MBB: Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association

[arena]

When did Alma become An old Adrian team?  I don't recall them playing so close to the highly physical defense that Adrian used to play. I can't believe both teams don't wake up sore this morning.  An earlier poster mentioned in the trine/hope game that the refs allowed a more physical game, if it was anything like last night's Calvin game, it must have been interesting.

Also, the charge/blocking foul is called when?  From last night's game, I dot believe anyone knows how to call it. I really thought both teams got gift blocking calls.

[almcguirejr]

Holland Sentinel article: http://m.hollandsentinel.com/article/20150226/SPORTS/150229150/2000/NEWS

[KnightSlappy]

Also, the charge/blocking foul is called when?  From last night's game, I dot believe anyone knows how to call it. I really thought both teams got gift blocking calls.

According to the rule book, in order for a charge to be called, the defender needs to be set/planted when the offensive player begins his upward motion with his hands/arms (i.e. his gather). So possibly a full step before the offensive player leaves the floor. This rule was redefined by the NCAA in the last two or three years.

[KnightSlappy]

Great game tonight in Calvin! Neither team shot great, but the difference was the rebounding advantage that Calvin had. The extra possessions helped them overcome their 31% shooting, plus they shot 41 free throws. Scots seemed to get good looks, but couldn't quite execute and the freshman tried to take over down the stretch, but it wasn't enough to comeback. Calvin did a great job of cutting against Alma's 2-3 zone to get good looks and to the free throw line. Dykstra's dunk would have been awesome if I wasn't rooting for the other team. Only gripe with the officiating would be that Alma only got 1 charge during the game on about 5 50/50 calls in my opinion and these lead to Bradford fouling out. Looking forward to the final in Calvin on Saturday!

Funny because I received a text message from a fellow Calvin fan midway through the second half stating the opposite. Not specifically about charges, but Alma getting more/softer calls in the lane. Different colored glasses, I suppose.

[sac]

True road game wins in the MIAA Tournament have been fairly rare.  Just 18 times out of 128 games has the true road team won in all tournament games.

Hope's win last night was just the third semi-final win on the road and the first since 2004.

1999  Defiance 75 Calvin 72
2004  Adrian 86 Hope 82
2015  Hope 55 Trine 44

First Round:  6-73
Semi-Final   3-25
Championship  8-13

We've had 2 neutral site Championship games


Hope's 44 points allowed last night ties for 2nd fewest in the tournaments history

[GreatScot!?]

Great game tonight in Calvin! Neither team shot great, but the difference was the rebounding advantage that Calvin had. The extra possessions helped them overcome their 31% shooting, plus they shot 41 free throws. Scots seemed to get good looks, but couldn't quite execute and the freshman tried to take over down the stretch, but it wasn't enough to comeback. Calvin did a great job of cutting against Alma's 2-3 zone to get good looks and to the free throw line. Dykstra's dunk would have been awesome if I wasn't rooting for the other team. Only gripe with the officiating would be that Alma only got 1 charge during the game on about 5 50/50 calls in my opinion and these lead to Bradford fouling out. Looking forward to the final in Calvin on Saturday!

Funny because I received a text message from a fellow Calvin fan midway through the second half stating the opposite. Not specifically about charges, but Alma getting more/softer calls in the lane. Different colored glasses, I suppose.

Calvin only had two fouls in the first have, but I thought Alma's aggression in the second half allowed them to get the calls. I think there were two charge calls in the game total, which could have easily been 6. How the block/charge is called seems to vary per game, which needs to be corrected. It was frustrating, but I definitely don't think it influenced the outcome of the game. Calvin did what they needed to, to get the win. With no seniors on Alma's team I am super excited for next year though!

[almcguirejr]

Stout out tonight with an injured knee.  Sat next to Visser on the bench.  Both dressed and did warmups with the team.  Welch did a fine job.

Will Stout be available Saturday night?  His 17-20 minutes against Benson would be valuable.

[oldknight]

Great game tonight in Calvin! Neither team shot great, but the difference was the rebounding advantage that Calvin had. The extra possessions helped them overcome their 31% shooting, plus they shot 41 free throws. Scots seemed to get good looks, but couldn't quite execute and the freshman tried to take over down the stretch, but it wasn't enough to comeback. Calvin did a great job of cutting against Alma's 2-3 zone to get good looks and to the free throw line. Dykstra's dunk would have been awesome if I wasn't rooting for the other team. Only gripe with the officiating would be that Alma only got 1 charge during the game on about 5 50/50 calls in my opinion and these lead to Bradford fouling out. Looking forward to the final in Calvin on Saturday!

Funny because I received a text message from a fellow Calvin fan midway through the second half stating the opposite. Not specifically about charges, but Alma getting more/softer calls in the lane. Different colored glasses, I suppose.

No matter how the rule is written, the charge/block will forever remain the most difficult and controversial part of officiating, especially in hotly contested, must-win games such as was the case last night. Since I'm on the couch today, this morning I took the time to watch the last part of Calvin's archived broadcast. For what it's worth here's my take on three such calls made the last 6 minutes of last night's game. One was obviously correctly called, one was debateable, and the third was obviously incorrect.

1. At about the five minute mark and Calvin up 57-51, a pass went to Daley who leaped for it directly under the Calvin hoop. Jason Beckman came over, made no attempt to steal the pass, simply sliding under Daley who came down on the Alma player. At the time I thought it was an obvious defensive foul and was surprised to hear one Calvin fan seated behind me say that Daley got away with a charge. If you go to the video it was unquestionably a block on Beckman for two reasons. First, he was entirely within the circle and second he wasn't remotely close to being set.

