MBB: Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association

[sac]

The problem is that a team that well-stocked should have gone further.

As if its an easy thing to do.

[Pat Coleman]

29-3, MIAA Tournament Champs and Sweet 16 of NCAA tournament.  I don't see what the problem is.

The problem is that a team that well-stocked should have gone further.

Lost to the national runner-up on that team's home floor. Should have gone further? Perhaps, but the bracket didn't really allow for that.

[Outnthewoodsman]

29-3, MIAA Tournament Champs and Sweet 16 of NCAA tournament. I don't see what the problem is.


The problem is that a team that well-stocked should have gone further.


Lost to the national runner-up on that team's home floor. Should have gone further? Perhaps, but the bracket didn't really allow for that.


Amen to that Pat.  At what point will the NCAA realize that "even though it's DIII" having a great share of the nation's top five come from the Great Lakes means movement of teams around to create a "best of the best" tournament.  The entire selection process needs tweaking if you ask me.....or even if you don't ask me.  Why not seed teams nation wide?....something better than putting the top teams in the country in early brackets to beat up on one another.

Wittenberg and Hope were two of the top teams in the land all year.  Let them prove their mettle and meet in the semi's.  Just a thought.

[Gregory Sager]

Amen to that Pat.  At what point will the NCAA realize that "even though it's DIII" having a great share of the nation's top five come from the Great Lakes means movement of teams around to create a "best of the best" tournament.  The entire selection process needs tweaking if you ask me.....or even if you don't ask me.  Why not seed teams nation wide?....something better than putting the top teams in the country in early brackets to beat up on one another.

Wittenberg and Hope were two of the top teams in the land all year.  Let them prove their mettle and meet in the semi's.  Just a thought.

It ain't gonna happen, for two reasons that loom very large in the consciousness of D3's institutional poobahs: 1) cost; and 2) proximity to campus.

1) The D3 tournament doesn't make money; it loses it. Think of our version of the big dance as one of those little oxpecker birds that live on the back of a giant cud-chewing beast, or as one of those tiny fish that flit in and out of a shark's teeth picking the flesh out of them. The vast money-making machine that is the D1 tournament is what subsidizes our modest 59-team version of March Madness. As a result, costs are kept to a minimum in the D3 tourney -- and that means spending as little money as possible on plane fares, since the NCAA subsidizes postseason travel. The selection committee does everything it can to bracket teams within the 500-mile radius that defines whether a team travels to a game site by bus or by plane.

2) The other big reason why teams are bracketed as close to home in the D3 tourney as possible is part and parcel of why regional games are so heavily emphasized in D3 as a whole: To save student-athletes from the possibility of missed class time. By doing everything it can to force teams to play close to campus, D3 remains true to its mission statement of putting academics first and foremost. The idea of tutors traveling with a team on a plane as it flies hither and yon for one game after another while the players miss class after class is totally anathema to what D3 is all about. Sure, I think that they take it to extremes in terms of tournament bracketing, but the committee is only being true to the division's mandate in that regard.

[MIdoubleA]

I like conversations that go in circles and get repeated.

I like conversations that get repeated and go in circles.

[albinomascot19]

I haven't heard much about recruiting thus far.  However I got a suggestion for teams in the MIAA, if they are looking for someone.  I wonder if any team would think about going overseas.  There is a 19 year old from Hyderabad, India who is the tallest man alive, as he stands at 8'3 420 lbs.  

[KnightSlappy]

A tournemnt that mirrors the D-I tournament would be terrible for D-III i would much rather drive to Wheaton or Hope to see my Knights play then to have to drive out to Colorado or Mississippi.  The first round matchup of UW-LaCrosse and Calvin would had very little following if it was played somewhere like Mississippi College.

[hopefan]

Here's a far out suggestion - and I only field it to get some response - how about a first round to cut the field to 32, and then an NAIA tourney format - everyone who is anyone, 32 teams,  at a big city venue - a dream come true for the real D3 fan  -  I'd give anything......  Host site could even rotate between midwest ie Chicago, New England, and South Atlantic ... Wow, if we could do it just once......

[SBell]

Some recruiting stuff ...

Olivet has pledges from six kids. The ones I'm familar with are JW Seekman, a 6-4 great shooter from Martin, and 6-3 Kyle Henion, all-around tough kid from Ludington. Trying to get the word on the other four.

Also hearing Matt Wayne, 6-7, a solid player from Riverview, to Adrian.

Today's entry on new blog on MLive has the top 10 unsigned players i the state, including a couple who could end up in the MIAA:

http://www.mlive.com/weblogs/hsbasketball/

Also, check out the Commitments updated as it goes story on Bankhoops.com as the spring progresses.

[SBell]

Other Olivet guys:

Blake Brannick  6-4  Lumen Christi
Marcello Cash  6-3  KVCC (Comstock)
Victor Kingery  6-2  Grand Ledge
Marco Gabrielle  6-4  Reading

Also still recruiting some more "name" players ...

[MIdoubleA]

I heard Mr. Batista was here (at Hope) on Monday.

[northb]

29-3, MIAA Tournament Champs and Sweet 16 of NCAA tournament.  I don't see what the problem is.

The problem is that a team that well-stocked should have gone further.

Lost to the national runner-up on that team's home floor. Should have gone further? Perhaps, but the bracket didn't really allow for that.

The problem is that a team that well-stocked should have gone further.

As if its an easy thing to do.

My point is that many expected them to go further.  What they accomplished is quite respectable for any team.  But this team should have gone further.  Tell the truth Hope fans--didn't you pick then to go further in your pick 'em brackets?  Or is that Orange and Blue tinted sunglasses?  And Pat--didn't you write a whole article about Hope getting their banner?  The bracket is not the issue--If you can't beat them in the early stages, you can't beat them later on, either

[MIdoubleA]

29-3, MIAA Tournament Champs and Sweet 16 of NCAA tournament.  I don't see what the problem is.

The problem is that a team that well-stocked should have gone further.

Lost to the national runner-up on that team's home floor. Should have gone further? Perhaps, but the bracket didn't really allow for that.

The problem is that a team that well-stocked should have gone further.

As if its an easy thing to do.

My point is that many expected them to go further.  What they accomplished is quite respectable for any team.  But this team should have gone further.  Tell the truth Hope fans--didn't you pick then to go further in your pick 'em brackets?  Or is that Orange and Blue tinted sunglasses?  And Pat--didn't you write a whole article about Hope getting their banner?  The bracket is not the issue--If you can't beat them in the early stages, you can't beat them later on, either

This is exactly what makes March Madness, March Madness. Teams that should win go home early and teams that shouldn't be there play cinderella. If your point is to say "i told you so" then go ahead and say it. If your point is that "many expected them to go further," well I don't quite understand what you are trying to convey.

Either way, move on to next season.

[NW Hope Fan]

If you can't beat them in the early stages, you can't beat them later on, either

Do you really believe that to be true?

Hope played a horrible first half offensively. They didn't beat them in that particular game, but "could have" beaten them.

I think plenty of us had Hope going further, but were guardedly optimistic based on the games against Calvin, Albion and possibly Lakeland. This team was awesome on paper, and by record, but still had their issues.
It was a super season, but ended with another "what-if" for the history books. C'est la vie...

[SBell]

Oakland's trying to get Dex to walk on, but he wants to play. Looking at Hope, Albion, Olivet, Wooster. Good player, good guy.