MBB: St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[hopefan]

Good Job Hopefan. This could be a tough year to figure. I know 3 schools who have players not coming back.

Note... I've only contacted one coach regarding next year's roster... my writeups will be going strictly by the published rosters in all other cases and assume Seniors are graduating and underclassmen are returning... of course Denny or anyone else if you want to help me out with additional information, feel free to PM or email me.... will make the writeups more accurate.... I'd love to hear from any of the coaches, but don't want to bug them.....

[hopefan]

ok  whom do the readers want to hear about next....  first response will tell me who to analyze as number 2!!!!

[y_jack_lok]

Spalding.

[hopefan]

What... Yjack...not Webster?   well, the fans have spoken..

Spalding was the conference winner and made Wash U work hard for a first round NCAA win.... Though they lose 5 significant seniors, Coach Gray's consistant use of a 9 or 10 man rotation has Spalding poised in a strong position to be able to defend their SLIAC crown next year.

Spalding averaged 79.4 ppg last year, and lose 40.9 ppg to graduation...  they also lose 47% of their rebounds..

Gone will be Dewhon McAfee  20.5 ppg  2.5 APG   Big time guard, missed last 3 weeks of season with knee injury, after sitting out year 4 at Spalding in order to play his 5th year when Spalding would be eligible for the SLIAC crown and an invite to the NCAA tourney....   just a real shame... 1st team All Conf, SLIAC POY in 2010-11... would have been a tossup with Lessen for POY this year if McAfee didn't get hurt.

Jametrius Brasheer  11.9 ppg  5.3rpg    came on incredibly strong after McAfee went down... 2nd team All Conf (I say he should have been 1st team All Conf), MVP of Conf Tourney, All Defensive team...

Dominique Sangester   6.5 ppg, 4.6 rpg  All SLIAC tourney team
Cody Cutsinger  5.8 PPG    HM All Conf   He also skipped playing 4th year in order to play the 5th
Johnell Hardin   3.8 ppg  2.3 apg....   made the 3 pointer to beat Eureka in Conf championship, and really saw minutes increase at point as season wound down.

Those are 5 VERY solid seniors....

Yet some very good SLIAC players return.

Brandon Goeing  6' frosh   7.6 ppg 42% from 3's energetic shooting guard, Gray used him for perimeter offense.. had the green light to fire it up coming off the bench

Brandon Gabriel  6'1" Soph point guard  5.3 ppg  at point if Hardin wasn't... quick... could be very good

Thomas Blakemore 6'2'' Jr  8.1 ppg   quality player

Will Barber  6'3"  Soph  7.9 ppg   quality player

Andrew Kinney  6'2" Frosh 4 ppg  this kid didn't play alot, but I saw him turn the game at MacMurray around in a couple minutes with 3 3's in a row.. he can shoot, but not an up and down the court runner like Spalding uses

Montray Robertson  6'7 Jr. center  3.5 ppg,  3.5 rpg   Started quite a bit, but actually saw only 5-10 minutes per game...still, will be a dominant player around the basket in the SLIAC next year

Renaldo Moore  6'5" post... Soph..wide body  Coach Gray got him into most games for a couple minutes... he'll develop into Robertson's backup next year and a legit threat in the middle 2 years out as a senior.

Spalding returning players have all had minutes in big games at crucial times... that's the beauty of Coach Gray's methodology.  They're a little small, but athletic around the basket and the SLIAC doesn't present much size at forward anyway....  these guys will play the same positions they did last year, just more minutes, more scoring and rebounding on their shoulders.... I like 'em...

[y_jack_lok]

Thanks. Getting my next request in early because it might require more research than you need to do on most teams -- Iowa Wesleyan.

[hopefan]

Iowa Wesleyan, coming into the conference next season, is seeking a head coach: http://www.d3jobs.com/browse/listing/5130e7af.html.

Men's Basketball Head Coach Jess Settles Resigns
Men's Basketball - Fri, Mar. 1, 2013
Iowa Wesleyan College head men's basketball coach Jess Settles announced his resignation today in order to focus more on helping his dad run the family farm.

"I would like to thank Athletic Director Mike Hampton and his wife Anita, President Simmons and his wife Jenne, women's basketball coach Steve Williamson and his wife Courtney, Dr. Linda Buchanan, and the IWC family for the opportunities they provided my family," said Coach Settles.  "A special thanks to my assistants Nick Noring and Alex Edwards. Most importantly, thank you to all of the players who rewarded us all with a memorable season on the road."

Settles spent two years at the helm of the Tigers' basketball team.  This past season, the Tigers finished with a 14-13 overall record, finishing the season with a close 80-76 victory over Clarke University.  In Settles' two years with the Tigers, the program held a 26-27 record.

