MBB: Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association

[realist]

Sac:  Kudos for doing the fan poll.  Yes, it was fun, and not seeing some of the players at their best obviously impacts the results.  I really didn't see Veldhouse as a 1st teamer.  Perhaps it was my frustration that he didn't seem to show up in the games that Calvin lost.  
Tonight should be a lot of fun as well.  I also agree that the Albion/Adrian game could be the best of the lot.  If Desmond gets hot he will give Albion all they can handle, and I favor home court advantage in these tourney games.  Also if Kalamazoo plays defense like they did last Sat. they could take Tri-State to the wire as well.

[veragrace]

I've been on sportscenter....twice.

giddyup

Does it count if my work has been seen on Sportscenter but not me personally?  We print basketball pads for some NCAA and NBA teams.

[gohope]

In regards to the K game, the stats below are quite telling I think.  K hasn't won on the road AT ALL. 

RECORD:                OVERALL      HOME        AWAY       NEUTRAL
ALL GAMES...........   (5-18)      (4-6)       (0-9)       (1-3)
CONFERENCE..........   (3-11)      (3-4)       (0-7)       (0-0)
NON-CONFERENCE......   (2-7)       (1-2)       (0-2)       (1-3)

That doesn't mean that they can't, but for this year's record, bus rides are not favorable for the hornets.

[Flying Dutch Fan]

In regards to the K game, the stats below are quite telling I think.  K hasn't won on the road AT ALL. 

RECORD:                OVERALL      HOME        AWAY       NEUTRAL
ALL GAMES...........   (5-18)      (4-6)       (0-9)       (1-3)
CONFERENCE..........   (3-11)      (3-4)       (0-7)       (0-0)
NON-CONFERENCE......   (2-7)       (1-2)       (0-2)       (1-3)

That doesn't mean that they can't, but for this year's record, bus rides are not favorable for the hornets.

And they're playing a team that just lost it's first home game all year, which is why I picked the Thunder to win this one.  I must admit that sac's point about the 8 seniors playing for KZoo could be a factor.  I actually think this may be the game of the night.  Sorry Bulldogs, but I think Albion wins easily.

[realist]

By the time the conference games started back on Jan. 3rd it was fairly obvious that Hope was going to be the dominant team in the MIAA this season.  I know some Hope posters didn't want to get their hopes up, but by that time Calvin's weaknesses were evident.   None of the other teams had the talent or bench to compete with Hope.  Yes, GVW did a very good job with this years team, but the conference outcome really shouldn't have been a surprise to  anyone.    A key thing for Hope this year was they were able to get into a rotation early on, and there was no drama to drain energy away from the players.

[Flying Dutch Fan]

The new regional rankings are out.  Here are the Great Lakes rankings:

1  Lake Erie  23-2  19-1
2  Wooster  22-3  17-2
3  John Carroll  17-8  16-6
4  Hope  21-3  14-3
5  Ohio Northern  19-6  14-6
6  Wittenberg  21-4  16-4

[ChicagoHopeNut]

I really don't mean to start this conversation again this week so no one has to respond to this vent. But JCU with 6 losses is still ahead of Hope!!! 

[sac]

Hope's ranking within its region means almost nothing, they aren't going to host in any round, and they'll be playing teams from Wisconsin and Chicagoland.

Any team in the top 4 that loses its conference tournament is going to be a C candidate, basically there can't be more than 2 conference upsets and Hope should at least make the conversation for Pool C.


How about ONU with 2 fewer wins and 2 more losses to Witt..........ranked higher?


I expect next weeks rankings to look like this.............

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
........which is an even bigger joke than the actual rankings themselves.

[ChicagoHopeNut]

Hope's ranking within its region means almost nothing, they aren't going to host in any round, and they'll be playing teams from Wisconsin and Chicagoland.

Any team in the top 4 that loses its conference tournament is going to be a C candidate, basically there can't be more than 2 conference upsets and Hope should at least make the conversation for Pool C.


How about ONU with 2 fewer wins and 2 fewer losses to Witt..........ranked higher?


I expect next weeks rankings to look like this.............

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
........which is an even bigger joke than the actual rankings themselves.

HAHA, I'd give you karma if I could for that.

I guess that is why I still look at these rankings because I know if Hope gets upset in the MIAA tourney they are certainly not assured a Pool C bid. I think Hope has to make the championship game or it could have no chance.

[David Collinge]

How about ONU with 2 fewer wins and 2 fewer losses to Witt..........ranked higher?

ONU has a better QoWI than Witt, beat them head-to-head (by 17, not that that counts for anything), and has a better record vs. ranked opponents than Witt does.  They're both Pool C longshots at this point.

[epohog]

I really don't mean to start this conversation again this week so no one has to respond to this vent. But JCU with 6 losses is still ahead of Hope!!! 

I thought maybe the NCAA realized they made some driving distance mistakes after the fact to favor JCU...oh  yeah...nevermind

[AndersDY]

I don't think we'd want to see what would happen in a potential head-to-head matchup between each MIAA team and each OAC team this year. I'm certainly willing to believe Hope's 3 losses would be expanded if the conferences were swapped.

As long as we keep winning, we'll get our potential shot at JCU head to head though. Speaking of which, if we do get a JCU matchup down the road, is their pep band as super sweet as it was in 1998?

[HopeConvert]

I was surprised Caleb Veldhouse was a first team selection.  I know it was close between him and Meckes.  I happen to think Meckes had a better conference season than Veldhouse.  Caleb shot the ball poorly (36%).    Meckes only had 3 less assists in league games than Caleb did.  Caleb is a good player but so far I would have to say his play is not at the level it was last year.  I think Meckes will be picked as a first team all conference player by the Coaches.

That's my belief also. I think Veldhouse's game took a step back this year. Among other things, he didn't look as quick to me as he did last year.

Sac - I can't argue against your point concerning Smith. He almost certainly would not have put up those numbers had he been with any other team.

[kresgekrazy]

I am sooo pissed off right now - I have to work late and can't make it to Adrian's fieldhouse.  Probably a good thing.  

Nate Newton had a staring contest with the sun and won.

GO BRITS - And into the SSHOF goes Mr. Jeff Chadwick former WR of the Lions and his buddy Eddie Murray (who I once saw dropkick a basketball from half court through the hole - literally amazing)

Rumor in the coaching world is that the MSU Spartans are getting a verbal commitment from some kid out of Flint.  I don't know his name, but I guess he has a huge smile (literally an ear to ear grin).  Mutin, Mateen, ...Samsonite I was way off.  

[oldknight]

The new regional rankings are out.  Here are the Great Lakes rankings:

1  Lake Erie  23-2  19-1
2  Wooster  22-3  17-2
3  John Carroll  17-8  16-6
4  Hope  21-3  14-3
5  Ohio Northern  19-6  14-6
6  Wittenberg  21-4  16-4

I really don't mean to start this conversation again this week so no one has to respond to this vent. But JCU with 6 losses is still ahead of Hope!!! 

No one has mentioned this yet (maybe out of fear) but there is the possibility that the MIAA will go unrepresented in this year's NCAA's. I believe TSU's switch to D3 is not yet complete and they are ineligible for an NCAA bid. If they win the conference tourney and Hope fails to get a Pool C bid the MIAA will be shut out. That would quiet down this board in a hurry. On second thought it might outrage a few in Holland and make it noisier.