MBB: Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association

[oldknight]

The intentional foul call on Voisin seemed very legitimate from where I sat.  Meckes (i believe) was going for the layup and Voisin basically put a shoulder into him without even an attempt at the ball.

I didn't have any problem with the call either although it would be easy to misinterpet it as a vicious hit which I don't think it was. Voison was trying to stop Meckes from scoring an uncontested layup but because Voison is so big and because Meckes was already in the air when contact occurred (and Meckes was headed in the same direction the contact was moving him) it became a more significant hit than I think Voison intended. He immediately went over to Meckes to check on him and to apologize. Meckes quickly signaled "That's OK" and everything seemed fine between them. I thought both showed good sportmanship there and they defused a situation that easily spins out of control when more hotheaded players are involved. As fans who take these games so seriously we should take a lesson in self control from the players sometimes.

[northb]

good point OK

[KnightSlappy]

I dont think that Voisin's hit was malicious but I do think that the call was justified.  I do agree that Hope (and Calvin) players generally show some of the best sportsmanship around.

[Flying Dutch Fan]

I suspect the ref. was just rying to send a meesage.  He may have interpreted the finger pointing as directed at Drayers, so he T'd GVW rather than just giving a warning .  Moot/mute point now.

And the real answer (direct from the coaches mouth) is that he did indeed inadvertantly touch Draayer as he went by, and the technical was justified.

[Flying Dutch Fan]

it became a more significant hit than I think Voison intended. He immediately went over to Meckes to check on him and to apologize. Meckes quickly signaled "That's OK" and everything seemed fine between them. I thought both showed good sportmanship there and they defused a situation that easily spins out of control when more hotheaded players are involved. As fans who take these games so seriously we should take a lesson in self control from the players sometimes.

Amen to that one!!!

[NW Hope Fan]

I know this may all change on Monday, but help me get a picture of something. It has been a few years since Hope has been in the tournament, so bear with me:

If this is the GL bracket:
GREAT LAKES
1. Hope
2. Wittenberg
3. Transylvania
4. North Central
5. Carroll
6. Calvin
7. DePauw
8. Wisconsin Lutheran

Do 1 and 8 host, with 1-8, and 4-5 on "one side" and 2-7 and 3-6 on the "other side"? Or could Hope play Calvin again as early as their second game? 

[devossed]

----There were 51 fouls called in the game.........Wallace Whitfield called 110 of them.  Wally you're a better ref than that!

----The intentional foul on Voisin was perhaps the worst call I've ever seen from the upper level at the far end of the Fieldhouse.  There had to be more to it than what I saw.

A few more thoughts from last night's game--

The T called on Glenn was interesting. As Draayer passed by the Hope bench on his way to setting up the 3 ball he shot and made, Glenn was standing on the floor (just barely) and pointing--presumably to his players. Glenn's hand or finger inadvertantly brushed Draayer as he went by, the shot went in, and the trailing ref never hesitated
in blowing his whistle and pointing to Glenn while making the call. I think Glenn's argument was essentially that he touched Draayer before Draayer ever shot the ball and therefore the T call should nullify the field goal attempt. That's actually a pretty good argument but the ref didn't buy it and it turned into a 5 point play for Calvin.

The intentional foul call on Voison was, I think, a preventative measure on the part of the official. The game was pretty physical and I think the ref made a conscious decision to head off trouble at the pass and send a message to the players. I think that's a good officiating strategy, especially in a game where it was obvious Hope was going to win anyway.

If you'll recall back to my post about the good/bad referees in this league, I wasn't high on Wallace to begin with--but now he's solidified his status on the "worst of all" list. I arrived at the arena just before tip, and "luckily" snagged a seat near the scorer's table. From that spot I think I had as decent a view as anybody on these 2 issues.

First, the Technical. I had no problem with the call. Glenn clearly "touched" Draayer, in an absent-minded and non-aware state that has become more the norm for him the last few years. It wasn't malicious, nor was he even on the court by much (which is one more evidence that Draayer's three-bomb range is so amazing, right Greg Sager?) but it did happen, while the ball was being passed to Draayer, before he took the shot. It was as if Glenn was telling his team to "get him because he's so open." The problem (and the central theme to Glenn's argument) was that Wallace REFUSED to acknowledge it came before the shot. This would've stopped play right away and nullified Draayer's attempt. He was adamant that Glenn touched Draayer after the shot, on his way up the floor. Wallace wouldn't even listen to anything to the contrary, knowing in his own mind he was right. But if that were the case, and it came AFTER the shot, then Calvin should've retained possession on the Tech after the free throws. But they awarded Hope the ball, which inherently signaled that the Tech came before the shot!!!

