MBB: St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[hopefan]

So what is on tap for tomorrow night?

Prin at MacMurray....   with or without Whitlock and/or Burton, this one shouldn't be close.. after Sydness and Patterson, Prin just doesn't have the horses to play with Mac... hopefully the breather with Prin helps Mac get better for road games with Westmin and Greenville....

Iowa Wesleyan at Eureka...  haven't seen IWC yet, but have heard they are legit 9th place team... losing all 5 starters from last year to graduation simply wasn't going to lead to a very suuccesful introduction to the SLIAC... Eureka obviously is desparate for a win... they'll get it..
NOW THEN... check out the ladies game... IWC (5-0, 9-2) vs Eureka (4-1, 8-4) ... IWC led by Karla Vietinghoff (20 ppg, 53.6% from the field, 46.9% from 3 pt); Eureka led by Caty Eten (20.4 ppg)

Blackburn at Webster... Coach Bunch is a good guy... Webster won't win by more than 30... but wait, go back to Feb 9, 2011... Webster hosting Blackburn, Webster is 15-4 with a 12 game winning streak, Blackburn is 4-17 and what happened.. BC wins a stunner 74-71... never say never..  (but it Can't happen again, can it?)

Fontbonne at Westmin... look at this game two weeks ago, and it would be hard to think of it as anything but a romp for Westminster.... but times they are a changin'... Westmin loses tight to Webster on the road and gets beat badly at Greenville, they very well may be doubting themselves... Fontbonne on the other hand, is finally beginning to click... if they are smart enough to defend Westmin and not let Moore and James run wild, as well as be patient on offense and get good shots, I really feel Fontbonne has a shot at winning this game.  They have a distinct advantage in the 4-5 slots, and more depth on the perimeter...Westmin has no one that matches up with Degeare... Westmin can only win if Moore, James and Lee are all clicking.. I'll go with an upset by the Griffs, throwing out the logic that Westmin should win at home.... or ugh, am I putting to much weight to Font's win over Eureka

The premier game of the night is Greenville at Spalding.... I haven't seen Spalding yet, so have no idea what kind of players the 3 new faces are... but with Spalding having graduated bigman Brasheer, they no longer have that dominant strong man inside, and Greenville can probably match any team's quicks... I give Spalding a tad of an edge due to the home court and long trip Greenville has to take, but it's a game I wish I could see... TOTALLY ENJOYED my experience over at Spalding last year for the conference Tournament....

[y_jack_lok]

Blackburn at Webster... Coach Bunch is a good guy... Webster won't win by more than 30... but wait, go back to Feb 9, 2011... Webster hosting Blackburn, Webster is 15-4 with a 12 game winning streak, Blackburn is 4-17 and what happened.. BC wins a stunner 74-71... never say never..

I remember that game. Kirk Chandler was still BC's coach that year. Blackburn shot lights out against Webster' zone in the first half and led by 17. Seemed like a margin Webster could overcome, but even with a bunch of seniors and Willie Trimble that didn't happen. So, yes, Webster needs to watch out tomorrow night.

[hopefan]

I've been taking the time to do some pretty significant writeups both pre game and postgame now that the conference is in full swing... and am counting on continuing that format... someone evidently disagrees with my thoughts, but instead of discussing whatever points they are finding contentious, they are hiding behind the Karma system... I would encouage this individual to become a more active poster and talk the issues out... that's what I see happen in the more active rooms like the CCIW, MIAA, ODC...

Off to Fulton tonight to see if Fontbonne can score the upset...  Yjack.. keep me appraised of Webster-BC if you can..

[ecreddevils]

So what is on tap for tomorrow night?

Prin at MacMurray....   with or without Whitlock and/or Burton, this one shouldn't be close.. after Sydness and Patterson, Prin just doesn't have the horses to play with Mac... hopefully the breather with Prin helps Mac get better for road games with Westmin and Greenville....

Iowa Wesleyan at Eureka...  haven't seen IWC yet, but have heard they are legit 9th place team... losing all 5 starters from last year to graduation simply wasn't going to lead to a very suuccesful introduction to the SLIAC... Eureka obviously is desparate for a win... they'll get it..
NOW THEN... check out the ladies game... IWC (5-0, 9-2) vs Eureka (4-1, 8-4) ... IWC led by Karla Vietinghoff (20 ppg, 53.6% from the field, 46.9% from 3 pt); Eureka led by Caty Eten (20.4 ppg)

Blackburn at Webster... Coach Bunch is a good guy... Webster won't win by more than 30... but wait, go back to Feb 9, 2011... Webster hosting Blackburn, Webster is 15-4 with a 12 game winning streak, Blackburn is 4-17 and what happened.. BC wins a stunner 74-71... never say never..  (but it Can't happen again, can it?)

