MBB: St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[Deep Six]

Mac has the toughest schedule among any SLIAC conference team and they play in pretty tough road games. There first 5 games our on the road 2 of the 5 are against CCIW teams(Elmhurst and Millikin). They also play Adrian College out of Adrian, Michigan which plays in one of the toughest conferences in DIII the MIAA and 2 NAIA schools( Robert Morris-Springfield and TBA @ Adrian Tourney). So when it is time for conference play they will really shock some teams I would not count Mac out they should contend for one of the Top 4 spots with Webster, Fontbonne, Westminster and Greenville.

[Titan Q]

Mac has the toughest schedule among any SLIAC conference team and they play in pretty tough road games. There first 5 games our on the road 2 of the 5 are against CCIW teams(Elmhurst and Millikin). They also play Adrian College out of Adrian, Michigan which plays in one of the toughest conferences in DIII the MIAA and 2 NAIA schools( Robert Morris-Springfield and TBA @ Adrian Tourney). So when it is time for conference play they will really shock some teams I would not count Mac out they should contend for one of the Top 4 spots with Webster, Fontbonne, Westminster and Greenville.

Note - Millikin is picked to finish last in the CCIW.

The MIAA has two powers (Hope, Calvin) and sometimes a third (Albion), but it is not really one of the toughest conferences in Division III.  It's well behind the WIAC, CCIW, UAA, OAC, and others.  Adrian was 3-11 last year in the MIAA.

Webster's schedule is tougher:

vs Transylvania (good HCAC program)
vs Hanover (ditto)
vs UW-Platteville (should finish upper half in WIAC)
vs Augustana (CCIW favorite, preseason #5)
@ Illinois Wesleyan (CCIW)
@ Wash U (preseason #1)

[FU_Pride]

just because you have a tough non schedule doesnt guarentee victories come conference time....sometimes it can have even the opposite effect....i may be wrong...but just my opinion.

[BunchTime]

I very much agree with Titan Q.  Hands down, Webster has the toughest non-conference schedule in the SLIAC, and arguably, it would rank as one of the tops in the country!

FU Pride:  I agree with you as well.  A tough non-conference schedule does not automatically equate to conference victories.  However, does it prepare a team better for their own conference?  Sure!  That would be the equivalent of saying if Concordia Seminary played a tough slate of games, then they would be one of the top teams in the SLIAC.  This line of reasoning is obviously flawed.  However, that said, would it better prepare them to be competitive in the SLIAC -- most likely.

That is why I believe Webster will be battle tested by the time SLIAC play begins.  They will take their lumps early, but the benefit of playing good teams will prove invaluable come January!

[Mr. Ypsi]

Agreed, but it also calls for very good coaching (and resiliant players).  Otherwise, TOO tough a nonconference schedule may lead to demoralization.  While the ratios vary depending on the players and coaches, I'd say that generally the best schedule is a mix of cupcakes (confidence-building), top teams (see where we need to get, and hopefully learn a few 'tricks'), and fairly even competition (see where we stand).

[Deep Six]

Webster's schedule is tough but majority of their non conference schedule is on their own court Transylvania, Hanover, UW-Platteville, and Augustana they play all of them @ home. Their own road test is @ Illinois Wesleyan a team that is picked to finish seventh in the CCIW so thats only one above Millikin. Also they don't play Wash U @ all in their tournament. Mac @ least gets to play on the road in Adrian against 2 teams they have never seen who are pretty solid. Also, Elmhurst in ranked #18 and Mac plays @ Elmhurst. Robert Morris Springfield is pretty good. Millikin is picked to finish last but they will play tough especially for Littrell and Creal's return to Millikin. Lakeland College is a pretty solid team and the only non conference home game for Mac. Mac rounds out its non conference schedule with Division I Mid Major Arkansas State University in Arkansas. Coach Creal is preparing his team for the road in the SLIAC where we all know that its tough winning on the road in the SLIAC.
All I'm sayin is that Mac will be ready for Conference play and will compete to make it to the conference tournament.

