MBB: Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association

[almcguirejr]

A great win for Calvin last night.  They had only 6 turnovers as a team.  Their defense and rebounding were excellent once again.  The UWSP arena is a tough place to play and they handled it very well.

Jordan Brink played his best game last night.  His second half with 15 points was impressive.  He worked his tail off to come off screens and get space to shoot.  His play from 10 minte mark of the second half to the five minute mark helped Calvin take full control of the game.  He had a fabulous game.

Tom Snikkers had another solid game.  He wa very good starting out the game.  He forced a few shots later when he tried to do too much.  He was great on the boards with 11,  got to the line 12 times, and had only 1 turnover.

Bryan Powell had a tough shooting night.  UWSP guard, Devon Jackson, played excellent defense on Powell. I think Jackson blocked 2 of Powell's shots.  He also had 6 rebounds.

It's impressive to see 8-10 players continue to play at a high leve on the road.

It's now on to Minneapolis.  It's time to tell your wives you would like to take her shopping to the Mall of America this weekend. 

Also, remember to take the power cord with you to charge your electronic devices when going on a trip.

[arena]

A great win for Calvin last night.  They had only 6 turnovers as a team.  Their defense and rebounding were excellent once again.  The UWSP arena is a tough place to play and they handled it very well.

Jordan Brink played his best game last night.  His second half with 15 points was impressive.  He worked his tail off to come off screens and get space to shoot.  His play from 10 minte mark of the second half to the five minute mark helped Calvin take full control of the game.  He had a fabulous game.

Tom Snikkers had another solid game.  He wa very good starting out the game.  He forced a few shots later when he tried to do too much.  He was great on the boards with 11,  got to the line 12 times, and had only 1 turnover.

Bryan Powell had a tough shooting night.  UWSP guard, Devon Jackson, played excellent defense on Powell. I think Jackson blocked 2 of Powell's shots.  He also had 6 rebounds.

It's impressive to see 8-10 players continue to play at a high leve on the road.

It's now on to Minneapolis.  It's time to tell your wives you would like to take her shopping to the Mall of America this weekend. 

Also, remember to take the power cord with you to charge your electronic devices when going on a trip.

Well, do they allow dogs in the mall?

[HollandKnight]

This is my opinion why Calvin won so many games. Their big man Tyler Kruis had a lower scoring average against 3 opponents. They had 4 players that averaged 10+ points per game. There 6th man makes defenders look silly. They have so much experience that they only start 1 true sophomore. They have 5 players 6-5 or taller. And they have a guy named Tom Snikkers. That is why they have the ability to beat any d3 basketball team in this country.

[northb]

Why are there media time outs?

They have done this the last two maybe three (or more) seasons so that teams are familiar with the timeouts before they get to the championship game which is broadcast either on a network or NCAA.com. This year NCAA.com is broadcasting the quarterfinals and semifinals and CBS Sports Network is broadcasting the championship - all outlets that would like or need to use media timeouts. The timeouts in the early rounds are not as long as they will be for either of the later rounds - especially the championship game.

I don't quite see the sense there.  Have many teams experience something they are unfamiliar with for no other reason than that two teams will not be unfamiliar with it when it is needed. 
Question: Hope and Calvin are familiar with TV timeouts and adjusting the game and substitution patterns with that (I know, realist, that it does not change KVS' substitution pattern, nothng does).  How many other teams have TV coverage such that they are familiar with TV time outs?

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

Why are there media time outs?

They have done this the last two maybe three (or more) seasons so that teams are familiar with the timeouts before they get to the championship game which is broadcast either on a network or NCAA.com. This year NCAA.com is broadcasting the quarterfinals and semifinals and CBS Sports Network is broadcasting the championship - all outlets that would like or need to use media timeouts. The timeouts in the early rounds are not as long as they will be for either of the later rounds - especially the championship game.

I don't quite see the sense there.  Have many teams experience something they are unfamiliar with for no other reason than that two teams will not be unfamiliar with it when it is needed. 
Question: Hope and Calvin are familiar with TV timeouts and adjusting the game and substitution patterns with that (I know, realist, that it does not change KVS' substitution pattern, nothng does).  How many other teams have TV coverage such that they are familiar with TV time outs?

Not a lot of teams are familiar with it... and as we have seen in Salem and Holland and such, when in the title game and that is the first time media timeouts are being used, teams are breaking their huddles with still a full minute left in the timeout and they stand around wondering what they should really be doing. They added them to the semifinals to try and help this, but it wasn't working... so in the last few years they have instituted the media timeouts throughout both tournaments. The breaks are 60-75 seconds in nature instead of up to 2:30 for a TV game, so it is more of the structure they are getting used to for subs, use of timeouts outside of the media ones, etc. And more and more teams are getting used to the structure as a result.

[ron doney]

A great win for Calvin last night.  They had only 6 turnovers as a team.  Their defense and rebounding were excellent once again.  The UWSP arena is a tough place to play and they handled it very well.

