K hosts Olivet tomorrow. 

It is also televised just like Calvin-Hope, but only on tape delay and only available in the Kalamazoo and Olivet film rooms.  And possibly Coach Passage's house.

There are at least two posts on this page alone that fail to capitalize both words when referring to "The Rivalry".  If we could rectify this going forward and treat this game with the deference that it deserves , I think everybody would appreciate it.

Also, let's hope that the refs tomorrow night can show the kind of poise and discretion This Game deserves.  For goodness' sake, if a Hope player is going in for a crowd-pleasing jam, don't let all the air out of the balloon by calling a travelling violation, no matter how legitimate.  A good ref should swallow the whistle and let the players decide who gets to dunk.

Briton Backer -

Kakaty wonders if maybe Fun Ron is one of the Calvin fans that has to sit right behind the visitors bench because it's the only place that allows him to see the court - unless it's a women's game, where apparently he can see the court just fine from the other side.

Quote from: Flying Dutch Fan on February 18, 2006, 09:45:50 AM

Quote from: goodknight on February 18, 2006, 09:35:54 AM

Quote from: Flying Dutch Fan on February 18, 2006, 08:36:43 AM
It's great to have all of that - thanks DC, although it's really a moot point.  Hope will not lose to another MIAA team this year.

Frequently, one sees this rendered as a "mute" point, although clearly there are no mute points on this board this week.   

I will admint that to be mute might have been fine advice to several posters this week

Kakaty will admint that as well.

Well, just to be clear, I am not blaming the losses entirely on the refs - just arguing that it is certainly reasonable to look at the free throw discrepancies and think that the refereeing had an impact.  

Albion is a nationally ranked basketball team, with a great player in Crawford.  The Hornets are going to finish somewhere squarely in the middle of the conference.  Clearly, the talent level of the two teams played a large part in each game - neither game was "stolen" from the Hornets.

I think I acknowledged earlier that Crawford's presence would explain some of the disparity - it's just my opinion that it doesn't explain all of it.  In games that are relatively close (4 and 6 points), one team getting 20 additional free chances per game is alot to overcome - despite the fact that you're given 40 minutes to do it.  

I did read your article in the Times, and it has changed my entire outlook on life.

As for the third person, it's a day to day decision that depends on Kakaty's mood.

Yaz -

Because your measuring stick doesn't make any sense, it's tough to decide whether or not Kalamazoo fans have the right to question the officials.  Can you flesh out the formula a bit more?

Regardless of the Nobel Prize-worthy new "call or calls greater than or equal to USA v. Russia" theory, I'm not sure that Hornet fans can be blamed for questioning the officials based on the two Albion games.

In game 1, which Albion won by six at home, Albion outshot Kalamazoo from the free throw line 27-4.

In game 2, which Albion won by 4 on the road, Albion outshot Kalamazoo from the free throw line 31-12.

So, for the season, Albion has outscored the Hornets by 10, while outshooting them from the line by 42 (58-16).  Even given the big advantage on the interior presented by Crawford, that seems a bit extreme - extreme enough that it doesn't seem that "far fetched" to suggest that the officials had an impact on the two games.

Don't get me wrong though, Yaz - if it were my team that had a 58-16 free throw advantage over two games, I would probably pretend to believe that the disparity was reasonable, too. 

With regard to VanSolkema, I've got a couple of thoughts (which are solely my opinion and based on exactly zero inside information):

1.  Neither GVW's earlier comments that DVS would not play this season, nor GVW's decision to let DVS play this season, were made with any consideration for the "chemistry" of the Hope team.  

The earlier comments were made when GVW didn't think that DVS would have a role to play on the team, and when GVW thought that his team was deep and talented enough to reach its goals as the team was constituted at the time.  Now, with losses to Albion and Calvin on the ledger, and having seen DVS practice with the team, GVW believes that DVS will be able to make a difference, in the MIAA tourney and the NCAA tourney (most likely), and has changed his mind.

