Quote from: Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan) on February 23, 2024, 08:34:42 AMClark won.  It was WPI who lost.

100% true. Not sure where I was pulling from or thought I saw Clark had lost.

It's all moot if Hope doesn't win tonight.

All-MIAA awards have been announced:

https://www.miaa.org/sports/mbkb/2023-24/releases/AllMIAA2024

Quote from: HOPEful on February 22, 2024, 03:47:22 PMThe board is back!!!! YES!!! Oh so many times I wished I had it this season. Top two I can think of were...

1. Wished there was an MIAA pick em... well... I would have done horribly, so...
2. Wished a Trine fan was able to explain to me what in the world happened against Olivet.

I've been getting by on Drew Pasteur's NCAA D3 Bracketology hoping to see Hope move from OUT to BUBBLE IN, all the while fully knowing they haven't and won't without beating Calvin again tomorrow...

Being I am the only Trine fan here, or at least the only Trine fan who posts on this board, my answer is 'I dunno'.  I was at a Trine WBB game that afternoon and only pulled in the livestats of the MBB game from time to time.  I didn't go back and watch the tape afterwards.  I guess you could chalk it up to a few things:

Olivet's marksmanship, 60% from the floor, 47% from 3, 84% from the line.
Trine with a poor shooting day, 41% from the floor, 21% from 3.
Olivet was bound to win one of these games at Cutler, they have played everyone tough at home. Other than their game against Kalamazoo where they lost by 20 (what?), they were in every game to the end.
I don't think this was a 'trap game' for Trine, they had been good this season at focusing on each game as they come.  Just wasn't meant to be.

I think this is the only game for the top 3, (Calvin, Trine, Hope), that lost a game this season to any of the other 5 in the conference.  It was disappointing as it prevented Trine from claiming the championship outright rather than sharing with Calvin, but I didn't lose any sleep over it.  It's hard to win basketball games, not going to complain with an overall 22-3 season, 12-2 in the conference, and from what the D3 guru's are saying pretty much a lock for the national tournament regardless of what happens this weekend in Angola.

I've been learning alot this year about what gets a team in the conversation of possibly being considered for the tournament.  Terms I am getting good at are: Pool A, Pool C, win %, SOS, RRO's, etc.  Special thanks to the Snyder boys at D3Datacast, they know their stuff for being, ahem, Calvin guys.    You mentioned Drew Pasteur's site D3Bubble, been getting lots of great information there as well.   

Quote from: pointlem on February 21, 2024, 08:50:31 PMWithout forecasting this weekend's result, my sense is that Hope's season has progressed much like last season--with the team gaining momentum as the season approaches its end. The addition of TJ McKenzie and his team-leading steals/minute has helped. They will, however, need to shoot better than last night's 34% to upend Calvin (which would likely merit a Pool C bid, Knight-Slappy?)

I hoped Hope would shoot better, but didn't expect that much better. Gabe 31 points on seven 3's? That lifetime memory for him was on no one's bingo card. And TJ!

That will be a tough performance to replicate tomorrow night. But we shall see. And in any event a loss is not season-ending for either Calvin or Trine, who next weekend will still be playing, and, given their talent level, quite possibly beyond.

Quote from: pointlem on February 23, 2024, 10:26:27 PM

Quote from: pointlem on February 21, 2024, 08:50:31 PMWithout forecasting this weekend's result, my sense is that Hope's season has progressed much like last season--with the team gaining momentum as the season approaches its end. The addition of TJ McKenzie and his team-leading steals/minute has helped. They will, however, need to shoot better than last night's 34% to upend Calvin (which would likely merit a Pool C bid, Knight-Slappy?)

I hoped Hope would shoot better, but didn't expect that much better. Gabe 31 points on seven 3's? That lifetime memory for him was on no one's bingo card. And TJ!

That will be a tough performance to replicate tomorrow night. But we shall see. And in any event a loss is not season-ending for either Calvin or Trine, who next weekend will still be playing, and, given their talent level, quite possibly beyond.

It was the kind of performance that won't soon be forgotten and will surely go down in Calvin-Hope history as "the Quillan game" on both sides of the rivalry. When a player is going to go off like that you need to have someone who can just about match shot for shot and Calvin didn't have that. Just have to tip your cap to Quillan and Hope and move on - fortunately there is NCAA Tournament moving on talk to have!

Hope beats Trine 72-68 in OT to win the MIAA championship

It was electric in MTI tonight as the Flying Dutch and Thunder went toe to toe for 45 minutes.  When TJ McKenzie is on his game, like he was both last night and tonight, he makes Hope so much better.  He was fantastic.  To me he was the tournament MVP, even over Quillen's monster game last night.  Trine with an awful shooting night from behind the arc, woeful 2-24 for 8%.  Maybe tired legs from a nail biter last night against Adrian?  Anyway congrats to Hope.  They will be a tough out in the NCAA tournament.  Will be an interesting selection Monday to see where everyone in the MIAA is headed.    

