MBB: Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association

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Holland Sentinel article about last night's game:

http://www.hollandsentinel.com/sports/x1685912091/Flying-Dutchmen-suffer-costly-loss-at-Adrian-look-to-rebound-at-home-Saturday

An eyebrow raising quote is reported in the Sentinel article:

"It's a great accomplishment to win this game," first-year Adrian coach Mark White said. "Hope's the best team in the league, the best program."

Strikes me as excellent locker room poster-board material for KVS as his club heads into the conference tournament.

I think what he meant was:

"It's a great accomplishment to win this game," first-year Adrian coach Mark White said. "Hope's [the best team in the league that we've beaten], the best program." 

Either that, or he was somehow referring to condiments.

I read the comment as a coach trying to further build up his team after clinching a very respectable third place finish in the regular season, not a slight against Calvin. No doubt Hope is a very good team but if Coach White can get his guys believing they beat the best team then he has done a lot to give them confidence going into the conference tournament.

[Adrian Hoops Fan]

Holland Sentinel article about last night's game:

http://www.hollandsentinel.com/sports/x1685912091/Flying-Dutchmen-suffer-costly-loss-at-Adrian-look-to-rebound-at-home-Saturday

An eyebrow raising quote is reported in the Sentinel article:

“It’s a great accomplishment to win this game,” first-year Adrian coach Mark White said. “Hope’s the best team in the league, the best program."

Strikes me as excellent locker room poster-board material for KVS as his club heads into the conference tournament.

I think what he meant was:

"It’s a great accomplishment to win this game,” first-year Adrian coach Mark White said. “Hope’s [the best team in the league that we've beaten], the best program." 

Either that, or he was somehow referring to condiments.

I read the comment as a coach trying to further build up his team after clinching a very respectable third place finish in the regular season, not a slight against Calvin. No doubt Hope is a very good team but if Coach White can get his guys believing they beat the best team then he has done a lot to give them confidence going into the conference tournament.

Agreed.  Thanks Ziggy.  I think you would  have heard pretty much the same compliment paid to Calvin had Adrian beaten them this past week.  Calvin & Hope have been the measuring stick for the MIAA for pretty much the history of the MIAA.  Coach White knows this and has respect for this.  The level of Hope & Calvin is where Adrian is looking to join.  And for such a young team and a first year head coach in this league, this was a big step in that direction.  Calvin should have nothing to complain about at this time, Coach White & Adrian just did you a favor and gave you the inside road to an out-right MIAA title.

[ziggy]

Attempting to make heads or tails of the MIAA Tournament picture, correct me if I'm wrong.
1. Calvin has clinched the number one seed by virtue of their sweep of Adrian.
2. Hope has clinched the number two seed by virtue of their win over Calvin.
3. Adrian has clinched the number three seed based on their conference record and potential lost tie-breaker to Hope.
4/5. Olivet can clinch the fourth seed with a win on Saturday, regardless of what Albion does, by virtue of their win over Calvin. Albion gains fourth seed with win and Olivet loss. Olivet will face Albion in MIAA first round no matter what, hosting rights are up for grabs.
6. Kalamazoo has clinched the sixth seed based on conference record.
7/8. Trine clinches seventh seed with win or Alma loss. Alma clinches seventh seed with win and Trine loss.

[KnightSlappy]

Adrian can get to the double-digit win mark with a win over Albion on Saturday. Does anyone know when the last time Adrian even got to their currnet mark of nine wins? The MIAA archives go back to '96-'97 and since then it looks like 8 wins is their high.

A very nice season for the Bulldogs, kudos to them, but I'm sure they're not planning on it being over without making a little bit more noise...

Many of us were expecting a bit of a down year, and maybe Calvin and Hope are down a bit, but 3-5 are as solid as we've seen in some time. When was the last time that we could say that we wouldn't be completely shocked if the 5 seed was playing in the finals?

[almcguirejr]

... Coach White & Adrian just did you a favor and gave you the inside road to an out-right MIAA title.

Calvin fans are very appreciative of that.

[calvinite]

Holland Sentinel article about last night's game:

http://www.hollandsentinel.com/sports/x1685912091/Flying-Dutchmen-suffer-costly-loss-at-Adrian-look-to-rebound-at-home-Saturday

An eyebrow raising quote is reported in the Sentinel article:

In the [Adrian] Daily Telegram coach White speaks of both Calvin and Hope as programs of where he'd like Adrian to be at some point. There are several references to BOTH Calvin and Hope. Here's how the Daily Telegram writes the quote being discussed here: "It's a great accomplishment to win this game for a lot of reasons under some adverse conditions," White said. "Hope is the best team in the league, the best program — Calvin and Hope have been for years. They are definitely an example of where we want to become."

