MBB: Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association

[almcguirejr]

http://www.pantagraph.com/sports/college/basketball/men/titans-stay-strong-advance-to-sectional-final/article_6a189f4e-2dbe-57fc-b23f-56dda5abf22b.html

[KnightSlappy]

Interesting how the whole 2014 season looks a lot like 2006 with the Hope/Calvin roles reversed.  Right down to losing a frustrating Sweet 16 game because you didn't shoot it well on the hosts floor.

http://miaa.org/sports/mbkb/all-time/mbkb05
http://miaa.org/mbb/stats/0506/hop-m.htm

Calvin won a tournament game that year though. 

[USee]

Interesting how the whole 2014 season looks a lot like 2006 with the Hope/Calvin roles reversed.  Right down to losing a frustrating Sweet 16 game because you didn't shoot it well on the hosts floor.

http://miaa.org/sports/mbkb/all-time/mbkb05
http://miaa.org/mbb/stats/0506/hop-m.htm

Or because the other team was better?

[sac]

Interesting how the whole 2014 season looks a lot like 2006 with the Hope/Calvin roles reversed.  Right down to losing a frustrating Sweet 16 game because you didn't shoot it well on the hosts floor.

http://miaa.org/sports/mbkb/all-time/mbkb05
http://miaa.org/mbb/stats/0506/hop-m.htm

Or because the other team was better?

That was more of a reference to the Hope/Wittenberg game in 2006  http://miaa.org/mbb/stats/0506/0310howi.htm , a very winnable game that only would have taken a few made shots.  I realize Calvin/IWU wasn't as close.

I wouldn't expect someone who didn't follow the MIAA in 2006 to understand the full similarities between Calvin's very young 2006 team, Hope's very young 2014 team, how each won the Championship when they weren't supposed to.  How more veteran and maybe better teams like Calvin 2014, Hope 2006 won the conference tournament just to make the dance and had deep runs in the tournament only to run into the host school in the Sweet 16 and lose in similar fashion. (the only difference being Hope rallying to close within 2 of Witt late).

[ziggy]

Interesting how the whole 2014 season looks a lot like 2006 with the Hope/Calvin roles reversed.  Right down to losing a frustrating Sweet 16 game because you didn't shoot it well on the hosts floor.

http://miaa.org/sports/mbkb/all-time/mbkb05
http://miaa.org/mbb/stats/0506/hop-m.htm

The Voisin game...

[oldknight]

In a prior post I mentioned that for Calvin to win they would need to make some long ones. 5-23 from the arc isn't going to do it when you play a team as good as IWU. The three point shooting was the only measureable statistical difference between the two teams. The poor shooting wasn't entirely random variation though. I thought IWU's defense was very good. The Titans shot better from the arc than Calvin in part because IWU was able to contest perimeter shooters better than Calvin and in part because IWU has more three point threats to put on the floor. In fact, almost every player Ron Rose used must be guarded at the perimeter. I thought the starting fives for each team was pretty much a draw but when each coach went to the bench the Titans had the advantage. I think Calvin's bench is good but IWU's is really outstanding. Jordan Nelson in particular is terrific and though he didn't start he got starter minutes going 31. IWU's bench also looks to be physically more mature than Calvin's. The Titans really took control of the game the last three minutes of the first half when both teams had several key players out and Titans' reserves fueled a 14-5 run to close out the half with some outstanding defense. Dortch in particular was excellent here.

I thought in December and think today that IWU has the makings of a championship team, not just because of talent, but because of the veteran composure they show when things don't go their way. There was a time in the first half when Calvin's interior defenders were getting the better of IWU, clearly bothering shots taken in the paint, possibly in ways that the Titans hadn't seen happen to them all year. When things don't go your way lesser teams get frustrated and react in ways that are counterproductive. IWU isn't a lesser team. They adjusted with more dribble penetration, better ball movement, and played better defense. That's how champions react. IWU may or may not win it all but they certainly are good enough to do so. Since they beat Calvin they might as well.  Other game notes:

--Jordan Brink clearly was not 100% and the injury to his shooting elbow suffered in last week's win at WashU inhibited his ability to get the ball to the rim. His normal free flowing shooting style looked more like a shot put, with the ball often coming out flat and short. He even fired up an air ball and you never see him do that. It also seemed it may have stiffened up as the game progressed. Brink was 4-7 in the first half and 1-5 in the second and looked less confident after the break.

--Good to see the Prez at the game. He's a busy man and it would be easy for him to skip this but I appreciated his appearance. It was also a nice touch for him to go into the Calvin student section where he had photos taken and, presumably, thanked them for coming. Dr. Leroy has the common touch and that's not all that common in academia.

