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.
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.