MBB: Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association

[GoKnights68]

Hope beats Kalamazoo 68-58

[sac]

I can almost feel the realization ...........oh, that's how Hope/Adrian was close.





Hope 68  Kzoo  58

Hope's bench played well today or at least scored well, 24 from the bench.   Hope outscored Kzoo at the freethrow line by  22 , so that should please the conspiracy theorists.

Kzoo must have shot it well the second half to get their avg up to 38%,

Reimink 26  ........alot of his points came in the last 5 or so.

Hope outrebounds Kzoo by a staggering 20 rebounds.

[realist]

From the stats it would appear that Hope, like Calvin had some trouble protecting the ball.     It seems like every year the 2nd round of games it gets much harder to deliver a knockout punch, but Albion sure seemed energized in taking down Olivet.

[sac]

Updated standings through Sat.  w/remaining sched

Calvin 9-1    (+4)    hope, @olivet, albion, @kzoo
Hope 8-2     (+2)    @calvin, adrian, @alma, @trine
Albion 7-3    (+1)    @trine, @kzoo, @calvin, alma
Olivet 5-5     (+1)   kzoo, calvin, @alma, adrian
Alma 3-7      (-2)    @adrian, hope, olivet, @albion
Adrian  3-7   (-2)    alma, trine, @hope, @olivet
Kzoo 3-7      (-2)    @olivet, albion, @trine, calvin
Trine 2-8      (-2)     albion, @adrian, kzoo, hope

Wednesday, February 11
Albion at Trine, 7:30 p.m.
Alma at Adrian, 7:30 p.m.
Hope at Calvin, 7:30 p.m.
Kalamazoo at Olivet, 8 p.m.


***  Winner today was probably Albion, 4 games ahead of Alma/Adrian/Kzoo so they've pretty much wrapped up a home game for the MIAA tournament (tie-breakers excluded)

***  Clearly the big game is Hope @ Calvin, once again it will be for at least a piece of the MIAA title most likely.

***  Its just that time of year, tough games, everyone knows everything.

[sac]

From the stats it would appear that Hope, like Calvin had some trouble protecting the ball.   

Thats two games in a row Hope's been sloppy...........I've mentioned teams hitting walls before, I think I saw things Wed. that made me feel Hope might have hit their's.  Fatigue affects the mind first, and turnovers is mostly concentration.   These teams have been working hard for nearly 4 straight months now.

[GoKnights68]

Just got back from the Calvin game.  There were some good things I saw today and some  things Calvin still needs to work on.

Calvin did an excellent job rebounding today (out-rebounded Adrian 36-26), especially offensively.  They were just a little more aggressive than Adrian was today and that made the difference.

Another solid performance by Mantel.  Calvin shutting down Young today and Mantel dumping in 20 points puts him right up there in the MVP race.  Dustin Smith had a really nice game.  I like his confidence right now. 

It was good to see Veltema back playing.  It looks like he will be alright.

Veldhouse didn't seem to want to shoot much today (same goes for Salo), but maybe that was a good thing with his 0-8 FG perfcentage (only one 3-point attempt).  He's got to keep driving to the basket, though.  Hopefully he is saving it for Hope?

Rodts has got to get more touches than he did today.  He is a pure-scorer, but only shot 3 FG.

Calvin seems to have a problem with letting teams hang around too much.  When they get a descent lead, they don't seem to know how to extend it.  They should have beaten Adrian by much than 4 points today, but I guess I'll take the W against a pretty well-rounded Adrian team.

Overall, it was a pretty well-rounded effort by Calvin.  Can't wait for Wednesday....

[GoKnights68]

I wouldn't call Wednesday's game a "must-win" game for Calvin if they want to host the MIAA tournament, but I have a feeling Calvin could easily slip against one of the 3 other remaining games they have (hopefully they prove me wrong).  At Olivet is going to be tough, but hopefully Calvin has some extra motivation from remembering what happened last time.  Albion seems to be playing the best ball in the MIAA.  At Kalamazoo is always a tough gym to play in.

