MBB: Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association

[almcguirejr]

It seems odd that Calvin received more points in the current Top 25 poll than Carthage did.

I should have also said; it seems odd that Hope received more points in the current Top 25 poll than Carthage did.

[realist]

Al:  It strikes me that the voters in the poll use a common base of information.  It seems only human that they would not want to rush to dump every team they ranked, too quickly.  The quicker you dump a team the more it means you may have been wrong in ranking them in the first place.  Many people felt Calvin was over-rated to start with, and the same may be said for Hope.      Polls don't really start to reflect team positions untill 10 or more games have been played.  Even then it is possible to feel, and make a case that a team or two is over or under-rated.  My bet is that if Carthage continues playing like they did last weekend they will work their way up the charts.

[knights2000]

Calvin's 2 starting guards combined for 1 total assist all weekend.  The lack of movement of the ball, and player movment without the ball, is really poor at the moment.  Let's hope we start to see some positive steps toward improvement on Thursday.

Sometimes the assists are low because when others get the ball they don't shoot it.  I think a few individuals need to get more aggressive on offense and play like seniors.

## Player              GP-GS  Min--Avg  FG-FGA   Pct 3FG-FGA   Pct  FT-FTA   Pct  Off Def  Tot  Avg  PF FO   A  TO Blk Stl  Pts  Avg
42 Josh Meckes........  6-6   138 23.0  22-30   .733   3-4    .750   6-10   .600   11  19   30  5.0  13  0   8   8   4   9   53  8.8
50 Eric DeVries.......  6-0    91 15.2   6-11   .545   0-0    .000   4-9    .444    3  16   19  3.2  11  0   3   5   3   0   16  2.7

I can see where you're coming from, but from what I've seen of Meckes, he's never been much of a scorer. He was recruited as a shot blocker and a rebounder, and that's exactly what they are asking him to do. They are not asking him to score, thats why they recruit people like Mantel, Veldhouse, and Griffin.

[sac]

......if you ask me..........I'm pretty sick of polls.

[knights2000]

......if you ask me..........I'm pretty sick of polls.

I've got to agree.

[Mr. Ypsi]

......if you ask me..........I'm pretty sick of polls.

Not the Posters' Poll, I hope!

Coming to a theater near you in 4 weeks!

[doc]

Calvin's 2 starting guards combined for 1 total assist all weekend.  The lack of movement of the ball, and player movment without the ball, is really poor at the moment.  Let's hope we start to see some positive steps toward improvement on Thursday.

I've always noted, and maybe more so recently, that it is strange to see 3 players standing still or making very few cuts/picks when the point guard calls out the offensive set "Motion."  I'm no offensive genius, but shouldn't there be a little more motion in "Motion"?

[GoKnights68]

I agree that Calvin often needs to better job at setting more picks/screens for one another. 

[Stinger]

Took in the Hornet game last night with Midline.  The Hornets played a Manchester squad that is very small, and guard oriented.  Unfortunately the Hornets played from behind the majority of the night, and couldn't get the stops and scores they needed to get over the hump.   Every time the Hornets would make a much needed stop,  they would turn the ball over, or not get a shot they wanted.  Also, the Hornets gave up 3 offensive rebounds to miss FT's down the stretch that really hurt.

We "Fans of Hornet Basketball" were treated to pre-game Meet the Hornets and Coach Passage.  Coach said that the way to beat Manchester was to simply play harder than them.   That has always been K's staple. "We Work".   Unfortunately for the first 10 minutes of the 2nd half, that simply didn't happen.  However, the final 10 minutes were a different story.  After a boisterous timeout from Passage, the Hornets intensity quadrupled, and it got them back in the game.  The Hornets have to realize, as every other Hornet team has in the past, that in order to win, this team has to out-work their opponents in every aspect of the game. It's that simple.

It doesn't get any easier for Kzoo. Next up is  Chicago. I talked with Coach McGrath after the game last night, and it sounds like they are on a roll. If it weren't for a 87%FG shooting half by Southwestern, they would be undefeated.

