MBB: St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[hopefan]

Interesting quirk.... I put Fontbonne and Iowa Wesleyan into the not this year category, yet they were both in the game (vs Westmin and Webster) until the final minutes.... parity is a beautiful thing...

[hopefan]

Here's another interesting quirk...

The women's SLIAC Basketball standings are very nearly a mirror image of the Men's standings...

Greenville, Eureka, Westminster on top...

Webster, Spalding looking for 4th slot

Only real difference is Fontbonne Women's team also in contention for 4th, whereas on Men's side, it's Blackburn's team...

And of course Principia is still without a women's team...

[hopefan]

What do we have today?   The short version...

Blackburn (3-2, 6-5)(Home) vs Greenville (4-1, 7-5)  Blackburn depth and quickness should be able to stay with Greenville... will Greenville 3 point shooting make or break the Panthers... BC lost pretty badly to system twice last year..slight edge to Greenville

Fontbonne (0-5, 2-10)(Home) vs MacMurray (1-4, 4-7)...  HUGE game for these two programs... for Fontbonne, good opportunity to get first D3 win...for Mac, a must win if they are to maintain any hope of recovering to challenge for Conference Tourney spot

Iowa Wesleyan (1-4, 1-11)(Home) vs Westminster (4-1, 8-4).... Westminster with Kobe Wands, no problem... without, this is an upset possibility

Principia (3-2, 4-7)(Home) vs Eureka (4-1, 9-3)....  Eureka  Feehan vs Principia Paulson... a very entertaining matchup... could be a great game if rest of Prin performs, if not, Eureka easy

Spalding (2-3, 4-7)(Home) vs Webster (3-2, 6-6)...  Must game for Spalding, two teams competing for 4th spot, gotta get the home win... Webster big edge in inside game, should win if they take advantage

[hopefan]

it's 5:19 PM   if you can watch the Prin-Eureka game, do so... spectacular....Micah Paulson single handed

Goodman is giving it away.. bad shot, bad pass, missed free throw

Paulson can't miss, but Ross, Goodman throw up wild shots..

SORRY... really rooting for Prin... frustration...

ahhh payback...McElmurry fires... not Feehan, Thomas, Bennington

NOTHING AGAINST EUREKA.....just going for the 5 man underdog...  ECRed, please no offense...

Prin with the win, 94-88 or 94-91 depending on whether last Eureka shot counted...



Another good job by Prin announcer, but Please, learn about Dakota Bennington... you haven't been right yet... me was a 2nd semester transfer in to Eureka...

[hopefan]

gee, what a great day for SLIAC hoops... Every game close, 10 teams taking it down to the wire... a great experience for the players, great entertainment for the fans...

Fontbonne 78 MacMurray 77    A Big Win for Fontbonne, a crushing loss for Mac... would have settled for any ending but the way it happened... Brent Long is unstoppable the whole night, gets the critical offensive rebound to get to the line down 2 with one second, sticks the first, but clangs the 2nd...I didn't like the foul call in the last minute when Long was called for using his off arm to clear out a defensive man, he already had position and appeared to be waving for the ball... and Mac was snake bit when Camerons driving layup thru traffic rolled out... But what a job by Fontbonne, shot very well, huge hoops by Deline and Woodcock down the stretch, and McCann makes the game winning free throws one possession after missing 2 critical ones.  I still look at this team as having enormous potential with Woodcock, Baker, Coddington as frosh and Deline as a soph (and possibly having an extra year due to last year's injury)... find a point guard and a little more muscle inthe middle and this group is GOOD...  No reason Fontbonne can't challenge any night, for Mac, a different tune, just about out of the conference race, mostly seniors, a tough job for Coach Todd Creal and staff to keep these guys going... hard to understand...Long finishes with 32 and 11 boards, got little help from anyone else... DeLine leads Font with 21, Woodcock off the bench with 17...Mac controls the boards 37-21, but Fontbonne turns the ball over only 6 times and shoots 50% from the field to earn the win...

Spalding 61  Webster 58...  ugly, ugly, ugly.... As I said Webster should win this game going to the hoop.. size advantage, player advantage... they get a big lead early, fritter it away, 90% of the offense in the 2nd half seem to be bad shots from the perimeter... Tankins disappears, Ettienne disappears, was Wilcox even there?   Hey congrats to Spalding for not quitting early.. Dom Ellis brings them all the way back, makes the critical free throws....Webster 5-19 from the arc.. that's 14 times they probably should have gone to the hoop....