[sac]

I watched most of the Albion/Olivet game and some things stood out.


1.  The north end of Albion's gym is pretty dark, they could use another row of lights there, I thought so  Wed and on video it really shows up.

2.  Albion might be playing the best team basketball in the league right now.  It just seems like everyone is playing a team concept.  A little surprising given what I saw 2 weeks ago.  I don't know if they can keep it up but I'm sure they'd like a chance to put some pressure on Calvin/Hope if they havent' already.  Could be 2 years in a row a slow start costs them a chance at the MIAA title.

3.  Albion does a really good job getting their 3 point shooters open for wideopen shots.  Almost every one they take is unguarded.

4.   Another career high today, Thalen I think.  Guys are just stepping up in Yancey's absense.

5.   Intensity never comes across on TV well, but there was a palpable difference between Albion's D and Olivet's D.


.......and I'll mention what I sent the Albion broadcaster.   Kresge is 75+ years old, the video quality is excellent.  Hope and Calvin have spent $75 million on new arenas.........no video.  Thats a little embarrasing

[realist]

gk68  I have noticed the lack of killer instinct myself.  Several times today I was also troubled by the subbing pattern.  If Mantel isn't on the floor you've got to leave a shooter out there,  All that said if you reduce the to's, and make some of the ft's at the end the game isn't nearly as close.

Wed. night is setting up to be another classic Calvin/Hope game.  I would like to think the home floor gives Calvin just enough of an advantage, but not sure they have proven the point yet.  Keys for Calvin are going to have to be Veldhouse, and Veltema both stepping up and getting their touch back.  I think Calvin can maintain an edge on the glass, but they really can not afford to continue with silly passes to the "invisible" 6th man.
Just like the first game I think Calvin has to make Mr. Riemink earn every point he makes.  If Calvin can disrupt Hope's passing lanes it makes things harder for Hope to score, but if they don't it leads to lots of open looks.

[GoKnights68]

gk68  I have noticed the lack of killer instinct myself.  Several times today I was also troubled by the subbing pattern.  If Mantel isn't on the floor you've got to leave a shooter out there,  All that said if you reduce the to's, and make some of the ft's at the end the game isn't nearly as close.

Wed. night is setting up to be another classic Calvin/Hope game.  I would like to think the home floor gives Calvin just enough of an advantage, but not sure they have proven the point yet.  Keys for Calvin are going to have to be Veldhouse, and Veltema both stepping up and getting their touch back.  I think Calvin can maintain an edge on the glass, but they really can not afford to continue with silly passes to the "invisible" 6th man.
Just like the first game I think Calvin has to make Mr. Riemink earn every point he makes.  If Calvin can disrupt Hope's passing lanes it makes things harder for Hope to score, but if they don't it leads to lots of open looks.

Good post.  Veltema needs to somehow get more wide-open shots.  It seems today a lot of his shots were forced.  Good defense by the Adrian, though....

The passing just needs to be a lot better.  Too many lazy passes.  Calvin needs to have players cut to the basket more often.  Maybe try some more give and goes perhaps?  Calvin tried all-oops often with Josh Meckes, but I don't see why they don't try it ever with Zoerhof or Mantel.

Zweir and Katt need to step up offensively when Mantel is on the bench.



...Maybe I am being too harsh on the first-place Knights, though 

[sac]

Albion's last two boxscores are a thing of beauty for any coach that preaches team.........

http://www.miaa.org/mbb/stats/0809/m207olab.htm

http://www.miaa.org/mbb/stats/0809/m204hoab.htm



Alma shot 18.9% in the first half at Trine.

[oldknight]

I wouldn't call Wednesday's game a "must-win" game for Calvin if they want to host the MIAA tournament, but I have a feeling Calvin could easily slip against one of the 3 other remaining games they have (hopefully they prove me wrong). 

The reason you wouldn't is because it isn't. Actually, it's a "must-win" game for Hope. If Calvin loses they still control their own destiny because if they go on to beat Albion and wind up the regular season in a first place tie with Hope, the tie breaker would be Calvin's two wins over Albion, the likely third place finisher.

