MBB: Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association

[oldknight]

In some late-breaking recruiting news (new to me at least), Calvin has added 6'8" Dan Stout from Calvin Christian HS in Escondido, CA (the alma mater of former Calvin players Chris and Kevin Prins). Stout probably won't make an immediate impact but I believe he's a pretty decent athlete and was named Player of the Year in the Pacific League. He played QB on his high school football team, the same position previously played by his older brother, David Stout. Interestingly, David is now in Kalamazoo as a walk-on at Western Michigan University and according to the Bronco's website was moved to wide receiver by Bill Cubit's coaching staff.

http://www.wmubroncos.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=4600&ATCLID=204913563

[almcguirejr]

In some late-breaking recruiting news (new to me at least), Calvin has added 6'8" Dan Stout from Calvin Christian HS in Escondido, CA (the alma mater of former Calvin players Chris and Kevin Prins). Stout probably won't make an immediate impact but I believe he's a pretty decent athlete and was named Player of the Year in the Pacific League. He played QB on his high school football team, the same position previously played by his older brother, David Stout. Interestingly, David is now in Kalamazoo as a walk-on at Western Michigan University and according to the Bronco's website was moved to wide receiver by Bill Cubit's coaching staff.

http://www.wmubroncos.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=4600&ATCLID=204913563

Video of Dan Stout:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GW_l1m4mGzU

[Gregory Sager]

There is nothing so insufferable as Boston/New England fans and New York fans when they're winning under any circumstances.

Fixed it for you, Bob.

[Mr. Ypsi]

It's major league baseball.  Who gives a ----? MLB ceased to be interesting in 1994.

Dear HC,

Baseball ceased to be interesting after the 1908 post-season.

Sincerely,

A Cubs Fan

You got any PROOF that the Cubs won even in 1908?  After all, reported attendance at the final game in Detroit was 6,210 (the smallest WS 'crowd' in history) and they're all dead.  If the Cubs win a WS but nobody sees it, did it make a sound?

[HopeConvert]

I can confirm the rumor of a 6'10" transfer from CMU. He is enrolled at Hope for the fall.

[Flying Dutch Fan]

According to the CMU website, Nate got a medical redshirt last year after playing only 3 games.  Missed the rest of the season due to illness (mono?).  So he's coming to Hope with 4 years of eligibility. 

I met him last night and he is impressive - both his size and he is a very nice guy as well. How long till we start practice?

[Civic Minded]

And in the "you've got to be kidding me category:"

http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketball/blog/the_dagger/post/By-2012-cream-cheese-may-no-longer-be-an-NCAA-v?urn=ncaab-wp4181

[sac]

The arrival of Nate Van Arendonk in Holland is a pretty big deal.   It means Hope will have a true center for the first time in a number of years.  Despite the  Voisin years, I think we have to go all the way back to Don Overbeek.  Voisin is the only player over 6-5 who has manned that position since then, unless I'm forgetting someone.  You might say he's the holy grail of Hope basketball recruiting, they've had so many near misses.

There isn't a lot of video out there of him, mostly because if you google Van Arendonk you get many different versions of this.......(some in foreign languages even)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6hV0dyMh7M


I don't imagine very many D3 players have an ESPN recruiting profile, but Nate did.  

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/recruiting/player/_/id/102591/nate-vanarendonk

and according to ESPN he was ranked the #63 Center in the 2010 class, whatever that means.  A couple sites that rank kids in Michigan had him as high as #2 at Center in this state.


I first became aware of Nate probably after his Sophomore year at Grand Haven when his name began popping up in the recruiting conversations even then.  With Hope grad parents/parent and generational legacy there were a lot of crossed fingers that he would end up in Holland.  After Nate's Junior year it became pretty obvious he was too good and too big for the D1's not to notice and him showing up in Holland became more of a dream than a potential reality.  Thus I personally resigned myself that he wouldn't be a Dutchmen.

