MBB: St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[y_jack_lok]

I tuned in to the final 3 minutes of the Prin game. As the final seconds were ticking off the announcer said Prin had a 60-56 lead with about 10 minutes left, then got outscored 40-16. Signs of fatigue to me. That will always be a problem with a thin roster.6

[Gregory Sager]

Prin beat badly by Millikin.. tied at half, run out of gas and hurt with foul trouble in the 2nd half... this could be the story of their season...
Prin outrebounded 37-14... little hope when that happens..Paulson and Goodman 55 points between them, but also 11 turnovers...

After a nice win over Knox, I wasn't expecting Millikin to win by 20, though as you stated, it was close at halftime. Both coughed up the rock 3 times each be Knox, so I was hoping that was a positive sign, but they reaorted back to their old selves last night. 7 from Paulson?? Ouch. I think Clark Davidson and Brennan Paulson will be serviceable.

To be fair, it appears that Millikin is a much-improved team. The Big Blue returned their three main guns from last season, and they've added two freshmen who are both contibuting double-digit points right off the bat. One of them had 21 yesterday and the other had 15 -- and they were only in the game for 15 minutes apiece.

It wouldn't surprise me one bit if Millikin turned out to be a top-four CCIW team this season.

[hopefan]

Prin beat badly by Millikin.. tied at half, run out of gas and hurt with foul trouble in the 2nd half... this could be the story of their season...
Prin outrebounded 37-14... little hope when that happens..Paulson and Goodman 55 points between them, but also 11 turnovers...

After a nice win over Knox, I wasn't expecting Millikin to win by 20, though as you stated, it was close at halftime. Both coughed up the rock 3 times each be Knox, so I was hoping that was a positive sign, but they reaorted back to their old selves last night. 7 from Paulson?? Ouch. I think Clark Davidson and Brennan Paulson will be serviceable.

To be fair, it appears that Millikin is a much-improved team. The Big Blue returned their three main guns from last season, and they've added two freshmen who are both contibuting double-digit points right off the bat. One of them had 21 yesterday and the other had 15 -- and they were only in the game for 15 minutes apiece.

It wouldn't surprise me one bit if Millikin turned out to be a top-four CCIW team this season.

Would be great to make the CCIW league play even more competitive...

[ecreddevils]

Eureka disappointing.. Basic play 6 men, thought we'd see more of new faces... I saw a lot of bad shots from Hank Thomas... Bennington foul trouble hurt...

Prin beat badly by Millikin.. tied at half, run out of gas and hurt with foul trouble in the 2nd half... this could be the story of their season...
Prin outrebounded 37-14... little hope when that happens..Paulson and Goodman 55 points between them, but also 11 turnovers...

Tough game for EC.  Despite losing their two best players, this is a very good Monmouth team--remember they're coming off a 20 win season and tournament appearance.

You're right, Hope, short rotation for EC, stayed in a 2-3 zone because of that for 90% of the game.  Monmouth was able to get good ball movement and find gaps inside.  6' 7" Will Carius was the difference--huge second half, 25 pts. on 13-16 from the charity line.  EC struggled to stop him down low.

Positives, Thomas and Bennington combine for 55 on a night when I think it was difficult for EC to establish offensive rhythm.  Led at the half but missed too many mid-range shots down the stretch.  There will be a transition period here playing without Shea, but this team will be alright.  Juergens and Dehm are both improved and have to think we won't see too many other strong, skilled, and efficient 6' 7" guys again this season. 

Tomorrow night is Grinnell.  EC will get up tempo (like it or not) and should be able to do some work against a GC team that got thumped by NWU in their opener. 

[ecreddevils]

Prin beat badly by Millikin.. tied at half, run out of gas and hurt with foul trouble in the 2nd half... this could be the story of their season...
Prin outrebounded 37-14... little hope when that happens..Paulson and Goodman 55 points between them, but also 11 turnovers...

After a nice win over Knox, I wasn't expecting Millikin to win by 20, though as you stated, it was close at halftime. Both coughed up the rock 3 times each be Knox, so I was hoping that was a positive sign, but they reaorted back to their old selves last night. 7 from Paulson?? Ouch. I think Clark Davidson and Brennan Paulson will be serviceable.

To be fair, it appears that Millikin is a much-improved team. The Big Blue returned their three main guns from last season, and they've added two freshmen who are both contibuting double-digit points right off the bat. One of them had 21 yesterday and the other had 15 -- and they were only in the game for 15 minutes apiece.

It wouldn't surprise me one bit if Millikin turned out to be a top-four CCIW team this season.

Would be great to make the CCIW league play even more competitive...

Watch out for Calvin Fisher on Millikin.  Freshman, 6' 6" strong, skilled.  Probably under-recruited coming out of Monticello, sometimes played lazy in high school, but coaching staff and older brother will push him.  Could be a really, really good four year player.

[y_jack_lok]

UMSL 65, Webster 60. So hard to evaluate watching on a tiny phone screen. Webster's man defense looked pretty good. I thought I saw them play zone briefly at the start of the 2nd half, but not sure. A good showing overall against a D2 program. Tankins had a nice game and transfers Jordan Clay and Ethan Hughes looked solid.

[Greek Tragedy]

Prin beat badly by Millikin.. tied at half, run out of gas and hurt with foul trouble in the 2nd half... this could be the story of their season...
Prin outrebounded 37-14... little hope when that happens..Paulson and Goodman 55 points between them, but also 11 turnovers...

After a nice win over Knox, I wasn't expecting Millikin to win by 20, though as you stated, it was close at halftime. Both coughed up the rock 3 times each be Knox, so I was hoping that was a positive sign, but they reaorted back to their old selves last night. 7 from Paulson?? Ouch. I think Clark Davidson and Brennan Paulson will be serviceable.

