MBB: St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[Pat Coleman]

This is the second time you have said something C-111087.     Not a happy camper with this dude.

Careful when you run into him on campus then.

[BunchTime]

Panther...I think you need to cool down a bit.  I know you are a faithful Greenville fan and your love runs deep but simply because someone questions a coach's decisions and abilities should not inflame you so much.  This is a forum to discuss all revelant issues relating to SLIAC basketball and merely questioning a coach's decisions is certainly withing the boundaries of this forum.  Obviously, Greenville is not doing something right whether it be lack of performance by certain players, bad coaching moves, or just a rough strecth (though it is besides the point); however, C-111087 wasn't attacking the coach personally by stating that he needed to "refrain from boneheaded decisions."  He was simply questioning some of his decisions while providing his personal opinion on what the teams needs to do to win a ballgame!  It has gotten pretty bad when you can no longer do that!

I ditto C-111087 sentiment in that if Coach Bunch of Webster refrains from making boneheaded decisions the team has a ligitimate shot of winning the conference.  It was a very reasonable statement that should of have been confronted, if one disagrees, with an counter argument rather than anger!  Lord Almighty!

[the godfather]

Week #12 Pick 'em:

Tuesday, February 6   
Webster
Blackburn
Westminster
MacMurray
   
   
Blackburn
MacMurray
Webster
Fontbonne
Westminster
   
Saturday, February 10   
Maryville
Greenville
Webster
Westminster
MacMurray

I had a chance to talk with a source from Westminster in relation to the Coach Hettinga situation at WC Saturday, that Hope brought up earlier.  I was told that with WC up late in the game and Mac pressing, the ball was thrown deep by one player for WC which was intercepted by a Mac player.  Appearantly the play led to a foul or break in play.  The player who threw the errant pass walked by Hettinga who said "good pass" sarcastically to the player.  The next play WC inbounded the ball up the benches side sideline where a WC player was fouled right in front of Hettinga, who proceeded to steal the ball out of the WC players hands while he was standing on the court of play.  The WC player appearantly turned and said something in reaction to having the ball stolen from his hands by the coach on the court.  The game went on with reportedly nothing else coming of it but after the game while walking through the line to shake hands the player tried telling Hettinga he was sorry for the situation and "blowing up like that" to which Hettinga replied, "Don't ever talk to me that way, I've never been  disrespected like that."  I was told the player again apologized to Hettinga in the locker rooms.  This is the story I was told, from a reliable source.  We all know tempers can flare in these types of situations but if that came from a coaches mouth to a player who did nothing wrong, that seems unacceptable to me.  First of all Hettinga mouthing a player of the other team for making a bad pass, second being on the court of play in the game and not only that but interfering and taking the ball out of a players hands.  If the foul had not been called how would he have explained any of this behavior?  Finally the player after the game does the right thing and apologizes to the coach and then when the coach has a chance to be a real role model and stand-up man he chastises the player.  Then the player had to go find Hettinga down in the locker room area to aplogize again.  I just don't think that this was the correct way for the coach to handle himself in this situation.  Things can get out of control in game situations but when the coach had not only one but two opportunites to do the correct thing he failed twice.  Not the kind of guy I'd want coaching my kids.... 


Also one other thing that I noticed is in the postseason poll Westminster is incorrectly spelled.  Reminds me of the one day I write on here MU instead of Mac and I get ribbed by two different people but I don't see anyone saying anything about the spelling of Westminster.  Way to be consistent guys. 

[C-111087]

Thank you Bunch Time. I appreciate your support and understanding of my post on here. It's good to know that someone understands.

[hopefan]

Wow - Godfather, if you got that from a reliable source, then I totally blew it.  I already said what I thought i saw, Judging from the actions and from what a Mac fan sitting in front of the play said, but we both could have been wrong.  If your source is right, then my thought that there was contact during the play was incorrect - but other things that were going on led to the conflict.   Actually your description is a little 'nastier', as what I thought happened would have an accidental contact, then a harsh reaction by the player, while your source's interpretation was over some rather juvenile reactions by Coach Hettinga -
Assuming your source, who likely is a player, is correct, I apologize to our readers for printing what I thought I had seen happen - while i don't pretend to be a journalist, goes to show I shouldn't jump to conclusions.

