MBB: Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association

[realist]

An excellent summary of Adrian/Calvin is posted today on KnightSlappy's blog. A worthy read, I think, for all MIAA fans.

http://tomaroonandgold.blogspot.com/

Thanks OK:  I have been a regular reader.  He sort of confirms what I figured out listening to the game.  Calvin was not prepared for the game Adrian plays.  No one has mentioned that Adrian changed their game just for Calvin.   

With due respect, unless you are already a lock down defensive minded team in the Albion tradition, there really isn't any way to prepare for what Adrian is going to throw at you.  No one in the MIAA plays like they do right now.   Listening on the radio (or internet) won't tell you much, you need to be there in the stands to see how they force match-ups you don't want, how they control the game,  how they pressure the ball, deny the ball, beat you to spots on the floor and make you work hard for everything.  You need to see the athletes they have on the floor compared to yours etc. etc.

Its a style of defensive basketball I doubt anyone in this league saw in the non-conference season and something any team is going to have a very difficult time simulating in practice.

Dismissing the loss as Calvin not being prepared, is another dismissal of Adrian's team and abilities.  They aren't going away and will find many more victims before the year is over, I'm pretty certain of that.

Adrian was 5-5 in pre-conference action.  Someone has figured out how to handle this style of play.  It was not my intent to diss Adrian, but to point out much of what Calvin did seemed to be playing into allowing Adrian to control the flow of much of the game.  I agree that any team that lets Adrian control the game is likely to meet a similar fate.

[hoopdreams]

More riveting questions in the Holland sentinel pertaining to the success of the Men's team this week....
1.  Can they score???- They had an "off" half and still nearly scored 80.  Recall a statement I made from last week wondering when people would bitch when Hope only scored 50-60?

2.  Can hope defend the perimeter?- Averaging in the Trine game, the last 3 teams have averaged 40% from behind the arc.  What they fail to mention is that Alma shot 22% and Olivet 33% last week ( Olivet took 9 attempts for the game and with all the attention that MM commands, this is fairly impressive).

I'm not concerned with Hope's offensive, its their defense, specifically their rebounding, that needs to rise to the situation.  On a great defensive night you hold Hope to 55-60, maybe a bit less.  Can Adrian score that much?  They shot and scored well against Calvin but is that the norm?  I'm guessing their season averages would indicate differently but I could be wrong.  Limit their second chance opportunities, and easy put backs and I like Hope's chances.  Now if Adrian keeps Hope in the 40- low 50's, its a whole different game entirely.

[Happy Calvin Guy]

One thing that hasn't been talked about too much is Calvin's near-80% free throw percentage (it's at .799 now).  This would rank 2nd all time in MIAA history and knocking on the door of the .802 mark the '90-'91 Kzoo squad put together.  This, coming after we lose 92% FT shooter Matt Veltema to graduation.  Props to Tom Snikkers, Brad Schnyders, and Brian Powell for significantly improving their FT % this year vs last year, and don't forget our freshman with icewater in his veins Jordan Brink at 90%, many of which have come during crunch time of various games. 

Go Knights!  (and don't take Alma lightly tonight.  we remember last year's OT reg season finale at Van Noord all too well)

[sac]

One thing that hasn't been talked about too much is Calvin's near-80% free throw percentage (it's at .799 now).  This would rank 2nd all time in MIAA history and knocking on the door of the .802 mark the '90-'91 Kzoo squad put together.  This, coming after we lose 92% FT shooter Matt Veltema to graduation.  Props to Tom Snikkers, Brad Schnyders, and Brian Powell for significantly improving their FT % this year vs last year, and don't forget our freshman with icewater in his veins Jordan Brink at 90%, many of which have come during crunch time of various games. 

Go Knights!  (and don't take Alma lightly tonight.  we remember last year's OT reg season finale at Van Noord all too well)

Actually Calvin is ahead of the MIAA record at 85.7%.  The record is calculated using league games only.

http://miaa.org/mbb/stats/1011/confonly.htm

Their overall FT% ranks them #4 in D3.

