MBB: Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association

[wiz]

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?

How about hook shots, behind the back passes, and dribbling through the legs?  We need more good stats!

[oldknight]

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

In 1965 Don Kronemeyer shot and made two (totally unjustifiably awarded) free throws after time expired to give Hope a 104-102 win in double OT. Not that I'm bitter about it some 49 years later. I don't know if Don and Nick are related.

[HOPEful]

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...

What Voisin? He played in that game? (Guess I'm still bitter 8 years later)

[oldknight]

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.

I'm certainly expecting Connor to attend Calvin but I also know strange things can happen between a kid's final high school semester and the start of college in September. A few years ago one prepster had already been arranged his college roommate at Calvin before winding up enrolling at Hope. In Connor's case that won't happen since he has a strong Calvin pedigree. He has siblings who have or are currently attending Calvin and Connor's father Kyle scored over 1100 points for the Knights when he donned the maroon and gold in the mid 1980's. If Connor plays four years for Calvin I wouldn't be surprised if he exceeds his father's totals. I watched Connor's final high school game against traditional Chicago area basketball power, St. Joseph's, the same school that has turned out players like Isiah Thomas and, more recently, Evan Turner. This year's team has three players being recruited by D1 schools but Connor single-handedly kept his team in the game. St. Joseph had to rally to take a 41-40 lead after three quarters, and then froze the ball for long stretches of the final period to win 51-42. Connor finished with 27 points and 11 boards. How much he plays at the start of his college career depends a lot on how quickly he adjusts to the demands of playing college level defense, but his offensive skills are very advanced and he has a man's body already.

[sac]

Jan 10, 2015   Calvin at Hope
Feb   4, 2015   Hope at Calvin

MIAA schedule is same rotation as this past year, locations reversed.

[HOPEful]

Jan 10, 2015   Calvin at Hope
Feb   4, 2015   Hope at Calvin

MIAA schedule is same rotation as this past year, locations reversed.

Same results too!

[arena]

Jan 10, 2015   Calvin at Hope
Feb   4, 2015   Hope at Calvin

MIAA schedule is same rotation as this past year, locations reversed.

Same results too!

Hope so, as it would mean a Calvin conference  tournament win for the automatic bid and Hope not getting into the National Tournament.  Sounds good to me.

[Gregory Sager]

Mickey DeVries played with the kind of emotion and passion that stoic-face Dutch people need more of.

Yes, but his surname indicates Frisian ancestry somewhere in his past, so perhaps that explains the emotion-and-passion part.

[sac]

Charlie Carson  G  Rochester Hills Stoney Creek will attend Kalamazoo.

[HOPEful]

Jan 10, 2015   Calvin at Hope
Feb   4, 2015   Hope at Calvin

MIAA schedule is same rotation as this past year, locations reversed.

Same results too!

Hope so, as it would mean a Calvin conference  tournament win for the automatic bid and Hope not getting into the National Tournament.  Sounds good to me.

The conference tournament is not part of the "same rotation" referenced, but good try...

[HOPEful]

Mickey DeVries played with the kind of emotion and passion that stoic-face Dutch people need more of.

Yes, but his surname indicates Frisian ancestry somewhere in his past, so perhaps that explains the emotion-and-passion part.

Unfortunately, Caleb Byers' technical foul when Hope had a two-point lead in the second half against Penn State Behrend was far from stoic.

I do find it strange how a team looks lethargic for the majority of the season, but puts together a string of 3 nice wins and suddenly we're praising their prowess...

In the spirit of thinking ahead to next season, what tandem is the bigger loss? Kruis/DeVries or NVA/Byers?

[ziggy]

Charlie Carson  G  Rochester Hills Stoney Creek will attend Kalamazoo.

And shall henceforth be referred to as Mr. Carson with the proper respect due his position.

[almcguirejr]

I do find it strange how a team looks lethargic for the majority of the season, but puts together a string of 3 nice wins and suddenly we're praising their prowess...

In the spirit of thinking ahead to next season, what tandem is the bigger loss? Kruis/DeVries or NVA/Byers?

The string of 3 wins happened at the best time of the year, against good teams, all on the road.  It was good to see Calvin play at a very high level.  Personally, I find that preferable to playing poorly and losing the last 2 games at home.

I am curious as to why you chose to include Byers in your tandem with NVA.  Grant Neil was a starter and averaged 25 minutes a game.  Byers only averaged 15 minutes a game.

[13xchamp]

Mickey DeVries played with the kind of emotion and passion that stoic-face Dutch people need more of.

Yes, but his surname indicates Frisian ancestry somewhere in his past, so perhaps that explains the emotion-and-passion part.

Unfortunately, Caleb Byers' technical foul when Hope had a two-point lead in the second half against Penn State Behrend was far from stoic.

I do find it strange how a team looks lethargic for the majority of the season, but puts together a string of 3 nice wins and suddenly we're praising their prowess...

In the spirit of thinking ahead to next season, what tandem is the bigger loss? Kruis/DeVries or NVA/Byers?

I guess I will step up to the plate.....

Who will be the bigger loss?? Here are the blindfolded stats, I will let you draw your own conclusion

Tandem 1: 24.8ppg 11.9rpg 1.8bpg 59 starts
Tandem 2: 16.3ppg 10.2rpg 2.4bpg 32 starts

I won't even touch on your comment about Calvin's "prowess" since your objective opinion was most likely formed seeing them play 3 games.

[HOPEful]

I do find it strange how a team looks lethargic for the majority of the season, but puts together a string of 3 nice wins and suddenly we're praising their prowess...

In the spirit of thinking ahead to next season, what tandem is the bigger loss? Kruis/DeVries or NVA/Byers?

The string of 3 wins happened at the best time of the year, against good teams, all on the road.  It was good to see Calvin play at a very high level.  Personally, I find that preferable to playing poorly and losing the last 2 games at home.

I am curious as to why you chose to include Byers in your tandem with NVA.  Grant Neil was a starter and averaged 25 minutes a game.  Byers only averaged 15 minutes a game.

Agreed. The three nice wins were indeed, very nice. And I too would prefer that. My point, was moreso, a reaction to Mickey DeVries' play and the jab... (all in good fun)

It seems as though next season, Hope and Calvin should both have great guards. As for Caleb, the area I am most worried about next season for Hope's is a lack of size and presence in the paint. Brock Benson, if he continues to develop, could become a special player, but he's leaner and doesn't play like he's 6'8" on the defensive end. Caleb gave us size off the bench at times where we needed it most (when NVA and/or Brock were in foul trouble).  I was very happy with how Grant developed this past season, especially on the defensive end, but between Stuive, Otto, Blackledge, and Bushwyler, I'm not as worried about our forwards filling in that hole.

I certainly won't miss Grant's 28% three point percentage. Towards the end of the season, my wife would literally start yelling "No Grant!" whenever he looked like he was about to pull up from behind the arc. Is it just me or did Grant's developement mirrior Logans?