MBB: St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[Denny McKinney]

Hopefan I watched Fowler for the first time Saturday. The kid can blow by anyone. But, I can figure out why coaches don't play him like FU guarded Jared McKoy of Maryville. Give the kid two or three steps, sag off him, because he will not shoot the ball outside 10-12 feet. He averages one 3 attempt a game and hits 16%. But, if you get in his grill, he's by you and can finish. Just my opinion.

[hopefan]

Holy Smokes!!!  Speaking of IWC's Chris Fowler, he makes D3hoops.com team of the week with his performances in the first two conference games.  That is significant recognition... not sure when, or even if, any other SLIAC player has received that honor in the past!!

I was surprised that Fowler did not earn the SLIAC player of the week...Greg Kent of Eureka did... but when I saw Kent's stats for two conference games, he too was most deserving...16 ppg, 11 rpg, 7.5 apg, and 7 steals per game... that is being an all around player!!

[WUPHF]

Interesting to see two different players of the week.

It seems like that says something about the system.

And, speaking of the system, I had planned to go see IWU at Fontbonne, but I'll likely need to see them again on a live stream executing the system because I watched parts of Greenville vs. Westminster and was not particularly impressed.  It seemed like a lot of up-tempo offenses I have seen before, but I am a novice, so...

[WUPHF]

Correction: Greenville vs. Fontbonne

[y_jack_lok]

Holy Smokes!!!  Speaking of IWC's Chris Fowler, he makes D3hoops.com team of the week with his performances in the first two conference games.  That is significant recognition... not sure when, or even if, any other SLIAC player has received that honor in the past!!

Aaron Griffin of Webster made it last year in week 9: http://www.d3hoops.com/awards/tow/2014-15/week9.

Also Webster's Ahmad Smith in week 2: http://www.d3hoops.com/awards/tow/2014-15/week2.

I'm sure some others from SLIAC schools have also been recognized over the years, but I'm not going to go back any further with my research. Anyone interested can go to d3hoops.com and click on the "Awards" link at the top of the page, then choose the season, then the week of the season to see all the teams of the week back to 2010-11.

I also know some SLIAC women's players have also made the team of the week, just don;t remember who or when.

[Denny McKinney]

Hopefan. No comment on my thoughts of stopping Fowler? Or, not in the discussing mood?

[hopefan]

Holy Smokes!!!  Speaking of IWC's Chris Fowler, he makes D3hoops.com team of the week with his performances in the first two conference games.  That is significant recognition... not sure when, or even if, any other SLIAC player has received that honor in the past!!

Aaron Griffin of Webster made it last year in week 9: http://www.d3hoops.com/awards/tow/2014-15/week9.

Also Webster's Ahmad Smith in week 2: http://www.d3hoops.com/awards/tow/2014-15/week2.

I'm sure some others from SLIAC schools have also been recognized over the years, but I'm not going to go back any further with my research. Anyone interested can go to d3hoops.com and click on the "Awards" link at the top of the page, then choose the season, then the week of the season to see all the teams of the week back to 2010-11.

I also know some SLIAC women's players have also made the team of the week, just don;t remember who or when.

Good research Yjack... Didn't realize we had hit the lights that often... hooray for D3hoops recognizing players across the line.. from the top of the D3 ladder down to near the bottom of the ratings....

[hopefan]

Hopefan. No comment on my thoughts of stopping Fowler? Or, not in the discussing mood?

Why shoot 3's when you can get penetration 10 footers and layups?  Fowler shot 36% from 3's last year, so he can shoot it... his % this year is 20 %, but he's only had to take 5 of them....  I'm sure defenders  try to play a step off him, but he goes by anyway... and play too far off him allows him to get to 12-15 feet undisturbed....  he's too good of an offensive player to give too much room to... I'd double team him, get him to give up the ball and hope other people miss....One problem is his backcourt partner, Brock Butler, is a pretty good perimeter shooter....

[hopefan]

Webster at Wash U tonight... I don't have great expectations....

And by the way, did anybody notice the boxscore from the Blackburn - Missouri S&T game last night?   Blackburn, at 1-6, vs D2 Rolla 3-6 but just coming off wins over Maryville and UMSL...   Blackburn, down by 13 at half, comes back to take the lead in the second half, before running out of gas and losing 104-91.  BC shoots 51% from the field, 47% from 3s, and outrebounds the miners...
BUT... look at the foul discrepancy... 28 on BC, 17 on Mo S&T....   BC goes 10-17 from the line, Mo S&T goes an incredible 38-39.    BC outscored Mo S&T by 15 points from the field!!! 

Compared to the poor start that BC had this season, BC is really starting to find their way... win over Fontbonne, a 2 point loss to MacMurray, a competitive game with D2 Mo S&T... VERY interested to see how they do vs GC and the system... a crossroads game if ever there was one for both teams on Saturday....

[y_jack_lok]

Holy Smokes!!!  Speaking of IWC's Chris Fowler, he makes D3hoops.com team of the week with his performances in the first two conference games.  That is significant recognition... not sure when, or even if, any other SLIAC player has received that honor in the past!!

