MBB: Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association

[hopefanatic]

being a hope fan, I can tell you about everyone in the Dew Crew definitely wants VanDussen on Hope's Roster because that will stack it even more for next year and Calvin will not have a chance after losing everyone this year

[hopefanatic]

Amen to that, I mean seriously, that action by the calvin fans was idiotic, tripping the hope flag-bearer! What were the thinking, well hopefully now they know that they embarrassed their fans, representing everything calvin fans stand for: bad sportsmanship...GO HOPE


For those of us who are neither Hope or Calvin fans, could we please give "the rivalry" a rest?  While I'm as competitive as anyone, it is after all only a basketball game!

Going a step further, do Hope and Calvin fans take their witness seriously?  Do they think that their conduct during basketball games has no effect on their witness?  Is it just "innocent" fun when a fan trips or tackles a fan from the other school?  How about throwing items onto the court after the other team wins the championship?  What about adult fans who yell (and swear and threaten) fans from the other team?  As a Christian, I am disgusted at the witness of both Hope and Calvin from this past weekend...
[/quote]

[hoopdreams]

CLARIFY:  People close to Korey do not want him going there.  Why go to Hope and play sparingly?   If you think he's taking time away from David and Peter, you're nuts. 

He will stay near home, my guess is GVSU....

[GoKnights68]

being a hope fan, I can tell you about everyone in the Dew Crew definitely wants VanDussen on Hope's Roster because that will stack it even more for next year and Calvin will not have a chance after losing everyone this year

Calvin returns 2 starters, and they also return their "6th man," Matt Veltema.  A starting line-up with Mantel, Veltema, Rodts, Salo, and () won't be too shabby.

I hope the Hope players are thinking the same way you are!


Anyways, do you think Platteville and Wheaton should be in the same regional together?  It seems the winner of that game tonight will go to the final four probably.

[GoKnights68]

Amen to that, I mean seriously, that action by the calvin fans was idiotic, tripping the hope flag-bearer! What were the thinking, well hopefully now they know that they embarrassed their fans, representing everything calvin fans stand for: bad sportsmanship...GO HOPE


For those of us who are neither Hope or Calvin fans, could we please give "the rivalry" a rest?  While I'm as competitive as anyone, it is after all only a basketball game!

Going a step further, do Hope and Calvin fans take their witness seriously?  Do they think that their conduct during basketball games has no effect on their witness?  Is it just "innocent" fun when a fan trips or tackles a fan from the other school?  How about throwing items onto the court after the other team wins the championship?  What about adult fans who yell (and swear and threaten) fans from the other team?  As a Christian, I am disgusted at the witness of both Hope and Calvin from this past weekend...

[/quote]

Right, Calvin stands for bad sportsmanship.... 

Give it up, already.  The game was a week ago.

[Titan Q]

Anyways, do you think Platteville and Wheaton should be in the same regional together?  It seems the winner of that game tonight will go to the final four probably.

Of course, to get to Salem, the winner between #3 Wheaton and #5 UW-Platteville will first have to get through the winner of #2 Wash U/#8 UW-Whitewater, and then have to beat either #1 St. Thomas, #4 UW-Stevens Point, #7 Puget Sound, or #21 Whitworth.

(D3hoops.com Top 25 rankings)

[sac]

I'm waiting for a game review from the Hope faithful who must have gone to the game.  Are you willing to venture forth with a review?  Nursing a hangover? Depression?

Far from it, its a 4 1/2 hour drive for me, I took the scenic route home, about 6 hours.  I had a wonderfull dinner and beverages afterward with some friends and a few Hope parents.  We all had the same conclusion.........we can't believe we were here this week.

Tee hee.


UW Platteville might be the best first round team Hope's ever played, and I'd put them in my top 10 D3 teams I've seen probably, if I really wanted to think about it, maybe top 5.  They played some really good defense, I have no idea if it came across on video but they were all over Hope for most of the game. 

