MBB: Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association

[SBell]

6-0 Niles guard Austin Parks to Calvin. Can really shoot it, but with some playmaking flair.

[KnightSlappy]

6-0 Niles guard Austin Parks to Calvin. Can really shoot it, but with some playmaking flair.

From what I had heard, he had been deciding between Calvin and Lake Michigan College for some time.

SBell had him on the All-State Class A 6th Team.

[ziggy]

6-0 Niles guard Austin Parks to Calvin. Can really shoot it, but with some playmaking flair.

From the horse's mouth: http://twitter.com/ParkSwish3/status/209763600187924481

[sac]

Parks was also academic all-state
http://www.nilesstar.com/2012/05/30/parks-niles-academic-all-state/


as were Hope recruits Alex Eidson and Matt Van Dyk, Trine recruit Jared Holmquist and supposed Adrian recruit  Ben Rodak.

[gohope]

Any info from those knowledgable with the program?

http://highschoolsports.mlive.com/news/article/-3696915590513277349/west-michigan-coach-shocked-to-be-fired-after-leading-basketball-team-to-high-school-playoff-quarterfinals/

[GoKnights68]

Any info from those knowledgable with the program?

http://highschoolsports.mlive.com/news/article/-3696915590513277349/west-michigan-coach-shocked-to-be-fired-after-leading-basketball-team-to-high-school-playoff-quarterfinals/

I was wondering when this was going to be announced public.  This has been known for about a week around the GRC community.  I guess I'll put it this way if talking from the administration's and some of the fans' POV.  They see this program as having a two year window left to try to win a state title with Drake Harris the kids they have now.  A lot of people in the program felt that Spicer didn't really attempt to run much of an offense.  They feel he won with athletic talent alone.  Most of his practices only consisted of just conditioning and full court 5 on 5 pick-up games.  Team discipline was also questioned at times.  They basically felt GRC wasn't going to win a state title in the next 2 years with Coach Spicer.

Like I said, I'm just giving you the reasons from the administration's POV and a good chunk of fans.  If I am remembering correctly, this is the furthest GRC has gone in the tournament for a long time (maybe even since the Honderd days but not positive on that), and so it is quite thought-provoking to see him being let go.  And it is also sad to see Spicer say/know that "This has been brewing for a year at least."  That isn't really fair on his behalf.

FYI, former Calvin PG, Mike Worst, used to coach in the program a few years back, and he was very well-liked by the players and fans/parents.  For whatever reason, he got let go as well.  I don't know the details in that case as much as the Spicer case, though. 

[almcguirejr]

Any info from those knowledgable with the program?

http://highschoolsports.mlive.com/news/article/-3696915590513277349/west-michigan-coach-shocked-to-be-fired-after-leading-basketball-team-to-high-school-playoff-quarterfinals/

Does Bob Vander Weide bring in Stan Van Gundy now?

Will Drake Harris have a say in who the next coach is?

Is this what taking it to the next level means?

[sac]

Is GRC Class A or B now?

[GoKnights68]

Is GRC Class A or B now?

Class B.    Division 3 for football playoffs (out of 8 divisions)

[oldknight]

Any info from those knowledgable with the program?

http://highschoolsports.mlive.com/news/article/-3696915590513277349/west-michigan-coach-shocked-to-be-fired-after-leading-basketball-team-to-high-school-playoff-quarterfinals/

I don't think you need to be a GRC insider to be quite unsurprised by the news. Observers of West Michigan high school hoops have expected this for some time. It's humorous how the headline of the article ("West Michigan coach shocked to be fired") doesn't match the content of the piece. The coach is quoted as saying " I heard rumblings all season that this was coming."

One reason for the dismissal might well be summarized by the coach's own words who is quoted as stating the following about the team's prospects: "Basically, they are all set to win a state championship and the next person coming in there will have the keys to a stretch limo. They don't even have to drive the limo, they can come in and get in the back seat and take the ride with the players."

