MBB: Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association

[GoKnights68]

I think the key for Calvin tonight is to control DVS.   He can be deadly from the 3-point line and can lay a dagger in the opposing team.  Calvin also has got to keep getting it down low on offense....Also not panick if they get behind.   

I asked this earlier, is this a record...a Calvin-Hope match-up for 8th time in 2 seasons?

[Preto]

Can anyone explain how women's opportunities are reduced by using men at practice? Is the NCAA saying that using men reduces the practice time that would go to women and, therefore, this constitutes invidious discrimination?

Do any coaches (men's team) bring in five or six post-collegiate basketball players to practice against their varsity while the other 7-8 team members shoot free throws or just watch?

[oldknight]

I have to disagree. Meckes is the closest thing to a lockdown defender.

Well stated knights2000. I will add this. Meckes is a lockdown post defender; VanderHeide is a lockdown perimeter defender. Overall I probably would take Josh first because he is more versatile, is a better rebounder and knows how to defend without getting into foul trouble. He is the only person who could give Brandon Crawford fits.

Meckes is a good defender, but has he shown that this year?  Don't get me wrong, I actually put Meckes high on my fan poll voting (well above Caleb) but the only person to give Crawford fits?  Seems that the numbers don't support that.

Crawford numbers last year:

vs. Hope (3 games) averaged 19 points, 10 rebounds

vs. Calvin (2 gameS) averaged 15 points, 10 rebounds

In the game at the Fieldhouse last year Meckes did the best job I've ever seen on Crawford and Josh basically did it with one-on-one defense. Crawford ended the game with 12 points, 9 boards and 9 turnovers. Meckes frustrated the daylights out of Brandon who scored half his points in the last 6 minutes of the game after Calvin had built a 20 point lead and with Josh watching from the bench.

[ChicagoHopeNut]

Big games today. Outside of my obvious rooting interest in Hope. I think its also a day to pull for all the higher ranked GL region teams. So go Lake Erie, Wooster, and John Carrol as well.

[oldknight]

Looking at todays game it may well come down to the play of the M's.  Josh Meckes, Marcus Vh, and John Mantel.  If Meckes plays his normal game defensively,  rebounds, and Mantel plays close to his potential it causes Hope all kinds of problems.  If Marcus has the career game he is capable of having he causes problems for Calvin.  Playing an outside game favors Hope.

GVW is probably right on the 4 times in one year, but do you eliminate the Van Andel matchup or the conference tournament? 

I agree completely with Glenn on this. The obvious way to reduce the chances that the two schools play each other too often is to eliminate the Select Bank (or whatever bank it is right now) Classic. Even though this year was, I think, the first time ever that Calvin and Hope played each other in this event, IMHO this event has outlived its usefulness and should be axed from the schedule. Both schools already have Aquinas on their schedules anyway and I would rather see Calvin use that weekend to schedule matchups with other D3 opponents from the OAC and NCAC among others.

[KnightSlappy]

I have to disagree. Meckes is the closest thing to a lockdown defender.

Well stated knights2000. I will add this. Meckes is a lockdown post defender; VanderHeide is a lockdown perimeter defender. Overall I probably would take Josh first because he is more versatile, is a better rebounder and knows how to defend without getting into foul trouble. He is the only person who could give Brandon Crawford fits.

Meckes is a good defender, but has he shown that this year?  Don't get me wrong, I actually put Meckes high on my fan poll voting (well above Caleb) but the only person to give Crawford fits?  Seems that the numbers don't support that.

Crawford numbers last year:
vs. Hope (3 games) averaged 19 points, 10 rebounds
vs. Calvin (2 gameS) averaged 15 points, 10 rebounds

Crawford averaged 22.1 points per game last year. Calvin held him to 14.5 last year.  I would call that fits.  And for the record BC averaged 10.3 rebounds vs Hope and 10.0 against Calvin.  Not a big difference but if you want to talk numbers, you have to talk numbers.

[oldknight]

Can anyone explain how women's opportunities are reduced by using men at practice? Is the NCAA saying that using men reduces the practice time that would go to women and, therefore, this constitutes invidious discrimination?

Do any coaches (men's team) bring in five or six post-collegiate basketball players to practice against their varsity while the other 7-8 team members shoot free throws or just watch?

I don't know but if there is a coach out there who thinks doing so would help his team prepare I'm sure he would.

[gohope]

Better late than never, but here are some notes from last night:

*  In case you weren't at the game, former MIAA Commissioner Al Deal has been hospitalized and is not doing well.  A moment for people to keep him in their thoughts and prayers was held before both games. 

*  As it has been mentioned, the 1st wave was just not very sharp duirng the 1st half, but ohhhh the half time chat must have woken them up!

*  I wish I could have seen the reply of the first foul against Stephen Cramer. The Ghost of Stephen Cramer lives once again with the stripes as the foul was on Scott Richardson, but the stripes must have just seen the new movie "23" and thought, hmmmm, 22 sounds close enough!

