MBB: St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[formersliaccommish]

George Barber of Greenville was one of the speakers at the National Association of Basketball Coaches Convention in New Orleans last week. George, one of the best, and nicest, coaches in the SLIAC was one of 21 coaches who had the honor of making a presentation at the Convention. Other coaches included five who have been in past NCAA Tournaments, Steve Fisher of San Diego State, Jay Wright of Villanova, Dave Odum of Wake Forest, Chris Mack of Xavier, and Shaka Smart of Virginia Commonwealth.

I hope his fellow SLIAC coaches supported him by attending his presentation. It was not possible for me to because I had a plane to catch before his talk Sunday afternoon (after 48 Final Fours the excitement is gone) but I'll bet he was good.

We bumped into George at the Commanders Palace Restaurant Friday night and had a nice talk. I'm not sure if everyone knows that he was an assistant coach under Rick Pitino when Kentucky won the NCAA in the 90s but George has a big photo in his office at Greenville to prove it.     

[GC Panther 01]

Hope I'd contend that Maryville was close in the late 90's with John Jones and Henry Shannon.  But they didnt always dominate like you thought they should have.

[hopefan]

GC  ... that was way before my SLIAC time, though I'm very familiar with Johnny Jones.. My son was on same HS team with him.......   Always wished I had appreciated and viewed SLAIC hoops back then, but I was pretty solid WASH U at that time....

[hopefan]

I just noted this on the Greenville site...   A just award for a fantastic kid.....


Greenville College Senior Jonas McBride Presented with NCCAA Pete Maravich Memorial AwardApril 02, 2012

GREENVILLE, Ill. -- Greenville College senior Jonas McBride was the recipient of the NCCAA Pete Maravich Memorial Award.

Presented at the banquet preceding the NCCAA national tournament, it is given to the outstanding Christian basketball player in each of the NCCAA's two divisions who possesses a vital Christian testimony on and off the court and exhibits outstanding leadership qualities.

This award is sponsored by Gary Beck, manager of the Gary Beck Foundation and a former student-athlete at Greenville College.

Jonas, who has overcome Tourette's Syndrome to become an accomplished student and student-athlete, helped lead the Panthers to their best record (16-9) since 2003-04 while almost scoring 10 points per game in the recently completed season.

[y_jack_lok]

Saw this posted on the SLIAC baseball board. Time for D3Chess??

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/post/entire-national-championship-chess-team-bolts-for-new-university?urn=top%2Cwp394

[hopefan]

Thanks for posting Yjack... I noticed the article on Yahoo the other day and then forgot all about it!!!!... Had all sorts of amusing comebacks to the announcement.....  but the main one is of course, yes, they can play chess, but can any of them dunk or shoot the 20 foot jumper....    then of course, the question begs to be asked if the addition of a national championship chess team takes away from the Basketball program's "scholarship pool"....    

[y_jack_lok]

If we could just find a way to make "checkmates" a basketball stat, Webster might dominate in D3. 

[hopefan]

Last week, I put out a note to the 7 SLIAC coaches that I have spoken with in the past (aka, they know who I am), asking for any recruiting info they could pass on to me...   I think I may have asked too early, but I get jealous of the CCIW room who have already written up a handful of incoming September frosh...

2 of the coaches have responded sorry too early to give you anything....

However, first year Coach Steve Schafer of Fontbonne provided me with a list of 10 commits, and the potential of 5 additional kids who could each be high impact.  Coach Shafer has recognized that the talent pool returning from 2011-12, while good kids who had a knack of coming from far behind to make things interesting, likely were not at the level to reach the conference tourney... 10 newcomers, plus a potential of several others, will establish a base for the program as Coach Shafer starts the rebuilding effort.  I was really down on this program a year or two ago, I saw kids not hustling and having little concept of how to win a game... but I am really excited for the Griffs led by Coach Shafer.  The best thing that could happen to the SLIAC is for Fontbonne to again become competitive for a top 4 spot and to increase the overall strength of the conference.

As I look at the Fontbonne group, I like several things....6 kids from St Louis Suburbs, big schools, good basketball upbringing, 4 'Big' kids who were rebounders in High School (Fontbonne roster currently has no size.. heck, 6'2" Dan Lisch often defended the post simply because he was strong and physical)... a couple very good point guards who can run the show and be a leader...  I have always maintained that kids who have been brought up in Big 4A or 3A programs have a better chance at SLIAC success than guys  from smaller outstate schools, and for the most part that's what we're talking here..  the quoted lines are from Coach Shafer's note to me...

