WBB: Michigan Intercollegiate Athletics Association

[calvinite]

Feeling well or not, Carissa had her best game statistically against Hope in at least the last 6 games/2 years. 

*I know she wasn't feeling 100% on Friday; she may or may not have been 100% on Saturday. Good point about how well she did against Hope which we all know is an excellent defensive team. She normally shoots 57%, but she went 6 for 16 yesterday. That may be more a reflection of Hope's defense than on her health. On the other hand, she went 12 for 16 from the free throw line where she normally shoots 90%. She had only missed 11 free throws all year (over 100 shots) until yesterday when she missed 4.

Anyway, speaking of health issues, what a blessing that Kayla Englhard was able to come back after going down, pointing to her knee, and being helped off the court. Remember a couple year's ago when TWO Calvin girls went down in either the tournament finals or the final Hope-Calvin game of the year? One of those players I know was Marcia Harris, a huge loss. When Kayla went down, I figured Calvin was just cursed. Anyway, she seems to be all right (despite not having had her best game).

[Roundball999]

I too was very glad to see Englhard come back.  I remember that time when the Calvin girls went down, and Kussmaul's loss was a huge blow to Hope last year.  I root hard for my teams, but never want to see anyone unable to compete due to injury.  While Hope is my team, I'll be rooting hard for Calvin throughout the tournament and Englhard makes a big difference for the Knights.

Carissa's shooting was not really out of line with those other Hope games.  Her outings include 6-14, 5-12, and 6-18 among those previous 5 games.  No shame there against an excellent defense like Hope's and she occupies a lot of attention.  But the Flying Dutch's shooting % is also typically way down when playing against the Knights' defense.    I chalk it up to strong defense by both teams; shooting isn't as easy as it is against softer teams.

Free throws are funny; Liz Ellis has also been well over 80% all year and she went 4-9 yesterday.  I guess she and Carissa offset each other from the line - and maybe someone should check those rims! 

[calvinite]

Thanks, Roundball999. In past years, I was unable (too immature, too self-centered, too competitive, all of the above??) to ever cheer for Hope. Now, my anger with regional rankings and the system of selecting Pool C bids, along with the realization that the Calvin-Hope games (men and women) are just more fun and exciting when the games are competitive, that I also (FOR THE FIRST TIME) will definitely be cheering for the Hope women in the tournament. Also, feel the same way about other MIAA teams. Calvin (and Hope) are better teams when we have better competition in the MIAA. I think there's promise on the men's side, but we have a way to go before we have more parity on the women's side.

GO MIAA!!!

[sac]

I think these are all the teams within 500 miles for Hope, which are also the same for Calvin I think

Pool A

*DePauw
*Ohio Northern

*Thomas More
*LaRoche
The first 2 should be a host, I think Thomas More or LaRoche might get a host due to their location.  If they don't host obviously they'd be in the possible opponent category.

Hanover
Westminster
Carthage
Cornell
Wisc-Lutheran
UW-Stevens Point
Hope

potential Pool C
UW-Whitewater
UW-Oshkosh
Washington-Stl
Illinois Wesleyan
Monmouth
Otterbein
Franklin
Calvin

I really have no clue what the Pool C landscape looks like for the women, to me Calvin looks in without much trouble.  The others would be within the 500 miles.

The Central Region has Cornell, Ia as an obvious host site, Simpson, Ia will get a host from the West.  I barely see enough teams to pull to a host site in Holland if Thomas More or LaRoche ends up hosting.

If we figure Simpson, DePauw, Ohio No. and Cornell as hosts you need 12 teams within 500 miles.   If all the teams I listed above get in plus a couple from the West Region which are to far to play in Holland you're left with 4.  So it really only leaves one more host site which probably goes between Hope, Thomas More or LaRoche.

This is really just a guess, but I think Calvin will be on the road for sure and I actually think its looks like higher odds Hope has to travel as well.

[sac]

If Hope does have to travel they are close enough to Simpson in Indianola Iowa which would include potential opponents like St. Thomas, St. Scholastica, Concordia-Moorhead, Minnesota-Morris

[hope81]

The difficult thing about the host team projections is that we are not sure about who submitted a bid to host or not.  I am pretty sure that at least one of the mentioned host teams did not place a bid.  I think that may help the Hope cause, but with the NCAA, all things are possible.