The 2nd issue is the flagarent foul: I don't think it should've been called, but can see the logic behind why it happened. But if that's the case, then he should've been consistent and called one in the second half when Immink was decked and sent into the pep band.

The 3rd problem I had with him was during the middle of the 1st half, when DVS relieved Immink. He threw a pass from the left wing to the baseline which was clearly deflected and changed direction. (Hope only had 2 turnovers in the whole half, so it's not suprising that this play be remembered) However, Wallace again refused to look for help, sure in his mind that the call should go against Hope. Even Chad Palmer wasn't sure what to say when Glenn questioned him on his way up the floor.

I can also cite a few calls he made against Calvin that were clearly bad calls, but the ones against Hope yesterday were more critical to the flow of the game.

I just think he has a personal vendetta against the "name schools" of Hope and Calvin (or more specifically, GVW and his arguing/foot stomping or KVS and his yelling/facial gestures) that propels him to make the "big call" and take away momentum. This is something I've noticed multiple occasions and in multiple venues over the last few seasons. It's one of the reasons I cringe when I see him almost as badly as I do when I see Geerlings take the floor.

All this talk made me want to solidify my list. Please feel free to add/subtract/move them around based on your experiences this/previous years. I welcome your comments and your input (especially those Kzoo/Albion fans who've say they've gotten some raw deals over the last few years)...

OK-to-GOOD MIAA REFS (may have a bad game here and there, but generally call it fair, don't take away from the flow much)
Kevin Kooiker, Mark Ditsworth, Dave Joppie, Ryan Huber, Jim Schipper, John Creek, Chad Palmer, Ray "Don't Call Me Greg" Kelser


Not-so-good-to-BAD MIAA REFS (ticky-tack, inconsistent, baffling calls, need to spend time learning the definitions of "hand-checking" and "illegal screens")
Mike Conlin, Jeff Spedoske, Todd Geerlings


YOU SHOULD BE DOING FRESHMAN GIRLS' GAMES (self-explanatory)
Tommy Bray, Dante Favors, Mike Smith, Wallace Whitfield

[sac]

Well Pat's fine crew have made their projections.

Here's the Great Lakes "Region" seedings

1. Hope
2. Wittenberg
3. Transylvania
4. North Central
5. Carroll
6. Calvin
7. DePauw
8. Wisconsin Lutheran

This would be
Carroll vs North Central and Wisc Luth vs Hope in Holland.

Calvin vs Transylvania and DePauw vs Wittenberg in Springfield OH.

The Carroll/North Central game should be a doozie.  We'll see how close Pat and co. were tommorrow.

[NW Hope Fan]

Thanks SAC... I think you probably had that typed before you saw my request anyway. So if Witt and Hope win, where next? Any thoughts?

[sac]

Devossed---I was surprised to see Whitfield in the Championship game.  But I was particularly frustrated with the way he tried to make every single call.  Palmer and Creek seemed to be willing to let the kids play, in fact did Creek  even have a whistle..?

Whitfield seemed to want to control the game and that resulted in a lot of erratic calls between the 3 officials.

Thankfully I didn't feel it made a difference in the outcome but it made it a  much more painfull final 20 minutes of watching 30 seconds and a foul call.

You'll get no arguments about the T of Glenn, thats an auto-matic call everytime.  But the fact Hope received the ball afterwards raised an eyebrow.

[sac]

Thanks SAC... I think you probably had that typed before you saw my request anyway. So if Witt and Hope win, where next? Any thoughts?

I imagine they'd pair the Great Lakes with the South again and I think highest seed from the GL would have a great shot at hosting a sectional final.

But I'll tell  you if Hope does indeed draw the Carroll/North Central winner they're in a for a dogfight in round 2.

[Flying Dutch Fan]

Thanks SAC... I think you probably had that typed before you saw my request anyway. So if Witt and Hope win, where next? Any thoughts?

I imagine they'd pair the Great Lakes with the South again and I think highest seed from the GL would have a great shot at hosting a sectional final.

But I'll tell  you if Hope does indeed draw the Carroll/North Central winner they're in a for a dogfight in round 2.

No doubt about that, but I'd sure like to see that game (at DeVos).

I anticipate that as long as Hope keeps winning, they should play at home until Salem.

[NW Hope Fan]

But I'll tell  you if Hope does indeed draw the Carroll/North Central winner they're in a for a dogfight in round 2.

But nice to have that dogfight in your own doghouse!!!  

[sac]

FDF  I think if they pair the GL/South again a more logical locale would be Springfield.

Your looking at a deep South team (Trinity or Miss Coll) and a Virginia school.

[NW Hope Fan]

And if you know, what about the West region? I'd like to go catch some UPS games. Do you know if they won out if they would host out here or go to the Midwest?