MBB: St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[hopefan]

I got an answer on the relationship with the Moody Tournament and it is very understandable.....

[fcnews]

EC Fan - I agree you have to be very creative in recruiting to a smaller school. FU is less than 1500 undergrads and just went coed not all that long ago. FU is also in the bottom half of the conference when it comes to endowments.

This brings up another matter that I don't think has been touched on. I can't speak for all institutions, but this past year was a brutal year on the endowment side of the ledger. Fontbonne did not award a lot of these scholarships because of the fact. I should say it effected the more recently funded scholarships. The university will not touch the principal to award these. That has made packaging students that much tougher.

Yjak sent me an email attachment last year, it was a letter written by the RMC President. It was in regards to the steps that he was taking to help out families during this time. RMC should consider themselves lucky to have a guy with his foresight.

I have noticed that alot of the rural student athletes are going the way of the A+ program. Where they can go to one of the local Jr. Colleges for almost nothing under this program.

I know the economy is effecting all schools. Private Universities need to do more to sell these families on the end result of a good Private College education. But, in the end it still comes down to what can these families really afford.

[Gregory Sager]

This brings up another matter that I don't think has been touched on. I can't speak for all institutions, but this past year was a brutal year on the endowment side of the ledger.

It's hit everyone hard. Most of the schools of whose financial situations I've followed have reported losses of anywhere from a sixth to a third of their total endowment. If you're Harvard, and your endowment is the size of the annual GNP of a small European country, losing 16-to-33% of your endowment is an annoyance. If you're a small liberal arts school whose endowment is less than nine digits, a hit of 16-to-33% is a catastrophe.

[ec_fan14]

The current economic situation is definitely putting a strain on almost everyone and lets hope it turns around a.s.a.p. i like to try not to think of it but its almost impossible, everywhere you turn you hear about it and now its made its way to the boards 

anyways back to hoops....

any all conf predictions? i know its early but just wondering who you thought were the players to watch this year?

also i heard a rumor that cochran may not be coming back to greenville? can anyone verify?

[fcnews]

EC FAN - There will be a lot of talent to watch this year. FU has Branch, Forrest which are the obvious ones. Frank Scheetz should have a good season. My Dark Horse is Nolan Zeollner. He showed signs of his scoring ability last year as a Freshmen. His own 8-0 run at WC was what broke that game open, when Forrest was in the stands sick. At almost 6'6 he can play any where from the 2-4.

Three more weeks and I list the names of this years incoming class. I'll say the Freshmen class has Lisch, 6'8 post, 6'4 guard and 6'6 forword.

Word is that WC has a big juco post coming in.

[hopefan]

EC  -  despite the loss of a number of All Conference seniors, there are some outsatanding returning players---   because I love to forecast, here's my 1st and 2nd team All conference returners

1st team
Crawford  Westmin
Forest   Fontbonne
Ellis   Greenville
Zasada  Eureka
Sykes  Blackburn  (I never saw Sykes play - this is strictly by the numbers)

2nd team
Whitcombe  Webster
Brooks  Greenville
Bell Eureka
Sichting  Mac    (haven't seen him play)
McAfee  Spaulding   (haven't seen him play)

others  I like that could move in   -  Jones - Webster; Branch - Fontbonne; Kindred - Eureka; Agomo - Greenville; Millard, Vislay, and Kovach - Westmin; Miller - Mac


To me, there is a big gap between the first 4 (5 if you include Sykes) and everyone else.....  

[hopefan]

hey, someone's dishing out negatives and it wasn't me!!!!

[fcnews]

It wasn't me either. But here is a +k for Hopefan. It bothers him so much. Let's try to keep his crying towel dry this year.

[hopefan]

Thanks FC...

While Westminster has not posted their schedule on the Westminster site yet, they evidently sent it in to D3Hoops, because it is up on those schedules....

Strange schedule in that they have 0 ,  that's ZERO, non conference home games.  Does anyone know if there is a reason - perhaps some kind of lighting or floor work is being done first semester?  Though I thought they just did that....   Maybe no one wants to come to their court, though its age brings a feel that is ultra appealing to anyone who appreciates the history of the college game.   Its building is right out of Hoosiers - and I say that as the ultimate compliment.

