MBB: St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[GU1999]

It appears WAND was on campus at GU too. 

https://www.facebook.com/NoahNewmanWAND/videos/406289286810859/

[hopefan]

A VERY BIG DAY in SLIAC HOOPS

2 top teams play 3rd and 4th place teams

Greenville at Spalding.... Coach Barber too smart to let his kids take it easy after their 200 point performance... too bad Spalding is not the kind of place that supports its team, few will attend to witness this one... long trip for Greenville...Marcus Montgomery had 51 for Spalding in first meeting...and Dom Ellis didn't play... Spalding may be able to stay with the Panthers... keep your eye on it... incidentally, Johari Dix on camera in interviews.. is that the biggest smile in the world or what...gotta love it.. Greenville kids, though I obviously was down on Coach Barber's decisions in Fontbonne game, it in no way reflects how I feel about about the hustle the energy the way you guys play.. again, gotta love it!!!!

Webster at Westmin... Webster won easily earlier... but this is the kind of game where Coach Mitchell's kids jump up and surprise... if Enrique Tankins is back, tough to see how Webster doesn't win this one.. but they must take care of the ball... Westmin can create turnovers...

Blackburn at Fontbonne.. as pointed out previously, Blackburn still has a clear path to a tie for 3rd/4th in conference.. but this is a must win...

Mac-Iowa Wes.... playing for pride  wish no one had to lose...long trip makes it tough on Mac....

[GU1999]

Concur on Johari's smile.  He is a delightful young man and a serious grinder and will be a success in what ever he chooses to do subsequent to graduation.   One thing that is a testament to his grind is his improvement in his year by year assent in shooting percentage.  The increased percentages correspond with a substantial year over year  increase in attempts.  Most notably his shooting accuracy change from three.  The jump from the low twenties in his first two seasons to upper thirties/low forties in the last two is statistically significant and is a result of a kid who works on his craft.  For fun I'm adding a link to a video of likely his best performance.  His very efficient 42 and 7 effort (on 20 shots) against Buena Vista (11/25/17) which is expertly cut up here. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7hlNKkp1BwQ

YEAR
2015-16   FG% 33.3 / 3FG% 21.2 / FT% 52.4 - PPG 4.5
2016-17   FG%   44.2 / 3FG% 21.3 / FT% 67.1 - PPG 8.8
2017-18   FG%   46.3 / 3FG% 41.5 / FT% 79.0 - PPG 19.6
2018-19   FG% 46.0   / 3FG% 36.6 / FT% 71.4 - PPG 19.3

By the end of the season I will try to write a bit more about Johari's significant 4 year contributions which coincide with the program shift to the system. 

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

Here are the first rankings for the men this season: https://www.d3hoops.com/notables/2019/02/men-regional-rankings-first

[GU1999]

I saw the rankings and began to feel way out of my depth Re the conversation of Regional Rankings, selections, etc.  I get that it is primarily used to determine the "at-large" (pool C) tourney teams and that the SLIAC fans need not concern themselves with this historically, as the league has never had such a team.  After search the d3hoops site I found this helpful white paper on the rankings and tourney selection process.  https://www.d3hoops.com/interactive/faq/ncaatournament

One question that I have is the following is in relation to how important SOS% is?  GU appears to have a very poor In-Division SOS%.  I presume also that this includes its non-region games 5 of its most difficult opponents, namely:
- Loras
- Debuque
- Hope
- Olivet
- Redlands

I think that this schedule was GU's attempt to schedule up.  Even after undertaking this attempt to schedule up, they are very low on the SOS%, so for the close watchers of the tourney decision makers, how heavily does the committee weigh SOS%?  Hypothetically, if GU were go undefeated until the conf championship game with this schedule (and its very low SOS%) would that likley result in a Pool C? or would the SOS% think kill them? 
 
I'm just trying to understand, thanks.

[Pat Coleman]

Some things are changing in terms of how things are weighted this year and Dave or Ryan could expound on that. Indeed, all Division III opponents are counted in strength of schedule (with exceptions -- very few -- for the newest provisional members of D-III). Those non-conference opponents are going to be overrun by the conference opponents in terms of the calculation, and with six D-III losses (14-6, .442 SOS), Greenville is not going to be in line for an at-large bid. (Hope at 10-8 vs. D3 and Redlands at 8-9 bring that SOS number up, but not by much.)