Does the MIAA get 3 teams in?

I think they only take 2 teams

Quote from: calvin_grad on February 24, 2024, 11:44:47 PMDoes the MIAA get 3 teams in?

Yes, Trine and Calvin should both be safely in.

Not that it matters but I'd be interested to see who ends up higher on the final regional rankings, Hope or Calvin.

Quote from: hope1 on February 25, 2024, 07:34:28 AMI think they only take 2 teams

Which two?

Great tournament weekend in Angola.  All 3 games were fun to watch, every possession mattered and seemed intense.  Great atmosphere, its supposed to be tough.

--MIAA should rethink their Friday pricing.

--Quillan was the headline hero on Friday but I don't think Hope wins either game without TJ McKenzie's two outstanding performances.  Hope, as it turns out, can also play some defense.

--Loved Hope going for the back door lob late in the Trine game, bold. 


Some season thoughts

---Hope's non-conf schedule wasn't quite strong enough for a Pool C on its own, their margin was probalby 6 losses and some help.  So I figured the Whitewater loss probably was going to keep them out.  Platteville would have been a monster win.  As it turned out things broke their way a bit and I think they would have been in ok shape and probably on the pool c board late in the process.

---This stretch for Hope.......

@ Calvin
Trine
Albion
Calvin
@ Trine

was bull**** and should never happen again.  Its the single reason I never thought Hope could win the league and it was going to be all about being there to win the tournament.  Seriously MIAA what are we doing here.


---No disagreements with 1st or 2nd team All-MIAA, it was hard.  Lots of good players with good stats, only one standout.   ....but I think I would have put Manny Megnanglo on the team, there has not been a more terrifying shot blocker in the this league in the years I've watched.  He constantly altered opponents attack plans.  He should get 1/2 a block for every time a player dribbled into the paint took a peak and went 'nope' and tossed it back out.  He's been great fun.


---Quite a 3 years for Hope, Calvin and Trine.   
One championship for Hope
One for Calvin 
Co-champ for Calvin/Trine 
Hope wins all 3 tournaments   
Combined 75-5 vs the rest of the league.   
8 of the 9 teams won 20+ games 
And its going to be 7 NCAA  appearances. 

Overall
Calvin  66-17
Hope    64-23
Trine   63-17

MIAA
Calvin 36-6
Trine  34-8
Hope   33-9


Looking forward to some NCAA basketball and where these teams stack up.  Not a lot of powerhouse teams in the Great Lakes, Midwest this year.  Probably only 4 teams from the WIAC, CCIW, NCAC and OAC combined, very unusual.  Could get a couple deep runs.

Quote from: HOPEful on February 25, 2024, 07:42:45 AM

Quote from: calvin_grad on February 24, 2024, 11:44:47 PMDoes the MIAA get 3 teams in?

Yes, Trine and Calvin should both be safely in.

Not that it matters but I'd be interested to see who ends up higher on the final regional rankings, Hope or Calvin.

It does matter for seeding, but I think Calvin still edges Hope out there.  Even with Hope's 2-1 h2h, its close

Quote from: calvin_grad on February 24, 2024, 11:44:47 PMDoes the MIAA get 3 teams in?

Hope AQ

Trine and Calvin will almost certainly get in.  I think the only doubt is where Carnegie Mellon is ranked and if Calvin dropped behind them which I can't see happening.  Carnegie should end up being the last Region 7 team on the pool c board.

Quote from: sac on February 25, 2024, 01:54:51 PM--MIAA should rethink their Friday pricing.

Great summary, Sac . . . and might the MIAA also want to consider having semis on top-seeded teams' home floors? Why not, for example, have Hope play last Friday at Calvin--before fans (nice for both players and fans) and giving more revenue, rather than playing before a near-empty house, then driving home, and then back to Angola? The MIAA distances are small enough that after a 7 p.m. Friday game, teams can comfortably sleep in their own beds before the winner drives to the championship site the next night (which will never be another empty house if the #1 seed loses on Friday night). Yes?

Quote from: pointlem on February 25, 2024, 03:11:32 PM

Quote from: sac on February 25, 2024, 01:54:51 PM--MIAA should rethink their Friday pricing.

Great summary, Sac . . . and might the MIAA also want to consider having semis on top-seeded teams' home floors? Why not, for example, have Hope play last Friday at Calvin--before fans (nice for both players and fans) and giving more revenue, rather than playing before a near-empty house, then driving home, and then back to Angola?

Hope slept in Holland Friday night?