MBB: Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association

[sac]

Some interesting history involving Greg Mitchel and OWU coach Mike DeWitt.

OWU and Hope have met 5 times.  Two stick out.   In 1988 a 110-107 2OT win for OWU in the NCAA's everyone talked about for years, Greg Mitchel would have been on that Hope team.  OWU went on to win the national championship.  In 1985 a 98-95 2OT regular season win by OWU at OWU that Mike DeWitt would have played in.  I think they missed playing against each other by 1 year on either side of their playing careers.

1980 was the last time Ohio Wesleyan played a regular season game in Holland.

[sac]

The league is 37-47 with 4 non-conference game remaining.  A little frustrating it isn't better because I think the league is better, not by much but better.  Plus collectively it has been a pretty difficult schedule.  Two wins today would tie last year, leaving it up to Adrian or Albion to hit 40.



Saturday:
Hope vs Ohio Wesleyan
Trine vs Ohio Northern


Adrian at Sienna Heights  Jan 5
Albion at Oakland  Jan 18



2005   46-38   0.548
2006   52-34   0.605
2007   27-51   0.346
2008   34-44   0.386
2009   35-46   0.432
2010   38-50   0.432
2011   43-43   0.500
2012   44-43   0.506
2013   48-39   0.552
2014   39-49   0.443
2015        37-47       0.440

vs D3 record is 31-37

[monsoon]

Huge win by the Dutchmen! Now I can stop watching livestats and pay attention to the game I'm actually at.

[sac]

A couple things from Hope's 87-61 win tonight


---It was 24-13 OWU with a little over 10 minutes to play, Hope rolled 74-37 the rest of the way and it was a really interesting  3 point game with  9 to play.  Hope made 8 of its next 10 shots starting with a Harrison Blackledge tip in off a missed 3.  OWU made just 2 layups the rest of the way.

It felt like Wesleyan was getting all of their early 3's in motion and as part of their offense.  Later on they just started chucking 3's and seemed to run out of ideas.  Nice job by Hope on Claude Gray matching his season low for points I think.   That's 11 of 11 opponents who have shot below their season average from behind the 3-point line against Hope.

---I'm pretty sure I've never watched a game in person where both teams took half their shots or more from behind the 3-point line.  OWU took 59 FG attempts, 34 from behind the line.  Hope took 62 FG attempts and a very surprising 31 3-point attempts.   Hope kind of beat them at their own game a little.


That's not a very easy offense to defend and I thought Hope was really good making Wesleyan take tougher and tougher shots as the night wore on.  OWU's lowest point total before tonight was 77 and that was against a slowish deliberate team.

[pointlem]

OWU lived up to the expectations I had from Sac's blog preview—a team that lives and (last night) dies by the 3-point shot.  With a 24-13 OWU lead, Hope fans were feeling like OWU's shooting and speed had Hope overmatched.  Who would have expected what happened thereafter?

Some observations:

In addition to its 3-point shooting, OWU did have one other effective play.  Early in the game their small guards would run their defender into an OWU post player.  The Hope players would switch, several times leaving Chad Carlson guarding their post player.  With that switch not working, Chad in the second half circumvented the screen.  But OWU had cleared out the lane and the speedy OWU guard would have a head start driving to the basket.

It was good to see Dante Hawkins doing dribble penetration and then unselfishly kicking the ball out to an open 3-point shooter, giving him four assists with zero turnovers.

The emergence of Brock Benson as a scoring threat seems to have helped open up the perimeter for Hope, which this year has a team 41% 3-point shooting average (with all four starters who shoot the 3 over 40 percent). Last night's 42% may have seemed hot, but it was actually right at the season average.

Hope had a night where everything clicked and, of course, isn't really 26 points better than OWU.  Moreover, there will be colder shooting games to come.  Nonetheless, with a well-liked new coach and but one senior, one gets the sense that this improving team, with its deep bench and up tempo play, has a promising future.

