MBB: Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association

[HopeConvert]

Anyone recall the last time Hope had no freshmen on the varsity? Quite a contrast to Calvin.

[Flying Dutch Fan]

Anyone recall the last time Hope had no freshmen on the varsity? Quite a contrast to Calvin.

Maybe 04-05.  Jake Hogeboom had freshman eligibility but was actually a sophomore. 

[Civic Minded]

Looking at the Hope's roster I notice Mike Aldrich is JV coach this season.  Not sure I recall this name.  What is his pedigree?

Mike served as a student assistant for Hope, graduating the same year as Stephen Cramer, if I recall correctly.  He went on to continue his studies at MSU for a while, and worked with the basketball program there, if memory serves.  He was back at Hope last year, working with Jeff Carlson as assistant jv coach.  He has a passion and a gift for coaching and should do a very good job. 

[sac]

Anyone recall the last time Hope had no freshmen on the varsity? Quite a contrast to Calvin.

Maybe 04-05.  Jake Hogeboom had freshman eligibility but was actually a sophomore.  

Thats correct.  In fact the '05 team was the only Hope team in the MIAA tournament era without a Fr. on the varsity until this year.   Ryan Klein, Scott Glaser and Dan Holt were all on the JV and were called to the varsity in '06.

Hope's had several teams with only 1 Freshman.

The '05 team is also notable because they had 8 Sophomore's.  This year's team has 7 Soph's.

[sac]

Here's the list of Hope's varsity Freshmen since 1993

11  ---
10  Snugeruud, Holwerda, Mysliwiec

09  Krombeen, King
08  Bowser, Tanis, Carter, Sharples
07  Kratz
06  Reimink
05  ---
04  Cramer, Richardson, P. Overbeek
03  J. Carlson, Phillips
02  Griffeth, Immink, Veldt, Spaman, Kleersnyder
01  Taylor
00  C. Carlson, Bauman, Hoogewind

99  Doty
98  Sporck
97  Canaan, Bray
96  Davelaar, Stegeman, Vander Slice
95  Holstege
94  Whitford, Brown,Gortsema
93  Bosma

[realist]

Thanks CM.  Sounds like the guy has had some pretty good mentors.

[sac]

Piece about Hope's post players/conditioning.

http://www.hollandsentinel.com/sports/x1273024048/-Beefier-post-players-may-help-Hope-men-s-basketball-team

[Happy Calvin Guy]

Piece about Hope's post players/conditioning.

http://www.hollandsentinel.com/sports/x1273024048/-Beefier-post-players-may-help-Hope-men-s-basketball-team

If this is all true, and not the normal training camp "best shape of his life" newspaper fodder (read: the preseason hype about Will Bowser in the Sentinel last year), I am concerned with the Knights' interior defense's ability to stop the inside game of Hope.  I really like the overall game of Brent Schuster but the reality is that he is thin and has a high center of gravity.  The banger sides of Rodts and Schnyders are going to have emerge.  I'm sure that Brad Schnyders has the mentality to mix it up down low but that's not how he has been used thus far in his career.  Tom Snikkers may have to play a bigger role down low too--he is very strong and can jump out of the house but is only 6'4".  Net it all together and I think that going into the season, this MIAA campaign is Hope's to lose.  If the Dutchmen can make a successful transition to the Neil regime, or even benefit from it, they will be very tough to beat this year. 

[ziggy]

Piece about Hope's post players/conditioning.

http://www.hollandsentinel.com/sports/x1273024048/-Beefier-post-players-may-help-Hope-men-s-basketball-team

If this is all true, and not the normal training camp "best shape of his life" newspaper fodder (read: the preseason hype about Will Bowser in the Sentinel last year), I am concerned with the Knights' interior defense's ability to stop the inside game of Hope.  I really like the overall game of Brent Schuster but the reality is that he is thin and has a high center of gravity.  The banger sides of Rodts and Schnyders are going to have emerge.  I'm sure that Brad Schnyders has the mentality to mix it up down low but that's not how he has been used thus far in his career.  Tom Snikkers may have to play a bigger role down low too--he is very strong and can jump out of the house but is only 6'4".  Net it all together and I think that going into the season, this MIAA campaign is Hope's to lose.  If the Dutchmen can make a successful transition to the Neil regime, or even benefit from it, they will be very tough to beat this year. 

This is why Adam DeYoung will be an important player for Calvin this year. He's the beef and will have to provide some resistance down low. We'll have to see how the rotations shake out but you could also look to a guy like Mitch Vallie to go out there and at least use his five fouls. I would much rather see big men knocking down free throws than getting layups.

