MBB: Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association

[sac]

standings with +/-........+1 for road wins/-1 for home losses

Hope          6-0       +2
Adrian        4-2        +2
Trine          4-2        +2
Calvin         3-3       0
Albion         3-3       -1
Alma          2-4       -1
Kzoo          1-5        -2
Olivet         1-5       -2



Next week-- A race on the brink I guess, with the right results Wed, Hope could be 3 games up at the halfway point, obviously a Hope loss would change this quite a bit.  Could be a decisive week for Adrian and their chances to stay in touch with Hope.  Host Albion Wed, @ Calvin Saturday before hosting the Dutchmen the next Wednesday.

Wednesday, January 25
Albion at Adrian, 8 p.m.
Alma at Kalamazoo, 8 p.m.
Olivet at Calvin, 8 p.m.
Hope at Trine, 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, January 28
Alma at Hope, 3 p.m.
Adrian at Calvin, 3 p.m.
Albion at Olivet, 3 p.m.
Kalamazoo at Trine, 3 p.m.

[KnightSlappy]

Efficiency numbers through six games:

Team	OEff	DEff	Eff. Margin	xW	xL
Hope	112.9	85.9	27.1	6.0	0.0
Trine	101.5	90.3	11.2	4.2	1.8
Adrian	95.5	85.8	9.7	4.1	1.9
Calvin	98.1	88.9	9.3	4.0	2.0
Albion	95.6	101.8	-6.2	2.3	3.7
Alma	97.5	106.5	-9.1	2.0	4.0
Kalamazoo	89.4	103.7	-14.3	1.4	4.6
Olivet	92.1	118.9	-26.8	0.1	5.9

With Trine playing Hope, and Calvin playing Olivet on Wednesday, Trine will likely end up looking like the fourth best team in the league. Calvin 'should be' 4-2 with Trine and Adrian, but they got a bit unlucky with the loss to Albion. That one could really hurt if they drop another bad game.

In a surprising twist of events, Calvin's numbers rate them as the #3 offense in the league, and they haven't played the worst (by a lot, lot, lot) defense yet. There's a very real chance of Calvin being top-two in both defense (where they're currently third as well) and offense after the first round through the league.

Offense is down across the league. Average efficiency (points per 100 possessions) is usually around 100.0 , but it's currently at 98.0.

[maroonandgold]

I guess my question to realist and others is this: What do you think KVS should be doing differently? What is it that he does so poorly, and what would you like to see him change, specifically? I understand numbers and stats aren't everything, but he seems to have the team scoring enough, forcing poor shots on defense, and rebounding well. I'm not necessarily trying to defense KVS, I just wonder what it is I am missing, because I feel like I am missing something. I'm not trying to be rude or anything like, and no sarcasm intended: But I feel like I'm missing it. What is it that KVS does so poorly?

Although the question was directed to someone else and I am not one of severe critics of KVS, I do think the one thing I would most want to see KVS change is the way he teaches defense at the beginning of every season.  He always starts the season by emphasizing weak-side help to the point that when the ball goes to one side of the court, the defender(s) from the opposite side go all the way to the middle.  Predictably, the other team makes a couple of quick passes and the end up with numerous wide open threes.  By starting with more of a straight man-for-man defense Calvin would in my opinion have several wins instead of losses.It is really noticeable that the effective defense the last 2 games was based on covering the entire court.  He seems to believe that teams learn best by learning to cover up the middle first and then later in the year learning how to get back to the weak side quickly enough.  It always seems to work better later in the year after we suffer for numerous games watching teams bomb threes from the weak side.

The other policy which has received so much criticism is his substitution policy.  On that policy I think he is right and his critics wrong.  Note how much more successful the team has been now that he has figured out how to replace Mickey De Vries and Mitch Vallie with greater use of Tyler Dykstra and Dan Stout.  When the rotation went down to 6 or 7 players for a few games,  Calvin had problems in the second half.  Compare that with the almost 70% shooting last Saturday.  He is still struggling with his choice of guards, but Brian Powell is getting far more time at shooting guard, which is his best position. 

[hoopdreams]

having your helpside, or anyone more than 1 immediate pass away drop to the midline, is textbook "How to teach proper man to man defense 101".  When teams are able to get clean looks, its generally due to a team either - not knowing their responsibility, not anticipating or knowing your opponents tendencies on offense (where will their players be on ball reversals) or not having enough desire to fulfill your responsibilities. 

The question could be?  Is the necessity to focus on pure helpside defense a "necessity" in the MIAA??  The reason you have players sag to the midline is to assist with dribble penetration.  How many guys and teams in this conference can consistantly kill you off the dribble?  Would you rather have a team shoot 60-75% in the paint off of layups and dumpoffs to post players, or have a solid 3pt shooting team shoot 35-50% from behind the arc?

Defense is what it is, whether it's man or zone, halfcourt or full. You have to have 5 guys that know what the heck they're doing and willing to play hard doing so.  there are very few players with the mindset... "you will not score on me"

[KnightSlappy]

having your helpside, or anyone more than 1 immediate pass away drop to the midline, is textbook "How to teach proper man to man defense 101".  When teams are able to get clean looks, its generally due to a team either - not knowing their responsibility, not anticipating or knowing your opponents tendencies on offense (where will their players be on ball reversals) or not having enough desire to fulfill your responsibilities. 

