MBB: Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[Drake Palmer]

And it's official... http://www.winonadailynews.com/sports/article_d12ffc38-5051-11e0-91d4-001cc4c002e0.html

Palmer leaves SMU. It was definitely fun watching this guy for the last two years. Good luck to a good friend in the next stage of his life.

Westlund must be ecstatic...

I think must of us can understand a transfer, but why Bethel?  Palmer strikes me as a very competitive player, and I would think if he were to transfer he would want to cast his lot with a team that would be more competitive than Bethel. Projecting next's year's standing I think it might look something like this:

STO
UST
CARL
HAM
AUG
GAC

SJU
CORD
MAC
BET

SMU

Let alone, the stricter code of conduct that Bethel requires from their students. Puzzling to say the least.  Hmm, mebbe this is why Bethel Guy logged back on the board?
 

[AO]

And it's official... http://www.winonadailynews.com/sports/article_d12ffc38-5051-11e0-91d4-001cc4c002e0.html

Palmer leaves SMU. It was definitely fun watching this guy for the last two years. Good luck to a good friend in the next stage of his life.

Westlund must be ecstatic...

I think must of us can understand a transfer, but why Bethel?  Palmer strikes me as a very competitive player, and I would think if he were to transfer he would want to cast his lot with a team that would be more competitive than Bethel. Projecting next's year's standing I think it might look something like this:

STO
UST
CARL
HAM
AUG
GAC

SJU
CORD
MAC
BET

SMU

Let alone, the stricter code of conduct that Bethel requires from their students. Puzzling to say the least.  Hmm, mebbe this is why Bethel Guy logged back on the board?  

So Bethel wouldn't improve at all with Chris Palmer?  They return Hall, Baah and Meyer and add Palmer, and they're still 10th?  Maybe Palmer likes being the big fish in the small pond, but Bethel doesn't seem like a team destined to remain among the small ponders.

Maybe it's just a location decision related to the family issue.

[Gregory Sager]

Let alone, the stricter code of conduct that Bethel requires from their students. Puzzling to say the least.

Perhaps the stricter code is why (or part of the reason why) he's transferring from St. Mary's to Bethel. It's entirely conceivable that he may consider an evangelical college a better fit for him personally than a Catholic college. On the other hand, he attended a Catholic high school (Bethlehem Academy in Faribault), so that may not be it at all.

I take it that the MIAC does not have an intraconference transfer ineligibility rule. Some leagues (the CCIW among them) state that you have to sit out a year if you transfer from one school to another within the league. Other leagues don't have that rule.

[Buddo]

Watch out for Bethel next year. Lots of young talent.

[jwebster1]

Next stage of his life? If you're a good friend give us some info. What's the real story?

I'd rather not. Why would I give out info on a friend's private life on a public message board? Let it be. I only posted the link because it appeared in the city paper.

[jimhoops1234]

My guess is only a few people know all the details anyway. Regardless it looks like a done deal. Hope that next step still allows him to continue to play. Kid plays arguably harder than anyone in the league. Not sure how a kid like that slides under the radar coming out of hs. Credit SMU for finding and landing him. Bethel gets a big time gift.

[Drake Palmer]

Chris Palmer wasn't exactly an unknown coming out of high school.  He was selected to several All-State teams and I believed he played in the coaches' all star series.

AO- Sure, I think Bethel will definitely improve with the addition of Chris Palmer, but I seriously doubt they'll be playoff contenders which was the point I was trying to make. They could prove me wrong, but based on their returning personnel, I see Bethel landing somewhere between 8th -10th in next year's league standings.

Greg- you would need to see him play for yourself.  Chris Palmer is very talented ballplayer, has a great motor, and for his size, is a very physical presence on the court.  However, based strictly on outward appearances,  his pending transfer reminds me of the free spirited, Irish Catholic QB Jim McMahon attending BYU back in the 80s, Snoop Dawg and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, Barack Obama and Michele Bachmann.  But who knows, this could be a perfect match.   

[Drake Palmer]

Apparently, there's another Mose running around, but it seems he/she is a bit more high tech than our own MIACManiac.   

A Williams Perspective on the Final Four.

Speaking of Williams, check out these highlights of Williams' AA center, Troy Whittington

And keep in mind, I guess he's only 6-4 or so & not the 6-6 he's listed at.

Troy Whittington

[hoopsup]

Rumor mill has 2-3 players leaving Hamline this spring, kids who contributed this year.  What's going on over there? 

[Gregory Sager]

Greg- you would need to see him play for yourself.  Chris Palmer is very talented ballplayer, has a great motor, and for his size, is a very physical presence on the court.  However, based strictly on outward appearances,  his pending transfer reminds me of the free spirited, Irish Catholic QB Jim McMahon attending BYU back in the 80s,

I don't quite follow how watching Chris Palmer play would give you an indication of his beliefs and values. Does he curse a lot on the court? Is he insolent, or at least disrespectful, to coaches, refs, other players, etc.? It can't be a "he plays dirty" thing, because I've seen plenty of Wheaton players over the years who didn't exactly comport themselves by the Marquess of Queensbury rules in terms of physical contact on the hardwood.

There was nothing about the way that Jim McMahon played quarterback that would lead you to believe that he was a hard-drinking, amoral, irreverent rebel who broke every rule BYU (and, later, Mike Ditka) had. You had to actually hear or read an interview with him, or a story about him, in order to get a sense of that. That's why I'm just not sure what you're getting at here in terms of how seeing Palmer play would give me an indication that he'd be a poor fit at Bethel. I guess I need something more concrete to go by.

