MBB: Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association

[oldknight]

One of the key factors I'll be watching tonight is how well (or poorly) Hope handles Veltema, and how well (or poorly) Calvin reacts to Hope's defense on Matt. To me, Hope is typically the best perimeter defending team in the MIAA, and this year is no exception. Hope pressures the ballhandler at the top and when their defense is doing its job this forces opposing teams to start their offense a step further away from the basket. When that happens, the entry pass to the post is tougher to successfully complete. Having the ability to beat your defender with dribble penetration is very important when playing Hope, and that's something Caleb did so nicely to set up Veltema's winning basket in the last meeting.

Ever since Veltema burned Hope twice at DeVos as a freshmen, the Flying Dutchmen have paid extra attention to Veltema's talents and have done a very good job of bottling him up. Matt really hasn't had a good game vs. Hope since his freshmen year and--nothwithstanding his winning basket earlier this month--the Dutch hounded him into what I thought was his worst game this season. Veltema won't beat you off the dribble but he is a pretty good post scorer and can finish inside, especially if Calvin's ballhandlers get consistent dribble penetration. If that happens, it will free up the perimeter making a Calvin win far more likely. Veldhouse is obviously Calvin's primary ballhandler and, as this season has progressed, I think he sees himself as more of a distributor and less of a scorer than he once was for the Knights.

[Knight In The Stan]

Big day in the West Michigan bubble.....Go Knights

[hope1]

hopefully  we get to see 2 great games today at  3.00  hope vs st marys and at  7.30  hope vs calvin i hope for 2 wins

[realist]

[

My guess, however, is that most Calvin fans aren't thrilled about having to face the Dutchmen again.

Speaking strictly as one Calvin fan I am not at all unhappy about getting/having to play Hope again today.  Since Dec. I have thought that Calvin and Hope were very closely matched, and nothing since than has happened to change that opinion.  The records, and the MIAA tourney show they are the two best teams, and it is only fitting they should play in the championship game.   A key for Calvin is going to be to come out from the opening tip, and play sound ball.  If they stumble out the gate like in some previous games they may not be able to recover.  Key for Hope is going to be getting rebounds, and avoiding relying on Reimink to carry them.

[HopeConvert]

Big day in the West Michigan bubble.....Go Knights

Ugh. I hate the "bubble" metaphor.

[hope81]

I am not sure that we are looking at a sellout......but Calvin sold out their allotment of tickets last night in 27 minutes.  They were on the phone this morning checking out the Hope allotment.  I know that tickets are being sold at DeVos this morning (I don't know for how long).  If you do not have a ticket for tonight, you might want to work on that.  It may very well end up being close to a capacity crowd.

[arena]

I was able to purchase tickets this morning at the Calvin box office.  Tickets were rationed to 4 per person.  I was 20th in line with about 20 or so behind me at 9AM.  It did seem like the VNA should sell out tonight,

[Pat Coleman]

Sounds like it should be a great time. Wish I could be at that one, but have to stay close to home this time of year so I can help get the rest of the site work done.

[NW Hope Fan]

[-3 and +11 doesn't give me high hopes for a 30 point Calvin win, but I'd venture to say 15-17 points is more likely...

"missed it by that much"

What can I say... I'm full of crap! Having seen one live MIAA game in 6 years hardly makes me an expert. Calvin is playing well, but did anyone in their right mind expect 80+% shooting in the first half???

[Dutch_Man]

I don't think Hope was able to see out all of their tickets. I over heard the people in the ticket office saying that the commissioner of the MIAA and Calvin were making them send 600 tickets back. I also know that Ray Smith was not happy about this! Dew Crew ticket sales are going pretty well. I would guess that over 250 have been sold and about 100 are left. 

[almcguirejr]

One of the key factors I'll be watching tonight is how well (or poorly) Hope handles Veltema, and how well (or poorly) Calvin reacts to Hope's defense on Matt. To me, Hope is typically the best perimeter defending team in the MIAA, and this year is no exception. Hope pressures the ballhandler at the top and when their defense is doing its job this forces opposing teams to start their offense a step further away from the basket. When that happens, the entry pass to the post is tougher to successfully complete. Having the ability to beat your defender with dribble penetration is very important when playing Hope, and that's something Caleb did so nicely to set up Veltema's winning basket in the last meeting.

Ever since Veltema burned Hope twice at DeVos as a freshmen, the Flying Dutchmen have paid extra attention to Veltema's talents and have done a very good job of bottling him up. Matt really hasn't had a good game vs. Hope since his freshmen year and--nothwithstanding his winning basket earlier this month--the Dutch hounded him into what I thought was his worst game this season. Veltema won't beat you off the dribble but he is a pretty good post scorer and can finish inside, especially if Calvin's ballhandlers get consistent dribble penetration. If that happens, it will free up the perimeter making a Calvin win far more likely. Veldhouse is obviously Calvin's primary ballhandler and, as this season has progressed, I think he sees himself as more of a distributor and less of a scorer than he once was for the Knights.

