MBB: Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association

[oldknight]

Jeff Febus does a great interview with John Mantel following last night's win against the Hornets. During the course of the Q & A, John mentions one thing that has greatly helped prepare him this year is going up every day against freshmen Adam DeYoung because "he beats me up" (no surprise there) which has helped with conditioning. If you wish to listen, click the link and scroll down just below the game summary of last night's game.

http://www.calvin.edu/sports/

[BogeyMan]

Observations on why Hope beat Albion:
1.  Rebounding went to Hope 36-23.  That margin is huge!
2.  Albion defense played well the first seven minutes of the game and the last five minutes of the game.  Albion switched men on all ball screens which created several match-ups that let Hope penetrate and dish and penetrate and score.  Albion started and played a very small line-up several minutes with no post player which favored Hope offensively inside.

The other observation that I have noticed that had nothing to do with the outcome, is the officiating in the MIAA is not anywhere close to what it is in the OAC or NCAC.  The strength of those three leagues usually change from year to year, but the officiating never changes.  The MIAA is pathetic.  For example - Last night Bunn missed a layup and was fouled.  The officials called the bucket good until Jody May complained.  The officials then went to the scorers table and the scorer said he missed the shot.  The officials again huddle together and walk back to the table and say the bucket is good and we have one shot.  After about a two minute break in trying to figure out what to do, GVW went to the officials and said the shot did not go in, let's play!  Hats off to GVW for his sportsmanship.  He showed a lot of class!   Back to the point- Those three officials would not work a game in the OAC or NCAC.  Quality of officiating needs to improve in the MIAA.

[Flying Dutch Fan]

Sadly, the situation BogeyMan described was not the only time the officiating was simply horrible last night.  Fortunately, it did not ultimately affect the outcome, but I have to believe that it will at some point. 

[oldknight]

Last night Bunn missed a layup and was fouled.  The officials called the bucket good until Jody May complained.  The officials then went to the scorers table and the scorer said he missed the shot.  The officials again huddle together and walk back to the table and say the bucket is good and we have one shot.  After about a two minute break in trying to figure out what to do, GVW went to the officials and said the shot did not go in, let's play!  

Yeah, right. And I suppose the next thing you'll want us to believe is that voters in Massachusetts will elect a Republican to the United States Senate!

What's that? . . . .

Oh. . . .

Never mind.

As it turns out, the newly minted junior senator from the Bay State,  Downtown Scotty Brown did play D3 hoops at Tufts where he was co-captain and apparently a pretty decent player. He scored nearly 1000 points in his four years there with a careeer high 35 against Brandeis.

http://ase.tufts.edu/athletics/menBasketball/press/2009-2010/scottbrown.htm

His daughter, Ayla Brown, is a senior hoopster at Boston College where she averages nearly 7 points per game.

[Dark Knight]

As it turns out, the newly minted junior senator from the Bay State,  Downtown Scotty Brown did play D3 hoops at Tufts where he was co-captain and apparently a pretty decent player. He scored nearly 1000 points in his four years there with a careeer high 35 against Brandeis.

http://ase.tufts.edu/athletics/menBasketball/press/2009-2010/scottbrown.htm

His daughter, Ayla Brown, is a senior hoopster at Boston College where she averages nearly 7 points per game.

And he attends the local CRC, the denomination that owns Calvin. He's probably a closet Calvin fan.

[oldknight]

As it turns out, the newly minted junior senator from the Bay State,  Downtown Scotty Brown did play D3 hoops at Tufts where he was co-captain and apparently a pretty decent player. He scored nearly 1000 points in his four years there with a careeer high 35 against Brandeis.

http://ase.tufts.edu/athletics/menBasketball/press/2009-2010/scottbrown.htm

His daughter, Ayla Brown, is a senior hoopster at Boston College where she averages nearly 7 points per game.

And he attends the local CRC, the denomination that owns Calvin. He's probably a closet Calvin fan.

We'll have to have a talk with the folks at New England Chapel for failing to see that Ayla didn't get sent to John Ross.

[KnightSlappy]

Calvin is quietly putting together a nice conference season defensively.

Through five games there leading the league in FG% defense at an astounding 0.393! That includes a league second best 0.315 from long range.

Sounds like "The Scheme" may not be so broken after all.

Calvin also leads the league in rebounding margin at +8.4. Second is a tie between Hope and Olivet at +1.6

Defense and rebounding has been the key to the Knights recent run.