2.  Probably no coach in the MIAA, if an All-State high school player and DI transfer enrolled at his school following the Christmas break, would refuse to let the player suit up and play that season.  So I don't think it's fair to criticize GVW for doing the same thing.  Perhaps the only difference for many is that they wouldn't wait as long as GVW did to play him.

3.  I don't actually believe that DVS enrolled at Hope completely unbeknownst to GVW.  I am not accusing GVW, or any on his staff, of recruiting DVS away from EMU or anything of the like.  I just find it beyond belief that DVS would enroll at Hope, intending and hoping to play basketball, without running it by someone on the staff first.  Don't get me wrong, I understand completely that the "utter surprise" angle helps soothe the feelings of any kids that are upset by the developments - but, see #1 above, at the end of the day I don't think GVW cares too particularly much.  I think he probably had some contact (direct or indirect) with DVS and let him know that he would be welcome in the program.

4.  I have no idea how the salary structure in the MIAA looks - but I would bet that if you asked GVW, he would be at least a bit surprised to learn that he is getting "the big bucks".

Quote from: Civic Minded on February 10, 2006, 11:27:56 AM
You guys are really funny today -- Seinfeld, Chuck Norris, Albion out of it, Kzoo beating Calvin or Albion -- hey, maybe it just means that this Hope fan is getting a sense of humor back!   

(Now, don't get me wrong about Kzoo -- by all means, if you can, beat the tar out of both of them.  I'm just sayin'....)

Kakaty understands that it will be a surprise for Kalamazoo to win either of those games.  Of course, if Kakaty had told you two weeks ago that Tri-State would beat Albion, you probably would have laughed, too - and Kakaty probably would have laughed with you. 

Didn't Kalamazoo lose at Kresge by only 6?  It wouldn't exactly be a complete shock for them to win tomorrow.  At least that's what Kakaty thinks.

Since nobody, and by nobody Kakaty is pretty sure he actually means nobody, could break away from the Calvin-Hope talk to congratulate Brad Brinkman of Kalamazoo for being named to the Academic All-District IV First Team, Kakaty wants to give everybody one more opportunity to do so.  Congratulations, Brad!

Congratulations also to the Hornets for getting a big win on Wednesday night, giving them a chance to host a first rounder - also against Tri-State most likely, as it appears these two teams will be locked in to the 4/5 spots.  Of the two teams, TSU still has the inside track to the fourth place finish.  Kalamazoo will need to win at Olivet and then either knock off the Brits on Saturday, or Calvin at Knollcrest next Saturday, to get it done.  Not easy, by any means - of course, the Hornets were picked by the "knowledgeable" MIAA coaches to finish last, so they're certainly capable of surprising.

As for Kakaty's take on the Hope-Calvin classic finish, Kakaty:  

(1)  Can't recall *any* Hope-Calvin game with a final margin of less than 10 points that, in the days following the game, wasn't referred to breathlessly on this board as "one of the greatest games in this storied rivalry" or some variation on that theme.  Much like Dick Vitale, who in the weeks leading up to the NCAA tournament predicts about 110 teams to make his "field of 65", if we actually put together the "5 greatest games" in the Hope-Calvin rivalry, we would have a list of about 40, give or take 10.  

(2)  Thinks that it's tough to criticize GVW for his coaching *too* much, because it's pretty hard to look at his career record and not be impressed.  Recruiting success is a facet of college coaching, so if people other than Kakaty want to criticize GVW for his coaching, they need to recognize that he's been able to put together some pretty impressive collections of talent.  (Kakaty might criticize GVW's willingness to recruit way more kids than he actually needs - knowing that many of them, who come to Hope believing they are going to be playing college basketball, will never don a Hope uniform - but that's a different story altogether).

(3)  Thinks it is fair, with that being said, to point out that, like Sac, Kakaty can't remember any of these classic games which Hope has *won* in thrilling fashion at the end - and Kakaty thinks that might also reflect on GVW's in-game strategic ability.  Kakaty does not feel that close, late-game situations are GVW's strength.