MBB: Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association

[Erm Schmigget]

In last night's post-game interview, Hope's coach Davelaar stated that the team needs to be more patient on offense and wait for their shot.  I'm sure he's more aware of this part of the game than I, but it just seems to me that they have had to scramble to beat the shot clock more often this year than others.  What I'm seeing--and frustrated with--is too much dinking around at the top of the key at the beginning of the possessions, slow execution of offensive sets, ending with panic as the clock winds down.

[oldknight]

In last night's post-game interview, Hope's coach Davelaar stated that the team needs to be more patient on offense and wait for their shot.  I'm sure he's more aware of this part of the game than I, but it just seems to me that they have had to scramble to beat the shot clock more often this year than others.  What I'm seeing--and frustrated with--is too much dinking around at the top of the key at the beginning of the possessions, slow execution of offensive sets, ending with panic as the clock winds down.

Erm: Based on what little I've seen of Hope, I believe your observation that Hope is scrambling more often this year to beat the shot clock is correct. I don't know if I can help you be less frustrated with that fact, but the reason for this is pretty clear to me. Hope simply has fewer players than they have had in the past who can create their own shot when the offense stagnates. In the past, when the shot clock was winding down and not much was happening, there was a Phillips, Cramer, VanderHeide or Reimink who could simply take over and consistently hit a big basket. This year's edition of Flying Dutchmen simply doesn't have that capability. The closest Hope has to that kind of player is Bunn but he more of threat by running off of screens (Peter is the master at that) than by taking his defender one-on-one.

[Hopecouple]

"What I'm seeing--and frustrated with--is too much dinking around at the top of the key at the beginning of the possessions,"

Wow you got it.  WAAAYYYYY to much dinking around.  If you watched the game last night there was a lot of guys who were standing around or dribbling too much.  Did I mention standing around...it was sad.  On offense and defense.  If you watched the other team knew exactly where we were going to run on offense in fact sometimes they beat our 2 and 3 to their own spot. 

[hoopdreams]

Wow, a guy gets tired of seeing repeated photos of Ketchup and Mustard bottles, Marvin the Martian, or a pic of some old guy beating a dead horse, tries to say something humorous, admits to the false "rumor" and still gets bashed?  tough crowd.  Wasn't trying to take anything away from the board.  No more halfhearted humor one my behalf. If I wanted to stir the pot I could talk about people in the program and police reports, stuff like that.....

I could question as to why they allowed MM to make the catch and turn left to shoot, or put the ball on the floor going left.  Maybe take away his left hand and force him to go right or pivot to his right?  Shoot into the D rather than letting him use his body to separate from shot contestion.  Exactly 1 time did he do something different: on the shot at the 1st half buzzer, ala jack sikma.

As far as a players comment, I happened to be at the bottom of the stairway by the students when I heard the comment.  Maybe it was sarcastic in nature, maybe it was a typical teen deflecting blame.   I can tell you that the person the player was talking to used to be in the hoops program, but that's not relevant.

I believe in general that this team is pretty darn athletic and yet they play grinding half court sets which doesn't suit them.  There isn't anyone on the roster who is a lockdown defender and in general they play straight up which doesn't lead to many turnovers.  they are not a great rebounding team either which limits transition opportunities.  Teams should know by now that they like to throw the trap on to pick up the tempo, so that element of surprise is gone.  Krombeen, bunn, bowser, jared, neil, nelis, king, snuggs are uptempo players or benefit from spacing,driving lanes etc...  Jungling is a catch and shoot guy, as is vennema, tanis and holwerda (jared too which is why he's allowed to jack a few 3's and miss.  he's just as likely to get to the rack at some point)

One could look at the number of players who have left the program in the past 1.5 years and say that something is amiss.  Or one could speculate that kids are simply more selfish and less likely to wait their turn. Kratz, Scott, Sharples, Snikkers, Carter (he was in the process of leaving the team when he got hurt), Carrol, Hoffmaster, Jennings (heard he was Hope's#1recruit this year).  Anyone else? I'm sure the reasons are all valid and had nothing to do with PT.  I was stunned to see tanis back on the roster this season and I know there were several Knight fans hoping that he would switch sides.

There were comments about Snikkers being out of control earlier (bad shots and TO's)and some people were shocked to see powell, a frosh, take such huge shots.  They made those plays, missed some shots, or commited those to's and never wavered, the didn't look over to see if they were coming out.  fast forward to last saturday when Logan missed a couple shots in the first half against Alma and was benched.  In the second half he refused to shoot, and the defender dropped off him by 10 feet.  Did anyone notice that?  Logan was afraid to shoot, even with the ultimate security blanket, his father, sitting next to VanWieren.

I'm just a fan, and it is really easy to be critical but there really hasn't been a lot of positive things to talk about.  The JV team is playing well from what i've heard and seen .  The new light show for intros was a nice touch.  Something new to light a spark under the players rears at tip-off, or simply an addition to the fieldhouse.  What are some opinions on why they have changed their halftime re-warmup routine? I could be wrong but don't ever remember them doing the rapid fire layups and elbow jumpers.  then again, I'm usually scarffing down a dog  or 2 during this time (No ketchup just mustard)To combat the chance of coming out flat or just a coincidence...

