MBB: St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[y_jack_lok]

I think fc makes some good points, and he has been right more than he has been wrong. I agree that a player like Fournie doesn't come around every year, and FU will need to replace him with a player who can make just as valuable contributions, but different kinds of contributions. It is always interesting to see how teams change from year to year, even when most of the personnel are the same.

[fcnews]

Thanks Yjak. It was just a few years ago that Hopefan said on this very board that FU's head coach ought to listen to friends and retire. It was time. Just think of all the fun he would have missed these past two years.

Fontbonne has proven to be at least the best conditioned team the past few years. And, come tournament time pretty tough to beat. Fontbonne has a very talented transfer to take Chad's spot in the starting line up. Different qualities. But, you still will be getting a tried and true team. Besides the 3 seniors you add in Branch and that's four kids who have been there. Fournie's replacement will have more basketball skills. But, replacing his other qualities will be tough.

Bench and schedules are nice. But, heart, desire and coaching go along way in March.

[fcnews]

On a side note: Check out the article on the front page of the SLIAC Website. FU will be hosting the DIII Volleyball Championships in 2010 and 11. Be nice to showcase the facility.

[y_jack_lok]

I'm going to split hairs here and note that the article says that FU is co-hosting the Volleyball championships with Wash U.

FC, this omission is the sort of thing that sometimes has people questioning your credibility. Your extraordinary loyalty to FU makes people think you exaggerate things. However, I will stick by my earlier statement that I have found you to be right more often than I have found you to be wrong.

[fcnews]

Yjak - I beleive the particulars are. You are correct. With Wash. U's multiple courts they will be used as the teams practice facilities. They will also co-host some of the games leading up to the championship match. The National Championship Match will be played in the DSAC. Thanks for your confidence.

[hopefan]

I visited Maryville's page this morning and note they have posted a lengthy writeup on their recruiting class -

They have brought in a large number of players, including kids from Oklahoma, Texas, Wisconsin, Waynesville, Mo(a kid my alma mater RPI, was recruiting), and Illinois, as well as the Kansas City Area.

None have mind blowing stats, but it looks like a solid group of all conference type kids, with pretty good size.

They also brought in two transfers, one from SIUE (was he on the team there?) and one from St Norb's

I find myself curious about the kid from St Norbs - a D3 school in the Mdiwest  Conference - he started every game as a frosh, average 12 a game, shot the 3 alot at 40%.  But in his sophomore year, he didn't start and only appeared in half their games - wonder whether he was injured or had some other major problem.  Also of interest is that this is the school that Maryville guard Tyler Saxton left for, only to return to Maryville in the second semester.

With only one senior leaving the program from last year, if this year's recruits are all legit candidates, Maryville has a boatload of bodies - don't know what Coach Rogers will do with them all, but it's a nice problem to have...

[y_jack_lok]

Well, if recent history is any indicator, if Coach Rogers has 25 players and there is a total of 200 minutes of playing time per game, he will play each of them for 8 minutes a game.

[hopefan]

no question about it Yjack, that's a +1 on the karma scoreboard!!!!!

[fcnews]

And each kid from Texas, Okla., Wis. and whereever was recruited within the rules of DIII. Next year was never mentioned and sure you can compete for the SLIAC Championship. What I can't believe is not one AD would agree to bring the Maryville topic up for discussion. The conference had it's oppurtunity. It will make beting them that much more enjoyable.

[y_jack_lok]

I'm not sure exactly what you're saying there, fc. But before getting too spiteful about this Maryville deal we need to remember that the move to D2 wasn't made just so they could maybe beat up on a bunch of SLIAC teams in various sports in 08-09 -- which isn't happening so far in soccer and volleyball. Maryville chose this path because it fits best with their long term plan for the university. I expect they will take their lumps for a while when they are into full-scale competition with D2 institutions. Whether eitehr FU or Webster will want to schedule them after this season, you would know better I would. I do think it would be interesting to seem them play Wash U for the next three or four years.

[Ralph Turner]

...
Maryville chose this path because it fits best with their long term plan for the university. I expect they will take their lumps for a while when they are into full-scale competition with D2 institutions. ...

+1!  Thanks for bringing the discussion back to reality.

[fcnews]

Not to spiteful, but do you really think the playing field is level this year? Should they be in post season play when their telling freshmen recruits their being given a 3 year full ride? I'm not discussing institutional issues, just sports right now. Some of the things that transpired were not what I would call real ethical. The ramifications laid on an organization they had been so involved with is hard to explain. This is basically a whole new regime though. I do not have any hard feelings towards Coach Rogers at all. It has to be a whole lot easier doing his job this year. To each his own. They still have to play the games.

I'm making the Mac coach my coach of the year before the first practice. Can you imagine trying to coach both the men and women's teams at this level. Conference doubleheaders won't allow for much of a pre-game speech.

[y_jack_lok]

I think we will have to wait for the results of the games to find out whether the playing field is level or not. As for conference post-season play, I'd rather Maryville not be allowed to be in it. But we play by the rules, and the rules say they can.

Regarding the ethical question, you have way more information than I do, so I will defer to you on that one. Still, this is a one year deal, so next year should be back to normal.

What I read into the things you are saying is a concern that Maryville's men's basketball team will win the conference tournament championship and go to the NCAA tournament, when you clearly have high hopes and expectations, as well  you should, that Fontbonne will go for the third year in a row. It will be very tough on your seniors if that were to happen, as they are a top notch class and have proven themselves to be great competitors the past two years. You just have to accept that it is what it is this year.  Yes, beating Maryville will be sweeter this year, and you and I both know it will happen.

[hopefan]

Coaches McKinney, Barber, Mitchell, and Bunch all have significant years in the SLIAC.  I think that if they felt that Maryville was being unethical in its recruiting practices, these guys would have taken the proper steps to rectify the situation.  The fact that no one went in that direction seems to imply that Maryville was above board in what they did, and the SLIAC felt that they remained legitimate under D3 and SLIAC rules for the FY08-09 season.

I see nothing wrong with selling the 'benefits' of Divsion 2 when that is where Maryville is going, as long as D3 rules are adhered to for this year. I would be amazed if any of this year's recruits had a piece of paper in their hands promising a scholarship 2 years out......

I don't want to get bogged down defending Maryville in this situation as I am so adamently contra to the move to D2.  On the other hand I think highly of Coach Rogers and AD Duckworth, and will defend their integrity vs rumors or innuendo.  If there is documentation of wrong doing, put it out on the table and let the SLIAC powers act on it or be critisized for not doing so, but let's not take potshots from left field.

[y_jack_lok]

Below is a link from the Maryville athletics website outlining the benefits of being a D2 member:

http://athletics.maryville.edu/d2/Benefits.asp

This is one of several links you get if you go to the Maryville athletics home page and click on "Reclassifying to NCAA Division II".