Anyway... the Jays travel to D2 Central Missouri, D1 Tennessee Martin, Elmhurst, Illinois College, and Concordia Illinois (the Elmurst and Concordia games are back to back nights and obviously one trip).  They are also in the Rhodes classic where I believe they play Rhodes and Hendrix of the SCAC, and in the Nebraska Wesleyan Tourney where they open with Crown (Minnesota) and hopefully would get a shot at Nebraska Wesleyan the 2nd night.   That's 24 games - don't know if they're looking for a 25th or keeping it at 24.....

Only one league game in December  - at Blackburn  -  first home game not until Jan 2 against Mac.

[hopefan]

Mac's schedule is posted on their site!!!    VERY TOUGH SCHEDULE

They play in order, to begin their season....   at Wash U, at D1 Arkansas State, home vs Benedictine (Ill.), at Augustana, at D2 Illinois Springfield, at Hanover, and at Illinois Wesleyan....  GULP   that's one tall order.    Later in January and February they squeeze in Robert Morris Springfield and Concordia STL amongst the league games....

Congrats to Coach Creal for stepping it up - hopefully he has the players to make these games competitive - and that level of competition will prep his guys for the league games.

[ec_fan14]

That sounds like a very tall order for Mac.  Hopefully they get some help at the guard postion to ready themselves for a strech like that.  Coleman will be very tough to replace.  The competition will definitely be high and hopefully his guys can put up a good showing

Still no word on Eureka's schedule but usually they are one of the last teams to have it done i think.  A few of the games are listed on d3hoops they include one non-conf game and its at home vs knox.


One thing I can tell you is that Alex Sides was injured in a summer league game and I dont think is returning to Eureka next year.  I think it was a knee injury.  He played a vital role in a few of the Red Devils games last year with engergy off the bench.

my preseason all conf

1st team
Forrest- Fontbonne
Zasada- Eureka
Crawford- Westminster
Bell- Eureka
Ellis- Greenville

2nd Team
Sykes- Blackburn ( the game i saw vs Eureka he was ejected. thats why not 1st team)
McAfee- Spalding
Miller- MacMurray
Brooks- Greenville
Vislay- Westminster

the reason i give Eureka to 1st teamers is because i think they will win the conf. sorry slightly biased but i think Bell should have been 2nd team last year with the numbers he put up then again thats why i'm a fan

[hopefan]

EC  if you have seen the guys from Mac and BC play, you're ahead of me - I didn't see them - so you likely have a better idea of where Sichting, Miller and Sykes fit in   -  as I said, in those cases I was going stictly by the numbers they put up.   You put Vislay  on your 2nd team, I didn't - I did see Westmin several times and felt he 'disappeared' in a number of situations - he's a tremendous athlete and very well could be much better this year as he matures - if I found room for a Westmin player on my top 10 along with Crawford, it would more likely be Millard or Kovachs.

Too bad about Sides - he was one of those depth kids on EC that made a positive impression on me in the Fontbonne game....

[ec_fan14]

I have to say i am also a Kovach fan.  Last year he played behind Wanrcke i think, which may have limited his minutes some but from what i saw he has loads of talent and a very nice mid-range game.

I am curious how maryville will do this year in DII. I thought they were a nice DIII team in the sliac.  Maybe the advantage of scholarships will help attract better players but i could see them struggling the first few years of the transition

[hopefan]

Matt Rogers is a good recruiter and will get some kids - he just has to learn how to hang on to them....   I don't know - they clearly have to get better - they lost badly to a couple D2's last year -     As disappointed as I am in the decision to leave D3 and the SLIAC, I hope they do well in their new environs  -  AND, I may even sneak over to catch a game or two, but I'll never tell about it on these pages!!

[fcnews]

I think there will be alot of new faces fill some of those spots. Plus watch out for big game Josh Branch.

To the two EC posters - IMHO Coach Wilde is the biggest plus the EC basketball program has working for it. A very classy young man and seems to be a great motivator. His teams never quit.

The SLIAC is blessed with some real nice young coaches. Mitchell, Bunch and Wilde paint a very nice picture for the future of SLIAC BBall.

Well friends. This marks the 50th season that this young man has a Home team schedule in hand and my winter planned for me. November to March.

What a great game we get the oppurtunity to enjoy. It has taken me all over the world. Given me more memories then anyone man should have. I have begun to pen my book. Yjak has a sneak peek at a couple of chapters. Maybe I'll have my book signing at a SLIAC game. Still a few more chapters to come. Saw my first game at 2 days old and probably moved to the bench at 5.

I wouldn't change my life with anyone !!!