MBB: Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association

[HopeConvert]

On Saturday Marcus had a game high in turnovers, 0-3 from three point range, and only 50% FT.  This is not the usual performance for Marcus.

And I would say that it wasn't a usual performance day for many of Hope's players (Reimink, Partridge, etc, etc.).  I guess my question is why all the focus on one?

That's certainly a fair question. I guess it had to do with my original assertion that MVH had a rough game and realist's correction of my claim. He didn't look good to me - turnovers, bad misses, looking lost when he had the ball, etc. As for Reimink, I still believe he is a, if not the, key player on this team. The press and the defense is so much better when he is in. He's one of these guys who does all the little things you need to win, and he plays hard every second he's out there. Buts it's hard to focus on him from the Calvin game because he simply wasn't out there enough. His foul troubles are well-documented, and Hope really needs him to get that under control. I was very worried about his foul status going into the Calvin game, and I suspect the game wouldn't have been as close if he had been on the floor more. As for Partridge, even if his shooting is on or off at any given moment, he seems to be having difficulty getting into the flow of the games. Again, this is mere perception. Data are something else.

I got smited! Dang - I never realized how painful that can be.

sac - interesting comparisons. I still think last year's team had the talent to win it all, but I guess it's not always about talent. This team has speed and desire, and I agree that the CCIW losses could be a positive for them. I do wonder how they'll handle a team that has some big athletes on the inside, so I'm not sure they do have the talent to win it all. Thus, I also agree that it is fair caution that rolling through the MIAA this year may not exactly be conquering murderer's row.

As for DVS not being the "go to guy" from day one: that's in part about team chemistry. You don't throw an Immink aside. Sometimes we forget a simple truth: GVW genuinely is more concerned about his players than W's. I can tell you that he really cares about these kids, and cares about how his decisions affect them.

Smitten, chastened, but unbowed.

[flash96]

Never thought I'd see that much of a one sided game! 

On the topic of what is appropriate from the fans and what is not.  I recall being in the student section prior to the Dew Crew and yelling "Sterile Darrell" at a Calvin player.  I believe that was '94 and I'm not sure who the Calvin player's last name was.  Let me apologize for my actions now!  At any rate some fans can get unruly and say things which they normally wouldn't.  Usually there is someone there with half a brain and puts an end to something tasteless.  The MIAA fans usually are tops in being creative w/o being insulting.  Lets hope that doesn't change.

[ziggy]

On Saturday Marcus had a game high in turnovers, 0-3 from three point range, and only 50% FT.  This is not the usual performance for Marcus.

And I would say that it wasn't a usual performance day for many of Hope's players (Reimink, Partridge, etc, etc.).  I guess my question is why all the focus on one?

He wasn't limited by foul trouble and his airballs stick out in my mind.  I've come to expect more from him than the other players you mentioned.  Thats it, its not really a big point, just my observation.

[sac]

Something from the history books to dust off......


Last nights 39 point win over Adrian was Hope's largest margin over the Bulldogs since 1991, also at Adrian but I believe before the Marilott Center, not sure.  Hope won that year 105-58.  '91 might have been the best Hope team I saw

The 42 points scored by Adrian is the fewest they've scored vs Hope since 1952, Hope won that one 88-30.

The 12 points at halftime is the lowest I can remember any team ever scoring against Hope.  The most recent obvious candidate would have been the 2003 100-35 win vs Kzoo but the Hornets tallied 25 in the first half, and only 10 in the second.

The only other game that I can think of is the 1998 NCAA Sectional with Chritopher-Newport when it was 45-17 or 47-15 at the half.

Adrian is the 11th team Hope has held under 50 points since the 2002 season.

Its the 46th time time since 2002 Hope has held a team under 60 points, if I counted right.

Why 2002?  Personally this is when I believe Hope really began focusing on defensive basketball and were able to put it into practice.

[Roughrider]

Wow, lot's of interesting views about the Dutchmen (and Bulldogs, and Knights).  I was able to watch the RIVALRY game at a satellite site, but was really looking forward to reading the reports from the Merrilat.  Thanks to all the posters who provided insight into the Hope-Adrian "scrimmage".

Now looking forward to a Saturday trip to the Devos . . . .

Here's some food for thought.  What concerns me is last night's score from Angola--TSU 89, Alma 81.  How did an alleged "pretender" like the Scots play so competitively with a consensus "contender" like the Thunder.  Makes me just a little bit nervous about the Scots trip to Holland.   

The answer just might be that even though TSU is a contender, they are still a cut below Hope, as were the Dogs last night.  (No disrespect to the Dogs, here.  They are definitely still in the hunt.)  But Hope will have a chance to prove that next week against TSU.  Time will tell.  But part of the answer might be that the Scots are improving, so watch out.

I am positive that GVW will have the Dutchmen properly focused, and that they will not take the Scots lightly.  I hope so, for the Dutchmen's sake.

Speaking of food, I can already taste those Devos hot dogs, with condiments.   

RR

[KnightSlappy]

Speaking of food, I can already taste those Devos hot dogs, with condiments.   

I am not sure if I am familliar with such condiments. Maybe if someone had a picture...

[KnightSlappy]

On a side note, there is a surprising number of people still not believing in Adrian.  Tri-State seems to be the Pick 'em favorite.