But fear not, Calvin fans. Kevin VS was in the end bleacher section yesterday, so he at least knows what he'll be facing next Saturday.

[Flying Dutch Fan]

With apologies for this being so late - the pick em contest is up and runnning again on the MIAA Pick 'Em page.  Rules are posted and everyone is welcome to join.

[HOPEful]

I can't fight this ominous feeling about @ Trine, stuck right between hosting the #10 team in the country and hosting Calvin...

[realist]

I can't fight this ominous feeling about @ Trine, stuck right between hosting the #10 team in the country and hosting Calvin...

50% of the people who voted in the recent poll  (19/38) felt Hope would win the MIAA this year.  Calvin had 12 supporters.  I doubt we will see a 14-0 run in the conference this year, but 12-2 or 11-3 should do the trick.  Teams like Trine  Kalamazoo and Albion are going to have a say in the outcome, and I wouldn't put it past either Olivet or Alma to upset a team or two along the way. 
When the new D3 poll is released later today I expect to see Hope get some love in the ORV category.  It always helps when your team gets mentioned on the front page.  Hanging with Wooster on their floor, and than beating OWU decisively are both positive. 

[sac]

I can't fight this ominous feeling about @ Trine, stuck right between hosting the #10 team in the country and hosting Calvin...

Trine has had 3 different players named MIAA player of the week.   Tyler Good, Will Dixon and Jared Holmquist.  Here's what the Thunder did against a recent Hope opponent:  http://www.miaa.org/mbb/stats/1415/1209trow.htm

Your trepidation is warranted.

[HOPEful]

I can't fight this ominous feeling about @ Trine, stuck right between hosting the #10 team in the country and hosting Calvin...

Here's what the Thunder did against a recent Hope opponent:  http://www.miaa.org/mbb/stats/1415/1209trow.htm

Your trepidation is warranted.

I still vividly remember what Dixon and Good did in this game...

http://athletics.hope.edu/sports/mbkb/2013-14/boxscores/20140226_lg3f.xml

Unfortunately, I'm confident that they vividly remember that game's outcome, as well.

My trepidation began then and only escalated when I saw the precarious timing of Wednesday's game (between OWU and Calvin)...

[Flying Dutch Fan]

I can't fight this ominous feeling about @ Trine, stuck right between hosting the #10 team in the country and hosting Calvin...

Here's what the Thunder did against a recent Hope opponent:  http://www.miaa.org/mbb/stats/1415/1209trow.htm

Your trepidation is warranted.

I still vividly remember what Dixon and Good did in this game...

http://athletics.hope.edu/sports/mbkb/2013-14/boxscores/20140226_lg3f.xml

Unfortunately, I'm confident that they vividly remember that game's outcome, as well.

My trepidation began then and only escalated when I saw the precarious timing of Wednesday's game (between OWU and Calvin)...

Hope is in the middle of quite a gauntlet of games - Mt Union, Spalding, Wooster, OWU, Trine, Calvin, Albion.  Other than Spalding, those are all good teams with winning records.

[realist]

No one is saying that Trine isn't capable of beating Hope in IN, but when you look at Massey's prediction one sure has to like Hope's chances more than Trines.

Looking at the prediction of Calvin at Hope per Massey gives a valid reason for trepidation.   

[arena]

What's the deal with the odd starting times for the Men's BB games this year?  Calvin/Hope game in Feb starting at 6PM? 

[realist]

What's the deal with the odd starting times for the Men's BB games this year?  Calvin/Hope game in Feb starting at 6PM?

Double header.  Men go first this year.

Calvin has 2 double headers at home.  Starting with Alma on Wed., and 2 double headers on the road.  Kalamazoo and Olivet in addition to the Hope game at Calvin.

[sac]

What's the deal with the odd starting times for the Men's BB games this year?  Calvin/Hope game in Feb starting at 6PM?

Discussed a little this summer.  It happens when one site is hosting a men's and women's game.  The women get the late game in 2015.  Calvin women are hosting Olivet that night in front of a quickly exiting crowd.