[Mac Attack]

I wasn't going to comment on the play involving a Westminster player bringing the ball down the sidelines and brushing against MacMurray's coach because it really wasn't that big of a deal and we need to be talking about the SLIAC basketball yet to be played. But as the play happened right in front of me and as I believe an untruth has been put on the table, I feel something needs to be said. I don't know who said what to who prior to this play. My guess is there are several different stories here - but I can tell you that when the player was dribbling down the sideline, Coach Hettinga was standing out of bounds, and the player and coach inadvertantly brushed against each other. Almost at the same exact time a foul was called on a Mac player for reaching in. At the point, the Westminster player turned and yelled at Coach Hettinga "What are you doing?" It was clearly an accident, and maybe it's just me, but I thought the player was way out of line - not only for what he said, but also the tone. Two referees were right on top of the play, saw what happened, and clearly understood what had happened. I didn't see what happened or what was said after the game as the teams were going through the line shaking hands with each other, but hopefan did - and his perception was Coach Hettinga was clearly apologizing to the player, but the player apparently didn't want to hear it. I trust hopefan's account.

I also know Coach Hettinga very well - and he would never call a kid out, never say anything remotely close to "don't you ever talk like that to me again." As in any controversial issue like this, there are usually two or more sides to the story. But I'd bet my life Coach Hettinga wasn't disrespectful to any player, coach, or fan. Whoever told you otherwise, Godfather, got it wrong. Didn't happen.

Quite frankly, I was more concerned with the Westminster student who was running the shot clock who forgot to start the clock three different times in the last two minutes of regulation, all when the Blue Jays had the ball.

Let's move on.

[hopefan]

Thanks for the support Mac Attack - Maybe I was right all along, but As I am now not 100% certain what happened, I too will move away from the issue....

Tonight's games all 6 contenders playing each other - a great night to be a SLIAC hoops fan - I will attempt to exchange scores with FCnews and EurekaSID - EurekaSID, see if you can announce the score at the table so Mac knows whats going on, or Mac, feel free to call me. I'll try at half, and definitely at end of games.

Will be interesting to see if what I consider to be the three underdogs in the games (Mac, GC, and Westmin) can hold homecourt advantage - as I pointed out, that factor is extremely crucial in the scheme of things.  I think GC has the biggest challenge - they haven't beat a contending team since early January - they have to show it's still in them.  Mac has to come out playing in the first half rather than waiting until they're behind double digits.
Westmin has great depth - which could make it tough on Fontbonne - on the other hand, I don't know who's going to stop Fogerty and White.

[pantherpride06]

Ill end my comments on C-111087 on this:

The problem is, this is an individual who was given a chance to play and is still a little bitter that Coach Barber told him he wasn't going to get much time.  This individual played JV ball for us.  That's fine though.  If he would have stuck around like so many JV players following the JV season, (Groves, Gregornik), then this C-111087 probably would not have been having sour grapes as we see on this board.

I am just taking up for a guy who is near and dear to my heart in terms of coaching and friendship.  Like my comments or don't.  I apologize for drawing this out into another mess again.

And Pat, I will be very careful.  He is just finding out that I know who he is!

[sully309]

I was wondering who it was that didn't pick Eureka to make the tourney, but seeing that the godfather has us taking the o-fer this week, I think I might have some idea now. It's all good, though. All the games will be tough and I can't ask you to go against your team on Saturday.

By the way, since when does it take 6 hours to get from Westminster to Eureka? I think Panther has some distance runners that can make it between the two schools in 6 hours by foot!

[hopefan]

I didn't realize there was a more direct route from Fulton over to Springfield, and then up to Eureka  -  I was thinking Fulton to St louis to Eureka would be 5 to 5.5 hours + time to eat.   Still, Mapquest says 4.5 hours fulton to Eureka using Rt 72.

[pantherpride06]

Eureka_SID.  You are absoutely correct.  I've got about 8-10 distance runners that could probably get there quicker than we could drive.  They just go and go and go!  Wow!

[fcnews]

I would like to send my Congrats out to Sophmore forword Brian Fogerty. Brian is this weeks SLIAC player of the week. The kid deserves it for all the hard work he did over the summer. This is from a kid that got little to no time as a freshmen.

[C-111087]

That was a good theory pantherpride06, and I applaude your attempt to discover my identity. However, you are incorrect in your findings because although I am a student at Greenville College, I have never played for the basketball program. I am just very observant and enjoy stating my opinions on what I see out there on the court. Good luck to the panthers and to you with finding out whoever this person is.

[fcnews]

Who cares who you are. This ain't "what's my line". You are justly deserving of your comments. But, this is a huge day for SLIAC ball. That's our topic. I for one don't have the time to read this stuff.

Pride you have more important things to worry about. Kick Start those Panthers.

Hope please keep me in the loop tonite. And, safe travel.

[pantherpride06]

No Kidding.  Big night for the Panthers!  Need to snap the 7-gm streak of Webster like they did our 6-gm streak.  We'll see what happens!

GO GREENVILLE!