MBB: St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[Denny McKinney]

I gave everyone on the page +k yesterday check your coupons. I saw quite few games on streaming. And, stats show a lot about who is taking all the shots and %'s. You would probably know more about the style of play in SLIAC. I'm just old school. When they played from middle out. Sorry Hopefan I will study up, before making any other comments. Back to you..

[Denny McKinney]

But, who should get their shots and who shouldn't are pretty easy to figure. But, what do I know.

[y_jack_lok]

Coupons?

[Denny McKinney]

Coupons Yjak. You know those karma points. Twenty more Hope can cash them in for a rubber snake. Kinda like Dave's and Buster's. I gave him one yesterday when you got yours. And, he still whined? You and I together couldn't get a cup of coffee with our total. I put up a post awhile back that inspired him to read an hours worth of old posts. And, that xoesn't get a +K from him. Haha

[y_jack_lok]

Let me know when I have enough for a cup of coffee and your cup is on me. I'd rather have that than a rubber snake anyway. 

[Denny McKinney]

You got it my friend. It's about time we catch up over a hot cup. Sidebar: June 6 th marked 10 years sober for me. It's a non - event. Unless you have a Mom like mine. Haha  it was mentioned that someone we know, was always there for the free pizza and talked my Pops out of free admission to the post season tourney. Then go out and root against us. Did Maryville have free pizza after wins? Happy Father's Day, my friend.

[hopefan]

You got it my friend. It's about time we catch up over a hot cup. Sidebar: June 6 th marked 10 years sober for me. It's a non - event. Unless you have a Mom like mine. Haha  it was mentioned that someone we know, was always there for the free pizza and talked my Pops out of free admission to the post season tourney. Then go out and root against us. Did Maryville have free pizza after wins? Happy Father's Day, my friend.

Ok Denny, with that little jewel, you win... I'm out...  you spew out the venom as you desire..... 

[hopefan]

I was fortunate enough this past week to rub shoulders with two St Louis personalities associated with the sports scene.... 
I had some personal business with Rich Grawer, former coach of the St. Louis Billikins... what a genuinely nice guy...Coach Grawer worked with the Billikins in the 80's and early 90's and was pretty successful until his final season, when the team went down the drain... it was at a time when the Billikins were stepping up the schedule, and Charlie Spoonauer was hired to successfully oversee that process.  Still, fun to take about 10 minutes to talk hoops with him at the end of business...hint, don't ever put ANY of the Grawers in the same room with Quinn Snyder.

Then on Thursday my two sons took me out for a Father's Day night on the town.. first stop was Johnny's for wings and a cocktail, and a chance to watch St Louis Sports shock Jock Kevin Slayton do his afternoon sports talk show... Only St Louisans would recognize the name, but he is the anti.. everything thinker... you may agree, you may disagree, but he is very interesting to listen to.. anyway, he made mention of our Father's Day meal on the air, and then sat down for a chat with us when his show was over... Very cordial off the air.... 

[Denny McKinney]

To all of D3Hoops world. With it being Father's Day Weekend... I would like to personally and publicly apologize to Hopefan for my previous post. I did not realize Pizza and Pass gate were huge insults. It's my Bad for not being more sensitive in my discussion with Yjak. So I ask that no one takes my comments as being a personal view of all his great qualities. He's a Great Guy. And, everybody enjoys reading his Blogs. He has a tremendous amount of basketball experience and knowledge.

Yjak - disregard the rubber snake comment.

Again Hopefan have a great Fathers Day. And a +K just for being you.

[y_jack_lok]

Denny, I took no offense at anything in your posts, so if I said anything that made you think I did, I'm sorry.

[hopefan]

I was offended, as the way those two little gems were told, which makes hopefan look like a so and so, were way off base....

[Denny McKinney]

Folks Please keep Coach Barber's daughter Mary Ashley and the whole family in your prayers. This super young lady has been in and out of Children's for months. Brain surgery, BP problems and she still needs Kidney transplant. She is a tough girl just like her Dad. Coach has been traveling the highways back and forth from Greenville and Mrs. Coach has been with Mary Ashley.

The Greenville Family are having a 5K fundraiser for her and the family needs. Coach has been through enough his self. Children's does work miracles.

Get well soon Mary Ashley.

[Denny McKinney]

Cut and pasted from FU Website

Men's Basketball announces Class of 2017

St. Louis- Head men's basketball coach Steve Schafer has announced that nine student-athletes have made commitments to attend Fontbonne University and play basketball for the Griffins.  All nine players will be incoming freshman to the University. The student-athletes come from Missouri, Illinois and Nevada. Coach Schafer had this to say about his incoming recruiting class, "I couldn't be happier with the group of guys we have brought in to our basketball family here at Fontbonne. We really addressed some needs in our program with this group moving forward. This is a very talented bunch of players that have enjoyed great success on the basketball floor but more importantly, they are all high character young men who are excellent students."



