MBB: Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association

[shawn]

Hope Calvin can win today

[oldknight]

Calvin loses at VNA to 8th ranked Emory, 83-74. The visitors are strong, tough, and athletic, and appear to have the qualities we typically see in a Final Four team. The Eagles largely beat the Knights on the glass, grabbing 21 offensive rebounds, and also forced 16 Calvin turnovers, to offset a so-so shooting night. Calvin led 68-63 with less than 7 minutes left, but Emory had too much down the stretch, and pulled away from a narrow 75-73 lead at the 2:30 mark to gain the win.

Egekeze--ever the warrior on both ends of the floor--led Calvin with 22, while newcomer Parker Schwartz came off the bench to add 14. To me, Parker has the look of a player who can help Calvin a lot this season. The Knights appear to be a team in search of an identity, an identity I believe they will eventually find. Of course, having the beefy and talented Jalen Overway would have been a great asset for this game but alas, that ain't happenin' this season.

[BigBallBoy]

With the fewer Hope basketball posts, as a long time follower...I thought I would chime in.  The first day of the GLI did not deliver down-to-the-wire close games, but still some excellent basketball by some teams appearing in mid-season form.  Hope's potential is clearly there but when a team defends physically and takes away easy looks (and when they get them shots aren't falling), Hope has struggled. Random observations...

1. Injuries have been a nuisance and challenged line-up cohesion...the team will really hit their stride shortly after Marcus Wourman returns...
2. Gabe Quillan should touch the ball just about every time down the court.  Teammates must not stand and watch but play off him with strategic cuts, finding space, and making open shots. 
3. Josh Dekker is a serious liability on defense. Yesterday (second half), the man he was defending on the perimeter (wing or corner) did a back door cut (didn't get the pass but was wide open) and Dekker realized it about two seconds after it happened...Parker Hovey re-entered the game on the next dead ball. Offensively, Dekker is steaky but can score in bunches - if his shot is off, I would think his playing time suffers.
4. I have liked the freshmen, especially Brady Miller the point guard replacing Wourman. I think he has a lot of potential and brings much-needed size and swagger.

[HupHolland]

I was hesitant to post this after the first game, and then watching the games last weekend. This is one of the worst Hope basketball teams in a long time. Wourman coming back isn't going to change that. Anyone that is saying "it's early in the season" must take the blinders off.

[Dutchman17]

Hoping this Hope team can still outplay the 2020 team.  Wourman returning won't make them a good team, but they have zero depth and any playing time they can take away from the current bench minutes will definitely help.

[TUAngola]

Trine 95 Elmhurst 67

After Elmhurst jumped out to a 12-2 lead it was all Trine from that point on.  The Thunder shoot a blistering 65% for the game including 77% in the second half.  Difference in the game was Trine repeated drove to the rim and finished, especially in the second half.  Moore and Tucker were really good today, both had monster games, Smylie and Cusack didn't score, but their offense wasn't needed today.  This team feeds off their defense, if we aren't good defensively is affects the quality of our offense.  We're off until next Saturday with a trip to Ohio Wesleyan.

Trine: Moore 27, Tucker 23, Garland 14
Elmhurst: Trelenberg 21, Malichi 15   

[pointlem]

Reflections on the Hope/Calvin weekend:

1)   The great Hope teams of the past have featured an inside/outside game—an imposing center and a playmaking/scoring point guard. Hope has the center. And, with kudos to frosh Brady Miller for his stepping up so early, will be a better team when speedy point guard Marcus Wourman returns—with Ethan Crabtree hopefully soon joining him. Hope will be a better team when fully healthy.

2)   HupHolland and Dutchman17: You may be right, but when the injured players return this will be essentially the same team that defeated Calvin and Trine in the league tournament, before Trine went on to win the national championship.

3)   Is Calvin the best 1-5 team in small college basketball (while illustrating the importance of Jalen Overway)? Credit them for scheduling, and competing with, top-notch opponents. They'll likely not be a Pool C qualifier this year, but they still could contend for a league title.

4)   So far, Hope and Calvin seem mirror images of each other . . . each struggling without a key component of their inside/outside strengths.

