MBB: St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[hopefan]

Biased Predictions: 

Semis:  EC vs. WC:  I really do believe that EC is the superior team and will again use their advantages in the post to forge an advantage.  The key here is defense--can EC slow Prophet?? I say they can slow him enough.  EC 71  WC 66

SU vs. WU:  Spalding did it once without McAfee...Webster will take this down to the wire, but home court advantage and the slightly better team win the day  SU 79  WU 77

Championship:  EC goes dancing!  This is a team of destiny.  EC slows tempo again and have to keep going back to the importance of their post advantage.  Spalding again unable to convert their 3 pt. looks (which they'll have to settle for).   EC 66 SU 63

EC  how about this...(if EC and Spalding is indeed the championship game)     if there is a clear winner in the middle, Lessen vs Brasheer, that team wins ..  but if it is a tossup in the middle, I have to think Spalding quickness, home court, EC long trip.. all give the edge to Spalding

The winner of that contest was (in a split decision)  Jametrius Brasheer....

[hopefan]

The ironic thing was that each team's final shot was taken by the last person on the team that people would have take it... Spalding down one ran the shot clock down and Johnell Hardin, who hadn't scored all night, stuck a 3 pointer... Eureka comes down, is forced to call a timeout after Miseraca forces the ball into the paint with 5.6 seconds left, now down two...  Eureka gets it to Miseraca at the top of the key, Kindred runs through and is to get the ball coming out the other side, but he's totally covered... Miseraca has to put it up and comes close, but no good...(WHY no second option?)

A bunch of statements....

1... feel good... a Eureka fan came over to the balcony and said he had to meet hopefan... thanked me for all the writing...  turned out to be a parent of one of the players... wish that would happen more often...

2 Eureka fans reaction to a couple charge calls on Jordan Kindred were unjustified... clearly Jordan was not in control, and on the second one it looked like he was doing a flying drop kick...

3.. Sat next to a Spalding fan who realized I was siding lightly with Eureka, but he was very knowledgeable and we had some great discussion about plays, officials etc...

4. Brasheers strength really bullied Lessen... Lessen had to throw up shots from 15 feet rather than 7 feet.. it didn't work.. on the other hand having DT Tornton in with Lessen created big problems for Spalding.. they couldn't keep them both away from the hoop, and DT really picked it up... Great move by Coach Wilde...  But Brasheer.. when he couldn't get much around the hoop, he moved out to the elbow... bang, bang, bang... 4 or 5 15 footers...

5 I'm sorry.. but Nailor 19 minutes, Miseraca 38 minutes... I don't get it... at all... EC got killed by Spalding double teams...

All tourney... Robinson Webster... Lee Westmin... Lessen EC...  Rivera EC... Sangester SU... Brasheer SU  MVP

6 Spalding should have won this game by 10 in regulation.. but they were 7 for 23 from the line.... worse yet, Sangester was 5 for 5... everyone else was 2 for 18!!!!!!

[Former Devil 40]

I am going to disagree respectfully of course with a couple of hopefans points:

I don't think Brashers strength affected Lessen much. Mark is a big boy as well. He shot 7-12 from the floor and had 7 free throw attempts (which should have been more IMO)

As far as the charge calls on kindred the first one he basically jumped over the player who slid in underneath him when he was in the air. Should have been an and 1...

The 2nd charge call was even worse. The player was set I will give him that but he was directly under the hoop in the restricted area. The ref on the sideline by the benches signaled block but the ref under the hoop signaled charge. The 2 never discussed the call to see what the other had.

As a player and a fan I think that the SLIAC has some of the worst officials I've ever seen. They missed calls for both teams. One that clearly sticks out to me from yesterday was when Brasher was attacking the hoop he got slapped. Everyone in the gym could hear it but there was no whistle and he missed the shot badly.

Spaldings poor free throw shooting and Eurekas turnovers are what kept this game close. If either team improved in these areas they win by 10 in regulation.

One thing that irritated me was Misuracas T. He shoved a Spalding player in the chest on his way to the bench right in front of the official. Got to keep your head in the biggest game of the year especially as a senior.

Eureka better do some recruiting because the cupboard is looking pretty bare with all these seniors leaving. I wonder if Wilde will go the Juco route again

[hopefan]

Regarding your comment Coach Wilde recruiting.. wow you bet... First 7 guys are gone, and he makes no serious use of the rest... did he bypass High school recruiting in total the lat 3 years?  Even several years ago with a big senior class he at least had Kindred coming back, but they went 4-21.... He'll need some significant new faces next year or the result may be the same...

No problem regarding different view points on the Kindred plays....   
(On the first, my feeling was defense was their, out of circle the whole way... on the second, I think it is a block if Jordan goes up straight, but he kicks his leg straight out and that seemed to be the initial contact...)

Officials... well... I'll stay away from it....

[Denny McKinney]

First piece of Spalding College bulletin board material:

"Veteran SLIAC observers say Spalding is a level ahead of previous SLIAC winners, and could win a game for the first time in SLIAC post-season history.

HoF coach Dennie Bridges of IWU said (in an honest, but not very PC way) that playing the SLIAC champ in the first round was a 'speed-bump'. )"
Posted on Multi Topics. 2013 Division III NCAA Tournament.

