MBB: Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association

[realist]

Almcjr:  As far as most Hope fans are concerned little that Mr. Timmer might say is going to be satisifactory.  Goes back to the time he served on staff at the school in OH, "that shall not be mentioned".

[HopeConvert]

I'm told there are still plenty of tickets available for Wednesday's game at the 'Noord. They are expecting a line-up at the door, but don't anticipate anything near a sell-out.

[sac]

Timmer's quote was  "This is the finest complex in (NCAA) Division III, and I can make the argument it's the finest facility in all of small-college athletics," ........its a bit of hyperbole with a bit of truth.  He could certainly make that argument, but its a tougher one to win than some might think.

Kenyon  http://www1.kenyon.edu/athleticcenter/index.phtml   ...........appears to have everything Calvin's has except a rock climbing wall.    Kenyon spent 70 million on this gem.

Wartburg  http://www.the-w.org/facility.html   ............no indoor track or tennis

I was very impressed with Capital's Bernlohr Center last spring  http://www.capital.edu/14823/ ..........attached to the football Stadium,  didn't see a pool and its nowhere near the size of Kenyon or Calvin's.


Calvin's is unique because it includes a 4500/5000 seat arena and that fact probably puts them over the top.

Almcjr:  As far as most Hope fans are concerned little that Mr. Timmer might say is going to be satisifactory.  Goes back to the time he served on staff at the school in OH, "that shall not be mentioned".

I'm not even sure how many Hope fans (esp younger ones) realize Timmer was at Baldwin-Wallace.  We can say Baldwin-Wallace all we want now, those demons have been exorcised my friend.


Baldwin-Wallace, Baldwin-Wallace, Baldwin-Wallace, Baldwin-Wallace, Baldwin-Wallace, Baldwin-Wallace, Baldwin-Wallace

see  noth.....



...ing     

[OC_SID]

sac: I am glad that the demons associated with my alma mater are gone ... Timmer was at B-W when I was a student ... You could also argue that B-w's facilities rank up with Calvin's ... The exception is that everything at B-W (basketball court, swimming pool, indoor track, fitness center, etc.) are all under one roof ... I don't remember the seating capacity of Ursprung (basketball court) is, but it is definitely high.

[ScotsFan]

Calvin's is unique because it includes a 4500/5000 seat arena and that fact probably puts them over the top.

This is what sets Calvin above the rest IMO.  I think Kenyon's facilies would rival Calvin's, but their basketaball arena, while nice and cozy, doesn't compare to the 'Noord.

Wooster is supposedly going to be breaking ground on something similar to what Kenyon and Calvin have built in 2010.  I'm guessing that when it's all said and done, Wooster's athletic facilities will rival those of Kenyon's and Calvin's.

I don't remember the seating capacity of Ursprung (basketball court) is, but it is definitely high.

Ursprung Gym's capacity is listed at 3,000 which is a nice size gym for DIII standards.

[sac]

Last year's Hope at Olivet game was the 2nd game of the MIAA season.  It was one that I looked back on as one Hope was very fortunate to win.

http://www.miaa.org/mbb/stats/0708/0112olho.htm

Olivet made a couple great second half adjustments, and it was only a cold shooting hand at the end that might have prevented a stunning early season upset by the Comets.  Olivet came out the second half and made a 15 point game, 6 in about 4 1/2 minutes and eventually got it all the way down to 3.  The last 15 minutes of that game was one of the toughest stretches Hope faced on the season.  Olivet was just playing harder and with more confidence than Hope.  Brandon McClary had a great second half and I swear he hit every one of his shots from about 17 feet out that he took.

Looking at that boxscore its amazing to think 10 new faces will see the floor between the teams this season.

A couple of key individual matchups this time around:

Point Gaurd,  this looks like a really good matchup between two first year players.
Andre Evans, Olivet  5-9 So.--   29.7 min, 11.9 pts, 4.0 assts, 2.7 to's, 1 steal
*David Krombeen, Hope 6-2 Fr. --18.2 min, 6.4 pts, 2.4 assts, 1.2 to's, 1 steal

* Krombeen is averaging 27min, 12.3 pts, 4 assts, 2 to's, 1.3 steals since being inserted as the starter vs Aquinas.


The other great matchup involves two of the 3 leading scorers in the MIAA, best of all I think they'll pick each other up on the defensive side of things (I think, though I'm not sure).  These are two guys who should be in the MVP hunt.

Small forward
Brandon McClary, Olivet  6-4 Sr. --  33.1 min, 18.5 pts, 7.1 rbds
Jesse Reimink, Hope 6-4 Sr.--  31.9 min, 21.9 pts, 7.9 rbds

Both teams seem to have pretty deep benches, Olivet looks like 10 deep, Hope 11 or 12........although I think Hope's is deceiving since I'm not sure they're set with any rotations.

There really isn't anything statistically that glares out as an edge for either team, although Olivet is an excellent FT shooting team 78%, but Hope isn't bad either at 73%

The only common opponent gets an asterisk because the players missing make such a difference for Aquinas.
Olivet 68 Aquinas 67.......no James Telman, no John Lierman for AQ
Aquinas 58 Hope 46 .......no James Telman
Aquinas 61 Hope 56 ........full AQ lineup

Olivet did play one opponent Hope fans have seen and that was a 70-66 win  over Madonna.  Olivet also has a 61-63 OT loss at Trinity (TX) who's now 11-1 and ranked #16.

This is just one of those matchups where untill some things get sorted out in league play you just can't give an edge to either team.

For me, I look forward to see the Flying Dutchmen for the first time this year and checking out the new Cutler Athletic Center..........and of course seeing a game that I have pretty high expectations for.