Hope (especially Bowser and Bosch) will be very physical with Veltema tonight.

[arena]

One of the key factors I'll be watching tonight is how well (or poorly) Hope handles Veltema, and how well (or poorly) Calvin reacts to Hope's defense on Matt. To me, Hope is typically the best perimeter defending team in the MIAA, and this year is no exception. Hope pressures the ballhandler at the top and when their defense is doing its job this forces opposing teams to start their offense a step further away from the basket. When that happens, the entry pass to the post is tougher to successfully complete. Having the ability to beat your defender with dribble penetration is very important when playing Hope, and that's something Caleb did so nicely to set up Veltema's winning basket in the last meeting.

Ever since Veltema burned Hope twice at DeVos as a freshmen, the Flying Dutchmen have paid extra attention to Veltema's talents and have done a very good job of bottling him up. Matt really hasn't had a good game vs. Hope since his freshmen year and--nothwithstanding his winning basket earlier this month--the Dutch hounded him into what I thought was his worst game this season. Veltema won't beat you off the dribble but he is a pretty good post scorer and can finish inside, especially if Calvin's ballhandlers get consistent dribble penetration. If that happens, it will free up the perimeter making a Calvin win far more likely. Veldhouse is obviously Calvin's primary ballhandler and, as this season has progressed, I think he sees himself as more of a distributor and less of a scorer than he once was for the Knights.

Hope (especially Bowser and Bosch) will be very physical with Veltema tonight.

I guess we'll see how the refs will call the game tonight

[sac]

http://www.doubleazone.com/2009/02/best_college_basketball_rivalry_duke_north_carolina.php

56.3 to 31.2   

[sac]

I think I've posted a couple time's how this season's Hope/Calvin matchups reminded me, at least score wise and how they played out, of the 1990 games.

1990 Calvin 77, Hope 76  --  first game played in Holland, I can't recall how Calvin took the lead, but Wade Gugino put one in just after the buzzer and had it waved off (rightfully)

1990 Calvin 81, Hope 78  --  Todd Hennink's bomb from 27 or so to beat Hope with 2 seconds left

Two great regular season finishes, and games filled with tremendously talented division 3 players.  I believe there were 4 eventual all-american's on the floor that day.  Bill Sall, Calvin, Steve Honderd, Calvin, Wade Gugino, Hope and Eric Elliot, Hope.

At the time I was hardly enthralled with the rivalry or D3 basketball, I went to occasional games but I hadn't see a Hope/Calvin game in person yet.  I had to endure watching them lose on TV in the lobby of Kollen Hall.....and honestly it didn't affect me at all.

It was only a week later that one of my hall mates, who unfortunately I lost touch with years ago, encouraged me to go to the NCAA Tournament matchup at Calvin, there was no MIAA tournament then.  The NCAA thought so highly of the two teams that both Hope and Calvin received byes in the first round only to be paired with each other in round 2.

I remember it like it was yesterday, Kevin was concerned about seating and insisted we get there when the doors opened.  I scoffed at the idea and either unintentionally or intentionaly was running a little late.  We walked into the old fieldhouse a full 1:30 minutes before the game........from the balcony in front of me was two student sections FULL.  We ended up sitting nearly halfway up the bleachers in the upper section.  We watched patiently as a few players shot around in their practice gear, it was a long, long wait.

Once the teams came out for official warmups the gym exploded into a cauldren of noise.  Cheers and jeers back and forth for what seemed an eternity.  I had never seen anything like it, and I'm not sure I have since.  I had certainly never seen basketball played with such passion and purpose at that point in my life.  There were many ear splitting plays in that game from both sides early on........I have specific memories of Hope fans holding up signs with an 'E' on them every time Eric Elliot did something, which was often.

From that day on I can say I was hooked on Hope basketball and enthralled (or engulfed) with the rivalry, I made sure to see the remaining Hope/Calvin tussles as a Jr and Sr....and have been thrilled that later on in life I get to relive these games thanks to the generosity of others.......a little older, a little wiser and a better understanding of whats happening in front of me and around the MIAA.  Its seems not so long ago, and yet it was, a full 19 years.

You might ask how that third matchup went and was it as good as the first two........lets just say it didn't go quite as well for the Dutchmen that day.

1990 Calvin 95, Hope 68

Go Hope!

[shawn]

I have one and probably two tickets for tonight's game -- upper bowl -- $7.00 each.    Anyone interested?