MBB: St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[WUPHF]

Posting just for fun:
Greenville jumps 181 spots to No. 74 in the latest Massey Rating poll while Westminster College jumps 230 spots to No. 90.
__________

[insert the usual Massey Ratings disclaimers here]

[hopefan]

As was mentioned on another board, Greenville at Grinnell on Saturday. Tomorrow night, I may go back up to Millikin to see who gets their first win, Millikin or Principia.

[hopefan]

I didn't even realize that Webster had an exhibition game last night.. in it the whole way, but losing to D2 UMSL 72-64.

One very favorable stat beyond the continued scoring leadership of Evan Milligan and CJ Moore.. Adam Etter comes off the bench shooting!!  Lo and behold, 5 for 7, 12 points  (SEE MY PRIOR RANT)... Excellent.. if this can continue, it's a big plus for the Gorlocks...Now we have to get Rabassa Turner shooting like he did last year!!!

The Cavallo Classic is this weekend at Webster... Webster and Mac, both winless (Mac vs IWU tonight is not a cause for optimism), face Rust and UW-La Crosse... hopefully both of our SLIAC teams can find a win or two...

[hopefan]

of course recent history shows us that no SLIAC team should be too concerned about a winless non conference record.. in 2011-2012, Webster went 0-9 nonconference, but won the conference race with a 13-3 record...  and just last year, Westminster was 0-7 nonconference, but went 10-8 in SLIAC games to sneak into the Conference tourney, then won the tourney and a trip to the NCAA Tourney...

[hopefan]

Prin up 34-31 on Millikin at half.  24 of 34 on 3 point shots. Anumu has 18. I don't think Prin can win games with 70 percent of their shot attempts being 3 pointers. But what do I know. Anumu has the crowd impressed. Millikin has no go top guy. They run down the shot clock and whoever ends up with it shoots.

[y_jack_lok]

Prin up 34-31 on Millikin at half.  24 of 34 on 3 point shots. Anumu has 18. I don't think Prin can win games with 70 percent of their shot attempts being 3 pointers. But what do I know. Anumu has the crowd impressed. Millikin has no go top guy. They run down the shot clock and whoever ends up with it shoots.

WHAT? That would be 72 points -- more than both teams combined. Even 14 of 24 would be wrong.

[hopefan]

24 of 34 points.

Prin wins 89 71. Anumu uncanny. Will write lots tomorrow.

[y_jack_lok]

24 of 34 points.

Prin wins 84 69. Anumu uncanny. Will write lots tomorrow.

Okay.

[hopefan]

Greenville runs up 178 points vs Lincoln Christian... TAKE THAT GRINNELL!!

However, something has to be wrong with the box score showing Lincoln Christian with 4 turnovers.. impossible, right?

[hopefan]

Greenville runs up 178 points vs Lincoln Christian... TAKE THAT GRINNELL!!

However, something has to be wrong with the box score showing Lincoln Christian with 4 turnovers.. impossible, right?

Going through the play by play, I counted 26 turnovers... not as bad as I would have thought for a team giving up 178 points.

[hopefan]

So... Prin really got it rolling last night, beating Millikin 89-71..  Prin pulled away pretty early in the second half, the lead hit double digits with 13 minutes left and never got under 10 after that.   I haven't seen a shooting exhibition like Adaku Anumu put on since... let me think... since I saw him do the same thing to Westminster last year (Westmin coach Matt Mitchell still mumbles about that game every time I see him)... so last night, Anumu goes 10 for 13 from 3's, 15 for 22 overall, 40 points.. there was absolutely nothing Millikin could do if he got the ball in his hands.
Add to that the BEST game I've seen Parker Davidson have.. Davidson has often been in my personal doghouse as Hunter Ward has been... a player with talents that build my expectations to a high level, only to fail to meet those expectations with far too much time spent wandering around the 3 point line.  Last night Davidson mixed it up nicely...  a number of cuts to the basket without the ball earned him some easy layups, and he still got his quota of 3 point shots...AND he was big on the boards.. a double double of 26 point and 11 boards... a perfect game.
The 3rd outstanding performance of the night was turned in by Frosh Treyvaugh Goodman.. watch out.. this kid goes to the basket with athleticism (strong and gets UP) as well as any SLIAC Frosh I've seen.. and he made good decisions on those drives, dishing it off for assists too.. This kid is going to be VERY good if Prin can continue to put players on the floor with him for the next four years.
Prin's new point guard from a Washington State JC, Micah Paulson, had a rough night shooting, and one short stretch of turnovers and bad decisions, but overall played like the floor leader Principia needed so desperately coming into the season.  The shots will fall... my fear is that he will try to do too much with the ball at times that could hurt the offensive flow.

