I might be wrong but I think at least 4 of those 6 were free throws.  maybe all 6.  great senior year for Klein who has had a rollercoaster career at hope.

I agree with SAC that was a hard but great game to watch.  It felt like we were playing 3 on 5 in the first half offensively with Jesse sick / not shooting well and Wolf appearing to be allergic to the ball.  When the scoring balanced out in the second half it was obvious that Hope would prevail.

A few interesting moments:

- About 5 minutes in when Hope starts their run.  MVH tries to reinact his Calvin low post dominance against a much better post defender in Wiele.  IT worked for a few buckets and his energy was contagious, but he couldn't keep it up.

- I have never heard the boos reverberate in the Devos quite like last night.  The ref were disliked by both sides last night for some crazy second half calls against hope and non calls that hurt Wheaton in the 1st half.  We were all over raymond all night and he got very few calls to go his way. 

Congrats to these Dutchmen.  They have been clutch all season and it is great to see them rewarded.  How many teams have clutch shooters at all 5 starting positions.  Makes them pretty hard to match up with in Salem.

Quote from: sac on January 27, 2008, 12:27:28 AM

Quote from: oldknight on January 27, 2008, 12:12:30 AM

Quote from: MaroonKnighty on January 26, 2008, 11:03:29 PM

Quote from: Civic Minded on January 26, 2008, 10:40:32 PM

Quote from: MaroonKnighty on January 26, 2008, 05:12:19 PM

Quote from: MaroonKnighty on January 26, 2008, 05:12:19 PM
Could someone please explain to me why all the hype about DVS?  I have seen him play a few times now and I am not impressed, granted I've only see him play against Calvin.  Also what's with the trash talking after he finally makes his first bucket of the game in the second period?

He plays on emotion.  For the most part that emotion got the best of him but once he got a little going for himself he lets you know about it. 

Um, let's see.  How about we operate from some facts here, instead of our own preconceived (and incorrect) notions?  As Derek was lining up for the shot, Knightmares students were swearing at him and calling him names that were, well, let's say unsportsmanlike (and definitely inappropriate). 

Thanks for clearing this up for me.  I change my mind, Derek is awesome!

Here's where knowing the local historical background might be helpful to readers of this board not familiar with it. I saw DVS play many times in high school and he was a very good player on an outstanding high school team at South Christian. One of his teammates was Kirk Walters, now a post player at the University of Arizona, and another was a future Mr. Basketball, David Kool, now a star at Western Michigan. DVS and his team played in the Class B state finals his last two years, finishing runners-up as a junior and winning it all as a senior. Over the course of his high school career Derek developed a reputation among local fans as a somewhat brazen, trash talking, shoot from the hip (and lip) 2 guard who irritated mightily fans of opposing schools. He wasn't afraid to express his opinion to students watching their team play (and typically lose) to DVS. The fact that he seemed to have rabbit ears for any courtside comment thrown his way during games only made DVS a bigger target, as did the growing reputation of his father who would sit courtside to "protect" his son from the miscreants who dared to criticize Derek's play and demonstrative behavior. Whether DVS deserved any of the criticism is a matter of opinion of course, but there is no question that he was more an object of disdain than was any of his teammates. This stands in stark contrast to Kool whose on court demeanor (and play) only enhanced the legendary status and respect that he acquired in high school.

Fast forward four or five years and DVS, after a brief detour through Eastern Michigan University, is again playing before many of the same fans who came to know and love him  when they all were in high school. Obviously Calvin draws a substantial portion of its student body from west Michigan, they remember his reputation, and its a big game. I have no idea what was being said to him by fans as he passed by the Calvin student section but some was probably good natured ribbing (some Calvin students no doubt were his high school classmate), other comments a bit more offensive. But since we should operate from the facts, unless you sat right in the middle of the Calvin student section, there no way anyone could possibly know if students were swearing at him. DVS had his first half struggles and when he finally buried a three from the corner directly in front of the Calvin student section he reacted--right on cue--exactly as his reputation would lead one to expect if you knew him from high school. He turned to the Calvin student section with what I assume was some trash talking of his own. He's a good player at Hope but not as effective as he was in high school when he played the 2 guard spot. He's not quite big enough to play that spot in college and isn't as natural from the point.

I will add.........

Most peoples opinion of him are based solely on the color of the uniform he currently wears.  Were it a different color, those opinions would be more favorable. People see what they want to see.

If people spent as much time watching him play, as they do wishing him to fail, they'd see what a good D3 player he is and has become.

I know this is getting to be quite the long entry, but I thought i had something to add here.  It is interesting to note that as a Hope Fan and Christian School teacher in the middle of the Calvin section under the basket, it was interesting to hear so many people comment on how certain players in orange are "traitors" for playing for Hope.  Interesting perspective. 

Also thought I should add it was awesome to see Klein force mantel to post up at 8-10 feet all night while giving up 2-3 inches and 20-30 lbs.  Great player.  Congrats to whomever was his recruiter and convinced him not to follow his fathers path to Calvin.

Quote from: Civic Minded on November 05, 2007, 12:10:34 PM

Quote from: Dew Nation on November 05, 2007, 12:06:15 PM
Does anyone know how the Dutchmen fared this weekend?  I have been checking but have not found any updates.

Fared at what? 

I thought they were playing Detroit but I guess that is tomorrow night.  That would explain the lack of information avaiable.  My bad.

Does anyone know how the Dutchmen fared this weekend?  I have been checking but have not found any updates.

Yeah, that one made me scratch my head for just a moment, too.

I was at the 400th and 500th win games.  I wonder how many other posters were, too? 

