WBB: Michigan Intercollegiate Athletics Association

[KnightSlappy]

Congrats to Ms. VerKaik being MVP for the second year in a row.  Watching and comparing the stats all season long she seemed the odds on favorite.
After her performance last week in the tournament there shouldn't have been any doubt in anyone's mind.

Apparently Brian Van Ochten doesn't agree:

http://www.mlive.com/smallcolleges/grandrapids/index.ssf/2011/02/ferris_state_men_finally_get_s.html

I thought his article was somewhat foolish. I wouldn't have had a problem if Carrie had won and, if I was the lone decider, I would have had these two ladies share the crown, but an honest observer can't say Carissa doesn't deserve her award.

The best part of the article is that after he finishes talking about how counting stats (my term) shouldn't apply because of the minutes played difference, he quotes Snikkers' 13 fewer turnovers as a supporting argument for Carrie.

[facepalm]

[oldknight]

From the bracket, is it fair to guess that the hidden GL regional ranking go like this?

Thomas More
Calvin
Hope
Denison
Hanover
DePauw

Seems so,  it could be argued the pod in Holland is about geography and 'fiscal resposibility'.

If so, let's root for the MIAA because if both teams win, and these criteria are paramount, then one or the other school should be host for sectionals.

[realist]

Congrats to Ms. VerKaik being MVP for the second year in a row.  Watching and comparing the stats all season long she seemed the odds on favorite.
After her performance last week in the tournament there shouldn't have been any doubt in anyone's mind.

Apparently Brian Van Ochten doesn't agree:

http://www.mlive.com/smallcolleges/grandrapids/index.ssf/2011/02/ferris_state_men_finally_get_s.html

I thought his article was somewhat foolish. I wouldn't have had a problem if Carrie had won and, if I was the lone decider, I would have had these two ladies share the crown, but an honest observer can't say Carissa doesn't deserve her award.

I will see you, and raise you on the somewhat foolish comment.
Several times in the last week I mentioned I thought it would come out co-mvp.  I changed my mind after the tournament last week.  Hands down CV was the better, and more valueable player all season long.  The stats aren't even that close.
Unlike BVO I think post season awards really need to go to the player that does the job on the floor.  I don't argue that CS has great talent and skill, but no one knows what might have happened had she played more.  It certainly didn't help that she had games when she scored single digits.  If her coach wanted her to get the mvp he should have made sure she played more, and had the stats to prove how important she was.  

[oldknight]

Congrats to Ms. VerKaik being MVP for the second year in a row.  Watching and comparing the stats all season long she seemed the odds on favorite.
After her performance last week in the tournament there shouldn't have been any doubt in anyone's mind.

Apparently Brian Van Ochten doesn't agree:

http://www.mlive.com/smallcolleges/grandrapids/index.ssf/2011/02/ferris_state_men_finally_get_s.html

I thought his article was somewhat foolish. I wouldn't have had a problem if Carrie had won and, if I was the lone decider, I would have had these two ladies share the crown, but an honest observer can't say Carissa doesn't deserve her award.

The best part of the article is that after he finishes talking about how counting stats (my term) shouldn't apply because of the minutes played difference, he quotes Snikkers' 13 fewer turnovers as a supporting argument for Carrie.

[facepalm]

Yeah; I got a chuckle out of that kind of "reasoning" too and it's what I had in mind when I found his article foolish.

[oldknight]

Well I'll double raise you. Van Ochten doesn't seem to realize that a central premise of his argument is at odds with his conclusion (we call that a non sequitor). He mentions that Carrie's stats are less impressive because "she had a better supporting cast capable of shouldering more of the offensive load" and that "Hope had huge leads in most of its games." Well Brian, if your team didn't need you to win, how valuable are you?

[realist]

"It is an embarrassment that Snikkers, who was named D-III national player of the year on the eve of leading the Flying Dutch to a runner-up finish in the national title game last season, wasn't the MVP of her own league."

Why wouldn't the embarassed party here be the people who made her poy when she hadn't won the lesser award first.

"The former Holland Christian star had superior numbers -- on paper -- "  Duh, and she got those numbers on the floor where the game gets played.

Well at least he was more gracious in his article announcing the winner, but he doesn't "recant" his earlier bias.

http://www.mlive.com/smallcolleges/grandrapids/index.ssf/2011/03/calvins_carissa_verkaik_named_1.html#postComment

[NW Hope Fan]

Hope gets to host DePauw
Denison faces off with Wash U in the other game of the pod

Wow.