Fontbonne at Westmin... look at this game two weeks ago, and it would be hard to think of it as anything but a romp for Westminster.... but times they are a changin'... Westmin loses tight to Webster on the road and gets beat badly at Greenville, they very well may be doubting themselves... Fontbonne on the other hand, is finally beginning to click... if they are smart enough to defend Westmin and not let Moore and James run wild, as well as be patient on offense and get good shots, I really feel Fontbonne has a shot at winning this game.  They have a distinct advantage in the 4-5 slots, and more depth on the perimeter...Westmin has no one that matches up with Degeare... Westmin can only win if Moore, James and Lee are all clicking.. I'll go with an upset by the Griffs, throwing out the logic that Westmin should win at home.... or ugh, am I putting to much weight to Font's win over Eureka

The premier game of the night is Greenville at Spalding.... I haven't seen Spalding yet, so have no idea what kind of players the 3 new faces are... but with Spalding having graduated bigman Brasheer, they no longer have that dominant strong man inside, and Greenville can probably match any team's quicks... I give Spalding a tad of an edge due to the home court and long trip Greenville has to take, but it's a game I wish I could see... TOTALLY ENJOYED my experience over at Spalding last year for the conference Tournament....

Great post.

MAC 77 Prin 59 Clayton who??
EC 83 IW 71  EC will get some medicine tonight...just have to...
Web 87 BC 69  Nope, it can't/won't happen again
WC 75 FU 69  Good assessment, but WC is a really solid home team who should be pumped to end the road losing streak
SU 85 GC 76  Seven game win streak for SU, long road trip for GC=SU gets it done against the current surprise team of the conference season

[y_jack_lok]

Yjack.. keep me appraised of Webster-BC if you can..

Only if something unexpected is taking place. You know how hard it is to hear phones ring in a noisy gym.

[y_jack_lok]

I've been taking the time to do some pretty significant writeups both pre game and postgame now that the conference is in full swing... and am counting on continuing that format... someone evidently disagrees with my thoughts, but instead of discussing whatever points they are finding contentious, they are hiding behind the Karma system... I would encouage this individual to become a more active poster and talk the issues out... that's what I see happen in the more active rooms like the CCIW, MIAA, ODC...

I am not that person, but I'd like to know how much negative karma you've received recently. I don't pay much attention to your karma, but it doesn't seem to me that there's been a significant change on the negative side.

[Denny McKinney]

I've been taking the time to do some pretty significant writeups both pre game and postgame now that the conference is in full swing... and am counting on continuing that format... someone evidently disagrees with my thoughts, but instead of discussing whatever points they are finding contentious, they are hiding behind the Karma system... I would encouage this individual to become a more active poster and talk the issues out... that's what I see happen in the more active rooms like the CCIW, MIAA, ODC...

I am not that person, but I'd like to know how much negative karma you've received recently. I don't pay much attention to your karma, but it doesn't seem to me that there's been a significant change on the negative side.

Well I can say someone has been active. I've got +2K and -7K in a week.

[hopefan]

Ahhh I guess not all that important....

[y_jack_lok]

Ahhh I guess not all that important....

Right.

[Denny McKinney]

Bluejay's in a walk. 84-64 over a cold Griffin team. Is Westminster that good? Fontbonne plays hard. Just can not shoot. Great Video Feed. Kudos

IWC goes on the road and beats EC 69-62. Sorry ECRedDevil, looks like a Long Year.
SU goes to 6-0 beating Greenville in Louisville.

[GC Panther 01]

Sounded like Nick Trisko had a 3 at the buzzer go just long to tie the game up at the end.  Thats the breaks on the road in league play.

[hopefan]

interesting points on last night..

Well, wrong night to drive over to Fulton to see Westminster... Whatever the Griffs did to have reasonably good results in the last three games were left back at Fonbonne last night... After a prett competitvie first 15 minutes, Westmin just blew them out.. Westmin had been outrebounded in their last 4 games, but they just dominated Fontbonne on the boards... Fontbonne doesn't have much size, or hops, to begin with, and playing a matchup zone (poorly) against Westminster, they missed blocking key Westminster rebounders numerous times.. Westmin's young big men, who had been struggling, had a field day on the glass, Westmin outrebounding Fontbonne 44-25.. Westmin offense generally got good shots, shooting 52% for the game.. Lee, Moore, and James all scored double figures... this is the same Westmin that just got crushed by Greenville..
No... Westmin is not THAT good.. I'm afraid that Fontbonne is just that much behind.. though their results  vs Spalding and Greenville were impressive..

