MBB: St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[GU1999]

Now for the SLIAC ugly...

NCAA losses of 30 or more:

2016 - Westmin v. Augie (53)
2006 - Maryville v. MS college (30)
2002 - Webster v. Maryville-TN (35)
2000 - Webster v. Franklin (31)
1997 - Maryville v. IWU (39)
1996 - Fontbonne v. Hanover (42)
1995 - Westmin v. IWU (41)

I do note that the 30+ blowouts have slowed in the recent decade, but the games are rarely close.  I HOPE I am wrong.   

[augie77]

I did not realize Greenville was that close at Augustana.

GU had a 19 point lead in the first.  Had a 12 point lead at half and was in the lead until the final 8 minutes.  Dix fouled out very early.  Augie stopped taking contested mid-range shots. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=11rEyZ2A1_4

Greenville took a 21-4 lead inn the first five minutes before the Vikings gradually began to figure things out.

[GU1999]

WUPHF - As I am a GU guy:
Grady on 1st team
Simmons on 2nd team
Johnson on 3rd/HM

I love Williams and Bateman but given they only played 60% of the season, it is tough to make too strong a case for them.  Although, MB's 70 made threes in 17 games is pretty impressive.

I will share thoughts about full SLIAC all-conference tomorrow, but before the ballots are due at 12p tomorrow, I hope the decisions that are made reflect the work, effort and performance of the kids in the league and not some other considerations that appear to sneak into the process.

For example, the kid who was the best player on his top 2 team in the league and went for 23.7 ppg, 7.2 rpg, 2.54 spg, 1.7 apg, 1 bpg was a 3rd team selection. 

For another voice on this subject, please see Hope's analysis from last season.

OK  hopefan can't keep quiet

The selection of Hayes  and Johnson to 1st team all conference, over Dix and Williams, or even over Tankins or Tabb, makes absolutely no sense to me..

Its obvious my cumulative Quality points, whether by total, or by Quality points per game, did not lead to that... not even close..

I looked at it another way..
if I arbitrarily set 3 or better quality points in a game as a very good to outstanding game.. how many of these did the individuals have?
Dix  11
Williams  10
Tankins  8
Tabb 8
Hayes  7    but Hayes never had a 4.5, or a 5 score...no super games
Johnson 6

How many games UNDER 2 did each have?  signifying only a fair, to lousy, game
Dix    3
Williams   3
Tankins   5
Tabb    6
Hayes    6
Johnson     8

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

The Week 3 men's regional rankings are out: https://www.d3hoops.com/notables/2020/02/men-regional-rankings-third

[GU1999]

GUs top three teams.  Last year there were 7 on the 3rd/HM team.  I have replicated that here. 

MOP - Bennington
Co-Coach - Bunch and Kirby   
Team Sportsmanship - Greenville ... this one wasn't even close.   

1st Team:
Dakota Bennington (EU)
Sonty Grady (GU)
Josh Johnson (WU)
Logan Dorethy (MC)
Karson Hayes (BC)

2nd Team:
Enrique Tankins (WU)
Landon Harrison (WC)
Riley Simmons (GU)
Anthony Jones (FC)
Trevaughn Goodman (PC)

3rd Team:
Jordan Dehm (EC)
Jarryd Fernandes (IWU)
Marcus Montgomery (SU)
Rodson Etienne (WU)
Henry Johnson (GU)
Jaxon Althaus (WC)

[y_jack_lok]

^^^ Nice job.  You might want to put WU, not EU next Tankins. Did you think about a newcomer?

[WUPHF]

Yes, nice job indeed. +1

[GU1999]

^^^ Nice job.  You might want to put WU, not EU next Tankins. Did you think about a newcomer?

I think Newcomer is really close between Henry Johnson and Jaxon Althaus.  I'll give it to Johnson based on his teams overall success. 

[WUPHF]

If the newcomer award includes transfers, then Jaxon Althaus or Landon Harrison are good choices.

Elijah Rice should be in the conversation.

[GU1999]

WUPHF-  great catch.  I spaced on Harrison.  He's my choice for newcomer. 

[Gregory Sager]

If newcomer awards including transfers, then Jaxon Althaus or Landon Harrison are good choices.

Elijah Rice should be in the conversation.

My observations lead me to believe that, if a league intends for this award to be explicitly given out only to freshmen, it dubs the honor the Freshman of the Year award. If it's meant to cover transfers as well as freshmen, it's called the Newcomer of the Year award.

Perhaps the SLIAC is a maverick in that regard and only gives the Newcomer of the Year award to freshmen, but I doubt it. After all, the SLIAC is replete with institutions that rely heavily upon juco transfers among their student-athlete populations, or at least that's true for men's basketball.

[Greek Tragedy]

Idk, I see a lot of teams list their freshman class as FY, first year players because, you know, people are offended by the term freshman now.

[Gregory Sager]

True, although it's not an individual-school award, it's a league award.

But if an entire league chose to adopt inclusive language for an award in this vein, wouldn't they simply call it the First-Year Player of the Year award?

[Greek Tragedy]

Ok, but is it a First Year Player award because it's their first year in the league (transfers included) or their first year playing at the college level? Ummm.

[GU1999]

Just checked the Basketball operating code...

Newcomer is "first year collegiate player"

So, Elijah Rice may be the only suggestion so far that is eligible.