MBB: Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association

[sac]

The Moneyball Sportswear Pro-Am league kicks off next week in Lansing.  MIAA participants this year include Alma's Doug Bradfield, Trine's Jared Holmquist and Albion's DeShae Doll and Akil Mitchell (assume he was on JV last year, Class of '18)

http://moneyballsportswear.com/moneyball-pro-am/
Free to the public, Tues and Thursday starting next Tuesday.  3 games per night starting at 6:30.

Rosters:  http://moneyballsportswear.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Moneyball-ProAm-2015-bw.pdf

Mostly Michigan State and Oakland U players, along with many local D1/D2 guys.



Add DeShae Doll 5-10 PG to your list of Albion College recruits.  DeShae was the PG for Lansing Everett, has quick hands.  Everett had Oregon commit Trevor Maneul but it was Doll and his backcourt mates that made Everett go.  Fun player to have in the league I think.

[Gregory Sager]

As for Hope's difficulty in finding opponents for the school's tournament, that's not a problem unique to your alma mater...

It's just plain hard for any school in D3 that holds a tournament to fill out the field every year.

This is why I love the CCIW/MIAA challenge every year! I love knowing the Carthage and Wheaton will always appear on Hope's schedule.

If you truly love that, then what I am about to tell you is going to break your heart. Carthage is dropping out of the series following this coming season. Word from Naperville has it that North Central will be taking the place of the Red Men.

Wouldn't mind adding 2 more from each conference. Hope, calvin, Trine, and Albion v. Carthage, Wheaton, Augustana, and North Park? One weekend in Michigan/Indiana, one weekend in Illinois/Wisconsin...

As much as I'd love to see NPU play your Dutchmen and their maroon-clad archrivals, the Vikings currently have a surfeit of MIAA opponents on the docket. In addition to the annual contest against Trine (which will enter its sixth year this coming season), in 2015-16 NPU will also be at Alma and Adrian and will host Albion. The Adrian and Albion games are the front end of two-game contracts, so North Park will play them again, presumably in 2016-17, in the opposite venue.

(Our starting point guard, who is a rising sophomore, is from southeast Michigan, which gives NPU head coach Tom Slyder an additional incentive to schedule opponents close to our PG's hometown.)

[ziggy]

NAME	HEIGHT	HIGH SCHOOL	COLLEGE	NOTE
Dylan Bennett	6'1	Brighton	Albion
Adam Abraham	6'7	Grand Haven	Alma
Trevor Gernaat	6'4	N Mich Christian	Alma
Scott Maki	6'3	Holly	Alma
Eddie Gillon	6'2	Kazoo Loy-Norrix	Alma
Quinn Tyson	6'2	Big Rapids	Alma
Josh Simms	6'0	Holly	Alma
Andrew Holesinger	6'4	North Pointe Christian	Calvin
Gregory Fleming	6'1	GRCC	Calvin
Carlos Amoros	5'8	Wyoming	Calvin
Preston Huckaby	5'11	North Pointe Christian	Calvin
Ben Wolford	5'10	Newaygo	Calvin
Robert McGivney	6'6	Timothy Christian	Hope
Teddy Ray	6'5	Homestead	Hope
Tom Morrison	6'4	Northridge	Hope
Jeff Goral	6'4	Stagg	Hope
Pete Smith	5'9	Northridge	Hope
Demarco Dickerson	6'2	Detroit Loyola	Kalamazoo
Alex Dykema	6'1	Forest Hills Central	Kalamazoo
Travis Veenhuis	6'1	Goodrich	Kalamazoo
Mike Ruwoldt	5'11	Joliet West	Kalamazoo
Justin Green	5'10	Det W Christian	Olivet
Austin Woolet	6'5	Goshen	Trine
Darek Ditto	6'4	Mattawan	Trine

Greg Fleming is transferring to Lourdes from GRCC

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

As for Hope's difficulty in finding opponents for the school's tournament, that's not a problem unique to your alma mater...

It's just plain hard for any school in D3 that holds a tournament to fill out the field every year.

This is why I love the CCIW/MIAA challenge every year! I love knowing the Carthage and Wheaton will always appear on Hope's schedule.

If you truly love that, then what I am about to tell you is going to break your heart. Carthage is dropping out of the series following this coming season. Word from Naperville has it that North Central will be taking the place of the Red Men.

There is a good bit of truth in Greg's comment about Carthage...

RE: Hope and their schedule... I know Coach Mitchell is trying to improve the schedule... and I think some of those non-conference opponents will have better seasons (Hanover, Carthage, Wheaton)... but it is risky as others point out. I know Calvin is changing it's approach a bit thanks to a change in the ability to travel... Hope will probably turn the corner soon enough as well...

[ziggy]

As for Hope's difficulty in finding opponents for the school's tournament, that's not a problem unique to your alma mater...

It's just plain hard for any school in D3 that holds a tournament to fill out the field every year.

This is why I love the CCIW/MIAA challenge every year! I love knowing the Carthage and Wheaton will always appear on Hope's schedule.

