MBB: St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[hopefan]

7th in a series of 10 write-ups... what have you done for me lately...past 5 seasons....

4) Matt Mitchell Westminster... while Westminster's Conference record over the past 5 years is less than inspirational (46-44), the Jays and Coach Mitchell have accomplished something no other program has... winning two conference tourneys in that 5 year stretch (2016 and 2017).. the 2017 team was very good...Sean Obrien, Romo Tabb, Jimmy Villabalos and great depth, but things fell back in 2018 when Obrien and Tabb failed to return, and the team didn't  make the conference tourney in 2019.  With the graduation of a number of critical seniors the trend seems downward, 2020 could be sub .500...         
Won conference Tourney in 2016, 2017, lost in semi final round in 2018.         
no All Conference in 2015         
2015-16  All Conf 3rd team         Romo Tabb
2015-16  All Conf 3rd team         Nick Carlos
2016-17  All Conf  1st Team         Romo Tabb
2016-17  All Conf  3rd Team         Sean Obrien
2017-18  All Conf  1st Team         Kobe Wands
2017-18  All Conf  2nd Team         Carter Wands
2018-19  All Conf  2nd Team         Romo Tabb
2018-19  All Conf  3rd Team         Kobe Wands

[ecreddevils]

interesting write-ups, hope.  nice work.

[WUPHF]

Westminster still may be kicking themselves over that five game meltdown to end last season which included losses to Spalding, Principia and MacMurray as well as a home loss against Webster in which they had the lead going in to the final minute.

[hopefan]

interesting write-ups, hope.  nice work.

[hopefan]

8th in a series of 10 write-ups... what have you done for me lately...past 5 seasons....

3) Chip Wilde Eureka... Eureka edges out Westminster for 3rd place.. Indeed over the past 5 years, they have the 3rd best conference record at 49-41, with only one losing season.  Still, when I think of Eureka, I know I have used the word underperforming the last two years (just note the number of All Conference selections)... losing in the 1st round of the conference tourney in 2018 when I felt they had the best talent in the conference (mainly Shea Feehan)... then struggling through out the 2018-19 season to find their right mix without Feehan... But what a storybook finish to 2019 when things finally went right!!!  They won 5 in a row at the end of the regular season to sneak IMPROBABLY into the conference tourney, then proceeded to blow out Greenville with record setting offense, and upset Webster with defense to win the Conference Tourney... Pure Storybook Stuff!!!                     
Made Conference Tourney in 2018, losing in semifinal, WON conference tourney in 2019                     
2014-15  All Conf 2nd Team         Seth Wickert            
2014-15  All Conf 3rd team         Greg Kent            
2015-16  All Conf 1st team         Sam Feehan            
2015-16  All Conf 3rd team         Shea Feehan            
2016-17  All Conf  1st Team         Shea Feehan            
2016-17  All Conf  2nd Team         Kendall Davis            
2017-18  All Conf  1st Team         Shea Feehan            
2017-18  All Conf  3rd Team         Dakota Bennington            
2017-18  All Conf  3rd Team         Hank Thomas            
2018-19  All Conf  1st Team         Dakota Bennington            
2018-19  All Conf  2nd Team         Hank Thomas            

[hopefan]

    Evidently someone disagreed with my comments regarding Eureka... a shame they couldn't post an intelligent counter argument as compared to hiding behind the Karma system....Let's hear from you!!!!

[WUPHF]

Westminster is getting two transfers from NAIA Columbia College in sophomores Landon Harrison and Ethan Thompson.  Columbia had been a powerhouse as of late but had struggled last season.

[hopefan]

Westminster is getting two transfers from NAIA Columbia College in sophomores Landon Harrison and Ethan Thompson.  Columbia had been a powerhouse as of late but had struggled last season.

Sorry to say neither of these guys played regularly last year... saw action in less than half of Columbia's games...of course they were both frosh... hoping the level of play is high enough that they may be able to come in and help Westmin....  both are guards...

[WUPHF]

No need to say sorry.

Those guys had eight other guys at their position and eight upperclassmen on the team last season.

I am not sure that say Kobe Wands would have played much at Columbia last season either (UMSL was far worse during his freshman campaign) and I think you were pretty interested in his transfer.

These guys both had strong prep careers.  The signs would say these are good, post-worthy gets for Coach Mitchell.

[hopefan]

No need to say sorry.

Those guys had eight other guys at their position and eight upperclassmen on the team last season.

I am not sure that say Kobe Wands would have played much at Columbia last season either (UMSL was far worse during his freshman campaign) and I think you were pretty interested in his transfer.

These guys both had strong prep careers.  The signs would say these are good, post-worthy gets for Coach Mitchell.

Can you tell us anything about their HS numbers???   Thanks....