Aaron Griffin of Webster made it last year in week 9: http://www.d3hoops.com/awards/tow/2014-15/week9.

Also Webster's Ahmad Smith in week 2: http://www.d3hoops.com/awards/tow/2014-15/week2.

I'm sure some others from SLIAC schools have also been recognized over the years, but I'm not going to go back any further with my research. Anyone interested can go to d3hoops.com and click on the "Awards" link at the top of the page, then choose the season, then the week of the season to see all the teams of the week back to 2010-11.

I also know some SLIAC women's players have also made the team of the week, just don;t remember who or when.

Good research Yjack... Didn't realize we had hit the lights that often... hooray for D3hoops recognizing players across the line.. from the top of the D3 ladder down to near the bottom of the ratings....

I assume, but am not certain, that a player isn't chosen for team of the week unless his/her name and performance stats for the week are submitted to d3hoops by someone -- probably the SID at their school. Thus it is most likely that d3hoops is choosing from among those names submitted. I doubt seriously that d3hoops is looking at all the stats of all the players of all the schools each week. So their could be lots of players who had great weeks that are never nominated. And I don't think that whoever decides the team of the week at d3hoops has any biases towards conferences based on their strength relative to other conferences. I'm pretty sure they are as objective as they can be based on what is submitted to them. If anyone knows that I am wrong about any of this, please say so.

[WUPHF]

Webster at Wash U tonight... I don't have great expectations....

I am thankful that Webster must travel for this game.

The last Webster win was also of the trap game variety for Washington University...Wednesday night...on the road...just after a tough loss at Chicago...Emory on the schedule just a few days later...if you believe in trap games.  This one also falls on the first official day of finals.

I hope to see you guys there.

[y_jack_lok]

Webster at Wash U tonight... I don't have great expectations....

I am thankful that Webster must travel for this game.

The last Webster win was also of the trap game variety for Washington University...Wednesday night...on the road...just after a tough loss at Chicago...Emory on the schedule just a few days later...if you believe in trap games.  This one also falls on the first official day of finals.

I hope to see you guys there.

Not sure if I'll make it or not. Company arriving on a midnight flight from California. If we're ready in time I might hop over. Interested in seeing Wash U.

[hopefan]

Webster at Wash U tonight... I don't have great expectations....

I am thankful that Webster must travel for this game.

The last Webster win was also of the trap game variety for Washington University...Wednesday night...on the road...just after a tough loss at Chicago...Emory on the schedule just a few days later...if you believe in trap games.  This one also falls on the first official day of finals.

I hope to see you guys there.

Not sure if I'll make it or not. Company arriving on a midnight flight from California. If we're ready in time I might hop over. Interested in seeing Wash U.

IMPORTANT company!!

[WUPHF]

Webster almost knocks off Washington University.

There were many plays in that last four or five minutes in which I thought the game would turn. 

At around the 3:30 minute mark, Hunter Ward got a jumper to cut the lead to three which was followed by a Sasha Sobolev lay-up, but then Hunter Ward followed up with a big time three to cut the lead to two.  I was surprised but thankful that Ward passed up the opportunity for a three on the very next possession.  My advice to Ward is to shoot it every time.

That charging foul on Adam Etter after forcing one of many turnovers and trailing by 4 points was particularly unfortunate.

Webster did slow down a little in the second half and they need to work on managing the final two minutes or so of the game, but I was impressed. 

[y_jack_lok]

Webster almost knocks off Washington University.

There were many plays in that last four or five minutes in which I thought the game would turn. 

At around the 3:30 minute mark, Hunter Ward got a jumper to cut the lead to three which was followed by a Sasha Sobolev lay-up, but then Hunter Ward followed up with a big time three to cut the lead to two.  I was surprised but thankful that Ward passed up the opportunity for a three on the very next possession.  My advice to Ward is to shoot it every time.

That charging foul on Adam Etter after forcing one of many turnovers and trailing by 4 points was particularly unfortunate.

Webster did slow down a little in the second half and they need to work on managing the final two minutes or so of the game, but I was impressed.

Good summary. Like lots of players, Ward can get hot from beyond the arc, but can also be cold. He is pretty quick and athletic, jumps well and can make nice moves to and around the basket and rebounds well. I am echoing hopefan when I say he is better for the team if he is not spending all game shooting from outside. In the instance you mentioned it might have been okay for him to take a three.

I think both teams are experiencing similar seasons in the sense that they both have a lot of players who have not spent a great deal of time playing together. Webster seems to have found out which players are going to blend well with one another and do what the coach asks of them. I didn't pay much attention to the Wash U roster, but it seems the are using lots of sophomores plus some juniors and freshmen, with Silverman-Lloyd being the main (perhaps only) senior. .Both teams still with 18 games to go, so lots of opportunities to improve and hopefully see some post-season action. For Webster that means the SLIAC tournament and hopefully more. For Wash U it can only mean the NCAA toruney. Hope they get there.