpley in the same situation? We'll never know. But we do know MacMurray won two tough games without Robertson to get it done. What a tribute to Coach Hettinga and the Highlander players. And with Robertson at about 50%, they led Eureka in the second half in the post-season tournament, only to finally run out of gas and fall to a very talented Red Devil team that came within a shot at the buzzer in regulation to win it all.

The sun is also shining bright in Morgan County, Illinois. After losing its first three games of the season (all at home) and then escaping with a one point win at LCC, no one knew what was ahead. We do now, and what a magical year it was. Four starters return, including two all conference selectionsand two others that could have been. Key players off the bench also return. Two new players who are extremely athletic are already on campus, enrolled, and getting ready to go. More will follow, including much-needed size. I would anticipate the SLIAC race next season will be every bit as competitve as this season. Won't that be something.

Time to take some time off, focus on other issues, and let the engine cool off. But what a year.

Final Pick 'em results:

Week #13

Mac Attack 14/15
PantherPirde 14/15
Godfather  14/15
BeaverSID  no entry

2006-2007 Final Total

PantherPride   109
Mac Attack   107
Godfather   89 (thanks for stepping in for fcnews)
Beaver SID   70 did not enter fnal 2-3 weeks

Congratulations to PantherPride! For his efforts, he gets a hearty handshake and the warm glow of knowing he's smarter than the rest of us!

We'll do it again next year if we can get a few posters to play - minimum will be five, hopefully more.

Good luck, Eureka. If the Red Devils play like they did last night against MacMurray - and if the referees let them play and not call the touch fouls - Eureka has a real shot. Pretty thin air for a team that only won four games last year. Eureka made a wise move by joining the SLIAC. Good for them and good for the other SLIAC teams.

I'll post thoughts on the MacMurray game last night, as well as their season, tomorrow. Want to let the salt settle in the bottom of the glass a little more. But what a wonderful, wonderful year it was for the Highlanders.

hopefan - Robertson is ready to go.

It was my understanding the names of the conference award winners were released last night. As this doesn't appear to be the case, I apologize for not following protocal. Congratulations to everyone who was honored, and we all know there were many deserving kids who won't be recognized as all conference but could have been. I just hope the kids who were selected were full court contributors who did a number of things well. Wish they picked a 6th man award and a Defensive POY. Maybe next year.

Tarpley from Eureka - Player of the Year

He had a real nice year, but probably should have been shared with Hoggatt. Robertson and Whalum get second team, and Coleman honorable mention. Greene was very deserving too, but only so many players from one team can finish in the top 15 (although last year's second team had six players). Kind of a head scratcher that no one from MacMurray was 1st team. With a 14-4 record and co-champs, they must have been doing something right. But the Highlanders don't really have a "star." Just a bunch of kids who work hard, play well together, and are extremely well coached.

If Hettinga isn't Coach of the Year, they should retire the award. I know I'm biased, but who exceeded expectations more than MacMurray this year.

See you tomorrow night.

Would love to go, but will have to see how things play out. Thanks for the invite.

Great info on dining and drinks. McClain's sounds like a great place! You are so right. St. Louis has a wonderful "neighborhood" culture. Good people, good fun, real good Italian food. Doubt that we can make it there for pre-game festivities, although that sounds like a blast. MacMurray kids are staying, win or lose. Hats off to the AD for making the arrangements. The kids deserve this trip. Hope they can stay two nights! I would imagine MacMurray will bring a good crowd - mix of parents and students. Won't be anything like one of our home games, but enough to make some noise. Looking forward to it.

I had the wrong guy - it's Grotberg. My mistake. HE'S the best shooter I've ever seen, at any level. Here's the link from the MacMurray website for the Mac-Grinnell game:

http://www.gomachighlanders.com/mbkbstats/06-07/11-25%20Men%20vs%20Grinnell.htm

If I were preparing for Grinnell again, here's what I would do. On offense, milk the clock. Run off 25 seconds or more on every possession, even if you had a wide open lay-up. Do not shoot any three-point shot shots. If you get an offensive rebound, reset the offense and start over. Hit your free throws. Try to keep it a ten point game or less until about five minutes left in the game, and then get after it and hope for the best. On defense, I'd get all over their guards. Body up, get physical, hold, grab, push, and shove. Take advantage of loose ball whistles, free throws, dead ball whistles, etc. to get players in on defense who get on their guards like a cheap suit. Spend 20 fouls if you have to, but don't let them get in any kind of a groove. When Arseneaut's in the game, I'd play a triangle-and-two and get right in his jockstrap. They have other players who can score - but no one can shoot like he can. I'd use timeouts to slow the game down, as many substitutions as possible, and make sure I had a couple of different press-breakers that worked. Ina perfect world, that might get it done.

hopefan - I did see the MacMurray-Grinnell game. Never seen anything like it and don't want to ever see it again. Grinnell substituted five new players every 45 seconds for the entire game. They had one kid who was about 6'7" who didn't shoot, but was a very good player. Everyone else looked between 6'0" and 6'3". As fast as they came in and went out, you couldn't really tell them apart. To give a idea of what it was like, Grinnell took 106 shots, of which 63 of them were 3 pt attempts (they hit 23). MacMurray chose not to get in a 3 pt shooting contest with them and went 0-2 from behind the arch. Score was 70-67 at the half, to give an idea of the kind of shots MacMurray was getting. Grinnell really didn't care to play much defense, but they pressed full court and trapped every where. If Mac got a lay up, they didn't care. They have one player - Arseneaut - who was the best shooter I've ever seen at any level. He was 15-34 from the field, 9-24 from 3 pt, and 5-7 FT (49 pts) - and only played about a third of the game. I think if they're hitting, Grinnell could beat just about any D3 team in the country. But they've had some nights this season (not many) when they were cold, and that's lethal for them. They have a nice team and every player understands exactly what their role and job is. I understand their coach believes they should not go for more than 10 seconds without taking a shot, preferably a 3-pt shot. Couple interesting stats from that game - MacMurray had 58 rebounds, shot 63.9% from the field, shot 41 free thorws (missed 17), had 33 assists, had 29 turnovers, scored 116 points - and lost by 20. My head still hurts. We're a MUCH better team now than we were then, but I hope MacMurray never plays them again. Surely our AD and Coach Hettinga will schedule an opponent who is closer (Illinois College, another WIAC team, Knox, etc.) and plays a more "traditional" game. Our players compared it to a track meet with a basketball. Very difficult to prepare for a team like that, and I would assume whoever Grinnell plays in the post season has to be more than a little concerned.

Massey Ratings (thru 2/18/07)

Webster (168)
MacMurray (201)
Fontbonne (220)
Westminster (231)
Eureka (254)
Greenville (312)
Blackburn (322)
Maryville (347)
LCC (382)
Principia (391)

Others

Chicago (7) - lost to Wash U by 11
Wash U (10) - beat WU by 16, beat FU by 15, beat MU by 34
Grinnell (11) - beat MacMurray 136-116
Augustana (14) - beat Wash U by 2
Hope (15) - hopefan!!!
Illinois College (241) - needs to join the SLIAC asap

Greenville wins 85-77.

Tournament is set.

MacMurray #2 vs. Eureka #3
Webster #1 vs. Fontbonne #4

Four very good teams. Anyone could win.

See you in St. Louis!

Fontbonne wins. They're in.

Greenville leads 83-77 with less than a minute to play.

GC 79  WC 72  two minutes left

Fontbonne pushes the lead back to 15 - they're in.

Greenville ahead by two over Westminster with four minutes to play. Looks like that one will go down to the wire...