MBB: Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association

[ziggy]

Adrian beat Trine on a layup with 1.2 seconds left.  Amazing that they are still rated 25th nationally.  Calvin was also mentioned as receiving 6 votes.  I don't expect to see Adrian stay in the top 25 as league play progresses.  Hope came from behind after trailing by quite a bit in the first half.  Is this their pattern?

Maybe not but it would be in the best interest of most of the fans on this board if Adrian can at least stay strong enough to get ranked in the first set of regional rankings. Adrian still has the strongest resume for at-large consideration and Calvin, et al could use the benefit of adding Adrian as a "win against regionally ranked opponent".

[oldknight]

Too much size and firepower for Kalamazoo to deal with at the Rollerdome tonight as the Knights simply overmatched the Hornets. Too much Tom Snikkers as well. As we sometimes see in the MIAA, we are watching a talented player who seems on a mission his senior year. Tom scored 22 points--15 of them in the first half when K tried to guard him without much secondary help. I felt sorry for the Kalamazoo primary defender who struggled to keep Tom away from the basket. Snik scored using a wide and clever array of moves to the hoop and pull-up jumpers. Calvin won all the major categories--rebounding, turnovers and shooting--and that's a recipe for success. There were several times in the first half when Calvin's defense was less than what it should have been, but it went on to totally control Kalamazoo's offense in the second frame, limiting the home team to 18 points on 6-26 shooting and forcing 11 turnovers. Calvin is exactly where they want to be after 3 conference games and the team seems to be progressing nicely.

Something that hasn't been mentioned much this year is the shooting ability of Tyler Dykstra. He doesn't shoot a lot, but he's been one of the team's more reliable mid-range shooters. A couple of times last night Hornet defenders floated away from him when he had the ball a step or two inside the three point line, and Tyler calmly knocked down the jumper.

Considering you spent most of your evening helping your daughter set up her doll set on the bleacher bench, I'm surprised you noticed.

[KnightSlappy]

Too much size and firepower for Kalamazoo to deal with at the Rollerdome tonight as the Knights simply overmatched the Hornets. Too much Tom Snikkers as well. As we sometimes see in the MIAA, we are watching a talented player who seems on a mission his senior year. Tom scored 22 points--15 of them in the first half when K tried to guard him without much secondary help. I felt sorry for the Kalamazoo primary defender who struggled to keep Tom away from the basket. Snik scored using a wide and clever array of moves to the hoop and pull-up jumpers. Calvin won all the major categories--rebounding, turnovers and shooting--and that's a recipe for success. There were several times in the first half when Calvin's defense was less than what it should have been, but it went on to totally control Kalamazoo's offense in the second frame, limiting the home team to 18 points on 6-26 shooting and forcing 11 turnovers. Calvin is exactly where they want to be after 3 conference games and the team seems to be progressing nicely.

Something that hasn't been mentioned much this year is the shooting ability of Tyler Dykstra. He doesn't shoot a lot, but he's been one of the team's more reliable mid-range shooters. A couple of times last night Hornet defenders floated away from him when he had the ball a step or two inside the three point line, and Tyler calmly knocked down the jumper.

Considering you spent most of your evening helping your daughter set up her doll set on the bleacher bench, I'm surprised you noticed.

We weren't playing, we were accessorizing! She did tell me last night that she wanted to play hockey, not basketball, when she grows up. So that I could watch her skate.

[KnightSlappy]

Adrian beat Trine on a layup with 1.2 seconds left.  Amazing that they are still rated 25th nationally.  Calvin was also mentioned as receiving 6 votes.  I don't expect to see Adrian stay in the top 25 as league play progresses.  Hope came from behind after trailing by quite a bit in the first half.  Is this their pattern?

Maybe not but it would be in the best interest of most of the fans on this board if Adrian can at least stay strong enough to get ranked in the first set of regional rankings. Adrian still has the strongest resume for at-large consideration and Calvin, et al could use the benefit of adding Adrian as a "win against regionally ranked opponent".

The MIAA is still positioned well enough to get three teams into the tournament. Hope isn't out of the Pool C discussion.

[Happy Calvin Guy]

Adrian beat Trine on a layup with 1.2 seconds left.  Amazing that they are still rated 25th nationally.  Calvin was also mentioned as receiving 6 votes.  I don't expect to see Adrian stay in the top 25 as league play progresses.  Hope came from behind after trailing by quite a bit in the first half.  Is this their pattern?

Maybe not but it would be in the best interest of most of the fans on this board if Adrian can at least stay strong enough to get ranked in the first set of regional rankings. Adrian still has the strongest resume for at-large consideration and Calvin, et al could use the benefit of adding Adrian as a "win against regionally ranked opponent".

