MBB: Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association

[wiz]

This should probably be posted on the women's board where realist likes to comment, but I think you'll get my drift.  I checked out the Lady Knights and see that Carissa Verkaik averages 28 minutes per game, followed by her sister, Breanna, with 24.  The minutes go down hill from there.  The constant substituting isn't helping and the team took an embarrassing loss to UWSP by 21 points this year.  Coach Ross has never won a national championship.  We deserve better than this.  Time for JR to go.

[oldknight]

Great link by kv from the Free Press. Well worth the read. Not to use Hope as an example, but let me use Hope as an example. From the few games I observe each year of Hope's substitution patterns it seems to me they pretty much follow the advice given in this article. Last season's version of the Flying Dutchmen used their top three players (Krombeen, Bunn and Snuggerud) 30, 29 and 27 minutes a game as shown by the season box. That strikes me as about the right amount for a season average. There were games they played less because some were not very competitive and Hope didn't need as many minutes from their top players. In other games, Hope needed them to play more than their average number of minutes. In Hope's season ending double overtime loss to IWU, Snuggerud put in 46 minutes and Bunn 44. Krombeen, who was in foul trouble and fouled out, played "only" 33. I know if Calvin follows this approach with their top three players it will cut into minutes of other players. When I was on a team I didn't much like pine time but that's part of the landscape of being on a team and being a supportive teammate--acceptance of your role.

[Happy Calvin Guy]

Adrian to 19
Wheaton to 22
Hope to 3 orv
Calvin drops off the bball cliff.

Congrats to Adrian!

D3 rankings are a funny thing, especially early in the year.  Hope beats Carthage soundly and loses to a ranked, undefeated Wheaton team by 4 on Wheaton's home floor, and boom, they drop 26 spots in the rankings.  With IWU among others remaining on Hope's non conference schedule, it's possible that Calvin could be up on the "bb cliff" before the Dutchmen are again.

It's not unreasonable to think that Adrian's visit to Van Noord on 1/3/13 could be a very high-profile matchup and key early conference game.  Adrian very well could be 11-0 coming into that game and ranked in the Top 10 nationally.  It's reasonable to think that Calvin might not lose until then either, entering the game at 9-2. Calvin does need to improve vastly over this past weekend's performance to hold serve in the league opener. 

[sac]

I really thought it would take more than 3 losses to return to this.  Sorry I lost that pool bet.

[sac]

Couple games tonight from teams that aren't worried about their rotations or their head coaches, both locations have internet video as good as Hope's.

Tuesday, December 4
Olivet at Spring Arbor, 7 p.m.
Wabash, Ind. at Trine, 7:30 p.m.

The Trine/Wabash game might be a nice comparison with the Albion/Wabash game.  Spring Arbor shouldn't have too much trouble with Olivet but those games have been close recently.  SAU has lost their last 3 games.

Spring Arbor has games with Alma, Albion and probably Hope in the next couple weeks.

[goodknight]

I really thought it would take more than 3 losses to return to this.  Sorry I lost that pool bet.

You mean two, don't you?
Wait for the gnashing of teeth, and the outbreak of boils, upon the third loss.

[sac]

I really thought it would take more than 3 losses to return to this.  Sorry I lost that pool bet.

You mean two, don't you?
Wait for the gnashing of teeth, and the outbreak of boils, upon the third loss.

No I meant three, I thought it would take more than three, not two losses.

[goodknight]

I really thought it would take more than 3 losses to return to this.  Sorry I lost that pool bet.

You mean two, don't you?
Wait for the gnashing of teeth, and the outbreak of boils, upon the third loss.

No I meant three, I thought it would take more than three, not two losses.

That was foolishly optimistic.

[sac]

If you guys and gals want to take a break from logging on just to knock people's karma down, Stephen Bell completed his high school previews by class on mlive.com.

Worth the read if you like high school ball, I don't know of anyone else who even tries to do this.
http://blog.mlive.com/highschoolbasketball/index.html


Personally I'm looking forward to the potential of an all West Michigan Class A Quarterfinal at the beautiful sadly falling apart Don Johnson Fieldhouse here in Lansing.  GRC v  Rockford maybe?

[hoopdreams]

No maybe's needed....believe the two play each other next week at Christian.  Although not the high stakes of a tourney game, it will be a good one

[wiz]

After an 18 point lead by Trine, Wabash has turned this into a nail-biter.

[wiz]

Trine prevails 77-69.  Freshman Jared Holmquist is gaining confidence rapidly.

Olivet drops a close one.

[sac]

No maybe's needed....believe the two play each other next week at Christian.  Although not the high stakes of a tourney game, it will be a good one

One has to go through Muskegon, the other Lansing Eastern/Kalamazoo Central to get to Lansing.  So no guarantees. 

[sac]

Spring Arbor 71 Olivet 69
http://www.saucougars.com/stats/2012-13/12-04-12%20-%20Olivet%20at%20SAU.html

I want to get a look at SAU against Hope before making any proclamations about Olivet but the Comets played pretty well tonight and probably should have won this game.

Garner Small can shoot when you let him kids.  He scored the first 10 points for Olivet without missing.  He's pretty thin and won't wow you physically but he can shoot and pass a basketball.   A couple of their other guys are nice additions but this is still a pretty thin team.  12 dressed I think.

Unofficially Olivet played about 38 minutes of zone, in fact both teams played zone most of the first half.  SAU had a lot more trouble with Olivet's but kind of figured it out as the game went on.  The difference was SAU's 2nd half defense which was mostly man to man and way more active than the first half, they also wouldn't let Garner get open.  He had 18 at halftime and only 4 in the second half on just 4 shots compared to 11 first half shots.  Olivet struggled to score at the same pace without him getting opportunities.

At the end it really came down to who had the ball last and it was SAU, Chris Bellamy threw up a running shot and it hopped around the rim before falling as the buzzer sounded.  Good game.


Twice I've watched an MIAA team fade late and lose one at the buzzer this year.

[SBell]

Trine prevails 77-69.  Freshman Jared Holmquist is gaining confidence rapidly.

Olivet drops a close one.

It's not p.c. to have a favorite player coached, but Jared Holmquist may be mine. Had him for two years in AAU, and he was on the floor for a bunch of wins.

Re. Don Johnson, it's old and looks it, but when it's full and rocking (Ray McCallum vs. Keith Appling a few years ago), still no better venue. Calihan Hall is great for state tournament games too.