Mac beats Prin badly... Whitlock still gone (I'll find out about that on Thursday when they play at Westmin), but Burton returns full time to have what may have been his best game ever for Mac 10-12 from the field, 24 points, 7 rebs, 3 steals... I've always thought he had that kind of game in him.. terrific athlete, but it's been a career peppered with injuries....

Spalding beats Greenville by 3... as was said, a 3 pointer by Nick Trisko no good at the buzzer... strange guy to have to take that last shot, big lumbering frosh at 6'8"... he did impress me vs Westminster the other day.. very aggressive with the ball when he received it in the paint, some decent elementary big man moves, and he's big enough that he'll get those shots... Coach Barber bringing him along nicely.. a frosh comes off the bench for Spalding, James Turner, 6'3" and goes 9 for 11, 22 points... that's almost as many points as he scored in Spaldings first 12 games!

Wesbster crushes Blackburn... From what I heard,  BC just was not very competitive...

And IWC 'upsets' Eureka.. I'm no longer very sure we should be calling it an upset... Beginning to wonder whether Eureka will get to the 4 win mark they hit in their other down season 2010-11 when Leppart left and Kindred got hurt...  They should beat Blackburn, but I'm not so sure about Prin....

OK.. I'm down on Fontbonne let's redo the hopefan standings again... Mac, Webster, Westminster, Greenville, Spalding in the top 5 should always win at home against the rest of the top 5 and always beat the bottom 5..
INTERESTING
Mac 0
Spalding 0
Greenville 0
Westminster 0
Webster -1 lost to bottom 5 Eureka 

So despite Spalding being undefeated, they don't hold a real advantage because they have not played any of the other contenders on the road yet.... as seen above, NO contender has beaten another contender on the road yet....

[ecreddevils]

And IWC 'upsets' Eureka.. I'm no longer very sure we should be calling it an upset... Beginning to wonder whether Eureka will get to the 4 win mark they hit in their other down season 2010-11 when Leppart left and Kindred got hurt...  They should beat Blackburn, but I'm not so sure about Prin....

No use sugar coating, bad loss.  5 of 21 on 3s, nuff' said.  Still, I don't think the 10-11 team is a fair comparison.  This team has more talent than that one had when the wheels fell off.  Hate to say it, but final four contention is looking bleak.  That said, I wouldn't sleep on EC if they get things together, could pull an upset or two.

[formersliaccommish]

I've been hesitant about commenting on games since I have only seen 6 in 7 seasons, but from 750 miles away, the Westminster-Fontbonne stats stick out like a sore thumb. The Westminster reserves were 12 for 17, including 3 for 6 from behind the line, while the Fontbonne reserves were 7 for 21, and 1 for 13 behind the arc.

Which leads me to a thought that I have had for fifteen years, which includes seeing more than 100 SLIAC games in person from 2001-2007. Too many D3 coaches, who are very good by the way, use too many players. Obviously Coach Mitchell last night is an exception to that, but for the most part that is my opinion.

I know the game has changed a lot since John Wooden used 6 or 7 players, when it counted, while winning 10 NCAA Division I Championships in 12 years in the mid '60s to mid '70s, but it seems to me that D3 coaches, and maybe through all three divisions, are trying to use too many.

You could probably make a case that D3 players are paying their own way and therefore it is important to have them happy, but I would guess that most would rather play 5 minutes on an 18-6 team that 15 on a 14-10 team.     

[Mr. Ypsi]

I've been hesitant about commenting on games since I have only seen 6 in 7 seasons, but from 750 miles away, the Westminster-Fontbonne stats stick out like a sore thumb. The Westminster reserves were 12 for 17, including 3 for 6 from behind the line, while the Fontbonne reserves were 7 for 21, and 1 for 13 behind the arc.

Which leads me to a thought that I have had for fifteen years, which includes seeing more than 100 SLIAC games in person from 2001-2007. Too many D3 coaches, who are very good by the way, use too many players. Obviously Coach Mitchell last night is an exception to that, but for the most part that is my opinion.

I know the game has changed a lot since John Wooden used 6 or 7 players, when it counted, while winning 10 NCAA Division I Championships in 12 years in the mid '60s to mid '70s, but it seems to me that D3 coaches, and maybe through all three divisions, are trying to use too many.

You could probably make a case that D3 players are paying their own way and therefore it is important to have them happy, but I would guess that most would rather play 5 minutes on an 18-6 team that 15 on a 14-10 team.     

[/b]

Good point - but good luck convincing an 18-20 year old athlete that his playing is the reason they are 14-10 instead of 18-6!