I posted last week UWP's season offensive efficiency was 114.9 or something.......you can do that for a single game to and Platteville's came out to 127.9, thats mind boggling effiecient.  They took 43 shots and scored 83 points, Alma took 41 vs Hope this year and barely hit 50 points.  I watched Calvin shoot 81% in one half against Olivet, I didn't think I'd ever seen that, nor would ever see it again...........then Platteville shoots 84% in the second half vs Hope.  Amazing stuff.

I forget who, and it doesn't matter, made the comment Hope got dominated on the boards........what boards?  14 missed shots doesn't produce alot of opportunities to get rebounds.


There was an irony to this game......the last 5 minutes of the first half were almost identical in situation to last Saturday at Calvin.  Hope had 1 really bad minute or two where Will Bowser picked up two really tough fouls, followed almost imediately by Reimink's second.  It was still 23-21 at that point.......unlike last week Platteville was able to knock down the dagger 3's to expand the lead, up 6 they hit back to back 3's and those were morale breakers.  Hope could never recover from that bad 5 minutes, and unfortunately couldn't make a shot themselves to stave off the momentum.

I was happy with the effort Hope gave in the 2nd half, it felt like they played just as hard at the end as the beginning, and inexplicably Platteville didn't rest many of its players in the final 10 minutes.  That might catch up with them tonight.

Tonights game with Wheaton is a Final Four quality game, its a complete joke they're meeting in the 2nd round.  I don't know who will win, Wheaton was flawless in the first 10 minutes vs Fontbonne.  It was 18-0 and I was ready to leave but my curiosity got the best of me and I wanted to see how bad Wheaton could make it.  I finally gave up after watching Raymond hit his 4th straight 3 without missing, 33-11, I congratulated the Wheaton fans around me and wished them the best of luck the rest of the way.  On the way out the door talking to another Hope fan.......Raymond made two more ridiculous passes for easy layups.

Wiele has more mobility than Skemp, and I might go as far as say he's stronger, foul trouble might dictate who wins that battle.  Whoever picked up Jesse Reimink all night for Platteville will almost certainly get Raymond, I'd love to watch that.  I think Wheaton has a little more on the inside, in both size and overall ability.  I almost stayed to watch it, but home was calling.

So Hope's season concluded where I didn't expect, vs a team I didn't expect  (8th seed my rear), I would have given Hope a good chance of advancing at least to Saturday vs Great Lakes teams or in the Great Lakes brackets.  But the tournament is what it is these days.

Well done gentlemen.

[sac]

Can I give everyone some advice about talking about recruits..........

1st unless a commitment makes it into a publication such a newspaper or reliable website I wouldn't talk about it.  I learned that the hard way last year.

2nd  Speculating on where kids are going and the why's and why nots, really doesn't help anyone, esp. the kid who might be reading this website.  I'd just stay away from that kind of talk as well.

I think we'd all be better off if we just follow these two simple guidlines.  I know everyone wants to discuss it, but this isn't D1, we can get along just fine finding out in the newspapers etc just like everyone else.

[hopehoopfan]

Can I give everyone some advice about talking about recruits..........

1st unless a commitment makes it into a publication such a newspaper or reliable website I wouldn't talk about it.  I learned that the hard way last year.

2nd  Speculating on where kids are going and the why's and why nots, really doesn't help anyone, esp. the kid who might be reading this website.  I'd just stay away from that kind of talk as well.

I think we'd all be better off if we just follow these two simple guidlines.  I know everyone wants to discuss it, but this isn't D1, we can get along just fine finding out in the newspapers etc just like everyone else.

If I was able Sac, I would give you beaucoup +K!     Well said!

[oldknight]

CLARIFY:  People close to Korey do not want him going there.  Why go to Hope and play sparingly?   If you think he's taking time away from David and Peter, you're nuts. 

So call me a pistachio.

