MBB: Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association

[Flying Dutch Fan]

I really think there isn't much excuse not to play a full D3 schedule in these parts of the country. If you're thinking about scheduling D3 games and also thinking about possibly losing those games, you're in the wrong business. It's probably better to schedule D3 games with the possibility of losing than schedule NAIA games and getting nothing out of it (in relation to the NCAA tournament) regardless of result. At least if you lose a D3 game, it may help your SOS, results against regionally ranked opponents etc.

Yes, exactly this. If you want to be considered for Pool C you have to have a strong resume filled with good teams to have a strong SOS with lots of results (hopefully wins) versus Regionally Ranked Opponents (RRO). You can't be afraid to lose, you need to schedule historically strong programs.

Let's not forget that even losses to RROs can help your resume - at least it has in the past for a number of teams

[sac]

I really think there isn't much excuse not to play a full D3 schedule in these parts of the country. If you're thinking about scheduling D3 games and also thinking about possibly losing those games, you're in the wrong business. It's probably better to schedule D3 games with the possibility of losing than schedule NAIA games and getting nothing out of it (in relation to the NCAA tournament) regardless of result. At least if you lose a D3 game, it may help your SOS, results against regionally ranked opponents etc.

Yes, exactly this. If you want to be considered for Pool C you have to have a strong resume filled with good teams to have a strong SOS with lots of results (hopefully wins) versus Regionally Ranked Opponents (RRO). You can't be afraid to lose, you need to schedule historically strong programs.

Hope and Calvin will continue to have a hard time finding 11 D3 teams to fill their schedule.   Calvin's playing Grace Christian and Hope only has 11 because of Babson's trip to Chicago and I don't know under what criteria Hope/Babson would be considered an "in-region" game.

The flexibility to play D3 games on Thanksgiving weekend is really the big thing about dropping the Cornerstone/Aq series.  Both schools will still find it very hard to find games in December with the OAC, NCAC, CCIW, HCAC all starting conference play then.

You need to peak at all the MIAA schedules, typically about half do not get 11 D3 non-conference opponents.  Its not just a Hope/Calvin thing.

[HOPEful]

You need to peak at all the MIAA schedules, typically about half do not get 11 D3 non-conference opponents.  Its not just a Hope/Calvin thing.

Agreed. I do think historically good programs like Hope and Calvin will find the search easier with teams wanting to get them on their schedule. I also think having a DeVos or VanNoord is a nice trump card. Staake at Babson has bleacher seating for 650. It would be a mid sized high school gym in West MI. I'm sure the chance to play in and feel the energy at DeVos was a big part of the reason Babson sought out Hope when there are plenty of other D3 schools between Massachusetts and Illinois.

I like Hope's model of loading up home games in November and hitting the road a couple weekends in December. Feels like a good approach when attempting to schedule not just all D3 opponents, but as many RROs as possible too. Playing 6 D3 opponents in November is a HUGE change. Its always been 2 or 3. Getting those games in early gives them the flexibility to use an entire open weekend in December to go to Platteville or Springfield for a single game.

[Flying Dutch Fan]

Olivet recruit per Twitter - Logan Walton  6-4  F  Almont MI

[almcguirejr]

Jordan Brink named Detroit Pistons summer league coach.

https://calvinknights.com/sports/mbkb/2021-22/releases/20220703ss480q

[ziggy]

Jordan Brink named Detroit Pistons summer league coach.

https://calvinknights.com/sports/mbkb/2021-22/releases/20220703ss480q

Nice feature from The Athletic on Jordan Brink: https://theathletic.com/3393127/2022/07/03/pistons-summer-league-brink

[sac]

He doesn't quite look the same as they did in college but the other Jordan Brink (Fresno State baseball) is pitching for the San Diego Padres AAA outfit in El Paso after plying through various A ball and independent league teams.

