MBB: Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association

[SBell]

I don't recall the overlap in rosters but at one point Creston had Sanders, Jovonne Augustus, Cameron Bradfield (starting NFL LT and a heck of a hoopster), LJ Kilgore and Vicent Agnew ( D1 corner/safety) and I'm missing someone.  If Jerrell played up as an underclassman.......they probably should have dominated the City League, not even sure if they won it once though.

Yeah, I get the years blurred. Cameron was damn good, kind of like Kevin Murphy where with that body type you might peak as a basketball player at 16U, but are a load to deal with.

[oldknight]

Apparently Allen Durham (formerly of Grace Bible) is becoming quite the Romanian hoops star.

video: http://www.tvr.ro/articol.php?id=113365&c=137

From Grace's athletic site yesterday: "Allen is leading the league in points at 25.6 and rebounds at 17 per game."

In other news, Grace dropped their exhibition game with Ferris yesterday 91-78. Box: http://www.ferrisstatebulldogs.com/sports/mbkb/2011-12/boxscores/20111102_dvmb.xml

Reports on the demise of Grace Bible's basketball program in the post-Durham era seem to be premature. Tonight, I ran into an acquaintance--a former college player and a pretty good judge of the local college hoops scene--and he came away pretty impressed after watching Grace's 13 point loss to Ferris State. He told me Grace still has a pretty solid lineup and really competed well with Ferris despite the fact that Grace had two starters out with illness (Ryan Dame and John Oostema). My friend told me that the well-traveled Randy Jefferson is now at Grace and will really help the Bible Tigers this season.

[hoopdreams]

OK- I'm not at liberty to dispute your friends ability to access or evaluate talent but I have had the displeasure of watching Mr. Jefferson play dozens of times from hs through summer leagues and a now plethora of college stops.  There are many reasons why he has worn many, many uniforms- which could be from grades to attitude to lack of team concept to finally, limited skills.  He looks the part- the big, muscular, physical guard but his range is essentially a layup.  He's what I like to call the AP3- All-Pro Practice Player.  You know the guy who always looks good when there's no officials calling the hand checks and clear outs, gets to the hoop at will when no one really plays defense until game point.  I'm all for second chances but at some point there HAS to be a reason why it NEVER seems to work out.  Alex Legion will forever be the poster child for this phenomenon, and RJ is no "Al".

I hope that RJ proves differently but recent history tells me otherwise.  RJ, Dame and Oostema all transfers at Grace, as well as many on AQ's roster.  Coach Hammer has a nice crop of players, transfers and a couple newbies, they will be MUCH improved this year.

[oldknight]

OK- I'm not at liberty to dispute your friends ability to access or evaluate talent but I have had the displeasure of watching Mr. Jefferson play dozens of times from hs through summer leagues and a now plethora of college stops.  There are many reasons why he has worn many, many uniforms- which could be from grades to attitude to lack of team concept to finally, limited skills.  He looks the part- the big, muscular, physical guard but his range is essentially a layup.  He's what I like to call the AP3- All-Pro Practice Player.  You know the guy who always looks good when there's no officials calling the hand checks and clear outs, gets to the hoop at will when no one really plays defense until game point.  I'm all for second chances but at some point there HAS to be a reason why it NEVER seems to work out.  Alex Legion will forever be the poster child for this phenomenon, and RJ is no "Al".

I hope that RJ proves differently but recent history tells me otherwise.  RJ, Dame and Oostema all transfers at Grace, as well as many on AQ's roster.  Coach Hammer has a nice crop of players, transfers and a couple newbies, they will be MUCH improved this year.

All valid points you make, though AQ needs some good newbies if they are to improve from last year. I barely remember Jefferson from his high school and Cornerstone days and whether he actually works out well as a one year "rent-a-player" with Grace remains to be seen. Hard be down though on a kid who claims Phillipians 4:13 as his favorite verse.

[hoopdreams]

I truly hope that he has changed and not for the sake of Grace's basketball team.  If he's no longer a slave to the game and the notoriety so many crave, or the streets, or whatever has guided his life to a certain point and has surrendered his life to living a better way, looking through Christ's eyes, then I'll be his new, biggest fan.  Anyone can write down their favorite verse or get it "inked" on their body but do they live it?

As far as AQ goes, I know the Moreland's well. They are both talented and smart players (coaches kid i believe but once again 2 that dissappeared for a year or so).  McCane is a kid I have always really liked and could be an absolute steal down the line.  Watching him play, he has nice skills and is obviously a gym rat-which Hammer loves.

It's the system that makes AQ tough and if they have a group of young, hungry, disciplined, hardworking, selfless players.....they will be good.  Undisciplined kids simply don't make it, kids that don't play as a team, kids that don't play FOR their team disappear....year after year. 

[Dark Knight]

... has surrendered his life to living a better way, looking through Christ's eyes, then I'll be his new, biggest fan. 

Would such behavior include having a little charity for others in public forums?

[Dark Knight]

CCIW/MIAA opponent Carthage beat D1 NIU in ot. in exhibition game.

According to Massey, NIU would have been #2 in NCAA III last year (though comparisons across divisions are sketchy).

However, NIU lost 4 of their top 5 scorers, including star Silas Xavier who averaged 22.3 points per game.