The question could be?  Is the necessity to focus on pure helpside defense a "necessity" in the MIAA??  The reason you have players sag to the midline is to assist with dribble penetration.  How many guys and teams in this conference can consistantly kill you off the dribble?  Would you rather have a team shoot 60-75% in the paint off of layups and dumpoffs to post players, or have a solid 3pt shooting team shoot 35-50% from behind the arc?

Defense is what it is, whether it's man or zone, halfcourt or full. You have to have 5 guys that know what the heck they're doing and willing to play hard doing so.  there are very few players with the mindset... "you will not score on me"

Answer number 'B'. All day every day.

[goodknight]

having your helpside, or anyone more than 1 immediate pass away drop to the midline, is textbook "How to teach proper man to man defense 101".  When teams are able to get clean looks, its generally due to a team either - not knowing their responsibility, not anticipating or knowing your opponents tendencies on offense (where will their players be on ball reversals) or not having enough desire to fulfill your responsibilities. 

The question could be?  Is the necessity to focus on pure helpside defense a "necessity" in the MIAA??  The reason you have players sag to the midline is to assist with dribble penetration.  How many guys and teams in this conference can consistantly kill you off the dribble?  Would you rather have a team shoot 60-75% in the paint off of layups and dumpoffs to post players, or have a solid 3pt shooting team shoot 35-50% from behind the arc?

Defense is what it is, whether it's man or zone, halfcourt or full. You have to have 5 guys that know what the heck they're doing and willing to play hard doing so.  there are very few players with the mindset... "you will not score on me"

Answer number 'B'. All day every day.

My answer, similarly, is Letter #2.

[almcguirejr]

Not to look into the future but could Calvin's next head coach be earning his stripes up in Alma?

I don't think Hargraves will be patient enough to wait until KVS retires in 2025.

Your statement presumes KVS is the only person involved in determining how long he holds his present position.

Exactly!

[hoopdreams]

For Hope fans wishing for a consisent three point threat, even though they don't appear to need one at the moment, a name from long, long ago....Jared M, is blowing up at GRCC.  Had 33 last night and was 6-10 from behind the arc. 

I'm assuming they might be in good position to land Holland shooter next year, who happened to wake from a season-long slumber to score 33 himself the other night.  With him and his father at nearly every Hope home game, guessing there isn't much recruiting needed.

And to whom brought it to light at the beginning of the season, the "Randy Jefferson experiment" at Grace seems to have imploded.  hate to say I told to so but....

[scottiedawg]

I always loved Jared M's shot. Great form, control, setup.

[HopeConvert]

Hope to #3 in the latest poll.

Middlebury has Williams on Saturday. UWW plays Point on Wednesday.

[NW Hope Fan]

Hope to #3 in the latest poll.

Middlebury has Williams on Saturday. UWW plays Point on Wednesday.

While confident of the quality of team Hope has this year, I've never been a big fan of polls. The bigger they are the harder they fall (and for sure the bigger the target they carry).

Been since the end of '08 season for a top 3 poll...

[almcguirejr]

Dave Krombeen and Brandon Krause (Alma) co-players of the week.

[BogeyMan]

Surprised Kazen from Albion wasn't a player of the week.  Had a great week!

[Gregory Sager]

having your helpside, or anyone more than 1 immediate pass away drop to the midline, is textbook "How to teach proper man to man defense 101".  When teams are able to get clean looks, its generally due to a team either - not knowing their responsibility, not anticipating or knowing your opponents tendencies on offense (where will their players be on ball reversals) or not having enough desire to fulfill your responsibilities.

Yes, exactly. And maroonandgold might want to check out any YouTube instructional video that teaches man-to-man defense. He'll discover that, on each and every one of them, the weak-side defenders (i.e., those who are guarding players who are at least two direct passes away from the ball) drop into help position, which is at the midline of the lane.

The question could be?  Is the necessity to focus on pure helpside defense a "necessity" in the MIAA??  The reason you have players sag to the midline is to assist with dribble penetration.  How many guys and teams in this conference can consistantly kill you off the dribble?  Would you rather have a team shoot 60-75% in the paint off of layups and dumpoffs to post players, or have a solid 3pt shooting team shoot 35-50% from behind the arc?

Defense is what it is, whether it's man or zone, halfcourt or full. You have to have 5 guys that know what the heck they're doing and willing to play hard doing so.  there are very few players with the mindset... "you will not score on me"

Answer number 'B'. All day every day.

My answer, similarly, is Letter #2.

Thirded.

[Happy Calvin Guy]

Hope to #3 in the latest poll.

Middlebury has Williams on Saturday. UWW plays Point on Wednesday.

There's a reasonable possibility that Hope strides into Van Noord on 2/11 as the #1 ranked team in the country.  Does anyone know the history of Rivalry games that include a #1 ranked team? 

I, for one, am rooting for this to happen.  Go Williams, Go UW-Stevens Point, and yup, Go Hope (for now)!