"We appreciate Coach Settles' time and work at IWC and his mentorship with the young men in the program," said IWC athletic director Mike Hampton.  "He will be missed at IWC and we wish him the best with the family business."

Settles had tremendous success in his two years with the Tigers as Kyle Warner earned USCAA All-American Honorable Mention honors this past season.  Jon Umoren also had a big year under Settles' guidance, setting the IWC single game record for assists with 16 against Emmaus Bible College.  Warner and Jeremy Simmons earned Honorable Mention All-Midwest Collegiate Conference honors in Settles' first year with the Tigers.

"We are deeply grateful for Coach Settles' two years of service to the college as the men's head basketball coach," said IWC Vice President and Dean of Student Life, Linda Buchanan.  "It has been a pleasure having him here with the Tigers and guiding our young men."

A native of Mt. Pleasant, IA, Settles was a three time all-state selection from Winfield-Mt. Union High School.  He went on to play at the University of Iowa where he was named Big Ten Freshman of the Year and was named third team all-conference in his first season for the Hawkeyes.  In his third season, Settles was named First Team All-Big Ten.

Iowa Wesleyan College will immediately begin a national search to name Coach Settles' successor.

  Now then... a review of the roster reveals some very strong implications...  Iowa Wesleyan's roster situation is identical to Eureka's... only one player with any kind of experience is returning ... they have EIGHT seniors leaving...  good time for coach to go back to Dad's farm!!!!

[y_jack_lok]

  Now then... a review of the roster reveals some very strong implications...  Iowa Wesleyan's roster situation is identical to Eureka's... only one player with any kind of experience is returning ... they have EIGHT seniors leaving...  good time for coach to go back to Dad's farm!!!!

Are you up to doing an analysis of how they might fair in the SLIAC next season based on whatever information you can find that might help with that? Also, since they have been NAIA do returning players get to retain any athletic scholarships they have been awarded and if so is that one of the reasons for the four years of ineligibility for post season play in the conference and NCAA tournaments?

[hopefan]

Yes... I'll write them up tomorrow.... they have VERY LITTLE returning... hard to imagine they'll be competitive next year...

I don't know the answer about kids currently on scholarship.....

[Mr. Ypsi]

Yes... I'll write them up tomorrow.... they have VERY LITTLE returning... hard to imagine they'll be competitive next year...

I don't know the answer about kids currently on scholarship.....

That IS a good question.  My speculation is that that would be the reason for the four year delay in eligibility - it would be highly unfair to the kids on scholarship to just pull the scholarships.  (Of course, on the other hand, that is gonna make it really tough to recruit in the meantime, with kids knowing they are not even eligible for the postseason.  Perhaps a compromise?  Instead of a flat four years, eligibility begins once there are no students on scholarship still at the school?)

[y_jack_lok]

(Of course, on the other hand, that is gonna make it really tough to recruit in the meantime, with kids knowing they are not even eligible for the postseason...)

That would certainly seem to be likely, but Spalding won the conference regular season and tournament in its first year of eligibility. I think Iowa Wesleyan faces an even tougher road given that they are looking for a new head coach.

[hopefan]

It's not worth the effort to review the individuals listed as Seniors for Iowa Wesleyan as none of us can identify as to their abilities, not having seen them play... They were 14-13, though for some reason their stats reporting cut off at 23 games?  They were pretty good vs D3... losing close to Carthage and Aurora, and winning close over Central (Iowa) and MacMurray.... But virtually everyone is gone from that team so it really doesn't matter..

They have only one full time player returning, Will Stephenson, a 6'2" frosh, who saw action in all 23 games reported and started in several... he averaged 14 minutes per game, 4.6 ppg....   

Another player, Joe Lennon, a 6'6" frosh, played in 19 games, 10 minutes per game, and averaged just 1.4 ppg

Any other underclassmen appeared in only a couple of games and were not a part of the regular rotation....

Don't know what level all these kids will play at... one frosh who got in a couple games played at Pacific HS just down the road from me... averaged 10 ppg in a mediocre HS program....  doubtful he would be a game changer at any SLIAC school...

Spalding was immediately at the level of the upper half of SLIAC schools when they came in and recruiting remained solid through their provisional time frame... I'll be surprised, with all the graduation losses, if Iowa Wesleyan comes in at that level....

[hopefan]

By the way... who should I review next... someone other than Yjak has to select this one....

[SLIACFAN]

Mac 

[y_jack_lok]

By the way... who should I review next... someone other than Yjak has to select this one....

If you hadn't said that I was going to stipulate the same thing. Time for a few other interested parties to step up.

[hopefan]

Mac will be fun to do... busy day at work tomorrow, but I'll do them if possible... or on Friday.... 

Coach Creal, you out there?... send me some inside scoop!!!!!