[Gregory Sager]

and 2 NAIA schools( Robert Morris-Springfield and TBA @ Adrian Tourney).

RMC-Springfield isn't NAIA. The Eagles are a USCAA affiliate.

Agreed, but it also calls for very good coaching (and resiliant players).  Otherwise, TOO tough a nonconference schedule may lead to demoralization.  While the ratios vary depending on the players and coaches, I'd say that generally the best schedule is a mix of cupcakes (confidence-building), top teams (see where we need to get, and hopefully learn a few 'tricks'), and fairly even competition (see where we stand).

You must've dozed your way through that Dennis Bridges class as an undergrad at Wesleyan, Chuck. Bridges firmly believed that there was no such thing as "too tough a non-conference schedule" -- and his cupcake-free Novembers and Decembers invariably paid off for his teams in January and February.

The track record of Illinois Wesleyan is one of the best examples on this level of why it pays to schedule as many tough non-conference games as possible, due to the competitive dividends a team thereby reaps when it enters conference play.

Webster's schedule is tough but majority of their non conference schedule is on their own court Transylvania, Hanover, UW-Platteville, and Augustana they play all of them @ home. Their own road test is @ Illinois Wesleyan a team that is picked to finish seventh in the CCIW so thats only one above Millikin. Also they don't play Wash U @ all in their tournament. Mac @ least gets to play on the road in Adrian against 2 teams they have never seen who are pretty solid. Also, Elmhurst in ranked #18 and Mac plays @ Elmhurst. Robert Morris Springfield is pretty good. Millikin is picked to finish last but they will play tough especially for Littrell and Creal's return to Millikin. Lakeland College is a pretty solid team and the only non conference home game for Mac. Mac rounds out its non conference schedule with Division I Mid Major Arkansas State University in Arkansas. Coach Creal is preparing his team for the road in the SLIAC where we all know that its tough winning on the road in the SLIAC.
All I'm sayin is that Mac will be ready for Conference play and will compete to make it to the conference tournament.

That's a good non-conference schedule for a SLIAC team, Deep Six. However, Q and BunchTime are right; Webster has the toughest non-conference slate in the SLIAC, not MacMurray.

Also, is TBA -- the team that MacMurray will face in the John Dawson Tournament up in Adrian to kick off the season -- really "pretty solid"? I haven't seen a scouting report on TBA yet.

[fcnews]

Just a note on FU's opening opponent Wm. Penn. They were the pre-season #23 team in NAIA II. Wm. Penn opened the season in tourney action at Spring Arbor. Falling to the hosts 78-75, while shooting 51% from the field and 47% from behind the arc. They beat Brescia 80-71 in the consolation game. They still have Dana, Mo. Valley and Peru St. to play before facing the Griifins in Chicago.

Speaking of scheduling: I read in the Post Dispatch that Lindenwood Univ. beat St. Louis School of Pharmacy 98-58.

Bunchtime - Unfortunately WU will not have the advantage of waiting till January, with the new conference Scheduling all sliac teams play two conference games before Christmas Break. Although one is a home contest against LCC.

Just noticed Wash U's new roster. Again this year the Bears feature only one player w/ STL ties. He's a freshmen from Pattonville.

[pantherpride06]

If anyone is interested in seeing Greenville, looks like they will have their hands full on Friday Night with #1 Wash. U. at HJ Long Gymnasium (Greenville).  I'm sure this will we very interesting.  It'll give Greenville a chance to stretch their legs out and run with a team like Greenville.  To my recollection, Greenville Men have never entertained the #1 team in the nation (pre or regular season).  Good Luck to my boys...

Washington is currently cold!  However, I am the Administrator that gets to travel with our Women's Volleyball team to balmy California (Cal State East Bay) on Wednesday for the first/second round of the NCAA Women's Volleyball Tournament... well not so much.  Suppose to be cool there too.