[hopefan]

9th in a series of 10 write-ups... what have you done for me lately...past 5 seasons....

2) Chris Bunch Webster... Webster has accumulated a stellar 59-31 over the last 5 years, far better and more consistent than any other SLIAC team with the exception of No.1 Greenville.  Hopefan feels the level of talent is somewhat higher than what other SLIAC members are able to attract, as Coach Bunch and Webster recruit well both locally and with some surprising additions from the southern states.  Unfortunately, the tourney record for a program showing such regular season success is poor, very poor. Only 0ne semifinal win in 3 opportunities, no conference tourney championships in the 5 year stretch. After getting so close to scoring the SLIAC's first ever NCAA Tourney win at Illinois Wesleyan in 2014 (yes hopefan still feels ill over that last possession offensive foul call), Webster has not been to the Big Show since....The good news is that Webster comes into the 2020 season absolutely loaded, assuming all underclassmen return.               
Made Conference tourney in 2015 and 2017, losing both times in Semifinal Round... made Conference tourney in 2019, losing in championship game.               
2014-15  All Conf 1st Team         Ahmad Smith      
2014-15  All Conf 2nd Team         Hunter Ward      
2014-15  All Conf 2nd Team         Aaron Griffin      
2015-16  All Conf 2nd team         Hunter Ward      
2016-17  All Conf  1st Team         Evan Milligan      
2017-18  All Conf  2nd Team         Nigel Wilcox      
2018-19  All Conf  1st Team         Josh Johnson      
2018-19  All Conf  1st Team         Nigel Wilcox      
2018-19  All Conf  2nd Team         Enrique Tankins      
2018-19  All Conf  3rd Team         Rod Ettienne      

[WUPHF]

It can be hard to pull it altogether, but for Landon Harrison, he was at a big school in Class 4 Helias and still scored 1,000 points before the end of his junior year. 

Here is a PrepHoops story from his junior year: https://www.prephoops.com/2017/01/basketball-interview-landon-harrison/

He is averaging 27.5 points per game and has helped the Crusaders usher in a new brand of basketball. One year after reaching the Class 4 Final Four, Helias is off to a 10-1 start and are currently ranked fourth in the latest MBCA poll.

All the while replacing several key seniors and opting for a fast-paced, up-and-down game as head coach Josh Buffington works in a new crop of exciting young players.

Harrison's work hasn't gone un-noticed by college coaches either. He currently holds offers from Division II Lincoln and Missouri S&T. He has drawn strong interest from Columbia College, Maryville and Missouri Southern, and ha also heard from Missouri Baptist, Western Illinois and Eastern Illinois.

[WUPHF]

Here is a PrepHoops story on Ethan Thompson from Sir Earl Austin Jr.

https://www.prephoops.com/2018/04/prospect-watch-ethan-thompson-2018/

Thompson finished with 1,300 career points.

[hopefan]

Wow... agree with you...big plusses for Westmin.....

[hopefan]

Final of 10 write-ups... what have you done for me lately...past 5 seasons...

1) George Barber Greenville... The SLIAC went to a 4 team Conference Tourney in 2005... From 2005 thru 2015, Greenville made the conference tourney only once, in 2011, in a year when 5th place Greenville got a tourney spot only because 1st place Spalding was not yet eligible to participate.  After the 2015 season, which saw Greenville finish 10-8 in conference, out of the tourney, Coach Barber made a MAJOR change... Greenville would use a version of THE SYSTEM beginning in the 2015-16 season.  The system, intense full court pressure for 40 minutes, pushing the ball down the court and taking the first good shot available on offense, rotating 2 and/or 3 units of five players a couple minutes at a time, setting various offensive and defensive goals to meet each game... things came together immediately... a 54-18 record over the last 4 seasons, 4 tourney appearances in a row, a conference tourney championship in 2018, significant local interest extending to some national publicity.  Add to this the fact that Coach Barber has had great success recruiting players who fit into the system.. not necessarily great shooters, but kids who dedicate themselves to the defense, therefore generating 30-40 turnovers per game, and many many offensive opportunities.  Clearly deserving of the number 1 spot.              
Lost in semis of Conference tourney in 2016, lost in Championship game 2017, Won Championship in 2018, lost in Semis in 2019            
2014-15  All Conf 2nd Team         Tim Daniel   
2015-16  All Conf 1st team         Tim Daniel   
2015-16  All Conf 3rd team         Michael Hohm   
2016-17  All Conf  1st Team         Shane Smith   
2016-17  All Conf  2nd Team         Kenny Greene   
2016-17  All Conf  3rd Team         Elmo Smith   
2017-18  All Conf  1st Team         Johari Dix   
2017-18  All Conf  3rd Team         Isiah Price   
2018-19  All Conf  2nd Team         Johari Dix   
2018-19  All Conf  3rd Team         Eric Williams