MBB: Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association

[TUAngola]

Olivet 88
Carthage 73

That's a huge win by a large margin for the Comets over #18 Carthage!!!

Olivet has really had some impressive wins!  It would be interesting to see some predictions for the final league standings at this point as compared to the preseason coaches predictions.  If I recall correctly, Olivet at that point was picked for last.  At some times Hope really looked outstanding, but recent events have really hurt them.  Alma has really had some good games, too.  Albion has been very consistent and has especially shown the ability to come from behind in several games.  Calvin has been very inconsistent.  Trine has been inconsistent, too, it seems to me.  I suspect the predictions will look quite different in many ways, but I think Albion still looks the best.  Just to give an idea, I will make the following (probably inaccurate) prediction.

     1.   Albion
     2.   Olivet
     3.   Trine
     4.   Calvin
     5.   Hope
     6.   Alma
     7.   Kalamazoo
     8.   Adrian

I believe this may be the most wide open MIAA race in a long time.  There isn't much separation in teams 1 thru 8.  The team that can hold serve at home and steal at least 3 wins on the road will have a good chance to win the league.  A record of 10-4 in league play will probably win it.  I do think Albion has the best inside play of any team in the league with Ebeling and Armstrong.  This alone will make them my pick to win as teams will be hard pressed to match up with them inside.  I am going with Alma as my "sleeper" team, they've been playing well.  Trine, as mentioned, is just too inconsistent shooting the ball and they aren't a good defensive rebounding team.  When Johnston and Daniels are shooting well then Trine will be a tough out.  Hope and Calvin will be tough, but they've both been inconsistent so far too.  With Adrian you got to keep Harris and Kalonji in check as they are two of the better skilled offensive players in this league.  Hargraves has Olivet gelling at just the right time before league play, beating a good Carthage team was impressive.  Kalamazoo has the most overall length of any squad in the league, they'll cause some matchup problems with their size.   

[Jameswys]

Very nice and accurate summary TU!

[MaroonKnighty]

Riley Lewis said "constantly being told to get away from "the way I was raised" and such."  Does anyone know what this means?  I'm not familiar with Mr. Lewis's upbringing.

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

Riley Lewis said "constantly being told to get away from "the way I was raised" and such."  Does anyone know what this means?  I'm not familiar with Mr. Lewis's upbringing.

Further context, to me, seemed to say it was in reference to how he played the game more than any moral issue.  I took away from his cryptic message that they were trying to change his game in his last season and he'd rather not play, which is entirely understandable.  I could be wrong, but that's just my perception of what I know.

[arena]

Riley Lewis said "constantly being told to get away from "the way I was raised" and such."  Does anyone know what this means?  I'm not familiar with Mr. Lewis's upbringing.

Further context, to me, seemed to say it was in reference to how he played the game more than any moral issue.  I took away from his cryptic message that they were trying to change his game in his last season and he'd rather not play, which is entirely understandable.  I could be wrong, but that's just my perception of what I know.

Makes perfect sense

[almcguirejr]

Riley Lewis said "constantly being told to get away from "the way I was raised" and such."  Does anyone know what this means?  I'm not familiar with Mr. Lewis's upbringing.

I think it means Riley Lewis and Greg Mitchell had a conflict about Lewis's role on the team.  Lewis decided he couldn't live with that and left.  Lewis felt the need to post something on social media to air his grievance.  Hope handled it the only way they could.

[KnightSlappy]

Olivet 88
Carthage 73

That's a huge win by a large margin for the Comets over #18 Carthage!!!

Olivet has really had some impressive wins!  It would be interesting to see some predictions for the final league standings at this point as compared to the preseason coaches predictions.  If I recall correctly, Olivet at that point was picked for last.  At some times Hope really looked outstanding, but recent events have really hurt them.  Alma has really had some good games, too.  Albion has been very consistent and has especially shown the ability to come from behind in several games.  Calvin has been very inconsistent.  Trine has been inconsistent, too, it seems to me.  I suspect the predictions will look quite different in many ways, but I think Albion still looks the best.  Just to give an idea, I will make the following (probably inaccurate) prediction.

