MBB: St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[hopefan]

For you 2 or 3 SLIAC fans out there - I note this is a big weekend for softball in the SLIAC..   Webster at 18-12 plays a doubleheader at Wash U at 1 and 3 on Saturday,    and on Sunday, the SLIAC's leading teams play when Fontbonne goes to Maryville at noon.  I won't make the Saturday game, but if it's a sunny Sunday, that dh for first place sounds inviting.

[fcnews]

Let's hope Webster hangs a "L" on Wash U. FC beat the bears and received little to no pub in the post. WU was ranked #15 and FC beat their All-American pitcher to drop her record to 16-2. FC's Annie Dillinger, who is leading the nation in RBI's hit a game winning 2 run homer. The first HR given up my Saguarz all year. A win by WC will help the future of SLIAC softball. Hope please post any notes on Todays DH at Maryville. I got home from Negril, Jamaica at 1 am this morning.

[hopefan]

Geesh  bad enough you guys have a bunch of Hawaians on the team, now you're recruiting Caribbeans too  ?!!!!

[fcnews]

Hpefan - that's Webster with the Hawaiians. Found a 7' jamacian soccer goalie. What an athlete! Bright young man. Student visas from Jamaica are tough to get.

[hopefan]

FC ..... last second decision not to see doubleheader as weather looked a little iffy   -  turns out should have gone as it never rained and the Cards couldn't do anything against Maddox on TV....  haven't checked results yet on DH.....   maybe I'll try to see the conference tourney if it's in St. Louis.

[MUSaintsFan]

MU and FU split. MU took the 1st one 6-3 and FU won 3-0 in the nightcap (or afternoon cap if we are being specific).

Interesting note, MU All-American catcher Brianne Haas took a ball off the eye in her first AB of the day and after sitting one and a half innings to get the swelling down before getting back in the game to draw an intentional walk. Walk a hitter that basically only has 1 eye to load the bases? Well it didn't pay off as FU pitcher hit the next batter to bring in a run.

[fcnews]

A little bit of recruiting news. Now that it is official, I can post about 3 quality players FC will have next year.
Josh Branch (Ft. Zumwalt W.) shooting guard named conference MVP (ahead of Sodeberg), had 35 pts in last weeks All - Star game, including 5 3's in the fourth quarter.
Cartez Parker - Pt. guard from Laffyette H.S.
Trevor White - 6'5 swingman with unbeleveable hops from Salem H.S.

These kids will fit nicely with last years freshmen class.

Hopefan - you see alot of local ball each year, did you catch any of these kids?

[hopefan]

boggles my mind that Parker is going to Fontbonne - except Porter's connection may have helped.   Nice player, typically well schooled at Lafayette - knows the game.  I like him immediately to tone down Fontbonne's back court and give floor direction.  Exactly what Fontbonne needed to go with the quality big guys.

[fcnews]

I don't understand the "boggles" part hopefan. It came down to FC and CMS. He went somewhere he knew he could play right away. The Branch kid may be the best pure shooter the sliac has seen in a while. I agree with the tone down comment.

[fcnews]

Anyother recruiting news from the sliac. Hopefan any info on MU's incoming class?

[Mac Attack]

Word on the MacMurray campus is Coach DeNeve has resigned. Hope it's not true. Coach DeNeve is a very hard worker, well prepared, and a terrific person on and off the court. If he is leaving, the new coach would inherit some pretty good returning players and what could be a nice recruiting class. Highlanders have a very good point guard coming in, a couple of athletic wings, and a 6'8" kid who could be just what the doctor ordered. MacMurray's 2006-2007 schedule is out. Grinnell, Rockford, and Monmouth coming to Jacksonville. With Eureka and Lincoln Christian joining the SLIAC, Mac lost four non-conference games. Highlanders are playing the LaGrange (Ga) College Classic just after Christmas. Anyone know anything about LaGrange (Ga) College?

[Ralph Turner]

Mac Attack, is the SLIAC not going to a Division format?

In any case, I think that the LaGrange game will be competitive for MacMurray.  They are a solid, well-coached team in an average conference, the GSAC. 

The game is winnable, so that is good, but you cannot take them lightly.

[Mac Attack]

I don't think the SLIAC is going to divisional play, but it would make sense. Mac plays everybody twice. Would be nice to have two divisions - play everyone in your division home-and-home, and play the other division one game each and rotate home and away every other year. That would allow for the non-conference games that are always interesting (but I would assume sometimes difficult to schedule). I noticed where Illinois College isn't on Mac's 2006-2007 schedule. What's that all about? I would think two D3 schools that are less than one mile apart from each other would play each other. I was told that IC was getting harder and harder for Mac to schedule - but not playing at all is hard to understand, considering the travel money that would be saved and nice gate for both teams.

I think Webster played in the LaGrange Classic last year??? Anybody know for sure, and if so, what were your thoughts of the competition, facility, campus, community, etc. Looks like about an 10-11 hour drive for Mac fans.

[Ralph Turner]

Mac Attack, here is the Webster 2005-06 schedule.

http://www.d3hoops.com/school_info.php?school=Webster&team=m

Yes, they lost to LaGrange and to Emory.

You might get in some golf at the Robert Trent Jones courses that are back closer to Opelika and Auburn about 40 minutes west on I-85.

[Gregory Sager]

I agree that it just doesn't seem right for the two Jacksonville schools to avoid playing each other. You don't drop your crosstown rival with whom your long-standing annual contest is a big local deal without some sort of agenda at work. It's highly unlikely that it was a matter of scheduling difficulty, since games like this one are the sort that you put in ink first when you start constructing your schedule and then build around with the other games. I wonder if canceling the series was a move by one or the other school administrations, or both.