MBB: Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association

[almcguirejr]

I have to admit there were times I wasn't sure if KVS would get this years team to gel, but it seems to have happened, and not a minute to soon.

It will take a conference tournament title to get this Calvin team in the national tournament but with last night's game, they can look at this being a pretty good year.  From where they were earlier in the season to the game they played last night, you have to recognize the effort of all the coaches and players involved.

I agree that we have made some progress and right now I would consider us as a decent team.  We're playing better defensively but our halfcourt offense is weak.  It is very important that we take the confidence we have right now and continue to build on it.
We must come out against Olivet with intensity.  This team has not won 4 games in a row yet this year.  We need to finish 3-0. 

[AndersDY]

One little trivia tidbit no one else has asked about yet, but when was the last time Hope and Calvin swapped home court advantages for the 2 regular season matchups? I just checked results back to 2001 and have not seen a year where Hope won at Knollcrest and then lost at home, does anyone know when that has happened before?

[almcguirejr]

For some interesting stuff about Calvin-Hope go here. Thank Pat Coleman for this.

http://www.doubleazone.com/on_the_road/

[almcguirejr]

I told my brother to check out Glen's socks last night.

He told me those were tights. 

[GoKnights68]

I really don't get why one of the local news channels said Calvin is back in the hunt for the MIAA title.  There is just no way Hope will lose 2 more league games with 3 games to go.  They beat Adrian last time by 39 points at Adrian, and I am sure they will come fired up on Saturday.

Also remember Calvin made the big tourney last year with one loss in the league and not winning the miaa tourney.  I think Hope will easily get in as long as they get to the miaa tourney finals.  Calvin will have to win it of course to get in.

For MVP, I really don't see anyone else besides DVS or Cramer getting mvp.  Who else would get it?

[GoKnights68]

For some interesting stuff about Calvin-Hope go here. Thank Pat Coleman for this.

http://www.doubleazone.com/on_the_road/

Shortly after arriving on the campus of Hope College this morning, I had the opportunity to sit down with the energetic mayor of Holland, Albert McGeehan. A Hope graduate, Mayor McGeehan speaks about the rivalry between Hope and Calvin and proudly displays the "Golden Gavel," which is retained by the victorious school after each round of men's and women's basketball games.


So both mens and womens team have to knock of their opponent for their school to obtain the Golden Gavel, is that correct?  So if Hope women win Saturday, it stays in Hope(has it been there since last year?), and if Calvin women win, it finally goes to Calvin?  Do MIAA and NCAA tourney match-ups count?

[Dutch_Man]

Last night was a hard night for all of us Hope fans but I am trying to remain positive. I truly believe that this came will light a fire under Hopes team and drive them the rest of the season! I think they needed to realize (again) that they can be beat if they don't play well. I would much rather lose this game than one down the road in about 10 days or anytime after that. Sure this lose to Calvin probably cost Hope the chance to host the first weekend of the national tournament at home (if they get in) but I would much rather be ready and more mentally prepared because of this lose for if (and when) we travel to Illinois or Ohio for the NCAA tournament.

On Saturday I am Hoping to see a very determined Hope Team, a team that we saw in the first half of the MIAA season. This Hope team has to much talent to just fizzle out now!

[oldknight]

I really don't get why one of the local news channels said Calvin is back in the hunt for the MIAA title.  There is just no way Hope will lose 2 more league games with 3 games to go.  They beat Adrian last time by 39 points at Adrian, and I am sure they will come fired up on Saturday.

Also remember Calvin made the big tourney last year with one loss in the league and not winning the miaa tourney.  I think Hope will easily get in as long as they get to the miaa tourney finals.  Calvin will have to win it of course to get in.

For MVP, I really don't see anyone else besides DVS or Cramer getting mvp.  Who else would get it?

I don't think the local TV guys pay as much attention we do to such details as the actual records of the two schools and the games left to be played. They only know that Calvin trailed Hope going into the game and--knowing the history of this rivalry--they just assume that Calvin has now closed the gap enough to be in the hunt when in reality we all know Hope has the crown pretty much wrapped up.

As for MVP, Cramer has to be the heavy favorite. Despite last night's game he's still the best player on the championship team, he does everything well, he's not a showboat and he's a senior. IMHO an MVP award would be a justified culmination to a player who has had a very good career.

[ziggy]

Also remember Calvin made the big tourney last year with one loss in the league and not winning the miaa tourney.  I think Hope will easily get in as long as they get to the miaa tourney finals.  Calvin will have to win it of course to get in.