Blackburn 117 Greenville 108... hard to talk about this game, as Blackburn offered no video or live stats?  Why?  Or did I just not find it?    Anyway, going in, I noted that Greenville needed to be hitting 3's to win this game, as I didn't think they would tire out Blackburn as they had done to other opponents... Greenville didn't shoot well, going 18 for 65 from 3's... that's a lot of misses... lowest offensive output of the season... Blackburn doesn't handle things particularly well, 30 turnovers, but they must have been going to the basket, getting 47 free throw attempts, making only 31, but it's enough... BC with 7 in double figures, led by Karson Haye with 26.

Westminster 87  Iowa Wesleyan 82  I said watch for upset... almost... Westmin no Kobe Wands, but all 5 srarters in double figures... the ongoing mystery of who's on first at IWU continues as Mitch Drey plays (maybe he has a no-away game clause in his contract?), helps keep thing close...

Principia 94 Eureka 88  I wrote about this earlier as it was going on... Eureka needs to play ball and keep quiet, as does Trevon Goodman... otherwise, great basketball to watch... Micah Paulson a tremendous run down the stretch to win it...Not sure why Eureka allowed it to happen with Goodman out... think I would have been double teaming Paulson as soon as he crossed mid-court... What happened to Parker Davidson, though a couple of big hoops in last 5 minutes...Jeff Ross double double, mostly in the first half, still disappoints me with 2nd half performance...  Dang, still can't help rooting for these 5 guys...did notice injured Payton Sellers moving around much better on bench, hope he can come back....  Eureka.. tough chemistry with Feehan/Thomas/ and now Bennington each capable of shooting the ball anytime, any where...

Now where do we stand... Westmin leads things alone as Eureka and Greenville lose on the road... huge wins for Blackburn and Prin to put them back in the thick of things... Huge win for Spalding horrible loss for Webster, both need to get wins against teams ahead of them...  Mac, I just don't see it now... Fontbonne the future, Iowa Wez can be the headache to others...

[Greek Tragedy]

Great stuff like usual, hopefan. I wish I could offer more and really wanted to watch a few games this week.

I've been super busy this week and sick as a dog as well. So, no late nights watching hoops or live stats. I might add a belated fantasy update prior to Wednesday's games.

[hopefan]

Well SLIAC readers... CONGRATULATIONS!!  You have passed a milestone, unbeknownst to anyone but me..

Each year, I track the number of views per day the SLIAC room gets from near the beginning of the season.. it helps keep me going with my posts, as none of you seemed inclined to put down your thoughts... My mindset has been if enough people view and continue to view, then my summations, thoughts, opinions are considered worthwhile...

Anyway, I started to track the number of views on Nov 9th after writing up the news regarding the disappointing absences on the Westminster roster... immediately, I noted we were getting significantly more views than last year.. up 80% over last year... and it's been growing...

Well today at noon, we hit a number that I would not have thought possible... we are at 1000.7 views per day since Nov.9.... I have no idea how this compares to the big boys like the CCIW or NESCAC who have numerous contributors, but I'm darned pleased that there are so many that come here because they have some connection to D3hoops and the SLIAC, our little low ranking conference... but in its own way as fun as Basketball gets....keep viewing, I'll keep writing!!!

[Greek Tragedy]

Well SLIAC readers... CONGRATULATIONS!!  You have passed a milestone, unbeknownst to anyone but me..

Each year, I track the number of views per day the SLIAC room gets from near the beginning of the season.. it helps keep me going with my posts, as none of you seemed inclined to put down your thoughts... My mindset has been if enough people view and continue to view, then my summations, thoughts, opinions are considered worthwhile...

Anyway, I started to track the number of views on Nov 9th after writing up the news regarding the disappointing absences on the Westminster roster... immediately, I noted we were getting significantly more views than last year.. up 80% over last year... and it's been growing...

Well today at noon, we hit a number that I would not have thought possible... we are at 1000.7 views per day since Nov.9.... I have no idea how this compares to the big boys like the CCIW or NESCAC who have numerous contributors, but I'm darned pleased that there are so many that come here because they have some connection to D3hoops and the SLIAC, our little low ranking conference... but in its own way as fun as Basketball gets....keep viewing, I'll keep writing!!!

