MBB: St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[Into_the_Blue]

Cant believe how insanely slow this board is in the middle of SLIAC season.

[ec_fan14]

Eureka wins a close one at Lincoln Christian.  The refs were average at best.  I know its not good to bash officials but it seemed most calls went against Eureka.  Wallace from Lincoln is a nice player.  Good strong moves around the hoop.

Bell and Zasada had another solid performance both recording double doubles.  Jordan Kindred also played a key role in the win for Eureka with 10pts 5ast 4reb 3stl.  Congrats to Zasada for scoring his 1000th point during the game.

Now for the Matchup of the Weekend.  EC at WC.  Westminster was picked as the team to beat this year.  Eureka picked 6th.  Both teams are at the top with Webster.  I expect both teams to come out with a lot of energy from start to finish.  I hope Eureka will come back to the Reagan Center with a win. 

Projected Matchups-

Pg- Kindred vs Kovach.  I liked what i saw out of Kovach last year at Eureka.  Kindred has been playing well as of late.  I call this one a push.

SG- Black vs Crawford.  Black is more of a role player.  Crawford is solid at both ends of the court.  Advantage-Westminster

SF- Leppard vs Vislay.  Leppard has been EC's go to guy as a lock down defender this year.  If he can play solid defense on Vislay it will definitely give Eureka a chance to win.  Both are extremely athletic as well.  Slight Advantage-Westminster

PF- Bell vs Millard.  Looking at Millard's stats he doesn't seem to be the go to guy for scoring, not saying he isn't capable.  Bell has been outstanding this year, shooting the ball very well as well as rebounding.  Advantage- Eureka

C- Zasada vs Mallette.  Don't know much about Mallette.  Zasada presents matchup problems for virtually every team Eureka goes up against with his versatility inside and out.  Advantage-Eureka.

Looks like it should be a great game.  Wish i was making the long drive to Fulton for this one.

On a side not I was suprised that Webster drilled FU the way they did.  I definitely would have thought that game would have been much closer.  I guess losing 2 time POY and 2 all-conf players hurts...

[hopefan]

In the Blue  -  I appreciate your frustration about lack of posts....  welcome to my club

EC14   enjoyed your analysis of the EC - WC matchup.
Yjak and I will be driving over to watch

my thoughts...

I've seen Eureka twice... they looked very good playing an open court game with Fontbonne...  that especially is Bell's and Kindreds game
They looked very bad playing against a tight defense slower game that Webster plays. Kinded Bell Leppert all were out of their usual flow.

Westminster plays the style of Webster...  I think Eureka will be in for a tough afternoon....

EC14... I will PM you my cell phone... if you want to call for an update during the afternnoon, feel free

[Into_the_Blue]

Westminster with a nice home win over a solid Eureka team. Big win to keep the blue jays out in front with a big game against Webster looming. I'm sure yjak or hope will have much more to say

shocker prin over Fontbonne. Big win for them. Huge loss for FU. I'd bet Zimmerman had a big day.

Lookin forward to hopes writeup

[watchdog]

Jan. 16
3:00 PM  MacMurray  92  Greenville  107  Final   
3:00 PM  Eureka  68  Westminster (Mo.)  72  Final   
3:00 PM  Principia  74  Fontbonne  70  Final   
3:00 PM  Blackburn  57  Spalding  73  Final

SLIAC Records
Westminster 6-0
Webster 5-1
Eureka 4-2
Spalding 4-3
MacMurray 3-3
Greenville 2-4
Principia 2-4
Fontbonne 2-5
Blackburn 0-6

Big games coming up:
Webster at Greenville
Fontbonne at Westminster
Westminster at Webster

[hopefan]

notes on Westmin - Eureka

EC14 didn't take me up on my offer...  hope he just didn't miss my post

Well where to start....
not quite the game I expected...  no real slowdown defensive duel - this was fast paced, extremely athletic

First half was pretty much dominated by Westmin...  looked like They would take a 6 point lead in at half when bang, a steal with 2 seconds left by Eureka and Zasada makes a half court shot, and the lead is 3 at half.... Eureka comes out in 2nd half and makes 3 3pointers in a row, 2 by Kindred and one by Bell to take a 6 point lead....

Westmin calls a timeout and works their way back and from there on to about 12 minutes, its back and forth......  But at 12 minutes out goes Bell with 4, out goes Zasada with 4, out goes Lepperd and Kindred..
Westmin has a five point lead and it's beginning to look over.... BUT the Eureka bench plays spectacular for 7 minutes.....  They actually get the score tied up  -  Black, Lessen, Nicholas, Myers, Myers play with super intensity against kids much better.... They leave the court tied with about 4 minutes left....   The starters reenter, but it's not to be   Zasada misses three in a row, Bell another, the starters don't get a field goal, and it's over.

Westmin win despite Stan Crawford having a very quiet day, And Kam Bell was, well, less than quiet... hurt his team badly with a T that took him out of the first half.  Bell has had some big games against weak teams, but against Webster and Westmin.... far less than all conference.

Kindred and Leppard were better today.... good job against Vislay....  Craig Black had two big 3 pointers in the comeback when the rest of the starters were out.

Vislay's athleticism is incredible... not a good shooting day, but a couple of awesome dunks, and equally incredible rebounds...

Westmins two frosh, Tolson and Rudd, will both be all conference players as juniors, if not when they are sophs....  great athletes who both have flowed right into Wesminster's offense.

solid guard combo.... Crawford and Kovach....    and Millard cotinues to play his steady game.

With the frosh twosome off the bench along with Gilmore, Westmin has nice depth  -  really only a solid 6'6" big man away from being good enough to get that first SLIAC NCAA win...


