MBB: Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association

[ziggy]

What are the keys to tonight's game?
Us fans want to know.

The key is to figure out what is and is not a foul around the rim. After 20 minutes I have no idea.

[NW Hope Fan]

Go Hope!

[pointlem]

Happy Hope fans and their 92.7 radio announcers marvel at the improvement in the Hope men's team over the course of this season. One obvious factor is that the strange combination of excellent free throw shooting and dismal 3-point shooting that impeded their success for much of the season transitioned to excellence in both over the last three or so weeks.

Another is evident from tonight's stat sheet, with three players off the bench getting 18 to 20 minutes--two of whom were not part of the early season mix, and both of whom have been outstanding defensive players and demonstrative spirits. Two-sport footballer TJ McKenzie tonight contributed 7 points and 3 blocks in his 20 minutes. Leaping Eli Schooveld, in his 20 minutes, did not attempt a shot. Yet he snared 8 rebounds and had three mammoth blocks. Schoonveld also has played virtually mistake-free basketball--having played 205 minutes this season with but TWO turnovers (and a 7 to 1 assist to turnover ratio). Together they demonstrate what defense contributes to success.

Other players made great contributions at various times during the season, and most will do so even more in the future. Congrats to them all.

With not many bubbles burst this weekend, hopefully Calvin will make the tournament, too . . . in an opposite bracket we could all wish. KnightSlappy, perhaps you can show how this could happen?

[sac]

Hope 76 Calvin 68 F

As most of these tournament championships have been in the MIAA lately another tough d, gritty, all-out energy game.   But a sort of weird one with Calvin dominating the middle of the first half.  Much like one of the earlier games Hope was in real trouble when for about 6 mins Calvin really shut Hope down defensively and turned a 10-5 Hope lead into a 21-12 Calvin lead.   I'm not sure there was any great catalyst for Hope coming back and maybe sleep has made me forget.  But somehow Hope finished the half with a 32-31 lead.  Personally I thought that was incredible.

I really expected a barn burning 2nd half, and the overall difference ended up being 3-point shooting where Hope found their aim.  Hope dominated the first 10 of the second half a combination of good offense, good defense and some really really tough Calvin misses.  They must have had 4 in and out 3's in that stretch.  Putting together Hope's run from 9 down to ahead 60-40 is a 20 minute stretch with a score of 48-19.  That's a heck of a half of basketball.

Great and expected finish by Calvin who pushed Hope right down to a 2 possession game with just enough time that maybe a miracle could happen.  Once again though its great to have a team that can make free-throws.

Hope:  Dykhouse 20, Thomas 20, Wiegerink 13
Calvin:  Morrison 17, Fruin 14, Shymanski 10


That's Hope's first 3 game season sweep over Calvin since 2012 and only the 4th time they've done that.

[sac]

Happy Hope fans and their 92.7 radio announcers marvel at the improvement in the Hope men's team over the course of this season. One obvious factor is that the strange combination of excellent free throw shooting and dismal 3-point shooting that impeded their success for much of the season transitioned to excellence in both over the last three or so weeks.

Another is evident from tonight's stat sheet, with three players off the bench getting 18 to 20 minutes--two of whom were not part of the early season mix, and both of whom have been outstanding defensive players and demonstrative spirits. Two-sport footballer TJ McKenzie tonight contributed 7 points and 3 blocks in his 20 minutes. Leaping Eli Schooveld, in his 20 minutes, did not attempt a shot. Yet he snared 8 rebounds and had three mammoth blocks. Schoonveld also has played virtually mistake-free basketball--having played 205 minutes this season with but TWO turnovers (and a 7 to 1 assist to turnover ratio). Together they demonstrate what defense contributes to success.

Other players made great contributions at various times during the season, and most will do so even more in the future. Congrats to them all.

With not many bubbles burst this weekend, hopefully Calvin will make the tournament, too . . . in an opposite bracket we could all wish. KnightSlappy, perhaps you can show how this could happen?

You really nailed it with Schoonveld and McKenzie.  Both of those guys turned 3 or 4 possession every game into Hope's favor.   They allowed Hope to defend throughout their lineup and mix and match in ways they couldn't before.  I'd dare say Hope probably finishes 4th without those two guys, they were that important.


As for 3-point shooting:
Hope ended up ok in MIAA play save for one night against Albion in early January.  They managed to avoid those really tough nights in November and December that might have cost them a game or two.  Hope finished 6th at 33.4% in a league that was actually a pretty good 3pt shooting league .  The D3 median is going to fall right around 32.9%, so Hope was above that water line in the league play.

Since that game at Kzoo on Valentine's Day two weeks ago Hope has been on fire from behind the arc.  In those 6 games Hope went 64-150 for 42.2%.  Just for perspective the season long D3 leader has been Hanover at 41.1%.   Really an incredible stretch of 3-point shooting for Hope.

[Flying Dutch Fan]

Great summary sac. Felt to me like the stuff block by Tanner in the 1st half, followed shortly by him hitting his 2nd three sparked things, but lots of contributors for sure.

