MBB: St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[GC Panther 01]

My sources say...word from the AD at Culver says they are not looking at moving to D3

[y_jack_lok]

Lot's of good info/explanations from Sager on the previous page. Thanks. Although you don't need more karma, +1 anyway.

[hopefan]

you know... this World Series stuff is ALMOST exciting as D3Hoops!!!!

[hopefan]

Several of the schools have posted their rosters..  here's the good and the bad

Westminster...  Kurt Kovach, a 6'4" guard who was out all last year with injury, is back on the roster... Kovach was an All Conference Honorable Mention 2 years ago... a leader, very good perimeter shooter, aggressive player.. this is a huge plus for Westmin...    Missing, besides Charlie Henderson, is Joe Prophet.. 6'4", I saw him play very well off the bench a couple times last year... thought he would be a factor for Westmin as a small forward...

Webster...  We all know Willie Trimble is gone... also critical is the absence of Alex Kuehl..  Kuehl played as a frosh in the first semester and looked to be a tremendous 1-2 punch of an inside game with fellow frosh Jarrod Huskey... Kuehl didn't hesitate to shoot the 12-15 foot jump shot, and seemed to hit every critical shot he took... But, gone.

Eureka...  Jordan Kindred is back.... he was out most of the season last year with injury... very exciting guard who handles well and shoots often... very creative offensively...don't know about the talent level he'll be playing with, but Kindred is fun to watch and really worth seeing play...

Spalding...  DeWhon McAfee is on the roster.. I'm assuming that means he will be playing, not sitting as was rumored..               but missing are.......
Deshawn Curtis, a 6'5" forward who started most of Spalding's games, is not on the roster, along with Labrice Williams, who played in every game off the bench....Spalding's depth is hurt with these losses, and all of a sudden they are as small as the rest of the SLIAC competition, though their new recruits have nice size.

Mac, Blackburn, Fontbonne, Prin, and Greenville have not yet posted rosters.....

[hopefan]

Interesting scheduling note....  just noticed that the Spalding-Anderson game has been dropped and Spalding has picked up a second D1 game ...  with Tennessee Chattanooga... Spalding also plays Coastal Carolina.... 

[hopefan]

more scheduling notes...  6 of the 9 SLIAC teams have preseason exhibitions listed on their schedule:

Nov 3....   Blackburn at SIUE
Nov 4..  Webster at Tennessee Martin
Nov 10..    MacMurray at SIUE
Nov 12.. Fontbonne at Missouri Western
Nov 12....  Westminster at Central Missouri
Nov 14..  Principia at Maryville (Mo.)

Spalding has 26 games on their schedule, including 2 D1 games, both 'in season'...  one of them is likely counted as an exhibition game...
Greenville and Eureka do not have an exhibition game listed.....















       

[Pat Coleman]

more scheduling notes...  6 of the 9 SLIAC teams have preseason exhibitions listed on their schedule:

Nov 3....   Blackburn at SIUE
Nov 4..  Webster at Tennessee Martin
Nov 10..    MacMurray at SIUE
Nov 12.. Fontbonne at Missouri Western
Nov 12....  Westminster at Central Missouri
Nov 14..  Principia at Maryville (Mo.)

Spalding has 26 games on their schedule, including 2 D1 games, both 'in season'...  one of them is likely counted as an exhibition game...
Greenville and Eureka do not have an exhibition game listed.....     

Can't be en exhibition if it's Nov. 15 or after.

[y_jack_lok]

[quote author=hopefan link=topic=4409.msg1355710#msg1355710 date=13194816

Spalding has 26 games on their schedule, including 2 D1 games, both 'in season'...  one of them is likely counted as an exhibition game...
     
[/quote]

I only count 25 games. http://spaldingathletics.com/mens-sports/basketball/schedule-results/

[magicman]

I think hopefan counted one of those tournament headers on Spalding's schedule as a game by mistake. Have to forgive him he went to RPI. Hey, hf they should be in the hunt for the LL title once again this year. Glad to see you're returning to do the D3 vs everyone else after a year's absence. I'll help out when I can.

[hopefan]

I'm wrong again.. no wonder I never win at cards.....

[hopefan]

Fontbonne's roster is up... it was 'hiding' behind the page that comes up when the D3hoops connection was used....  no surprises  ... rather amusing that many of the 'west of St.Louis' kids from last year's recruits are not back.... in fact only Tyler Garner of the 'West 6' is on the current roster...  no I don't count Eureka's Eric Jenkins in that group, he is back too.   Good to see several from 2 years ago returning... Zoellner, Rust, Rees... There is some depth overall, 8 guys return that have seen real time, but can these guys PLAY?

[Titan Q]

I felt Charlie Henderson had the greater potential of the SLIAC's two new frosh big men of last year.

Henderson came on strong for Westmin as the season progressed, and to me had the quickness to the basket, coupled with perimeter abilities, that would have made him dominant in the SLIAC.   Arkansas?  hard to understand unless hoops (or actually playing time) have become less critical... perhaps there was some association with Charlies home town of Columbia and former Mizzou coach, now Arkansas coach Mike Anderson... It's likely Anderson knew him or of him because Charlie went to high school with caoch Anderson's daughter(I think - correct me if I'm wrong).  Well, one of those decisions you'd love to know about...

I caught up with Chuck Henderson recently (Charlie's dad).  A few notes from that conversation...

