MBB: Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association

[almcguirejr]

Holland Sentinel article about last night's Calvin game:
http://www.hollandsentinel.com/sports/x1791708163/Calvin-mens-basketball-routs-Albion-eyes-rematch-with-Hope

I didn't realize Albion's starting 5 combined for 9 points.

[almcguirejr]

Holland Sentinel article on Hope-Kalamazoo game:
http://www.hollandsentinel.com/sports/x1651179764/Will-Bowsers-46-points-helps-push-Hope-mens-basketball-past-Kalamazoo-in-OT

It was interesting that Neil said "Prepolec is the toughest 5 man in the league."  I would have thought McClary.

[Happy Calvin Guy]

Big congrats to Michael McClary on becoming all time leading scorer for Olivet. 

What an incredible night for Will Bowser and Joe Prepolec.  I'll bet Albion's JC Cruse will never forget the night that he and Bowser combined for 46. 

Looking forward to Saturday at Van Noord.....both teams on winning streaks and coming off of great wins, Hope looking to avenge the game at DeVos, and the winner controlling their destiny the rest of the way in the MIAA.  Should be another classic.  I think Calvin will see a different Hope team that they did 3 1/2 weeks ago.  Neil seems to have them playing tougher, better ball.

[ziggy]

Calvin's 81-50 win over Albion was just as dominating as the final score indicates.  The Knights took an early 12-2 lead and never looked back. Calvin fans were a bit nervous at half despite a 42-17 margin. We've seen Calvin teams come out flat after the break following a nice first half but any fears were quickly quelled. On their first two possessions of the second half Calvin quickly got a Schuster dunk followed by a Rodts triple and took an immediate 30 point lead. Albion never threatened and simply looked like a beaten team. You knew the Brits were completely out of it when Kazen took the time to try to argue with a Calvin endzone wiseacre who took exception to Kazen's manner of defense on Snikkers. Players have to learn that's an argument you can't win.

From my vantage point it sure looked like Calvin's length really bothered Albion's inside game. Every time the Brits took the ball in the paint they were faced with challenges from Schuster or Kruis, and sometimes from both of them. The shots that weren't blocked were strongly contested and I can't remember one open look Albion had from inside 15 feet. Last night was the most complete game played by the 2010-11 version of Calvin basketball. JC Cruse looked totally frustrated, was taken out of the game rather early in the second half and never returned.

Saturday's matchup is as interesting as ever. The names of the key players change every year but the stakes always seem to be the same. After last night's games, I see that Bowser has bumped his conference scoring average to 24.1 per game. He clearly has put his name in the conference MVP hat.

It occurred to me that Calvin out-Albioned the Britons in the first half. They were more physical and aggressive, their defensive rotation was as good as I have seen and they refused to give up anything easy. That is usually what you expect to get from Albion but the Knights punched them in the mouth and knocked the Brits back on their heels.

In a much less important observation, I actually enjoyed watching Calvin's "end of the bench basketball". This has definitely not been the case in the past.

[ziggy]

Big congrats to Michael McClary on becoming all time leading scorer for Olivet. 

What an incredible night for Will Bowser and Joe Prepolec.  I'll bet Albion's JC Cruse will never forget the night that he and Bowser combined for 46. 

Looking forward to Saturday at Van Noord.....both teams on winning streaks and coming off of great wins, Hope looking to avenge the game at DeVos, and the winner controlling their destiny the rest of the way in the MIAA.  Should be another classic.  I think Calvin will see a different Hope team that they did 3 1/2 weeks ago.  Neil seems to have them playing tougher, better ball.

+k!

[KnightSlappy]

Saturday's Rivalry game is a toss up according to Massey (updated through Wednesday's games).

http://www.masseyratings.com/game.php?gid=178952922

He's saying it's 50-50 with a "most likely score" of 81-80 in favor of Calvin, and a median score of 81-81.

[HopeConvert]

Holland Sentinel article on Hope-Kalamazoo game:
http://www.hollandsentinel.com/sports/x1651179764/Will-Bowsers-46-points-helps-push-Hope-mens-basketball-past-Kalamazoo-in-OT

It was interesting that Neil said "Prepolec is the toughest 5 man in the league."  I would have thought McClary.

Excellent. Another opportunity to discuss the merits of "being hot" or "in the zone."

Whatever zone Will was in, it wasn't filled with wiseacres. I suspect Calvin's endzone wiseacre was of Frisian heritage and has a penchant for puns. Probably made some sort of crack about Albion lacking Cruse control.

[KnightSlappy]

Holland Sentinel article on Hope-Kalamazoo game:
http://www.hollandsentinel.com/sports/x1651179764/Will-Bowsers-46-points-helps-push-Hope-mens-basketball-past-Kalamazoo-in-OT

It was interesting that Neil said "Prepolec is the toughest 5 man in the league."  I would have thought McClary.