If you truly love that, then what I am about to tell you is going to break your heart. Carthage is dropping out of the series following this coming season. Word from Naperville has it that North Central will be taking the place of the Red Men.

With all due respect to Carthage, I'm not sure swapping them for North Central would have any impact on HOPEful's comment. I don't mean to speak for anyone else, but I think what there is to like about the CCIW/MIAA challenge will remain for as long as the challenge remains, regardless of who the CCIW participants are.

There will certainly be an adjustment after seeing Carthage in the event for so many years, but from a scheduling standpoint I don't see any difference other than saving an hour of drivetime every four years.

[sac]

As for Hope's difficulty in finding opponents for the school's tournament, that's not a problem unique to your alma mater...

It's just plain hard for any school in D3 that holds a tournament to fill out the field every year.

This is why I love the CCIW/MIAA challenge every year! I love knowing the Carthage and Wheaton will always appear on Hope's schedule.

If you truly love that, then what I am about to tell you is going to break your heart. Carthage is dropping out of the series following this coming season. Word from Naperville has it that North Central will be taking the place of the Red Men.

There is a good bit of truth in Greg's comment about Carthage...

RE: Hope and their schedule... I know Coach Mitchell is trying to improve the schedule... and I think some of those non-conference opponents will have better seasons (Hanover, Carthage, Wheaton)... but it is risky as others point out. I know Calvin is changing it's approach a bit thanks to a change in the ability to travel... Hope will probably turn the corner soon enough as well...

"turn the corner"

Hope played  Stevens Point, Whitewater, Ohio Wesleyan, Mt. Union and Wooster last year, to go with Wheaton, Carthage and Spalding.    Its simply not feasible or realistic to have a schedule like that every year.


What corner are they needing to turn?

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

I was referring to the non-Division III games.

You also forgot to mention they will play at Eau Claire and Stevens Point this season

[HOPEful]

"turn the corner"

Hope played  Stevens Point, Whitewater, Ohio Wesleyan, Mt. Union and Wooster last year, to go with Wheaton, Carthage and Spalding.    Its simply not feasible or realistic to have a schedule like that every year.

What corner are they needing to turn?

Haha. Agreed! Hope's schedule, according to Massey, was the 10th most difficult in D3 last season. They played 2 national champions, for crying out loud.

Hanover, Carthage, Wheaton, Messiah, Beloit, and 3 UWs is respectable enough. If they have close to the season they are capable of having this year, their SOS shouldn't be an issue.  Plus, Trine twice won't be easy.

[Flying Dutch Fan]

"turn the corner"

Hope played  Stevens Point, Whitewater, Ohio Wesleyan, Mt. Union and Wooster last year, to go with Wheaton, Carthage and Spalding.    Its simply not feasible or realistic to have a schedule like that every year.

What corner are they needing to turn?

Haha. Agreed! Hope's schedule, according to Massey, was the 10th most difficult in D3 last season. They played 2 national champions, for crying out loud.

Hanover, Carthage, Wheaton, Messiah, Beloit, and 3 UWs is respectable enough. If they have close to the season they are capable of having this year, their SOS shouldn't be an issue.  Plus, Trine twice won't be easy.

Neither will Alma

[sac]

I was referring to the non-Division III games.

You also forgot to mention they will play at Eau Claire and Stevens Point this season

at LaCrosse Dave. 



With respect to non-D3 games, you should probably look at their last 3 years of schedules.   http://athletics.hope.edu/sports/mbkb/history/chronology

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

Yep... sorry... had Eau Claire on my mind for another reason and combined the two thoughts. La Crosse it is.

[AndOne]

I didn't say that they were wasted games in terms of their usefulness to the Hope team. I would never say that, since I'm quite aware of Cornerstone's prowess over the last couple of decades. I know full well that a strong scholie-level opponent can help a team tune up for league play. I said that those three games were wasted throwaways in the eyes of the D3 national committee, which is a different thing altogether.

As for Hope's difficulty in finding opponents for the school's tournament, that's not a problem unique to your alma mater. I've expounded on the same problem on the CCIW board. North Central struggles every year to find opponents for its tipoff tournament, and usually settles for a Bible school or a random NAIA-D2 outfit to fill out the field. At the moment, Wheaton still hasn't filled out the field for its annual Lee Pfund Tourney this coming season. Two years ago, North Park got stuck in a situation in which it agreed to participate in the Bluffton tourney, only to find that Bluffton couldn't get any other D3 schools to participate, forcing the Beavers and Vikings to share the tourney with a couple of nondescript non-D3 opponents (OSU-Lima and now-defunct MidContinent University). I've heard similar complaints from folks at other schools that try to field tournaments.

It's just plain hard for any school in D3 that holds a tournament to fill out the field every year. Perhaps they should all follow Pat's lead and start hosting them in Vegas.

