MBB: Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association

[sac]

Based on the various all-state teams, Calvin's class is likely the most talented and deepest.   Difficult to gauge the out of state guys, including Indiana.  I think a guy like Leeper probably makes a list in Michigan of some kind as well as a couple of Trine's guys.  Other state's don't recognize as many players as "all-state" as Michigan's coaches and media do.

Using the BCAM's Best  https://www.bcam.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/22BoysBESTWeeb.pdf 
HM=honorable mention, otherwise "first team" is about 20-25 guys in each Division.

Adrian
None known

Albion
Cooper Bright   Div 1
Mason Woods  Div 1
Michael Calhoun  Div 3
Nate Childers Div 3 HM

Alma
Dray Chase  Div 1 HM
Josh Elliot   Div 2
Dylan Cragg Div 3 HM

Calvin
Brady Ewing Div 1
Jalen Overway Div 2
Michael Morris Div 2
Owen Vernado Div 3
Brock Broderick Div 4
Trevin Winkle Div 4


Hope
Ethan Crabtree Div 1 HM
Marcus Wourman Div 1 '21
Joseph Hayes Div 3


Kalamazoo
Caleb Caul  Div 3

Olivet
none known

Trine
Nate Tucker Div 2 HM
JJ Marshall Div 1 HM '21



I still see about a hand full of BCAM Best guys who are interested in MIAA schools that haven't committed anywhere yet.

[HOPEful]

So with several of the new additions, which team would you wise people think has "won" the recruiting contest this year?

Much like the season we just saw, I'm confident calling the recruiting battle a "top four, bottom four" situation. Beyond that, time will tell.

That's a very good answer.

As a Hope fan, this is in my opinion Greg Mitchell's strongest recruiting class yet at Hope. But the sexiest name on the list should be, at best, a backup point guard. Short term, I'm more excited about adding the guys with hops and length.

I don't think there is anyone on this list that going into THIS season, tips their future team to a loftier position in the MIAA standings. I would rank my preseason top four the same today as i would have when the season ended. Calvin has every reason to be excited about adding the class they will be adding and what they could bring to the knights for next four years. But asking the group to collectively make up for the loss of 4 starters that averaged 27 minutes per game is a very tall ask, even for the slappiest of knights.

[HOPEful]

Based on the various all-state teams, Calvin's class is likely the most talented and deepest.   Difficult to gauge the out of state guys, including Indiana...

With the internet, I think it's easier to gauge out of state guys at big programs than it is to gauge stars at D3 and lower schools in state. It was pretty clear that the jump to D3 wasn't going to be an issue for Evan Thomas. I am confident that both Ewing and Wourman will be able to contribute immediately to Calvin and Hope. Broderick and Winkle I am less confident in. This is not to say that they couldn't make the transition seamlessly. It's just that games against Manton, Evert, and McBain aren't necessarily providing the level of competition as Midland, Mt. Pleasant, Traverse City West, and Grand Blanc... (comparing Northern Michigan Christian's schedule to Petoskey's)

[TUAngola]

In Indiana I do know Trine commit Logan Gard was 1st team IBCA (Indiana Basketball Coaches Association) small school all state (limited to top 15 seniors in classes 2A and 1A).  This doesn't include small school guys who made the 'Supreme 15' all state list (Connor Essegian who was Logan's teammate at Central Noble was on this list, he is a Wisconsin commit).  Of the incoming freshman I'm pretty confident Logan will see the court his freshman year at Trine.  Don't know much about the other Michigan, Ohio, Illinois and NC high school Trine commits. 

[Flying Dutch Fan]

WOTS is that Mike Fitzpatrick will be the next MBB Coach at Alma College.  He has been an Asst at Case Western Reserve since 2018

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

WOTS is that Mike Fitzpatrick will be the next MBB Coach at Alma College.  He has been an Asst at Case Western Reserve since 2018

Mike's a great coach. I noticed him on the bench way back at Salisbury. I've been waiting for him to get a head gig somewhere. I think that'd be a great hire.