Basketball Season officially just a few days away...  who's ready?

[BunchTime]

FC News:  Yes, it eluded my mind that they now start before Christmas as a result of the conference expansion.

Non-basketball related, I though it was interesting to see that ESPN's College GameDay picked the Williams vs. Amherts game to air live coverage of this Saturday's football action.  This is especially surprising considering all the BCS implications a weekend in November has.  Perhaps the Trinity miracle spurred some attention.  Nevertheless, another good mark for the world of DIII sports.  Sorry though, I must admit, I know very little about these 2 teams or the rivalry between them.

Basekball season is inching ever so close.  A couple weeks and we should be able to have a little substance between all of our preseason talk on this board, as right now, all we can do is speculate on this or that!  I can't wait!

[hopefan]

unfortunately this is my out of town weekend, or I would definitely go over to see Greenville and Wash U scrimmage  -  Y jak, FC, one of you should go and give us a detailed report!!!

We had a lot of fun setting up a phone connection last year passing scores on from different sites - FC, Yjak, Eureka SID, Mac attack and I all were included, and as the season got exciting we would call each other from different sites after games, and even at halftime  -  anyone else that reads these pages interested?  We need people who will attend Westmin, BC, Mac, or GC games - and yes, Prin and LCC supporters invited too.... SID's welcome....

[fcnews]

Hope - FU has it's Late Night on Friday, so I won't be able to attend the Wash U v. GC scrimmage. I'm in on the score line.

Panther - Good to hear from ya, glad things have worked out well for you.

[sully309]

Just a few quick notes on the Red Devils...

They played at Rockford in a scrimmage Saturday. I believe they were ahead after the 1st half by 2, lost the 2nd by 2 and then tied the 10 minute "overtime" period. I believe Matt McComb played some, but Mark Darnall did not due to injuries. Darnall has been cleared to return to practice after suffering an injury playing soccer. I think both could be available for when the real games begin.

EC also played Carl Sandburg (J.C. in Galesburg) the previous weekend and come out behind by 6. Both Rockford and CSC presented contrasting styles to say the least for this year's Eureka team. Good experience with everyone seeing plenty of playing time.

I think I'll get my 1st chance to see the Red Devil teams this weekend, allbeit against a group of alums.

Here again is Eureka's non-conference schedule:
Nov. 16-17 @ UW-Whitewater Tournament
vs. Whitewater, then against either North Park or MSOE
Nov. 20 @ North Park
Nov. 24 @ Elmhurst
Nov. 28 vs. Dominican
Dec. 11 vs. Millikin
Dec. 14 @ Knox

EC hosts Blackburn (12/5) and Prin (12/8) sprinkled in there as well.
Yes, we could play North Park in back-to-back games. Nothing against the Vikings, but hopefully that doesn't happen.

[hopefan]

Just noticed something interesting  -  The updated 2008 DIII handbook does not list Lincoln Christian as an NCAA DIII school - not as provisional either.  Yet LCC is playing a full SLIAC schedule  - 

So are they an official SLIAC team though no longer an NCAA team - do the LCC games count as SLIAC wins and losses? (Remember they came within points of upset wins multiple times last year).   Or is this an error in the NCAA handbook?

This would also impact regional records - if they are not an NCAA team, they clearly would not be a part of the regional win-loss record of D3 teams.

If they aren't an NCAA team, why i would SLIAC schools continue to play a full 18 game SLIAC schedule, depriving SLIAC schools of the opportunity to play 2 more regional games?

Wish the new SLIAC commish read this and would comment....

[buncheriffic]

with Division I Mid Major Arkansas State University in Arkansas.

I have never heard Arkansas State referred to as a "Mid-Major". Actually, I don't know of any SunBelt teams that are considered Mid-Major.

Even Cleo Lemon wouldn't call them mid-major.