This is exactly correct.
If you are a fan of a "bubble" team in any given year, you better hope your team has played all or almost all D3 teams because the D3 national committee is going to non D3 opponents as non entities. You can beat a good or great NAIA team and you'll get precisely zero credit as far as consideration for inclusion in the national tournament is concerned.
And, as GS indicated above, it's very difficult to attract a full field of D3 schools to a tournament, especially following a very successful season. CCIW teams North Central and Wheaton both still have openings in their early season tournaments. If they have to settle for NAIA opponents, they will get no credit for post season consideration should they play, and beat, such teams.

[AndOne]

As for Hope's difficulty in finding opponents for the school's tournament, that's not a problem unique to your alma mater...

It's just plain hard for any school in D3 that holds a tournament to fill out the field every year.

This is why I love the CCIW/MIAA challenge every year! I love knowing the Carthage and Wheaton will always appear on Hope's schedule.

If you truly love that, then what I am about to tell you is going to break your heart. Carthage is dropping out of the series following this coming season. Word from Naperville has it that North Central will be taking the place of the Red Men.

With all due respect to Carthage, I'm not sure swapping them for North Central would have any impact on HOPEful's comment. I don't mean to speak for anyone else, but I think what there is to like about the CCIW/MIAA challenge will remain for as long as the challenge remains, regardless of who the CCIW participants are.

There will certainly be an adjustment after seeing Carthage in the event for so many years, but from a scheduling standpoint I don't see any difference other than saving an hour of drivetime every four years.

While it wasn't the CCIW/MIAA Challenge, I think interest was at least a bit higher when #6 North Central and #7 Hope played the 2nd game of the 2012-2013 season. So, depending on where competing teams may be ranked, I think the possibility of "what there is to like" can certainly fluctuate from year to year.

Also, depending on how good North Central, or whatever other team that may replace Carthage, may be, the difference may be a loss rather than a victory. Accordingly, MIAA fans may wish they still had to drive that extra hour. 

[pointlem]

This is exactly correct.
If you are a fan of a "bubble" team in any given year, you better hope your team has played all or almost all D3 teams because the D3 national committee is going to non D3 opponents as non entities. You can beat a good or great NAIA team and you'll get precisely zero credit as far as consideration for inclusion in the national tournament is concerned.
And, as GS indicated above, it's very difficult to attract a full field of D3 schools to a tournament, especially following a very successful season. CCIW teams North Central and Wheaton both still have openings in their early season tournaments. If they have to settle for NAIA opponents, they will get no credit for post season consideration should they play, and beat, such teams.

Help me out here . . . does the number of DIII opponents matter? Or is it one's win/loss record against DIII opponents (and the strength of their record)?  If Team X added one more DIII opponent, would that improve their Pool C chances--or would it improve their chances if they won, but hurt their chances if they lost?

[Titan Q]

Help me out here . . . does the number of DIII opponents matter? Or is it one's win/loss record against DIII opponents (and the strength of their record)?  If Team X added one more opponent, would that improve their Pool C chances--or would it improve their chances if they won, but hurt their chances if they lost?

In terms of the selection criteria, it's "Win-Loss percentage against Division III opponents."  Page 18 - http://www.ncaa.org/sites/default/files/PreChamps_DIII_MBasketball_2015_Revised3.pdf.

To make the tournament as a Pool C, you basically want to:
   * Meet the 70% requirement (also noted on page 18).
   * Finish with the best D3 win/loss % possible - this is clearly the most important criterion.
   * Finish with an SOS that at least doesn't hurt you - maybe .510+.
   * Hope you end up having played at least a few games against other RRO, with at least 1 win.

2014-15 Pool C Selections (just my guess at order)
1. (GL) Marietta (.893/.519/4-3)
2. (MA) Johns Hopkins (.852/.539/3-3)
3. (C) UW-Stevens Point (.808/.575/2-4)
4. (C)  Washington U. (.800/.565/4-2)
5. (GL) Ohio Wesleyan (.815/.537/3-1)
6. (S) Virginia Wesleyan (.815/.554/0-4)
7. (NE) Trinity-Conn. (.792/.535/5-1)
8. (NE) Amherst (.741/.579/6-3)
9. (NE) Bates (.760/.609/4-5)
10. (AT) William Patterson (.741/.565/4-3)
11. (GL) Wooster (.786/.551/3-2)
12. (C) Illinois Wesleyan (.704/.591/5-5)
13. (C) Elmhurst (.731/.551/4-4)
14. (GL) John Carroll (.769/.527/3-3)
15. (W) St. Olaf (.808/.527/1-5)
16. (MA) Catholic (.846/.506/1-3)[/b]
17. (NE) Eastern Conn. (.815/.550/0-2)
18. (NE) WPI (.808/.515/2-3)
19. (NE) Springfield (.704/.584/3-5)

Best Guess at Teams Left on the Table
AT - Brooklyn (.786/.507/2-3)
C - North Central (.667/.587/3-6)
E - Plattsburgh State (.704/.534/1-0)
GL - Hope (.680/.558/2-6)
MA - Franklin & Marshall (.769/.517/3-3)
S - Centre (.800/.513/1-2)
W - Bethel (.679/.564/4-3)