1)      Bryan DeGeare – 6-8, 180lbs. Crystal City HS / Crystal City, Missouri

Bryan comes to Fontbonne after attending Crystal City High School. He averaged 17.2 points, 9.8 rebounds and 4.4 blocked shots per game his senior season.  His 109 blocked shots were the most of any player in the St. Louis metro area this past season. He finished his Hornet career with more than 1,000 points scored, leading Crystal to a 15-12 record in 2012-2013. DeGeare was named Player of the Year in the Jefferson County Small Conference. He was a two-time first team all-conference player as well as being tabbed first team All-District. Bryan was also one of ten players selected to the Jefferson County Regional Radio "Dream Team" this past winter. Brian was an honor roll student all four years at Crystal City High School.

"I can't tell you how excited I am to announce that Bryan DeGeare will be joining our basketball family here at Fontbonne. Bryan is a difference-maker and a program changer! Guys like Bryan don't come around very often. He is extremely versatile offensively at six foot eight inches tall. He is a tremendous shot blocker and rebounder as well. The scary thing is, he hasn't even scratched the surface as to how good he will be! He should be a load in the SLIAC conference," commented Coach Schafer.



2)      Austin Guinn – 6-6, 190lbs. Bishop Gorman HS / Las Vegas, Nevada

Austin started every game for the Gaels averaging 8 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.5 assists for a Bishop Gorman team that finished 29-3 and ranked #15 nationally by the USA Today and #11 nationally by MaxPreps.com.  He shot 58% from the field including 38% from three-point range. Guinn was named to the Sunset Southwest League All-Conference team his senior year. He was also named the 2013 Bishop Gorman boys basketball "Coaches Award" winner and was selected as a team captain for the 2012-2013 season. Austin was a national honor society member and received academic all-conference recognition this year.

"Our basketball program took a huge step forward in getting Austin Guinn. He is a proven leader and winner. He comes from one of the best high school programs in the country and has played against top-level competition for four years. His versatility and athleticism will be huge assets to our program. Austin has a chance to be a special player here at Fontbonne and in the SLIAC," commented coach Schafer.



3)      Kyle David – 6-1, 175lbs. Hollister HS / Hollister, Missouri

Attended Hollister High School where he averaged 14 points, 3 rebounds and 2 assists per game. David connected on 125 career three-pointers and started in 83 games throughout his high school career. He was tabbed to the Central Ozarks All-Conference team and was also named first-team All-District. David was named to several All-Tournament teams including the Marionville Invitational tournament twice and the Sparta Invitational all-tournament team. Kyle earned a spot on the Tri-Lakes All-Area team by the Branson Tri-Lakes Newspaper and was named Athlete of the Week by KRZK/KMOC radio during his senior season. He was a member of the National Honor Society and graduated this spring Cum Laude.

"Kyle is a great addition to our basketball family. He is a shifty guard who has a high basketball IQ. He will be one of the best shooters in our program immediately. Kyle has a chance to make an immediate impact to our program. We are very happy he has decided to join the Fontbonne basketball program," commented Coach Schafer.



4)      Garrett McDowell – 6-3, 170lbs. St. Pius X HS / Crystal City, Missouri

Garrett comes to Fontbonne after a highly decorated high school career at St. Pius X high school. McDowell is the all-time leading scorer at St. Pius scoring 1,912 points in his career. He holds multiple school records including total points in a season (581), career three-pointers made (238), season three-point field goals made (84), and scoring average in a single-season (22.3). During his senior season Garrett averaged 19 points, 4.2 rebounds and 2 assists per game. He was a four-time all-conference player as well as a three-time all-district performer. McDowell received second-team all-state honors his senior year. He also was named St. Louis Post Dispatch Athlete of the Week three times and was a two-time all-tournament team selection at the Affton Holiday tournament. McDowell was also named to the Jefferson County Regional Radio "Dream Team" this season. Garrett helped lead St. Pius X to three conference championships during his high school career. He was a member of the National Honor Society and was Academic All-State.

"We are pleased to announce that Garrett has decided to join the basketball family here at Fontbonne. Garrett is a scorer! He can flat out shoot it. He is a bigger guard who is very versatile. He has a chance to make a big impact to our program over the next four years and we are happy to have him wearing the purple and gold," commented Coach Schafer.



5)      Kody Ettinger – 6-0, 170lbs. Cuba HS /  Cuba, Missouri

Ettinger comes to Fontbonne as arguably the most highly decorated basketball player in Cuba High School boys basketball history. Kody graduated from Cuba as the school's all-time leading scorer (2,039 points). He holds eleven school records in boys basketball including points in a season (782), career three-pointers made (179), career assists (381) and career steals (244). Kody averaged 29 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists and helped lead his team to a 24-3 record his senior year. He is a three-year all-conference and all-district player. Ettinger was tabbed to the All-State team both his junior and senior year. Kody was on the Presidential honor roll at Cuba High School as well as a member of the National Honor Society. He was named to the Academic All-State team his senior year. Kody will also be playing for the men's golf team at Fontbonne. He finished second in the Missouri Class 2 state tournament this past spring.