Remember, the league was much better last year with Calvin and Hope both being tournament caliber teams and Albion barely on the outside looking in.  Strength of schedule can make a huge difference, despite what just looking at the records might say.  I think Hope has a little bit of a buffer from the teams ranked 5th and 6th in the region but their margin for error closed significantly with last night's loss.  As someone said earlier, if Hope doesn't win the MIAA tourney, it will come down to how the other conference tournaments play out.  If there are other upsets there might not be room for everybody.

[sac]

One little trivia tidbit no one else has asked about yet, but when was the last time Hope and Calvin swapped home court advantages for the 2 regular season matchups? I just checked results back to 2001 and have not seen a year where Hope won at Knollcrest and then lost at home, does anyone know when that has happened before?

My jaw dropped when I figured this one out

1957

Calvin 64, Hope 61  at Hope
Hope 89, Calvin 62   at Calvin

Pretty sure this was pre-Calvin Fieldhouse

..........I believe Oldknight played in those games, maybe he could provide details.

[ziggy]

My jaw dropped when I figured this one out

1957

Calvin 64, Hope 61  at Hope
Hope 89, Calvin 62   at Calvin

Pretty sure this was pre-Calvin Fieldhouse

..........I believe Oldknight played in those games, maybe he could provide details.

The agreement to purchase the Knollcrest farm was in 1956, construction began that year.  I'm guessing it may have been the first Calvin/Hope game in the fieldhouse.

[AndersDY]

One little trivia tidbit no one else has asked about yet, but when was the last time Hope and Calvin swapped home court advantages for the 2 regular season matchups? I just checked results back to 2001 and have not seen a year where Hope won at Knollcrest and then lost at home, does anyone know when that has happened before?

My jaw dropped when I figured this one out

1957

Actually that doesn't surprise me a lot. Calvin in particular has held home court serve pretty well in the series so generally in the rare year where Hope can actually pull out a victory on the road, it's a near certainty that they're good enough to win when they have home court. And of course there's a span of better than a decade in there that we knew we could throw out of the equation.

That just makes last night's outcome all the more shocking and depressing, particularly given that this year's win at Knollcrest wasn't some fluke or a game that Hope only won because they played out of their minds.

[almcguirejr]

My jaw dropped when I figured this one out

1957

Calvin 64, Hope 61  at Hope
Hope 89, Calvin 62   at Calvin

Pretty sure this was pre-Calvin Fieldhouse

..........I believe Oldknight played in those games, maybe he could provide details.

The agreement to purchase the Knollcrest farm was in 1956, construction began that year.  I'm guessing it may have been the first Calvin/Hope game in the fieldhouse.

I think the fieldhouse opened in 1964

[ziggy]

My jaw dropped when I figured this one out

1957

Calvin 64, Hope 61  at Hope
Hope 89, Calvin 62   at Calvin

Pretty sure this was pre-Calvin Fieldhouse

..........I believe Oldknight played in those games, maybe he could provide details.

The agreement to purchase the Knollcrest farm was in 1956, construction began that year.  I'm guessing it may have been the first Calvin/Hope game in the fieldhouse.

I think the fieldhouse opened in 1964

http://www.calvin.edu/building/details/project/fieldhouse

[oldknight]

One little trivia tidbit no one else has asked about yet, but when was the last time Hope and Calvin swapped home court advantages for the 2 regular season matchups? I just checked results back to 2001 and have not seen a year where Hope won at Knollcrest and then lost at home, does anyone know when that has happened before?

My jaw dropped when I figured this one out

1957

Calvin 64, Hope 61  at Hope
Hope 89, Calvin 62   at Calvin

Pretty sure this was pre-Calvin Fieldhouse

..........I believe Oldknight played in those games, maybe he could provide details.

I remember the loss better than the win. It was my senior year at the old Grand Rapids Civic Auditorium and my last game against the Dutch (please note my use of gender-inclusive language--now you know why my friends always refer to me as "Mr. Sensitivity"). Early in the game in one injudicious aside to Hope coach Russ DeVette, and in a foolish attempt to trash talk the Hope bench (I wasn't the mature OldKnight you know me to be today), I mentioned that Hope center Paul Benes appeared to be playing in wooden shoes. The referee (Todd Geerlings' grandfather) overheard the conversation and tossed me. With no one left to get Tom Newhof the ball, Benes had his way in the paint and Hope dominated the rest of the way. Like the 65' game the Knights got ripped by the officials but I think it was the moxie I showed before leaving the game that got the 10 Kronemeyer sisters interested in me.