MBB: St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[hopefan]

Found Pat Coleman's Ratings in another chat room  -  I haven't followed closely enough in the past year, but I think it is based on the NCAA's formulas relying heavily on regional activity and quality of wins - the ratings play a role in establising the "B" and "C" pool teams selected for the tourney.  Pat's list included schools rated from 1 to 200
SLIAC schools mentioned were:
Webster   118
Mac   127
Fontbonne  168
Eureka  178

While these ratings don't come close to getting a SLIAC team a tourney bid, the SLIAC faithful should note that we are ahead of or in the same company as some noteable D3 powerhouses of recent years:
UW Platteville  129
Trinity Tx  135
Wilkes  144
Hanover   146
Gustavous Adolphus  153
Manchester 165
Illinois Wesleyan  183

Not sure of what the ratings mean exactly - Maybe if Pat or Greg or TQ reads this, they could give an explanation.   Whatever it may be, nice to keep company on some list with the big boys....

[fcnews]

Hopefan - I think you would enjoy the inter action with the schools families and friends outside the arena of competition. But, that's your choice. It would be a shame to have a fan like yourself miss the inaugural SLIAC February Frenzy Pre game gathering.


EC_SID - Do you know where the EC contingent will be staying this weekend ?


MC @ West Port

FU and WU next door neighbors (FU has quite few families coming in for the weekend also)

I can't believe Pather Pride won't be here. I had it all set up for him and Hopefan to take on the Legendary "Pointers Pizza $500 Challenge" at noon Saturday. As seen on the Travel Channel and TLC. Two people finish one of their large Pizza's in an hour and you get $5oo cash. I've seen those two eat free pizza and I thought they had a real shot.

[hopefan]

FC  -  dang, I just started on my diet yesterday!!!!

[pantherpride06]

  That is great.  I'm mad now that I'm going to miss it.  Hope and I could definately win that challenge!  Hope took to the pizza at Fontbonne well.  He might be able to down one by himself!

Feburary Frenzy.  That's pretty clever.  I feel bad for doubting fcnews at one point or another!!!  (Only Kidding, I never doubted you.)

Have a great weekend boys and keep me posted!!

Note:  Greenville v. Principia (Women) can be heard live on WGRN 89.5 and online at www.wgrn.net.  Tip time for this game is 6:00pm at Maryville (Mo.)

[fcnews]

Pride when do the NCCA bids go out?

[Pat Coleman]

Selection Sunday is Sunday. Important information that's been on the front page all week.

[fcnews]

Pat Coleman- If you re-read my post it says NCCA. I meant National Christian College.

[Pat Coleman]

Oh, sorry.

That's called the NCCAA, by the way. Easier to tell them apart that way.

[pantherpride06]

The NCCAA information will be released soon.  NAIA schools are finishing up their seasons and all.  Should know by the 1st of next week where we will go and if we will go (due to travel we may opt out.)

[fcnews]

Isn't there a bias towards track. I say if the Track Team goes to Nationals so should the Panther Round ballers.

Pride will the women's team be staying in STL or commuting to the Finals?

[Gregory Sager]

Mac....I agree with mouch of what you say in order to beat "the system."  I think the single most important 2 things that you mentioned is 1) not shooting any 3 pointers; and 2) slow the game down to an snail-like pace using at least 25 seconds of the clock even if they concede the lay-up.  Oh yeah, and once a shot goes up, you must have at least 2 guys sprinting back because that is how they will beat you!  I agree with your game plan!

Trying to slow down the game is one approach, and it's probably the best approach for a SLIAC team -- although slowing down the game against Grinnell is a lot easier said than done. But the most successful approach that I've seen against the Pioneers, used successfully by UW-Whitewater and some of the good Lake Forest teams of the past, is to simply take what Grinnell gives you by having the ballhandler make a beeline to the basket for a layup once the press is beaten and he's crossed midcourt. The idea is that Grinnell wants to trade twos for threes -- but if you have smart, experienced players, at least two good ballhandlers in the game at all times, and some size, you have all you need to beat them. You minimize turnovers against the Grinnell press by keeping the ball in the middle of the floor, staying out of traps, and by holding the ball high and keeping it moving forward. You never attempt any treys, and you always take the high-percentage shot (layups or dunks) that the Grinnell defense allows you.

