MBB: St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[WUPHF]

Nice! I thought the AVCA was going with a Top 10 this season.

[GU1999]

It looks like they are doing the top 25 for women and top 15 for men.

https://www.avca.org/polls/diii-women/3-3-2021.html

[y_jack_lok]

It looks like they are doing the top 25 for women and top 15 for men.

https://www.avca.org/polls/diii-women/3-3-2021.html

Not that we wantnto keep talking about volleyball, but the rankings will surely change as more conferences begin play.

[GU1999]

No doubt about that.

MIAC having not yet started and UAA not playing are just two of the heavy HITTERS not considered in the rankings. 

[hopefan]

I'm hoping that SLIAC fans... and players and coaches... realize how good we all have it....

While most of the D3 hoops world will shut down in another week or two (unless D3hoops.com puts together a post season tourney), the SLIAC will play conference games into APRIL... games that will be meaningful in that they will lead to a conference champ, and if plans still hold, a conference tournament that would include at least 7, if not 8, of the conference's 9 teams.  If the first two weeks of the season are an accurate reflection, no team shows as a huge favorite the rest of the way, so every game should be competitive.  No one responded to my inquiry regarding Spalding... can only assume why they haven't played...hoping they can get back on the court to make it 8 teams.

Looking forward to the next 3-4 weeks of SLIAC hoops!!!

[hopefan]

The Spalding site just announced that indeed there are COVID related issues on the men's hoops team and that their game with Eureka this Saturday has been cancelled... the article did say that they intend to play out the rest of their season beginning next week.  That would give them 5 conference games plus any makeups they could schedule... the rest of the conference will be playing 8,9, or 10 conference games...

[GU1999]

Thank you for the update regarding Spalding. 

As for the game this weekend between FU and GU...  FU handled the pressure quite well and they finished VERY well at the rim.  GU shot terribly and not just from 3.  Cooley was off and then it translated into things being forced.  It is a great indicator that, as Hope says it, this league is a toss up.  Looking forward to see how it plays out.

[WUPHF]

This is completely unrelated, but random trivia... apparently, one of the NBA officials who made the news a few weeks ago by becoming one of the first to referee an NBA game with two female officials was a SLIAC official and was discovered by the NBA while officiating a Fontbonne game.

Who knew that the NBA scouted for officials at Division III games?

[hopefan]

This is completely unrelated, but random trivia... apparently, one of the NBA officials who made the news a few weeks ago by becoming one of the first to referee an NBA game with two female officials was a SLIAC official and was discovered by the NBA while officiating a Fontbonne game.

Who knew that the NBA scouted for officials at Division III games?

I remember being amazed a number of years ago when I went up to an NCAA tourney game or games at Wheaton, not involving SLIAC teams, and there were two SLIAC officials (not considered SLIAC's finest) doing one of the games...

[WUPHF]

Are you talking about the pod of death games involving Washington University, Wheaton and St. Thomas?  You must be.  I so wish I would have known you guys back then.

[hopefan]

Are you talking about the pod of death games involving Washington University, Wheaton and St. Thomas?  You must be.  I so wish I would have known you guys back then.

That very well could have been it....

[y_jack_lok]

This is completely unrelated, but random trivia... apparently, one of the NBA officials who made the news a few weeks ago by becoming one of the first to referee an NBA game with two female officials was a SLIAC official and was discovered by the NBA while officiating a Fontbonne game.

Who knew that the NBA scouted for officials at Division III games?

I remember being amazed a number of years ago when I went up to an NCAA tourney game or games at Wheaton, not involving SLIAC teams, and there were two SLIAC officials (not considered SLIAC's finest) doing one of the games...

We had that same experience at the 2008 Final Four. The first semi-final between Amherst and Ursinus had at least two (perhaps all three) officials that had been doing SLIAC games for quite a few years.

[hopefan]

A FIRST in college basketball history?

Greenville plays 10 players.... and all 10 go for double figures... and what a game... 140-137 win over Westmin....

And a heck of a game at Fontbonne... Font attempts a miraculous comeback in last minute, has a chance to tie, but misses a 3 pointer...

[GU1999]

I need to watch the WU/GU game.  Just checked in after a long night of homework with the younger kids.  Sounds like an epic game.  Ten in double figures may very well be a first. 

[GU1999]

I had the same reaction to the GU/WU game that Hope did.  Just a WOW kinda game. 

- Huge surge in the 1st half.  GU goes up 24. 
- WU chips it away with spectacular finishing at the rim in contested contexts by smaller players. 
- WU finally take a lead in final 90 seconds.  Expands it to 4. 
- Sophomore Romello Ball scores 8 in last 75 seconds.  including a very deep 3.  A highly contested rim attack and a heartbreaking 3 with ten seconds to put GU up 138-137. WUs defender on the play appeared to actually injure his ankle.  He collapsed to the floors the Ball's sidewinding gather.   
- 10 GU players in double digits is crazy. 
- Ball with 17p and 9a
- Cooley with 24p and 12r and 5b
- WU's Landon Harrison was spectacular in the loss.  36p (on 19 shots) 10r 8 a
- WU's Ian Smith with 24p (on 13 shots) 6r 4a

Westminster is good.  They will claw back and finish near the top of the league.