MBB: Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association

[Erm Schmigget]

Will's numbers vs. Calvin last year:

                               TOT-FG  3-PT                REBOUNDS
## Player                 FG FGA FG FGA FT FTA OF DE TOT PF  TP  A TO BLK S MIN
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
04 Will Bowser....... f  4  9     0   2     0  0     1   4    5    1     8   0  1  0     0  24
04 Will Bowser...... *  4  9     0   2     2  3     2   4    6    2   10   1  1  0     1  32
04 Will Bowser....... f  2  8     1   4     1  2     3   7  10    2     6   1  3  0     1  29

(I had to play with the spacing after pasting the figures above.  If the formatting is off when you view it, my apologies.)

Not the kind of numbers you write home about, except maybe the 10 rebs that led the team in the 3rd game, but solid efforts from the then-sophomore.  His shot was off in that 3rd game, bringing his scoring averages down.  But that was the game Hope won by 10, so while more points from would have been nice, the team fared just fine without.

He's a year older, had great opportunities to gain experience over the summer, and has the leadership to be chosen captain by his teammates in his junior year.  I agree with slappy's post (except for the 3-point shooting   ), I think we'll see a consistently higher level from Will this year, even if he doesn't average 20-some points.

And f3r3...what makes you so "definitely" sure?       Any follower of The Rivalry knows better than to rule out the unexpected.  

[fire3rain3]

Will's numbers vs. Calvin last year:

                               TOT-FG  3-PT                REBOUNDS
## Player                 FG FGA FG FGA FT FTA OF DE TOT PF  TP  A TO BLK S MIN
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
04 Will Bowser....... f  4  9     0   2     0  0     1   4    5    1     8   0  1  0     0  24
04 Will Bowser...... *  4  9     0   2     2  3     2   4    6    2   10   1  1  0     1  32
04 Will Bowser....... f  2  8     1   4     1  2     3   7  10    2     6   1  3  0     1  29

(I had to play with the spacing after pasting the figures above.  If the formatting is off when you view it, my apologies.)

Not the kind of numbers you write home about, except maybe the 10 rebs that led the team in the 3rd game, but solid efforts from the then-sophomore.  His shot was off in that 3rd game, bringing his scoring averages down.  But that was the game Hope won by 10, so while more points from would have been nice, the team fared just fine without.

He's a year older, had great opportunities to gain experience over the summer, and has the leadership to be chosen captain by his teammates in his junior year.  I agree with slappy's post (except for the 3-point shooting   ), I think we'll see a consistently higher level from Will this year, even if he doesn't average 20-some points.

And f3r3...what makes you so "definitely" sure?       Any follower of The Rivalry knows better than to rule out the unexpected.  

Rule out the unexpected? Are you saying that it would be a surprise if he scored 20 points against Calvin?

[HopeConvert]

One game is, for me at least, too small a sample to draw any conclusions, and there was nothing in the "eye test" that stood out to me. I remain concerned about Will's propensity to turn the ball over. Any gains in scoring are negligible if he continues to kick the ball away 6 or 7 times a game.

[RFMichigan]

Any gains in scoring are negligible if he continues to kick the ball away 6 or 7 times a game.

Maybe he has football eligibility left and could do some punting for the orange and blue? 

[realist]

I tend to agree with ES, and HC.  One game is not enough data to draw any meaningful conclusions.  Knowing the history of Calvin/Hope games it seems every year, and nearly every game someone from either school has a stellar/unexpected performance or shot.  With Riemink gone it makes sense that someone on the Hope team will step up, and fill the vacuum.  If it isn't one person all the time it may be they rotate among 3 or 4 guys.
It will be interesting to watch how things develop inside for Hope.  I don't see many weaknesses in Hope's team this year, and know GVW will have his team more than ready once MIAA action starts.

[sac]

Tonights games

Edgewood, Wis. at Albion (Tip-Off Tournament), 8 p.m.
Alma at Manchester, Ind. (Bankers Classic Tournament), 8 p.m.
Grace Bible at Calvin (Tip-Off Tournament), 7:30 p.m.
Trine at Wheaton, Ill. (Lee Pfund Classic), 9 p.m.

Would be nice to win 2 or 3 of these.

[sac]

Will Bowser........

I'll just point out Will had 17 points as the game's leading scorer vs Oakland with nobody shorter that 6-7 defending him.  He was clearly the best Hope player on the floor that night.