"Kody is a tremendous addition to our program. He is a stat sheet stuffer and brings a lot of intangibles to our basketball program. He is very athletic and can really score off the bounce. We expect him to have a great career here at Fontbonne," commented Coach Schafer



6)      Nathan Reichert – 6-6, 210lbs. Parkview HS / Springfield, Missouri

Attended Parkview High School where he averaged 12 points, 6 rebounds and shot 60 percent from the field his senior year. Nathan was named first-team all-Ozarks conference and Class 5 district 12 All-District first-team 2012-2013. He helped lead his team to a 22-6 record this past year and was the team's leading rebounder and second leading scorer. Nathan was also named first-team all-tournament at the Blue and Gold tournament in Springfield this past season. He was most recently named to the Lions Club City All-Star team. Nathan earned the Presidential Award for academic excellence at Parkview High School and was an honor roll student.

"We are very excited to add Nathan to our program. He brings much needed size and a low-post presence to our team. Nathan is old-school. He has tremendous foot-work and skill on the low-block. He has a variety of post moves, range to 15-17 feet and great feel for the game. He is a work-horse whose best basketball is ahead of him. We are glad those days will be played here at Fontbonne," commented Coach Schafer.



7)      Dallas Haywood – 6-0, 165lbs. Brooks Academy / Chicago, Illinois

Haywood attended Brooks Academy in Chicago where he played in the Public Red West division of the Chicago Public League, which is regarded as one of the best high school boys basketball conferences in the nation. He averaged 12 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals per game his senior season. He was a two-year starter for the Eagles. Dallas was an honor-roll student at Brooks Academy.

"We are so happy that Dallas Haywood has decided to attend Fontbonne. He brings immediate toughness to our program and can be a lock-up defender for us. Dallas played in what I believe to be one of the most physical high school conferences in the country. With that, he is a true point guard that possesses great quickness. He has the ability to make plays off the bounce and will make his teammates better," commented Coach Schafer.



8)      Rio Justice Chandler – 6-3, 175lbs. Bonanza High School / Las Vegas, Nevada

Attended Bonanza High School in Las Vegas, Nevada where he was a four-year varsity letter-winner and three-year starter for the Bengals. Rio averaged 13.8 points, 5 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 2 steals per game his senior year. He led his team in rebounding, assists and steals and was the team's second leading scorer. He shot 35% from three-point range during the 2012-2013 season. Chandler averaged 7.2 points, 6.6 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 2.4 steals per game as a junior. He was the team's most valuable player his senior year. Rio was a two-time all-conference player for the Bengals. Chandler was a member of the National Honor Society and graduated with high honors from Bonanza High School's Medallion program.

"Rio Justice Chandler is a great fit to our program. He really ties this recruiting class together because he does so many things at both ends of the floor. He brings a great level of maturity and leadership to our program as a freshman. He epitomizes the qualities we look for when we recruit student-athletes to our basketball program here at Fontbonne," commented Coach Schafer.



9)     Duane Joseph Jr. – 6-2, 170lbs. St. Mary's High School / Independence, Missouri

Attended St. Mary's High School where he averaged 7.8 points and 8.2 rebounds per game. Duane was Crossroads honorable mention all-conference his senior year. He was also a two-year starter for the Trojans.

"We are very pleased to have Duane attending Fontbonne and playing basketball for our program. Duane is very long and athletic. He is a very good rebounding guard. He has a lot of raw talent and his upside is tremendous. He has a bright future ahead of him here," commented Coach Schafer.

[hopefan]

I immediately went  to google Austin Guinn.... a kid starting for a top 20 USA Today team coming to a        SLIAC Team!!!!  There is a highlight tape, and no one misses on highlight tapes.. but he looks athletic, very soft shot around the basket, beautiful form on several 3 pointers...   Please Fontbonne, make this kid feel at home when he gets to St Louis... with 9 frosh and 4 or 5 key soph holdovers, there should be some serious bonding activities....

I also like the fact that nearly ever one of these kids seem to have earned academic awards in high school.. hopefully academic concerns frosh year are negligible...

The class has a little bit of everything.... very exciting..... I may get one of those purple shirts yet!!!

[Denny McKinney]

I think Fontbonne has always made their students feel at home. Plus, Gentry And Demissee will be there to welcome him. Can you explain bonding activities? I would like to see Eddinger at PG by mid season. A scoring PG that doesn't have to clog the paint, would be great for the big men. Kody is a very smart player and good ballhandler. May have the tools to be a Patrick McCoy type player. I don't care what level you play, averaging 30 points is tough from the guard spot. Nice to have someone who knows how to score and a couple good big men will make Kody better player.