--Speaking of Calvin students, while not large in number (probably 30-40) they were energized, engaged and added to an excellent atmosphere at the Shirk Center. Now if we could get just 10 times that number to attend home games at VNA, what a difference that would make.

--There was a well done post game meet-and-greet with a disappointed team and coach. These affairs can easily be downers for all but I thought it came off nicely and gave closure for a season that was ultimately successful. Austin Parks earned my respect. If the only thing you saw Friday night was the sophomore's brief from-the-heart speech thanking Calvin fans, you wouldn't have known he had a tough shooting night (1-7 from the arc). If you've never played you don't know how incredibly difficult it is for a player to turn off the competitive juices that quickly and do that. And he readily agreed to do it on behalf of the team when asked. That kind of character is very impressive. He did far better than I would have in his situation but then, that's a low bar to clear. I think the young man will do well when he gets done lacing up the sneakers.

--I still can't believe this is the first time Calvin and IWU have played one another in men's hoops. May it not be the last.

[pointlem]

Thank you, Old Knight, for these reflections, and your many others during the season.  You and Sac and many others have made it a pleasure to come to this board.  I hope you all will continue ... including, perhaps, more of the repartee with HopeConvert? 

Good for your new Prez to come to the game.  Hope's new Prez also has faithfully attended games, even sitting--actually, standing--with the students in their bleacher section.  He seems to love athletics and to love attending all sorts of campus events.

[wiz]

Enjoyed the trip to Bloomington on Friday even though the result was not what I wanted.  But, in all honesty, it is what I expected.  IWU is a strong, well balanced team and quite likely will win it all this coming weekend in Salem.

Just want to say "thank you" to the Calvin team and coaching staff for another remarkably successful year.  A pattern we have seen so many times before where the team starts out slowly while working out the chemistry, syncing up the difficult defensive scheme and, in the end, prepared for the tournament run.  Another 20+ win season, a Sweet 16 finish, and leaving us with much to look forward to again next year as they regroup and show development through another season, in spite of some large holes to fill again.

A special thanks to the seniors.  Many good memories from Jordan Mast as he often brought a needed lift through his sharp shooting and his hustle to always come up with the loose ball.  Mickey DeVries was a workhorse under the basket with his rebounding, shot blocking, aggressive defense, and uncanny ability to draw the charge from opposing players.  MVP Tyler Kruis was, in my opinion, the best center since Steve Honderd.  All will be missed.

Already waiting for next season to start.

Go Calvin!

[sac]

D3 hoops all Great Lakes Region first team.

Xavier Brown, Wooster
Doug Thorpe, Wooster
Malcolm Heard, Wilmington
Dillon Stith, St. Vincent
Tyler Kruis, Calvin

[oldknight]

It's probably a good time to recap Calvin's season and transition to looking forward. First the old.

When Calvin suffered that mind-boggling loss at DeVos in February--a defeat not remotely as close as the 18 point final margin might otherwise indicate--it seemed we were seeing a season implode before our eyes and a team seriously underperforming. What a difference a four game stretch makes. Virtually all teams have some ups and downs as they try to navigate the changes from the prior year. With some quality talent and experience to replace, I expected it would take some time for the Knights to complete the transition. It took longer than I hoped but it became evident things had finally come together when Calvin thoroughly dominated the regular season conference champs on their own court. Getting consistent play at the point eventually showed up, roles became defined and accepted, and passionate play--especially on defense--turned it around for the Knights. They became the Top 20 team I expected their talent would lead them to become and the team must be commended for that.

Calvin loses three seniors. Tyler Kruis wasn't the best post player ever at Calvin but he probably should be listed in the top 5 and that's pretty good company. How well Calvin handles his loss is the biggest question mark for next season. Mickey DeVries played with the kind of emotion and passion that stoic-face Dutch people need more of. His gritty style of defense and rebounding was a joy to see. Jordan Mast unexpectedly played some major minutes as a sophomore, even starting a few games, due to significant player losses early in that season. He never started a game again and as Calvin replaced those losses during his junior and senior years his minutes dropped significantly. He stayed positive, never complained, and should be commended for his contributions.

Now the transition to next season. If everyone on the current roster returns that's 11 players with presumably 3 spots to fill. The two JV players I see as most likely to wind up on next season's varsity are Nick Kronemeyer and Derek Westman. Kronemeyer is an athletic, tough, solid ball handling point guard. He's not a great outside shooter but I detect obvious leadership skills and he is the type of player who really can help Calvin. Westman is a rugged and heady 6'3", a sort of poor man's Tom Snikkers, and sets terrific picks that endears him to any player seeking to get freed up on the perimeter. He also has some scoring ability. We sometimes undersell the likelihood that a player who only played JV ball as a freshmen can offer varsity help but I think these guys have potential.