[sac]

On a side note, there is a surprising number of people still not believing in Adrian.  Tri-State seems to be the Pick 'em favorite.

I liked their starting five, its one of the more physically fit Adrian teams I've seen.  They have shooters, they just didn't make any vs Hope but Hope was frequently taller at every position to, I thought Hope had them badly rattled as a team.

You can see the talent Desmond Young can bring, Hope did an unbelievable job of shutting him down completely, they looked like a ship without a captain at times.

Having not seen Tri-State its of course very difficult to know exactly how that game might go.   Comparing scores you have to assume it will be a close game.  But Adrian needed OT to beat both Albion and Olivet, 2 teams I was not impressed with.  A couple shots go differently  in those games and Adrian is sitting 2-3 and not 4-1.

TSU has also played a couple tight ones that maybe shouldn't be tight for a contender, one vs the same Comets and the other a 1 point win vs Kzoo

[David Collinge]

Speaking of food, I can already taste those Devos hot dogs, with condiments.   

I am not sure if I am familliar with such condiments. Maybe if someone had a picture...

But of course....

[bulldogalum]

This game against Tri State has become almost more important than the Hope game for Adrian.  More so, I would say, than if they had suffered a close loss to the Dutchmen (and yes, I know what a Dutchman is).  I don't know how practice went today, or how it will go tomorrow, but I really hope there is a renewed sense of urgency and intensity among the Adrian players.  If they play well against Tri State, I think they win.  If they play like their still licking their wounds, they'll get run out of their own gym.  It's gut check time.

[bulldogalum]

Speaking of food, I can already taste those Devos hot dogs, with condiments.   

I am not sure if I am familliar with such condiments. Maybe if someone had a picture...

[HopeConvert]

It's tough to know how to call the Adrian/TS game. I don't feel as if I can have a fair gauge of Adrian, based on what I saw the other night. Hope's defense really did frustrate Young. I like DVS's intensity on that end of the floor. Hope has more speed this year than they had last year. DVS is clearly faster than Immink was, as is the front line. I thought they had their best success against Calvin when they spread the floor. I haven't seen tri-state either. It was just hard to pick Adrian after last night. That said, I did walk away thinking to myself they played tight, and not their best game, unlike Albion which I thought just wasn't that good.

[Mr. Ypsi]

Young (and the whole Bulldog team) did get rather flustered and frustrated by Hope's pressure defense, and it was obvious by 3 minutes into the game.  So flummoxed that they could hardly do anything right even when the defense WASN'T pressuring them (Young had one cross-court pass, without much pressure, fly 20 feet past his teammate and hit the scorers' table).  Even so, it was clear that he had a lot of talent, just a horrible, forgettable night.

I found it a curious coincidence (I assume) that the two EMU transfers are both #33.  They only directly guarded each other a few times, but Wednesday was clearly Solkema's night - I wonder how they would fare in a one-on-one.  (I'd have to root for Young, since my wife is also from Grand Blanc. )

[almcguirejr]

TSU has also played a couple tight ones that maybe shouldn't be tight for a contender, one vs the same Comets and the other a 1 point win vs Kzoo

Tri State has been without their starting center, Glen Alfieri, since their first league against Calvin.  He is a 6'7", 270 lb low post player who I thought played well against Calvin when he scored 13 points.  He started the first 11 games and hasn't played a minute since. I don't know the reason for that.

[almcguirejr]

Around this time of year I like to break out the old +/-.......to review you geat a plus for a road win, a minus for a home loss.  It will tell you how far or behind a team is based on everyone holding serve at home.

Hope +3
Adrian +1
Calvin +1
Tri-State +1
Albion 0
Alma -1
Olivet -2
Kalamazoo -3

With its 3 road wins and 2 big ones Hope has an effective 2 game lead on everyone,  the TSU/Adrian game is huge for TSU as it would put them a true 1 game back , but a loss for Adrian would put them 3 back and pretty much and gaurntee they'd need help to win the MIAA. 


Last season Hope rolled through a number of MIAA games in similar fashion, I believe I made the comment last year they had led every MIAA opponent by 20 at least once.  The same has held true this year, except for the 2nd Calvin game but Hope did lead by 25 in Nov.  Takeing out Hope's 2 conference losses last year the Dutchmen won by an average of 19 points in their 12 wins.  So far this year its 27.8 points.  whoah!

I thought last year Hope was a stellar defensive team and it took just as stellar a defensive team to knock them out of the NCAA's.  But offensively I just never felt Hope got it going last year, they seemed to score inspite of themselves (if thats possible ).  Yet at this point in the season Hope is a full point better per game on defense and about equal on percentage allowed.  The difference is clearly on the offense where they are 9 points better per game and 4 percentage points better shooting.  But maybe we need to start recognizing Hope's defensive efforts.

The real difference is 3 point shooting where Hope has improved a full 7 percentage points and are makeing 10 per game a 4 per game improvement.

You may compare Hope's stats from last year to this year, but I don't believe it is a valid comparison.  Hope has a team similar in quality to last year, but I don't think there is one team in the MIAA that is as good as they were last year (with Adrian a possible exception.)  You would expect Hope to have better stats this year against weaker competition.  Hope has dominated a very weak schedule.