* Charlie loved everything about basketball at Westminster and in the SLIAC, but "socially" he was not very happy there.  He decided that a bigger school was a better fit for him.

* He almost went to U. of Arkansas out of high school (just to be a student...not a basketball player) and that is where he decided to transfer to.

* Someone in Columbia, Mo connected Charlie with outgoing Mizzou coach/new Arkansas coach Mike Anderson to discuss the walk-on opportunity.

* When Charlie got to campus he visited one-on-one with Anderson, and then had a workout with the coaches.  They liked Charlie and extended the walk-on invitation...but he has to redshirt this year (per NCAA transfer rules, he can't play this year).

* Charlie actually scored 14 points in a recent Arkansas intra-squad scrimmage - he's working hard to compete there.


So that is the scoop.

[hopefan]

Thanks TQ...  wow would I get a kick out of bragging that a SLIAC kid transferred out ... to ARKANSAS, and actually was able to contribute!!!!   

[JWJ]

The Conference apparently met this past week to vote on Iowa Wesleyan.  Anyone heard anything?  My source hasn't been around to respond to me.

[hopefan]

JWJ... long time between posts!!!!

I googled Iowa Wesleyan SLIAC and got an article from the Webster Journal    ... interesting update on the SLIAC and Iowa Wesleyan, as well as a discussion regarding the financial problems surrounding two SLIAC schools.

Iowa Wesleyan looks to join SLIAC amidst financial struggles for two schoolsby John Pohl   
October 26, 2011


The St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference voted to explore adding a 10th member to the conference, and Iowa Wesleyan College is the frontrunner to become the first new member since Spalding University was added in 2009.
At the SLIAC council meeting in May, a motion was made on adding a 10th member. At the June meeting, the motion was reaffirmed.
"We are committed to adding a 10th team to the SLIAC," said Will Wolper, SLIAC commissioner. "We recognize the benefit to having an even number of teams and are going forward."
The board of trustees at Iowa Wesleyan, which is currently a National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics affiliate, voted to apply for NCAA Division III membership by Jan. 15, 2012. Iowa Wesleyan will follow that up by submitting an application and an application fee to the SLIAC.
"There are a number of compelling reasons to pursue affiliation with NCAA as a member of their Division III," said Iowa Wesleyan president Jay Simmons in a recent statement released by the college. "Chief among them is to provide our athletic teams an opportunity to be more competitive by playing colleges similar in size, budget and mission to Iowa Wesleyan College."
Geographic location was important in the decision for Iowa Wesleyan to apply for membership to the SLIAC, and their choices were limited. Iowa Wesleyan is located in Mount Pleasant, Iowa, and it will be less than a three-and-a-half hour drive from all SLIAC schools except Spalding.
"Adding another school to our conference enhances the opportunity for the student athlete," said Tom Hart, Webster University's Director of Athletics. "More teams can mean more opportunities for our athletic teams."
Wolper said an even number of teams would allow the schedule of athletic events to be more regularized. It could eliminate teams getting byes in their schedules and create better divisional opportunities. Travel expenses could be cut.
"I feel we have competed pretty well in our conference, but the trustees felt we were more like the schools in the SLIAC in size, mission and what our student athletes are like," said Mike Hampton, Iowa Wesleyan's athletic director.
Before Iowa Wesleyan is admitted to the SLIAC, they must first be accepted into the NCAA Division III. If that happens, there would then be a site visit by representatives from the SLIAC and a conference call with all the school presidents. A vote would then occur.
"They have quite a few sports that we do, and that helps," Hart said. "However, we must review all the materials and see if it is a good fit. I'll contact a few of my colleagues that are familiar with Iowa Wesleyan and go from there. They have a long way to go before they are admitted into the SLIAC. It's not just Webster that decides."
Iowa Wesleyan's athletic programs include baseball, basketball, cross-country, football, golf, soccer, softball, track and field and volleyball.
Once Iowa Wesleyan makes the move, the school will be allowed to participate in regular-season SLIAC events immediately. However, they will not be eligible for postseason play in conference championships until all current students receiving athletic scholarships have graduated.
Hampton said it would be asking a lot of Iowa Wesleyan to participate in the SLIAC during the 2012-2013 season, but he hopes Iowa Wesleyan could start play in the fall of 2013.
SLIAC schools MacMurray and Eureka in financial trouble
The addition of another school comes at a time when two of the SLIAC's schools are having financial difficulty. According to an Oct. 12 report in The Chronicle of Higher Education, MacMurray College and Eureka College are on the list of 150 private nonprofit colleges that failed the U.S. Department of Education's most recent financial responsibility test. MacMurray's scores were so low that they will be required to post a letter of credit equal to at least 10 percent of the student federal aid they received in the most recent year.
"We don't like seeing sports show up on those types of lists, it's always a concern," Hart said. "They are working to address their financial issues."
Although the report shows MacMurray's scores have gone down the last two years, a statement by the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities stressed that just because a school is on the list, it does not mean the college is in danger of closing.
"We have been a member in the SLIAC since 1990, and we have never had an issue," said Dane Pavlovich, MacMurray's athletic director.
Hart said dropping school sports is not always the answer in saving money either. MacMurray and Eureka both have fewer than 1,000 students enrolled, and a large part of their student bodies participate in athletics.
"If for example a school dropped softball and saved $30,000 in expenses, but lost $150,000 in revenue from student athlete enrollments, then the school loses," Hart said.