[sac]

Observations on why Hope beat Albion:
1.  Rebounding went to Hope 36-23.  That margin is huge!
2.  Albion defense played well the first seven minutes of the game and the last five minutes of the game.  Albion switched men on all ball screens which created several match-ups that let Hope penetrate and dish and penetrate and score.  Albion started and played a very small line-up several minutes with no post player which favored Hope offensively inside.

The other observation that I have noticed that had nothing to do with the outcome, is the officiating in the MIAA is not anywhere close to what it is in the OAC or NCAC.  The strength of those three leagues usually change from year to year, but the officiating never changes.  The MIAA is pathetic.  For example - Last night Bunn missed a layup and was fouled.  The officials called the bucket good until Jody May complained.  The officials then went to the scorers table and the scorer said he missed the shot.  The officials again huddle together and walk back to the table and say the bucket is good and we have one shot.  After about a two minute break in trying to figure out what to do, GVW went to the officials and said the shot did not go in, let's play!  Hats off to GVW for his sportsmanship.  He showed a lot of class!   Back to the point- Those three officials would not work a game in the OAC or NCAC.  Quality of officiating needs to improve in the MIAA.

Peter Bunn also went to the official to let him know it didn't go in, which began the long discussion among officials on the fantasy shot...........which they all somehow missed.  The best parts were the scoring tables dumbfounded looks at how this was even a question, and Mike Turner howling from the endzone that it didn't go in.

........early in the 2nd half, Andy Venema missed a short jumper while being fouled and I made a sort of mocking count the shot signal long after the play had ended to no one in particular but official Kendal Smith caught it from the sideline and could't help but laugh a little.

[ziggy]

Matt Wayne is currently shooting 36% after setting a conference record in field goal percentage at 72.1% last year.

[sac]

Matt Wayne is currently shooting 36% after setting a conference record in field goal percentage at 72.1% last year.

Wow, a direct result of different coaching styles perhaps.........also Michael Staley isn't playing nearly as much for the Bulldogs.

[realist]

The one major impression I came away from the Hope/Albion game video (while listening to Calvin's broadcast) was what a good job the Hope players were doing in positioning themselves to get rebounds.   It is hard to qauge, but the Hope players just seemd to anticipate the flow of the game, and respond faster than the Albion players did.   Both these teams can still finish 11-3 or better so any talk about "must win" games is a bit premature. 
Calvin has all the weapons they need to control the MIAA this year, but they have to learn to play the entire 40 minutes.  Playing great defense only to stupidly turn the ball over on offense will hurt them big unless they correct the problem.  I can understand a fr. doing it, but a sr. likw Veltema should know better.
Having been to games at OAC, and NCAC schools reffed by officals there I am not so sure I agree with Bogeyman that they are that much better than MIAA officals.  

[KnightSlappy]

Both these teams can still finish 11-3 or better so any talk about "must win" games is a bit premature. 

But a loss for Hope would have dropped them to 3 losses already. Would they then have been able to run the table?

"Must wins" are usually overstated a bit. Sure, it may have been possible for Hope to lose last night and still win at least a share of the title, but I don't think we would have been holding our breath on that one.

Had the Dutchmen lost to the Brits, they would have simply been "mostly dead". There's a big difference between mostly dead and all dead. Mostly dead is slightly alive.

[Dark Knight]

Had the Dutchmen lost to the Brits, they would have simply been "mostly dead". There's a big difference between mostly dead and all dead. Mostly dead is slightly alive.

That's mostly true but still slightly false.

[realist]

Hope didn't lose, and until they do it is a moot point.

Just curious how many posters think the eventual MIAA champion will finish 12-2 or better?

FWIW:  Yes, I do think Hope is capable of running the table, but I also think Calvin is, and so is Albion.  The only thing I know for sure is they won't all do it, and the odds are pretty good that none of them will do it .

[CalKnight60]

Both these teams can still finish 11-3 or better so any talk about "must win" games is a bit premature. 

But a loss for Hope would have dropped them to 3 losses already. Would they then have been able to run the table?

"Must wins" are usually overstated a bit. Sure, it may have been possible for Hope to lose last night and still win at least a share of the title, but I don't think we would have been holding our breath on that one.

Had the Dutchmen lost to the Brits, they would have simply been "mostly dead". There's a big difference between mostly dead and all dead. Mostly dead is slightly alive.

I greatly appreciate the Princess Bride reference, knightslappy