Nate signed with CMU his Sr.  year which was not a total surprise.  As basketball fate would have it, Grand Haven ended up advancing to the Class A Quarterfinals that year which were in Lansing so I saw him play vs Kalamazoo Central.  Nate didn't have a great night but then neither did Grand Haven.  I think he had 8 or 10 points and a bunch of rebounds.   Grand Haven only scored 36 points, and KC's pressure D never allowed the guards the chance to even get the ball to Nate, he might have had foul trouble as well.  I remember leaving the gym weeping uncontrollably at the thought of what a terrific player he might be in D3.

The rumors of him transferring from CMU began early last year, and it was easy to dismiss them as "wishful thinking".  One of those I'll believe it when I see it kind of things, and here we are.

I don't like to over-hype guys but this is potentially a really big addition to the 2012 Dutchmen.  But even more so for the next 4 years.

[sac]

Here's an article about Nate's commitment to Central Michigan.

http://highschoolsports.mlive.com/news/article/7800295862398540513/grand-havens-nate-vanarendonk-commits-to-central-michigan-for-basketball/

[hoopdreams]

Happy time if you're a Hope fan.  Maybe now there might be a slight cease in the "potentially dominant Calvin front court" conversation.  The Knights will still be very good eventually but  THE NATE'S will be a load!!!!!!  Glad it can finally be confirmed. NVA was fairly limited as far as a skill set goes when I last watched him play but that was 3 years ago.  Hopefully he perfected a move or two up at CMU

Does this addition to the roster change up the offensive philosophy at all now?  I would think having him in the paint will allows guards to play a lot more aggressively defensively on the wings too.  

In case I offended anyone with my ficticious sg earlier (assumed that was why my karma took another thrashing), I was playing off of SAC's vague reference (he's never vague) to another transfer whose name, depending on how you pronounce the last name, sounds like an horribly painful cleansing experience

[Knight2Day]

Gotta wonder when the NCAA will start investigating D3 hoops

[realist]

According to the CMU website, Nate got a medical redshirt last year after playing only 3 games.  Missed the rest of the season due to illness (mono?).  So he's coming to Hope with 4 years of eligibility. 

I met him last night and he is impressive - both his size and he is a very nice guy as well. How long till we start practice?

Did you get any insights into what prompted the switch to Hope? 

[Knight2Day]

According to the CMU website, Nate got a medical redshirt last year after playing only 3 games.  Missed the rest of the season due to illness (mono?).  So he's coming to Hope with 4 years of eligibility. 

I met him last night and he is impressive - both his size and he is a very nice guy as well. How long till we start practice?

Did you get any insights into what prompted the switch to Hope? 

Probably a couple "rounds of golf" or a few "sack lunches" at his visits to Hope

[realist]

I was thinking more along the lines of playing time at the D1 level, or wasn't he willing to make the commitment required.
Kids transfer for any number of reasons.  I understand the family ties etc., and also understand not everyone wants bball to run their life.  
From the information available it seems like very good news for Hope fans.

If this kid had a D 1 scholly that is hard to turn your back on.

[hoopdreams]

I believe the pattern evolving could have something to do with Coach Neil's connections to local AAU programs, particularly with his son's being entrenched in the WM Lakers program for years.  Even though I believe NVA played for the Storm, there are lots of opportunities to interact with players and families on a casual level.  Neil, Krombeen, Overway, and Snuggeraud all played for the Lakers.  Their top guard recruit for next year, Wes Leonard, was a Laker too.  How many from this summers supremely successfull AAU team will end up in Holland next year?

It also may be help that Hope openly encourages transfers and even early on in the recruiting process makes it clear "that if it doesn't work out at.....we would love to have you playing for the Hope Flying Dutchmen".  There is nothing illegal with this.

Guarantee that message has been relayed to Myrick, who may possibly be looking to move within 2 years, The big, BIG fella from Holland, who will also taste reality next fall, as well as countless others.  Having a premier facility that draws the #'s it does, also helps.  How could you NOT want to play there?  Unless you had strong religious affiliations elsewhere or the college doesn't offer your area of interest education-wise.

Mr. Bell could lend some insight into this.

Josh Holwerda, a 6'8,  4 year varsity letter earner to never start a game???