MBB: Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association

[sac]

Friday's games are all about the MIAA/CCIW Challenge.......the 8th version  (Yikes!)  Hope's website has all the history if you're in to that sort of thing:   http://www.hope.edu/athletics/mbb/miaacciw.html


Wheaton vs Hope @ Calvin  ---  hooray for live video.  Calvin is providing live video tonight, link on the miaa.org page.

Wheaton is 5-0, Hope 4-1, has to be considered the marquee game of the 4 if for no other reason than its the only 'in-region' game.  Hope has won 3 of the last 4 meetings, actually 4 of the last 5 if we include the NCAA game in '08

All reports from the CCIW followers is that Wheaton is good and could give Augustana a run for the CCIW Championship.  This game should feature a great back-court match-up, also two teams playing essentially 3 guard offenses.  There will be many good guards and small D1/D2 caliber players on the floor tonight.  X-factor is Wheaton F Tim McCrary, guys a D3 stud, if the back-court match-up is a draw, McCrary could swing the game in Wheaton's favor.

A look back at the end of the year could reveal this was a match-up of top 25 teams or better.


Carthage @ Calvin --  Carthage is 2-1, that is the extent of my knowledge of the Red Men*



*--I chuckle at this because over here in Lansing a controversy has erupted over a local HS changing its Native American mascot and possibly nickname.  The town is Okemos named after a Chippewa  Indian Chief from the area, John Okemos, the nickname is Chieftans.    I should probably suggest they change the nickname to Chief Tens.   I mean honestly what else are you going to name a school in a town named after an Indian Chief........Bulldogs?  Vikings? Quakers?  /rant

[oldknight]

Any thoughts, expectations, analysis for the MIAA/CCIW challenge this weekend? I think it is a big measuring stick for all 4 teams at this point in the season. I am surprised there isn't any chatter on here about it.

Check out KnightSlappy's blog. While  written from the perspective of Calvin's two games, it contains a worthwhile summary of the CCIW teams. Among other things, he points out (as does sac) that the Hope/Wheaton matchup is inregion and a Hope win benefits Calvin. Knight fans will have to go against the grain tonight.

[ziggy]

*--I chuckle at this because over here in Lansing a controversy has erupted over a local HS changing its Native American mascot and possibly nickname.  The town is Okemos named after a Chippewa  Indian Chief from the area, John Okemos, the nickname is Chieftans.    I should probably suggest they change the nickname to Chief Tens.   I mean honestly what else are you going to name a school in a town named after an Indian Chief........Bulldogs?  Vikings? Quakers?  /rant

Sort of like when images exclusively associated with Christmas are given the generic "holiday" label. Taking PC way beyond anything reasonable.

[Flying Dutch Fan]

Quick look at the history of the MIAA/CCIW challenge results provided this:

The host team is 12-2.  The other team from the same conference as the host is 11-3.  Pretty lofty numbers.  HOPEfully the MIAA can do the same this weekend.

[Happy Calvin Guy]

An interesting assessment of the talent on Hope's roster, from Brian Van Ochten today:

http://www.mlive.com/smallcolleges/grandrapids/index.ssf/2011/12/effort_will_define_hope_mens_b.html

"Effort is all that separates them from pursuing a D-III national championship."

"The Dutchmen have the personnel needed to make a run at the D-III title this season.  It's nothing that can't be accomplished through a higher level of effort."

[Civic Minded]

An interesting assessment of the talent on Hope's roster, from Brian Van Ochten today:

http://www.mlive.com/smallcolleges/grandrapids/index.ssf/2011/12/effort_will_define_hope_mens_b.html

"Effort is all that separates them from pursuing a D-III national championship."

"The Dutchmen have the personnel needed to make a run at the D-III title this season.  It's nothing that can't be accomplished through a higher level of effort."

Interesting assesment indeed, but from what I overheard at University Arena, it was WMU players who were impressed w/ how hard Hope players played, wishing they had that same gritty determination (and perhaps a better record as a result).  Perhaps the key does lie in the streakiness of it?

[KnightSlappy]

An interesting assessment of the talent on Hope's roster, from Brian Van Ochten today:

http://www.mlive.com/smallcolleges/grandrapids/index.ssf/2011/12/effort_will_define_hope_mens_b.html

"Effort is all that separates them from pursuing a D-III national championship."

"The Dutchmen have the personnel needed to make a run at the D-III title this season.  It's nothing that can't be accomplished through a higher level of effort."

I appreciate that BVO covers the small college teams, but I don't expect he has a better grasp of the D3 landscape than the average d3boards user.

[ChicagoHopeNut]

Wheaton vs Hope @ Calvin  ---  hooray for live video.  Calvin is providing live video tonight, link on the miaa.org page.

Wheaton is 5-0, Hope 4-1, has to be considered the marquee game of the 4 if for no other reason than its the only 'in-region' game.  Hope has won 3 of the last 4 meetings, actually 4 of the last 5 if we include the NCAA game in '08

I'd like to take this opportunity to express what unfortunately is a nearly annual disappointment in the number of non-MIAA in-region games Hope plays. If Hope gets a Pool A bid it won't matter but if they don't this could be a reason why.

[alexj35]

Not a very "culturally diverse" couple of teams playing here at Calvin right now

[KnightSlappy]

Not a very "culturally diverse" couple of teams playing here at Calvin right now

Not sure what you're talking about. I'd bet there's a good mix of blonde and brown hair.

[Gregory Sager]

There's people of Dutch ancestry present, and people of British ancestry present. Lots of diversity there. Plus, Wheaton's got a couple of players whose surnames are suspiciously German-looking, and the Wheaties have even pushed the blonde envelope by allowing an Italian-American, Stephen Pierotti, to wear their uniform.

If that's not diversity, I don't know what is.

[alexj35]

Not a very "culturally diverse" couple of teams playing here at Calvin right now

Not sure what you're talking about. I'd bet there's a good mix of blonde and brown hair.

I guess you're right. Not to mention all of Hope's fans' white hair and no hair. Thanks for the perspective

[NW Hope Fan]

Heck yeah! 

[Gregory Sager]

Hope 79
Wheaton 78

With Wheaton up by one and inbounding the ball, the Hope press got a backcourt steal and a pair of FTs with nine seconds left. The Dutch converted both for the win.

Hope was up almost the entire game, with a 13-point lead at one point and leads that generally were in the 7-to-10 range for most of the game. One got the impression that Wheaton was not quite prepared for the step up in athleticism that Hope presented, as compared to past Wheaton opponents. But the Sonic Atmospheric Disturbance hung around, finally took the lead for the first time with a minute and a half to go, and took it right down to the final (missed) shot by Garriott. One turnover basically spelled the difference at the end.

Aaron Garriott, who was in foul trouble most of the game but was Wheaton's best player down the stretch, led Wheaton with 23. McCrary had 18 and 8, Peters had 13, and Schultze had 11 and 9. Hope was led by David Krombeen, who was electric this afternoon. He had 28 points. Colton Overway had 14 and Nate Snuggerud had 12 for Hope.

[alexj35]

Sick game. Hope played better the whole game, then tried giving it away down the stretch. Amazing how quickly a 9pt lead turned to a 3 pt deficit. Then a sort of gift of a foul (both ways were called too strictly imo) sent Krombeen, Hope's hero for the game, to the line. Then a great steal leads to more FTs and somehow Hope gets outta here with a win. And Wheaton takes home an unused timeout