[hopefan]

GU... I'm with you on lack of insight on the data used for Regional Rankings, and I've been with D3 since the beginning... once it went beyond the mentality of win-loss and eyeballing who you beat and who beat you, you know, the arm chair view, the math kind of lost me so I leave it to the real D3hoops experts to crunch the numbers... I sit back and wait for them...
But the obvious for a SLIAC team is exactly what Pat stated... the conference is generally weak enough that playing in it brings down SOS to the point of eliminating any SLIAC possibility of attaining a C bid....you have to remember, against other D3 competition, WE ARE FAR BEHIND...This year our w/l % against other D3 teams is 44 out of 46 D3 conferences!!!  We are 16-41 at .281.......... And while Greenville had a nice schedule, it wasn't a Great schedule... of the teams you brought up, all have virtually been eliminated from winning their own conferences, and Greenville beat only one of them.

So yes, what would it take to get a C bid by a SLIAC team, given the current overall play of the conference... probably a 5-2 record non conference against a solid schedule, maybe 1 loss in conference, and the tourney loss (remember, if they win the tourney, they're in with the automatic).. and even that kind of record might not guarantee things......  23-4 in the SLIAC or similar conf might not get in over a 20-7 from a top flight conference....

[hopefan]

WOW.. 3 of 4 games come down to the wire in the SLIAC last night....

Greenville says who cares about a long bus trip, wins in a laugher vs Spalding... Spalding maintains a turnover per minute pace, finishing with 41...looking at the box score, could Gville have played any better?  hard to imagine.. 4 starters, 3 nonstarters have fantastic stat lines, led by Eric Williams, Johari Dix....
But that Box score is dirtied when I notice Greenville accumulates 3 more Technical fouls, with Spalding adding two of their own... This flat out sucks.. the SLIAC Commish needs to talk to those responsible and clean it up...To my knowledge, the conference has never had a problem of this significance before....It's unacceptable.. 
another question.. Spalding's Marcus Montgomery.. gets 15 points in 13 minutes.. potential 1st team all conference.. gets 13 minutes?  unless he got hurt or is sick, hard to understand....

Webster keeps pace with Greenville in the race for conference championship...edging Westmin 77-74... Josh Johnson gets the go ahead hoop with 15 seconds left, Westmin misses winning shot at :03....

Blackburn loses at Fontbonne, which puts a landslide called Greenville in their path to the conference tourney... the way Fontbonne had been playing, this is just an unimaginable result, but there it is... Carter Otwell hoop puts Fontbonne ahead, Jarred Woodcock hoop puts it out of reach.. Font 80-77... congrats to the Griffs!!!

and Mac wins in the last seconds at IWU... Austin Rebel put IWU ahead at :17, but Conner Vincent scores at :06 for the win.. IWU fails to get a final shot..

super night to be a SLIAC fan...

[GU1999]

With only a handful of games left, it sure looks like Hopefan's late 2018 prediction of a last game of the year battle royale, winner takes the crown, game is very close to materializing.  I expect a gym take over effort by GU students and alumni. 

As for last night in KY, the game was never really close, however, the run that GU went on out of half was unreal and noteworthy.  Halftime score was 73-58.  During the first shift (85 sec), SU did not get the ball past half court.  Score at the end of that shift.  86 - 58.  During the next shift, the ball did cross halfcourt, but did not go in for SU.  Score after the second shift was 91 - 58.  SU finally put in a ft at the 16:33 mark.   3:27 is an eternity against this team.  At that time GU had just capped off a 23 - 0 run to start the half.  In this 3:27 SU turned it over 7 times.  That is more than one every shotclock. 

Only shortly after this run do we get our first T's.  A double with Young-Jones and Ellis.  Not being in the gym it is hard to know if the cumulative effect of the pressure and lack of success led to frustrations that beget Ts.  Once T's are called more are likely as the Refs will try to keep the game from getting out of control.  There were numerous very hard fouls of Eric Williams.  I am very impressed with how he takes a beating and for the most part keeps his cool.   I do agree with Hopefan that the T's need to be cleaned up for a few reasons, not the least of which is that they can have an adverse affect in close games.  Points matter.


   

[hopefan]

Let's update this after last night's games

So how is the race shaping up...

Webster and Greenville tied at 12-2... Webster has home with Blackburn, home and away with Prin, home with Greenville
        obviously the game with Blackburn will be tough... Webster could have 2 or 3 losses coming into the Greenville game

Greenville has at IWU, at Eureka... back to back ... 2 long trips... tough, after already doing the ride to Louisville..THEN Westmin at home... before the matchup with Webster...    who knows, you think of Greenville as winners over all, but Westmin beat them, it could happen again...leading into the Webster matchup..

