WBB: Michigan Intercollegiate Athletics Association

[hope1]

going to whitewater wisc fri 

[Erm Schmigget]

Fortunately for Hope's teams, their fans travel well.  I think the NCAA knows this, and maybe it will come into play in deciding whether to choose Simpson or Whitewater as host for next weekend--Whitewater would more likely bring out the greater number of Hope fans and their dollars.  Either facility would have been large enough to hold the number of fans that came to the games each night this past weekend.  Lodging is another story.  Indianola, IA, is close to Des Moines, and there are plenty of hotel options there.  I can't say the same for Whitewater.  A search for lodging there quickly turns into a list of local B&Bs.

While Whitewater is limited as far as lodging is concerned.  Just 15 minutes south is Janesville that has numerous hotels including the official team hotel (Holiday Inn Express and Convention Center).  Madison and Milwaukee are 45 minutes away.

Thank you, voice...  Yes, there are plenty of lodging options that are close enough to Whitewater in my view, but I wanted to emphasize the (perceived) notion that the committee just doesn't consider things deeply enough to take a Madison or Milwaukee lodging option into account, and Des Moines > Janesville.  Please understand that my preference would be to see Whitewater host rather than Simpson, and that is why I place the  emoticon where I did.  I'm only reiterating that, because your edited version of my original post gives the impression that I'm not so sure I want to go to Whitewater.  I would welcome that road trip...alot more than slogging my way to the middle of Iowa (no offense FDF).

[Pat Coleman]

We've been told Simpson didn't file to host.

[bballfan13]

We've been told Simpson didn't file to host.

That makes more sense now I think.  Everyone could have driven to Simpson, so no flights would have been required according to the NCAA calculator (https://web1.ncaa.org/TES/exec/miles).  I thought Simpson was going to host this round as they were the #1 ranked team in the West Region, and Whitewater was #2 in the Central.  We don't know those final rankings for sure but that's the way it seems it would have gone.  Also, Hope most likely being #3 in the GL region and having to fly St. Thomas most likely knocked them out of hosting the next rounds.

[Roundball999]

Reflections on Hope's well-earned win before an energized crowd:
1.   With 17 turnovers and only 34% shooting, it wasn’t Hope’s prettiest win.  But good defense, good free throw shooting, and dominating (46-27) rebounding covers a lot of sins.
2.   After Friday night’s shooting extravaganza, Brittany wasn’t given many looks . . . but her presence helped open things up underneath.
3.   Liz Ellis is the engine that drives Hope’s offense, which works best when it’s in motion rather than letting the clock run down.
4.   St. Thomas wins the nail biter award. . . . with two victories after defending potentially game-winning possessions at their games’ ends.
5.   Will Coach Ross offer Coach Morehouse tips, after playing St. Thomas twice?  (Do Hope and Calvin support one another in such situations?)
6.   A highlight:  Nate Snuggerud leading a student section antic.  Great to see the men players supporting the women players

Liz Ellis is a wizard with the ball, you could literally hear the crowd gasp with some of her crossovers and other moves breaking the press.  Ohio Northern is a very good, physical team  with a very good press yet Ellis handled it with ease almost singlehandedly.  Looked like she paid a price though, taking a beating especially near the end when ONU needed to gamble for the steal or foul.   The only other drawback is there could be a tendency to rely totally on Liz to break the press, rather than making a few quick passes to attack the press and try for the easy score on the other end.  But there's no doubt that with a ballhandler like Liz, the safe thing to do is put the ball in her hands.

[LA RAMS]

A MIAC guy just crossing over to the MIAA board for the first time.  The UST - Hope game should be a great one to be sure.  Have heard a lot about Liz Ellis on here.  Can anyone else break down the Hope team for me?

[bballfan13]

Congratulations to Carissa Verkaik on being named a Josten's award finalist:

http://d3hoops.com/notables/2013/03/jostens-finalists-announced

Carissa was also a finalist last year.

[jspiii]

I've heard that Hope is makng arrangements for at least one fan bus. Prices are = $100/person, 2 people to a room or $85/person, 3-4 people to a room. This includes transportation, one night's lodging and tickets.

[jspiii]

I've heard that Hope is makng arrangements for at least one fan bus. Prices are = $100/person, 2 people to a room or $85/person, 3-4 people to a room. This includes transportation, one night's lodging and tickets.

More information on the fan bus.
http://www.hope.edu/2013/03/03/flying-dutch-headed-wisconsin-ncaa-sectionals-ticket-info-available

[sunkiss]

Still cant believe Calvin is out of tourney. what do you guys think, not enough good competition ? bad luck? got outplayed? bad decisions? took team for granted ? 

[pointlem]

Still cant believe Calvin is out of tourney. what do you guys think, not enough good competition ? bad luck? got outplayed? bad decisions? took team for granted ? 

Sunkiss, the Hope women's teams I regarded as most likely to win a national championship--the Carrie Snikkers-era teams--didn't make it, thanks, in her senior year, to exceptionally cold shooting and a 52 point game against a team they would normally beat. 

On the other hand, the 1990 and 2006 women's teams that won national championships played their best, which is what it took to eek out upset victories against higher rated teams (e.g., 92 to 89 against Wash U in 2006).  Anything can happen . . . as Michigan basketball realized after losing recently to Penn State, which was winless in the Big Ten.  And that uncertainty, I guess, is what makes sport exciting.  The best team--which I do believe was Calvin against St. Thomas, and should be Hope against St. Thomas on Friday--doesn't always win.