[Mr. Ypsi]

Greg- you would need to see him play for yourself.  Chris Palmer is very talented ballplayer, has a great motor, and for his size, is a very physical presence on the court.  However, based strictly on outward appearances,  his pending transfer reminds me of the free spirited, Irish Catholic QB Jim McMahon attending BYU back in the 80s,

I don't quite follow how watching Chris Palmer play would give you an indication of his beliefs and values. Does he curse a lot on the court? Is he insolent, or at least disrespectful, to coaches, refs, other players, etc.? It can't be a "he plays dirty" thing, because I've seen plenty of Wheaton players over the years who didn't exactly comport themselves by the Marquess of Queensbury rules in terms of physical contact on the hardwood.

There was nothing about the way that Jim McMahon played quarterback that would lead you to believe that he was a hard-drinking, amoral, irreverent rebel who broke every rule BYU (and, later, Mike Ditka) had. You had to actually hear or read an interview with him, or a story about him, in order to get a sense of that. That's why I'm just not sure what you're getting at here in terms of how seeing Palmer play would give me an indication that he'd be a poor fit at Bethel. I guess I need something more concrete to go by.

Since BYU dismissed their second best basketball player (in a season they had a legitimate chance of the FF), kinda makes one wonder about McMahon and BYU.  Apparently football is MORE of a religion at BYU than Mormonism!

[Gacman]

I think Palmer will give BU some of the toughness and consistency it has been lacking the past few years. One of the assistants went to the same high school so it's possible that would spike his interest for choosing BU. Also, the move has nothing to do with one school being more strict than the other. It is for personal reasons. I wish him the best and hopefully he can help turn a Bethel program around that was one of the stronger programs in the MIAC up until recently.

[Gregory Sager]

Greg- you would need to see him play for yourself.  Chris Palmer is very talented ballplayer, has a great motor, and for his size, is a very physical presence on the court.  However, based strictly on outward appearances,  his pending transfer reminds me of the free spirited, Irish Catholic QB Jim McMahon attending BYU back in the 80s,

I don't quite follow how watching Chris Palmer play would give you an indication of his beliefs and values. Does he curse a lot on the court? Is he insolent, or at least disrespectful, to coaches, refs, other players, etc.? It can't be a "he plays dirty" thing, because I've seen plenty of Wheaton players over the years who didn't exactly comport themselves by the Marquess of Queensbury rules in terms of physical contact on the hardwood.

There was nothing about the way that Jim McMahon played quarterback that would lead you to believe that he was a hard-drinking, amoral, irreverent rebel who broke every rule BYU (and, later, Mike Ditka) had. You had to actually hear or read an interview with him, or a story about him, in order to get a sense of that. That's why I'm just not sure what you're getting at here in terms of how seeing Palmer play would give me an indication that he'd be a poor fit at Bethel. I guess I need something more concrete to go by.

Since BYU dismissed their second best basketball player (in a season they had a legitimate chance of the FF), kinda makes one wonder about McMahon and BYU.  Apparently football is MORE of a religion at BYU than Mormonism!

Actually, I think it's more a case of the notoriety surrounding McMahon, for whom the story of how BYU looked the other way at his rules-flaunting back in the '80s has become part of his legend, influencing BYU's current behavior. The school administration is now much more likely to enforce the rules where star athletes are concerned because McMahon gave them such a black eye in terms of public relations; non-Mormons called the school hypocritical and Mormons called the school irresponsible and culpable in the wake of the McMahon story.

In other words, he ruined it for any future rebellious BYU jocks.

[AO]

Greg- you would need to see him play for yourself.  Chris Palmer is very talented ballplayer, has a great motor, and for his size, is a very physical presence on the court.  However, based strictly on outward appearances,  his pending transfer reminds me of the free spirited, Irish Catholic QB Jim McMahon attending BYU back in the 80s,

I don't quite follow how watching Chris Palmer play would give you an indication of his beliefs and values. Does he curse a lot on the court? Is he insolent, or at least disrespectful, to coaches, refs, other players, etc.? It can't be a "he plays dirty" thing, because I've seen plenty of Wheaton players over the years who didn't exactly comport themselves by the Marquess of Queensbury rules in terms of physical contact on the hardwood.

There was nothing about the way that Jim McMahon played quarterback that would lead you to believe that he was a hard-drinking, amoral, irreverent rebel who broke every rule BYU (and, later, Mike Ditka) had. You had to actually hear or read an interview with him, or a story about him, in order to get a sense of that. That's why I'm just not sure what you're getting at here in terms of how seeing Palmer play would give me an indication that he'd be a poor fit at Bethel. I guess I need something more concrete to go by.

I think it's safe to say that Bethel does its fair share of hacking, especially on the perimeter, and you could find some interesting opinions about the cheap shots from Bethel on the football field, but I'm guessing Drake is talking about some of the colorful language that Bethel isn't known for and Chris may be.

[Drake Palmer]

 

You'll get no such talk out of me Sensei. 

Having said that... 

Thanks for having my back AO. 

G-man -whatever his reason maybe for transferring I'm sure they were/are personal.  Most transfers are.  Homesick, want more playing time, lovesick, a change in team basketball style, the former school doesn't offer the right major, matters of the heart (?), etc.

As I've said before Chris Palmer is a very talented player and he will give Bethel a tremendous shot of talent and toughness.  Again based on his style of play and on-court attitude, Bethel just seems like an unusual school selection for Palmer. I would think most posters who've seen him play more than once in the last couple of years would agree with my observation.

By the way, here's Bethel's Covenant.