MBB: Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association

[realist]

Picket fence.  Many people would agree with you that Calvin's team is not very good.  The only problem with your line of reasoning is the bad habit Calvin's team has, and that habit is winning games.  Go figure.  Please keep under rating them if this is the kind of result that occurs.

[Civic Minded]

The one sour note on the night for me was when senior Rick Palmer fouled out of the game with a few minutes to go.  Hope's Dew Crew went into their automaton-like "You're out" chant without giving it any thought.  That was quite unlike the Albion's game Wednesday with Adrian.  When JNok fouled out in the final minute, Albion fans stood and clapped out of respect for his career.  Oh well.

I understand how, as an Albion fan, that would be a sour note.  However, from the other side of the court, Palmer fouled out during a heated stretch in the game.  He plays aggressively (best term I can come up with), which makes him a little hard to take.  And I'm sure in the heat of the moment, few realized his senior status.

Very classy move on Albion's part to give JNok his due.  I'm guessing that when he fouled out Albion was pretty sure that they were going to win, but I guess it really doesn't matter what the game situation was.  It would have been classy of us to remember that Palmer was a senior -- my apologies.

I was sad to see Crawford done -- he seems to be a class act.  Not loud or mouthy (like a certain Calvin player who should have been t-ed up again tonight), a really clean player (unlike another Calvin player who should have had two flagrant fouls called on him) and loaded with talent.  We'll see what Pool C brings for him and the Brits.
(And for the record...the chant is "see ya!"   )

Kalamazoo was fun to watch tonight -- at least for the first half.  I couldn't believe how few shots would drop for the Knights, or that they had only managed 2 points until the 13:00 mark.  Kudos to Coach Passage for the growth his team showed this season.

Now, on to the Knights.  Ugh.  You just never know what will happen...   

[ziggy]

Calvin started to turn it on in the second half, which may have been their best defensive half of the season.  Shots just weren't falling for much of the night but they didnt let them affect their play on the other end.  Kzoo is a scrappy team and Tim Herman can shoot pretty well for a guy with two goofy eyes.  I'm surprised Weaver doesn't see more action.  He's a decent big man, even if he doesn't use his size to its fullist.

[KnightSlappy]

Picket fence.  Many people would agree with you that Calvin's team is not very good.  The only problem with your line of reasoning is the bad habit Calvin's team has, and that habit is winning games.  Go figure.  Please keep under rating them if this is the kind of result that occurs.

I will disagree with you about Calvin's team not being very good.  They are a very good team and what makes them good is the ability to win games in which they play poorly or are not 'supposed' to win.  Win or lose tomorrow the game against Hope should give them big game experience in time for the NCAA Tourney.

[realist]

Wow!  It has already started.  Hope fans are complaining about calls not made in a game their team wasn't involved in.  Perhaps Calvin's players have gotten into some fans heads more than the other teams players.  It shouldn't surprise, but still disappoints that one teams fans continue with the same tired litany of reasons their "all stars" have not performed up to expectations.  The above quote from the paper was perhaps rather accurate.  "A preseason favorite is desperate to live up to its potential". 
KS:  I was trying to be sarcastic!  It just kills some of our fellow posters that Calvin won the conference over their obviously superior, talented, classy, high integrity team (s).

[Bob MacKenzie]

Ah Realist,

It's not many Hope fans, it's just Civic, who had been *whining* about Calvin players since October (with the new format, you can go way back and look it up).

And speakng of whiners, Hopes got at least one all star.

[GoKnights68]

How is Calvin in the tournament already? They are 14-1 in the region, but you can't ignore their 5 losses.  How did this team go 13-1 in the conference? They aren't that good!-picketfence




(sigh)

[realist]

I know you are right BK,

[sac]

HOPE 76 Albion 65

Whatever is said in the pre-game locker room for  Albion should be bottled and sold.........for the 3rd time this year Albion got off to a great start vs Hope and forced te Dutchmen to play from behind.  When it looked like Hope would have the momentum going into the half the Britons stepped it up a notch and took a 32-28 lead at the half.

Albion's first half control was evident in their 24-12 rebounding domination.

Albion promptly hit a 3 to start the second, and man did Hope have a fight on their hands.  Howver "The Run" that every team fears, that every team hopes never comes happened, as Hope ran off 17 straight to go from 9 down to 7 up in a very short time.