Calvin seems to have identified most of the key players who will man the 1, 2, and 3 spots next year. One major question that remains unanswered is whether Jordan Daley will wind up playing at the 3 spot. I think his experience in handling the point this season will benefit him and Calvin because it proved his versatility. Daley knows how to score in the paint, can post up most defenders and can help share the ball handling load. He's also an excellent defender. I think more three guard sets could be in Calvin's future, especially since the sharpshooting Brad Visser is going to be hard to ignore. BJ Van Loo struggled much of this season, particularly on defense, but he may have turned the corner the last several games. Early in the year he looked uncertain about his responsibilities and if KVS loses confidence in your defense you won't play much. But during the NCAA tournament, especially against WashU, he contributed valuable minutes and cut off some passing lanes he had left open early in the year. If BJ continues that kind of defense next year he will play an important role because he is a pretty creative scorer.

I know very little about new players at Calvin next year but I do know of one who I would love to see on campus this fall. It's rare for a first year player to make much of a splash at Calvin but 2014-15 might be an exception. It is hoped that Timothy Christian's Connor VanderBrug will become a Knight and if he does I believe he will be a contributing varsity player immediately. Since he's 6'6", and Calvin has two front line spots to fill, it's a good year for a freshmen of his size and promise to make his way to Knollcrest.

[sac]

D3 hoops all Great Lakes Region first team.

Xavier Brown, Wooster
Doug Thorpe, Wooster
Malcolm Heard, Wilmington
Dillon Stith, St. Vincent
Tyler Kruis, Calvin

Here's the rest of the Great Lakes Region team
http://d3hoops.com/awards/all-region/2013-14/great-lakes-men

[calvinite]

Is the Kronemeyer on the JV team related to the Kronemeyer (Don?) that played for Hope?

[ziggy]

I know very little about new players at Calvin next year but I do know of one who I would love to see on campus this fall. It's rare for a first year player to make much of a splash at Calvin but 2014-15 might be an exception. It is hoped that Timothy Christian's Connor VanderBrug will become a Knight and if he does I believe he will be a contributing varsity player immediately. Since he's 6'6", and Calvin has two front line spots to fill, it's a good year for a freshmen of his size and promise to make his way to Knollcrest.

Sounds like at this point it is more than hoped. From earlier this month: http://basketball.dailyherald.com/article/20140307/sports/140308579/

In his final game for Timothy Christian, the 6-foot-6 VanderBrug scored a game-high 27 points with a game-high 11 rebounds. He hit for 19 points in the first half.

In his last four games going into Friday, VanderBrug, who will continue playing at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Mich., next season, had scored 37, 37, 31 and 38 points respectively.

[Happy Calvin Guy]

2013-14 MIAA dunk leaders:

Nate Van Arendonk, Hope 26
Brock Benson, Hope 11
Tyler Dykstra, Calvin 10
Tyler Kruis, Calvin 8
Todd Watkins, Trine 4
Tyler Good, Trine 3
Adam Rayner, Olivet 3
Caleb Byers, Hope 2
Mickey DeVries, Calvin 2
Adam Peters, Kalamazoo 2
Daniel Stout, Calvin 2
Cody Stuive, Hope 2
Harrison Blackledge, Hope 1
Keith Brushwyler, Hope 1
Jordan Daley, Calvin 1
Alex Eidson, Hope 1
Quante Hill, Albion 1
Isiah Law, Alma 1
Lawrence Ridgell, Albion 1
Mitchell Small, Adrian 1

------------------------------
Hope 44
Calvin 23
Trine 7
Olivet 3
Albion 2
Kalamazoo 2
Adrian 1
Alma 1

[arena]

2013-14 MIAA dunk leaders:

Nate Van Arendonk, Hope 26
Brock Benson, Hope 11
Tyler Dykstra, Calvin 10
Tyler Kruis, Calvin 8
Todd Watkins, Trine 4
Tyler Good, Trine 3
Adam Rayner, Olivet 3
Caleb Byers, Hope 2
Mickey DeVries, Calvin 2
Adam Peters, Kalamazoo 2
Daniel Stout, Calvin 2
Cody Stuive, Hope 2
Harrison Blackledge, Hope 1
Keith Brushwyler, Hope 1
Jordan Daley, Calvin 1
Alex Eidson, Hope 1
Quante Hill, Albion 1
Isiah Law, Alma 1
Lawrence Ridgell, Albion 1
Mitchell Small, Adrian 1

------------------------------
Hope 44
Calvin 23
Trine 7
Olivet 3
Albion 2
Kalamazoo 2
Adrian 1
Alma 1

Interesting?