MBB: Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association

[sac]

2010 Hall of Fame Classic



2010 pairings at Aquinas College, Friday
Hope vs Cornerstone 6pm
Calvin vs Aquinas 8pm

Consolation game 6pm, Championship 8pm Saturday


The historical stuff.................


Hall of Fame Classic Champions
1996 - Grand Valley
1997 - Hope
1998 - Grand Valley
1999 - Calvin
2000 - Calvin
2001 - Cornerstone
2002 - Hope
2003 - Grand Valley
2004 - Cornerstone
2005 - Hope
2006 - Hope
2007 - Aquinas
2008 - Aquinas
2009 - Cornerstone



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Hope makes its 13th Hall of Fame Classic appearance.
Champions: 1997, 2002, 2005, 2006

vs Aquinas 3-5
vs Cornerstone 7-4
vs Calvin 2-0

Hope and Aquinas have met 8 times in this tournament, Hope winning 3 AQ 5.  They've met 5 times in round 1 with AQ winning 4, including 2007's thriller in OT.  Two of Hope's other wins have come in the consolation game.

Hope has met Cornerstone 11 times winning 7, including once in the Championship game.

Hope and Calvin have met twice with Hope winning in the 2006 Championship game and the consolation game in 2009.


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Calvin makes its 12th Hall of Fame appearance
Champions: 1999, 2000

vs. Cornerstone 5-4
vs. Aquinas 5-3
vs Hope 0-2

Calvin has met Cornerstone  9 times winning 5.  The Golden Eagles and Knights have played in the Championship against each other 3 times. 

AQ and Calvin have met 8 times with Calvin winning 5.

Calvin has made a leading 8 Championship games, winning 2
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Aquinas is making its 13th appearance
Champions: 2007, 2008

vs. Calvin 3-5
vs Hope 5-3
vs Cornerstone 1-3


AQ and Cornerstone have met 4 times, 3 in the consolation game and once in the Championship game with Cornerstone winning 3.

AQ has appeared in four championship game, 1999 and in 2007 beating Hope in OT and Calvin in 2OT, beating Hope in 2008, lost to Cornerstone in 2009
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Cornerstone is making its 14th appearance, most of the 5 present and past participants.
Champions: 2001, 2004, 2009

vs Aquinas 3-1
vs Calvin 3-5
vs Hope 5-7

Cornerstone has played in 5 championship contests, winning 3
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[sac]

On paper, Cornerstone looks to be the overwhelming favorite to win this years get together.  At 6-0, the Eagles are a veteran and deep team.


Doesn't seem like this is tournament #15, but it is.  This tournament was a unique idea when it was first played at the VanAndel Arena.  In recent years its been moved on campus and has certainly lost some of its appeal.  There's no reason these teams shouldn't be playing each other given their proximity, but this feels like a tournament that has run its course.  I don't think many would be sad if this were the final Classic.


This is a chance for Aquinas to show off its renovated gym......The Sturrus Center



From a Hope perspective, the old gym was never to kind to the Dutchmen, hopefully the new place gives back some better vibes.  The old one had a little bit of a basketball floor in the middle of a sports warehouse feel to it, from the few pictures and video I've seen it looks a little more cozy and brighter.



........oh yes and can we avoid Hope vs Calvin on Saturday,  A) its mostly pointless, B)  Michigan vs Ohio State and Hope vs Calvin on the same day is simply something my heart, mind and soul cannot take.

[realist]

Scrap the HOF,    and use the open dates to play some "in region" teams. 

[realist]

Calvin vs. AQ.

In the Olivet game AQ out rebounded O 41 to 30, and 34 of AQ's were defensive rebounds.  AQ scored 38 points in the paint.  It was Olivets 1st game.

AQ is showing 8 fr. on the roster with 2 being RS which I take as red shirt.
3 Sr., 2 Jr., and 1 so. so they qualify as young.  YTD AQ is showing 2 guys averaging 10+ per game with pt., and scoring spread over 10 guys.  

To win Calvin is really going to need to control the boards, and esp. on offense.  They are also going to need to be patient, and protect the paint on defense to force AQ to use clock and shoot from further out on the floor.
Like Calvin it seems AQ is young, but talented, and probably has a quick/speed advantage over Calvin.  My guess is if Calvin gets sloppy/lazy with the ball and passes they will pay dearly.  
Keys for Calvin, rebounding, and protecting the ball.  For AQ forcing Calvin into to's, and over playing on defense.

FWIW it was interesting to see one player from Alabama, and one from Georgia on AQ's roster.

[Dark Knight]

Scrap the HOF,    and use the open dates to play some "in region" teams. 

Yeah, Thanksgiving break might be a nice opportunity for a trip to Alabama or Puerto Rico.

[realist]

No reason to go to that extreme.  KS provided a more reasonable list.