[Flying Dutch Fan]

Updated link list of 22-23 schedules:

Adrian:  https://adrianbulldogs.com/sports/mens-basketball/schedule
Albion:  https://gobrits.com/sports/mens-basketball/schedule
Alma:
Calvin:  https://www.calvinknights.com/sports/mbkb/2022-23/schedule
Hope:  https://athletics.hope.edu/sports/mbkb/2022-23/schedule
Kalamazoo:  https://hornets.kzoo.edu/sports/mbkb/2022-23/schedule
Olivet:  https://www.olivetcomets.com/sports/mbkb/2022-23/schedule
Traine:  https://www.trinethunder.com/sports/mbkb/2022-23/schedule

[sac]

Olivet began tearing down the old MacKay Gymnasium this week making way for a new student center.
https://mobile.twitter.com/olivetcollege/status/1544392063046787072

[AlwaysHope]

Former Hope College basketball JV player from 1956-7, and who was scheduled to play for the basketball varsity the following year, has much bigger plans this coming weekend, according to a Hope College News Release:

Jim Kaat's Number Retired by the Minnesota Twins

Hope College baseball head coach Stu Fritz joined former Flying Dutchmen pitcher Al Kobar '60 over the weekend when the Minnesota Twins retired Jim Kaat's number during a ceremony.

Kaat and Kobar were the Flying Dutchmen's top two pitchers during the 1957 season. Kaat earned All-MIAA honors in 1957, then left Hope after being drafted by the Washington Senators.  A Zeeland native, Kaat pitched in Major League Baseball for 25 seasons and won 283 games. Kaat will be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame on Sunday, July 24, in Cooperstown, N.Y.

Note:  Kaat played for the Washington Senators in 1959 - 60; this team transferred to Minnesota for the 1961 season.  At one point Kaat held the Major League record for Gold Gloves with 16 consecutive awards.  A great athlete, "in 2013 Golf Digest noted that he had played full rounds in fewer strokes than his age as both a righty and as a lefty, perhaps the first player to have done so" (SABR bio).

[monsoon]

The MIAA has a new commissioner: Dr. Christopher Brown.

https://miaa.org/miaaheadlines/CommissionerBrown

[sac]

Kzoo twitterz has been welcoming its incoming class, here's a couple additions

Lucas Hanifin  6-0 G Chelsea  will also play football

Dougie Blackwood  6-3  G/F  Plant City, Fl
seemed to have some D2 interest, by that I mean some D2's followed him on twitter   Dougie looks like a player.

[TUAngola]

New Trine uni's for 2022-2023.  Hopefully the jerseys are a tad bit longer than the last set of uni's so they stay tucked in.  I think Trine led the league in being 'untucked'. 

https://twitter.com/TrineThunderMBB/status/1553053958289203200/photo/1

[Flying Dutch Fan]

Updated recruit list (corrections appreciated).  Up to 51 on the list: Avg is 6-4, 19 guys over 6-5, 4 guys under 6-0