The MIAA is still positioned well enough to get three teams into the tournament. Hope isn't out of the Pool C discussion.

I presume that the most likely 3-MIAA scenario would be a non-Calvin team getting the AQ?

[sac]

Adrian beat Trine on a layup with 1.2 seconds left.  Amazing that they are still rated 25th nationally.  Calvin was also mentioned as receiving 6 votes.  I don't expect to see Adrian stay in the top 25 as league play progresses.  Hope came from behind after trailing by quite a bit in the first half.  Is this their pattern?

Maybe not but it would be in the best interest of most of the fans on this board if Adrian can at least stay strong enough to get ranked in the first set of regional rankings. Adrian still has the strongest resume for at-large consideration and Calvin, et al could use the benefit of adding Adrian as a "win against regionally ranked opponent".

The MIAA is still positioned well enough to get three teams into the tournament. Hope isn't out of the Pool C discussion.

Getting that "in-region ranked" tag is probably going to require Adrian navigating Calvin and Hope successfully with no slip ups in the next four games before the first official poll is released.  The GL doesn't appear to be very deep so I may be over thinking that.

[ziggy]

Adrian beat Trine on a layup with 1.2 seconds left.  Amazing that they are still rated 25th nationally.  Calvin was also mentioned as receiving 6 votes.  I don't expect to see Adrian stay in the top 25 as league play progresses.  Hope came from behind after trailing by quite a bit in the first half.  Is this their pattern?

Maybe not but it would be in the best interest of most of the fans on this board if Adrian can at least stay strong enough to get ranked in the first set of regional rankings. Adrian still has the strongest resume for at-large consideration and Calvin, et al could use the benefit of adding Adrian as a "win against regionally ranked opponent".

The MIAA is still positioned well enough to get three teams into the tournament. Hope isn't out of the Pool C discussion.

Getting that "in-region ranked" tag is probably going to require Adrian navigating Calvin and Hope successfully with no slip ups in the next four games before the first official poll is released.  The GL doesn't appear to be very deep so I may be over thinking that.

They are definitely hurt by having to play all their Hope/Calvin games before the first set is released but even with four losses they will be above .700 in-region WP with a good SOS (they played the right road games) and a win over Wooster. A fifth loss might make that a dicier proposition but I think they have wiggle room up to four losses.

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

This may be early to say... but you are probably dreaming if you think the MIAA is getting three teams. What you are not considering, I suspect, is the conference tournament. That is going to be another loss for all but one team. Should Calvin win the tourney, I could see maybe another team getting in since both Hope and Albion would have another loss in their record. Should Hope or Albion win the tourney, there is a chance at a third, but still Hope or Albion would have another loss on their record... this is of course assuming they don't lose more than one game between now and then and with each team playing each other... that is doubtful as well.

[sac]

This may be early to say... but you are probably dreaming if you think the MIAA is getting three teams. What you are not considering, I suspect, is the conference tournament. That is going to be another loss for all but one team. Should Calvin win the tourney, I could see maybe another team getting in since both Hope and Albion would have another loss in their record. Should Hope or Albion win the tourney, there is a chance at a third, but still Hope or Albion would have another loss on their record... this is of course assuming they don't lose more than one game between now and then and with each team playing each other... that is doubtful as well.

If you're going to admonish people for not 'understanding' their own league and how it relates to their own region at least get the teams right.

[ziggy]

This may be early to say... but you are probably dreaming if you think the MIAA is getting three teams. What you are not considering, I suspect, is the conference tournament. That is going to be another loss for all but one team. Should Calvin win the tourney, I could see maybe another team getting in since both Hope and Albion would have another loss in their record. Should Hope or Albion win the tourney, there is a chance at a third, but still Hope or Albion would have another loss on their record... this is of course assuming they don't lose more than one game between now and then and with each team playing each other... that is doubtful as well.

If you're going to admonish people for not 'understanding' their own league and how it relates to their own region at least get the teams right.

And when it comes to Pool C consideration, everyone has another loss - otherwise they'd be Pool A (yeah, ok, except the UAA schools).

You may (probably will) be right but for the wrong reason. I don't expect any of the "MIAA three" to run the table, nor do they need to (although Hope probably has to come close as they have the most ground to make up). Other teams around the country will loss too. There is a small chance that all three could end up in the tourney but that chance is non-zero, and that's the point.

[KnightSlappy]

This may be early to say... but you are probably dreaming if you think the MIAA is getting three teams. What you are not considering, I suspect, is the conference tournament. That is going to be another loss for all but one team. Should Calvin win the tourney, I could see maybe another team getting in since both Hope and Albion would have another loss in their record. Should Hope or Albion win the tourney, there is a chance at a third, but still Hope or Albion would have another loss on their record... this is of course assuming they don't lose more than one game between now and then and with each team playing each other... that is doubtful as well.

