MBB: St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[Pat Coleman]

Just in case there's ever any confusion, it's his right to talk and not up to you to tell him what or what not to say.

[Denny McKinney]

Come on Pat. I'm standing up for a young Coach's Cred. I'm just saying think before you post.

[Pat Coleman]

I get that but I'm just reminding anyone who might be reading that only a moderator can actually tell someone what not to post.

[hopefan]

Joe, Denny... I share your disappointment in Fontbonne's performance... I do have a very positive attitude towards Coach Shaffer, and I shared with him what I viewed at the games I had seen.. the positives and the negatives... he took it well and discussed openly with me..  My thoughts are that I'm not at practice, I don't know what goes on, who works hard, who has a positive attitude, who has earned the minutes...  I don't know of ANY coach who doesn't want to WIN and isn't playing the guys he's playing without good reason.  If I have seen games and am impressed with the play of someone off the bench, then I feel I'm entitled to make a comment here that I (meaning my opinion) would like to see so and so get more minutes... I did that just the other day with Jordan Jones of Westmin... But I haven't seen the Vegas kids virtually at all .. I simply won't condemn the coach and his staff by saying they should be playing, or that the staff is to blame for failure because of those kids' lack of play, when I'm not close enough to see why they aren't playing.....  In the mean time, let's continue to root for the kids on the court, whoever they are, that are representing Fontbonne and the SLIAC....

And another thing.. and Denny, you condemned me for a statement like this last week.. I'd love to know what the kids think.. whether it's 'I'm getting screwed', or if it's 'Dang, so and so ate me up in a rebounding drill or 5 on 5, I gotta do better tomorrow'....

[hopefan]

So.... let's see what happened in the SLIAC yesterday:

Mac wins, relatively easily, at Greenville in what I consider to be a mild surprise... Mac wins two in a row ON THE ROAD vs contenders, and despite their loss at Spalding, really has taken a giant leap towards first place in conference and serving as host to the conference tourney...  Mac really dominated the whole game except for 5 minutes in the first half, and those 5 minutes are a story itself...  Greenville was down 10 with about 6 minutes left in the first half, had only scored 15 points, and Coach Barber, clearly exasperated, put in only what could be called his bomb squad.. Nick Trisko, Austin Hershberger, Anthony Metzler, Orion Kidd, and Todd Albertson... now don't get me wrong, Trisko and Metzler both get minutes anyway, but this is clearly Gville's last 5... what do they do.. score 11 of the next 13 points.. led by Trisko..now big Nick is just that... BIG... and I like how he is very aggressive with the ball down in the low post.. But he was aggressive from anywhere for 3 minutes.. an offensive rebound putback, a three from the top of the key, a drive from the top of the key where he looked like a grizzly  bear chasing a salmon.. he finishes with 11 in the first half and it's 33-33  at half time... Coach Creal had to be saying "WHAT", Coach Barber had to be floating to the locker room...
2nd half, no contest.. and it was primarily super defense by Mac,  very little flow for Greenville.. Mac took the lead  for good at about 14 minutes left and built on it to the final buzzer, Greenville never got closer than 4, and it was multiple free throws in the last 4 minutes... Dylan Burton, always a total enigma to me, had the best game I've seen him have in a long time... Against Westmin two days earlier, he did NOTHING, but yesterday he was an offensive threat most times he touched the ball, and he can really go to the basket when he's in that mindset... Pratt dominated the ball the last several minutes and got to the line numerous times.. Bush and Slagle dominated around the basket... Guthrie solid off the bench... another fantastic all around game by Mac....They really reflect the aggressive style that Coach Creal displays when the game is going on....and by the way, Clayton Whitlock gets a couple minutes each half, clearly just to start getting his legs underneath him; no problem for Mac as Cole Bush is doing a super job playing significant minutes in his place.  For Greenville, it appears Brian Ehresman may be out for a while.. they missed him as Alex Mumphard had to do way too much with the ball...

Spalding beats Fontbonne... Spalding shoots 57% from the field, 61% from 3's... can't help but think the zone Fontbonne played against Westminster continues to be less than sufficient.. If Westmin could eat it up, I guess Spalding could too... In reality Fonbonne's stats not bad, they shot reasonably well and outrebounded Spalding.. they just didn't stop Spalding from scoring, and other teams have been able to do that...

Webster beats Iowa Wesleyan.. still no stats anywhere.. hope the commish reprimands them.. we have enough problems wit Mac, we don't need to be wondering about games at IWC too...

Prin beats Eureka in a box score that has a number of factors that are noticeable... For Eureka, 4 starters get about 30 minutes per man, and total 10 points.. won't win many with that... fortunately Josh Fenoglia and Nick Finney combine for 34 points off the bench...and for Prin, Kenny Sydness plays 40 minutes and gets only 6 points.. is he becoming just a spectator to the bombing exploits of the new starting guard combo of Larry Patterson and Damon Wilgus, who between them put up 27 shot attempts... to my way of thinking, the big gun should not be ignored...  Still, Patterson had a fantastic game driving the victorious outcome..21 points, 14 rebounds (remember he's a guard), 5 assists, and 3 steals...

