MBB: St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[hopefan]

First road trip of the week this week will be up to Macmurray to See Webster play Mac....  one would think that Mac would be a heavy favorite in this game, but with the loss of Cody Best, Mac is still in the 'finding itself' stage...  I think this is going to be a good game..  I view individual matchups as very level..

Mac Pratt  vs  Webster Zehner....   2 of a kind, hard nosed scrappy, capable of scoring
Mac Guthrie vs Webster Edwards....  Guthrie capable of scoring, Edwards outstanding defense and quickness
Mac Whitlock vs Webster Huskey...  as I've noted, Huskey coming on strong, Whitlock not doing quite as much as I expected....  Huskey must defend him without getting in foul trouble
Mac Slagle vs Webster Robinson...  how will they defend each other.. Slagle can take Robinson down low, Robinson can blow by Slagle with quickness
Mac Bishop vs Webster Smith...  Smith could win this matchup

Mac Bench Burton Bush Keltner vs Webster Bench Bradfish Sooter Walton...   both benches can come in and change the game... I view Bush as the key giving Mac that 2nd big man...

Remember in the first matchup at Webster, Webster dominated first half, Mac had big comeback in 2nd half to win... Mac's scoring was very level, Smith led Webster with 19,   Rebounds and turnovers were even, Mac shot better from the field to win....

[ecreddevils]

I'm curious as to other opinions about Spalding. I've only seem them once this season, last Saturday at EC.  I was impressed with their athleticism, but I definitely think there are exploitable flaws in that team.  Just don't think they run away with this thing.  Now, I understand they had a poor shooting game, particularly from McAfee from 3 points range, yet I also think that the paint presence of Eureka negated a lot of Spalding's strengths.  The one real weakness of SU that I see is the inside game.  Robertson is really limited and Brasher looked very ineffective, almost to the point of having that look of resignation at times. 

So, for those of you who have seen SU take apart these other SLIAC teams, give me some more detail.  Was this EC game that much of an anomaly? 

[Denny McKinney]

I'm not taken responsibility for any Karma hits. I just pointed out mine was hit. Hopefan I had just wrote, it must of been a good birthday week for you. You haven't done anything I disagreed with. Pout all you want. You got the wrong person. My K was hit, also. Just Saturday I passed out +1 to all those who respond to my question on regions. This page never changes.

I'll go back to just observing. It's my New Years resolution to avoid all stress and negativity this year. The last thing I need is another year of being the whipping boy. And, I don't even have a school on this board.

Back to watching for analysis of the games. Hopefan your commentary on here keeps the ball rolling. And just think how many games you can see when that retirement day gets here. +1k for your Birthday.

[hopefan]

I'm curious as to other opinions about Spalding. I've only seem them once this season, last Saturday at EC.  I was impressed with their athleticism, but I definitely think there are exploitable flaws in that team.  Just don't think they run away with this thing.  Now, I understand they had a poor shooting game, particularly from McAfee from 3 points range, yet I also think that the paint presence of Eureka negated a lot of Spalding's strengths.  The one real weakness of SU that I see is the inside game.  Robertson is really limited and Brasher looked very ineffective, almost to the point of having that look of resignation at times. 

So, for those of you who have seen SU take apart these other SLIAC teams, give me some more detail.  Was this EC game that much of an anomaly?

The MAIN difference in Eureka's performance against Spalding vs Mac's performance against Spalding was better inside play both offensively and defensively.. They ate up Mac with quickness in the lane in the first half, but when Mac changed up to prevent that in the 2nd half, Mac caught them... then McAfee caught fire and it was all over... plus Mac did not do much offensively in the low post.... Lessen and Thornton scored big inside all day for eureka, and Eureka forced Spalding to shoot from the perimeter all day.. McAfee never found the range until it was too late, and several others who shot pretty well vs Mac were cold at Eureka.... a combination of great defense in the paint and cold shooting from the perimeter were the major differences.  Brasher's strength was offset by Lessen's size and strength... no one else in the SLIAC can match that, and he takes advantage...

[WU FAN]

Sounds like an exciting evening up in Jacksonville as Webster knocks off Mac 64-63.  Three way tie for 3rd place.  Hopefan's gotta be loving it!

[hopefan]

FANTASTIC... detailed description tomorrow!!!!! Gotta get up in 5 hours!!!!  Dietrich Sooter the big hero!!!