If Hope gets thru the "pre-conference tournament season" with a perfect record, they will get that 10th W at home in the 2nd game of the Russ DeVette Holiday Classic.  I don't know how many games Mr. DeVette still gets to, but to have his predecessor and former coach present when he reaches such a milestone, I'm sure would be big for GVW.

[/quote]

If I am not mistaken the 500th was at Albion during the tourney where Hope beat Calvin in a great overtime battle.  If so, I was there and it was awesome.

Does anyone know when we can all "meet the dutchmen"?  I always look forward to that night.

Let me know

Quote from: sac on January 31, 2007, 01:34:47 PM

Quote from: NW Hope Fan (AKA Gooood Karma and Bad Karma) on January 31, 2007, 01:23:19 PM

Quote from: Dew Nation on January 31, 2007, 01:05:33 PM
Appearantly noone else in the league has outside of Mantel (who was a "lock" to come to Hope according to those close to the program.  Obviously he changed his mind at the last minute for whatever reason).

Wonder what his mom has to say about that... Not that she will. 

I probably get the same forwarded emails about recruits as the "insiders" and Mantel was NEVER regarded as a "lock", in fact most of the time they seemed to think he was a bit of a longshot.

Dex Batista was the one most thought was a lock for Hope, he ended up at Wooster.

I wouldn't mind being on those email lists.  I actually get my information from a coach for Hope and a player for Calvin (former player of mine).  Pretty good sources in my book.  Heard the same about that Batista kid.  I think I smell transfer as well, although I think this team might be a bit more resistant to new players than last years group.  Just a hunch.

Quote from: almcguirejr on January 31, 2007, 11:53:21 AM

Quote from: hshoopster on January 31, 2007, 10:05:04 AM
Basketball today (especially the way the post is officiated) does NOT favor the "back to the basket" big man....that is in Hopes favor.
 

Couldn't disagree with you more.  A quality low post player with good footwork is invaluable to his team.  Aultman and Crawford the last 2 years in the MIAA show what a presence in the low post can do for a team.  The problem as I see it is, most big men want to play small and hang out by the three point line.  Someone like Mantel could dominate if he develops the fundamentals to play in the low post and learns to pass out of the post when double teams come.

I think it is important to note that Hope would love a real big man.  It is the only thing that people questions about them and they have a hard time ever posing up their bigs.  VH gets the most with his back to the basket and that isn't even as often as it should be.  It isnt that Hope has chosen to have a team with no center that can score it is that they haven't been able to land one.  Appearantly noone else in the league has outside of Mantel (who was a "lock" to come to Hope according to those close to the program.  Obviously he changed his mind at the last minute for whatever reason).

Quote from: bulldogalum on January 30, 2007, 12:17:11 PM
Don't forget that in the MIAA tournament, Adrian is 2-1 alltime vs. Hope.  I certainly will never forget that wonderful 2004 game at the Civic.  On any given night, any of the top several teams could knock off any of the others, especially in the MIAA tournament.

Do you really need to bring that up?  Bad bad memories.  I also remember a game a few years prior when they couldn't miss and Hope went down in the first round at Knollcrest.

Quote from: Gooood Karma (AKA the poster formerly known as Bad Karma) on January 28, 2007, 10:45:29 PM
Just took a look at the league stats, and as this IS a team game, it is interesting, but not surprising to see Hope lead every team category but Offensive rebounding. And lead no individual category but 3-point %.

It is hard to have many offensive boards when you shoot as well as they have or as many threes as they do.  This appears to be the most team focused Hope team that I have been around.  Pretty cool for a bunch of transfers and highly touted individuals.

Quote from: goknights68 on January 27, 2007, 03:25:33 PM

Quote from: Dew Nation on January 27, 2007, 12:42:39 PM
Now that is a mascot. 

Didn't Calvin bring out a mascot a few years back.  It seems to have disappeared as of late. 

As for most improved I agree on Hope's Jager even thougg his is a second stringer.  He has played outstanding in each game I have seen and I used to cringe every time he took the court. 

By the way, thanks for the info on earlier Hope as a 1999 transplant I am pretty unaware of anything before that year. 

As for inside defense I always find it interesting that the best shot blocker on the Hope team (besides Cramer when he is on) is the second from the last guy on the bench.  Holt I think.  Instead GVW has chosen to run with a team in which 9 of the 10 players are real 3 point shooting threats.

Yeah they did have one.  It looked more like a suasage than a knight, though.  Word is is that they might be getting a new one in the next year!

You know calvin, if hope has it then Calvin will be soon to follow.  (exceptions being football and cheerleading because they are in some way "unGodly".

Now that is a mascot. 

Didn't Calvin bring out a mascot a few years back.  It seems to have disappeared as of late. 

As for most improved I agree on Hope's Jager even thougg his is a second stringer.  He has played outstanding in each game I have seen and I used to cringe every time he took the court. 

By the way, thanks for the info on earlier Hope as a 1999 transplant I am pretty unaware of anything before that year. 

As for inside defense I always find it interesting that the best shot blocker on the Hope team (besides Cramer when he is on) is the second from the last guy on the bench.  Holt I think.  Instead GVW has chosen to run with a team in which 9 of the 10 players are real 3 point shooting threats.

Check that:  Hope's Wnning MArgin is: 30.9 

My mistake.

I know that I am just a rookie poster on this site but I saw some numbers on the MIAA website that I found to be quite amazing (expanding on sac's earlier post):

Hope's Average Score in League Play:  87.6
Next best:  Calvin with 74.6
Margin:  13 point

Hope's Average Opp. Score in League Play:  56.7
Next Best:  Calvin with 65.9
Margin:  9.2

Hope is winning by an average of 31.1 points per game.

That being said, do any of the MIAA historians on the forum have information concerning when another team has had such amazing numbers through half a season? Ideas?