[Erm Schmigget]

I tend to agree with ES, and HC.  One game is not enough data to draw any meaningful conclusions.  Knowing the history of Calvin/Hope games it seems every year, and nearly every game someone from either school has a stellar/unexpected performance or shot.  With Riemink gone it makes sense that someone on the Hope team will step up, and fill the vacuum.  If it isn't one person all the time it may be they rotate among 3 or 4 guys.
It will be interesting to watch how things develop inside for Hope.  I don't see many weaknesses in Hope's team this year, and know GVW will have his team more than ready once MIAA action starts.

Reimink's senior season was kind of an anomaly in terms of Hope's usual offensive stats as a team.  Realist is right on here.  We'll more likely get back to the kind of variety from game to game that Hope usually displays.  I for one prefer this.  It's more fun to go to the game wondering who is going to come through on offense, rather than wondering how much the one scoring leader is going to rip the other team's defense apart.  I must admit, watching Jesse was a treat last year, but I'm more a fan of a balanced scoring attack.

Do I think it should be unexpected to see Will score 20 against Calvin this year?  Absolutely!  Did I enjoy watching Jesse throw down 25 in the conference tourney championship last year?  Absolutely, even though I didn't expect it.  

[Flying Dutch Fan]

This discussion got me wondering about "unexpected performances" from Hope players in recent games versus Calvin.  It seemed to me that there had been a number of them in the last few years. 

Digging into the stats proved that to be true.  In the last 3 years, Hope and Calvin have played each other 11 times.  In 9 of those games there has been at least 1 Hope player that scored 20 points or more, and exceeded his season average significantly (at least 9 points).   

Date	Player	Points	Season Avg
02/11/09	Peter Bunn	21	11.7
03/01/08	Tyler Wolfe	25	12.9
02/20/08	Jesse Reimink	25	11.3
01/26/08	Marcus Vanderheide	30	15
01/26/08	Tyler Wolfe	26	12.9
03/03/07	Stephen Cramer	26	17
02/24/07	Stephen Cramer	28	17
02/07/07	Jesse Reimink	20	8.7
01/13/07	Derek VanSolkema	22	11.2
11/25/06	Derek VanSolkema	21	11.2

Maybe the unexpected isn't so unexpected after all   

[KnightSlappy]

Maybe the unexpected isn't so unexpected after all   

Now we just need to find a way to figure out which unexpected player we should expect to have the expected unexpected performance.  

[GoKnights68]

Good find, FDF.  I remember almost all those games.  It seems Calvin always lets a player from Hope just burn them from the 3-point line, and they don't always do the best job at trying to cool him off by by playing tighter defense on him, imo.

I think Vanderheide's 30 point game seemed more like he put 50 on Calvin. He was dominant that game.


But regarding Bowser, lets keep in mind all the great scorers he's had playing on his team in his years at playing at Hope.  He hasn't had the best opportunity to be a big-time scorer with guys like Reimink, Vanderheide, Wolfe, and VanSolkema on his team.  This should definitely be a big season from him in terms of improving his scoring average.



Well I am pumped for Calvin's first regular season game tonight!  It should be a very loud and exciting atmosphere.  Last year's tip-off tourney just wasn't the same with it not being played at Calvin's not-yet-ready VanNoord Arena.  Good luck to all the teams that are playing from the MIAA tonight!

[Happy Calvin Guy]

Go pups!

http://www.hollandsentinel.com/sports/x1682930960/High-hopes-for-young-pups-of-Calvin-mens-basketball

[doc]

http://www.mlive.com/smallcolleges/grandrapids/index.ssf/2009/11/cornerstones_kim_elders_reflec.html

"There's been so many great wins," Elders said. "The 1999 championship game was just unbelievable. Possibly a once-in-a-lifetime situation. Hopefully, it happens again. But that game certainly stands out.

"So does the 2002 win over Calvin, after Bryan Foltice transferred here from Calvin. And winning the (2001) Grand Rapids Hall of Fame tournament, when we beat Grand Valley and Calvin to win the championship."

Arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrgh. If he would put his pinkie by his mouth, he would be Dr. Evil from Austin Powers.

[calvin_grad]

Calvin loses 83-68 to Grace Bible.   

[sac]

Albion 71 Edgewood 60

Hutton 19, Hiday 12, Bridges 10, Kazan 10



Manchester 82 Alma 71

Trine currently losing at Wheaton by 12