     1.   Albion
     2.   Olivet
     3.   Trine
     4.   Calvin
     5.   Hope
     6.   Alma
     7.   Kalamazoo
     8.   Adrian

I believe this may be the most wide open MIAA race in a long time.  There isn't much separation in teams 1 thru 8.  The team that can hold serve at home and steal at least 3 wins on the road will have a good chance to win the league.  A record of 10-4 in league play will probably win it.  I do think Albion has the best inside play of any team in the league with Ebeling and Armstrong.  This alone will make them my pick to win as teams will be hard pressed to match up with them inside.  I am going with Alma as my "sleeper" team, they've been playing well.  Trine, as mentioned, is just too inconsistent shooting the ball and they aren't a good defensive rebounding team.  When Johnston and Daniels are shooting well then Trine will be a tough out.  Hope and Calvin will be tough, but they've both been inconsistent so far too.  With Adrian you got to keep Harris and Kalonji in check as they are two of the better skilled offensive players in this league.  Hargraves has Olivet gelling at just the right time before league play, beating a good Carthage team was impressive.  Kalamazoo has the most overall length of any squad in the league, they'll cause some matchup problems with their size.   

I posted this on Twitter the other day, but the top of the MIAA is more bunched than I can remember. Using the Massey Ratings' predictions, here are the projected win totals for MIAA conference play:

Albion 8.7
Calvin 8.6
Hope 8.3
Trine 8.0
Alma 7.9
Adrian 6.3
Kalamazoo 4.1
Olivet 4.0

This was before Olivet's big win over Carthage, so they're pobably up a slight bit. The top 5 have less than a game of separation there. Every win will be huge, especially on the road.

[Dutchfan]

Geez, relax people. I suspect that the way Presto sports (the web design used by nearly every d3 school) works is that removing a player from the roster automatically removes his stats as well. Give the SID and others a chance to deal with it.

All players are back in the stats page for Hope, including Riley Lewis.

[sac]

Olivet 88
Carthage 73

That's a huge win by a large margin for the Comets over #18 Carthage!!!

Olivet has really had some impressive wins!  It would be interesting to see some predictions for the final league standings at this point as compared to the preseason coaches predictions.  If I recall correctly, Olivet at that point was picked for last.  At some times Hope really looked outstanding, but recent events have really hurt them.  Alma has really had some good games, too.  Albion has been very consistent and has especially shown the ability to come from behind in several games.  Calvin has been very inconsistent.  Trine has been inconsistent, too, it seems to me.  I suspect the predictions will look quite different in many ways, but I think Albion still looks the best.  Just to give an idea, I will make the following (probably inaccurate) prediction.

     1.   Albion
     2.   Olivet
     3.   Trine
     4.   Calvin
     5.   Hope
     6.   Alma
     7.   Kalamazoo
     8.   Adrian

I believe this may be the most wide open MIAA race in a long time.  There isn't much separation in teams 1 thru 8.  The team that can hold serve at home and steal at least 3 wins on the road will have a good chance to win the league.  A record of 10-4 in league play will probably win it.  I do think Albion has the best inside play of any team in the league with Ebeling and Armstrong.  This alone will make them my pick to win as teams will be hard pressed to match up with them inside.  I am going with Alma as my "sleeper" team, they've been playing well.  Trine, as mentioned, is just too inconsistent shooting the ball and they aren't a good defensive rebounding team.  When Johnston and Daniels are shooting well then Trine will be a tough out.  Hope and Calvin will be tough, but they've both been inconsistent so far too.  With Adrian you got to keep Harris and Kalonji in check as they are two of the better skilled offensive players in this league.  Hargraves has Olivet gelling at just the right time before league play, beating a good Carthage team was impressive.  Kalamazoo has the most overall length of any squad in the league, they'll cause some matchup problems with their size.   

I posted this on Twitter the other day, but the top of the MIAA is more bunched than I can remember. Using the Massey Ratings' predictions, here are the projected win totals for MIAA conference play:

Albion 8.7
Calvin 8.6
Hope 8.3
Trine 8.0
Alma 7.9
Adrian 6.3
Kalamazoo 4.1
Olivet 4.0

This was before Olivet's big win over Carthage, so they're pobably up a slight bit. The top 5 have less than a game of separation there. Every win will be huge, especially on the road.

I went through massey's score predictions last night, they have 50 of 56 MIAA contests predicted under 10 points.  Only 4 contests involving Kzoo and 2 involving Olivet, with the highest being a 12 point game.  Crazy


I do think people are forgetting a bit that it has been a tight league for 2 years already.  The league has been squeezing together for several years now.

[formerd3db]

Personally I'd rather have McKay be the varsity gym, as opposed to Upton. McKay is an Old School gym. The "bench" are is very tight to the sides and the fans are 12ish feet above the floor screaming down to the floor. I'd wager large amounts in Olivet's favor on McKay. It would be highly intimidating (during my pledging I had to play basketball on this court, it wasn't very intimidating for us, but it was for the teams after us as their alumni where more involved). The atmosphere would be the most intense in the country.

