MBB: St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[hopefan]

Now back to basketball........

This will really stir up a hornets nest but why not simply get rid of the tournament?  It's just like the rest of our society today.  We try and give everyone to many chances and only award underachievers who don't do well the first time around.  Everyone's worried about saving money in their budgets.  Cutting conference tournaments would be a great place to start.  For schools playing in multiple tournaments throughout the year the cost is enormous.  Tell everyone you win in the regular season or your done.  The way it should be.  No second bites at the apple.

In the SLIAC, I don't think the $$$ made can justify having the tourney... I think the main justification is the excitement of having something to play for during the season... making the tourney..... and the thrill of still having a shot at going to the NCAA's.... the kids deserve the tourney....

[y_jack_lok]

^^^ Thinking back to my earlier post on this topic, the question for me is still about the number of teams that should participate in a tournament. I think tournaments are fine and agree with hopefan as to why. I think the ODAC is nuts to let all 12 teams into its tournament. If you have an 18 game conference season and teams go 0-18 or 2-16 or 3-15 etc. I see no reason to give those teams another shot. As for the SLIAC, does it make sense to expand conference tournaments from 4 teams to 5 or 6 teams once there are 10 schools?

[y_jack_lok]

BTW. I had the pleasure of a brief chat with formersliaccommish after yesterday's WU/GC men's game. It's really great that he maintains an interest in the conference and helps us out with his insights on this board.

[hopefan]

Could Mac possibly pull off the upset of the year tonight, and beat 1st place Spalding?  By itself, an upset will be meaningless to the top of the standings..but wow, would it bring critical meaning to Thursday Spalding at Webster contest!!!

I'm surprised no one has commented on Webster's 2nd half collapse vs Greenville, though they did pull it out in OT, or the whereabouts and circumstances surrounding the 4 missing transfers from Greenville, or Eureka's 2nd road loss in a row despite big games from Mark Lessen, or what happened to Jordan Kindred and is his return a plus or a minus, or anyone else's thought on All Conference or MVP, or anyone's thoughts on Webster currently being on the outside looking in at a playoff spot, yet inevitably holding their fate in their hands, or Greg Gentry and Fontbonne (can they win with him, can they win without him), or the Mac lineup changes, or the state of Principia and Blackburn hoops, or the league moving to a 10 team schedule nex year how will they do it...  etc etc

[y_jack_lok]

I'm surprised no one has commented on Webster's 2nd half collapse vs Greenville, though they did pull it out in OT,

The difference in the two halves had much to do with Greenville playing man D in the first half vs zone in the 2nd. Having said that, Webster relaxed on defense in the 2nd half and let Greenville back in.

I've seen Webster teams do this before with large leads against teams they should beat easily. It's happened several times in the past few years against Principia both at home and in Elsah.

[hopefan]

Thanks Yjak... see you Thursday... otherwise, ask the tough questions, get zero answers....

[y_jack_lok]

Thanks Yjak... see you Thursday... otherwise, ask the tough questions, get zero answers....

Prin at Webster tomorrow. Are you passing on the chance to see another exciting game like Saturday's?

[y_jack_lok]

Thanks Yjak... see you Thursday... otherwise, ask the tough questions, get zero answers....

Prin at Webster tomorrow. Are you passing on the chance to see another exciting game like Saturday's?

Just saw your PMs. I didn't get e-mail notifications about them like I usually do.

[hopefan]

I didn't think they went to you.. it said they timed out.....

[hopefan]

Spalding nips Mac 64-59... and the game was even closer than that.. Mac missed a shot to tie at 18 seconds... had to foul after that....  They came that close missing Brady Slagle (Shoulder), Dylan Burton (ankle), and obviously Cody Best (knee)...  for Spalding, Dewhon McAfee doesn't start, plays 6 minutes (?)....   This should give SLIAC teams some further notice that the trip to Louisville is NOT a death warrent.....Especially with McAfee in an atrocious shooting slump

McAfee's last several games

vs Mac    2-5,  0-2 from 3's
vs BC     4-17,  0-4 from 3's
vs Font   4-9 ,  0-3  from 3's
vs Prin     7-13, 4-9 from 3's
vs EC      8-26, 1-10 from 3's

throw out the Prin game, and he's 18-57, (31.6%); 1-19 from 3's (5.3%)
even with the Prin Game, he's 25-70 (35.7%); 5-28 (17.9%)

Another interesting point, IF Webster and Westmin were to beat Spalding and Westmin and Spalding finished tied with 3 losses, I have no idea how the tiebreaker works.... each team would have a loss to each other and losses to Webster and EC...

[ecreddevils]

Predictions:

Prin @ WU:  Nope:  WU 85 Prin 56

GC @ WC:  WC appears to be peaking again, GC's woes continue on road at tough venue:  WC 77  GC 68

BC @ EC:  much-needed bounce back game for slumping Red Devils:  EC 80  BC 64

Spalding @ WU:  Spalding looking vulnerable on the road against a team fighting for tournament lives. Tough call. It won't be the 30 beatdown of 3 weeks ago, but have to look for McAfee to respond to pressure and bounce back:  Spalding 75  WU 72

[hopefan]

Predictions:

Prin @ WU:  Nope:  WU 85 Prin 56

GC @ WC:  WC appears to be peaking again, GC's woes continue on road at tough venue:  WC 77  GC 68

BC @ EC:  much-needed bounce back game for slumping Red Devils:  EC 80  BC 64

Spalding @ WU:  Spalding looking vulnerable on the road against a team fighting for tournament lives. Tough call. It won't be the 30 beatdown of 3 weeks ago, but have to look for McAfee to respond to pressure and bounce back:  Spalding 75  WU 72

I too would have much more confidence in possible Webster upset over spalding if we hadn't seen the Gorlock fall flat in the 2nd half in back to back home games vs Westminster and Greenville... still, if they can put 40 minutes together against Spalding, it will be a very close game....  Bunch is at his best when he's the underdog.....

[Denny McKinney]

The Prin Women's team played @ Webster last nite. The Men's game was postponed and rescheduled for the end of the season. Was there a Power Failure at the Gorlok Dome?

[hopefan]

No... reason given was Prin was short of players... they only had 7 to begin with, so my assumption was the 'bug' may have hit Elsah...

[y_jack_lok]

No... reason given was Prin was short of players... they only had 7 to begin with, so my assumption was the 'bug' may have hit Elsah...

Illness of Prin players was the announced explanation.