Jordan Brink played his best game last night.  His second half with 15 points was impressive.  He worked his tail off to come off screens and get space to shoot.  His play from 10 minte mark of the second half to the five minute mark helped Calvin take full control of the game.  He had a fabulous game.

Tom Snikkers had another solid game.  He wa very good starting out the game.  He forced a few shots later when he tried to do too much.  He was great on the boards with 11,  got to the line 12 times, and had only 1 turnover.

Bryan Powell had a tough shooting night.  UWSP guard, Devon Jackson, played excellent defense on Powell. I think Jackson blocked 2 of Powell's shots.  He also had 6 rebounds.

It's impressive to see 8-10 players continue to play at a high leve on the road.

It's now on to Minneapolis.  It's time to tell your wives you would like to take her shopping to the Mall of America this weekend. 

Also, remember to take the power cord with you to charge your electronic devices when going on a trip.

Well, do they allow dogs in the mall?

There has only been one dog inside the mall since it was constructed in 1992.

Snoopy

[AO]

A great win for Calvin last night.  They had only 6 turnovers as a team.  Their defense and rebounding were excellent once again.  The UWSP arena is a tough place to play and they handled it very well.

Jordan Brink played his best game last night.  His second half with 15 points was impressive.  He worked his tail off to come off screens and get space to shoot.  His play from 10 minte mark of the second half to the five minute mark helped Calvin take full control of the game.  He had a fabulous game.

Tom Snikkers had another solid game.  He wa very good starting out the game.  He forced a few shots later when he tried to do too much.  He was great on the boards with 11,  got to the line 12 times, and had only 1 turnover.

Bryan Powell had a tough shooting night.  UWSP guard, Devon Jackson, played excellent defense on Powell. I think Jackson blocked 2 of Powell's shots.  He also had 6 rebounds.

It's impressive to see 8-10 players continue to play at a high leve on the road.

It's now on to Minneapolis.  It's time to tell your wives you would like to take her shopping to the Mall of America this weekend. 

Also, remember to take the power cord with you to charge your electronic devices when going on a trip.

Well, do they allow dogs in the mall?

There has only been one dog inside the mall since it was constructed in 1992.

Snoopy

don't forget the bomb sniffers.  If you go, you'll likely see both segway mall cops and bomb sniffing dogs who are very suspicious of the criminals that arrive via the light rail.  Might be fun to go to the downtown St. Paul Macy's on it's final day of business on Saturday just to cement the victory for the suburban shopping malls.

[Happy Calvin Guy]

Calvin up to #4 in Massey ratings. 

Per Massey, (rounded) probabilities of Calvin's path to Atlanta:

78.0% probability Lose to St Thomas in Sweet Sixteen round
7.5% probability Advance to Atlanta for National Championship game
4.0% probability Lose to Virginia Wesleyan in Elite Eight round
3.7% probability Lose to Williams in Elite Eight round
3.1% probability Lose to Whitworth in Final Four round
2.5% probability Lose to St Mary's (MD) in Final Four round
1.8% probability Lose to Mary Hardin-Baylor in Final Four round
0.1% probability Lose to Morrisville St. in Final Four round

When I made the case last week for Calvin probably being superior to UW-SP by diving deeper the season records and Massey ratings, arena was vocal about his dislike of the optimistic picture I painted.  I just called it as I saw it, and that assessment looked pretty good on Saturday night.  I hate to say it but I can't paint the same picture with St Thomas.  They are healthy, deep, and playing great ball.  After researching their team a little, it seems that their game is:
1.  Run a lot of athletic guys on the floor (reading their player bios and looking at body types, they seem to be strong and athletic, not necessarily a bunch of trees, with many of their players having football backgrounds in HS and even at the college level).  Their lineup actually reminds me of the type of lineup Hope has put on the floor for the past half decade. 
2.  Play pressure defense, including a press.  They have a tremendous turnover differential.

Calvin does have the ability to beat the press like we did against RHIT and turn it into easy hoops, but we also have a tendency to struggle at times with full court pressure.  Over the past few seasons, I would actually say that breaking the press is one of the weakest parts of Calvin's game.  If I were KVS, press breaking would be the #1 point of emphasis this week in practice.  If Calvin can keep turnovers to <12, I think we stand an excellent chance of winning this game.  No lazy passes, no inbounding the ball to the corner where the trap double converges, no trying to dribble through double teams too much.  If we can get some easy hoops through a press break, or at least get the ball effectively into front court to run the offense, I think we can hang with the Tommies.  I doubt that they have seen a halfcourt defense as tough as Calvin all season, we just need to limit the easy buckets off of turnovers.  As usual, we have a size advantage on the front line and need to use it to our advantage.  I'm sure we'll also have the full moral support of our women's basketball and volleyball teams...we cannot let St Thomas end another Knight season.  (and we all know how difficult it is for one school to beat another in four straight tournament games )

[ziggy]

I had talked myself into a state of confidence by the time last weekend's game started but, like HCG, I'm having a hard time seeing a path that leads to a similar place by Saturday.

