MBB: St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[Point Guard]

sliaccommish...thanks for your call for an apology from Sager.  As a former Prin alum and hoopster, I take offense to his comment.  I have been reading this forum I think since about 97-98ish and enjoy trying to keep up on the SLIAC.  While I haven't posted before because I am definatley out of touch with the teams and players.  Being out west since graduating can do that to you.   

Pride does bring up a great point about recruiting.  Prin I feel will always be at the bottom of the conference because they have the toughest recruiting job for a number of reasons....cost to go there (although it was only in the low $20,000's when I played there), location, and finding hoops players that are Christian Scientists.  Most of their players will usually come from the affiliated high school in STL.  But it's still a big step to the SLIAC from the ABC league that the high school plays in.

Keep up the good posts.  I enjoying trying to stay somewhat informed after almost 10 years of being there.  For Prin though I have to go to their website as there are no posters from there.

[pantherpride06]

Remember Point Guard, you can get coverage from Prin/other sliac schools here.  I'll definately give updates from the game at Greenville on January 6. 

On the subject of Principia, I have been up there for our ball games and for the Baseball Conference tournament and Greenville's AD and I rode around the campus of Principia.  Based on the drive around campus, it's worth the money right there.  An absoutely beautiful campus!  The nicest in the SLIAC.

Nice to hear from the SLIAC Commish as well.

Point Guard, I'm glad someone sees eye to eye with me on one thing!    Thanks!

[Point Guard]

Pride....very true about the beauty of the campus & the view.  They will indeed have the best athletic facility in the SLIAC as well once that is done.

I will continue checking in.

[Mac Attack]

Hope Fan - You are correct. But "almost" isn't a category in the SLIAC standings. My guess is Lincoln Christian will actually knock one (or more) of the leaders off before the season is over.

[dynasty22]

I've been taking a while off from this board. Didn't feel like gettin into some pointless arguments....waitin till it all cools off...

[Gregory Sager]

Wow, I had no idea you Principia folks were so sensitive about this particular issue. I apologize.

[hopefan]

I must admit that I was going to tease the commish regarding his post, until Point Guard posted, and I was very impressed and enlightened by Point Guards's words on the subject.  Point Guard, as all of the regular posters on this site are mature enough to respect your views 100%, and because I know next to nothing about Prin's religious background, any further info you would feel comfortable sharing with us would be educational and highly enlightening  -  hope we continue to see you posting.

[BunchTime]

Sager, in this world of political correctness and sensitivty at an all-time high, you probably should of knew that your comment would offend someone.  Not me, but I am not afiliated with there religion.  It was a harmless comment and I treated it as such!

[y_jack_lok]

I stand with sliaccommish when it comes to Sager's post about Principia. If you are a comedian, and an equal opportunity insulter, like a Letterman or a Leno, or one of the many others like them, you get away with this stuff. But that is not what this site is all about. Also, for what it's worth, Principia may be the most expensive school in the conference, but it is in no way out of line with the cost of a private college education in this country today.

[hopefan]

y jak  -  truly spoken like a parent of a student in a private college!!!!

Thank goodness I'm done with that experience

[Point Guard]

Wow, I had no idea you Principia folks were so sensitive about this particular issue. I apologize.

Sager...Not really "so sensitive" it's just that it's a pretty immature and ignorant thing for you to say.  But no worries I can see the harmlessness in it as well.  We've all heard worse before.

Not to get on any kind of religious posting as this is a hoops forum but I will briefly give my description for those that would like to know.  It is pretty basic in the belief that it's all about mind over matter.  Prayer works.  Turn to God for help with anything and everything.  Not such a foreign concept?  Right?  Now there are I would say 2 levels of Christian Scientists.  1.  The extreme take everything by what the "Science and Health" says.  (it's a book written by the founder.  It is read from during church along with the bible.)  No medicine, no drugs, alchohol, pre-marital sex, go to church every sunday type.  2.  The don't take everything by the book, use it how you see fit.  Do what works for you type.  That would be me.  Do I use prayer?  Yes.  Do I take medicine?  Yes  Do I drink?  Rarely.  Do I go to the doctor?  To each his own.  No crazy rituals or acts, no madatory tything (not sure of the spelling), no mandatory memberships.  Hope that helps for those interested.  We are no different.  Except we can't get a good recuiting class year in and year out.

[Mac Attack]

Massey's D3 Men's SLIAC Rankings through 12/20/06 (with overall rating in parenthesis):

1. Westminster (#139)
2. Eureka (#151)
3. Webster (#247)
4. MacMurray (#257)
5. Maryville (#269)
6. Blackburn (#319)
7. Greenville (#348)
8. Fontbonne (#373)
9. Principia (#390)
10. Lincoln Christian (#393)

Interesting "strength of schedule" rankings...

Westminster #203
Eureka #221
Webster #179
MacMurray #258
Maryville #102
Blackburn #240
Greenville #347
Fontbonne #377
Principia #158
Lincoln Christian #401

According to Massey, Principia has played the second toughest schedule to date. Hmmmmmm....

http://www.masseyratings.com/rate.php?lg=cb&sub=III&mid=6

Make of it what you will, but Massey is a purely 100% computer-based service that uses win-loss outcomes relative to strength of schedule, etc. I've followed Massey in high school football and the rankings and projected outcomes (especially later in the season) are remarkably accurate.

[hopefan]

Massey data is always interesting to review  - Prin's strength of scedule was obviously bolstered by NW Mo, wheaton, and Westminster.

A little more interesting data  -  (depressing)  to date

SLIAC vs :
    NCAA D3         10-26
    NCAA D1 D2        0-3
     NAIA                   1-4
      other including St Louis Pharm, St Louis Christian, Moody, Concordia St Louis,                     5 - 4

[Pat Coleman]

These are the more accurate Massey ratings, however -- the ones you are citing do not include margin of victory. Massey wouldn't even calculate or post those if he didn't have to do them for football to satisfy the BCS people.

http://www.masseyratings.com/rate.php?lg=cb&sub=III&mid=1

Those rankings:
Eureka 187, SOS 227
Westminster 190, SOS 186
Greenville 288, SOS 262
MacMurray 295, SOS 295
Fontbonne 302, SOS 329
Blackburn 321, SOS 230
Maryville 326, SOS 176
Lincoln Christian 391, SOS 402
Principia 394, SOS 179

[Mac Attack]

Pat & others - Do you think "margin of victory" enhances or diminishes a team's strength? My guess is that depends on who you played, where you played them, and the margin of victory/loss. Not sure it's a useless statistic, but my sense is you have to careful with how you apply it. Your thoughts?