[sac]

Michael McClary is still #2 in the nation for scoring at 25.3 pts.


others of note

Alma's Tommy Erickson is #9 in FG% at 65.2%

Kzoo's Joe Prepolec is #13 in blocked shots w/2.6 per game

Hope's David Krombeen is #12 in steals per game with 3.1

[Happy Calvin Guy]

One thing that hasn't been talked about too much is Calvin's near-80% free throw percentage (it's at .799 now).  This would rank 2nd all time in MIAA history and knocking on the door of the .802 mark the '90-'91 Kzoo squad put together.  This, coming after we lose 92% FT shooter Matt Veltema to graduation.  Props to Tom Snikkers, Brad Schnyders, and Brian Powell for significantly improving their FT % this year vs last year, and don't forget our freshman with icewater in his veins Jordan Brink at 90%, many of which have come during crunch time of various games. 

Go Knights!  (and don't take Alma lightly tonight.  we remember last year's OT reg season finale at Van Noord all too well)

Actually Calvin is ahead of the MIAA record at 85.7%.  The record is calculated using league games only.

http://miaa.org/mbb/stats/1011/confonly.htm

Their overall FT% ranks them #4 in D3.

Thanks for the correction, I was't sure if the records listed on MIAA.org were for whole seasons or just MIAA games.

[GoKnights68]

Bob Knight always talks about how important the first five minutes of the second half are.

Alma comes out with a 12-2 advantage over Calvin to start the first 5 minutes of the second half 

[Adrian Hoops Fan]

Adrian is struggling to wake up coming out of the second half and blows a 5 pt lead that has turned into a 9 pt deficit with 11 to go. 

[almcguirejr]

Calvin 73
Alma 64

[sac]

McClary reinforcing his STUD credentials tonight.

37 and 10 with 3 mintues to go.

[sac]

Nice competitive night in the league, all 4 games single digits coming down the home stretch.

[FyteOnne]

Albion 77
Kalamazoo 68

Wow!  Go Brits!

[GoKnights68]

McClary with 43 points tonight in an Olivet victory.  Anyone know when the last time someone has scored 43 more or points in a MIAA game?

[sac]

The roundup

Calvin 73 Alma 64

Calvin:  Snikkers 19, Rodts 15, Schnyders 13
Alma:   Schneider 20, Ginther 17

Calvin led by 12 in the 1st half, but the second was almost entirely played under a 10 point margin, Alma could never get it closer than 2 or 4 for only a couple brief moments.



Albion 77  Kalamazoo 68

Albion:  Hutton 19, Cruse 16, McDonald 15
Kzoo:  Clark 29, Prepolec 21

Kzoo jumped out to big first half lead of 15, Albion chipped away before finally taking the lead around the 10 min mark of the 2nd half, single digit leads the rest of the way.  Game stats are close all-around.



Olivet 90 Trine 83

Olivet:  McClary 43, Edsall 13, Mack 12, Post 11, Jennings 10
Trine:  Veach 22, Harris 16, Jackson 11, Rogers 11

Olivet is going to ride McClary off into the sunset.....he also had 10 rebounds, his 45th double-double of his career.



Hope 70  Adrian 63

Hope:  Bowser 19, Overway 14, Snuggerud 13, Neil 10
Adrian:  Reed 20

I think they flipped the script at halftime, big shooting half in the first for Adrian, big shooting half in the second for Hope.  Hope also missed 5 FT's in the final couple minutes to make the margin closer than it might have been.




Standings  +1 for road win/-1 for home loss


Hope    4-1     +1
Albion   4-1     +1
Adrian  3-2     +1
Kzoo    3-2       0
Calvin   3-2     +1
Olivet   2-3    -1
Alma    1-4     -1
Trine    0-5    -2


Saturday, January 22
Trine at Calvin, 3 p.m.
Alma at Adrian, 3 p.m.
Kalamazoo at Olivet, 7:30 p.m.
Hope at Albion, 3 p.m.

First place on the line Saturday at historic Kresge Gymnasium.

[sac]

McClary with 43 points tonight in an Olivet victory.  Anyone know when the last time someone has scored 43 more or points in a MIAA game?

Andy Phillips for Hope had 45 against Trine in 2004.

http://miaa.org/mbb/stats/0304/0107HOTS.HTM