[hopefan]

What a fun night for me in Jacksonville... great conversation with Coaches Bunch and Creal, my first ever real conversation with Webster asst Landon Kurz (some of that Dave Porter gift for humor obviously rubbed off on him), more good conversation with Commish Will Wolper.... and most interesting , about 20 minutes spent chatting with the parents of a MacMurray player... wonderful insight as to why their son chose MacMurray over several other 'bigger name' D3 schools, all the positive feelings regarding Coach Creal, the ups and downs of a student athlete's first year in college....  it's been a while since my kids were freshmen student-athletes, it was a very entertaining conversation.

The game... wow... first half close the whole way, Mac usually had a slight lead and scored 4 or 5 points in the the last minute to go up 3  at half... Coach Creal threw a curve at Webster to open the game by starting his 3 big men, Whitlock , Slagle, AND Busch, with either Slagle or Guthrie bringing the ball up the court... whatever Coach wanted to accomplish with this didn't happen, unless it was the element of surprise, because he didn't stick with that grouping for long...Turnovers weren't critical in the 1st half.. Webster had 5 , Mac 4... Shooting by Dietrich Sooter ket Webster close, 4 of 7 with 3 3's, 11 points.. Whitlock had 10 points, at least 2 hoops on easy put backs on missed shots... Mac had a clear advantage on the boards...

2nd half started out big for Mac.... Webster had numerous turnovers, and was missing shots (many of them bad shots).. it got to 46-33 with 10 and a half left... I called Yjak up and said we're in trouble... whitlock was scoring easy, had hit his first 8 shots... Then Webster starts Chipping away.. Bradfish hits a big 3 to cut it to 10, a Roman Robinson hoop cuts it from 9 to 7, Bradfish steals and goes for a layup and it's 56-51 at 7 minutes left... BUT on the next play Huskey fouls out, and you gotta ask, how will Webster stick with it with its only size gone..but they do.. Robinson to the hoop for a basket AND FT cuts it to 58-54 with 6:24, Robinson with a layup at 5:45. Robinson with a jump shot to tie it at 4:15... where is Mac all this time... la la land.. either Webster is playing super defense, or Mac has forgotten whitlock, because he's not seeing the ball.. and Mac is turning it over.. stats say Mac 10 turnovers.. I had them with 14...  Whitlock puts them up at 62-60 with 3:30, but Edwards ties it with a steal and layup at 2:45...  Mac comes down and Slagle gets fouled, makes the first, misses 2nd at 2:16 for a 63-62 lead... no one scores for 2 minutes, Webster misses a couple of 3s, Burton misses a short jumper, Whitlock doesn't see the ball....Mac has the ball after zehner called for offensive foul...and Dietrich Sooter steals it out on top and makes the layup.. Mac shows little org even with two timeouts.. have the ball with 23 seconds, get nothing, call another timeout with 9 seconds.. but come out and look lost, attempt to get ball to whitlock is batted away, but if he gets it, he had no time....more later...

Revised

Spalding +2  (won at Westminster) (won at Mac)
Webster +1   (lost at home vs Mac) (won at Westminster) (won at Mac)
Mac 0  (won at Eureka) (won at Webster) (lost at home to Spalding) (lost at home to Webster)
Eureka  -1  (lost at home vs Mac)
Westmin  -2  (lost at home vs Spalding)  (lost at home vs Webster)

[y_jack_lok]

^^^ (Those up arrows to the left ^^^ indicate I am replying to the post above, but without inserting the whole quote.)

The box score does not credit Sooter with a steal and the play-by-play does not say Mac had a turnover on that final in bounds play. What's up, stat keepers? Maybe that isn't technically a steal or turnover?? I know nothing about stat keeping, so I'm curious.

[hopefan]

^^^ (Those up arrows to the left ^^^ indicate I am replying to the post above, but without inserting the whole quote.)

The box score does not credit Sooter with a steal and the play-by-play does not say Mac had a turnover on that final in bounds play. What's up, stat keepers? Maybe that isn't technically a steal or turnover?? I know nothing about stat keeping, so I'm curious.

They just missed it, note they go directly from foul Zehner to Sooter jump shot.... without explaining how Webster got the ball back... the Sooter layup was a beauty as someone was all over him, but he stayed strong up to the basket....

[y_jack_lok]

^^^ (Those up arrows to the left ^^^ indicate I am replying to the post above, but without inserting the whole quote.)

