MBB: St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[hopefan]

Maryville scrimmaged Harris Stowe tonight - MU got blown out in the first 20 minute session, but came back to "win" the 2nd and 3rd sessions, each by 6 points.  Harris Stowe, playing mostly a playground one on one game, was so unlike anyone that Maryville will play in the regular season that commenting  on individual performance is meaningless.  The starting group of returning players played poorly, but looked much better when Teddy  McGrath and Marcus Van H joined them in the 2nd session.  Two or three newcomers played with excitement and made positive contributions in the 2nd and 3rd sessions.  There were a large number of frosh dressed - certainly many of them will start out as JVrs.
As most scrimmages are, this was ugly, but it gave the kids a feel for the effort needed to play in Coach Roger's push it up the floor offense.

[Gregory Sager]

LaPhanso or LaPhanzo... either way.  Yes, it's his son.

Heh. It's not either way that you think!  It's LaPhonso, with an 'o' instead of an 'a' in the middle, and an 's' instead of a 'z'!

Hey, announcers need to know this stuff! 

Not as long as, regardless of spelling, the pronunciation is the same!

Shhh, Chuck, you're not helping. What happens if LaPhonso Ellis is sensitive about how his name is spelled, and he gets wind of the fact that Greenville people are spelling it incorrectly?  No big donation to Greenville next year!

[fcnews]

Ok, the Ellis horse is "DEAD". Let's quit beating it.

Thanks for that post Hopefan. It's nice to see a bball related post.

[dynasty22]

Here's some food for thought. What is everyones pre-season rankings of the SLIAC teams and where you pick them to finish? Curious to see what everyone thinks.

[Mac Attack]

While being a huge MacMurray fan, I'm also very realistic and painfully honest when analyzing the Highlanders, as well as the rest of the SLIAC. I'll know more after Thursday night's game at WIU, but for now, I'm sticking with my thoughts from last July:

1. Webster. Has to be the favorite going in, considering the quality and quantity of players coming back.
2. Eureka. Showed it was more than ready for SLIAC competition last year. AJ Richard will be the Player of the Year.
3. Westminster. Getting a little better every year. Will have to win on the road to finish this high.
4. MacMurray. New game in town with Coach Hettinga. Returns eight players who contributed last year.
5. Blackburn. Plenty of talent coming back and hardly ever loses at home.
6. Fontbonne. Good crop of younger players coming back. Test will be how quickly they will mature.
7. Maryville. Reloading after massive loss of players. Well coached and always a threat.
8. Greenville. Always a wild card who can spring the upset, especially at home.
9. Principia. Will improve over last season's 2-22 mark, but still has a ways to go.
10. Lincoln Christian. Won three games last year and didn't have much success last year against SLIAC.

[pantherpride06]

LaPhonso... okay.  Is everyone happy?  Zo (as I call him) and I are pretty good friends.  And as an announcer (which FCNews & Hopefan will atest to the fact that I am the voice of the Panthers), as long as the name is said right, that's all they care about.  Trust me.  There was a kid from Principia with an odd name.  I said it wrong for two years and mom happened to be at a game.  She let me have it for saying her kids name wrong.  "It's not that hard, get it right."  I've been in the business since I was an 8th grader in high school (1997 that is).   Oh Well.

On the prediction side, I'm not good at it.  I will say that Greenville, i'm afriad, will be on the outside looking in.  Quality talent in Darin Williams, Christopher Simmons, Ben Hensold, and Bryan Hobbie (new comer from Vandalia, Ill - Eric Hobbie's brother).  But, after about those four, the talent and quality of player goes down.  NOTE: Greenville players who read this, please take no offense to what I said. I'd say Greenville could pull out a 12-13, 9-9 in SLIAC Play....  Maybe I'm overshooting my mark with that, but I don't know.  I am the person that have Peyton Manning on my Fantasy Football team, up 23 points going into Monday Night on my opponent, who had Tom Brady as QB.  I though I was riding high, until Brady throws for 4 TD's and tallies 28 Fantasy points..

[Mr. Ypsi]

pp06,

Hey, I was DEFENDING you!  As a sportsANNOUNCER, only the pronunciation is important (I'd list any toughies phonetically, myself!).  Now if you were a sportsWRITER....

