MBB: Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association

[HOPEful]

Egekeze probably won't win MVP without the big numbers but I can't imagine a more impactful player in the league than him right now.  He was terrific in both of Calvin's big games.  Overway has the inside slot for MVP, but Hope's Thomas might make a strong push.

I hate how hard MVP awards cater to offensive play vs. defensive play. At this point in the season, Egekeze is hands down the MIAA most valuable player because of how great he is on both sides of the ball. That being said, I'd agree that Overway is the betting favorite to win the award currently.

[maroonandgold]

Last nights game between Olivet and Calvin was strongly contested all the way.  Calvin got a small lead early, but every time Olivet fought back to keep it close.  Calvin was able to increase their lead to 12 in the first half, but it closed to 10 at halftime.  Olivet came out strong and brought the lead way down to 3 points at  one points, but somehow Calvin find ways to fight back and finally increased the lead to 16.  A key basket came on a steal by Egekeze, which demonstrated exactly what SAC was saying.  Overway scored 18 with 11 rebounds but also had 3 turnovers, Bult had 17 points and 6 rebounds, Egekeze only 9 points but also 3 steals and 3 assists.

I'm surprised we are not getting the number of write-ups we used to get.  What are some of the details on the very close Trine game and the surprisingly strong game by Albion against Alma?

[sac]

I'm surprised we are not getting the number of write-ups we used to get.  What are some of the details on the very close Trine game and the surprisingly strong game by Albion against Alma?

Albion has Armsted-Wilkerson back from a short injury which gives them 3 very capable and difficult to defend players.  Albion has been in every game he's played except one. 

[KnightSlappy]

I don't think it spells it out on the MIAA website, but I believe we're back to a six-team tournament this season. Top two get byes into the semifinals, 3 hosts 6, and 4 hosts 5.

I'm not sure if we'll have a single site for Friday's semifinals or if it will be dual site like last season with 1 and 2 each hosting games.

[tartanpride2016]

I don't think it spells it out on the MIAA website, but I believe we're back to a six-team tournament this season. Top two get byes into the semifinals, 3 hosts 6, and 4 hosts 5.

I'm not sure if we'll have a single site for Friday's semifinals or if it will be dual site like last season with 1 and 2 each hosting games.

I have it on good authority that it is back to 6 teams as well.
Unsure about the single site or dual site.

Personally, I am sad to hear that it is back to a 6-team tournament. I liked the 8-team format better.

[HOPEful]

Personally, I am sad to hear that it is back to a 6-team tournament. I liked the 8-team format better.

I preferred the 4 team format. The sixth place team in an eight/nine team conference does not deserve a shot at the AQ.

I also strongly prefer the multiple host sites. 1 pm and 3:30 games on Friday to try and get 4 games in on one court was the worst. MIAA semifinal games on neutral courts with very low fan turnout shouldn't happen. I understand this only happened when the same school hosted both men and women, but with Hope, Trine, and Calvin, it's bound to happen regularly.

[Flying Dutch Fan]

I actually prefer six to either four or eight:

- I like that the 1st & 2nd place teams earn a bye with the advantage of one less game to play in the tournament.  A four or eight team tournament gives those top seeds home court advantage only (not insignificant - but not as good as the bye).

- A six team tournament seems to me to provide more late season league games that mean something.  We get battles for 2nd to try to secure the bye, we get battles for 5th and 6th to continue the season.  In a way it provides more "tournament like" games into the last week or so of the conference - win or go home

- Do the 5th and 6th place teams deserve a chance to win the AQ?  I think they do based on the following; over the last 10 MIAA tournaments from '11-12 to '21-22 (no tourney in '20-21), the 6th place team (on average) has finished 3.4 wins behind the 4th place team.  Sure, we could argue that is a big enough gap to exclude them.  But if we go to a four team tournament, we also eliminate the 5th place team.  5th place over the last 10 tournaments has finished 1.7 wins behind - maybe still far enough?  But in 7 of those 10 seasons the 5th place team was tied or a single win behind 4th. 

[Pat Coleman]

There's also a benefit to teams' playoff resumes from a six-team tournament. The top two teams don't hurt their SOS with games against the 7 and 8 seed. A 3 seed could go 1-1 in the conference tournament instead of 0-1 and wouldn't hurt their playoff resume as much.

[sac]

I know an 8 never beat a 1 seed and I'm pretty sure a 7 never beat a 2 seed in the MIAA, but just the existence of those matchups probably torpedoed an at large bid or two along the way.   Especially when other leagues weren't doing a full tournament.

I think we only did 8 last year because of Kalamazoo's difficulty finishing a full double round robin season.  Midway through I think it was being assumed Kzoo wouldn't get every game in and the standings would be uneven.  But they managed.


Also, Friday night in one location for the semi's has always been the best environment.  As long as the league insists on things being equal between the men and women we're never going back to that.   

[tartanpride2016]

I know an 8 never beat a 1 seed and I'm pretty sure a 7 never beat a 2 seed in the MIAA, but just the existence of those matchups probably torpedoed an at large bid or two along the way.   Especially when other leagues weren't doing a full tournament.