[realist]

It is very unusual to find a Hope team down 1-2 after 3 games in the MIAA.     As tempting as it is I know better than to start making a jello salad to take to Hope's wake.    
Granted, while Hope may not be the dominating power that their fans have come to enjoy, and expect, they are still far from dead.  

[northb]

It is very unusual to find a Hope team down 1-2 after 3 games in the MIAA.     As tempting as it is I know better than to start making a jello salad to take to Hope's wake.    
Granted, while Hope may not be the dominating power that their fans have come to enjoy, and expect, they are still far from dead.  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=grbSQ6O6kbs

[Hopecouple]

So why wasn't there a time out called by the coach during the last 15 seconds of the game?  Because we had a time out left.  And I do recall David's face...and hand movements to the coaches...what do you want me to call?? Hey coach call a time out. 

Yah I think my dreams of going to the tournament with this team is out the door unless there is some think Magical that might happen.  Maybe I think that their not dead just sleeping.

[sac]

I don't suppose its possible Hope lost because perhaps the best player in the league and possibly the leagues MVP put up this stat line last night........Michael McClary 22 points, 15 rebounds, 5 blocks, 1 assist, 0 turnover, 0 fouls in 37 minutes!



A wise man once said........It is easiet to criticize after a loss, and even easier to coach from the stands.

[hoopdreams]

or even more intriging Hope couple, why did they call timeout with 18:35 left in the game after scoring?  Something that wasn't acknowledged at halftime?  The questions, concerns, and critiques can be neverending, if you let them. I will make a better effort to talk about the positives of this team from now on too.  Not trying to stir the mythical pot on this either.

I will however give high kudos to the zone switch for most of the second half.

They were not in zone at 54-50 when a guard, who shall remain nameless, left his perimeter assignment to double down thus leaving a3 point shooter alone (when they weren't supposed to based on GVW's reaction)to go down 57-50. Hopefully a lesson learned for the future.


And SAC, MM is a stud but they allowed him offensively to do as he pleased last night.  He was not forced to make a decision basically for  the entire evening and if he didn't miss 4, 5 or 6 pups on shots HE wanted to take in the second half, would have had well over 30.

[ziggy]

I don't suppose its possible Hope lost because perhaps the best player in the league and possibly the leagues MVP put up this stat line last night........Michael McClary 22 points, 15 rebounds, 5 blocks, 1 assist, 0 turnover, 0 fouls in 37 minutes!



A wise man once said........It is easiet to criticize after a loss, and even easier to coach from the stands.

To be fair to hoopdreams, he/she has been arguing in the context of an observed pattern over the course of the last couple years. I'll defer to others on the merit of such an observation, but the comments strike me as anything but an over-reaction to just one game.

To be fair to sac, Michael McClary is a MAN!

[sac]

Here's Michael McClary's other two stat line's from previous trips to DeVos

2009  6 points, 6 rebs, 0 blocks, 1 assist, 0 turnovers in 23 minutes..(sat most of first half with foul trouble.)
2008  6 points, 9 rebs, 2 blocks, 1 assist, 1 turnover in 23 minutes

Michael more than matched his previous 2 trips to Holland in one night.

[Flying Dutch Fan]

They may have let MM do as he pleased in the first half, but the Hope defense did adjust.  He had 16 at the half, and only managed 1 FG in the second half, along with 4 FT.  In fact they also shut down Jennings in the second half (1 FG and 2 FT).

The game last night all boiled down to a stretch of no offense, and lackadaisical defense, during which Olivet went on a 10 minute 37-15 run (the last 7 minutes of the 1st thru the first 3 minutes of the 2nd). 

I do think that hoopdreams comment about this team being a very athletic team that looks lethargic when they run a grinding half court offense.  In multiple games this year they have fallen behind, only to loosen up, start running, and turn a game around.  Unfortunately, this turn-around sometimes is too little too late.  I see the success of this team lying in their ability to figure out how to force a game into an up tempo style.

[sac]

So why wasn't there a time out called by the coach during the last 15 seconds of the game?  Because we had a time out left.  And I do recall David's face...and hand movements to the coaches...what do you want me to call?? Hey coach call a time out. 

There are two philosophies in these situations

1)  call time-out, set up you offense and the shot you want, which also allows the defense to set up the defense it wants.

2)  let the game flow continue, confident your guys know they need a 3 to tie, and putting the defense on their heals to defend a shot during a little chaos.



........both are incorrect when the shot doesn't go in.

[Flying Dutch Fan]

A timeout with a perfectly drawn play wouldn't have gotten us a better look at the basket.  We got a wide open look from three.  In that situation, you couldn't ask for more.

[almcguirejr]

So why wasn't there a time out called by the coach during the last 15 seconds of the game?  Because we had a time out left.  And I do recall David's face...and hand movements to the coaches...what do you want me to call?? Hey coach call a time out.  

Yah I think my dreams of going to the tournament with this team is out the door unless there is some think Magical that might happen.  Maybe I think that their not dead just sleeping.

A timeout with a perfectly drawn play wouldn't have gotten us a better look at the basket.  We got a wide open look from three.  In that situation, you couldn't ask for more.

You beat me to posting the same comment.

Also, Olivet's coach was using Edsall on offense and Dutton on defense.  Edsall was on the floor when Hope took possession for the last time.  GVW not calling time out forced Olivet to play with a weaker defensive player on the floor.