[bballfan13]

Sac, thanks for the great work on putting that together!

I mentioned Calvin as having an outside chance, but thinking not a very big chance at all, because of the location.  I do think they will still be ranked 4th in the GL region above Thomas More and LaRoche, so if they get to host it would have to be based on location, not regional ranking IMHO.

I think it would be a shame if Thomas More or LaRoche got to host over Hope.

It is interesting looking back to last year.  The GL region had 4 teams host  - Calvin, DePauw, Mount Union, and Thomas More.  It really does come down to location of schools and the 500 mile rule as you mentioned.


Hope81 - do you know which school did not place a bid?

[Mr. Ypsi]

Sac, although it of course depresses me to say it, I would be absolutely stunned if IWU gets a Pool C.  They had an amazing 5 year run (66-4 in the CCIW; 5 straight times of at least Sweet 16), but just didn't have the fire power this year (hard to replace the national POY ).  Hopefully they can get back on track next season.

[sac]

Sac, although it of course depresses me to say it, I would be absolutely stunned if IWU gets a Pool C.  They had an amazing 5 year run (66-4 in the CCIW; 5 straight times of at least Sweet 16), but just didn't have the fire power this year (hard to replace the national POY ).  Hopefully they can get back on track next season.

I just listed all the teams that were regionally ranked that didn't get a Pool A bid, I have no idea how the Pool C process will play out on this side.

The difficult thing about the host team projections is that we are not sure about who submitted a bid to host or not.  I am pretty sure that at least one of the mentioned host teams did not place a bid.  I think that may help the Hope cause, but with the NCAA, all things are possible.

If this is true, and I believe it is, then I think Hope's chances of hosting are nearly a lock.  As near a lock as you can be without people getting mad at me for calling it a lock if they don't host. 

Then I think you move Calvin into that position with Thomas More/LaRoche for the final hosting location.  Location would still not favor Calvin, and this isn't like two years ago when Hope and Calvin were #2 and #3 in the region all year.

[bballforever]

Where ever they go, they need better guard play to even make it past first game.  Both teams struggled mightily so thank goodness for their excellent post play.

[realist]

Where ever they go, they need better guard play to even make it past first game.  Both teams struggled mightily so thank goodness for their excellent post play.

Like everyone else I would like to see better play at the guard spot by Calvin.  However, in their defense one must remember that Sat. was the third time these teams faced each other, and the second in one week.  The teams really do know each other, and their tendencies/weaknesses.  When you have this familiarity it seems to magnify any weakness.  I think Calvin and Hope will respresent the MIAA quite well. 

[Roundball999]

Where ever they go, they need better guard play to even make it past first game.  Both teams struggled mightily so thank goodness for their excellent post play.

Like everyone else I would like to see better play at the guard spot by Calvin.  However, in their defense one must remember that Sat. was the third time these teams faced each other, and the second in one week.  The teams really do know each other, and their tendencies/weaknesses.  When you have this familiarity it seems to magnify any weakness.  I think Calvin and Hope will respresent the MIAA quite well. 

I agree completely, these teams have studied each other thoroughly, tough to be smooth on offense when both teams are big, defend hard and know most of their opponent's stuff.  Let's not forget either that Ellis is a 2-time MIAA defensive player of the year and Doell is like a 6'1" octopus when she's defending on the perimeter; hard to look good against that. 

Engelhard is a really fine guard and I think Calvin will do really well in the tournament.

[Flying Dutch Fan]

Gotta love the d3hoops projected bracket - well maybe Calvin won't love the go to Rochester for the first weekend - but the fact that they have it set-up that a potential Hope-Calvin national championship game is a possibility.  Can you just imagine that

http://www.d3hoops.com/playoffs/women/2013/2013-wbb-projected-bracket

[Hwbb]

If only d3hoops were in charge of brackets instead of the NCAA. Given what we've experienced the past decade from the NCAA, this d3hoops bracket strikes me more as the fantasy bracket we'd like to see rather than the projected bracket we are likely to see. We can hope, I guess...

[ziggy]

Hope hosting Wheaton (Ill.)
Calvin heading to Cornell (IA) to face St. Thomas

Potential sweet 16 matchup for Calvin-Hope 4