MBB: St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[pantherpride06]

Hey fc... Good Luck this weekend!  I'm pulling for you.  We are in the same killer bracket!  Hopefully one of us will make it out!

Go Fontbonne (Don't tell me Greenville folk I said that! )

[hopefan]

FC - if you have a computer available, it would be fun to have you chronicle the goings on of the team - when they worked out, where they ate, any sight seeing, etc....   per our conversation yesterday, you should definitely make time to see the Billy Graham museum on the Wheaton campus.....

[fcnews]

Welcome from the Hyatt Hotel in Lisle, IL. Today's practice time 4:30, we get 90 minutes. Dinner reservations tonite are for Houlihan's Restaurant. Tough getting reservations for 35 these days. Lol.

The nice folks at the local Chili's Restaurant have agreed to keep the kitchen open till 11:30 friday nite. Group of about 60 should turn the place a nice shade of Purple.

Hope College is also staying here at the Hyatt. I doubt there will be a fight for a bar stool at the Lobby Bar.

It's basketball first right now. The guys have every intention to be playing Saturday night. We'll see what we can throw at them.

[fcnews]

Very nice facilities up here at Wheaton. If you watch the live video, watch for long rebounds tonite. The rims are very similar to Maryville. Double ring and tight, tight, tight.

Kudos to the people at Houlihan's Restaurant. When we arrived last night they had one table set up for 30 people. Very very nice dinner. Super service.

Shoot around today at 12:30 pm.

Wheaton will have live video tonite via www.wetn.com

[fcnews]

BLOWOUT - Best DIII team I've seen in awhile. They were bigger then FU at every position. By inches and pounds. Great atmosphere. Hope had a pretty good group, real nice fan's. Seemed UWP traveled well, also.

UWP is a very well balanced team. Very dangerous.
A Wheaton v. Wash U. @ Wheaton will be a Heck of a game.

It was a great three year run. You made SLIAC history. Thanks seniors!!!

[y_jack_lok]

Too bad about last night, fc. I tried to watch but got bounced off because there were too many people loged on. Don't know how that works technologically, but it happened.

A Wash U vs Wheaton @ Wheaton will not happen because the NCAA will probably not allow Wheaton to host the sectionals after hosting the first two rounds. Maybe Wash U vs. Wheaton @ Wash U -- if Wash U can get past UW - Whitewater tonight and Wheaton can get past Platteville.

[usee]

Too bad about last night, fc. I tried to watch but got bounced off because there were too many people loged on. Don't know how that works technologically, but it happened.

A Wash U vs Wheaton @ Wheaton will not happen because the NCAA will probably not allow Wheaton to host the sectionals after hosting the first two rounds. Maybe Wash U vs. Wheaton @ Wash U -- if Wash U can get past UW - Whitewater tonight and Wheaton can get past Platteville.

Why not? I thought hosting goes to the higher seed that is capable of hosting?

[Titan Q]

Too bad about last night, fc. I tried to watch but got bounced off because there were too many people loged on. Don't know how that works technologically, but it happened.

A Wash U vs Wheaton @ Wheaton will not happen because the NCAA will probably not allow Wheaton to host the sectionals after hosting the first two rounds. Maybe Wash U vs. Wheaton @ Wash U -- if Wash U can get past UW - Whitewater tonight and Wheaton can get past Platteville.

Why not? I thought hosting goes to the higher seed that is capable of hosting?

Yeah, that is just not an accurate statement at all.  Most of the teams that host Sectionals each year have hosted the Regionals as well.

[Just Bill]

It depends who the four teams are.  If St. Thomas is in that group, I think they will host as their undefeated record would likely trump anyone.

[Titan Q]

It depends who the four teams are.  If St. Thomas is in that group, I think they will host as their undefeated record would likely trump anyone.

Not necessarily.  Seeding is very important, but so is travel/location.  Let's say the 4 teams are:

St. Thomas
Wheaton
Wash U
Puget Sound

It would take 2 flights to get that grouping to St. Thomas (Wash U, Puget Sound), but just one to get them to Wheaton.

(If 500 miles or less, you bus...more than 500 miles, fly.)

Money is the reason the Bracket of Death exists, and money will impact the Sectional decisions.

[y_jack_lok]

Too bad about last night, fc. I tried to watch but got bounced off because there were too many people loged on. Don't know how that works technologically, but it happened.

A Wash U vs Wheaton @ Wheaton will not happen because the NCAA will probably not allow Wheaton to host the sectionals after hosting the first two rounds. Maybe Wash U vs. Wheaton @ Wash U -- if Wash U can get past UW - Whitewater tonight and Wheaton can get past Platteville.

Why not? I thought hosting goes to the higher seed that is capable of hosting?

Yeah, that is just not an accurate statement at all.  Most of the teams that host Sectionals each year have hosted the Regionals as well.

I really love it when I say something wrong and it gets people talking -- which is quite often.  If those four teams are in the sectional and they award the Sectional to Wash U, what would be the bus/fly ratio? Or suppose Platteville, Whitewater, St. Thomas and Puget Sound win. Would that make St. Thomas a more likely host?