[Greek Tragedy]

Emory looked great this weekend. But, before we anoint them a Final Four trip, let's remember this is basically the same team that was 6-8 in the UAA and didn't make the tournament last year. Yes, everyone is a year older and they beat a winless Calvin team and a JCU team without All-American Luke Chicone. Tap the breaks a little.

[oldknight]

Emory looked great this weekend. But, before we anoint them a Final Four trip, let's remember this is basically the same team that was 6-8 in the UAA and didn't make the tournament last year. Yes, everyone is a year older and they beat a winless Calvin team and a JCU team without All-American Luke Chicone. Tap the breaks a little.

I acknowledge I don't know anything about their team last year, but Emory is presently ranked 8th for a reason.

[oldknight]

Very nice 71-67 win by Calvin over St. Johns University on Saturday night. St. Johns seemed in control the entire first half, and led 32-24 at the break. The Johnnies try to control game tempo with excellent defense and patient offense, and seemed (pre) destined to win. But coming out the locker room, the Knights obviously had discussed getting into their own offense more quickly, taking shots earlier in the shot clock. That, combined with a much better shooting half, seemed to put the visitors a bit on their heels, with Calvin scoring 12 straight to turn a 45-38 deficit into a 50-45 advantage. From there, the Knights--who scored 47 second half points--held leads ranging from 2-8 points the rest of the way.

Owen Varnado led with 23 and Eggekeze added 14. I thought newcomer James Felton played quality minutes, snaring 6 boards in only 11 minutes, while for the second straight game, Parker Schwartz (6 points and 4 rebounds) displayed the look of a player who will make a real impact off the bench for Calvin this year.

[sac]

If only there were a current example of a team in the MIAA struggling to win without a significant starter or contributor missing.



Anderson, Marietta and St. John's are pretty good teams all 3 will be in the mix for top 2 or 3 in their respective conferences, Hope would need to be at full strength to beat those teams, they are not, sometimes missing 3 of their top 6 in these first 5 games.

Wheaton will be a challenge, Whitewater and Platteville will probably be rough if they're still short handed.

[scottiedawg]

2)   HupHolland and Dutchman17: You may be right, but when the injured players return this will be essentially the same team that defeated Calvin and Trine in the league tournament, before Trine went on to win the national championship.

Tanner Wiegerink would like a word.

[Greek Tragedy]

Emory looked great this weekend. But, before we anoint them a Final Four trip, let's remember this is basically the same team that was 6-8 in the UAA and didn't make the tournament last year. Yes, everyone is a year older and they beat a winless Calvin team and a JCU team without All-American Luke Chicone. Tap the breaks a little.

I acknowledge I don't know anything about their team last year, but Emory is presently ranked 8th for a reason.

Sure, but at the same time, I don't think there is any way Calvin should've been ranked #9 with the knowledge Overway would not be playing at all.

[pointlem]

2)    HupHolland and Dutchman17: You may be right, but when the injured players return this will be essentially the same team that defeated Calvin and Trine in the league tournament, before Trine went on to win the national championship.

Tanner Wiegerink would like a word.

Point well taken, Scottiedawg . . . and Clayton Dykhouse would also like a word.

[scottiedawg]

Hope appears to have a talent deficiency.  I see great effort, schematics look fine (I'm not a very smart basketball person though). They just miss a ton of shots, don't get good looks, etc.


1st Team All-MIAA?

2024-25 class -> Brady Miller (could become that)
2023-24 -> Parker Hovey (good player but SO year is similar to FR—doesn't appear to have that 1st team upside
2022-23 -> Wourman (also a very good player—not seeing the 1st team upside)
2021-22 -> Quillan (I bet he gets it this year)
2020-21 -> Wiegerink
2019-20 -> Dykhouse, Thomas.
2018-19 -> none
2017-18 -> Preston Granger
2016-17 -> none
2015-16 -> none
2014-15 -> Dante Hawkins,
2013-14 -> Chad Carlson, Harrison Blackledge,


2013-24 -> 2023-24: 7 1st-teamers, 0.64 per year

2013-14 -> 2019-20: 0.86 per year
2020-21 -> 2023-24: 0.25 per year (will be 0.50 per year once Quillan gets it)

(yes, picked arbitrary endpoints to make my point!)


Quillan is the only player on the roster with an MIAA all 1st or 2nd team.