Don't feel bad at all, hopefan. Over the years, I've grown frustrated with the lack of input over on the WIAC board to the point that I rarely post over there anymore. However, there are the few bright spots when I've been approached at the Final Four in Salem and various home games where lurkers or seldom posters have thanked me for my input on the board from people I have no idea who they are. So, it does feel good to know people do read our stuff even if few ever respond with their own comments. I've even had strangers literally excited to meet me (strange, I know). This might actually inspire me to post more often on the WIAC board.  Your input is definitely appreciated and, as you can tell, its obviously read a great deal. Keep up the good work.

[hopefan]

Greek... best story I have like that.. was at a Westminster game several years ago, and had a significant question I wanted to ask a Westmin player... now I rarely will approach players (not sure coaches would appreciate it or not), so I opened.."hi xxxx, I don't know if you know who I am, but"... Player   "HECK YEAH.. EVERYONE KNOWS YOU... YOU'RE HOPEFAN!!!"....

I was stunned....and pleased...

[Greek Tragedy]

Greek... best story I have like that.. was at a Westminster game several years ago, and had a significant question I wanted to ask a Westmin player... now I rarely will approach players (not sure coaches would appreciate it or not), so I opened.."hi xxxx, I don't know if you know who I am, but"... Player   "HECK YEAH.. EVERYONE KNOWS YOU... YOU'RE HOPEFAN!!!"....

I was stunned....and pleased...

I had a coach yell, "Hey Old School!" That was my handle prior to getting married...to a Greek, hence a Greek Tragedy.

[Smitty Oom]

Greek... best story I have like that.. was at a Westminster game several years ago, and had a significant question I wanted to ask a Westmin player... now I rarely will approach players (not sure coaches would appreciate it or not), so I opened.."hi xxxx, I don't know if you know who I am, but"... Player   "HECK YEAH.. EVERYONE KNOWS YOU... YOU'RE HOPEFAN!!!"....

I was stunned....and pleased...

I had a coach yell, "Hey Old School!" That was my handle prior to getting married...to a Greek, hence a Greek Tragedy.

Both very fun stories! Kinda surprises me. I didn't think many of the players read the boards. Maybe it could be different elsewhere (almost certainly is), but I was completely unaware of the boards when I was a player. I would look on d3hoops.com when I was a player but never really ventured over here. My assistant coach at the time actually told me about them after the season ended and said I would enjoy it, as he new my love for the conference and d3 sports.

With that being said, I really enjoy the fact that so many people want to read our posts. All these student-athletes deserve as much coverage as possible. Also, I would encourage people who read to go ahead and post. It is definitiely more fun with more viewpoints and posters. It is no commitment, there is no quota you have to hit as a poster. Come and go as you please. I should keep an eye on the MIAC thread views, probably would be surprised!

Oh and I was always curious to the story behind your name Greek. hopefan I assumed at one point you were a Dutch fan and that was confirmed on a post at some point this year, cant remember what thread though.

[hopefan]

Hoping the choice for SLIAC player of the week is as obvious to SLIAC.org as it is to me.

Prin two big wins, Micah Paulson two big games.

[Greek Tragedy]

I'm Vietnamese. My wife is Greek. My wife likes to call our son "Greekanese".

[Greek Tragedy]

Hoping the choice for SLIAC player of the week is as obvious to SLIAC.org as it is to me.

Prin two big wins, Micah Paulson two big games.

Someone not named Greek Tragedy actually picked up Brock Butler in one of the fantasy leagues. I had a guy score 21 and 24 fantasy points this past week, so I'm promptly dropped him and added Mr. Micah Paulson after his two big games. I guess it doesn't hurt that he plays Greenville this week either.

[hopefan]

Through games of 1/4/18

Greenville No.1 in NCAA D3 team  scoring    126.0 points per game
          Grinnell No 2 at 121.7

Eureka No 17 at 88.8

Greenville No 1 in 3 pointers attempted per game  57.8
Greenville No 1 in 3 pointers made per game  20.2

Greenville No 2 in Assists per game  22.1   (behind Nebraska Wesleyan at 22.3)
Greenville No 4 in Free Throws Attempted  354
Greenville No 4 in Free Throws Made 252
Greenville No 2 in Offensive rebounds per game 21.42  (Behind Grinnell at 21.64)
Greenville No 1 in Steals 209
Greenville No 3 in Turnovers forced per game  28.33
Greennville No 3 in Turnover Margin 12.3

Isn't the System FUN!!!!???!!!



Shea Feehan no 2 in D3 individual scoring at 31.3 ppg

Brent Long No. 32 at 22.5 ppg