This is nothing less than insane (coming from a Wash U fan).

The prize for surviving? Undefeated Thomas More.

And then probably the winner of a second-round game between Calvin and Chicago.  Whoever makes the Final Four will definitely have earned it.

Hope could have to beat (if all goes as rankings would have it) 4 top 10 teams to advance to the final 4. Everyone else only max 2. The other three corners of the bracket could have teams not hit a top 10 team till the final 4.

I must also point out, that Denison has the same potential path as Hope, with 4 possible top ten match-ups. (And no home court advantage...)

[wwjjdd]

Congrats to Ms. VerKaik being MVP for the second year in a row.  Watching and comparing the stats all season long she seemed the odds on favorite.
After her performance last week in the tournament there shouldn't have been any doubt in anyone's mind.

Apparently Brian Van Ochten doesn't agree:

http://www.mlive.com/smallcolleges/grandrapids/index.ssf/2011/02/ferris_state_men_finally_get_s.html

I thought his article was somewhat foolish. I wouldn't have had a problem if Carrie had won and, if I was the lone decider, I would have had these two ladies share the crown, but an honest observer can't say Carissa doesn't deserve her award.

I will see you, and raise you on the somewhat foolish comment.
Several times in the last week I mentioned I thought it would come out co-mvp.  I changed my mind after the tournament last week.  Hands down CV was the better, and more valueable player all season long.  The stats aren't even that close.
Unlike BVO I think post season awards really need to go to the player that does the job on the floor.  I don't argue that CS has great talent and skill, but no one knows what might have happened had she played more.  It certainly didn't help that she had games when she scored single digits.  If her coach wanted her to get the mvp he should have made sure she played more, and had the stats to prove how important she was.  

In my opinion:

1) That would have gone against Mo's team concept
2) He would have been accused of "poring it on"
3) Because of a problem knee, he rested her more late in the year
4) Carrie did not win the conference MVP last year. but did win the POY in DIII.  As Mo said in the Holland Senile this morning, he hopes for a long run in the NCAA so as to give her another chance at that.  That would make me perfectly happy as well.

[oldknight]

Acccording to Calvin's sports headline of today, Tom and Carrie Snikkers is the first brother/sister combo in MIAA history to receive All-MIAA first team honors in men's/women's basketball.

[fannie]

Lots of talk about the "pod of death" - any thoughts on the strength of the Calvin pod - or Calvin's chances in their pod???

[sac]

If LaRoche is anything like Juniata was for Hope a couple years ago, Calvin will win that without much trouble.

[wiz]

If LaRoche is anything like Juniata was for Hope a couple years ago, Calvin will win that without much trouble.

A little early for that shtick, isnt' it?

[oldknight]

Lots of talk about the "pod of death" - any thoughts on the strength of the Calvin pod - or Calvin's chances in their pod???

I have it on good authority that KnightSlappy is considering doing a preview of this weekend's games at Van Noord on his blog, just as he did all season for the men's games.

[Dark Knight]

If LaRoche is anything like Juniata was for Hope a couple years ago, Calvin will win that without much trouble.

A little early for that shtick, isnt' it?

I think sac is being straight-up here; Massey has Calvin as a 23-point favorite.

Calvin's potential second game against Chicago, though, would be much tougher if it happens. The d3hoops.com poll and Massey have Chicago as #6. Massey has the game as a virtual draw, with Calvin about a 1-point favorite by virtue of home court advantage.

The plus side is that Chicago doesn't appear to be nearly as good at stealing the ball as Hope.

[ziggy]

If LaRoche is anything like Juniata was for Hope a couple years ago, Calvin will win that without much trouble.

A little early for that shtick, isnt' it?

I think sac is being straight-up here; Massey has Calvin as a 23-point favorite.

Calvin's potential second game against Chicago, though, would be much tougher if it happens. The d3hoops.com poll and Massey have Chicago as #6. Massey has the game as a virtual draw, with Calvin about a 1-point favorite by virtue of home court advantage.

The plus side is that Chicago doesn't appear to be nearly as good at stealing the ball as Hope.

Massey is more confident in Hope surviving their pod of death than Calvin reaching the sectional, fwiw.