MBB: St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[hopefan]

Holy smokes... Sunday morn and ALL boxscores from a busy SLIAC Saturday are up... GREAT

Webster vs Eureka was lopsided as expected, though the final score doesn't indicate it.. Webster was up at least 20 in the first half, and just played out the 2nd half to win by 12... Eureka is really hurting for size.. I had thoughts that Mark Lessen would be the answer as He had some good minutes last season, but he was invisible yesterday... and Eureka doesn't seem to have anyone else over 6'2" able to help... Eureka's Jordan Kindred had his poorest game to date, 3 for 13 from the field, but he played hard the whole way.. Andy Leppard is overshadowed by Kindred's showiness, but he really is a very good player, and the guy that can really make the difference if Eureka is to win a couple of games... Webster's lack of push in the second half was disappointing...
highlights of the game.. Eureka sub Tanner Shreck hits 5 3's in a row, I think all in the 2nd half...   Coach Bunch gives Frosh Stefan Whiitingham his first minutes with the regulars... he showed some nice offensive moves.. wonder if coach has anything in mind?   big news Jarrod Huskie may be ready to play next Saturday vs Rust, and if not, likely the following weekend down at Sewanee.....

[Denny McKinney]

I will add Hopefan, FU had recap stories up on the website for both games yesterday evening.

Injury report:
FU has lost the following players for the year.
Frosh. Alex Rolwing - Broken foot
Frosh. Sumner Ahearn - Nerve damage to ankle
Transfer Andrew Chism - First practice back from knee scope, torn quad.

[hopefan]

From the boxscores....   what they mean to me...
Fontbonne - Prin    Fontbonne shoots 35 3's   Sheetz goes 3 for 13... that just makes no sense against a team like Prin.. Font couldn't use superior size to go inside for easy hoops?  heck they outrebounded Prin by 9?  And I fear Frosh Tyler Garner is becoming a clone of Sheetz... he also shoots 13 3's.. is that all he can do wander the perimeter  and finally fire one up?  I gave up on Maryville because they reverted to that game.. I hate to see Fontbonne falling into that trap...  compare those 2 stat lines to Zimmerman, who also shoots 9 3's for Prin, but goes 7 for 11 from twos...  you need to be able to fake the 3 and go to the basket....
Good to see Woods get the big hoop to win, must have been a thrilling ending... None of the Fontbonne starters are getting the numbers expected of them.. are they going to be satisfied with only playing Prin and BC and Eureka tough??  
Prin... Zimmerman playing fantastic... getting good support from other starters... I might have to see these guys play!!!

Blackburn has 2nd close loss in a week...  Fantastic job by their bench with 56 points! led by Ira and Chris Williams 36 between them... who are these guys?  Mac led by McClelland and Robertson, and frosh Burton... and 2nd straight good game off the bench by Luke Bishop, who played well vs Webster too...          All the stats are even... BC seems to have played with them the whole game....

Westminster beats Spalding... I'm imagining they just outtoughed Spalding... 60 something to 50 something is how Westmin wins games... tough Defense..  they hold McAphee to 17, Vislay goes for 29...  Wonder if Tolson did a job on McAphee?  Westmin crushes Spalding on the boards...36-23... Spalding only 2 offensive rebounds

And Greenville wins easily over William Woods  KJ Hilliard gets 13 points, but 11 assists....What?
Big game off the bench from Rutgers Neece with 19 points....  lots of balance through the lineup... can these guys challenge Webster, Mac, Westmin... I'd put my money on it....

[Denny McKinney]

Hopefan - You should not speculate on games not seen. PC packed the paint with 2-3 zone and gave FU 3's. Woods would of had 30 if ref's called every foul. The your bigger so no fouls philosophy. If that game was played on the streets half of PC's line up would have been arrested for assualt and battery.

Yes, Garner can also rebound and block shots. PC is by far the toughest shooting gym in the conference. Tight rims and no background. Will have Tyler work on driving into a scrum.

Zimmerman went past your favorite FU player until he fouled him out. The kid can score in bunches, when he's protected by calls.

Other then that you nailed it..... Mac beats WU ant then needs OT to beat a winless BC. Does this mean The bottom is closer to the top? Or is the top SLIAC teams closer to the pack?

[WUPHF]

Tough week on the Head Coach........ So no one is alarmed...... Dad will be wearing a chemo pump Wednesday nite on the sidelines....... Will have to travel in a different vehicle to AP. because of low white blood cell count. Avoid a bus full of college kids germs. A long and painful ride. But, should be fun.

Wow!  I must have read about Coach in the forums here, but I am not sure that I realized how serious it was.  It is going to be a tough week, but I am guessing one that he would not miss for the world.  Good luck this week.

Incidentally, it occurred to me that the name Fontbonne is French for "do good."  Do good this week.

[Denny McKinney]

WUH - He'll make it one way or another. He hasn't missed a game in 50 years.

[hopefan]

looking forward to Fontbonne vs Wash U on Wednesday, and a trip to Holly Springs (and possibly a side trip to 'nearby environs') on Saturday to see Webster play at Rust.  My first visit to Rust, or any historically Black institution in the south... really looking forward to the experience, and hope to find time to chat with poster "RustCollege", who is a member of their coaching staff....  

