MBB: St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[hopefan]

I've got a HUGE SLIAC scoop....  Somebody tell me they want to read it!!!!

Come on guys, I'm going to bed pretty soon.....

Dang 20 minutes, no takers.....

Well.... it'll still be huge tomorrow....

[Pat Coleman]

OK.

[hopefan]

aahhh Pat my boy, I knew I could count on you!!!!

This one is a shocker..... it rarely if ever happens to a D3 team, and I'm sure it's never happened to a SLIAC team..

A SLIAC team, MacMurray, Will be playing in a D1 Tornament!!!

Mac will be one of 4 teams in the CollegeInsider.com Tulane Classic in New Orleans on December 9th and 10th.....Mac is getting the contract to complete this week!!!
The tourney is held in classic format, and Mac will play Southern University and Tulane.  Jacksonville State is the 4th school, and they also play Tulane and Southern.  Tulane has offered enough of a guarantee that Mac will be able to fly down... can't imagine how excited the kids must be about a trip like this.

Evidently, Andy Fox, an assistant at Tulane was the key contact... he had been a D3 player at Cornell Iowa and knew Mac Coach Todd Creal from Augie camps a number of years ago.  Tulane wanted a non D1 team for the tourney, Coach Fox sent out some feelers, and Coach Creal jumped for Mac!!!!

I may be missing an obvious one or two, but I quite honestly can't remember a D3 team playing in a D1 tourney in recent years.... I don't know, maybe some of our D3 historians can clue me in.   And lest anyone snort that these are low level D1 programs... well, baloney!!!!  They're D1.......  few D3 kids get the chance to play a D1 team, much less be surrounded by 3 teams in a tourney setting where there will likely be an opportunity for mingling over meals and activities with the other teams.  An experience never to be forgotten!!!!

The rest of Mac's nonconference schedule is solid right along the lines of Webster's and Spalding's schedules..  They open with Wash U (with both teams being very excited about their Frosh class, this will be a fun one to see), host Dominican, play at Augustana, and are in the Illinois College tourney (remember, both Mac and IC are located in the same town), along with Manchester and Illinois Wesleyan, have St Louis Pharma (yes, I'll give grief on that one), and they play McKendree in the midst of the conference season in early February.

Mac lost a couple of outstanding Seniors in Kyle McClellan and Jerrel Robertson, but have much returning from a pretty good team... if the frosh class can contribute as Coach Creal expects and the big if... if Brady Slagle returns after sitting out last year and plays at the level he did when he was the Sliac newcomer of the year two years ago, Mac has quite a season to look forward to.....

[Pat Coleman]

Cool. I can't quite put my finger on it but I believe it has happened one other time in the site's history. Maybe after I've had some caffeine my brain will trigger.

[hopefan]

Well, heck Mac I thought it was a big deal and Pat's response was positive, but it sure didn't generate any conversation, did it?...

Now let's see... I drove down to see Webster at Rust... darn, New Orleans can't be THAT much farther.....

[y_jack_lok]

hopefan, my good friend, you've just criticized Greenville's schedule. It might (the operative word) be good for Mac to participate in this classic, but what's the upside for Tulane and Southern in playing a SLIAC D3 school?

[hopefan]

This is D THREE hoops... that's my 'expertise'... no answers on D1....   though I might guess Tulane's invite is to get some 'good guy' points for giving a little school a chance, and a sure thing win for the record....  Tulane was 13-17 last year, Southern was 4-26

[y_jack_lok]

Would the same logic not apply to Greenville's schedule -- being a good guy by giving St. Louis Pharmacy, Logan Chiropractic and Concordia Seminary some games while assuring wins for Greenville? Yes, Mac is a legitimate athletic program compared to the institutions on Greenville's schedule, but the net result of the two schedules seems the same to me.

You asked for discussion.

[hopefan]

Not sure that Tulane's players or fans would appreciate it, just like Greenville's players and fans might be disappointed....

Tulane is playing ONE game down... Greenville is playing FIVE

[Gregory Sager]

hopefan, my good friend, you've just criticized Greenville's schedule. It might (the operative word) be good for Mac to participate in this classic, but what's the upside for Tulane and Southern in playing a SLIAC D3 school?

Tulane gets David Collinge's alumni donation.

Would the same logic not apply to Greenville's schedule -- being a good guy by giving St. Louis Pharmacy, Logan Chiropractic and Concordia Seminary some games while assuring wins for Greenville? Yes, Mac is a legitimate athletic program compared to the institutions on Greenville's schedule, but the net result of the two schedules seems the same to me.

You asked for discussion.

You make a good point. In Tulane's defense, though, I'd say that, unlike Greenville, at least the Green Wave's coach is scheduling a bona-fide NCAA opponent. I don't know why on earth he would want to play a D3 team, rather than having one fill a hole in the schedule after a late cancellation. But, as Hopefan said, at least it's only one useless game against a team from outside Tulane's division, as opposed to the five useless games against teams from outside the division that Greenville's going to play.

[allamericanredhead]

Hopefan I don't get it. How did I go "too far." If Denny don't want to post anymore, who cares. He put so many untruths on here, somebody had to call him on them.

You want discussion on this board, I just said what most of you have been saying for years about FC. Lee could recruit but he was not much of a game coach and his teams were unsound on defense and lacked discipline. That doesn't make him a bad person or a bad coach. Just pointing out his strengths and weaknesses, like we all have. . Personally, I liked Lee and he got more than his share of props the last few years, so let's let it go and let him go down in the lores of history for what he was, a coach who loved the game and stuck with it too the end.

I tell you what i got a kick out of was the ex-commish getting on here and ripping into me for stating the above. Another area long time coach told me "tell Rich to get off his high horse, he has been saying the same thing about Lee for years."

I am hearing good things about the new coach at FC. Sounds like the days of a whole new team every year of the "best recruiting class in the history of the SLIAC," and then at Christmas when that group has not panned out, of "wait till you see our christmas present for second semester" are over. I think you will see kids who are serious students who will stay for four years and graduate. As weak as the SLIAC is, I could see a coach who will stay the course at FC getting things turned around and dominating the league.

[hopefan]

Red... good to hear from you... you know my hands were somewhat tied on some of your previous comments.... leave it at that....

Can you tell us about who will be on the floor for Fontbonne next season?   or who hopes to be?   I'm anxious to meet the new coach .. hope he's one who will talk to the fans about the game....

[y_jack_lok]

Couple of former Eureka players going semi-pro.

http://www.sliac.org/sports/mbkb/2011-12/releases/eureka_080311

[Gregory Sager]

Red... good to hear from you... you know my hands were somewhat tied on some of your previous comments.... leave it at that....

Can you tell us about who will be on the floor for Fontbonne next season?   or who hopes to be?   I'm anxious to meet the new coach .. hope he's one who will talk to the fans about the game....

Considering the amount of stonewalling you''ve received from some SLIAC coaches in the past, Hopefan, I think that you'll be pleasantly surprised by Steve Schafer. He's a very friendly, well-spoken, and open guy who will be more than happy to chat with you about the Griffins and encourage you in your efforts to drum up more enthusiasm for SLIAC men's basketball.

[hopefan]

Well Greg, I'll drop your name and expect a quick in!!!