[sac]

This seems like a great hire for Alma.

Key to success at Alma is recruiting and retention,  Kohtala, Hargraves and Clark brought in good players, all 3 got bit by retention in different ways.  Its not a total rebuild for Fitzpatrick like it was for Hargraves and Kohtala but there's a decent gap to the upper 4 teams right now that probably didn't close a whole lot this Spring. 




An interesting pool would be the next MIAA coaching vacancy and when?

[HOPEful]

An interesting pool would be the next MIAA coaching vacancy and when?

Put me down for Adrian next off-season. But not due to a lack of success, but the opposite. I think Adrian could sneak up the MIAA standings this season and turn some heads. Both Tim Kaiser or Pete Smith are super young and neither have strong ties to Adrian, so it definitely has a feel of two young guys getting experience and getting ready for the next opportunity.

[tartanpride2016]

Xavier Bargesser is transferring from Alma. He will move up a level to D2 Northwood.

https://twitter.com/45ProfessorX/status/1528526037738463233

[goodknight]

At yesterday's Calvin Athletics' golf outing, both Oldknight and I were delighted to be in a best-ball foursome that included Knights' head coach Bill Sall and Mike LeFebre, a stalwart on Calvin's first national championship team and now an advancement officer at the school. Hilarity and hijinks ensued throughout the round at the venerable Kent Country Club. The highlights, as I recall them:
1. An eagle was landed on par-5 hole number four. Modesty prohibits Oldknight from crowing that all three of those well-placed shots were authored by the same person.
2. Coach Sall can hit the ball a long way, and he appeared to take special pleasure in thwacking an orange-colored ball he had found in the woods on a prior round. We called it the Flying Dutchman -- or something like that.
3. As usual, the coach remains a tireless recruiter and noted he had just received a commitment from a D2 transfer, another Chicago-area kid to add to the mix. He's a 6-4 shooting guard who has three years of eligibility remaining.

[oldknight]

Aw shucks, there ya' go, embarrassing OK again. At least we can all be thankful you didn't make mention of his solely authored birdie on #6.

At yesterday's Calvin Athletics' golf outing, both Oldknight and I were delighted to be in a best-ball foursome that included Knights' head coach Bill Sall and Mike LeFebre, a stalwart on Calvin's first national championship team and now an advancement officer at the school. Hilarity and hijinks ensued throughout the round at the venerable Kent Country Club. The highlights, as I recall them:
1. An eagle was landed on par-5 hole number four. Modesty prohibits Oldknight from crowing that all three of those well-placed shots were authored by the same person.
2. Coach Sall can hit the ball a long way, and he appeared to take special pleasure in thwacking an orange-colored ball he had found in the woods on a prior round. We called it the Flying Dutchman -- or something like that.
3. As usual, the coach remains a tireless recruiter and noted he had just received a commitment from a D2 transfer, another Chicago-area kid to add to the mix. He's a 6-4 shooting guard who has three years of eligibility remaining.

[sac]

Obtained top secret footage of "thwacking" the ball

[knights2000]

Speaking of golf... am I mistaken, or is this the former Kalamazoo head coach?

https://www.mlive.com/news/kalamazoo/2022/05/kalamazoo-golfer-plays-360-holes-in-one-day.html

[sac]

Speaking of golf... am I mistaken, or is this the former Kalamazoo head coach?

https://www.mlive.com/news/kalamazoo/2022/05/kalamazoo-golfer-plays-360-holes-in-one-day.html

It is and RIP to his golf game for awhile.  I did 217 a long time ago and its tough on the body.

[goodknight]

Calvin's 2022-23 schedule is up:
https://calvinknights.com/sports/mbkb/2022-23/schedule
Three WIAC foes in November, with a rematch on Dec. 30 with D3 runner-up Elmhurst. Wheaton is back on the schedule, too.