MBB: St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[hopefan]

Here is what I wrote last March 23 regarding Prin's outlook for the season:

Principia loses 4 starters, first team all conf Sam Gilman, 2nd team all conf Tucker Fendon, and all conf HM John Tegtmeyer, along with James Aimonetti.  That's over 75% of the team's scoring and rebounding  -  if ever a team was looking at rebuilding, it's this one.

I may have hit that one pretty well

[fcnews]

Daryl- MSoE would probably be top 3 SLIAC team one great guard, senior leadership and sliac size. RMC was a loss game for FC should of won. We still have Rockford, Wm. Penn, Franklin and Wash U. before a tough road to Hawaii. I'm saying FC takes the four spot from WC, but BC looks like their having difficulties also.

[hopefan]

Maryville loses close again...to Manchester... reading the play by play, exactly as they lost to Transy and Hanover.  Down one with the ball, they turn it over at 1:20 and give up a layup to go down 3....  come down, miss a three, foul, now down 5 and out of it.   Someone has to make a play at the end of the game.... lots of guys are getting a chance... I saw some different names did some good things....McCarthy, Ahrens, Turpen.... Coach is looking for the right combination...I hope he finds it soon.

[Mac Attack]

Mac lost a tough one to Domincan, 77-67. Highlanders fell behind early, but had several chances to cut it to four or five late in the first half. Mindless turnovers and ill-timed long distance shots always seem to seep into the Mac attack at crucial times. Mac trailed by about nine at the half. Highlanders came out like a house of fire in the second half and roared back to take a three point lead two different times. But again, a combination of trouble stopped the Highlanders. More turnovers, particularly from point guards, too many "one and done" 25 foot shots, missed free throws, and defensive lapses that led to Dominican lay-ups proved fatal. No one really stood out for Mac. Hipshir played OK, as did Compton, Robertson and Greene. Mac switched to a man-to-man in the second half and it was very effective. And it's encouraging to see games in the 60s and 70s, instead of the 100s. Going back to last year, Mac has lost seven straight. Hate to say it, but our coach has to take a hard look at his personnel - especially three or four of his juniors and seniors - and decide whether or not he's going to ride the season out by giving them 12-15 minutes of time every game. If he sticks with them, and the lack of production continues, it could be another long year. Sorry to say it, but it is what it is. The future of the Mac program rests with Mac's younger players, including three very good freshmen. Mac should have won two of its first three, and most definitely should beat Concordia this afternoon. There's still a lot of basketball left to be played and Mac can still win 15 games and make a post-season appearence. They can do it. Go Highlanders!!!

[mac_support]

Mac Attack must not have been at the same three games I.  Although I agree with Mac Attack on many of his/her writings, with the exception of Robertson, I have seen nothing to this point that leads to think Mac has "three very good freshman".  I sure wouldn't know who they were.  Junior Dawson Huff had a very good game last night.  Lead the team in scoring and had several rebounds.  Unfortunately, for some reason Mac's web page is not working or we could go look at the facts of the game in an unbiased way.

[Mac Attack]

Everyone is entitled to their on opinion, which is one of the great things about boards like this. Bottom line is MacMurray must play better full court and half court defense, stop fouling so much (Dominican was in the one-and-one) with 15 minutes to play in the second half), cut way down on their turnovers, look for and take higher percentage shots, and get more consistent play from the players who are being counted on to get it done. From what I've seen to date, I'm not sure Mac can be successful over the long haul with players who have a decent game, then disappear for the next three or four games. I'm a huge Highlander fan and have been for years. But it's a 94-foot game - and that includes defense, rebounding, passing, and shot selection. And the way Mac has chosen to play, it demands quickness and athleticism. In terms of the the three freshmen, I possibly miscounted - there are probably four or five. It will take time, but from what I've seen and using an unbiased eye, it looks to me like these kids can run, jump, defend, and score when given the opportunity. One of them hasn't played in a game yet, Jereau Sanders/ They're not gunners, but they look to me like very good athletes who bring with them a pedigree of success. It will take time for them to mature, as anyone would expect - but I'm guessing as the season wears on, we'll see more and more from some of these players. Don't get me wrong - I want everyone of these kids to succeed, particularly the upperclassmen - but unless we start seeing more consistent play, night in and night out, my analysis stands. Go Highlanders!!!