A story from my time as a player on Calvin's JV team in another century, supports Jameswys' assessment of McKay's advantages for the Comets. The court was surrounded by the large wall, where even first row patrons---typically screaming invectives at the visiting team--were several feet above the hardwood. As a visiting player, it was enough to help me appreciate the intimidation factor the condemned felt when left to fend for themselves on the ancient Colosseum floor, awaiting the gladiator's dreaded entrance. I don't even need to embellish this story to make my point. McKay's playing surface left barely enough room for any out-of-bounds space. One end was reserved for Olivet students who may or may not have arrived at McKay before attending a local pub. I vividly recall seeing a huge loogie pass over my right shoulder just as I was inbounding the ball along the baseline. After reaching the other end of the court, I asked the ref what could be done with the rowdies who nearly expectorated on me. I have never forgotten the official's pithy recommendation: "Next time, inbound the ball quicker."

LOL!

I join Gregory in his comment! That story is hilarious and a classic!😮😁

Regarding McKay, I agree with jameswys in that I'd love to see that made back into the main basketball arena for Olivet. Admittedly, I love the old, historic buildings on campus there, although I am also partial to their more modern design student center as my late father designed it!

McKay, indeed, had that intimidation factor, very similar to what Hope's old football stadium Riverview Park was back in my playing days,  in which the visitors stands that ran the entire length of the field was about 12 feet behind the visiting team. Similarly to your McKay story, most Hope students sat on that side ( the roof covered home stands were reserved seating, always filled by parents, alumni) and the visiting teams were always subjected to some very colorful "cheers" and such!

McKay would have to undergo some significant revisions as I recall the floor is not to NCAA regulations (similar to Hope's former home court at the now renovated Holland Civic Center, which was about two feet too short in length.) However, that is unlikely to happen as it is my understanding that McKay is going to be torn down for construction of a new building/addition and renovation to the Upton Center. That will be sad if it occurs as I'd like to see it at least structurally saved and renovated for some other use.

Anyway, thanks for the great story! I wonder how that ref really felt about that loogie!😮😳🤐🤫😬😁🙂

[sac]

With 3 wins tomorrow the MIAA has a chance to equal its second best non-conference win total going back to 2006.  Albion has a tough one with Case Western tomorrow afternoon, otherwise pretty solid favorites to win two tomorrow which would give us 45 wins.

MIAA non-Conference records
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    39-49    0.443
2016    46-42    0.523
2017    38-49    0.437
2018    39-49    0.443
2019    37-51    0.421

2020   43-42   .506

[Jameswys]

Personally I'd rather have McKay be the varsity gym, as opposed to Upton. McKay is an Old School gym. The "bench" are is very tight to the sides and the fans are 12ish feet above the floor screaming down to the floor. I'd wager large amounts in Olivet's favor on McKay. It would be highly intimidating (during my pledging I had to play basketball on this court, it wasn't very intimidating for us, but it was for the teams after us as their alumni where more involved). The atmosphere would be the most intense in the country.

A story from my time as a player on Calvin's JV team in another century, supports Jameswys' assessment of McKay's advantages for the Comets. The court was surrounded by the large wall, where even first row patrons---typically screaming invectives at the visiting team--were several feet above the hardwood. As a visiting player, it was enough to help me appreciate the intimidation factor the condemned felt when left to fend for themselves on the ancient Colosseum floor, awaiting the gladiator's dreaded entrance. I don't even need to embellish this story to make my point. McKay's playing surface left barely enough room for any out-of-bounds space. One end was reserved for Olivet students who may or may not have arrived at McKay before attending a local pub. I vividly recall seeing a huge loogie pass over my right shoulder just as I was inbounding the ball along the baseline. After reaching the other end of the court, I asked the ref what could be done with the rowdies who nearly expectorated on me. I have never forgotten the official's pithy recommendation: "Next time, inbound the ball quicker."

LOL!

I join Gregory in his comment! That story is hilarious and a classic!😮😁

Regarding McKay, I agree with jameswys in that I'd love to see that made back into the main basketball arena for Olivet. Admittedly, I love the old, historic buildings on campus there, although I am also partial to their more modern design student center as my late father designed it!

McKay, indeed, had that intimidation factor, very similar to what Hope's old football stadium Riverview Park was back in my playing days,  in which the visitors stands that ran the entire length of the field was about 12 feet behind the visiting team. Similarly to your McKay story, most Hope students sat on that side ( the roof covered home stands were reserved seating, always filled by parents, alumni) and the visiting teams were always subjected to some very colorful "cheers" and such!