Westmin beats BC... Blackburn shoots 31% from the field, 13% from 3's

[hopefan]

hopefan standings after yesterday

Mac  +2   win at top 5 Westminster, win at top 5 Greenville
Spalding 0
Greenville  -1  loss at home to top 5 Mac
Westminster  -1  loss at home to top 5 Mac
Webster -1 loss to bottom 5 Eureka

Note... big game on Monday    Spalding at Westminster.... HUGE for Westminster and their battle for conference playoff spot..... Spalding's first opportunity to earn a + by beating a top 5 on the road.

[Denny McKinney]

My last comment on FU game. Being a Coach's son two cliche's come to mind.

"The Kids get the W's. Coach gets the L's"
"He wins because He always has all the talent."

I've thought about the second one. Coach Schaefer has had two large recruiting classes. If this group was that talented they'd have more W's. This team has had problems shooting the ball. Perimeter and FT Line. An inside the comes and goes. No desire to rebound. They have few guys of the bench that at times puts in some good minutes. No Game Changers that I've seen.

Coach Schaefer is a hard working recruiter. Puts the hours of prep work in. Unless there is something I'm not aware of, this is a young coach just getting started. It's his livelyhood. Cut the Coach some slack.

[Gregory Sager]

Well said on all fronts, Denny.

[hopefan]

Gotta root for Westmin over Spalding over in Fulton today, just to keep the pack a little tighter... A westmin loss will clearly put them on the outside looking in, but still with many critical games to be played....

[Denny McKinney]

Remember. If you plan on watching the video feed. Men's game starts at 5:00 pm. This will be a good match up of two teams that are guard led. If the SU group I watched on Saturday shows up, I think they will win.

[Joevegas]

I don't think I questioned shafers credibility. But I do question the ability to coach these kids and that is based on watching this team play.  My father was also a coach so I have been around basketball all my life    The record speaks for itself.  If my math is right he has coached fontbonne for two and a half years. The record stands at 14-49.  Coaches  take the job to coach and win.  Maybe shafer just isn't ready to be a head coach.  Doesn't mean that down the road he wouldn't be.  But right now it isn't working.  I hope and pray the kids keep it together these last 11 games and try to get three or four more wins. 

[hopefan]

Spalding wins at Westmin in 2 ots...

Hopefan standings

Mac  +2   win at top 5 Westminster, win at top 5 Greenville
Spalding +1 win at top 5 Westminster
Greenville  -1  loss at home to top 5 Mac
Webster -1 loss to bottom 5 Eureka
Westminster  -2  loss at home to top 5 Mac, loss at home to top 5 Spalding

[Denny McKinney]

I don't think I questioned shafers credibility. But I do question the ability to coach these kids and that is based on watching this team play.  My father was also a coach so I have been around basketball all my life.    The record speaks for itself.  If my math is right he has coached fontbonne for two and a half years. The record stands at 14-49.  Coaches  take the job to coach and win.  Maybe shafer just isn't ready to be a head coach.  Doesn't mean that down the road he wouldn't be.  But right now it isn't working.  I hope and pray the kids keep it together these last 11 games and try to get three or four more wins. 

Well Joe. I knew I like ya for some reason. Now I know. I had 50 yrs straight. Best life a kid could ask for. I remember the days of win or your gone. I lived them. Your just a kid, but you know how important it was for those 5 kids in short pants to play hard. That's why Pops and I drove an hour each way from StL to Worden, IL. HS each day. When he took the job they had gone through 7 coaches in seven years. We spent seven "Wonderful 7 years there."

Anyway Joe. You would be hard to find a coach that has ever been fired for losing. Not like when we were kids.  In the SLIAC if you get numbers you can keep your job for a long time. I'm just saying. Your watching DIII basketball at it's lowest level. By what Massey rates. This IS where young coaches cut Their Teeth. On the same note. If a player of any ability can't get clock at this level. There has to be something we're missing. ie: Attitude, Competition at a position, JV performance, Practice Effort, Hard work (If your not in the weight room somebody is passing you)..............

So having said that. How does FU get better from here? I don't personally like zone defense. But, if you've watched that many games, we know there are several or a few of these young men that can't keep anyone in front of them on "D". I like the move to play Tucker. He is definitely a Project. So start working him early. He's 6'8 in the SLIAC on a bottom half team.

Freshmen and Soph. need to see what is needed and work to be that player. So we have a young coach, with a young team. Let's see if the cream rises to the top.   

[hopefan]

hahahahahaha   Game was at 5:00, not at 8:00... hahahahaha... who would have thought.....? hahahaha


NOT ME


hahahahahahahaha       

[y_jack_lok]

hahahahahaha   Game was at 5:00, not at 8:00... hahahahaha... who would have thought.....? hahahaha


NOT ME


hahahahahahahaha       

Remember. If you plan on watching the video feed. Men's game starts at 5:00 pm. This will be a good match up of two teams that are guard led. If the SU group I watched on Saturday shows up, I think they will win.