MBB: St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[y_jack_lok]

Officials make plenty of bad calls in our conference's games. Alleging bias in those calls is in the eye of the beholder. I just don't like it when, every season, we have to go through the ritual "Bashing of the Officials" dialogue. It happens on lots of these conference sites. Do we even know who the officials were last night and whether or not they are some of the same officials we see calling SLIAC games, Wash U games, CCIW games, games at other schools in Missouri and Illinois?

I recall the amazement that hopefan and I felt at the first game of the Final Four last year when the officials walked onto the floor to call the Amherst-Ursinus game. All three were officials we see assigned to games in the SLIAC and at Wash U. Maybe these guys aren't as bad as some of us think they are.

[fcnews]

The term "Homer" in know way is a term regarding the officals ability to call a good game. It does not mean he is a bad ref in anyway. It just refers to his ability to be biased in a particular circumstances.

I didn't recognize any of the officials listed in the box score.

[iwumichigander]

SEMO beats Mac 109-76 SEMO's center is serving a four game suspenesion.
Mac's Sean Knox scores 25

As I posted earlier this fall, Knox has the ability and skills to put points on the board, distribute and handle the ball.  I took a look at Mac's schedule today.  The non-conference opponents are the caliber many have posted in the past that SLIAC teams should schedule.  A tough schedule, particularly for a new coach trying to put together a team with some returning players, some transfers and a freshman recruiting class. 

[y_jack_lok]

fc, good point and I get the distinction you are making. I just think it is easy to say an official (or all the officials) are biased in a praticular circumstance, but it is another thing to prove it.

Also, I was trying to stop the "we have the worst officials in the country" conversation before it got started. However, I'm sure it will come up again once the season is in swing and these last few posts are long forgotten.

I do think it says something, however, that officials from our region were entrusted with a semi-final game in last year's Final Four.

[fcnews]

Yjak - After watching SLIAC soccer this season I realize that the officiating is what it is. You hope for the best, but you can only hope they don't dictate any out comes.

[fcnews]

Heard from a reliable source that SIU-E has had a very tough time landing the big recruits. It seems that most kids, when they hear no post season for 4 years, have not very much interest in going through this process.

To make it relevent to this board. How will this same situation effect MU's chances of being competitive in the the near future at the D II level?

[fcnews]

Fontbonne will be traveling with 11 players to Austin Peay on Wednesday. New faces are transfer Chris Forrest and freshmen Nolan Zoellner. Hellva a bus ride. The guarantee sure helps on the Christmas trip to Hawaii. Good Trade Off

[hopefan]

FC - will you be travelling down to the "Peay" tomorrow night - if so hope you'll give us the full story on Thursday.   While I have no expectations of a Fontbonne win, I'll be curious as to how the team plays and competes.

With only one frosh making the trip, I'm wondering if that is pointing to a Frosh/JV program this season for Fontbonne, or will they normally dress all the kids during the season?  Just seems like the large Freshman class will benefit from game experience at that level as compared to only watching Varsity games from the bench.  With Wash U, MU, Webster, the 3 St Louis Community colleges, several NAIA schools, even the SLIAC Illinois schools, there is ample opportunity for a slate of 12 - 20 games  for all of these programs....  wish that it would happen, and that there would be a little more publicity to those games....

Anyway FC - have fun on the trip - let us know how the kids play.....

[depew24]

OT...but here is what seems like the annual mascot name list.

http://sports.espn.go.com/travel/news/story?id=3688558

Webster Gorloks made the best of the rest this year (they spell it Gorlocks).

[fcnews]

Hopefan - Last year FU had a JV schedule of 8 games. This year there is 15 games on the schedule and the JV squad is practicing at a different time (6:30) then the varsity. A few of the freshmen will go at both times.

The JV team even has a game scheduled in Hawaii, against one of the Armed Forces teams. Tim Edwards 6'6, who should be among this years seniors, has sent his regards to Coach and should be back to Fontbonne next year. In case you don't remember. Tim did his tour in Iraq and is now playing for the combined Arm Forces team. He and FU were one of the lucky ones to get him home in one piece.

Austin Peay recently beat Central Missouri by 8. Central Mo also lost to Creighton by 12. Wextminster will be facing this team soon.

[hopefan]

15 games is really solid - keeps the frosh competitive, and lets the coaching staff have a better handle on progress and attitude of the newbies.  I think it is especially effective in a case like Fontbonne this year, with 3 senior starters and a bench rotation that won't be particularly deep.  The frosh know they are playing for status for next year, and it generates a great unity when there is an 8 or 9 man class.  In 'the old days', freshmen were prohibited from playing Varsity (that's right youngsters,  Lew Alcindor Kareem Jabbar, Pete Maravich et al played only 3 years of varsity just like me) and the frosh teams were a critical piece of a programs developement  -  in my mind MUCH better experience and a part of growing up than riding the bench on the varsity.

[fcnews]

Hope - It might be noted that until just a few years past (maybe more like 01 class) no freshmen ever went straight to the varsity. Even D3Hoops player of the week Eric Selter, played two years of JV. I beleive he went on to be recognized as a D3Hoops AA. I could be wrong.

This years version of the Griffins will be a solid 8-9 deep. Rapp, Sheetz, Zoellner and Lovette will see quality minutes. But, it's hard to get the Big 4 off the court. They condition to play 30 + minutes and why take their hard work away from them.

Fontbonne has never been a program where 10-12 players play 20 minutes. Not the FU style.

[fcnews]

Just what the Dr. ordered, a 5 hour bus ride and play a team that lost to Texas in the first round of NCAA's, in their last tune up, in front of their crowd. Then back on the bus for a 5 hour ride home. What people won't do for a week on the beach in Hawaii in December.

Play Hard, get the dust bumped off and get back in one piece. Eight days till Chicago and the start of another interesting SLIAC season. We always say this may be the year when our Champs have 3-4 losses. But, It could very well be this year. Other then maybe a couple of teams, it appears that the field is pretty competitive from top to bottom.

And, we can't wait!!!

[y_jack_lok]

Good luck to the Griffins tonight. I've registered on the Austin Peay website to listen to the game -- it's free, but you do have to register in advance, even if it's 5 minutes in advance.

http://www.apsugovernors.com/SportSelect.dbml?SPSID=85722&SPID=10132&DB_OEM_ID=16900

On the right hand side of the screen just above center click on "Live Broadcasts".

[fcnews]

Did I mention that in the Austin Peay 8 pt win over Central Missouri, four CMS players fouled out. A.P. shot 47 free throws to CMS 15. Woo Hoo