I liked Prin coming in to the year, and I like them even more now...I see Paulson's play as critical, but even more, Prin needs to make sure they can adapt their offense to getting the ball to the basket if the 3 pointers aren't falling.. Justin Ball is too good at our level of play not to be an integral part of the offense.... why waste him as a mere screener or with the ball 20 feet from the basket....

Nice to see Prin grads (and good guys) Conner Savoye and Larry Patterson on the Prin bench helping out as assistant coaches... and VERY nice of a Prin parent to introduce themselves and have a nice chat regarding the team after the game... good to hear that the Prin players read (enjoy?) my thoughts on this board.  Remember guys, I call it as I see it...

[hopefan]

Elsewhere last night (nasty trip home from Millikin.. lots of rain and some very dumb left lane drivers that just don't understand the concept of a passing lane):

The Greenville onslaught was led by Shane Smith who finished with 36...Smith has an ugly 3 point shot, line drive style, which makes him very streaky.. but it was falling last night (6-13)... now here is a kid who goes to the basket.. I love his style of play... and I give him credit.. he has softened that free throw, he'll be an 80% shooter now.  Brown, Greene, and Hohm all hit over 20 and Elmo Smith had 16... quite a night for SENIORS.  I liked the double digit assists from Johari Dix too.. he was forcing shots when I saw him vs Elmhurst...

Mac loses big to IWU... hurting...  I'll see them Friday, but the new faces need to do a lot more, or this is a lost season. 

Fontbonne... dead ducks with 3 key people out with injuries.... lose big to Augie...

Iowa Wesleyan played a very good Nebraska Wesleyan team tough, down only 4 under 3 minutes left before losing 101-89...But 3 guys at 20 points or better shows high quality out of the starters... beat badly on the boards... and nothing from the bench after their 6th man... will depth be a problem?

Eureka Beats Robert Morris Peoria, coming back from a half-time deficit... Shea Feehan another big game with 35 points (wow, 21 for 22 from the line!!)... Kendall Davis continues his consistent play with 21 points and EC gets good minutes and points from bench players...

Blackburn loses to Illinois Sprigfield   90-74.. not a bad loss vs a strong D2 program... only concern I have is what has happened 2 newcomer Tommy Childs... minutes and stats way down after big games to start the season... this team will compete for a tourney spot... Davis, Manuel, Maestranzi, Orange are good players....

[WUPHF]

Illinois-Springfield is actually a weak Division II program in a strong Division II conference.

[hopefan]

Illinois-Springfield is actually a weak Division II program in a strong Division II conference.

I'll buy that..

[hopefan]

The Weekend is planned!!!

Thursday... a Great day wife wife, 2 sons and their families... only wish my daughter and family, who recently moved to California, could be with us...

Friday.. take my wife to a D3 doubleheader to see MacMurray play Rust and Webster play UW-Lacrosse

Saturday... travel to Grinnell (no, the wife declined my invitation to come along) to see what might be a 300 point game as they host Greenville... what happens when two system teams play each other?

then find a cheap hotel, then....

Sunday... eastward a couple hours to see Wash U play at Augie!!!!

some would go "HE'S NUTS"... maybe so, BUT I'm PUMPED!!!

Will give a writeup on Grinnell Greenville on Satuday night...