Westmin at 9-6 now needs only to be concerned with staying at 3-4... they have Prin, at Greenville, and Mac... If they lose to Greenville, they'll finish with 7 losses

Spalding is at 9-6...has Mac, at Blackburn, at Fontbonne... let's play pretend and say they lose at Blackburn... they would finish with 7 losses

so what does Blackburn have to do to catch Westmin and Spalding at 7 losses?
Blackburn at 8-7 has  at Webster, home to Spalding, and Prin... tough path after losing to Fontbonne.. they can no longer lose to Webster and still finish at 7 losses.. They'll need to beat Spalding and Webster to finish at 7 losses, tied with Westminster and Spalding

Eureka at 6-8 needs a miracle after losing to Prin...mainly win their remaining 4 games... and scoreboard watch... it won't happen....

[Greek Tragedy]

WUPHF mentioned seeing Greenville v Webster, staying overnight and then catching the Wash U game the next day. That would be something...or go to the Final Four, which is actually closer for me.

[hopefan]

GU1999... a SLIAC Conference person sent me the current SOS % for SLIAC schools....I will assume they are correct

Webster  .469
Westmin  .466
Font   .466
Spalding   .465
Eureka  .463
Mac   .458
Blackburn   .458
Greenville   .442
IWU   .428
Prin  .428

One point I notice is that Webster still has to play Prin twice, which will bring their SOS down, While Greenville has both Webster and Westmin left, which will bring their SOS up... still the weakness of the league overall just kills our leader's SOS..
Something else, I was reading in the Midwest Conference room.. where it pointed out that for several years when St Norbert had only a loss or two, it was still questionable if they would make the tourney with a "C" spot  if they didn't win the conference tourney.

Unfortunately, one can make a comparison to D1 and get the same idea... lets say a low level conference team, say Vermont in the American East, wins their regular season conference, but loses in the tourney... will they make the NCAA tourney... likely not... the 6th or 7th place ACC/Big 10/ SEC team will get that spot...

[GU1999]

Hopefan - THANK YOU.  This is exactly what I was wondering.i was curious just how much weight was put on SOS%.    In my hypothetical of GU undefeated until last tournament game (26-1), I was wondering if a team like that would be ltreated the same as we often see with low - major conf s in D1 on selection Sunday.  It sounds like it would andyhd league would be an AC only league due to overall lack of league depth. 

SLIAC needs to continue scheduling harder non-con games AND win them. 

I'd say that this years two best non/con wins are Webster v. Wash U and Blackburn st Elmhurst.

We need many more of the types of results to even have a chance. 

And I suspect it also hurts the league in terms of the AC catching a top/top team night first round.  The league has yet to register a first round win. 

[hopefan]

Well... one critical game today in the SLIAC... Blackburn at Webster... if Blackburn can pull the upset, they still have a legit shot at finishing tied for 4th or even 3rd and 4th in the conference... but it is an absolute 100% must win... and of course, Webster is still playing for the host position in the tourney....

elsewhere
Fontbonne at Eureka.... could have been a very meaningful game, but neither can make the tourney now unless Spalding or Wetmin totally fold...
Greenville at Iowa.... Mt Pleasant gets to enjoy the show
Prin at Westmin.... Jays can't let their guard down if Paulson/Goodman get hot...
Mac at Spalding... another to keep your eye on.. Spalding can't afford to lose....

[hopefan]

Closer than expected but Greenville over IWU, Webster over Blackburn, UNBELIEVABLE Prin over Westmin, Eureka over Fontbonne, Spalding ove Mac


So how is the race shaping up...

Webster and Greenville tied at 13-2... Webster has home and away with Prin, home with Greenville.. Prin showed they're learning to win, be careful Webster

Greenville has  at Eureka... Westmin at home... before the matchup with Webster...    who knows, you think of Greenville as winners over all, but Westmin beat them, it could happen again...leading into the Webster matchup. Eureka put it together vs Fontbonne... Greenville can't look ahead to Webster..

Spalding is at 10-6...has at Blackburn, at Fontbonne... two tough games on the road.. They need one to clinch a spot, both for certain 3rd place and a neutral court game in the first round of the conference tourney

Westmin at 9-7 now and the shocking loss to Prin just kills them... they have at Greenville, and Mac ... If they lose to Greenville, they'll finish with 8 losses, and a possible tie with Blackburn...



So Blackburn's dream comes true, they see Westmin lose to Prin...
Blackburn at 8-8 has  home to Spalding, and Prin... .. If they win those two, they'll likely finish tied with Westminster, and because they swept Westmin, would have the tiebreaker

Eureka at 7-8 ... if they win their remaining 3 games...  they could finish in a 3 way tie with Blackburn and Westm...but would still finish behind Blackburn in the tie breaker...