[Mac Attack]

MacMurray's 2006-2007 roster is out. Team will feature six seniors (four of whom started for Mac last year), three juniors, four sophomores, and three freshmen. As SLIAC followers well know, Mac never started the same five twice in one game last season, so it's impossible to say the Highlanders return a certain number of starters - most of the roster started at time or another throughout the 2005-2006 season. My sense is those days are over, not that there won't be some early moving around of players to find out which combination works best. Seniors who should lead the way will be 6'6" center Zach Kowa and two 6'3" wings, Dawson Huff and Nick Hipshir. Senior point guard Seth Whalum, who left the team midway through last season, returns and should contribute quite a bit. Key juniors will be 6'5" forward Neil Compton, 6'3" shooting guard Billy Long, and 6'0" point guard Farrid Coleman. Coleman, a juco transfer from Benton Harbor, Michigan, should give Mac some much needed ballhandling consistancy. Sophomores who will be in the mix include 6'3" forward Jerel Robertson and 6'4" wing Brady Greene. Robertson and Greene will provide quickness and rebounding, and both can score. Two freshmen who could help are 6'0" shooter Adam Poulson and 6'0" point guard Eric Elsner. Mac is expecting two or three additions to the squad once football season is over, but more on that later. Tip-off at WIU tomorrow night. I know someone who is going, and will try to get a report on the board in the next day or so.

[Mac Attack]

Final score at Macomb Thursday night - WIU 97 MacMurray 65
Mac gave the 'Necks all they wanted in the first ten minutes. Game was 19-16 at the 10:52 mark. Last ten minutes of first half was the killer, as WIU went on a 36-11 run. Mac didn't back off in the second half and was only outscored 44-38 in the final 20 minutes. WIU still had their starters on the floor with three minutes left to go in the game and their head coach was about to lose his mind because Mac wouldn't fold and his players were gasping for air. WIU better get in better physical shape or they need to get several oxygen tanks next to its bench.

Highlanders played without two starters, center Zach Kowa and point guard Farrid Coleman, both out with injuries. Game would have been more competitive for Mac had they played. Highlanders were at a severe height disadvantage, but battled WIU on the boards and did a nice job of preventing two and three shots a trip.

Mac still needs consistent play at the point, and hopefully Coleman will provide that once he's healthy. Several players turned in solid efforts last night, including Jimmy Michels, Jerel Robertson, Brady Greene, Neil Compton, and Nick Schmidt. But it was a terrific team effort in the second half with just about everyone doing their job to play WIU pretty much even-up.

This is a completely different team from what SLIAC fans have seen in the past few years. Passing is better, shot selection is better, defense is MUCH better, teamwork is better, and effort is better. Hard to look at a 32 point loss and walk away with positive feelings, but I guarantee you the Mac players felt pretty good about what they accomplished last night. Once Kowa and Coleman are 100%, which they should be for their Nov. 18 game at home against Millikin, and assuming the effort and performance matches last night's benchmarks, the Highlanders could be a team that no one in the SLIAC can look past.

Coach Hettinga has pumped new life into this program. It's going to fun.

[pantherpride06]

Panthers Travel to the Greenville FCI tonight to rumble with the prisioners.  I will not be attending this game, but I will try to get a report on how the game went.  Go Panthers!

[Mac Attack]

One additional stat from last night's Mac game at WIU. The Highlanders outrebounded the Leathernecks. Not bad for an undersized D3 school playing without its starting center.

Couple of interesting SLIAC notes from last night. D1 Eastern Illinois University defeated Eureka 71-55. Not a bad effort at all for the Red Devils. Eureka led 31-30 at the half. Brady Wildenradt had 17 for Eureka while AJ Richard added 14 off the bench for the Red Devils. I've said it before and I'll say it again. Eureka will contend in the SLIAC this season.

And D1 SE Missouri edged Westminster 88-79. Blue Jays led 39-35 at the half, and led most of the second half. They were led by Andrew Buxton with a game-high 27 points. Robert Davis added 12 and Cade House 11.

Congratulations to MacMurray, Eureka, and Westminster for their combined efforts against D1 opponets last night. Although one game does not a season make, but all three teams appear to be much improved.

[pantherpride06]

Greenville gets a 10 pt win over the Prisioners of Greenville FCI.  I wasn't given any more detail other than that.  I'm told the Greenville played much better than last year, when they were beat by the prisioners.

[hopefan]

I recall that Fontbonne was scheduled to play St Louis U in an exhibition - but that game seems to have fallen by the wayside  -  FCNews, what's the inside scoop?  Would have been very exciting for the Griffs!

[fcnews]

Hope fan- The game will be played next season as a Coaches vs Cancer game. It will mark the first contest in SLU's new on campus facility. FU travels to Oakland City, IN. this Saturday for it's exhibition match up.

[pantherpride06]

Greenville at Millikin on Friday Night.  Greenville will see if they can improve on the 42 point drumming of last season.  I will be off at the Cross Country Regional Meet at Rock Island.  But, I will get an update on how they did.

Secondly, congrats to fcnews and the Griffins of Fontbonne on a 2-1 OT victory over Greenville in the SLIAC Men's Soccer Championship.