MBB: St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[fcnews]

Had the chance to chat with Coach Mitchell ( WC ) at a golf tournament this past weekend. Matt was very excited about this coming season and made a good case for his teams chances. I have to admit that WC and WU are right now head and shoulders ahead on the preseason poll and all others are a distance third.

This is the SLIAC though and we all know how tough it is to win on the road in this league.

I would like to wish good luck to the two new coaches of the SLIAC. I think that BC has the best chance to succeed under a new head coach just because of the type of kids they attract. Hard working, hard nose, blue collar types.

A couple more weeks till school starts and we all should know what the different rosters will look like.

[mattgrubb]

yeah well, Lambert was operating in Bunch's shadow

Bunch my thoughts are with you in your time of need, if there is anything i can do let me know, you are a good guy

[hopefan]

Was reviewing the upcoming season schedules - it's eveidently much more difficult to make a league schedule that includes 10 teams than the 8 team schedule of years past.  Every week of the league season is played on different nights of the week-

Maryville's league schedule includes :
2 league games in December
January week 1   Saturday
January week 2  Tuesday, Friday, Saturday
January week 3  Thursday, Saturday
January week 4   Wednesday, Saturday
February week 1  Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday
February week 2  Friday, Saturday
Ferbruary week 3  Wednesday, Saturday
February week 4  Tuesday, 4 team conf tourney Friday Saturday!

Fans will have to keep their eyes on the schedule at all times or games will be missed!!!

I also note that in most cases, the men's teams get the early weekday evening games (6:00)  (good, leave work, a quick burger, and to the game), and the later (3:00) Saturday afternoon time slot. 

Opening night of league seaon, Dec 6, will tell us alot right off the bat  -  defending champ Maryville (who loses EVERYONE from last year) vs this season's odds on favorite, Webster.

[y_jack_lok]

As usual, hopefan, an outstanding analysis! How's the comprehensive, nationwide D3 spreadsheet shaping up for 2006-07? Got those macros working?

Let's get together before fall slips away and the season starts.

[Mac Attack]

I see where MacMurray has added an exhibition game at Western Illinois University on November 2. The Highlanders were one game short (Illinois College has apparently chosen not to play Mac this season) and I know Mac was looking for one more game. Does an exhibition game count as a regular season game - or is Mac still one game short?

[y_jack_lok]

I am almost 100% positive that an exhibition game does not count in the 25 regulars seaon games. From what I've seen, exhibition games are almost always played before the official start date of the regular season.

[hopefan]

y jack -  I think you're wrong on that  -  the scheduling up to D2 or D1 exhibition games do count as one of the 25 games, though they do NOT count in the win - loss record.   You can schedule a D1 team as a regular season game, which counts formally in both teams' records and stats, or as an exhibition game prior to the regular season, which counts as a 25th game to the D3 team, but not in their record, and does not count for anything for the D1 team.

For instance, Maryville played SLU last year as a 25th game - they only had 24 "regular season" games in their record and stats

[fcnews]

Very much correct Hopefan. FU is playing SLU next season and it's under the same guidelines that you have mentioned.

Got to observe an open gym run yesterday at FU. Salem's Trevor White will make a lot of Gorlock fans do a double take. He could really come close to passing as Brady Barke's twin. Same body as Brady's (as a freshmen), same type of game but maybe looks to post up alittle more then Barke did.

FU added some quality perimeter shooting in Zach Branch (GAC POY), Cartez Parker and Chris Mosier. It will be alot less teams keying on McCoy from behind the arc.

With Parker at point the ball will be in the hands of a someone who is extremely ( I mean really) quick, with good floor vision and was well coached in H.S. This was a problem the Griffin's had last year. No one to put the ball in the right guys hand.

I think people will be shocked to see the player Justin Storand is becoming. He has matured in size, interior positioning and moves, to go along with ball handling skills and a great mid range game. This kid uses the backboard from 10-12 feet better then anyone I seen in a while. And he's the SLIAC's version of Dennis Rodman, the kid loves to board.

With Fogerty, Storand, White the Griffin's have good hands around the paint. John Dressler can still give you ten minutes a game and at 6'10 he does alter shots and plays quality post defense.

OKAY I know this is probably more Griffin talk then you wanted to hear, but if we could get a thumbnail from each school it would be nice.

[y_jack_lok]

Being wrong seems to stimulate more conversation than being right. But I'm not entirely wrong. The operative technicality is if a D3 team plays an exhibition game against a D2 or D1 team then the rule hopefan cites is correct. However, my D3 alma mater has played pre-season exhibition games a number of times against foreign teams touring the U.S. in recent years. In those seasons they still played a full 25 game D3 schedule.

[fcnews]

That's a different story. You ae allowed two exhibition games and a foriegn all star team or a team of all stars like Team Rebok that plays some games around STL do not count agaunst a teams 25 games.

[y_jack_lok]

Any idea what the rationale is for not counting pre-season games against foreign teams or "all-star" teams as part of the 25 game limit, but counting them if they are against D2 or D1 teams? And what about pre-season games against NAIA teams?

[fcnews]

It's pretty simple. NCAA D1, D2 or an NAIA teams are established programs and are recognized competition. Foriegn and AS's are not. It's like the big discussion last year when someone played and counted a game against Logan School of Chiropratic. Your allowed to play two exhibition scrimmages before the official start of competition date any game after that is counted. There are some excemptions for teams traveling out of country during season but that's a whole seperate animal.

[y_jack_lok]

Thanks for the explanation.

[fcnews]

No problem Y - that's what this board is for.
Hopefan any updates on MU.
This years FU bench coaches will be a couple extra faces. Along with Coach McKinney and Thornhill. New baseball coach Ryan Good (Webster) and Grad Asst. John Thomas will join the crew.

[Mac Attack]

I think it's about time the MacMurray College basketball website does the following:

1. Ditch the two-year old picture on the cover page.
2. Post a picture and background of the new coach(s) on the staff link.
3. Post the 2006-2007 schedule instead of last year's results.
4. Update the stats page.
5. Make MacMurray basketball gear available for order through the website.

This can't be that hard to do. Other SLIAC schools have up-to-date basketball websites. Grrrrr.......