MBB: St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[y_jack_lok]

The Great Northwest may have more majestic mountains, but we have better corn fields. 

[fcnews]

Just a few quick hits:
This year will mark Fontbonne's 20th year of basketball, 20th year of having an Athletic Department for that matter. Doesn't seem that long ago that, then President, Dr. Dunham (Dunham Student Athletic Center) hired Coach McKinney away from Missouri Baptist. To start the program at a school which had only been coed for a short period of time.

No gym, no fields, no coaches and a tiny office. FU you've come along way baby.

This will mark Coach McKinney's 30th year in the college game. He needs 12 wins to reach the 500 win mark at this level. I guess not to bad for rebuilding the program at Mo. Bapt. and starting the Purple and Gold from scratch.

Coach will be having knee surgery to repair a torn meniscus this coming Friday. Two shoulders and one knee, I told him he's just a knee away from being completely rebuilt. That should raise his value at the Barrett Jackson Auto Auction.

Also, Josh Branch will become the third junior to pass the 1000 point mark in the past two years, joining McCoy and Fogerty.

We're just a few weeks away from our favorite time of year guys. I've got one last week in the beautiful Ozarks, the John Daly Celebrity Pro – Am and it's time to pack the wagon for the STL. A neat note, the concert for the golf tourney will be held on the runway of the new airport. Just a mile over to the next mountain from the course. For you golfers, this time next year construction will begin on the Ben Crenshaw designed course. That will be three championship courses on the same property. Joining Branson Creekand John Daly's Murder Rock. It will be a nice fly in weekend of golf.

[hopefan]

good to hear from FC - I've been hopefully checking the site for ANYTHING SLIAC in the last couple of weeks, but it's been pretty empty.   Hopefully we'll start seeing some regular writings from Bunchtime, Furbug, EurekaSID, my buddies up at Blackburn, and the rabid fans of Mac.  Maybe even a reappearance of Mac Attack as a certain slashing small forward is rumored to be reappearing at Mac.

This would be such a great site if we had more regular writers - I'm often Surprised that there aren't more writers hidden by the cloak of anoninmity that don't get the urge to brag on their favorite SLIAC team or players, or at least get riled up enough by what we 3 or 4 regular writers have to say that they don't get on to condemn, critisize, chastise, ridicule, inform, or (gulp) even agree with us.

And yet, we have limited inside info - My pipeline to Maryville began to dry up when Coach Myers left, and evidently turned into Desert Storm when I debated the move to D2 - I no longer even receive the occasional informative newsletters from the basketball staff - We get good stuff from FC on Fontbonne (dang he must have a good connection over there), and Bunchtime occasionally fills us in on Webster (unfortunately not often enough, as I find his info always to be accurate), and we hear the occasional wild rumor from Mac, never quite knowing whether our leg is being pulled or not , and in season Eureka SID writes, and Panther unfortunately has become pretty isolated from Greenville in his 2000 mile move to the Pacific Ocean, but really nothing NOTHING of substance from Maryville, Westminster, Prin, Blackburn.

For as much positive pub as the programs can get from this site, because there is next to zero ANYWHERE else, it disappoints me.  Parents, fans, school admin, give the kids SOMETHING by contributing to this site this season.

and now, a leap off the soapbox.....

[fcnews]

"We're not in Kansas anymore Toto"

Hopefan - Your not back east any longer and this is not Hope College. Your talking about one of the youngest ( if not the youngest ) conferences in all of DIII. If you check the number of views we're not that far off pace from the NACC or MWC. I know that FU's campus was shut off this board a few years past. And for good reason. FU's players are told to refrain from participation for obvious reasons. I think you will notice that we don't lag to far behind our counterparts at Wash U. in frequency of posts.

I am more interested in seeing the product that MU puts on the floor this year. As for as fall sports go VB 3-12, WS 3-5-1 and MS 4-4, is this the type of programs ready for DII? These are sports were athletes can be under scholarship as soon as their season is over, ie. 2nd semester.

[fcnews]

I just noticed on the front page notables, that former BC bball coach Ira Zeff, now AD at Neb. Wesleyan, dipped back into his former conference for a new womens coach.

[Razor Back]

Westminster looks like they will have a couple of newcomers with some size who could help. Corey Lane (6'5") was a decorated high school player out of the Tucson, Arizona area two years ago. Made some all conference and all area teams as a high school senior. Doesn't say where he was last season, but looks like a player. Jake Vislay (6'5") is the other one. Was a scholarship player last season at Central Methodist but didn't play much. Good numbers for a very successful Jefferson City Helias team two years ago. For a Westminster team hit hard by graduation, Lane and Vilay could see a lot of early minutes. Besides Warncke, just about everyone back came off the bench. Crawford, Millard, and Sodemann all played more than 300 minutes and all three of them were 3-point shooters, so look for them to contribute. Blue Jays graduated four starters from a 17-8 team, but appear to be reloading for 2008-2009.

Razor

Westminster plays a pretty tough non-conference schedule in 2008-2009. At SIU-Edwardsville, at Central Missouri, Hendrix, Rhodes, Spalding. Keep an eye on them.

Back

[hopefan]

see that FC  -  start beating the carpet and the bugs may start falling out!!!!

Thanks Razor for the info - hope you'll continue to contribute as you find additional detail

[y_jack_lok]

I just noticed on the front page notables, that former BC bball coach Ira Zeff, now AD at Neb. Wesleyan, dipped back into his former conference for a new womens coach.

I made mention of this on the women's SLIAC posting board -- where it belongs. 

[fcnews]

Hopefan - You can always be counted on for an optimistic outlook. Plus, for a guy with no actual ties to the conference, you are a dedicated SLIAC fan. +1K

[Arthur2000]

Just an update from Sliac teams,  Greenville is going to be a contender for the Sliac championship, behind there star guard Ben Cochran, and I have to agree that Fontbonne should be another great team behind there good guard Josh Branch.  Another team that will surprise this year is Eureka behind Mark Darnall and they have a great coach. But, now for the most improved team in the Sliac. The Macmurray Highlanders.

[hopefan]

Interesting comment about Fontbonne being a great team behind their good guard Josh Branch  -  Me thinks most would consider him the 4th star behind Fogerty, Storandt and Patrick McKoy.  No doubt Branch will be a critical part of Fontbonne's success - I'd like to see him become more of a slashing to the basket 2 guard - something to work with when that three point shot isn't falling...

[Arthur2000]

Yes, I have to agree I was just trying to give a name that most people that don't follow Fontbonne very closely should watch out for.    But yes Branch needs to go to the basket more and not settle so much for the jump shot.

[fcnews]

Josh has a lot of friends at GC Hopefan. I would look for his attempts to be down this year, with the addition of a couple of good scorers. That said, Josh will play an important role in the Griffins success.

[pantherpride06]

Hello my midwest junkies!!!

I don't have anything to add to anything.  Just wanted to let you know I'm still alive and that basketball practice officially begins in 20 days! 

[Ralph Turner]

It's official.  Spaulding Spalding joins the SLIAC in 2009-10.

Thanks to Mr. Ypsi for finding the misspelling!