I think we only did 8 last year because of Kalamazoo's difficulty finishing a full double round robin season.  Midway through I think it was being assumed Kzoo wouldn't get every game in and the standings would be uneven.  But they managed.


Also, Friday night in one location for the semi's has always been the best environment.  As long as the league insists on things being equal between the men and women we're never going back to that.

How do you figure that the 1v8 and 2v7 games torpedoed an at-large bid if they never lost? If winning games (against any D3 opponent) harms a team's chances of making the tournament, then the selection process is flawed...

[sac]

Wrecked their strength of schedule. 

[Gregory Sager]

I know an 8 never beat a 1 seed and I'm pretty sure a 7 never beat a 2 seed in the MIAA, but just the existence of those matchups probably torpedoed an at large bid or two along the way.   Especially when other leagues weren't doing a full tournament.

I think we only did 8 last year because of Kalamazoo's difficulty finishing a full double round robin season.  Midway through I think it was being assumed Kzoo wouldn't get every game in and the standings would be uneven.  But they managed.


Also, Friday night in one location for the semi's has always been the best environment.  As long as the league insists on things being equal between the men and women we're never going back to that.

How do you figure that the 1v8 and 2v7 games torpedoed an at-large bid if they never lost? If winning games (against any D3 opponent) harms a team's chances of making the tournament, then the selection process is flawed...

Whatever advantage is gained by improving winning percentage is lost by lowering strength of schedule. And there's pretty widespread belief among D3's Pool C mavens that, among the five primary criteria, SOS is valued just as much as, if not more than, W% by the national committee.

[tartanpride2016]

I know an 8 never beat a 1 seed and I'm pretty sure a 7 never beat a 2 seed in the MIAA, but just the existence of those matchups probably torpedoed an at large bid or two along the way.   Especially when other leagues weren't doing a full tournament.

I think we only did 8 last year because of Kalamazoo's difficulty finishing a full double round robin season.  Midway through I think it was being assumed Kzoo wouldn't get every game in and the standings would be uneven.  But they managed.


Also, Friday night in one location for the semi's has always been the best environment.  As long as the league insists on things being equal between the men and women we're never going back to that.

How do you figure that the 1v8 and 2v7 games torpedoed an at-large bid if they never lost? If winning games (against any D3 opponent) harms a team's chances of making the tournament, then the selection process is flawed...

Whatever advantage is gained by improving winning percentage is lost by lowering strength of schedule. And there's pretty widespread belief among D3's Pool C mavens that, among the five primary criteria, SOS is valued just as much as, if not more than, W% by the national committee.

That feels like a flaw in the system. You would never see a team disincentivized to play an extra game (and win it) in the D1 process.

[Flying Dutch Fan]

I know an 8 never beat a 1 seed and I'm pretty sure a 7 never beat a 2 seed in the MIAA, but just the existence of those matchups probably torpedoed an at large bid or two along the way.   Especially when other leagues weren't doing a full tournament.

I think we only did 8 last year because of Kalamazoo's difficulty finishing a full double round robin season.  Midway through I think it was being assumed Kzoo wouldn't get every game in and the standings would be uneven.  But they managed.


Also, Friday night in one location for the semi's has always been the best environment.  As long as the league insists on things being equal between the men and women we're never going back to that.

How do you figure that the 1v8 and 2v7 games torpedoed an at-large bid if they never lost? If winning games (against any D3 opponent) harms a team's chances of making the tournament, then the selection process is flawed...

Whatever advantage is gained by improving winning percentage is lost by lowering strength of schedule. And there's pretty widespread belief among D3's Pool C mavens that, among the five primary criteria, SOS is valued just as much as, if not more than, W% by the national committee.

That feels like a flaw in the system. You would never see a team disincentivized to play an extra game (and win it) in the D1 process.

Pretty sure D1's have been disincentivized to do that for a lot longer than D3 has - with all the focus on NET / RPI / SOS and Quadrant records.  When they get down to the last 4 in, first 4 out - you hear them talking about what percent of a teams wins were in the "bottom quadrant" versus how many were in the top quadrant(s).  Playing the #8 team (for the 3rd time in a season with a double-round robin) is likely adding to the bottom quadrant number.

[KnightSlappy]

Also, Friday night in one location for the semi's has always been the best environment.  As long as the league insists on things being equal between the men and women we're never going back to that.

With a 6-team field and #1s (and #2s) getting byes, we will know the host sites for Men and Women by the Saturday before. The league rule could be for single site semifinals for each gender unless the same school is in line to host for both men and women. In that case they could split up the sites and allow a single men's and women's game at the host site:

Scenario #1: Trine wins both men and women this year. They host men's and women's semifinal with Calvin (men) and Hope (women) each hosting a semifinal.

Scenario #2: Trine wins women and Calvin wins men. Hold both women's semifinals in Angola and both men's semifinals in Grand Rapids.

Six days of prep time (minimum) should be plenty to make this work.