MBB: St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[hopefan]

FC   -  given your 'retort' to SLIAC man, I'd say you must be in your preseason mellow mood....    

hope all is well on the course, I've been spending alot of time "boating" lately.....

[fcnews]

Course is getting better everyday. Anybody thats in the area needs to stop by and check out "John Daly's Murder Rock C.C." in Branson, MO.

I'm always mellow. Plus when was the last time SLIAC Man was correct.

[Pat Coleman]

Unsurprising news regarding the SLIAC on the front page.

[hopefan]

Pat  -  the article gave me another name to flash a quick email to, expressing my dismay at Maryville's move...

[y_jack_lok]

What's done is done. Maryville is perhaps the only SLIAC school (Principia might be the only other one) that has the physical space to grow its student body and academic programs. Along with that comes the opportunity to expand athletic programs. We will certainly miss them in the conference, but wish them well in their new athletic home. I expect there will be many coaching changes over the next few years.

[Titan Q]

I'm sure the decision was not easy for Maryville and I assume a lot of good people were involved in the exploratory process.  In the end, if Maryville feels Division II is a better fit for the university and its student-athletes, that is certainly good enough for me. 

[y_jack_lok]

At this time I don't think DII is where Maryville belongs. But if they have a plan to grow then I guess it makes sense to go ahead and make the transition. I expect they will be pulling up the rear in their new conference for a few years in most sports. Hopefully, for their sake, they will be able to become competitive before too many years pass.

[Pat Coleman]

I don't think NCAA Division II is the right match for Maryville either, but if they want to go, let them. Division III is too large as it is and any space we can open up for schools that want to be here will help forestall championship selection crises when D-III gets too big for 64-team playoff fields.

[y_jack_lok]

Good point, Pat. Since the idea of a D4 or splittting D3 into two tiers had no appeal, then there are a number of institutions that might be good for D2 and could give D3 some breathing room. I think someone on the ODAC board commented that they thought the WIAC and UAA schools were good D2 candidates. Personally, I'd hate to see Wash U in D2. I'd probably either have to start paying to go to games, or I just wouldnt go.

[hopefan]

Bad news for For Fontbonne as it is announced in the St Louis Post today that Belleville's Daniel Lisch will follow his brother and sister to St Louis U.

I know how much work, time, and hope goes into landing a big time recruit, and I know from personal experience how bad it hurts to lose a kid to D1 or 2 who you know would have been successful at the D3 level.   I feel very bad for Coach McKinney and his staff.

I'm sorry, this is a real bad decision by everyone - the family and St Louis U.

Here's hoping that the process may somehow lead back to a more realistic playing level for Daniel in a year or two.

[y_jack_lok]

Is Daniel Lisch going to SLU on a basketball scholarship? (Sorry, I don't take the paper except on Sunday.) Or did he just change his mind about what school to attend and either won't play basketball, or will walk on and try to make the team?

[Titan Q]

Is Daniel Lisch going to SLU on a basketball scholarship? (Sorry, I don't take the paper except on Sunday.) Or did he just change his mind about what school to attend and either won't play basketball, or will walk on and try to make the team?

http://www.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/stories/072508aap.html

That seems to imply that SLU offered him a scholarship??


Illinois Wesleyan recruit Jordan Zimmer (Delavan, IL) was recruited by SLU as well, but chose the D3 Titans...

http://www2.pjstar.com/index.php?/allstars/article/decision_was_academic1/

Few is the number of high school basketball players given the chance to play in college at the Division I level. Even fewer is the number of those who pass on the opportunity.

Early this past season, Delavan senior Jordan Zimmer was extended an invitation to attend Saint Louis University as a walk-on player. The Rick Majerus-coached Billikins were even more interested shortly after Delavan's season had ended.

"(Assistant coach) Porter Moser called and said they wanted to come up and watch me work out again," Zimmer said.
"I had already thought a lot about it and told him I was no longer interested."

"He asked me if they offered a scholarship, would that make a difference," Zimmer said.  "I said thanks but no and told them not to waste the trip. I had already made my decision."

It was that kind of maturity and sense of direction that helped Zimmer lead Delavan to a school-record 28-4 season and a Class 1A regional title.

Along the way he set school career records with 2,045 points and 347 3-pointers, as well the single-season school record with 123 3s, and the single-game school record with 44 points.

Zimmer, a 6-foot-4 guard/forward and a four-year Delavan starter, is the Journal Star's Small-School Player of the Year.  He'll play in college at Illinois Wesleyan in Bloomington.

"My dream coming into the season was to get a Division I scholarship, but eventually I realized the level I was going to play in college wasn't the most important thing," Zimmer said.  "Wesleyan is close to home, and Division III feels right for me."


The biggest question I have is, why is Rick Majerus recruiting Division III-caliber players to a Division I program?  Zimmer was an outstanding high school basketball player, and he is certainly as good as some kids on low level DI rosters, but he fits in Division III perfectly.  I suspect the same can be said for Lisch.

[hopefan]

Good grief, went to article that Titan Q posted - check out this Majerus statement:

"There is no question as to Daniel's character, on and off the court, and his commitment to being an outstanding student-athlete," Majerus said. "As we all know, NCAA scholarships are tendered on a year-by-year basis, and Daniel's competitiveness and commitment as well as his character should add to our team spirit as well as our goal of having extremely competitive practices this season."

As a senior, Lisch averaged 9.2 ppg and 3.0 rpg this past season for the Maroons and helped the team post 15 victories.

That reads to me that he's coming in to be a practice player and cheerleader...   Hopefully Daniel will be happy with that role....  I'll reiterate my opinion that this is a highly suspect decision by the family ... Why not play ball at D3 rather than be a contributor to extremely competitive practices? 
Well, I guess everyone doesn't have to feel like I do...

[fcnews]

It was a very short cup of coffee for Lisch and the Griffin Family. Daniel and his parents met with Coach McKinney on last thursday to imform him that Daniel was tendered a one year scholarship to SLU the night before. Majerus had seen him working out with his brother.

He was signed, enrolled in classes and played on FU's summer league team. But, Hey. A 40 thousand dollar scholarship and a chance to show a DI program what you have and play one more year with your older brother. Who am I.

I told you the SLIAC fans were going to enjoy watching him play. He was in a H.S. system that did not allow him to put up guawdy stats. It was close. And a split decision by the family.

[Titan Q]

That reads to me that he's coming in to be a practice player and cheerleader...   Hopefully Daniel will be happy with that role....  I'll reiterate my opinion that this is a highly suspect decision by the family ... Why not play ball at D3 rather than be a contributor to extremely competitive practices? 
Well, I guess everyone doesn't have to feel like I do...

There is a lot more that goes into a college decision than basketball though (for a kid who isn't a professional basketball prospect).  I don't think it's fair at all to criticize this decision without knowing anything about what Lisch is looking for academically, socially, etc.