2. About 90 seconds after the play involving Daley and with Calvin up 59-53, Jordan Brink drove the lane and kind of got sandwiched between Bradfield and DJ Beckman while going up for the shot attempt. Bradfield was assessed with his fifth foul and the Alma fans were incensed, thinking it should have been a charge on the Calvin star. It was a pretty close call but I think assessing an infraction on the defense was entirely defenseable, if for no other reason than because Beckman--who was not in position--seemed to contact Brink on his way to the basket and had much to do with creating the contact between Brink and Bradfield. Hard to say it was a terrible call, merely a tough one no matter how it was assessed.

3. At the 19 second mark, Alma got a call they shouldn't have. The Knights inbounded to Brink after a Jason Beckman basket and Jordan took off down the sideline. Directly in front of Sammy Hargraves Jason Beckman came over, contacted Brink and both went sprawling. The baseline official was in proper position, blew his whistle and called a charge. I had a perfect view of the play down the sideline and thought it was an awful call at the time. It doesn't improve by looking at the video--several times.

[KnightSlappy]

Great game tonight in Calvin! Neither team shot great, but the difference was the rebounding advantage that Calvin had. The extra possessions helped them overcome their 31% shooting, plus they shot 41 free throws. Scots seemed to get good looks, but couldn't quite execute and the freshman tried to take over down the stretch, but it wasn't enough to comeback. Calvin did a great job of cutting against Alma's 2-3 zone to get good looks and to the free throw line. Dykstra's dunk would have been awesome if I wasn't rooting for the other team. Only gripe with the officiating would be that Alma only got 1 charge during the game on about 5 50/50 calls in my opinion and these lead to Bradford fouling out. Looking forward to the final in Calvin on Saturday!

Funny because I received a text message from a fellow Calvin fan midway through the second half stating the opposite. Not specifically about charges, but Alma getting more/softer calls in the lane. Different colored glasses, I suppose.

Calvin only had two fouls in the first have, but I thought Alma's aggression in the second half allowed them to get the calls. I think there were two charge calls in the game total, which could have easily been 6. How the block/charge is called seems to vary per game, which needs to be corrected. It was frustrating, but I definitely don't think it influenced the outcome of the game. Calvin did what they needed to, to get the win. With no seniors on Alma's team I am super excited for next year though!

http://tomaroonandgold.blogspot.com/2015/02/blockcharge-calls.html

I took some screenshots of the call that gave Bradfield his 5th foul. Charges have to be very obvious these days to be called as such.

[sac]

Great game tonight in Calvin! Neither team shot great, but the difference was the rebounding advantage that Calvin had. The extra possessions helped them overcome their 31% shooting, plus they shot 41 free throws. Scots seemed to get good looks, but couldn't quite execute and the freshman tried to take over down the stretch, but it wasn't enough to comeback. Calvin did a great job of cutting against Alma's 2-3 zone to get good looks and to the free throw line. Dykstra's dunk would have been awesome if I wasn't rooting for the other team. Only gripe with the officiating would be that Alma only got 1 charge during the game on about 5 50/50 calls in my opinion and these lead to Bradford fouling out. Looking forward to the final in Calvin on Saturday!

Funny because I received a text message from a fellow Calvin fan midway through the second half stating the opposite. Not specifically about charges, but Alma getting more/softer calls in the lane. Different colored glasses, I suppose.

Calvin only had two fouls in the first have, but I thought Alma's aggression in the second half allowed them to get the calls. I think there were two charge calls in the game total, which could have easily been 6. How the block/charge is called seems to vary per game, which needs to be corrected. It was frustrating, but I definitely don't think it influenced the outcome of the game. Calvin did what they needed to, to get the win. With no seniors on Alma's team I am super excited for next year though!

The next step for  Alma is learning to win on the road in tough environments  (ie at Hope, at Calvin).  They could also learn to play man-to-man defense, zones will only get you so far .

Getting over the hump in this league is pretty difficult, especially when that hump is Hope/Calvin. 

[Happy Calvin Guy]

Stout out tonight with an injured knee.  Sat next to Visser on the bench.  Both dressed and did warmups with the team.  Welch did a fine job.

Will Stout be available Saturday night?  His 17-20 minutes against Benson would be valuable.

Stout hasn't played more than 17 minutes in Calvin's last eight games, but I do think that some minutes from him to defend Benson would be valuable. I wouldn't be at all surprised to see KVS run Cam Denney at Benson for 15+ minutes on Saturday.

Sorry if I missed it, but is Alex Eidson injured, or just get a DNP Coach's decision last night?

[sac]

Injury DNP for Eidson.  Dressed, warmed up, had some tape on his wrist.  All his shots looked flat in warmups to me.

[KnightSlappy]

zones will only get you so far .

[sac]

zones will only get you so far .

His fingers are missing a lot of rings.

[ziggy]

The next step for  Alma is learning to win on the road in tough environments  (ie at Hope, at Calvin).  They could also learn to play man-to-man defense, zones will only get you so far .

Getting over the hump in this league is pretty difficult, especially when that hump is Hope/Calvin.

Great that they've learned to be a thorn in the side of some MIAA foes, now it's time to do that to some non-conference opponents.