[GoKnights68]

Piece about Hope's post players/conditioning.

http://www.hollandsentinel.com/sports/x1273024048/-Beefier-post-players-may-help-Hope-men-s-basketball-team

If this is all true, and not the normal training camp "best shape of his life" newspaper fodder (read: the preseason hype about Will Bowser in the Sentinel last year), I am concerned with the Knights' interior defense's ability to stop the inside game of Hope.  I really like the overall game of Brent Schuster but the reality is that he is thin and has a high center of gravity.  The banger sides of Rodts and Schnyders are going to have emerge.  I'm sure that Brad Schnyders has the mentality to mix it up down low but that's not how he has been used thus far in his career.  Tom Snikkers may have to play a bigger role down low too--he is very strong and can jump out of the house but is only 6'4".  Net it all together and I think that going into the season, this MIAA campaign is Hope's to lose.  If the Dutchmen can make a successful transition to the Neil regime, or even benefit from it, they will be very tough to beat this year. 

I would agree with that.  I said this before, and that is I believe Calvin will have a starting line-up that is MIAA championship material, but I am worried about their bench when comparing it to Hopes. 

Teams will have a tough time beating the star-combo of Bowser and Bunn.

I predict the coaches will see this and vote Hope as the pre-season MIAA favorite with, of course, either Calvin and Olivet at second.

Calvin has still won the league title the last 2 years for a reason,.... but of course that hasn't translated into NCAA tournament births. 

[goodknight]

Piece about Hope's post players/conditioning.

http://www.hollandsentinel.com/sports/x1273024048/-Beefier-post-players-may-help-Hope-men-s-basketball-team

If this is all true, and not the normal training camp "best shape of his life" newspaper fodder (read: the preseason hype about Will Bowser in the Sentinel last year), I am concerned with the Knights' interior defense's ability to stop the inside game of Hope.  I really like the overall game of Brent Schuster but the reality is that he is thin and has a high center of gravity.  The banger sides of Rodts and Schnyders are going to have emerge.  I'm sure that Brad Schnyders has the mentality to mix it up down low but that's not how he has been used thus far in his career.  Tom Snikkers may have to play a bigger role down low too--he is very strong and can jump out of the house but is only 6'4".  Net it all together and I think that going into the season, this MIAA campaign is Hope's to lose.  If the Dutchmen can make a successful transition to the Neil regime, or even benefit from it, they will be very tough to beat this year. 

I would agree with that.  I said this before, and that is I believe Calvin will have a starting line-up that is MIAA championship material, but I am worried about their bench when comparing it to Hopes. 

Teams will have a tough time beating the star-combo of Bowser and Bunn.

I predict the coaches will see this and vote Hope as the pre-season MIAA favorite with, of course, either Calvin and Olivet at second.

Calvin has still won the league title the last 2 years for a reason,.... but of course that hasn't translated into NCAA tournament births. 

Post-season dreams are ever-pregnant at Calvin.  

[sac]

I'm patiently waiting for rosters to be finalized.  As you might imagine with the Hope/Calvin focus of this board, or rather over-population of posters, there hasn't been much said about Olivet and Adrian.  Lest we forget that the Bulldogs with a 1st year head coach and a small kennel of Fr. and Soph's finished 3rd last season.  Is there reason to believe Adrian won't improve, or field an even stronger team this year?   Olivet of course returns Mr. MVP and is now, or should be,  a veteran Sr. laden starting lineup that has some key players to replace.

Then of course there is Albion, who has to replace about half their roster.  But the Brits have fielded competitive teams for as long as I've witnessed the MIAA and there's never much reason to doubt Albion won't factor in the race somewhere.

In these last few days of a wonderful October, I'm actually pretty optimistic the MIAA is going to have a pretty decent season.

[FyteOnne]

Albion's roster

http://www2.albion.edu/sports/mens-sports/basketball/roster

Go Brits!!

[KnightSlappy]

I'm patiently waiting for rosters to be finalized.  As you might imagine with the Hope/Calvin focus of this board, or rather over-population of posters, there hasn't been much said about Olivet and Adrian.  Lest we forget that the Bulldogs with a 1st year head coach and a small kennel of Fr. and Soph's finished 3rd last season.  Is there reason to believe Adrian won't improve, or field an even stronger team this year?   Olivet of course returns Mr. MVP and is now, or should be,  a veteran Sr. laden starting lineup that has some key players to replace.

Then of course there is Albion, who has to replace about half their roster.  But the Brits have fielded competitive teams for as long as I've witnessed the MIAA and there's never much reason to doubt Albion won't factor in the race somewhere.

In these last few days of a wonderful October, I'm actually pretty optimistic the MIAA is going to have a pretty decent season.

Only three seniors on the MIAA 1st and 2nd teams last year, and all three were from Hope and Calvin. The rest of the conference seems to return lots of seniors this year. Hopefully this helps out the much maligned non-con record.

[krytonite]

An interesting addition to Albion's roster- 6'7" senior Tyler Newsome.  Newsome played as a freshman but hasn't played since.  Good skills and bball IQ- should help Albion.