[oldknight]

Last night I took in the first ever game at Van Noord, won by the Calvin JV. I think I spent more time scoping the new arena than I did watching the game. I expected the facility to be spectacular and I wasn't disappointed.

We had barely entered the arena when my wife insisted on checking out the restroom accomodations to count stalls. For the record, Mrs. OldKnight reports there are 18 stalls in the concourse level women's restroom on the near side of the arena. That may be more information than you need to know but one of her pet peeves at Knollcrest was the inadequacy of the ladies' restroom which always seemed to have a long line. She then dispatched me to make a similar count in the men's room and after giving her the numbers, Mrs. OK provided Calvin with her Title IX seal of approval. I'm sure Henry DeVries is now breathing a sigh of relief.

I visited several seats to check out the viewing and the sight lines are mostly excellent. The only goofy thing I noticed was at the two corners of the upper bowl where the curved portion meets the seating against the flat wall. At that point there is a railing which requires the first couple of people seated in the curved area to view a portion of the floor through the railing, a situation which isn't ideal. However, goodknight noted that these seats are (pre)destined for Hope fans anyway so it really doesn't matter.

It's amazing how much smaller Calvin's national championship banners appear in this larger arena. If they hadn't placed them around the American flag I wouldn't have even noticed them. Speaking of Old Glory, it looked like they had just unpacked it from the box minutes before the game because fold marks were embarrasingly apparent during the National Anthem. I would suggest that Calvin get a larger American flag because the one they have now is simply too small for an arena the size of Van Noord.

[Flying Dutch Fan]

Alright folks, we're closing in on the bigniing of the league season, but so far only 20 folks have joined the Pick 'Em contest.  So why not do your best Nostradamus impersonation, and show off your prognostication skills?

[gohope]

Alright folks, we're closing in on the bigniing of the league season, but so far only 20 folks have joined the Pick 'Em contest.  So why not do your best Nostradamus impersonation, and show off your prognostication skills?

Holy Thesaurus Batman!!!

I guess he wants us to join the contest if we haven't already done so!!   

[Civic Minded]

Alright folks, we're closing in on the bigniing of the league season, but so far only 20 folks have joined the Pick 'Em contest.  So why not do your best Nostradamus impersonation, and show off your prognostication skills?

Holy Thesaurus Batman!!!

I guess he wants us to join the contest if we haven't already done so!!   

I checked my Thesaurus for begniing and it said try again. 8)

[calvin_grad]

Alright folks, we're closing in on the bigniing of the league season, but so far only 20 folks have joined the Pick 'Em contest.  So why not do your best Nostradamus impersonation, and show off your prognostication skills?

I checked my Thesaurus for begniing and it said try again. 8)

I checked mine for "begniing" and it said - see "bigniing".   

[northb]

......  Now if Calvin can just exceed Hope's home court record that is frosting for my cake.

Through this week's games:
Hope men:  55-3
Hope women : 47-1
Total:  102-4  .962


Good Luck !

Calvin JV: 1-0 1.000

1.000>.962

"Mission accomplished" --GWB

[Flying Dutch Fan]

Alright folks, we're closing in on the bigniing of the league season, but so far only 20 folks have joined the Pick 'Em contest.  So why not do your best Nostradamus impersonation, and show off your prognostication skills?

Holy Thesaurus Batman!!!

I guess he wants us to join the contest if we haven't already done so!!   

I checked my Thesaurus for begniing and it said try again. 8)

bpbpbpbpbpbp 

[sac]

......  Now if Calvin can just exceed Hope's home court record that is frosting for my cake.

Through this week's games:
Hope men:  55-3
Hope women : 47-1
Total:  102-4  .962


Good Luck !

Calvin JV: 1-0 1.000

1.000>.962

"Mission accomplished" --GWB

You can't fool me.........
http://politicalhumor.about.com/od/bushvideos/youtube/bushfoolme.htm

[KnightSlappy]

Last night I took in the first ever game at Van Noord, won by the Calvin JV. I think I spent more time scoping the new arena than I did watching the game. I expected the facility to be spectacular and I wasn't disappointed.

We had barely entered the arena when my wife insisted on checking out the restroom accomodations to count stalls. For the record, Mrs. OldKnight reports there are 18 stalls in the concourse level women's restroom on the near side of the arena. That may be more information than you need to know but one of her pet peeves at Knollcrest was the inadequacy of the ladies' restroom which always seemed to have a long line. She then dispatched me to make a similar count in the men's room and after giving her the numbers, Mrs. OK provided Calvin with her Title IX seal of approval. I'm sure Henry DeVries is now breathing a sigh of relief.

I visited several seats to check out the viewing and the sight lines are mostly excellent. The only goofy thing I noticed was at the two corners of the upper bowl where the curved portion meets the seating against the flat wall. At that point there is a railing which requires the first couple of people seated in the curved area to view a portion of the floor through the railing, a situation which isn't ideal. However, goodknight noted that these seats are (pre)destined for Hope fans anyway so it really doesn't matter.

It's amazing how much smaller Calvin's national championship banners appear in this larger arena. If they hadn't placed them around the American flag I wouldn't have even noticed them. Speaking of Old Glory, it looked like they had just unpacked it from the box minutes before the game because fold marks were embarrasingly apparent during the National Anthem. I would suggest that Calvin get a larger American flag because the one they have now is simply too small for an arena the size of Van Noord.

I also had the opportunity to take in Van Noord Arena for the first time on Monday and it lived up to all of my expectations.  The place is big but it still gives the feeling that it could get really loud inside when (if?  ) it is sold out.  If the Calvin students come out in force this year VNA could provide a great homecourt advantage.

The only negative thing I took away from my first visit to "The Noord" was the lack of a "Player/Points/Fouls" scoreboard.