Player	Height	Position	High School	College
Jordan Love	5-11	G	Wyoming (MI)	Adrian
Jake Slezinger	6-3	SG	Gibraltar Carlson (MI)	Adrian
Andrew Tiemeyer	6-3	G	Allendale (MI)	Adrian
Ethan Krueger	6-7	PF/C	Mona Shores (MI)	Adrian
Mason Woods	5-10	PG	East Lansing (MI)	Albion
Nate Childers	6-2	PG	Benzie Central (MI)	Albion
Phil Ragan III	6-2	G	UD-Jesuit (MI)	Albion
Nathan Steinman	6-2	G	Clarkston (MI)	Albion
Cooper Bright	6-3	G	Alpena (MI)	Albion
Jerod "Beck" Willems	6-3	G	Bethany Christian (Goshen IN)	Albion
Michael Calhoun	6-6	F	Riverview Gabriel Tichard (MI)	Albion
Dray Chase	6-0	PG	Okemos (MI)	Alma
Paul Gadde	6-3	G	Alma (MI) / Albion Transfer	Alma
Dylan Cragg	6-4	G	Grayling (MI)	Alma
Josh Elliott	6-5	G/F	Freeland (MI)	Alma
Matthew Ambrose	6-2	G	Stevenson (IL) / U of Indianapolis transfer	Calvin
Brock Broderick	6-3	G	Traverse City Christian (MI)	Calvin
DeJuan Potts-Heard	6-3	G	Cookeville HS (Cookeville TN)	Calvin
Luka Ressler	6-3	G	GR Catholic Central (MI)	Calvin
Michael Morris	6-4	F	West Catholic (MI)	Calvin
Trevin Winkle	6-4	G	Northern MI Christian (MI)	Calvin
Owen Varnado	6-6	F	Western MI Christian (MI)	Calvin
Brady Ewing	6-7	PF	Petoskey (MI)	Calvin
Jalen Overway	6-9	PF/C	Holland Christian (MI)	Calvin
Sam Leppien	6-10	C	Alma (MI)	Calvin
Marcus Wourman Jr	5-11	PG	East Lansing/ Mt. Zion Prep (MI)	Hope
Joseph Hayes	6-1	G	Shelby (MI)	Hope
Justice Mims	6-2	PG/SG	Rochester Adams (MI)	Hope
Ethan Crabtree	6-5	PG/SG	Coldwater (MI)	Hope
Blake Pistro	6-5	F	New Albany (OH)	Hope
Carson Sanders	6-5	SG	Hanover-Horton (MI)	Hope
Nic Stump	6-5	SF	Grand Haven (MI)	Hope
Andrew Leeper	6-6	PF	Homestead (Ft Wayne IN)	Hope
Lucas Hanifin	6-0	G	Chelsea (MI)	Kalamazoo
Carter Bandemer	6-2	G	Howell (MI)	Kalamazoo
Caleb Caul	6-2	G	Grayling (MI)	Kalamazoo
Dougie Blackwood	6-3	G/F	Plant City (FL)	Kalamazoo
JJ Stevens	6-6	G/F	Sturgis (MI)	Kalamazoo
Logan Walton	6-4	F	Almont (MI)	Olivet
Hayden Garrison	6-8	C	Gull Lake (MI)	Olivet
J.J. Marshall	5-11	G	La Lumiere Prep (LaPorte IN)	Trine
Drew Cwik	6-1	G	South Elgin HS (Elgin IL)	Trine
Evan Lumbrezer	6-1	G	Evergreen HS (Metamora OH)	Trine
Mason Gladieux	6-2	G	Crossroads Christian (Henderson NC)	Trine
Jackson Jannsen	6-2	G	Carmel (IN) / Manchester Transfer	Trine
Ryan Schroeder	6-3	G	Central Noble  (Albion IN)	Trine
Colin Shriver	6-5	F	Holland West Ottawa (MI)	Trine
Nate Tucker	6-5	G/F	Marshall (MI)	Trine
Troy Cicotte	6-6	G/F	Arbor Prep/Divine Child (MI)	Trine
Logan Gard	6-7	PF	Central Noble  (Albion IN)	Trine
Logan McKenzie	6-7	F	Byron Center (MI)	Trine

[sac]

Tremendous loss for the Hope community, but what a life and influence he cast on others.  So much of what Hope College is today is because of his work and relationships he built in his lifetime.  One of the kindest and most positive people I've ever run across in my life, any time spent with Bob was a good time.


https://hope.edu/news/2022/campus-life/retired-advancement-vp-and-former-dean-robert-n-deyoung-dies.html?fbclid=IwAR3ywaevdCIvfCQfPE6JPXVNR0ywRblqgEeapPp1iv6KKYp1215jI47jcUM

https://dykstrafuneralhome.com/obituaries/robert-deyoung.140765


In more recent years Bob had seats near the top of the section I typically sit in at DeVos and I will forever miss Bob's incredible positive energy and his welcoming smile whenever I go to games at Hope.