Also, since it was an exhibition game, you don't know how hard NIU was trying to win. They could have been trying out new players, etc.

Still, a nice result for Carthage...

[sac]

This is Mark Montgomery's first year as the NIU coach as well.   I believe they have 9 first year players and very little returning experience.

Carthage's big 6-9 Freshmen was taller than every NIU player by 2 inches, even for a poor MAC team this seems really unacceptable.

Nice win for Carthage though.

[KnightSlappy]

CCIW/MIAA opponent Carthage beat D1 NIU in ot. in exhibition game.

According to Massey, NIU would have been #2 in NCAA III last year (though comparisons across divisions are sketchy).

However, NIU lost 4 of their top 5 scorers, including star Silas Xavier who averaged 22.3 points per game.

Also, since it was an exhibition game, you don't know how hard NIU was trying to win. They could have been trying out new players, etc.

Still, a nice result for Carthage...

Max Cary was Carthage's leading scorer with 20 points. I saw he shot 4-7 from three point range and thought "well, I know he's a good shooter because he made 4-6 against Calvin last year." Then I looked at Carthage's season stats and found that he was only 15-58 (.259) on the year. That means against non-Calvin teams he only shot 21%! For his career though, he's a .333 three-point shooter.

[oldknight]

KS has a post on his blog previewing tonight's matchup against Ferris. He also has a piece arguing the need for the NCAA to reconsider its Division III criteria and the current system's impact on a school like Calvin. It's worth the read I think, even by non-Knight fans because the NCAA's current set of criteria impact most MIAA schools about the same.

http://tomaroonandgold.blogspot.com/

[oldknight]

KS has a post on his blog previewing tonight's matchup against Ferris. He also has a piece arguing the need for the NCAA to reconsider its Division III criteria and the current system's impact on a school like Calvin. It's worth the read I think, even by non-Knight fans because the NCAA's current set of criteria impact most MIAA schools about the same.

http://tomaroonandgold.blogspot.com/

It is hard to argue that Calvin needs "regional" relief (based on travel expense) when a quick check of the Calvin schedule shows them flying out to Washington for 2 games over the holiday break.  Perhaps it is scheduling games like those that cause the NCAA to turn a deaf ear to plantiff cries like those KS presents. 

In my professional experience, I have found defendants to be far deafer than plaintiffs.

[KnightSlappy]

KS has a post on his blog previewing tonight's matchup against Ferris. He also has a piece arguing the need for the NCAA to reconsider its Division III criteria and the current system's impact on a school like Calvin. It's worth the read I think, even by non-Knight fans because the NCAA's current set of criteria impact most MIAA schools about the same.

http://tomaroonandgold.blogspot.com/

It is hard to argue that Calvin needs "regional" relief (based on travel expense) when a quick check of the Calvin schedule shows them flying out to Washington for 2 games over the holiday break.  Perhaps it is scheduling games like those that cause the NCAA to turn a deaf ear to plantiff cries like those KS presents. 

I don't think expense has ever been the complaint, nor is it the reason for the "regional focus" of Div. III. They don't want kids to have to miss class.

[sac]

We're only a week away 

Hope's first opponent, Rochester College, has been playing games since October 21. They're currently 6-0 with 2 more games before next Tuesday night.  They should win them both since they've already beaten both teams once each.  The Warriors have been dominating the Canadians.

http://www.rochestercollegewarriors.com/schedule/0/1.php

roster
http://www.rochestercollegewarriors.com/roster/0/1.php

[Dark Knight]

We're only a week away 

Hope's first opponent, Rochester College, has been playing games since October 21. They're currently 6-0 with 2 more games before next Tuesday night.  They should win them both since they've already beaten both teams once each.  The Warriors have been dominating the Canadians.

http://www.rochestercollegewarriors.com/schedule/0/1.php

roster
http://www.rochestercollegewarriors.com/roster/0/1.php

Fleming college?
Lambton college?
Nouvelles college?
Georgian college?

[Mr. Ypsi]

KS has a post on his blog previewing tonight's matchup against Ferris. He also has a piece arguing the need for the NCAA to reconsider its Division III criteria and the current system's impact on a school like Calvin. It's worth the read I think, even by non-Knight fans because the NCAA's current set of criteria impact most MIAA schools about the same.

http://tomaroonandgold.blogspot.com/

It is hard to argue that Calvin needs "regional" relief (based on travel expense) when a quick check of the Calvin schedule shows them flying out to Washington for 2 games over the holiday break.  Perhaps it is scheduling games like those that cause the NCAA to turn a deaf ear to plantiff cries like those KS presents. 

I don't think expense has ever been the complaint, nor is it the reason for the "regional focus" of Div. III. They don't want kids to have to miss class.

Class time missed is A primary consideration, but it is also expense.  There was (and probably still is) a fear that some schools have the resources to play anywhere anytime, but many do not.  There is already 'gaming the Pool C system' regionally among schools loading up on (highly beatable) opponents likely to have good records because they are in 'crappy' conferences.  Imagine if schools with UAA/NESCAC-type resources were able to do that nationally!

And Calvin's 'flying out to Washington' is hardly unusual.  Many (if not most) schools do some sort of Holiday expedition - it is almost necessay as a recruiting point.