[gohope]

Stinger -

I too was at the game last night. I couldn't believe, as well as the people around me, how fast the first half went.  Manchester may be smaller on size, but they are quick. And pretty good shooters too. On the pre-game talk on the radio, they stated that Manchester takes a lot of "3" shots. Last night, it was only 28, but they shot 43%. I also looked at the FT's for K for the last part of the game. Out of 13 FT's for K, the made 6 and missed 7, so I think that took a little wind out of their sails too. If they could have a bit more confidence in their play, hit a few more FT's, finish well, and have a bit more senior leadership, they are definitely a team to watch. And maybe have a few of the injurred players back on the bench, that would help. Any word on when Weaver, Garfield and McCain will return?

And... honestly, I was cheering for K!

[hope81]

Sounds like Calvin is doing one better than the Hope condiments!  Rumor has it that everyone that attends the Calvin/Aquinas game Thursday gets free Hudsonville ice cream at half time.  I believe it is in honor of former President Spoelhof.  I bet Doug Wentworth will have fun with that.

[goodknight]

Sounds like Calvin is doing one better than the Hope condiments!  Rumor has it that everyone that attends the Calvin/Aquinas game Thursday gets free Hudsonville ice cream at half time.  I believe it is in honor of former President Spoelhof.  I bet Doug Wentworth will have fun with that.

And let the record show that Hudsonville Ice Cream has been in the Calvin master plan for many years, long before Hope raised the stakes in this game.
Former Calvin President William Spoelhof is celebrating his 97th birthday on Friday.  By the way, John Spoelhof, for whom the new Calvin athletic/wellness complex will be named, is not related to Bill Spoelhof, contrary to an assertion on this board a few weeks ago.

[Shareef23]

I bet Doug Wentworth will have fun with that.

Ahhhh, don't get me started on this. He really needs a sidekick thou and his fasination with Hudsonville Ice Cream boggles one's mind. That comment deserves a fair amount of karma.

[Stinger]

Any word on when Weaver, Garfield and McCain will return?

Weaver and Garfield are very close to returning. I believe Coach Passage said in the next week or two. I'm not sure what's up with Henry.  K sure could have used him on Tuesday.   They definitely need the bodies in there.

[bulldogalum]

I was at the Adrian/Siena Heights game last night, a truly disappointing loss for the Bulldogs, 57-54 (contrary to the box score on the MIAA site).  This was my first look at the Bulldog team this year, and there are a lot of positives that can be taken from this game. 

My first impression was that they played HARD.  This was the best defensive effort by an Adrian team in at least a year.  They were hustling to the ball, harrassing the Saints players, and working very hard on the boards.  If they play with that kind of intensity the rest of the season, things are going to turn for the better sooner rather than later.

The big guys for Adrian absolutely dominated Siena's post players last night.  While all the big guys played well, Ian Weber really shined.  With 15 points, 8 boards and a couple of blocks, he had the best game I've seen him play as a Bulldog.  Steve Thornton looked like he was going to have a very nice game, and he was effective when he was in there, but he struggled with foul trouble the whole game (thanks, I may add, to at least one very shady foul call, but I digress).  Freshman Matt Wayne was a nice complement to Weber and Thornton on the boards, and made a few timely buckets. 

The reason the Bulldogs lost, without a doubt, was because they turned the ball over 28 times.  In a game where they pretty much outplayed the Saints up and down the floor all night long, and where the Adrian coaches always seemed to have the answers to Siena's tactical moves, the Bulldogs refused to stop shooting themselves in the foot.  There were more carrying calls in that game than I think I've seen in the last 3 or 4 years.  I think one Adrian freshman had 4 or 5 called on him alone, and probably 10 carrying calls were made against both teams, most of them going against the Bulldogs. 

It also appears at present as though Adrian's guards are uncomfortable in transition.  It looks like they want to push the ball up the floor and create scoring opportunities, but once they get in position, they panic and make poor decisions.  This, I think, is due in large part to the general inexperience of the Bulldog guards.  I think as they continue to play this season, they will show marked progress.

It'll be interesting to see how this team looks once the league begins.  I'm hoping that they continue to show the same grit and determination they displayed yesterday, but find ways to hold onto the darn ball just a little bit more!