Calvin hasn't faced a team with the kind of offensive firepower St. Thomas possesses, but I doubt the Tommies have faced a team that is as good defensively as Calvin has been this year. That's what I'm hanging my hat on to say that Calvin has a chance.

To win, Calvin will need to post a solid rebounding margin (+12 on the season, +8 for St. Thomas this year) and hold St. Thomas to a low field goal percentage. That looks to have been the story in the Tommies' one loss this season (box score).

[GoKnights68]

Thank you for the previews and insights, HCG and Ziggy.  It looks like St Thomas had quite a bit of FT attempts (39) last Saturday night.  Just a little piece of info I might add

Saturday should be a fun day with the Calvin game, D1 Conference Tourneys, and St. Patty's Days festivities all going on at once.  Is it the weekend yet?

[ziggy]

It sounds like Wheaton had a lot of problems handling the pressure St. Thomas brings on defense, both in the half court and full court. This looks like a spot where the one game per week format helps Calvin. We've all seen the Knights do some ugly things when faced with full court pressure. If that's the way Saturday goes, game over.

If they can handle the pressure, break the press and finish at the rim, it might be a different story.

[realist]

One exercise that I have found helpful is to put yourself in the role of the upcoming opposing coach.  If you had been the coach at either RHIT or UWSP what would you have done in advance, and now that the games have been played what would you have done differently versus Calvin?  Reading the post game comments of both coaches it seems to me there is a common thread, and it revolves around Calvin"s height and lenght advantage. 
If you are the St Thomas coach what are you going to do to prepare for Calvin?  Obviously you are going to build on the strenghts which have gotten you this far: speed, pressure defense, ball hawking, good shot selection etc.  Granted St. Thomas may do it better than
Calvin has seen so far, but I can't find anything they do that Calvin hasn't already seen.
Now if you are the St Thomas coach how are you going to simulate playing against Calvin's size advantage either offensively or defensively?   It has to be a bit daunting to game plan against a team that starts 6' 9", and replaces him with another pretty decent 6' 9" guy plus starts a 6' 8" guy who gets replaced by a 6' 7" guy that is fun to watch. 
I think Calvin presents much more of a problem to any team that hasn't faced them than we may think.  That is why Calvin has to come out ready, and prepared for what the other team is obviously going to do.  Make sure they don't fall behind early, and continue to do what Calvin does well.  As a team Calvin has been extremely good at avoiding foul problems. 
The UWSP coach kind of said it all in that Calvin players know their roles, and they do them well. 

[almcguirejr]

I had talked myself into a state of confidence by the time last weekend's game started but, like HCG, I'm having a hard time seeing a path that leads to a similar place by Saturday.

Calvin hasn't faced a team with the kind of offensive firepower St. Thomas possesses, but I doubt the Tommies have faced a team that is as good defensively as Calvin has been this year. That's what I'm hanging my hat on to say that Calvin has a chance.

To win, Calvin will need to post a solid rebounding margin (+12 on the season, +8 for St. Thomas this year) and hold St. Thomas to a low field goal percentage. That looks to have been the story in the Tommies' one loss this season (box score).

I think the key thing will be limiting turnovers.  Calvin has taken care of the ball the last 3 weeks.  Calvin cannot give up easy baskets in this game.  UST FG% for the year is almost 53 % but in games where their score is kept in the 60's or less their FG% is 45%.  Calvin has to make them earn their points and not give up anything in transition.  Calvin needs to make this a low number of possessions game.  Grinding basketball this weekend would be a beautiful thing to see.

OT- would someone tell Tom Crean to sit down?

[ziggy]

Realist,
That is a great way to think about it and you're right. I'd even go so far as to say what you're saying shows in Calvin's results this season. Consider that the Knights' three losses this season have been to Wheaton, Carthage and Hope. Two non-conference opponents they play every year and a conference rival who they have faced more than any other opponent.

To some extent, familiarity has led to closer games/losses, unfamiliarity to blowouts/solid wins.

[ziggy]

I had talked myself into a state of confidence by the time last weekend's game started but, like HCG, I'm having a hard time seeing a path that leads to a similar place by Saturday.

Calvin hasn't faced a team with the kind of offensive firepower St. Thomas possesses, but I doubt the Tommies have faced a team that is as good defensively as Calvin has been this year. That's what I'm hanging my hat on to say that Calvin has a chance.

To win, Calvin will need to post a solid rebounding margin (+12 on the season, +8 for St. Thomas this year) and hold St. Thomas to a low field goal percentage. That looks to have been the story in the Tommies' one loss this season (box score).

I think the key thing will be limiting turnovers.  Calvin has taken care of the ball the last 3 weeks.  Calvin cannot give up easy baskets in this game.  UST FG% for the year is almost 53 % but in games where their score is kept in the 60's or less their FG% is 45%.  Calvin has to make them earn their points and not give up anything in transition.  Calvin needs to make this a low number of possessions game.  Grinding basketball this weekend would be a beautiful thing to see.

OT- would someone tell Tom Crean to sit down?

Pretty easy to see why he married into the Harbaugh family, eh?