Greg Immink's BOMB of a 3 from about 27 was indicative of the kind of night it was, Hope simply made all the great plays it seemed.

I thought Albion played an incredible game, and to give an idea of the kind of effort it took from Hope.......I really think the second half was Hope's best half all season,  Very few if any teams have scored 48 points in a half against the Britons.

Albion will certainly rue their FT misses,  but the difference in the half was Hope rebounding much better and recognizing they can get the ball inside and attack the basket.


Cramer 16, Phillips 16, Voisin 10

Silas 15, Crawford 15, Bailey 10

A final pat on the back to  Britons who challenged when few thought they would this season.  A couple key missing players may have been all the difference in a 3rd place finish and back-to-back MIAA Champions.

I don't know if they'll get  in the tournament but based on talent and ability they should be.

[MIdoubleA]

I know you are right BK, but sometimes I just can't help myself.  It is so much fun pushing those little blue and orange buttons to see the pack react.

That's a great attitude, really.

But save it for something other than forum posting, it get's nothing done here.


Congratulations to both Calvin and Hope on winning. It should be a great game day tomorrow with both schools in both finals. Anyone planning on attending both games? The start times allow more than enough travel time. Could prove to be a pretty sweet doubleheader!

[sac]

I'll let the Calvin fans handle the rundown of the Kzoo game.  But I'll add my 2 cents.

Kzoo played with a ton of confidence and grit, they simply ran out of steam and energy down the stretch.


With the score 6-2 and on Kzoo 4 posession with that same score.   My Uncle a former HS coach from years ago turned to me and said Kalamazoo is missing a great opportunity here.  Dead on..........Kzoo could have opened a big time lead early and Calvin would have had a amazing hill to climb.

Calvin won this with 10 minutes of the best D you'll see in D3.


My random thoughts for tonight:

---Big time kudos to the Kzoo students who simply dusted the Calvin students tonight both in voice and creativity.  In fact they may have moved to #1 on the list of most influential student body in the MIAA.

---Zak Silas is the only player in the MIAA who can make Steve Cramer look like an average athelete.  Silas is the most underated player in the league and can get it done at both ends.  Trust me, he contained Cramer to 16 tonight.

---Do I really have to watch Caleb Veldhouse for 3 more years?  <sigh>


---Key stat from the Hope game, 5 turnovers for Hope.  In a game of that importance and defensive quality, thats incredible.

---WWKVSD  t-shirts..........awesome!

---Steve Cramer gets the award for all time best dunk in MIAA tournament history.  His first half throwdown was simply amazing.  Any dunks from here on out are fighting for second place.  They should just retire the rim at the South end and place it in the Michigan Hall of Supersweetness.  Simply Amazing.

---Tomorrow night will be just the 4th time Hope and Calvin have met in the tournament Championship game.  Hope is 3-0  

[KnightSlappy]

---Zak Silas is the only player in the MIAA who can make Steve Cramer look like an average athelete.  Silas is the most underated player in the league and can get it done at both ends.

Silas really surprised me today.  He came up with some huge threes and even went inside strong with the ball.  He will need to step it up bigtime next year for the Brits.

[knightmoves]

Sac,
I am very disappointed in your comments about the Kalamazoo students. They were absolutely disgraceful, classless, and immature. I have never been prouder to be a Calvin Alumni with students that don't stoop to such a low snake level!!!

[sac]

A--from where I was sitting, I couldn't hear everything they were saying.  Most of what I heard was very creative and down right funny sometimes.

B---whats disgracefull is 1/4 the number of students out shouting the "Knight Club"

C--lets please not turn this into four pages of who's students were classier.

D--This is the 2nd time this year I've seen their students cheer, stand right to the bitter end despite knowing the eventual outcome.  They deserve a lot of credit,

[GoKnights68]

---Big time kudos to the Kzoo students who simply dusted the Calvin students tonight both in voice and creativity.  In fact they may have moved to #1 on the list of most influential student body in the MIAA.


Have to agree with knightmoves.  I am suprised you said that, sac.  I'm glad they were loud, but they were out of line at times if you heard what they were saying.  Oh well, I really don't mind what students do at games, and it is your opinion.