You can't have the attitude that you can simply roll the balls out on the floor at practice and a championship will automatically happen. This might be what kept such a talented group from achieving its dreams last season. The article also states that the coach was informed of his firing by way of a phone call. If true, that's a poor way to do business of that type. The school should at least have the courtesy of dismissing a coach in a face-to-face meeting.

[wwjjdd]

Any info from those knowledgable with the program?

http://highschoolsports.mlive.com/news/article/-3696915590513277349/west-michigan-coach-shocked-to-be-fired-after-leading-basketball-team-to-high-school-playoff-quarterfinals/

I don't think you need to be a GRC insider to be quite unsurprised by the news. Observers of West Michigan high school hoops have expected this for some time. It's humorous how the headline of the article ("West Michigan coach shocked to be fired") doesn't match the content of the piece. The coach is quoted as saying " I heard rumblings all season that this was coming."

One reason for the dismissal might well be summarized by the coach's own words who is quoted as stating the following about the team's prospects: "Basically, they are all set to win a state championship and the next person coming in there will have the keys to a stretch limo. They don't even have to drive the limo, they can come in and get in the back seat and take the ride with the players."

You can't have the attitude that you can simply roll the balls out on the floor at practice and a championship will automatically happen. This might be what kept such a talented group from achieving its dreams last season. The article also states that the coach was informed of his firing by way of a phone call. If true, that's a poor way to do business of that type. The school should at least have the courtesy of dismissing a coach in a face-to-face meeting.

Not all Christian institutions are.

[sac]

5'11 G Ben Gardner (2012) of Carmel H.S. has committed to DIII Hope College (MI)...helped lead Carmel to the 4A title  -Scouting Indiana

As the above tweet from Scouting Indiana states, Carmel won the Indiana 4A Championship, Gardner broke Greg Oden's Championship game record with 31 points.  17 of those from the FT line.

Here's a highlight video of Carmel's season focusing on a couple Sr's.  Gardner is #3, the lefty.

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


Ben is going to be one of the few kids on Hope's campus that can say his high school was bigger and mean it.  Carmel has 4,400 students and has been racking up the Indiana  state championship trophies in multiple sports.

Gardner is of course a solid Dutch name, how else do you think they get those tulips in the ground.

[Gregory Sager]

Gardner is of course a solid Dutch name, how else do you think they get those tulips in the ground.

No doubt his ancestors changed their name from the original Tuinman when they emigrated from the Netherlands to the U.S.

[ziggy]

5'11 G Ben Gardner (2012) of Carmel H.S. has committed to DIII Hope College (MI)...helped lead Carmel to the 4A title  -Scouting Indiana

As the above tweet from Scouting Indiana states, Carmel won the Indiana 4A Championship, Gardner broke Greg Oden's Championship game record with 31 points.  17 of those from the FT line.

Here's a highlight video of Carmel's season focusing on a couple Sr's.  Gardner is #3, the lefty.

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


Ben is going to be one of the few kids on Hope's campus that can say his high school was bigger and mean it.  Carmel has 4,400 students and has been racking up the Indiana  state championship trophies in multiple sports.

Gardner is of course a solid Dutch name, how else do you think they get those tulips in the ground.

Carmel is probably most known in college basketball circles for sending former number one overall recruit Josh McRoberts to Duke.

[sac]

5'11 G Ben Gardner (2012) of Carmel H.S. has committed to DIII Hope College (MI)...helped lead Carmel to the 4A title  -Scouting Indiana

As the above tweet from Scouting Indiana states, Carmel won the Indiana 4A Championship, Gardner broke Greg Oden's Championship game record with 31 points.  17 of those from the FT line.

Here's a highlight video of Carmel's season focusing on a couple Sr's.  Gardner is #3, the lefty.

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


Ben is going to be one of the few kids on Hope's campus that can say his high school was bigger and mean it.  Carmel has 4,400 students and has been racking up the Indiana  state championship trophies in multiple sports.

Gardner is of course a solid Dutch name, how else do you think they get those tulips in the ground.

Carmel is probably most known in college basketball circles for sending former number one overall recruit Josh McRoberts to Duke.

Others might think of Michigan's Stu Douglas first though.