MBB: Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association

[ziggy]

Sorry if this has already been mentioned, but it looks like Calvin Athletics will no longer be broadcast through real player.  Now you'll need quicktime, see link below.

http://secure.stretchinternet.com/demo/games.php?user=calvin&o=cal_stamp

[MIdoubleA]

I dont know if any of you posters saw the article in the Holland Sentinel about Hope basketball and shooting more 3's. After reading it I really wanted to e-mail Lee Lamberts and tell him that he wrote a dumb article haha. If any of you holland sentinel subscribers are able to post it in here that would be great haha so you can see where I am coming from.  Its all about some guy telling the sports editor about how hope would win more games if they shot more 3's and that 2 point shots are worthless. Oh and they went on to say that they were not impressed with hopes win over AQ. I guess it wasnt Hope's best game but they sure played well. Anyways this is just a place where I can come vent about it, so sorry if any of you are the guy that is e-mailing Lee Lamberts 

http://hollandsentinel.com/stories/121807/localsports_20071218038.shtml

What a joke.

Somewhere along the line the sports editor has got to just put his foot down and not let them publish crap like that.

A quick synopsis of the article:

"Some guy e-mailed me and says Hope should shoot more 3's than 2's because 2's don't count as much as 3's and if I can say 2's one more time  i win five bucks from my friend... 2's."

[oldknight]

I dont know if any of you posters saw the article in the Holland Sentinel about Hope basketball and shooting more 3's. After reading it I really wanted to e-mail Lee Lamberts and tell him that he wrote a dumb article haha. If any of you holland sentinel subscribers are able to post it in here that would be great haha so you can see where I am coming from.  Its all about some guy telling the sports editor about how hope would win more games if they shot more 3's and that 2 point shots are worthless. Oh and they went on to say that they were not impressed with hopes win over AQ. I guess it wasnt Hope's best game but they sure played well. Anyways this is just a place where I can come vent about it, so sorry if any of you are the guy that is e-mailing Lee Lamberts 

http://hollandsentinel.com/stories/121807/localsports_20071218038.shtml

What a joke.

Somewhere along the line the sports editor has got to just put his foot down and not let them publish crap like that.

A quick synopsis of the article:

"Some guy e-mailed me and says Hope should shoot more 3's than 2's because 2's don't count as much as 3's and if I can say 2's one more time  i win five bucks from my friend... 2's."

I'm sorry to say that I'm not surprised. What's really sad is that "commentary" like this passes for thoughtful analysis in daily newspapers--and on subjects far more significant than basketball too.   Formerly reputable news organizations shouldn't be surprised they're losing readers by the basketfull (both 2's and 3's) when we can read better written and more well thought out positions on d3hoops.com  than we can by those with journalism credentials.

[realist]

TQ:  Thanks for the link to the photo.  Coming from you the comparision to Ruths is meaningful.  It seems like Hope's best strategy would be to deny this guy touching the ball.
HC:  Nice come back  I had several snappy comebacks, but since were playing ball now I will hold any further theological discussion to the summer doldrums.
Ziggy:  Thanks for the headsup on the new media player.  As long as I get my Dougie , and Hudsonville ice cream I don't care how it gets here.

[sac]

I've passed it on to GVW that Hope shoots 72.9% from the free-throw line, If Hope could get 150 FT's a game they'd be unstoppable.

[Titan Q]

TQ:  Thanks for the link to the photo.  Coming from you the comparision to Ruths is meaningful.  It seems like Hope's best strategy would be to deny this guy touching the ball.

Realist, no problem.

The tricky thing about trying to deny Ruch the ball (besides the fact that he is a 6-9 physical specimen) is that Elmhurst has a fantastic 6-4 junior wing, Ryan Burks, that can really shoot it.  Burks is having a big year - 19.4 ppg, 15-27 (.556) from 3.  Last year as a sophomore he averaged 17.4 ppg and was 61-142 (.430) from 3.

Elmhurst's weakness has been their guard play, and I think that shows up in their assist and turnover totals on the season.  The Bluejays have 85 assists and 96 turnovers...averaging 17 turnovers per game.  In their last game they inserted freshman point-guard Jimmy Saris into the starting lineup...Saris is listed at 5-9, but may only be 5-7. 