[hopefan]

Maryville wins easily in the consolation vs D'youville  --  everyone plays including three new starters  ---  Turpen leads all scorers in both games  ---  a good sign, but I don't think that's what it's going to take to beat good teams.  We've got to get people playing to their capabilities  -  hopefully today was a start -  We'll see Wednesday when MU plays another tough one in McKendree  -  they'll need their best players at their best.

[Mac Attack]

Concordia 72   MacMurray 68

Tough loss to a team Mac should have beaten. Highlanders led by 10 midway through the first half, but let it slip away. Offense went stone cold for about 12 minutes in the second half, which allowed Concordia to take a 10-12 point lead. Mac made a frantic finish, which included a couple of incredible three-point baskets by Downham. Some missed free throws and 3-4 point blank field goal misses - including a breakaway dunk attempt - sealed Mac's fate. Downham played very well. Robertson had a terrific first half. Cunningham had another nice game on offense. But the three point shot all but disappeared for Mac until the game's last 2-3 minutes, which really hurts when the team takes 20-30 three-point shots. It was clear in this game that two or three of Mac's players who are shooting 3s aren't really three-point shooters. They're solid players who can score - but it looks like they just need to shoot a little closer to the basket. And perhaps the team's best 3-point shooter, Long, didn't play much. Would like to see him get 10-12 shots a night. Mac's kids battled hard inside, but still got hurt in the paint. Wish Mac would double down more on interior passes. Mac had balanced scoring, but unfortunately were sliced up on its half-court defense too many times and their press was pretty ineffective. Too many lay-ups and too many stick-backs. It looked like the coach started to make some line-up and strategic changes in this game. Players are expected to perform at both ends of the floor, and everywhere inbetween. Just because someone scores 10-12 points doesn't mean he's necessarily getting it done - especially if the player(s) he's guarding are getting 10-12 points a night.  The "five in, five out" system was dropped in the second half with semi-productive results, depending on the match-ups. And Mac played a lot of man-to-man defense, which worked very well depending on the personnel in the game at the time. It was fairly obvious which players can guard people in the open court, and who couldn't. A couple of the better man-to-man defenders didn't play much in this game, but my sense is if Mac chooses to play more man-to-man, this will change. Free throw shooting is improving and the turnovers were down (a little bit). Maybe it was just me, but I thought Mac lost its poise a little bit down the stretch. Throwing unnecessary elbows, pushing, stare-downs, and some uncalled for lip didn't improve our chances. A successful team doesn't need to pull that kind of stuff. I was very, very proud of the way Mac battled back today. They never quit. Had the game lasted another two minutes, they might have pulled it out, which is a credit to Mac's heart. Mac had a chance to win three of its four games. They easily could be 2-2, and possibly 3-1 - but they're 0-4. Next up is a Monmouth team that defeated Eureka by 30. Highlanders need some hot hands and a more consistant effort on defense to win this one. They can do it.

Go Highlanders!!!

[Gregory Sager]

Mac Attack, so far every team that MacMurray has played is a team that they "should have beaten" in your eyes. That's an assertion that has diminishing returns the more that you repeat it. Perhaps you're finding it a little difficult to be objective about them. Believe me, I know all about how easy it is to go looking for a silver lining when your team keeps losing. In fact, I've known that feeling all too well the past few seasons. But a fan can't will his team into being better.

[Mac Attack]

You're absolutely right, GS. All I can really go on is match-ups, past performances, and a handful of intangibles. When the match-ups fall apart, shots don't fall, the defense breaks down, and Lady Luck looks the other way, it doesn't usually add up to a win. I guess my point was Mac was in a position to win three of the four games with just a few minutes left to play in each game. That being said, I really thought talant-wise, Mac had the best team on the floor against Concordia. And I don't think I was the only person who thought that. But that and 50 cents will get you a cup of coffee at the local diner if everyone doesn't do their job. I still believe in the Highlanders and I still believe they can turn it around. We have a very good coach who will pull every string and make every move to right the ship. They have some solid veterans and some promising younger players who will get better. If my credibility takes a hit for still believing in this team takes a hit because of my faith in their ability, so be it. My math may be a little off, but after checking the records, it looks like the four teams Mac has lost to have a combined record of 13-1. And I don't think it will get any easier Wednesday night at Monmouth.

Some bad news. Freshman guard Evan Birch broke his foot in the Dominican game and will be out 6-8 weeks. Although Birch hadn't played much in the early going, he's an outstanding shooter and a tremendous competitor. Hopefully he will heal up and be ready to go as soon as possible.