McKay would have to undergo some significant revisions as I recall the floor is not to NCAA regulations (similar to Hope's former home court at the now renovated Holland Civic Center, which was about two feet too short in length.) However, that is unlikely to happen as it is my understanding that McKay is going to be torn down for construction of a new building/addition and renovation to the Upton Center. That will be sad if it occurs as I'd like to see it at least structurally saved and renovated for some other use.

Anyway, thanks for the great story! I wonder how that ref really felt about that loogie!😮😳🤐🤫😬😁🙂

That's really interesting that your father designed the Kirk Center. I have spent many hours in that building, as I've worked there most of my adult life. It's seen a few remodels but is still a great place to be for a day, as it's all windows and you can always see natural light.

And yes you are correct, McKay should be gone by the Fall of 2021. They are aggressively pushing to replace it with a new student center, with study spaces, meeting places and commons. It should be a nice addition and while I'd like to see McKay kept, years of neglect (I'd guess probably in the 70s and 80s) have led to the building not really being salvageable, in my inexpert opinion.

Which is why I'd love to see it out on a high note, but I fully realize it is in no condition for current D3 varsity sports.

[Gregory Sager]

Personally I'd rather have McKay be the varsity gym, as opposed to Upton. McKay is an Old School gym. The "bench" are is very tight to the sides and the fans are 12ish feet above the floor screaming down to the floor. I'd wager large amounts in Olivet's favor on McKay. It would be highly intimidating (during my pledging I had to play basketball on this court, it wasn't very intimidating for us, but it was for the teams after us as their alumni where more involved). The atmosphere would be the most intense in the country.

A story from my time as a player on Calvin's JV team in another century, supports Jameswys' assessment of McKay's advantages for the Comets. The court was surrounded by the large wall, where even first row patrons---typically screaming invectives at the visiting team--were several feet above the hardwood. As a visiting player, it was enough to help me appreciate the intimidation factor the condemned felt when left to fend for themselves on the ancient Colosseum floor, awaiting the gladiator's dreaded entrance. I don't even need to embellish this story to make my point. McKay's playing surface left barely enough room for any out-of-bounds space. One end was reserved for Olivet students who may or may not have arrived at McKay before attending a local pub. I vividly recall seeing a huge loogie pass over my right shoulder just as I was inbounding the ball along the baseline. After reaching the other end of the court, I asked the ref what could be done with the rowdies who nearly expectorated on me. I have never forgotten the official's pithy recommendation: "Next time, inbound the ball quicker."

LOL!

I join Gregory in his comment! That story is hilarious and a classic!😮😁

Regarding McKay, I agree with jameswys in that I'd love to see that made back into the main basketball arena for Olivet. Admittedly, I love the old, historic buildings on campus there, although I am also partial to their more modern design student center as my late father designed it!

McKay, indeed, had that intimidation factor, very similar to what Hope's old football stadium Riverview Park was back in my playing days,  in which the visitors stands that ran the entire length of the field was about 12 feet behind the visiting team. Similarly to your McKay story, most Hope students sat on that side ( the roof covered home stands were reserved seating, always filled by parents, alumni) and the visiting teams were always subjected to some very colorful "cheers" and such!

McKay would have to undergo some significant revisions as I recall the floor is not to NCAA regulations (similar to Hope's former home court at the now renovated Holland Civic Center, which was about two feet too short in length.) However, that is unlikely to happen as it is my understanding that McKay is going to be torn down for construction of a new building/addition and renovation to the Upton Center. That will be sad if it occurs as I'd like to see it at least structurally saved and renovated for some other use.

Anyway, thanks for the great story! I wonder how that ref really felt about that loogie!😮😳🤐🤫😬😁🙂

That's really interesting that your father designed the Kirk Center. I have spent many hours in that building, as I've worked there most of my adult life. It's seen a few remodels but is still a great place to be for a day, as it's all windows and you can always see natural light.

And yes you are correct, McKay should be gone by the Fall of 2021. They are aggressively pushing to replace it with a new student center, with study spaces, meeting places and commons. It should be a nice addition and while I'd like to see McKay kept, years of neglect (I'd guess probably in the 70s and 80s) have led to the building not really being salvageable, in my inexpert opinion.

Let me guess ... it's being held together with spit and baling wire.

[Jameswys]

It's in usable shape, in fact the gym is used for intramural sports, but it's not in 'worth the money to save it and repurpose it" shape.  Again this is my inexpert opinion.

[sac]

Olivet's expansion projects, interesting reading.
https://www.olivetcollege.edu/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Public-Phase-OC_ADV-Case-Statement-PERFECT-0118.pdf


I'm willing to get a kick starter going for $25,000 so we can name it the Steve Ernst Officials' Locker Room.