Hope's formula for victory has to include getting all over the guards and forcing turnovers (ala what the Dutchmen did to Wheaton's Kent Raymond), and then playing transition basketball...make the Bluejays run.  Hope might be in trouble in a halfcourt game with Elmhurst - there aren't many inside/outside combos in D3 better than EC's w/ Ruch and Burks.

[MIdoubleA]

I've passed it on to GVW that Hope shoots 72.9% from the free-throw line, If Hope could get 150 FT's a game they'd be unstoppable.

Exactly.

I guess I should hold back on the vicious sarcasm, I'm not a sports writer and have no desire to be anything more than a forum junkie. I don't know what Lee's job is like, and I'm sure he probably does have a difficult time coming up with stories in the sports chasm that is west michigan.

[ChicagoHopeNut]

It looks like Roanoke is providing a video feed for tonight's game online! Never tried this one before so I am not sure of the quality.

http://www.roanoke.edu/athletics/video/default.cfm

Looks like tonight is going to be a solid matchup.

[hope1]

i might have to give it a try for tonight game thanks a lot and  go hope tonight

[Dark Knight]

The first Massey Ratings of the year are out. These are based on 6-10 games, so they're not as accurate as they will be by the end of the season, but they're not too bad.

The MIAA stacks up this way:
4. Hope
31. Albion
48. Calvin
230. Adrian
245. Olivet
265. Tri-State
273. Kalamazoo
379. Alma

There are 403 teams shown for DIII, so the bottom 5 of the MIAA are below average in DIII. (Just a couple of years ago all of the MIAA teams were above average.) Adrian, Olivet, Tri-State, and Kalamazoo are probably close enough that any of them will be the favorite against the others on home court.

Hope looks very strong and Albion has an edge over Calvin, who doesn't deserve to be in the top 25 according to Massey. There's a 15-point dropoff between Calvin and Adrian.

The MIAA over all looks stronger than last year but still down, at about #17. In previous years the MIAA has been around #7. Last year it was about #25.

The top conferences this year are a bit of a surprise:
1. NE Smalls (Amherst, Tufts, etc.)
2. UAA
3. WIAC
4. CCIW

[SKOT]

Hope's formula for victory has to include getting all over the guards and forcing turnovers (ala what the Dutchmen did to Wheaton's Kent Raymond), and then playing transition basketball...make the Bluejays run.  Hope might be in trouble in a halfcourt game with Elmhurst - there aren't many inside/outside combos in D3 better than EC's w/ Ruch and Burks.

That combo has 16 (8 a piece) of Elmhurst's 35 points at the half against Tri-State University.  I'm not looking forward to those two tomorrow!

*Update* Elmhurst is up by 5, 45-40 with 14:04 left in the second

[Mr. Ypsi]

Those as top four don't surprise me at all (they are perennially among at least the top 6).  NESCAC has defending national champ Amherst, plus Williams, Trinity (CT), Tufts, etc.  UAA has #1 Rochester, #2 Brandeis, former #1 (before Sean Wallis went down for the season) WashU, etc.  And WIAC and CCIW have been trading #1 conference back and forth for years.

What surprised you - that WIAC and CCIW were neither 1 or 2?

[scottiedawg]

Elmhurst 75-Tri-State 65

Benford with 29

Elmhurst led by Childs and Ryder, but mostly because of late-game free throws
Ruch with a double-double 15-11

[sac]

Elmhurst 75 Tri-State 65

TSU did an amazing job extending this ball game in the last minute, which ended up 10-8 for Elmhurst.  TSU outscored at the strip by 14, largely due to the final minute.

Tony Benford throws up 26 shots, and scores 29, Andre Patrick with 14

Elmhurst gets Childs 19, Ryder 17, Ruch 15, Burks 11

TSU's 2nd leading scorer Wes Weir did not play in this game, he came in averaging 13.8 points a game.

[sac]

Kalamazoo 67 Bluffton 62----thats a really good win for the Hornets

Bluffton beat Adrian by 26 over the weekend 89-63.