MBB: Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association

[sac]

Austin Hatch with one of the best FT's you'll see this year
http://www.snappytv.com/landing/b1g-network?s=374954

[sac]

Syracuse 84  Adrian 35
http://cuse.com/boxscore.aspx?path=mbasket&id=6599

Pretty cool experience for the Bulldogs.

[knights2000]

Very cool connection for the Calvin Athletic Department to make.

http://calvinknights.com/sports/mbkb/2014-15/releases/20141111bum53y

[almcguirejr]

Grand Valley 82
Hope 64

Hope starting 5:
Sam Otto
Harrison Blackledge
Brock Benson
Alex Eidson
Ben Gardner

Hope was down 44-22 at the half.

[sac]

Hope shouldn't be discouraged with that performance.  The bigger, stronger, quicker team was just that.

[pointlem]

Agree, Sac (although I'd say GVSU was bigger, though not quicker). 

Hope won the first 10 and last 20 minutes, but was ice cold in the 2nd 10 minutes, where they got blown out.  A better shooting night would have made it a close game (because Hope did have good looks, and six fewer turnovers).  What likely wouldn't change is the rebounding difference and power play underneath, where GVSU scored so many of its baskets. . . . although it didn't help to have Brock Benson sitting with foul trouble much of the game and playing only 12 minutes before fouling out.

Harrison Blackledge was a bright spot tonight, shooting well from inside and outside and moving with confidence.  Steve Wittenbach looked excellent, too--so good to have him back in uniform.  And Ben Gardner looks like he's primed for a great year.

This level of effort, combined with better shooting, could make for a competitive game against #1 Whitewater next Tuesday.  I'm looking forward to watching this team this season . . . and (with no seniors in the starting lineup) next season.

[wiz]

Agree, Sac.  Hope won the first 10 and last 20 minutes, but was ice cold in the 2nd 10 minutes, where they got blown out.  A better shooting night would have made it a close game (because Hope did have good looks, and six fewer turnovers).  What likely wouldn't change is the rebounding difference and power play underneath, where GVSU scored so many of its baskets. . . . although it didn't help to have Brock Benson sitting with foul trouble much of the game.

Harrison Blackledge was a bright spot tonight, shooting well from inside and outside and moving with confidence.

This level of effort, combined with better shooting, could make for a competitive game against #1 Whitewater next Tuesday.  I'm looking forward to watching this team this season . . . and (with no seniors in the starting lineup) next season.

Cubs fan?

[SBell]

Agree, Sac (although I'd say GVSU was bigger, though not quicker). 

Hope won the first 10 and last 20 minutes, but was ice cold in the 2nd 10 minutes, where they got blown out.  A better shooting night would have made it a close game (because Hope did have good looks, and six fewer turnovers).  What likely wouldn't change is the rebounding difference and power play underneath, where GVSU scored so many of its baskets. . . . although it didn't help to have Brock Benson sitting with foul trouble much of the game and playing only 12 minutes before fouling out.

Harrison Blackledge was a bright spot tonight, shooting well from inside and outside and moving with confidence.  Steve Wittenbach looked excellent, too--so good to have him back in uniform.  And Ben Gardner looks like he's primed for a great year.

This level of effort, combined with better shooting, could make for a competitive game against #1 Whitewater next Tuesday.  I'm looking forward to watching this team this season . . . and (with no seniors in the starting lineup) next season.

Blackledge certainly wasn't a bright spot when GVSU pulled away in the first half, missing two layups and offering no post resistance on the other end.

[Flying Dutch Fan]

Agree, Sac (although I'd say GVSU was bigger, though not quicker). 

Hope won the first 10 and last 20 minutes, but was ice cold in the 2nd 10 minutes, where they got blown out.  A better shooting night would have made it a close game (because Hope did have good looks, and six fewer turnovers).  What likely wouldn't change is the rebounding difference and power play underneath, where GVSU scored so many of its baskets. . . . although it didn't help to have Brock Benson sitting with foul trouble much of the game and playing only 12 minutes before fouling out.

Harrison Blackledge was a bright spot tonight, shooting well from inside and outside and moving with confidence.  Steve Wittenbach looked excellent, too--so good to have him back in uniform.  And Ben Gardner looks like he's primed for a great year.

This level of effort, combined with better shooting, could make for a competitive game against #1 Whitewater next Tuesday.  I'm looking forward to watching this team this season . . . and (with no seniors in the starting lineup) next season.

Blackledge certainly wasn't a bright spot when GVSU pulled away in the first half, missing two layups and offering no post resistance on the other end.

The entire team was a "black hole" for that 10 minute stretch.   IMHO Pointlem's point still stands, Harrison played an overall good game against bigger more athletic opponents.