Richard Dorhauer  5-10  Vianny   Point guard   7.7 ppg 4.3 apg   83% ft percentage   'high priority recruit'
       Vianney was 27-2 in excellent Metro Catholic League    2nd team all Conf
                                 
Blake Welch   6-1   Lindbergh    11.4 ppg  49.5% FG pct, 39% from 3's      3 Apg  1st Team All Sub West conf     'can really shoot it'

Zach Carel   6-0   Parkway Central   13 ppg  39% from 3's   88% FT%  3.5 apg   2nd team All Suburb South  'leader, defender, playmaker'

Jacob Martin   6-9  Borgia   12 ppg,  60% FG%  6 RPG    Great Basketball school....  'a load, could be a major difference maker'

Jack Stephens  6-7   Peoria Notre Dame   'recruited hard, including a couple CCIW schools'   I found a couple box scores indicating double figures in critical playoff games, also 16 points in Peoria All Star game

Colton Woods   6-6   Rogersville    Small school, but 1st Team All Central Ozark conference..  Box score found showing 18 points in upset win over Republic in Districts

Lelis Djona    6-3  Vianney   as mentioned before, 27-2 team, played off the bench, 4 ppg

TJ Gates   6-4   Glenwood HS, Chatham Ill....   highlight tape shows a bunch of 3 point shots

Drew Lowrey    6-6  Fort Zumwalt North    6 ppg, 65% from field   5.2 rpg, team's leading rebounder

Mike Asleson   6-2   DeSmet   came off the bench, oustanding Basketball program, he'll know how to play


I'm hoping other SLIAC coaches will eventually reply with more good news.....   trying to keep the SLIAC excitement going......   I'm telling you, 2012-13 will be a great year...

[hopefan]

And just a little sidelight to my previous post...

Quoted from an impeccable source at Webster... "Willie Trimble is currently attending classes and plans to play next season"

FYI, if you are not familiar with Willie Trimble, probably the most exciting SLIAC player I've seen in my 10 years watching SLIAC hoops, as far as quickness, athleticism, making things happen....

[Gregory Sager]

I was really down on this program a year or two ago, I saw kids not hustling and having little concept of how to win a game... but I am really excited for the Griffs led by Coach Shafer.

As I said here a year ago when he was hired, Fontbonne brought in the right guy to turn the program around. Steve Schafer is going to make a winner out of the Griffins.

[hopefan]

Below, I'm quoting a player from Calvin College in the MIAA  (Michigan)   While he is talking about Calvin specifically, and not D3 in general...  I found these words inspirational...  I wish the SLIAC community received the type of fan support a Calvin or Hope does, but still I think the SLIAC programs do appreciate those of us who support the kids.

Anyway, read below, it's why I love D3hoops and will continue to support the SLIAC in whatever way I can...


"It is pretty amazing to be able to play small-college basketball in a place where a lot of people care how we are doing and support you in every way that they can. It is great to have the facilities that we have, the coaches, the parents, fans that come support us every night, and even web sites like this that show an interest in how we do as a team. It is tough to play college basketball along with being a student here, but it is all worth it. It is a dream come true to play college basketball and to be able to do it with a great group of guys."

[y_jack_lok]

Below, I'm quoting a player from Calvin College in the MIAA  (Michigan)   While he is talking about Calvin specifically, and not D3 in general...  I found these words inspirational...  I wish the SLIAC community received the type of fan support a Calvin or Hope does, but still I think the SLIAC programs do appreciate those of us who support the kids.

Anyway, read below, it's why I love D3hoops and will continue to support the SLIAC in whatever way I can...


"It is pretty amazing to be able to play small-college basketball in a place where a lot of people care how we are doing and support you in every way that they can. It is great to have the facilities that we have, the coaches, the parents, fans that come support us every night, and even web sites like this that show an interest in how we do as a team. It is tough to play college basketball along with being a student here, but it is all worth it. It is a dream come true to play college basketball and to be able to do it with a great group of guys."

If this were Facebook I would click "Like".

[GC Panther 01]

Hope.   GC has added a commitments page to the hoops site.

http://www.greenville.edu/athletics/mens/basketball/recruits/index.dot

[pgkevin]

Hope.   GC has added a commitments page to the hoops site.

http://www.greenville.edu/athletics/mens/basketball/recruits/index.dot

I don't care how small of a school it was...Ryan Carter scoring 3,189 points is beyond impressive.

[AndOne]

Hope.   GC has added a commitments page to the hoops site.

http://www.greenville.edu/athletics/mens/basketball/recruits/index.dot

I don't care how small of a school it was...Ryan Carter scoring 3,189 points is beyond impressive.

This young man is from Hillsboro, Mo which I am familiar with as I testified at a murder trial there some years ago. Just to give you a little background, the area is 1 1/2 hours SW of St. Louis, but rural enough where even though the population is about 2,000, it is still the county seat.  They didn't even have a hotel in town, and I had to stay at a place 12 miles away.
Accordingly, the school he attended can't be very big. However, as pgkevin indicates, scoring almost 3,200 points against the School For The Blind is seriously impressive. If his HS career consisted of 100 games that, of course is 32 ppg. Even if he played 30 games a year, thats still 26+ ppg. He must be on heck of a shooter!