The box score does not credit Sooter with a steal and the play-by-play does not say Mac had a turnover on that final in bounds play. What's up, stat keepers? Maybe that isn't technically a steal or turnover?? I know nothing about stat keeping, so I'm curious.

They just missed it, note they go directly from foul Zehner to Sooter jump shot.... without explaining how Webster got the ball back... the Sooter layup was a beauty as someone was all over him, but he stayed strong up to the basket....

So you're saying Sooter's shot was a layup and the play-by-play says it was a jumper. I nominate hopefan for stat and play-by-play keeper.

[hopefan]

^^^ (Those up arrows to the left ^^^ indicate I am replying to the post above, but without inserting the whole quote.)

The box score does not credit Sooter with a steal and the play-by-play does not say Mac had a turnover on that final in bounds play. What's up, stat keepers? Maybe that isn't technically a steal or turnover?? I know nothing about stat keeping, so I'm curious.

They just missed it, note they go directly from foul Zehner to Sooter jump shot.... without explaining how Webster got the ball back... the Sooter layup was a beauty as someone was all over him, but he stayed strong up to the basket....

So you're saying Sooter's shot was a layup and the play-by-play says it was a jumper. I nominate hopefan for stat and play-by-play keeper.

Does it pay a good wage?   

[ecreddevils]

^^^ (Those up arrows to the left ^^^ indicate I am replying to the post above, but without inserting the whole quote.)

The box score does not credit Sooter with a steal and the play-by-play does not say Mac had a turnover on that final in bounds play. What's up, stat keepers? Maybe that isn't technically a steal or turnover?? I know nothing about stat keeping, so I'm curious.

They just missed it, note they go directly from foul Zehner to Sooter jump shot.... without explaining how Webster got the ball back... the Sooter layup was a beauty as someone was all over him, but he stayed strong up to the basket....

Really sounds like Mac fumbled this away.  Any guesses as to what the problem was?  Did they just tighten up under pressure?

[hopefan]

^^^ (Those up arrows to the left ^^^ indicate I am replying to the post above, but without inserting the whole quote.)

The box score does not credit Sooter with a steal and the play-by-play does not say Mac had a turnover on that final in bounds play. What's up, stat keepers? Maybe that isn't technically a steal or turnover?? I know nothing about stat keeping, so I'm curious.

They really missed Cody Best to control the ball and get it where it needed to go... this resulted in at least some of the turnovers and poor shots.. another question to ask, and directly points to missing playmaking.. if Clayton Whitlock is shooting 85% on the night, why is he only getting 11 shots (+ 3 2 shot fouls)  (3 or 4 of those field goal attempts were off offensive rebounds).. did Burton and Guthrie really need to take 18 shots, making 5, between them?  could 6 of those shots have gone to Whitlock if the ball had gotten to him?... I just don't think they maintained a focused offense in the last 8-10 minutes.  Defense was still there....  in my description, note several of the big Webster hoops were off steals resulting in layups....   

They just missed it, note they go directly from foul Zehner to Sooter jump shot.... without explaining how Webster got the ball back... the Sooter layup was a beauty as someone was all over him, but he stayed strong up to the basket....

Really sounds like Mac fumbled this away.  Any guesses as to what the problem was?  Did they just tighten up under pressure?

[ecreddevils]

Weekend Predictions:

Just for kicks...

EC at Webster:  This will be a tough get for EC on the road...both teams riding winning streaks, 8 and 4 respectively...EC is clicking on all cylinders and can smell blood in the water, playing to maintain solo possession on 2nd...I have to go with the Red Devils in a dogfight off a huge game from Mark Lessen:  EC 68 WU 65

Spalding at Fontbonne:  Haven't seen Fontbonne, so going strictly off of paper here...Fontbonne followed a nice win over GC with a blowout loss to Westminster...Spalding knows they're being chased and will not stumble here...SU 83 Fontbonne 61

Westminster at Mac:  Another huge game...Westminster on 3 game upswing, Mac on 3 game down...I think home court plays a role here...Mac pounds the ball into the post and gets a big win: Mac 76 West 72

GC at Blackburn:  Avert your eyes:  GC 90 BC 59

Prin at LCU  The Giants Win the Pennant, The Giants Win the ...You know Prin has two dates circled, this one and 1/29...but...I think it happens here.  There's a party (juice party, of course) in Elsah on Saturday:  Prin 68 LCU 66

[Former Devil 40]

Don't be suprisew if Jordan kindred is back on the court in the near future