 

[hopefan]

Fontbonne loses to Prin  -   how far things have fallen

But Mac loses to Greenville and fourth spot is still wide open.... maybe we ought to limit the conference tourney to three teams this year...  new rule, no sub 500 in conference team in the tourney.

[ec_fan14]

Hope- sorry i didnt respond.  I did have someone at the game sending me updates though, thanks for the offer

Good recap of the game by Hope.  Looks like Eureka will have to get it figured out to beat Westminster and Webster.  Lost both games on the road however in close games.  Should be intersting to see how the games at Eureka go.

From what i heard the refs were poor again.  I hate to knock on the refs because i wasnt there but thats just what i heard.  Really to Zasada and Bell out of the game with fouls.  glad to see the "lack of depth" didnt hurt eureka this game.  Maybe it goes to show there isnt a lack of depth if the subs could keep the game close while the starters on the bench against the top team in conf.

Big game vs Blackburn.  always a tough place to play.  must win to stay ahead of the pack.

Glad to see greenville finally get a solid win.  And i dont know whats wrong with FU but losing to Prin has to show they are at an all time low as of the last few years.

[hopefan]

good EC14   glad you were getting updates

One of the fun things about following the SLIAC is that most School reps enjoy chatting with a 'relatively' knowledgeable fan like myself...   yesterday had great conversations with both the Eureka coach and a Westmin admin member....  really enjoy learning what's going on with the programs with these conversations.  Missed talking to the Westmin Coach - but looked like he was busy with a 6'6" recruit.

And EC what's wrong with Fontbonne  -   I'll only say this...their talent level is obviously down with the loss of the 3 seniors but expectations that I had of most of their players are not being met, though I will not point a finger at Forest, who is playing his rear end off.   Is this the coaching staff's problem, or the player's problem.... depends on who you ask.......

[y_jack_lok]

From what i heard the refs were poor again.  I hate to knock on the refs because i wasnt there but thats just what i heard. 

Two of the three refs who called the EC-WC game had called the Wash U-Brandeis game the night before. I know this for a fact (a) becuse I was at the Wash U-Brandeis game and (b) because just before the start of the 2nd half of the WC-EC game I asked one of them if he'd called the Wash U-Brandeis game and he said yes and pointed to one of the others and said he'd called that game as well. No one who posts about Wash U complained about the officials even though Wash U lost to Brandeis by one point.

If you say you hate to knock the officials, then don't knock the officials -- especially when you are basing your comments on the opinions of others.

[hopefan]

One thing I'll say regarding the officiating subject at Westmin, and I remember specifically at the time... the 4th fouls on both Zasada and Bell were unnecessary poor fouls to take when they each had 3 with 13 minutes left   In that situation, key players MUST play under control - neither did...  no officiating indiscretion on either call -

[WUPHF]

No one who posts about Wash U complained about the officials even though Wash U lost to Brandeis by one point.

Three points actually.  I was not impressed by the officials at the game on Friday.  But I promised I would not complain in the UAA thread and so I did not comment.  It is hard in this day and age to be happy with the officiating when the opposing team is playing much more physical basketball and the referees are more concerned about managing the game and less concerned about staying consistent on the calls.

Is this a poor assessment of the game?  I would probably have a more balanced opinion if I were not so closely allied with one team.  But I would love to hear your thoughts.

I guess I just feel like every game I watch at the high school and college level finishes with an equal number of fouls on both sides, regardless.  Or close.

The officials were much better today.  I thought they handled the very physical play inside, particularly between Toth and Stein very well.

[y_jack_lok]

No one who posts about Wash U complained about the officials even though Wash U lost to Brandeis by one point.

Three points actually.  I was not impressed by the officials at the game on Friday.  But I promised I would not complain in the UAA thread and so I did not comment.  It is hard in this day and age to be happy with the officiating when the opposing team is playing much more physical basketball and the referees are more concerned about managing the game and less concerned about staying consistent on the calls.

Is this a poor assessment of the game?  I would probably have a more balanced opinion if I were not so closely allied with one team.  But I would love to hear your thoughts.

I guess I just feel like every game I watch at the high school and college level finishes with an equal number of fouls on both sides, regardless.  Or close.

The officials were much better today.  I thought they handled the very physical play inside, particularly between Toth and Stein very well.

I promised myself I would stop complaining about officiating altogether. I'm not sure I've succeeded, at least during games. But I think I've made a great deal of progress. It may make a person feel better to have someone to blame, but it doesn't change the outcome of a specific call or of a game.

I had a math teacher in high school who whenever he announced a quiz or a test and the class would groan he'd look at us and say "Don't worry, a hundred years from  now you won't care what you made on this test." You know what, he was right. It's been way less than 100 years and I've already forgotten the grades I made on any of those tests -- as well as just about everything he taught me. This season will end and be forgotten and the next one will come. Let's just enjoy the games and give the officials some peace.

[WUPHF]

I promised myself I would stop complaining about officiating altogether. I'm not sure I've succeeded, at least during games. But I think I've made a great deal of progress. It may make a person feel better to have someone to blame, but it doesn't change the outcome of a specific call or of a game.

I know what you mean.

I do not blame the officials for the results on Friday.  The last few time I left a game convinced that the officials handed a team the win, I was watching high school soccer.  Basketball teams should almost always be able to make the necessary adjustments.

I do remember a UAA game last year where the level of aggressiveness was out of control and in the end somebody had to leave the game with a shoulder injury.  I understand that referees have a thankless job that pays almost nothing, but part of the job is to ensure safe play.  I have to think that players are less likely to play dangerously when the know they are going to get called on it consistently for rough play.

[hopefan]

Just for kicks, wouldn't it be great if Fontbonne turned it around and won at Westmin on Wednesday, just to make things a little more interesting.....   ah well..........