MBB: Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association

[veragrace]

Does anyone know why the Hope-Albion game was switched from a 3pm start to a 7:30 start?

[devossed]

So after the first Hope/Olivet game, there was much discussion about a heated conversation between GVW and Coach Soderburg.  Well, it seems that it just continued tonight.  In the second half with 14 minutes or so left, and Hope leading 50-32, Soderburg was overheard asking one of the Hope players "why is Cramer still in the game, you guys are up by 20". 

A statement like that just leaves me speachless, and wondering what this guy is doing coaching.  The officiating tonight was horrid, but pales in comparison to this. 

Jees, Soderburg bugs me.  Give me a break.  This isn't a YMCA pee-wee league. Does he really think GVW will take someone out with FOURTEEN MINUTES left just because they are winning?  18 points is a nice margin but not big enough for the opposing team to not be able to make a comeback.  I feel speechless also.  Just as speechless when he shoved his own assistant last season when he was trying to restrain him from attacking the ref after he got tossed from the game.

Agreed...horrible example, and probably not what the administration was looking for when they got rid of Hettinga. (He had his moments, but was not nearly this constistently bad)...I can only imagine what Soderburg said last night, but I remember him jawing with Calvin people after a big loss (a few years ago?).

Sour grapes from someone who enters every season knowing they can never finish above 3rd in the league???

[devossed]

IK's student section has flat out been awful over the past  5 or so years.  This year,  they had a solid contingent at the Tri-State game, but the kids  just stood there and did nothing.  Gone are the days of the Stingers, coming into AAC single file about 2 minutes before tip,  all painted up, and ready to go nutso on the opposing team.

Gone are the days of your leader... Smokin' Joe! Everything changed when Coach Joe left... He brought toughness to K basketball, and "encouraged/supported" the stingers... no?? On the other hand, I'm sure no one outside of (and maybe some inside) K miss the drunken stupidness...

Im not sure what you mean with "'encouraged/supported' the Stingers."

I would say things were changing quite a bit in the last 5 years of Smokin's career at K.  Coach Haklin would have a very difficult time recruiting in these times.  K has changed quite a bit.  The student body is very different from when I attended the school.   I think Coach Passage and every other coach out at K are doing there best to get more student participation at athletic events.

I can only imagine their job to be doubly tough at a place where the administration doesn't give the full support of the athletic program...If Passage (or any other K coach) had the resources that KVS or GVW do, the glory days of '96 wouldn't be such a distant memory...

[KnightSlappy]

There was almost a big fight between Olivet students and the Olivet coaching staff after Calvin's win at Olivet last year.  Words were exchanged, Coach Soderburg yelled that the students were "what's wrong with this place".  I couldn't hear the student's reply but one of the assistant coaches yelled something like "we supposed to be on the same side, n----"  I remember walking through that mess with a few other Knight faithful, we all thought that Olivet did not seem like a good place to go to school.

[flash96]

I got this from one of the faculty at the Olivet game; Olivet tends to recruit the lower class students.  Certainly not the top in their class academically speaking.  If any recruits show interest in another MIAA school then Olivet generally loses out.  After seeing the town of Olivet and their facilities I can only wonder what would possess someone to attend.  After all the only sport they consistently are good at is wrestling, which isn't a MIAA sport.  Traditionally the bottom feeders of the league.

[dumezrules]

On the topic of Olivet CC and their coach....my inside source told me that Sodomburgh (sorry, Freudian slip, Soderburgh) was the most profane trashtalking coach he has ever heard.  He couldn't believe another coach would spend that much time talking to the other team's players during a game.  By the way, why is Alma periennially horrible?  They have alot of relatively large cities with good hoops close to their school.....their coach seems like a good coach and a decent guy......

[kresgekrazy]

Nice win for the Brits last night.  As the wise Pete Butler would say... "THANK GOD!"

Glad to see Zak Silas throw in a few last night, too.  H_ _ _ fully the Brits can answer the bell on Sat. night - Thinking of going if any of you H_ _ _fans want to sit next to me.  I h_ _ _ you like Beam though - because I smell like your blacksheep 50 year old uncle.  

Ziggy or whoever wrote that J.C. and Mount Union were on TV and it was so supersweet to watch is completely correct - I wasted my time watching the biggest disappointment since the 1.5 hour mark of the Crying Game.   Michigan Basketball is horrendous + _ _ _ _ less + disgusting = TOMMY "the Gun" Amaker has to go.  Where is Steve Fisher when you need him.  He'LL I'll take scandal over shoddy basketball right now.