Where should I have lunch to get a flavor of Holly Springs and Rust?

[hopefan]

Noticed Westmin lost to Elmhurst in a sunday game at Westmin...   this is one that would have been nice to win, and one of those kinds of games that make the D3 world look down their noses at the SLIAC... Elmhurst was winless coming in and likely a 7th place team in the CCIW, Westmin the coaches pick to win the SLIAC and at least a contender despite the loss of senior 2 guard Kovach.... but the personnel difference is still evidently tilted.....

[Denny McKinney]

Well that score was a suprise. CCIW website showed EC was picked 7th. +1K Hopefan.

FU's loss to CCIW 5th pick NPU, doesn't hurt quite as much. Well yes it does. But, you know what I mean. It's still the D1 equivalent of the Colonial league v. Big Ten. But, our #1 should beat their #7.

Like I mentioned above, could the SLIAC be weaker this year then expected?

[hopefan]

Well, I've been crowing about the point guard play and still believe it's a step up from prior years..  but the 3-4-5 positions seem to be down big time....

at those 3/4/5 positions.....

fontbonne....  nothing at all conference level, at least not yet....
Webster... Nick Jones at the 3, but could be considered a 2 guard, Huskie in the middle...  Moore is not playing as well as last year, but surprisingly, he's leading the conference in rebounding
Westmin...  Vislay at the 3...  Gilmore looked bad when I saw him ,but has come on stronger recently
Greenville...  Hilliard and Agommo are playing well, but both undersized to be considered 3 or 4 men... in reality, Gville starts 4 guards....
Mac...  solid forwards in Robertson and Burton
Blackburn  no one
Prin  no one
Eureka   no one.. middleman Lessen has disappointed so far....
Spalding...   not sure... haven't seen them yet or reviewed the boxes.....


only Robertson and Moore of these guys could be considered the bruising kind of forward that I like to see... all the rest are slender ''6' 2"-6'4" leapers

its just a small man's conference this year...

[hopefan]

Sliac vs everyone else

vs other D3   6 - 13   wins are Webster over Sewanee and Nebraska Wesleyan, Westmin over Hendrix and Presentation, Greenville over Rhodes, and Spalding over Mt St Joe's

Vs all other 5 - 8     Fontbonne and Spalding over Moody, Greenville over mid Continent and William Woods, Prin over St Louis Pharma


total 11-21

(yes the SLIAC remains at .500 vs Sliac teams)

[Denny McKinney]

I look at WU's effort against a national power IWU and have to excuse the game at Mac. Very tough road game. If Huskie is as good as Hopefan says and comes back healthy..... WU has to be the only squad to represent this conference. If we send another undersized team up against region #1 or #2, we get the same results as the past.

FU's Eric Hamilton will remain sidelined (with a high ankle sprain) until the U of Tampa game.

[hopefan]

Wow checking out SLIAC.Org stats.... Prin's Todd Zimmerman off to an incredible start, albeit over averages from only 3 to 6 games

His rank in the SLIAC  and averages per game
Scoring #1  31.3
Rebounding  #2  7.0  (yes Zimmerman is a small guard)
FG %  #9  55.1%
Assists  #2  5.7  (despite averaging 31 PPG!!)
FT %  # 5   80%
Steals #1   3.0
3 pt FG % #2  57.1 %
3 pt FG made  #1    5.3
Blocked Shots   #2   1.7
Assist to turnover ratio  #2    2.8
offensive Rebounds... not  rated
Defensive rebounds  #1   6.0

[Denny McKinney]

Good News is Great Medicine. Dad received the following email on Sunday.

Dear Lee:

On behalf of the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, it is truly an honor to inform you of your selection as a member of the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SLIAC) Hall of Fame Class of 2011. Congratulations on this well deserved honor.

During your 23-year tenure as the director of athletics at Fontbonne, you oversaw its intercollegiate athletic program's growth from three sports and 35 student-athletes to 19 sports and over 350 student-athletes but maybe most importantly, at least from a Conference perspective, was your integral role in calling a meeting in September 1989 to establish the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. From six charter members at that meeting, to starting Conference play the following year with eight members, to a growth of a high-membership of 10 institutions, your voice has been heard on every major decision and growth made in the Conference's history.

As it was only appropriate that you became the first person honored by the Conference with an award bearing his name, it was also only appropriate that the Administrative Council unanimously approve waiving the three-year waiting period before you would be eligible for the Conference's Hall of Fame.

On behalf of everyone who has known the joys of competing and coaching in the SLIAC, or has had the honor to serve as an administrator at a Conference institution or in the Conference office, thank you for all you have done to make the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference what it is today. I congratulate you on a distinguished career as director of athletics at Fontbonne and again on your selection as a member of the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Hall of Fame Class of 2011.

Sincerely,  William J. Wolper
Commissioner
St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference  

[hopefan]

Heartfelt  congrats to Coach and family!!!!!