[Roundball999]

Still cant believe Calvin is out of tourney. what do you guys think, not enough good competition ? bad luck? got outplayed? bad decisions? took team for granted ? 

Sunkiss, the Hope women's teams I regarded as most likely to win a national championship--the Carrie Snikkers-era teams--didn't make it, thanks, in her senior year, to exceptionally cold shooting and a 52 point game against a team they would normally beat. 

On the other hand, the 1990 and 2006 women's teams that won national championships played their best, which is what it took to eek out upset victories against higher rated teams (e.g., 92 to 89 against Wash U in 2006).  Anything can happen . . . as Michigan basketball realized after losing recently to Penn State, which was winless in the Big Ten.  And that uncertainty, I guess, is what makes sport exciting.  The best team--which I do believe was Calvin against St. Thomas, and should be Hope against St. Thomas on Friday--doesn't always win.

Well said pointlem, I agree completely.  These one-and-done tournaments can be heartbreaking to the favorites that lose and exhilarating to the underdog that wins.  What fun would it be if the favorite always won? 

[Mr. Ypsi]

Still cant believe Calvin is out of tourney. what do you guys think, not enough good competition ? bad luck? got outplayed? bad decisions? took team for granted ? 

Sunkiss, the Hope women's teams I regarded as most likely to win a national championship--the Carrie Snikkers-era teams--didn't make it, thanks, in her senior year, to exceptionally cold shooting and a 52 point game against a team they would normally beat. 

On the other hand, the 1990 and 2006 women's teams that won national championships played their best, which is what it took to eek out upset victories against higher rated teams (e.g., 92 to 89 against Wash U in 2006).  Anything can happen . . . as Michigan basketball realized after losing recently to Penn State, which was winless in the Big Ten.  And that uncertainty, I guess, is what makes sport exciting.  The best team--which I do believe was Calvin against St. Thomas, and should be Hope against St. Thomas on Friday--doesn't always win.

Right.  Aside from the once a decade super team that wins in a walk, I think people tend to consistently underestimate how much good fortune (and even sheer luck) is required for a title.  The national title team last year for IWU may have been our best ever, but I doubt it (they got hot, and national POY Olivia Lett simply refused to let them lose!).  They lost 5 games; the 2008-2009 and 2009-2010 teams combined lost three games (i.e., 53-1 before the national tourney) - both teams featured a player with the initials of CS (Christina Solari kept beating out Carrie Snikkers for national honors - WOW would I have loved to see them play each other!)

IWU's only national title winner in men's hoops (1997) is in my opinion not even in the top 5 among IWU men's teams.  And even they needed a 'miracle' shot (hand-in-the-face, falling-out-of-bounds from the corner w/ 3-4 seconds left) in round two to survive against a team they had earlier in the season beaten by double digits.

[mjfasteenwolf]

Still cant believe Calvin is out of tourney. what do you guys think, not enough good competition ? bad luck? got outplayed? bad decisions? took team for granted ? 

Sunkiss, the Hope women's teams I regarded as most likely to win a national championship--the Carrie Snikkers-era teams--didn't make it, thanks, in her senior year, to exceptionally cold shooting and a 52 point game against a team they would normally beat. 

On the other hand, the 1990 and 2006 women's teams that won national championships played their best, which is what it took to eek out upset victories against higher rated teams (e.g., 92 to 89 against Wash U in 2006).  Anything can happen . . . as Michigan basketball realized after losing recently to Penn State, which was winless in the Big Ten.  And that uncertainty, I guess, is what makes sport exciting.  The best team--which I do believe was Calvin against St. Thomas, and should be Hope against St. Thomas on Friday--doesn't always win.

Well said pointlem, I agree completely.  These one-and-done tournaments can be heartbreaking to the favorites that lose and exhilarating to the underdog that wins.  What fun would it be if the favorite always won?

The one and done is awesome but especially in DIII basketball where one team has a home court advantage it seems so often that the best team does not always make it out of a weekend.

The 2008 Hope women are an example of this. I think after watching Hope for years this was probably the best team I have seen there. Anyone that watched them play down the stretch in the regular season and during that first weekend of the tournament at Baldwin Wallace would probably agree. They were absolutely rolling over everybody and were loaded with talent (Snikkers, Greene, Cowen, Boles, Lange, Henderson, Warsen, and probably more that I am missing. Their 2nd string would have won the MIAA that season.

Unfortunately they had a rough draw and didn't host either of the first two weekends. Anyone that was unfortunate enough to make the trip to Howard Payne that year witnessed the mysterious magic of home court advantage mixed in with some highly questionable officiating.

This being said having to travel is not always easy. Best of luck to hope this weekend. I think if they can come back home with two wins this weekend they would definitely be the team to beat at home.

[realist]

Still cant believe Calvin is out of tourney. what do you guys think, not enough good competition ? bad luck? got outplayed? bad decisions? took team for granted ? 

Calvin played St. Thomas first game of the year, and the next night UWSP.  They started the year with tough games, and when you add in they played Hope 3 times that is about as good a preparation for the tournament as you are going to get.  Yes, Calvin is disappointed that things didn't go as well as they had hoped.  It was a game of runs, and Calvin had their chances all throughout the game.  No excuses.  St. Thomas is a very good team.