Here's the link to the article: http://www.lenconnect.com/sports/x1135182253/Adrian-College-mens-basketball-team-knocks-off-MIAA-co-leader-Hope

Regardless, and as already discussed here, Congratulations to Adrian and Coach White not only for their victory over Hope, but for a very fine season. Reading the Daily Telegram article one can NOT possibly take coach White's comments
as any sort of slam on Calvin.

[realist]

Favor " something done or granted out of goodwill................."

Coach White & Adrian did what they did strictly for Adrian.  The fact it had a benefit for Calvin is incidental.    I don't think anyone for Adrian gave one scintilla of thought to intentionally aid Calvin.
Coach White's remarks were spoken in the euphoria of having won a very meaningful game for his program.  Given more time to relect on the entire situation I am sure the coach would have waxed equally eloquent about Calvin.  

[Flying Dutch Fan]

Some thoughts from the game at Adrian last night:

- From the start, there was a real struggle between the teams on who would impose their will as to the style of play in this game.  10 minutes or so into the game Adrian started to win that battle, and for me that is entirely the reason for the Bulldogs win.

- Hope's rebounding was simply awful.  I noted a number of the Adrian points came as the result of a very poor shot.  These shots were taken because the Adrian players had inside position, so the shooters were simply throwing the ball up to the rim, and it either went in, or the offensive put back was there. 

- Adrian is a very well coached team.  The players all seem to know their roles, and performed them very well.

- Hope rallied several times in the 2nd half to pull the game within 5 or 6 points, but Adrian always had the answer. 

- Great turnout at the game.  Good sized Hope crowd, and a nice student section and fan base for the Bulldogs.  The pep band at Adrian is TOP NOTCH

- Officiating was not the greatest.   A couple of absolutely blown calls, but they really had no affect on the outcome.  Last night, Adrian was simply the better team.

- Wished Hope would have started fouling Adrian at the 55 second mark (down 5) to lengthen the game.  Instead, they allowed Adrian to run 33 seconds off the clock and then fouled on a shot attempt.  Not sure of the logic there. 

- The long drive home from Adrian is even longer when you lose.  Glad to have had great company along for the drive.

Go HOPE!

[oldknight]

Don't know if it has been mentioned... but Holland, Michigan was just ranked as one of the "Happiest Places in the US."

Congrats!

Big D: That was before last night's game result from Lenawee County came in.

And for the record, Diane Sawyer did a very nice job of pronouncing the Dutch word gezzelig.

[Flying Dutch Fan]

Apparently you folks in GR base your happiness solely on winning basketball games.  We've got lots more to live for and be happy about in Holland   

[realist]

FDF:  Thanks for the eye witness report.  Before the conference games started I remember several posters feeling that Adrian was the real wild card for the MIAA race, and that seems to have come to pass.  

[ziggy]

Apparently you folks in GR base your happiness solely on winning basketball games.  We've got lots more to live for and be happy about in Holland   

The wooden shoes must make the local podiatrists happy.

[sac]

I've never spent 12 days in one place that I didn't live at......not even on vacations.  Just returned from 12 days in Columbus, Ohio and witnessed 3 level 1 snow emergencies (chuckle), they had about 23 inches of snow while I was there, so that was fun.  But otherwise you can't spell fun with O-H...(wait for it).. I-O

I missed a lot of action without much computer access, but was able to keep up with things enough.

Congrats to Calvin for winning the MIAA title outright, it was shaky for a couple weeks but they've pulled through the last few games and played well in the two games they needed to win.



PS...not even 10 inches of snow on the ground and every college in Columbus was closed, including Ohio State.

[sac]

Adrian can get to the double-digit win mark with a win over Albion on Saturday. Does anyone know when the last time Adrian even got to their currnet mark of nine wins? The MIAA archives go back to '96-'97 and since then it looks like 8 wins is their high.

A very nice season for the Bulldogs, kudos to them, but I'm sure they're not planning on it being over without making a little bit more noise...

Many of us were expecting a bit of a down year, and maybe Calvin and Hope are down a bit, but 3-5 are as solid as we've seen in some time. When was the last time that we could say that we wouldn't be completely shocked if the 5 seed was playing in the finals?

2007 was close, though I doubt anyone thought Albion or Adrian could win the tournament,  Albion and Adrian were tied for 4th with 8-6 records.......the host Bulldogs won the MIAA tournament opener by 2, 66-64.   Adrian had beaten the Brits twice by 5 in OT, and 7 at home.  Adrian had also beaten Calvin that year........but Hope had blasted both Adrian and Albion once, and won by 7 over each.

That Albion team had to finish the regular season on an 8-3 run just to get to 10-14, but at least it could be said Albion was playing good basketball at the end of the season.


Hope, Calvin and Trine were 1, 2, 3

http://www.miaa.org/mbb/stats/0607/confsked.htm


.....otherwise I don't really think you'll find a 5 seed that anyone thought could really win the MIAA tournament.

[ziggy]

Gotta love the Dutch