Carl will you be at the the winter classic that is the H_ _ _ vs. Albion game?


Nate

Two dutch girls are riding their bikes through Amsterdam.  One girl says to the other, "I've never come this way before."
The other girl replies, "It's the cobblestones."

That just happened  

[bulldogalum]

By the way, why is Alma periennially horrible?  They have alot of relatively large cities with good hoops close to their school.....their coach seems like a good coach and a decent guy......

This has me puzzled as well.  Alma, being the closest MIAA school to probably the most fertile ground of basketball talent in the state--the Saginaw Valley Conference--really should be better at basketball.  True, the big schools take the top talent from that conference, but there are many good players that don't go DI or II that Alma should be able to pounce on.

kresgekrazy:  Glad to see that you Albion folks continue to hold the dutch in high esteem! 

[realist]

Quoting from Devossed:
I can only imagine their job to be doubly tough at a place where the administration doesn't give the full support of the athletic program...If Passage (or any other K coach) had the resources that KVS or GVW do, the glory days of '96 wouldn't be such a distant memory...
[/quote]
Interesting issue.   Not sure what resources GVW has that makes his job easier than Passsages'?.  For years Hope played in the Civic Center.  Not sure that was a big plus, especially the last 15-20 years.  Also not sure what resources KVS has that justify your comments?  Yes, I would agree the admin. at both schools support their athletic departments, but I don't think either of them do that at the expense of any academic department.  What great advantage did "Smokin Joe" have prior to 96 that has since been taken away?

[oldknight]

By the way, why is Alma periennially horrible?  They have alot of relatively large cities with good hoops close to their school.....their coach seems like a good coach and a decent guy......

This has me puzzled as well.  Alma, being the closest MIAA school to probably the most fertile ground of basketball talent in the state--the Saginaw Valley Conference--really should be better at basketball.  True, the big schools take the top talent from that conference, but there are many good players that don't go DI or II that Alma should be able to pounce on.
 

That is a bit of a mystery. It wasn't always that way. Back in the 70's Alma had some excellent mid-Michigan talent on their roster and regularly gave Calvin fits--far more than the meek and mild-mannered Dutch who didn't beat Calvin once that entire decade (Oh, for the good old days! ).

Back then Alma always had at least one player (two in some years) on the All-MIAA team and that was back in the day when only 5 players were named, not the eight who make it now. Despite the expanded roster for the all-conference team, since Todd Blomquist in 1995, Alma has had only one person make All-MIAA in men's BB--Anthony Jones in 2004 and 2005. In the 1970's Willie Dawkins--a tough as nails power forward --was a staple on the all-conference team making it all four years he played. He and the Knights had some epic battles. Dan Stolz, a clever point guard and nephew of Denny Stolz, the then head football coach at MSU, was always a thorn in the flesh to Calvin and I believe it was Dan's freshmen year when Alma broke Calvin's 32 game conference winning streak up at Alma.

[NW Hope Fan]

Im not sure what you mean with "'encouraged/supported' the Stingers."

I meant what I "said". Just the rumors that coach either directly or "indirectly" helped the stingers "loosen up" before games...   

[Carl Yastrzemski]

Nate,

I am surprised you were able to even type the first letter for "That school out West." It looks like your counseling sessions are paying off. In three more years you might be able to add the second letter or even wear an orange shirt.

I don't think I will be able to make the game on Saturday. Hexman and I well, um, actually have a pretty nice little Saturday planned, we're going to go to Home Depot. Yeah, buy some wallpaper, maybe get some flooring, stuff like that. Maybe Bed, Bath, & Beyond, I don't know, I don't know if we'll have enough time.

I am a little diappointed I won't be there  Saturday to take a seat at the bottom of the bleachers by the Brits bench and hold a conversation with Coach Turner when he walks over and starts to chat with the coaches of the other sports teams and the admissions office representatives. Which usually starts to take place with about 9 minutes to go in the first half and will continue throughout the game. "Hey Carlton can you believe these officials today."

David put his hand in his bag and took out a stone; and he slung it...

GO BRITS beat  - - - - on Saturday

[bulldogalum]

+Karma to Carl for successfully integrating references to Old School and Hoosiers in the same post.

[Stinger]

Im not sure what you mean with "'encouraged/supported' the Stingers."

I meant what I "said". Just the rumors that coach either directly or "indirectly" helped the stingers "loosen up" before games...   

Those rumors are false.

[Harrier]

Nice fan support from Olivet, it was nice to see the pledges there looking and acting foolish.  Ah pledging where you act like a Middile schooler!

Is Calvin the only MIAA school without the Greek system?