Go Highlanders!!!

[mac_support]

Mac Attack, in my opinion you are absolutely right on the money in your evaluation of this MacMurray basketball team.  The one loss in the combined 13-1 record of teams Mac has played was Concordia's loss Saturday night to Illinois College who by the way won the IC Tournament and is still unbeaten.  A well deserved congratulations to Jerel Robertson for being selected to the All Tournament team.  I still feel that this Mac team has both the belief and desire to work hard and win even with the 0-4 start.  They are well aware that the beating they have taken against the fine teams played thus far will pay big, big dividends come the start of conference play.  Even some of the referees that have officiated some of Mac's games thus far, have said Mac will far very good come conference time.

Go Highlanders.

[hopefan]

While Blackburn losing Essington and Barnett has had a big negative impact on their outlook, an even bigger change from what I expected to see has occurred at Fontbonne.   Three double digit starters that I thought would be back seem to have disappeared - Antonio Holland, Kennard Davis, and David Careno.  Curious as to what happened to those guys?   FCnews, can you shed any light? 
I was checking out the Fontbonne roster and noticed old Buddy Dave Porter's son Scott was listed - nice to see him still playing - the Porters are a great family.

[Daryl L Lloyd]

Mac Attack and mac_support:  There is nothing wrong with blind devotion to your team, in the SLIAC there is very little of that and I commend you for it, but Sager does have his points as well.  Is Mac getting better, perhaps, I dont know. I have not seen them play.  Here is what I do know.  Both of you were quick to point out the 13-1 record of teams mac has played (its actually 12-2).  Here is a run down of that record of Mac opponents:

Millikin:  (2-0)  Played SLIAC teams Mac (0-4) and Blackburn (0-4)

Grinnell:  (2-0) Played Cornell (0-2) and Mac (0-4)

Dominican:  (4-1)  Played SLIAC teams Blackburn, Greenville (0-3) and Mac.  Also played Aurora (3-2) and  lost to Illinios College (3-0)

Concordia (IL):  (4-1)  Played SLIAC teams Greenville, Blackburn, Mac. North Park(0-3) and lost to Illinios College. 

So the while there competition has a nice 12-2 record it is against teams that are a combined (6-18) with the 6 wins coming from only 2 teams.  That 12-2 record doesnt look as impressive once you do a little more digging does it?  Just a thought.

[Mac Attack]

Not quite sure about the blind loyalty tag. That being said, your points are well taken Mr. Lloyd. However, Mac doesn't control the schedules of the teams they play. As they say in the business, it is what it is. As Lou Holtz once said, "At the end of the season, they don't ask you who you played. They want to know how many you won." I'd really like to see Mac climb back to the .500 mark before SLIAC play starts. They would need to win five of the next six to accomplish that, and that might be a tall order. But it could be done, depending on how well the Highlanders shoot and how well they defend in the full and half court - not to mention eliminating a few turnovers. In last year's pre-conference schedule, Mac was 3-7 en route to a 9-16 season record. Looking at the schedule, I think Mac can win at least four (maybe five) of its next six games, which would put them at 4-6 going into the SLIAC opener at home against Blackburn on January 7. I think almost everyone would agree that anything less than that would be major disappointment. They can do it - and it's OK to try and "will a team to victory." To me, that's part of the beauty of cheering on these fine young men. There may come a time when some tough decisions will need to be made, in terms of looking to the future with some of the younger players - and that's one of the toughest times for coaches, players who have been with the program for several years, and parents. But right now, there is still plenty of time to wish, hope, and pray for a successful season. Nothing a hot-shooting night, some air-tight defense, a few less turnovers can't cure...

Go Highlanders!!!

[Daryl L Lloyd]

Mac Attack:  nothing negative was meant by the blind loyalty tag, its a feeling I have carried about Webster for a couple years now.  I am confused by your comments concerning Mac not having control over its schedule.  While the players (I am assuming that is what you meant) have no direct control and the schedule is indeed "what it is", the program as a whole most certainly does have control over the teams that are played.  I am not saying anything about the way the program set up the teams they are playing and Im not trying to get into a battle over which SLIAC team is facing the toughest competition. I was merely pointing out the fact that the 12-2 record pointed out by mac_support and yourself is slightly scewed by an abundance of weaker opponents.  That is all.