8 Manchester HCAC 149
9 Defiance HCAC 174
10 Chicago UAA 175
11 North Park CCIW 190
12 Concordia (Ill.) NathCon 192
13 Dominican NathCon 192
14 Elmhurst CCIW 198
15 Heidelberg Student Princes OAC 230
16 Ohio Northern Polar Bears OAC 242
17 Anderson HCAC 260
18 Oberlin Yeomen NCAC 269
19 Earlham Quakers NCAC / HCAC 279
20 Baldwin-Wallace Yellow Jackets OAC 285
21 Ohio Wesleyan Battling Bishops NCAC 290
22 Case Western Reserve Spartans UAA 297
23 Wooster Scots NCAC 299
24 John Carroll Blue Streaks OAC 302
25 Wabash Little Giants NCAC 306
26 Otterbein Cardinals OAC 314
27 Capital Crusaders OAC 321
28 Franklin HCAC 324
29 Rose-Hulman HCAC 324
30 Hiram Terriers NCAC 325
31 Kenyon Lords/Ladies NCAC 327
32 DePauw Tigers SCAC 337
33 Wittenberg Tigers NCAC 338
34 Denison Big Red NCAC 351
35 Mount Union Purple Raiders OAC 351

[Darryl Nester]

No reason to go to that extreme.  KS provided a more reasonable list.

8 Manchester HCAC 149
9 Defiance HCAC 174
...
17 Anderson HCAC 260
...
19 Earlham Quakers NCAC / HCAC 279
etc.

Am I missing something, or shouldn't Bluffton be on this list, too?

[realist]

DN:  I was copying a listing of schools and mileage from Calvin.  It is on page 1763, and I think you are correct in that Bluffton should be on that list.  KS is going to be crushed getting caught in flagrant sin of omission.

[sac]

Scrap the HOF,    and use the open dates to play some "in region" teams. 

Its a nice idea, but the scheduling conflicts for this particular weekend is still a problem.  A good number of the schools on KS's list either are hosting their own tournament this weekend or not playing at all and giving their kids an extended weekend.  For Hope/Calvin next weekend is reserved for MIAA/CCIW, the weekend after the HCAC, OAC and NCAC all begin conference play.

[realist]

I didn't say it would be easy, but starting on Monday they have some time to get it done.  Provided of course they make it a priority.  I also understand they may need to travel every other year, but think the "in region" games are worth that.  Now if AQ, and CU were sure wins every year I might be talked into going with the W.

If neither Calvin nor Hope make "in region" games a priority we will have this same conversation every year.

[KnightSlappy]

DN:  I was copying a listing of schools and mileage from Calvin.  It is on page 1763, and I think you are correct in that Bluffton should be on that list.  KS is going to be crushed getting caught in flagrant sin of omission.

Yep. I noticed that the other day, but failed to provide an updated list. Give me my lashings.

[Dark Knight]

I also understand they may need to travel every other year, but think the "in region" games are worth that. 

I wonder if this is really true.  The only occasion I can remember in the last few years where it would have made a difference, having more in-region games would have hurt Calvin.

[Titan Q]

I wonder if this is really true.  The only occasion I can remember in the last few years where it would have made a difference, having more in-region games would have hurt Calvin.

Assuming you win the games, more in-region games always helps.  (If you lose the games, it hurts.)

A post I made on the CCIW board recently regarding # of in-region games:

I posted something yesterday to the effect of, "With only 4 in-region non-conference games, Carthage needs to win this one (vs Whitworth)."  Here is what I meant...

Should Carthage need a Pool C bid (if they don't win the CCIW's AQ), their in-region record will be something like:

3-1 non-conf
11-3 CCIW
1-1 CCIW tournament

15-5 (.750)...10-4 in the CCIW would be 14-6 (.700).

.750 probably gets you in (assuming some wins over regionally ranked teams...which CC would certainly have if that scenario), but .700 most likely does not.  And both of these assume 1-1 in the CCIW tournament...losing on Friday night of the tourney would hurt the in-region record even more.

So by only playing 4 in-region non-conference games, and losing 1 of them, Carthage has kind of puts itself in position where Pool C is certainly not a given...even with a 10-4 CCIW record.  They'll have no "in-region equity" built up at all. 

[Dark Knight]

I wonder if this is really true.  The only occasion I can remember in the last few years where it would have made a difference, having more in-region games would have hurt Calvin.

Assuming you win the games, more in-region games always helps.  (If you lose the games, it hurts.)

That I can certainly believe.

Maybe more in-region games are helpful for teams with lots of returning experience, who are likely to win early games. Those early in-region games may be more likely to be harmful for inexperience dreams, or teams that play a complicated defense that takes 10 games and 25 practices to learn...

[northb]

Do we have livestats for tonight?

Nope