[realist]

Quoting Sac: "I forget who, and it doesn't matter, made the comment Hope got dominated on the boards........what boards?  14 missed shots doesn't produce alot of opportunities to get rebounds."

The box score shows Hope had 9 offensive, and 11 defensive rebounds for a total of  20 rebounds.
UWP had 6 offensive, and 26 defensive rebounds for a total of 32 rebounds. 

Granted only 17 possible rebounds occurred on one end of the floor, but 35 occured on Hope's end of the floor.  If Hope getting one out of four possible rebounds on it's end of the floor isn't being dominated    I am curious what your
criteria for being dominated on the glass is?   

[pointlem]

 A couple reflections on prior posts.  While it's true that Hope lost by 24 last night to a team that shot 67% (mostly a combination of lay-ups and open 3-pointers), does this mean that another matchup would have a similar result?  It's a moot question, but watching the Hope men beat Albion by 27 the other night I can't imagine how they also lost to them this season.  And watching the Hope women beat St. Mary's by 30 I would have told you they'd win 10 out of 10 matchups . . . except they also lost to the same team by seven this season.  That unpredictability is part of what makes sports interesting.

Even so, last night showed what a huge post player can accomplish when attracting double teams that free up teammates for those layups and 3-pointers.  Skemp not only has a nice shooting touch and a strong 6' 10" body, he can also see and pass over 6' 5" defenders.  Andy Venema in late season games has displayed some of the same potential to contribute strength, rebounding, and shooting . . . and I look forward to more from him next year.

Regarding recruits (no names), any team's top recruit will be welcomed by teammates who want to win, though perhaps ambivalently by those who might now get less playing time.  And any coach's top recruit is probably going to see plenty of floor time.  There are, after all, three guard and two post positions.

Kudos to Hope's entire team and coaches for exceeding expectations in a rebuilding year, with noticeable month-to-month improvement, and especially to Jesse Reimink, Zach Osburn, Brandon Bosch, and Dan Cox for realizing their potentials, playing with heart, and giving us fans many exciting times and fun memories.

My thanks also to the many frequent posters, staring with Sac and OldKnight but including many others,  for their information and commentary.

[Stinger]

I heard the next major build going up  in GR is the NW Hope Fan Center for Dutch Love.   

[sac]

Quoting Sac: "I forget who, and it doesn't matter, made the comment Hope got dominated on the boards........what boards?  14 missed shots doesn't produce alot of opportunities to get rebounds."

The box score shows Hope had 9 offensive, and 11 defensive rebounds for a total of  20 rebounds.
UWP had 6 offensive, and 26 defensive rebounds for a total of 32 rebounds. 

Granted only 17 possible rebounds occurred on one end of the floor, but 35 occured on Hope's end of the floor.  If Hope getting one out of four possible rebounds on it's end of the floor isn't being dominated    I am curious what your
criteria for being dominated on the glass is?   

How many offensive boards do you expect a team to get?  Hope rebounded 1 out of 4 on its end of the floor, on the year they rebounded 32% of the available offensive rebounding opportunities.  For this game that would have been 11, they rebounded 9.........so 2 off.

On defense for the year Hope rebounded 69% of the available defensive boards, for this game that would be 11.8, they rebounded 11.

They didn't get dominated on the glass, they got dominated in FG shooting.

[almcguirejr]

They didn't get dominated on the glass, they got dominated in FG shooting.

Hope was out rebounded by a little more than 3-2.  I don't know if that's dominated or not but it's more than a team would prefer.

Sac is right that they got dominated in FG shooting.   Platteville scored 44 points from inside the arc (and 42 of those were in the paint) that was the dominant stat of the game for me.  Combine that with 7-10 from beyond the arc and 72% from the line any team is going to have a problem with that.  I thought Hope just continued to break down defensively as the game wore on.  I also thought the 6 blocked shots by Platteville in the first half hurt Hope's confidence.