To be fair, it appears that Millikin is a much-improved team. The Big Blue returned their three main guns from last season, and they've added two freshmen who are both contibuting double-digit points right off the bat. One of them had 21 yesterday and the other had 15 -- and they were only in the game for 15 minutes apiece.

It wouldn't surprise me one bit if Millikin turned out to be a top-four CCIW team this season.

Greg,

I think both hopefan and I expected Millikin to win that game, just not by 20. As hopefan pointed out, which may be their story the whole season (as it was last year), they'll run out of gas just playing 6 or 7 players every game against deeper, better teams.

[hopefan]

UMSL 65, Webster 60. So hard to evaluate watching on a tiny phone screen. Webster's man defense looked pretty good. I thought I saw them play zone briefly at the start of the 2nd half, but not sure. A good showing overall against a D2 program. Tankins had a nice game and transfers Jordan Clay and Ethan Hughes looked solid.

Hope Coach Bunch appreciates the Gorlocks fans who watch from Hawaii and Florida!!!

Gorlocks down 2 with the ball a couple times in last several minutes, but never got a good shot to tie... Wilcox and Ettienne off to slow starts, hope we'll see more scoring from both... I'm still not comfortable when Johnson and Clay have the ball - let's call it unpredictable....

[Gregory Sager]

Prin beat badly by Millikin.. tied at half, run out of gas and hurt with foul trouble in the 2nd half... this could be the story of their season...
Prin outrebounded 37-14... little hope when that happens..Paulson and Goodman 55 points between them, but also 11 turnovers...

After a nice win over Knox, I wasn't expecting Millikin to win by 20, though as you stated, it was close at halftime. Both coughed up the rock 3 times each be Knox, so I was hoping that was a positive sign, but they reaorted back to their old selves last night. 7 from Paulson?? Ouch. I think Clark Davidson and Brennan Paulson will be serviceable.

To be fair, it appears that Millikin is a much-improved team. The Big Blue returned their three main guns from last season, and they've added two freshmen who are both contibuting double-digit points right off the bat. One of them had 21 yesterday and the other had 15 -- and they were only in the game for 15 minutes apiece.

It wouldn't surprise me one bit if Millikin turned out to be a top-four CCIW team this season.

Greg,

I think both hopefan and I expected Millikin to win that game, just not by 20. As hopefan pointed out, which may be their story the whole season (as it was last year), they'll run out of gas just playing 6 or 7 players every game against deeper, better teams.

... except that the game turned upon a five-minute span fairly early in the second half, between 14:45 and 9:20, when the Big Blue went on a 15-0 run that turned a 60-57 deficit into a 72-60 lead that would never again dip below nine points. It's highly unlikely that exhaustion on the part of the Panthers was the cause of an opponent's run that started only five minutes deep into the half. The more reasonable explanation is that Millikin imposed its will upon a lesser team, and then kept its foot on that lesser team's neck by expanding the lead down the stretch.

That was my point -- the outcome really had more to do with Millikin than it did with Principia.

[WUPHF]

I am not suggesting that an asterisk is needed, but I think the short bench is going to be a factor for Principia all season long.  Both in terms of fatigue and foul trouble.  That was certainly an issued last season in the one game I watched in person.

Millikin may have had an early second half run but I would have to think that as the game went on, Principia was going to be less and less able to counter that run and the subsequent increases in the lead.

[hopefan]

Prin Foul trouble could be the biggest hitter through the season... as I mentioned before, Paulson and Goodman are both aggressive players, kids that drive hard to the basket and will take a swipe or reach for the ball on defense... they are going to get fouls that they shouldn't take... and Clark Davidson plays an aggressive style too.. this is all great if the bench was longer, or a little more experienced (talented), but when a starter comes off the court, there is going to be a BIG downturn....

[hopefan]

interesting SLIAC schedule tonight...

anxious to see how Eureka does at Grinnell... when Greenville went to Grinnell 2 years ago, they got absolutely schooled in the system ve system game (though the coaching staff would have you believe it was heavily due to the officiating in that game)... I've got no concern with Grinnell's woeful performance vs Nebraska Wesleyan, that was to be expected....Eureka starting 5 is experienced vs the system, my worry is how all the new (and so far unused) bench players will react assuming they'll see significant minutes..  Eureka split with Greenville last year... both games were pretty lopsided scores.... would love to see Eureka take this one and score about 120....

Spalding at Hanover... very tough opener for Spalding... you never quite know what Spalding is going to have coming into the season..will be interesting to see who returns, how much contribution there is from new faces....

MacMurray hosts Lincoln Christian...  there won't be many "easy" wins for Mac this year... let's hope this one is....

Simpson at Westminster...  Simpson rated highly in newly named American Rivers Conf (formerly the Iowa Athletic Conf)... lost in a high scoring game To Bethany Lutheran at home... don't be fooled, Simpson will be good... great test for Westmin, would be a great win if it happens....

[WUPHF]

I think it is going to be another year or so before I move on from the idea that the SLIAC should have been the American Rivers Conference.  Or, my preference was Western Rivers Conference.

I guess we can talk about the Washington University vs. Webster game tomorrow, but I am really looking forward to that one.

[y_jack_lok]

I guess we can talk about the Washington University vs. Webster game tomorrow, but I am really looking forward to that one.

If you have some thoughts, sharing them in the next 6-8 hours would be great. My overnight return travel, getting in a few hours before game time, is not conducive to discussion.

I'm just hoping for a well played game. The comparative results versus Illinois College suggest an easy win for the Bears.

[Greek Tragedy]

I could see Eureka scoring 120, but still losing by double digits. Hanover easily over Spalding and Simpson in a high scoring rout of Westminster.