FT shooting has really made this team so tough and I think has won multiple games for them this year. If I find some time to do it, I intend to look a little deeper at that.  Late in the game yesterday Hope had the luxury of having all 5 guys on the floor (starters if you include George as a starter which he was for much of the year) who shoot over 80% from the line!  Watching the Hope women beat Trine last night by 4 while struggling from the line (58% for the game but 2-2 in the last 30 sec), really demonstrated the importance of hitting those freebies. Going into the NCAA tourney even more so.

[calvin_grad]

Odds that Calvin gets a Pool C bid?

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

Odds that Calvin gets a Pool C bid?

Less than 50/50.  Probably much less.

[sac]

The guys following and calculating this much more closely than I seem to think Calvin is in.

There have been a couple bubble popping upsets this afternoon however.

[sac]

For hosting sites, Matt Snyder posted this on the twitterz

Absolutely hosting:
Rand.-Macon
Marietta
UW-Oshkosh
Wesleyan
Emory
Ill Wesleyan
Chris Newport
UW-Platteville
Stockton

Probably hosting:
WPI
St Joseph

Pick 2:
Williams
Nichols
Mass-Dartmouth

Pick 2:
Mt Union
Elmhurst
Wash U
UW-LaCrosse

Pick 1:
Whitworth
Pomona-Pitzer

I'd pick Mt. Union and Elmhurst for the "other 2" in our area of the country.


Here's what I'm going with for Hope potential sites:
Marietta
UW-Oshkosh
UW-Platteville
Ill. Wesleyan
Mt. Union
Elmhurst

Still think they might need 1 more in this part of the country but not always, LaCrosse/WashU/Wheaton maybe.

Hope, or Calvin for that matter, would want to avoid the Oshkosh or Marietta sites.  Those will be top 4 seeds.

[HOPEful]

Cut and paste from the Pool C room...

So...20 Pool C teams.

Williams
UMass Dartmouth
Babson
Emerson
Rochester
RPI
Rowan
Swarthmore
Eastern
Guilford
Mount Union
CWR
Ill. Wes.
Wheaton IL
Wash U
Platteville
La Crosse
Pomona-Pitzer/Chapman loser

------------
2 of...

Middlebury
Brandeis
Utica
DeSales
Calvin
Heidelberg
Hanover

There are basically 18 teams that should be in over Calvin, leaving 2 open spots. However, I think the biggest road block to Calvin getting in is going to be Heidelberg. Since the last regional rankings were released, Heidelberg has played Mount and Etta. They lost both games, but their SoS is only going to be better (and it was already better than Calvin's)... Calvin added a win against a RRO and a loss against a RRO, but I'm not sure that's going to be enough to jump ahead of Berg. If that's the case, Calvin needs Heidelberg to be picked as the 19th Pool C team to even get to the table and have a shot.

[KnightSlappy]

Hoopsville just gleaned that Calvin was ranked ahead of Heidelberg by the RAC.

[sac]

IMO these are Hope's most likely opponents, by seeds in a 1,2,3,4 pod I have Hope right on the 2/3 line

First tier as the #2 in a 4 team pod
Wheaton
Case Western
Heidelberg
Dubuque
Wash & Jeff *  Low probability
Random East Coast team

Second tier as the #3 in a 4 team pod
Wheaton
Wash U
Elmhurst
Wabash
St. John's
Mary Hardin Baylor (super iffy)
Random East coast team

Basically I have Hope/Wheaton right on my 2/3 line so could go either way and I almost think Hope/Wheaton is a pretty obvious pairing.


For location I'm comfortable that these 5 will host a pod
Marietta
Oshkosh
Illinois Wesleyan
Platteville
Mt. Union

I think a 6th pod is needed and its between LaCrosse/WashU (maybe Elmhurst), I gave it to LaCrosse.  But maybe Elmhurst played their way in here and the committee would be reluctant to give the WIAC 3 hosts.  I don't know.

Doing seedings I had a hard time keeping Hope out of the Oshkosh or Marietta pods.  I think they'd like to avoid that.  By history Hope has gone West nearly every tournament they do not host.


Calvin if they get in is pretty solidly a #3 in a four team pod.  For their pairings:
Wheaton
Elmhurst (think they'd avoid that rematch)
Wabash
St. John's
Mary Hardin Baylor (super iffy)
Case Western
Heidelberg
Random East coast team

By seedings I think Calvin is looking at the LaCrosse/WashU/Elmhurst pod or Mt. Union. 

[KnightSlappy]

I agree very much with sac's seeding analysis. I made a mock bracket this morning based on last night's Hoopsville selections.

I have Hope as a low #2 which would put them against a high #3 at a high #1 (if seedings hold which is never a given in D3). I mocked them against Hood at the Marietta pod. Hood is one of those teams who has NCAA criteria higher than actual team quality, so this would be an ideal first-round game for Hope. Marietta pod would be rough though.

For Calvin -- still very very nervous about their chances of actually getting in -- I have them as a mid-to-low #3 and sent them to UW-Platteville to play St. John's in the first round.

So basically in line with what sac thought above. As always in D3, seeding is never gospel.

http://tomaroonandgold.blogspot.com/2022/02/d3-mens-ncaa-tournament-mock-bracket.html

[monsoon]

Thanks for the good work on this, KS and sac. Appreciated the Hoopsville mock-ups as well.