MBB: St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[fcnews]

Interesting scheduling coming up. Prin @ Rhodes on the 29th, then Rhodes @ Prin on the 1st of December.

[fcnews]

Four early December match ups with conference implications:

12/3
GC @ EC
WU @ WC

12/6
MC @ WU
FU @ EC

EC gets out of the gate with two good games a home.

[fcnews]

I'll direct this question to Hopefan and YJak ( they appear to be more knowledgable on this subject).
The SLIAC faces #1 Wash U three times in the regular season this year.
Eureka @ the Elmhurst Tourney, @ Home v. Fontbonne and @ Webster

Do you guys see any of our three teams being able to get a break thru win against the D3 Giants of this area?

[y_jack_lok]

I believe of the those three teams only FU has a shot at a win against Wash U. But you'd better be able to guard Aaron Thompson. He's off to a hot start.

[fcnews]

YJak - Webster catching the Bears @ Home, they won't be able to make a game of it?

[sully309]

Well the Red Devils finally begin the season Wednesday at Western Illinois.  It seems like forever since the season ended last February.  This one should be a fun game for Coach Wilde and yours truly, who both get to return to their alma mater and hometown.  Having followed the Leathernecks for as long as I can remember, I can say they are far from a men's basketball juggernaut.  But, they are a Division I program and figure to be heavy favorites in this match up.

WIU will have a size advantage and already have 2 games under their belts. Eureka will have the advantage in experience, though not against Division I competition. I think this game will be, as Lee Corso would say, "closer than the experts think." Fans will be able to follow the game on Western's web site. I plan to update the score on the d3hoops site and will probably chime in here as well if everything works out OK with my computer.

I have high hopes for this year's team, but you never know until the rubber hits the pavement as they say.

One note on the admission fee conversation.  I think there used to be a SLIAC rule prohibiting charging admission at any SLIAC conference game in any sport. I remember Eureka used to charge $2 or $3 when we were in the NIIC, but students were always free.  Our first year in the SLIAC, I think we charged the same rate for all our non-conference games that year, but then stopped once league play started. No admission has been charged for basketball since.

I think the rule was changed with the addition of football as a SLIAC sport. EC has always charged for football and did again this year. I believe some SLIAC schools do NOT charge for football also. Maybe the conference didn't want to make a "football only" rule by saying schools could charge only for football, so they just put in the rule as it is now. Again, I don't know for sure the thinking of the conference on this, but just a theory.

[y_jack_lok]

YJak - Webster catching the Bears @ Home, they won't be able to make a game of it?

I haven't seen this year's Webster team play. And as you know, since we were both there, Webster lost to Wash U by somewhere in the mid teens last year. Wash U is ranked #1 and returns 4 of 5 starters. Your first question was "Do you guys see any of our three teams being able to get a break thru win against the D3 Giants of this area?" That is what I responded to. Your second question (quoted above) says "make a game of it". I think any of the three teams can "make a game of it" if they play well. I still think FU is the only one with a shot at a win.

What do you think?

[fcnews]

With the size recruited by Webster this season and the fact there is some Juco experience (as opposed to freshmen), Webster should be able to give them a game at home.

FU has the horses to get the job done. That being said, it has shown in past meetings that the Griffins do not shoot well @ Wash U. FU will be able to score in the paint against the Bears. Last year Storandt did a great job on Ruths and Fournie stopped Nading. But as you said before, It was A. Thompson that lit it up last year and he will a handfull again this year.

I'm not ready to go out on a limb and make a call yet. I know the seniors feel like they need a win to help close out their careers and this may be the difference.

[y_jack_lok]

With the size recruited by Webster this season and the fact there is some Juco experience (as opposed to freshmen), Webster should be able to give them a game at home.

The challenge for Webster is integrating several new Juco transfers with the returning players. Remember, WU lost three seniors who put together the best consecutive four years in WU's relatively short hoops history. You only get Juco transfers for two years in most instances. They have to learn a new coach, a new system, etc. etc. FU has three seniors who have played together for three years, and junior Josh Branch who has meshed well with them for the last two of those years. With that kind of experience I like FUs chances against Wash U. I wasn't aware that FU doesn't shoot well at Wash U. That can be a psychological hurdle which, if overcome, could mean good things for the Griffins on December 13th.