[sac]

Ric Wesley's thoughts:

"Tonight, especially in the first half, I thought we played pretty good," Grand Valley coach Ric Wesley said. "Our defense was strong. Ball movement was pretty good. A little disappointed we couldn't keep it going in the second half. I thought we lost our defensive focus a little bit. I think Hope had a lot to do with that. They were very aggressive.

"Overall a good night for us. Happy to get a win. We start our season this weekend at a tough tournament. It was important for us to play well against a good team. I think Hope's going to have an outstanding season."

[HOPEful]

Ric Wesley's thoughts:

"Tonight, especially in the first half, I thought we played pretty good," Grand Valley coach Ric Wesley said. "Our defense was strong. Ball movement was pretty good. A little disappointed we couldn't keep it going in the second half. I thought we lost our defensive focus a little bit. I think Hope had a lot to do with that. They were very aggressive.

"Overall a good night for us. Happy to get a win. We start our season this weekend at a tough tournament. It was important for us to play well against a good team. I think Hope's going to have an outstanding season."

I was as pleasantly surprised as one can be when getting blown out by an opponent. I was (am still a little) very skeptical of Hope's ability to play inside going into this season. Harrison looks, and more importantly, is playing much bigger than last season. Hopefully, this continues. Really excited for the games next week against Whitewater and Stevens Point. Can we steal one?

[realist]

Congrats to J Brink on being named 3rd team preseason All American.

[AppletonRocks]

How about them apples?!  Augustana (D3) knocks off Bradley (D1) in an exhibition game.   When's the last time you saw a write-up noting a DI team "struggled to score in the paint" against a D3 team....that was written by the D1 team?? 

Here are the recaps:

http://www.athletics.augustana.edu/news/2014/11/6/MBB_1106145024.aspx?path=mbball

http://www.bradleybraves.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=25965&SPID=1498&DB_LANG=C&ATCLID=209753410&DB_OEM_ID=3400

Gotta admit that I was more than a little disappointed that it was Bradley and not fellow MVC conference member Drake that Augustana knocked off--would have been pretty entertaining to listen to oldknight try to explain that one!

Well my Bulldogs play D3 Coe College tomorrow afternoon so we'll see if any 'splainin will be required. If I still rented my former digs at The Nadine, just two blocks from Drake's Knapp Center, I would go and give a first hand account of the game.

One of my favorite summers of all-time was the summer between my 1L and 2L years in Des Moines. I had kept my promise to my wife not to play any hoops my first year of law school but by that spring it seemed I wasn't going to be a washout so I started to find my way to the gym. I took one summer class that ended mid-morning. After a couple hours of study and lunch I headed back to campus and each day--starting at 1:30--pickup ball commenced. The first day I did that--just prior to Memorial Day--I found myself in a game with some exceptionally good players. "Holy Smokes" I said to myself, "These guys are really good!" As it turned out, the varsity team reserved each afternoon for pickup ball that would also include alumni. For whatever reason, they let me play that first day and apparently I didn't embarrass myself too badly because they let me come back and play all summer--five days a week. Every game was a track meet and you had better keep your head on a swivel because any change of possession--even after a made basket--saw the ball going the other direction at lightening speed.

Somewhere around July 1, a new alumni player everyone respectfully called Wayne showed up. He was a 6'2" guard and I often wound up guarding Wayne. He was the finest athlete I ever played with or against and was in phenomenal shape. I eventually found out why--the NBA season had just ended and Wayne Kreklow had an NBA championship ring for his efforts that year with the Celtics. It would be his only season in the NBA but he was two time MVC All-Conference player and still ranks fifth on Drake's career scoring list. When I asked him that summer if he was going back to the NBA he casually said "No; I've been invited to try out for the US National Volleyball team" and went on to rave about one of the team's players, Karch Kiraly, someone I had never heard of before.  Kreklow didn't make that team (which won Olympic gold in Los Angeles) but I think he was an alternate. Kreklow and his wife are now co-coaches for the University of Missouri women's volleyball team

Wayne was a good guy, no ego, who wasn't there to try and show everyone how good he was. He just wanted to play and play he could. Later I found out he scored nearly 1500 points at Drake. In a game against Memphis State he scored 43, going 19-22 from the field, with several of his baskets coming from what would later be known as 3 point range. Guarding him that summer (at least I think that's what I was doing) was both challenging and thrilling but Kreklow never went 19-22 against me so I considered that a victory of sorts. When I picked up my wife from her job late every afternoon she always asked why I looked so tired but competing against Kreklow put me in the best shape of my life.

Kreklow was a star at Neenah High School, just down the road from here.  He also played in the CBA with the Wisconsin team based in Oshkosh, I can't recall its name anymore.  Great guy.

[John Gleich]

Really excited for the games next week against Whitewater and Stevens Point. Can we steal one?

I'd say that Whitewater is a no.