Some musings from my afternoon at VanNoord:

* Two things happened today that I never expected I would ever see--an almcquirejr sighting and a Desmond Young disappearing act. When Desmond left the floor at halftime with nary a point, I was certain he would still finish the game in double digits. Not only did he fail to score at all, he barely shot it, taking only two second half shots--the first a layup with just under 2 minutes left (which either Mantel or Zoerhof blocked) and then a difficult, off-balance triple try during Adrian's final possession. Certainly Rodts is a very good one-on-one defender and the Knights played excellent team defense, but I left the arena with that nagging feeling that something was not right with Young today. He displayed no apparent injury but he just wasn't the same player I'm used to seeing. Maybe he had the flu bug because he barely looked like a role player when on the floor.

* Who would ever have thought that Desmond and Caleb-two of the top players in the conference--would combine for 0-15 from the floor today? Just a couple weeks ago I was dumbfounded to see Veldhouse and Mantel go 0-16 in the second half against Olivet and I thought it would be a long time before I would see anything like that again. I'm convinced that VanNoord is the Bermuda Triangle of gymnasiums. I have now seen 5 games in the new arena and no team yet--home or visitor--has come close to shooting 50% in a game. It's inexplicable.

* I thought Veltema gave Calvin a tremendous shot in the arm (a poor metaphor, I admit), scoring 10 on a bum wheel in only 18 minutes of action. If he doesn't play today, Calvin loses.

[calvin_grad]

The reason you wouldn't is because it isn't. Actually, it's a "must-win" game for Hope.

Actually, there are no truly "must-win" games until the conference tournament.  

I was at the game today and I just have one comment:  I know I've said it before, but the student support at the Calvin games is embarrassing.  You guys realize you have a brand-new, gorgeous arena and a first-place team, right?  (although it really shouldn't take that to support your team.)

Loved the new arena, although it does look like the scoreboard came from the close-out bin at K-Mart.  Text is hard to read and very "pixelly" in my opinion.  Just not very clear.  There is a spot for team fouls and tenths of a second, now, though.  Still working on the individual stats showing up for the players that are in the game.  If you looked at the scoreboard, many times it looked like it was 5 on 4 or even 4 on 4.  I'm sure that will get worked out.

[wiz]

Calvin still has too many  turnovers to feel comfortable about anything.  But, they did seem to improve that situation in the second half.  Both teams played hard and in typical fashion, Buck has his team very patient with the ball and winding the clock down to 7 seconds or so before making a move to the bucket.  Typical Adrian basketball and it has been a pleasure to watch if for many years.  I think Buck is one of the most talented and classiest coaches in the league.

Caleb's shot has been a little off all year but he is also draws lots of attention.  Those double teams are most likely working in Calvin's favor now as Veltema, Smith, and Rodts are all really good shooters and allowing them to be open is a mistake.

I thought this was one of the better games I have seen this year.  Well played by both teams and never certain until just a few seconds remaining on the clock.  Adrian could never quite catch up and Calvin could never quite put it away.  Lots of nervous fans today, except the students who were taking a nap.  Most likely still suffering jet lag from their studies abroad during interim.

The scoreboard worked for half the game today.  That's a 50% improvement but still embarrasing to see Henry DeVries giving tours of the facility and yapping his jaws away when they can't even get the scoreboard fixed.  No excuse for that!

I also thought it was a pretty physical game today.  The whistles were broke.   They didn't work very well on either side of the court.

Wednesday night should be another typical Calvin/Hope rivalry game.  I expect a hard fought contest from both teams and plenty of juvenile cheers from the student section, and a flurry of stupid stats about the rivalry prior to tipoff.  Calvin by 7.

[Civic Minded]

Sounds like there was some sloppy play from the Knights today to match the sloppy play of the Dutchmen.  Wednesday should be something, but I'm not sure what at this point.         At least we'll finally get to see the new arena -- now there's something to look forward to.