Seems to ME you can think that is a case where you may know it. But, to make that statement where it could be quoted. WRONG!

[Mr. Ypsi]

First piece of Spalding College bulletin board material:

Veteran SLIAC observers say Spalding is a level ahead of previous SLIAC winners, and could win a game for the first time in SLIAC post-season history.

HoF coach Dennie Bridges of IWU said (in an honest, but not very PC way) that playing the SLIAC champ in the first round was a 'speed-bump'. )

Posted on Multi Topics. 2013 Division III NCAA Tournament.

Seems to ME you can think that is a case where you may know it. But, to make that statement where it could be quoted. WRONG!

Actually former coach Bridges published the statement in his coaching memoir A Dunk Only Counts Two Points.

Note that my post included the statement that Spalding was generally believed to be better than the SLIAC champs Dennie Bridges would have faced (he is still the AD at IWU, but retired as bball coach after the 2000-2001 season).  Although he was in the tourney 14 of 18 seasons (after IWU switched tourneys from NAIA to NCAA d3), his teams actually only faced two SLIAC teams - but won those games by 41 and 49 points!  Kinda hard to call them anything but 'speedbumps'!

[Denny McKinney]

First piece of Spalding College bulletin board material:

Veteran SLIAC observers say Spalding is a level ahead of previous SLIAC winners, and could win a game for the first time in SLIAC post-season history.

HoF coach Dennie Bridges of IWU said (in an honest, but not very PC way) that playing the SLIAC champ in the first round was a 'speed-bump'. )

Posted on Multi Topics. 2013 Division III NCAA Tournament.

Seems to ME you can think that is a case where you may know it. But, to make that statement where it could be quoted. WRONG!

Actually former coach Bridges published the statement in his coaching memoir A Dunk Only Counts Two Points.

Note that my post included the statement that Spalding was generally believed to be better than the SLIAC champs Dennie Bridges would have faced (he is still the AD at IWU, but retired as bball coach after the 2000-2001 season).  Although he was in the tourney 14 of 18 seasons (after IWU switched tourneys from NAIA to NCAA d3), his teams actually only faced two SLIAC teams - but won those games by 41 and 49 points!  Kinda hard to call them anything but 'speedbumps'!

Nope. Not buying it. I've heard a lot of coaches of # 1 seeds talk about games against 16 seed. Never heard one choose those words. Try a different spin.

[hopefan]

Lo and Behold... D3Hoops Mock bracket, which is as good as any educated guess, has Spalding going to CCIW champ North Central...  I am hoping that somehow Spalding gets pushed southward, away from the CCIW teams or Wash U

[Gregory Sager]

Lo and Behold... D3Hoops Mock bracket, which is as good as any educated guess, has Spalding going to CCIW champ North Central...  I am hoping that somehow Spalding gets pushed southward, away from the CCIW teams or Wash U

CCIW tourney champ North Central, you mean. Illinois Wesleyan was the CCIW champ this year.

[hopefan]

Well yippee ky ya... Spalding comes to Wash U and there is a game to watch!!!!!!

AND, it may be a pretty decent game.....

[WUPHF]

Spalding comes to Wash U and there is a game to watch!

I look forward to the pre-game analysis and meeting up at half-time next weekend.

[hopefan]

Spalding comes to Wash U and there is a game to watch!

I look forward to the pre-game analysis.

uh oh, I've been put on the spot...   But I can say I've seen both teams play several times this year.....

[WUPHF]

But I can say I've seen both teams play several times this year...

I think it is safe to say that no one knows more about these two teams than you.  Are you still thinking that this could be the first win by a SLIAC team in the tournament?

Just for fun: the old Massey Ratings head to head tool has Washington University winning 7-0 in a seven game series with the likely score being 76-68.  Of course, Massey refers to the Spalding Pelicans, rather than the newer Golden Eagles mascot.

[hopefan]

76 - 68 isn't much of a margin

Unfortunately, the more I think about the personnel, and the setting, the more I think that Spalding could be in for a rough night....

Spalding has the long trip

Spalding's first appearance in the tourney

Wash U kids have played in the tourney before, and played better competition this year (though I will note Spalding played 2 tourney teams in their nonconference schedule.. losing to Transy by 1 and to Dickinson by 6)

Wash U plays 'bigger'...  While I've never been a fan of Robert Burnett in the middle for Wash U, he'll match up pretty well in strength with Spalding's Jametrius Brasheer.. But I don't see a good match up to Chris Klimek.. and Spalding had trouble with Eureka when Eureka went to two big men....

Spalding shot poorly vs Eureka on their home court... they have to spread the scoring out to the perimeter

Wash U's guards likely will not have the serious trouble with spalding's press that Eureka did....

How will Spalding react to the frat boys in the corner???

[WUPHF]

The experience and home court advantage are big factors, though unfortunately, the Bomb Squad has dwindled in numbers and energy.  Maybe that changes this weekend.

This Bears squad handles the full court pressure as well as any Division III team I have seen.

Rob Burnett has looked much better in conference play--patient and better on defense.

Perimeter shooting has been a key factor for the other team in all but one Washington University loss this season.