[fcnews]

I like your positive thinking Yjak. Wash U's fieldhouse does not have a real good shooting background. Depth preception is tough for visisting teams. I haven't seen to many teams come in and shoot the ball real well from the perimeter against the m. The scheduling has been kind of off for this years class. They will have played Wash U. three times on the road and only got them once at home. Plus the train wreck in the post season two years ago.

Webster retained all of their outside game. I said earlier, that I think it is easier for a big man to come into a system then the guards. Kuhn saw his playing time decreased last year and Robinson really didn't come into his own till last year. Hoggatt will be the one that is toughest to replace. He was a go to guy for the Gorlocks for 3 great years.

Fontbonne's experience will be a plus. They had the advantage of being thrown to the fire together. And, Branch stepped in as a freshmen and saw major minutes. About mid season Josh will become the third of this group to reach the 1000 pt mark as a junior. Three pretty good scorers and Storandt has been a solid performer in the post as a role player. Defense and the kid loves to rebound. I gotta like the Griffin's chances come tournament time.

Back to the subject. If FU can get a good start and get on a roll early leading into the Dec. 13th match up, there will be alot to play for. If FU could pull out a win I would have to think that then they might get a look from pollsters.

But, That's along way off. First up Waldorf College. One game at a time.

[y_jack_lok]

Webster retained all of their outside game. I said earlier, that I think it is easier for a big man to come into a system then the guards. Kuhn saw his playing time decreased last year and Robinson really didn't come into his own till last year. Hoggatt will be the one that is toughest to replace. He was a go to guy for the Gorlocks for 3 great years.

Yes, Webster has all of its back court players back. Turk was the leading scorer last year at 14.2ppg. They lose 28 points per game with the 3 graduations. And even though Kuhn had height, he was more of a perimeter shooter than an inside scorer. And I think his minutes were reduced partly because he never fully got over the pre-season ankle injury and simply couldn't play as effectively. Anyone who has experienced that kind of injury (I had it happen to both ankles twice in my teens and early 20s) knows it takes a long time to recover, even at a young age. With the slightest misstep my ankles were still caving in on me when I was in my mid 40s.

The season starts in earnest this week with every team playing at least one game and several playing two. So glad it's finally here.

[pantherpride06]

Panthers doctor up the Eutectics...

Judging by the scores sheet, the Panthers were hot from the start.  Panthers shoot 50.7% for the game and are lead off the bench by Obinna Agomo, netting his first career double-double as a collegian.  Agomo has 17 pts and 10 rebounds in the Panthers 86-54 win.

Ben Cochran also had a good night with four assist and 11 rebounds.

They now head to Chicago to battle with Concordia (Ill.) and Dominican (Ill.) this weekend.


( http://www.greenville.edu/athletics/mbasketball/results/2008-09/02gm1118.htm)

[hopefan]

may this be a motivational tool for my favorite SLIAC teams  -  no chance....

[BLA]

My gut reaction is that Wash U will run the table with Eureka, Webster and Fontbonne. 

Thompson, Nading and Wallis match up pretty well any perimeter players the SLIAC can throw at them. Nading can guard any spot on the floor. Thompson can score in bunches. Wallis runs the show.

But you never know. I would love to see a SLAIC team knock off the Champs.  It's not impossible.

Hey FC could those tough shooting nights have anything to do with the team defense that Wash U plays or is it just that horrible depth perception. 

I'm sorry I can't stand those excuses.  Give the credit to the team that shuts you down and forces you to take tough shots and not the gym. Shooters can shoot anywhere. Wash U doesn't complain about the conditions in our gyms.  There is a reason they have had their way with SLIAC teams in the past and it has a lot more to do with a bigger gym.

[fcnews]

BLA - Yes Wash U plays good team defense. No questions there. Yes, Wash U's fieldhouse is a tough place to shoot. No question there.

When your use to shooting in gyms with walls behind the basket, like almost every SLIAC facility, the change in backgrounds does effect shooters. Ask any good shooter and they will tell you the same. The home team shooting in this enviroment
day in and day out, will have an advantage.

Sir I beleive you took my observations regarding this as whinning. Not true.