Of course, this presupposes that you have the raw materials on your team that UWW and some of those past Lake Forest teams had, which is why I said that the slowdown game might work best for a SLIAC team. The Arseneault system that Grinnell uses is not a cure-all -- a better team will almost always beat them, no matter what style they're playing.

Found Pat Coleman's Ratings in another chat room  -  I haven't followed closely enough in the past year, but I think it is based on the NCAA's formulas relying heavily on regional activity and quality of wins - the ratings play a role in establising the "B" and "C" pool teams selected for the tourney.  Pat's list included schools rated from 1 to 200
SLIAC schools mentioned were:
Webster   118
Mac   127
Fontbonne  168
Eureka  178

While these ratings don't come close to getting a SLIAC team a tourney bid, the SLIAC faithful should note that we are ahead of or in the same company as some noteable D3 powerhouses of recent years:
UW Platteville  129
Trinity Tx  135
Wilkes  144
Hanover   146
Gustavus Adolphus  153
Manchester 165
Illinois Wesleyan  183

Not sure of what the ratings mean exactly - Maybe if Pat or Greg or TQ reads this, they could give an explanation.   Whatever it may be, nice to keep company on some list with the big boys....

Those are QOWI (Quality of Wins Index) ratings, Hopefan. The QOWI is one of the five primary criteria used to select the three teams for Pool B (indies, and teams from conferences that are not full members of D3) and the 19 teams for Pool C (all other at-large teams). It's a formula that calculates the relative worth of a team's schedule (regional games only); points are assigned for each regional game based upon the opponent's regional record and whether the game was home or away, and the total point value is divided by the number of regional games played. A QOWI of 10 is considered very good and almost always indicates a team that's going to the big dance. Webster and MacMurray, which are currently the two SLIAC teams with the highest QOWIs, are at 8.524 and 8.400, respectively.

The other teams that you listed, it should be noted, are all markedly down this season. Some of them are "big boys" no longer. In some cases the programs haven't really had powerhouse status in many years. Wilkes hasn't had a 20-win season or appeared in the NCAA tournament since 2001. Neither UW-Platteville nor Manchester have appeared in the NCAA tournament since 1999, although UWP did manage to win the WIAC regular-season title two years ago and can claim the excuse of losing their best big man, Jeff Skemp, to injury this season.

Trinity (TX), Hanover, and GAC were all hit hard by graduation losses this season, although I'd venture to say that they're all probably just experiencing a one-year blip or at most a two-year blip. Illinois Wesleyan's situation may be more problematic, as the level of incoming talent for the Titans really fell off over the past couple of years under now-departed coach Scott Trost. Given the top-to-bottom difficulty and competitiveness of the CCIW, and the fact that new coach Ron Rose still has to prove his bona-fides, it's uncertain how long it'll take the Titans to right their ship. The CCIW is a very unforgiving conference for any program that slips up, even temporarily; as a North Park alumnus, I know that all-too-well.

[hopefan]

Greg - regarding my mention of those schools as "big boys"....  you know my 'Post Collegiant' doctoral work has been done in "History of DIIIBasketball" ;

[Gregory Sager]

Greg - regarding my mention of those schools as "big boys"....  you know my 'Post Collegiant' doctoral work has been done in "History of DIIIBasketball" ;

You and me both, Hopefan. I still have a hard time wrapping my mind around the idea of Potsdam State and Hamilton no longer being the big boys in upstate NY.

[hopefan]

Potsdam didn't even make the 8 team Sunyac conf Tourney!!!!!   Jerry Welch where have you gone??

[hopefan]

I mentioned earlier that Saturday offers a great D3 Men's opportunity to see two Conference Championship games - Chicago @ Wash U at 3:00 and The SLIAC Final @ 7:00. 
Attention SLIAC fans who are thinking of the Wash U game, there are rumblings that Wash U is pushing for great student body support at their game to promote a packed house. While i have never seen anything remotely close to a full house at Wash u, it might be worth it to go see a portion of the 1:00 Wash U women's game to assure yourself of the seat you want.  Otherwise, bag it and go see the SLIAC women's final over at Maryville.