They've got enough back from last year that, through talent alone (even if the game doesn't go as they'd like... which is a fairly quick 10-12 point lead to about 15 at the half, then blow the doors off early in the second for a "get everybody some time" 30+ pt blowout).

That's just sort of how Whitewater expects non-conference games to go, in general.  (Please note, I understand that Hope isn't a lower-level NAthCon team and last year's game was competitive until the last few minutes).


Stevens Point could be interesting. SP lost a LOT from last year. Doesn't mean that the well is dry... by any means, but it may take a bit for the pieces to fit together properly.

Point scrimmaged Wheaton a few weeks ago Linky.  It looks like SP handled Wheaton for about 3/4 of the two main halves and Wheaton held their own in the final 1/4.  The garbage time half was pretty even.

It will be interesting to see who steps up to be The Guy this year for Point. If I were a betting man, I'd say either Pelkofer or Ritchay, but that's to be seen.

One thing that Point will lack is good size, but they will try to overcome this with quickness and defense.

[wwjjdd]

How about them apples?!  Augustana (D3) knocks off Bradley (D1) in an exhibition game.   When's the last time you saw a write-up noting a DI team "struggled to score in the paint" against a D3 team....that was written by the D1 team?? 

Here are the recaps:

http://www.athletics.augustana.edu/news/2014/11/6/MBB_1106145024.aspx?path=mbball

http://www.bradleybraves.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=25965&SPID=1498&DB_LANG=C&ATCLID=209753410&DB_OEM_ID=3400

Gotta admit that I was more than a little disappointed that it was Bradley and not fellow MVC conference member Drake that Augustana knocked off--would have been pretty entertaining to listen to oldknight try to explain that one!

Well my Bulldogs play D3 Coe College tomorrow afternoon so we'll see if any 'splainin will be required. If I still rented my former digs at The Nadine, just two blocks from Drake's Knapp Center, I would go and give a first hand account of the game.

One of my favorite summers of all-time was the summer between my 1L and 2L years in Des Moines. I had kept my promise to my wife not to play any hoops my first year of law school but by that spring it seemed I wasn't going to be a washout so I started to find my way to the gym. I took one summer class that ended mid-morning. After a couple hours of study and lunch I headed back to campus and each day--starting at 1:30--pickup ball commenced. The first day I did that--just prior to Memorial Day--I found myself in a game with some exceptionally good players. "Holy Smokes" I said to myself, "These guys are really good!" As it turned out, the varsity team reserved each afternoon for pickup ball that would also include alumni. For whatever reason, they let me play that first day and apparently I didn't embarrass myself too badly because they let me come back and play all summer--five days a week. Every game was a track meet and you had better keep your head on a swivel because any change of possession--even after a made basket--saw the ball going the other direction at lightening speed.

Somewhere around July 1, a new alumni player everyone respectfully called Wayne showed up. He was a 6'2" guard and I often wound up guarding Wayne. He was the finest athlete I ever played with or against and was in phenomenal shape. I eventually found out why--the NBA season had just ended and Wayne Kreklow had an NBA championship ring for his efforts that year with the Celtics. It would be his only season in the NBA but he was two time MVC All-Conference player and still ranks fifth on Drake's career scoring list. When I asked him that summer if he was going back to the NBA he casually said "No; I've been invited to try out for the US National Volleyball team" and went on to rave about one of the team's players, Karch Kiraly, someone I had never heard of before.  Kreklow didn't make that team (which won Olympic gold in Los Angeles) but I think he was an alternate. Kreklow and his wife are now co-coaches for the University of Missouri women's volleyball team

Wayne was a good guy, no ego, who wasn't there to try and show everyone how good he was. He just wanted to play and play he could. Later I found out he scored nearly 1500 points at Drake. In a game against Memphis State he scored 43, going 19-22 from the field, with several of his baskets coming from what would later be known as 3 point range. Guarding him that summer (at least I think that's what I was doing) was both challenging and thrilling but Kreklow never went 19-22 against me so I considered that a victory of sorts. When I picked up my wife from her job late every afternoon she always asked why I looked so tired but competing against Kreklow put me in the best shape of my life.

Kreklow was a star at Neenah High School, just down the road from here.  He also played in the CBA with the Wisconsin team based in Oshkosh, I can't recall its name anymore.  Great guy.

According to Wikipedia, a team called the Wisconsin Flyers played their games at the Oshkosh North Fieldhouse.  Oshkosh is about halfway between Milwaukee and Green Bay/Neenah.  The Wiki article on Kreklow says he "played one season for the Maine Lumberjacks of the Continental Basketball Association in 1979–80, averaging 9.6 points per game."  The Wiki article on the Wisconsin Flyers lists him among those players playing at least one game for the Flyers.

Probably more than I or anyone else needs to know on this subject.