I don't think the MIAA has ever gotten three teams in -- so one would have to be a fool to "think this would happen" -- but they're positioned to make that something of a possibility.

The OAC likely isn't going to bring a top contender into the top of the rankings, and the PrAC leader will likely only hang around 5th or 6th. We obviously have a long way to go, but after pulling out Pool A's at the end of the year, we could have something like:

1. MIAA
2. NCAC
3. MIAA

or

1. NCAC
2. MIAA
3. MIAA

In the GL rankings. Not a guarantee that they all get in, of course, but it takes zero imagination to look at the region and see this. Half the battle of Pool C selection is getting on the table, and the MIAA could very well be there.

[KnightSlappy]

Adrian beat Trine on a layup with 1.2 seconds left.  Amazing that they are still rated 25th nationally.  Calvin was also mentioned as receiving 6 votes.  I don't expect to see Adrian stay in the top 25 as league play progresses.  Hope came from behind after trailing by quite a bit in the first half.  Is this their pattern?

Maybe not but it would be in the best interest of most of the fans on this board if Adrian can at least stay strong enough to get ranked in the first set of regional rankings. Adrian still has the strongest resume for at-large consideration and Calvin, et al could use the benefit of adding Adrian as a "win against regionally ranked opponent".

The MIAA is still positioned well enough to get three teams into the tournament. Hope isn't out of the Pool C discussion.

I presume that the most likely 3-MIAA scenario would be a non-Calvin team getting the AQ?

At this point, I think Hope or Calvin need the AQ more than Adrian, but we'll see who piles up the most losses. Calvin's weighted in-region SOS is horrible right now. They'll want to stay well north of the .800 WP mark to get the committee members to more or less ignore it.

[ziggy]

Adrian beat Trine on a layup with 1.2 seconds left.  Amazing that they are still rated 25th nationally.  Calvin was also mentioned as receiving 6 votes.  I don't expect to see Adrian stay in the top 25 as league play progresses.  Hope came from behind after trailing by quite a bit in the first half.  Is this their pattern?

Maybe not but it would be in the best interest of most of the fans on this board if Adrian can at least stay strong enough to get ranked in the first set of regional rankings. Adrian still has the strongest resume for at-large consideration and Calvin, et al could use the benefit of adding Adrian as a "win against regionally ranked opponent".

The MIAA is still positioned well enough to get three teams into the tournament. Hope isn't out of the Pool C discussion.

I presume that the most likely 3-MIAA scenario would be a non-Calvin team getting the AQ?

At this point, I think Hope or Calvin need the AQ more than Adrian, but we'll see who piles up the most losses. Calvin's weighted in-region SOS is horrible right now. They'll want to stay well north of the .800 WP mark to get the committee members to more or less ignore it.

For those scoring at home, that would take at least 11-3 in the MIAA regular season and 1-1 in the MIAA tourney.

Using that as a baseline, it goes to show how important the first half of the MIAA season is for the Knights. They have their home games with Adrian and Hope and their road games at Albion, Alma, Olivet and Trine in the first half. Basically, all their tough-winnable games and their less tough-losable games. Get the tough wins and avoid the road letdown and they should be in good shape for a stretch run.

[KnightSlappy]

Just ran through some preliminary numbers -- so complete accuracy is suspect -- but if Adrian were to win all non-Calvin/Hope games (and lose every Calvin/Hope game) then lose again to Hope in the MIAA semifinals, they'd end up with something like a .762 WP and a .511 SOS (and a win over likely-in-the-tournament Wooster).

If Hope were to go 1-2 versus Adrian down the stretch, beat Adrian in the MIAA semifinals, then lose to Calvin in the finals, they’d have something like a .714 WP and a .590 SOS. (IWU got in with a .708 WP and .540 SOS last year).

(Not saying that a Trine or Alma or Albion won't win a game against one of these, but the best chance that three make it is if this doesn't happen.)

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

This may be early to say... but you are probably dreaming if you think the MIAA is getting three teams. What you are not considering, I suspect, is the conference tournament. That is going to be another loss for all but one team. Should Calvin win the tourney, I could see maybe another team getting in since both Hope and Albion would have another loss in their record. Should Hope or Albion win the tourney, there is a chance at a third, but still Hope or Albion would have another loss on their record... this is of course assuming they don't lose more than one game between now and then and with each team playing each other... that is doubtful as well.

If you're going to admonish people for not 'understanding' their own league and how it relates to their own region at least get the teams right.

I'm sorry... I am not sure how in the world I got Albion on my mind... instead of Adrian... guh.

As for "admonish"... that wasn't what I was doing... I was just adding my input. I think it is a dream