Of course, TQ, your statement about "most" regional hosts also hosting the sectionals carries with it the assumption that "most" of them won the regional. Could be an interesting study for anybody who wants to do the research.

[Titan Q]

I really love it when I say something wrong and it gets people talking -- which is quite often.  If those four teams are in the sectional and they award the Sectional to Wash U, what would be the bus/fly ratio? Or suppose Platteville, Whitewater, St. Thomas and Puget Sound win. Would that make St. Thomas a more likely host?

If the 4 teams are St. Thomas, Wash U, Wheaton, and Puget Sound, and if Wash U hosted, they'd have to fly 2 in to St. Louis.  With those 4 teams, if they are willing to pay for 2 flights, they are going to give the Sectional to the higher seed (St. Thomas).  Wheaton would be the economical choice -- again, only 1 flight (everyone else can bus).

Also note, Wheaton is seeded higher than Wash U.  As long as Wheaton, St. Thomas, and Wash U are in the Sectional, Wash U has very little chance of hosting.

Of course, TQ, your statement about "most" regional hosts also hosting the sectionals carries with it the assumption that "most" of them won the regional. Could be an interesting study for anybody who wants to do the research.

Actually, what I said was, "Most of the teams that host Sectionals each year have hosted the Regionals as well."  There is a difference there.

[y_jack_lok]

I get it now.

[fcnews]

Random post season thoughts:

1.) The SLIAC All Star team would not of beat Wheaton Friday nite.

2.) They say the difference between DIII and DI is about 6 inches. Same holds true between the upper DIII's and lower.

3.) Fontbonne loses three great seniors. Two time POY Brian Fogerty battled his way to 16 and 10 friday night (his 19th double-double of the year). Should be a selection on one of the All Region teams. Justin Storandt did not practice all week do to fever and virus. But, it sure was fun to watch him develop the past four years. Patrick McCoy, never played the point and never has claimed to be a point guard. All he did was guide the Griffin's to three great seasons. And, 6-0 SLIAC post season record. Just a winner!!! These three only missed 7 games total to injury in four years (Storandt 0, Fogerty 1 and McCoy 6). With the minutes played, I'd say a pretty durable bunch. They made five trips to Chicago, two to Hawaii, California, Florida, Mississippi. Indiana and Tennessee. Two went to Europe. They definately got their monies worth.

4.) This Griffin group gave us a heck of a three year ride. Capped of by a Sliac Conference Championship and SLIAC Tournament Championship. Maybe not a Coach of the Year, But they didn't win three in a row by accident. Six wins and counting down.

5.) One bright spot from friday nite. Some of the youngin's got to play in front of a nice crowd. Nolan Zeollner went 2-2 from 3's and drove to the hole and got to the line for two free throws. Ben Rapp did his usual steady job. John Reese did not look overwelmed. Frank Sheetz will only get stronger. Mike Riva keeps improving.

6.) It was a shame that Chris Forrest was not able to practice since last Tuesday Conference Championship game due to a knee injury. He never got his legs back under him for the SLIAC Tourney or NCAA. But, what a great piece to the puzzle.

7.) I am excited by what will be a new look Fontbonne team next year.

8.) Alot of great SLIAC Seniors will be missed. Thanks guys for the entertainment.

9.) Now that we have an All Defensive team. How is Storandt left off. 1st in blocks (almost twice as many as no. 2), 2nd in steals and 3rd in rebounding?

10.) How is Kyle Winters 2nd team and Gruenewald HM? How did Winters get it over MU's Simmons. And, What happened to last years Newcomer?

It was a great season and I enjoyed the ride. Also, it was fun corresponding with my d3hoops poster friends. I understand Bunchtime could not make the SLIAC Tourney cause he was picking out flatware and china patterns.

Time for Golf. Time for Branson.

[hopefan]

Good decision not to go to Wheaton to see Fontbonne and Hope - would have been a very disappointing evening.

I think the thing that is most disappointing about the Wheaton Fontbonne result is that this group of Fontbonne kids was probably the best that the SLIAC will see in the near future...  some size in the middle, two very good aggressive though undersized forwards, two competent, but sometimes undisciplined guards.  If this group gets blown out in a first round matchup, what hope is there for future years.  Can the SLIAC get better talent than Fogerty Forest and Storandt - I'm not so sure.....

We may have to be satisfied with the unbelievable great competition of SLIAC competition that we see each February, and that really isn't such a bad thing......

FC   what if.....   White, Kirkpatrick, and Parker had stayed.....   hmmmm...  Kirkpatrick and Storandt splitting the middle, White and Fogerty at forwards, Forest moves to the two guard, Parker takes the point (if he became disciplined).  Here's an interesting concept - with that group, would Rapp have been best choice at point???  McCoy and Branch off the bench when Forest moves to forward to help out....    Now that would have been a competitive group if Coach could have kept them all happy.