Excellent. Another opportunity to discuss the merits of "being hot" or "in the zone."

Whatever zone Will was in, it wasn't filled with wiseacres. I suspect Calvin's endzone wiseacre was of Frisian heritage and has a penchant for puns. Probably made some sort of crack about Albion lacking Cruze control.

He was so in the zone, and so hot, that he shot below his season average percentage on three point attempts. Perhaps he was due for a few misses?

[Knightmare]

Saturday's Rivalry game is a toss up according to Massey (updated through Wednesday's games).

http://www.masseyratings.com/game.php?gid=178952922

He's saying it's 50-50 with a "most likely score" of 81-80 in favor of Calvin, and a median score of 81-81.

Massey needs to make up his mind on this game.  There is no sitting on the fence for a rivalry game    .  You're either a Calvin person or a Hope person, no gray area.

Really this just supports what everyone already knows, no one has any idea what is gonna happen in this game because these teams are so close.  Well, I guess there is one that knows the winner already if you believe in predestination 

Here's to hoping it has already been predestined in Calvin's favor for Saturday.

[Erm Schmigget]

From the pictures in the Sentinel throughout this season, I'd say Will Bowser is a sure bet for best facial expressions in the MIAA.  

I agree with Neil's assessment of Prepolec.  Last night, Joe seemed to me quicker and more creative than what I remember of McClary last time I saw him.  McClary has that dead-eye fade-away jumper, but Joe was nearly unstoppable under the basket, and when he got the ball 10 feet away, he could take his man off the dribble either left or right, and split the double team effectively.  Suggerud is a very capable defender, and last night there were a few times he was late coming down the court after a Prepolec basket...he had to pick up a piece of attire or two!  

[Knightmare]

The following quote is pulled straight from the aforementioned Holland Sentinel write-up on the Hope vs. Kzoo game.  Count Will Bowser in the camp of believers in a "hot" shooting player.  Found this a bit interesting and no we don't need to revisit that debate.  We can all still politely agree to disagree  .

From Holland Sentinel:
"I was definitely in the zone. I've been in the zone before, it's one of the greatest feelings in the world," said Bowser, who now holds the second-highest single game scoring mark in Hope history, and the highest for any Hope player at home. "It's just something that feels like the hoop is the ocean. I mean anything that I let go just felt good."

[ziggy]

The following quote is pulled straight from the aforementioned Holland Sentinel write-up on the Hope vs. Kzoo game.  Count Will Bowser in the camp of believers in a "hot" shooting player.  Found this a bit interesting and no we don't need to revisit that debate.  We can all still politely to agree to disagree  .

From Holland Sentinel:
"I was definitely in the zone. I've been in the zone before, it's one of the greatest feelings in the world," said Bowser, who now holds the second-highest single game scoring mark in Hope history, and the highest for any Hope player at home. "It's just something that feels like the hoop is the ocean. I mean anything that I let go just felt good."

Perhaps this is why Michigan State is going to play a game on an aircraft carrier.

[sac]

Will has now scored 62 points in his last 3 halves of basketball plus the OT.   16, 18, 20, 8

Plus he scored all 5 of his first half points vs Albion late in that half.

[HopeConvert]

Will, who is shooting a little over 50% on the year, shot 61.5% last night. I plotted out the distribution of his shots, where "m" equals missed and "g" equals good. Again, the debate here is that "hotness" has no predictive value, and that any distribution of made shots is not different than we would expect to see from any random sequencing of data.

MMGGGMGGMMGMGMGGGGGMMGGMGG

After missing his first two shots, Will hit 5 of his next 6. Will began the second half by hitting his first 5 shots and was 3 of 3 from the line. If a 50% shooter hits 60% in a particular game he is likely to experience himself as being, comparatively speaking, in an unusual place. Perhaps we can just leave it at the claim that he has never had a better 5 minute stretch of basketball than he did at the beginning of the second half. (14 points in 5 minutes - why, that would project to a 112 point game.)

One of the nice things about watching these teams as closely as we do is to see how these young persons develop over their four years, not just as players but also as persons. I have been impressed on a number of occasions this year with Will's composure and maturity on the court. He had plenty of opportunities last night to get frustrated or complain, but he kept his head down and played the game.

[oldknight]

I suspect Calvin's endzone wiseacre was of Frisian heritage and has a penchant for puns. Probably made some sort of crack about Albion lacking Cruse control.

Your speculation as to the wiseacre's heritage is on the mark but he is not the same Frisian we normally expect to engage in debate at a Calvin game. In fact, I believe the banter with the Albion player was more pointed and less amiable than the conversation we normally expect from the Frisian you have in mind.