MBB: Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association

[sac]

Hey MIAA guys......an NCAC Wittenberg fan dropping in!

A couple of questions. Can anyone give me any insight to Olivet. They are in the holiday tournament field at Wittenberg this weekend and just guaging their ability. I know they were picked 3rd preseason in the MIAA.

Also, another team that will be there is Ohio Dominican. Upon reading their schedule and results, I saw a victory at Hope Is this true, how did it happen, and does this say more about Ohio Dominican being pretty good or Hope having a down year?

I haven't seen Olivet play this year so the only thing I can really talk about is their schedule.

In my opinion Olivet has played one of the more challenging schedules in our league, maybe the toughest.  Unfortunately they have just one quality win vs a very good Spring Arbor team who has beaten Albion and Hope by around 20 and 10 and currently sits at 11-3.

Olivet College (4-5,0-0)
--------------------------------------------------
11/15/09  JOHN CARROLL UNIV.....  83-90  L     455
11/17/09  AQUINAS COLLEGE.......  55-69  L     285
11/23/09  at Saginaw Valley.....  62-75  L     535
12/04/09  at Madonna University.  79-55  W     221
12/05/09  vs Michigan-Dearborn..  89-81  W     112
12/10/09  at Davenport Universit  72-82  L     104
12/12/09  SPRING ARBOR UNIV.....  74-70  W     385
12/19/09  FINLANDIA UNIVERSITY..  80-68  W     245
12/22/09  at Grand Valley State.  58-66  L     644

Among that is two respectable Division II programs, the pre-season OAC favorite, 3 NAIA programs that are either ranked or have been ranked.   3 of their 4 wins have come vs subpar programs that will probably all finish south of .500 in UM-Dearborn, Madonna and Finlandia.

However, there's a small number of us who privately have thought maybe Olivet should be the MIAA favorite last summer.  They really haven't done anything to dispel that given the strength of their schedule and given the struggles of the usual suspects in the MIAA (Hope, Calvin, Albion).

Olivet starts a very tough and important stretch of games with the tournament at Wittenberg.  Before league play its their last opportunity to gain a quality in-region win, then they start the MIAA with Albion, Hope and Calvin.

I expect Olivet will be ready for the next 3 or 4 weekends of action, since it could really make or break their chances at winning the MIAA.



I wasn't at the Ohio Dominican game so I can't really add much insight into that one, other than ODU was just 7-7 after the tournament and by all accounts it was a disappointing performance for Hope.

[sac]

[Civic Minded]

Merry, Merry Christmas, Sac and all!

[goodknight]

Merry, Merry Christmas, Sac and all!

Not surprisingly, it falls upon me to add...
"..and to all a goodknight."
Happy Christmas!

[Preto]

2009-2010 Pre-season All-Americans? Can't find 'em.

[Gregory Sager]

Here you go, Preto.

[NY24]

What's happening at Hope?  With their facilities and legandard coach where do they recruit from?

[Erm Schmigget]

What's happening at Hope?  With their facilities and legandard coach where do they recruit from?

I can't speak to how they recruit, but here's a link to a from from their site for prospective students:

http://www.hope.edu/pr/athletics/mbb/recruit.html

Will that help?

[Dark Knight]

Calvin is playing Lewis & Clark. Apparently L&C had seven suspensions to start the season--seven players had jobs that were not advertised to the whole student body. Thus the 1-5 record is deceptive. Their one win is against a D-II team.

[realist]

Mantel with ankle injury.  Playing at the end, but not near 100%.  
Final:  Calvin 79   L & C 78

Calvin "escapes" with the W.

[goodknight]

Mantel with ankle injury.  Playing at the end, but not near 100%. 
Final:  Calvin 79   L & C 78

A true pleasure to listen to the internet broadcast professionally delivered by one of our regular posters. 

[sac]

Oakland 106  Alma 57

This game is not listed as an exhibition for either team.  I think this is called easing out of the Christmas break for Oakland.

Before the break on the 22nd Oakland played at #5 Syracuse, 3 days before that they were at Oregon.

[GoKnights68]

Looks like Matt Veltema's 6 for 7 performance from the 3-point line was the key factor in Calvin sneaking out a victory.  Good to get back to back wins for the first time this season....

[wiz]

A true pleasure to listen to the internet broadcast professionally delivered by one of our regular posters. 
[/quote]

I second that.  Didn't get to hear as much of the game as I would have liked but his ad lib talk at halftime while waiting for the stats to be delivered, showed that he really had done his homework.  And, then when the stats arrived, he cut threw them like a butcher with a new knife.  He understands basketball and made the broadcast a listening pleasure.

[oldknight]

Looks like Matt Veltema's 6 for 7 performance from the 3-point line was the key factor in Calvin sneaking out a victory.  Good to get back to back wins for the first time this season....

From my seat in the house, Veltema's fine shooting was critical, along with Mantel's courage late in the game when he played very effectively despite much pain. To those of us casually observing the game it appeared John suffered an ankle injury but I had a chance to talk to him during the alumni event afterwards and it appears he suffered a hip pointer. That's a traumatic bruising of the bone and he was obviously hurting. Lewis and Clark couldn't guard Mantel unless they doubled John and it would be nice if he was available today against Ohio Northern, a team I expect will play a very different style than yesterday's exciting, wide open affair.