MBB: St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[hopefan]

And a +1 to start you off on the right foot, cheapseats!!!

[hopefan]

Incidentally.... +++ Kudos to Ben Kissing for coming up to MacMurray on Friday night to accept his All Conference recognition... it's always disappointing to me that recipients of awards who are not from one of the 4 participating semifinal schools rarely make an appearance to this ceremony.... I look forward to the announcement between semifinal games each year, a nicer touch than just throwing it up on the internet...wish the coaching staffs could give their players a little positive incentive to take the night off from their 'busy schedules' and make an appearance..

[iwumichigander]

Nice job hopefan

[cheapseats]

Great analysis, hopefan! I appreciate it. Spalding always seems like a safe bet as a contender for the conference title. I wonder how much the travel and atmosphere at their home gym plays into things?

I'm so impressed with what Greenville did this season, their first running the 'system'. It's a modified approach to what Grinnell does, but they just keep coming!

[hopefan]

Yikes.... Massey says 82-50, Augustana over Westminster...

Well Westminster worst lost to a D3 team was by 25

Augie beat several teams very badly, but they don't seem to run up the score... they use their whole bench, and once the game is in hand, may want to rest their key players for Saturday night..

I think I'll take the 32 and go with Westmin for 100 please....

[augie77]

I wouldn't be shocked if Augustana takes a large lead, but their pattern is the bench gets outscored in the final ten minutes of each blowout.  Party hard with your $100.  it should also be noted that big man Brandon Motzel broke a finger and is questionable for this week-end.

[Pat Coleman]

Folks, just five more hours to enter the men's D-III bracket challenge before tonight's tipoff!
https://d3challenge.com/login/register.php

[iwumichigander]

I wouldn't be shocked if Augustana takes a large lead, but their pattern is the bench gets outscored in the final ten minutes of each blowout.  Party hard with your $100.  it should also be noted that big man Brandon Motzel broke a finger and is questionable for this week-end.

Motzel, this season has averaged 18.7 min per game 8.5 ppt and 6.2 rpg and 1+ blocks per game.  He will be missed but IMHO not the key to Augie.

Yikes.... Massey says 82-50, Augustana over Westminster...

Well Westminster worst lost to a D3 team was by 25

Augie beat several teams very badly, but they don't seem to run up the score... they use their whole bench, and once the game is in hand, may want to rest their key players for Saturday night..

I think I'll take the 32 and go with Westmin for 100 please....

Ben Ryan and Hunter Hill are the primary two players you have to guard.  Ryan is good in the paint and 12-15 foot out. 

By guarding Hill, I mean you do not leave him - no matter what the situation- you keep your eyes on his jersey number, your hand in is face and in front of you.  Otherwise, Hill will make you look silly and light up the scoreboard by either creating his own shots or finding an open man when double or triple team him.

Augie77 is  correct about the mop up minutes from the bench. However, Augie has a deep bench that supports the starters well in Augie's normal substitution pattern. 
If Augie gets a big lead, their defense, already outstanding, will just take it up another level and shut you out.  Defensively, Augie will keep themselves in a game until they recover their shooting eye. I have never viewed Augie as come from behind team. They will work to get a lead and grind it out.  But this group of seniors has developed a "killer instinct" and will be more than happy to put a team away early.

Both Ryan and Hill,  average 14+ppg,  but Hill completely capable of 30 pts. without even thinking about it or working up a sweat.  Over four years, Hill has evolved from primarily a scorer to a point guard who gets his team going first with timely passes and assists,  and himself second.
There is a reason why Hill was CCIW Most Outstanding Player.

[augie77]

Challenging news for Augustana, Westminster's opponent tonight....

http://www.qconline.com/sports/college_sports/aching-vikings-hope-to-cure-ills-with-strong-tourney-run/article_b189f492-ae34-5967-aac2-500b6e224cb5.html#.VtnicbsUnc4.facebook

[iwumichigander]

Yikes.... Massey says 82-50, Augustana over

I think I'll take the 32 and go with Westmin for 100 please....

hum, read the article about Augie you just might win the bet!  But Augie at Augie will be tough and Augie always seems to just take it up a notch when faced with adversities.

[hopefan]

aaaahhhhh  down 100

[hopefan]

You want depressing, I'll show you depressing...

1995        Illinois Wesleyan 115, Westminster (Mo.) 74
1996        Hanover 85, Fontbonne 43
1997        Illinois Wesleyan 105, Maryville (Mo.) 66
1998        no rep
1999         no rep
2000        Franklin 81, Webster 50
2001         Maryville (Tenn.) 85  MacMurray 69
2002         Maryville (Tenn.) 70  Webster 45
2003         Illinois Wesleyan 79   Blackburn 59
2004         Illinois Wesleyan 82   Maryville 73
2005         Hanover 69   Blackburn 49
2006          Mississippi College 88  Maryville (Mo.) 58
2007          Washington U. 77  Fontbonne 58
2008          Mary Hardin-Baylor 65  Fontbonne 62
2009          Wheaton (Ill.) 85  Fontbonne 58
2010          Washington U  79   Westminster (Mo.) 71
2011          Augustana 76   Webster  51
2012          Hope 79  Westminster (Mo.) 65
2013          Washington U 70  Spalding 61
2014          Illinois Wesleyan  71   Webster  70
2015           Emory  88   Spalding  59

and ... the worst beating yet....

2016           Augustana  105   Westminster (Mo.)  52     But hey, they got there.....

[hopefan]

Here's a quote from the CCIW board..

"Coaching success in college sports is 80-90% recruiting."

Let's hope our guys are out there beating the bushes right now....  Yes, it's a challenge... but clearly, the SLIAC needs to do better... school administrations need to realize the upbeat atmosphere a winning program creates during the long winter months... I feel our coaches are working every angle they can, but they need support...

Personally, I'm tired of considering the Conference Tourney being the Season ending tourney, and having a 'what's the use' attitude regarding the SLIAC's role in the NCAA tourney...

[hopefan]

Final hopefan game count..

Men's games seen during 2015-16 season  :  48

of the 48 games seen, 47 involved the SLIAC... the additional one was the first game of tourney doubleheader down at Rhodes.. seeing Aurora vs Rhodes prior to Mac vs Maryville Tenn.... surprisingly, Wash U didn't capture my fancy this year.... only saw them vs SLIAC teams

of the 47 games, 30 were league games, 17 were non league

in the 17 non league games, the SLIAC went 3-14... and 2 of the wins were huge upsets, when Prin beat Loras and IWU*** beat Maryville, Mo... the 3rd win was Webster over Luther...

in the 30 league games, surprisingly, the home team record was under .500 at 13-15... the other 2 games were neutral games in the conference tourney...

How did the various teams play in conference when I saw them?   

IWU***   2-0
BC            2-0
Webster   9-4
Mac          3-2
GC            4-4
WC            4-4
FU             2-2
SU             2-4
EC             1-3
Prin            1-7

Kinda cool... saw everyone win at least once!!! So nobody needes to shudder when they saw me at their game....

[WUPHF]

March Madness has a Fontbonne connection.  The NCAA did not have regulation nets for the games played today in St. Louis, so they borrowed nets from Fontbonne.

http://www.syracuse.com/orangebasketball/index.ssf/2016/03/ncaa_has_to_find_new_nets_before_syracuse_basketballs_game_against_dayton.html