*  And I thought of my dad last night as Adrian's #21 was all over Tyler Wolfe.  Dad's old cheer was, "Give him a saddle and let him ride!"

*  Did you notice during the Hope/Adrian game where the Calvin coaches and players were sitting? Yep, right next to the Hope Dancers!   

*  Thanks to the Hope Ladies Basketball team members for coming to the game and cheering the guys on!  Good luck to you this afternoon in your game!

*  Did anyone notice that when Adrian's #40 would get a rebound, he almost did his own special stand in place dance routine as he wasn't ever sure where to pass it. Kinda like the stand in place version of the Hokey Pokey, "You hold the ball and turn left, You hold the ball and turn right, You hold the ball and turn left, etc...

*  And for the rest of the game, I like many others stood in line for tickets for tonight's game!!! Thank God we sit on the opposite side of that buzzer, Holy Cow that's loud! 

[sac]

I asked this earlier, is this a record...a Calvin-Hope match-up for 8th time in 2 seasons?

Well its only the 3rd time they've played 4 times and this is two years in a row.

So yes, its a record.  (warning:  snide comment of the day........Don't they teach reasoning and deduction over there?)



maybe one more for good measure

[gohope]

maybe one more for good measure

I think that last one put you over the .66666666666666666 level and without a doubt you must now round up!   

[sac]

Even Flat Stanley rounds up 

[diehardfan]

I agree completely with Glenn on this. The obvious way to reduce the chances that the two schools play each other too often is to eliminate the Select Bank (or whatever bank it is right now) Classic. Even though this year was, I think, the first time ever that Calvin and Hope played each other in this event, IMHO this event has outlived its usefulness and should be axed from the schedule. Both schools already have Aquinas on their schedules anyway and I would rather see Calvin use that weekend to schedule matchups with other D3 opponents from the OAC and NCAC among others.

*Standing ovation*

Bravo! Bravo!

[sac]

I agree completely with Glenn on this. The obvious way to reduce the chances that the two schools play each other too often is to eliminate the Select Bank (or whatever bank it is right now) Classic. Even though this year was, I think, the first time ever that Calvin and Hope played each other in this event, IMHO this event has outlived its usefulness and should be axed from the schedule. Both schools already have Aquinas on their schedules anyway and I would rather see Calvin use that weekend to schedule matchups with other D3 opponents from the OAC and NCAC among others.

The Grand Rapids Sports Hall of Fame might disagree     I really think they need to rethink the format, I think they'd be much better served to make it a "challenge" like the CCIW/MIAA challenge.........invite 2 good D3 programs to play Hope one night Calvin the next.

But then again.........how many schools really want to tackle that animal?

[HopeConvert]

Hope-Calvin, Take 3... wish I could be there!!! 

Take 4 actually, and for the second year in a row.

Quote from GVW in the Sentinel this morning.

"That's too many times ... it really is," Hope coach Glenn Van Wieren said. "The tradition of this game gets diluted when you play each other four times. That's a lot of games to play one team."

I love H-C games as much as anyone but I have to agree, this is the 10th game between these two in 24 months, and 8th in 13 months.

Amen.

Of course, if it were up to me, there wouldn't be a conference tournament.

[oldknight]

I agree completely with Glenn on this. The obvious way to reduce the chances that the two schools play each other too often is to eliminate the Select Bank (or whatever bank it is right now) Classic. Even though this year was, I think, the first time ever that Calvin and Hope played each other in this event, IMHO this event has outlived its usefulness and should be axed from the schedule. Both schools already have Aquinas on their schedules anyway and I would rather see Calvin use that weekend to schedule matchups with other D3 opponents from the OAC and NCAC among others.

The Grand Rapids Sports Hall of Fame might disagree     I really think they need to rethink the format, I think they'd be much better served to make it a "challenge" like the CCIW/MIAA challenge.........invite 2 good D3 programs to play Hope one night Calvin the next.

But then again.........how many schools really want to tackle that animal?

Sac: the problem with what you suggest is that the locals who set up this event only want West Michigan area teams in order to generate the largest possible fan base for the games. I don't think they want to set up this event with two out-of-state teams who would bring in fewer than 100 (maybe fewer than 50) of their own fans. Also, if they would do a challenge along the lines of the CCIW/MIAA event, that would mean Grand Rapids would only host the event every other year because I don't think the same teams would likely agree to do this without a  long term home-and-home agreement in place. I don't think the GR Hall of Fame would ever agree to host the event if it were an every other year deal. That's why I say the current format has outlived its usefulness. I think Calvin and Hope would be better off bagging their participation in the current event and creating their own with another conference such as the WIAC, OAC, or NCAC. If they did that they could alternate the current home-and-home they have with the CCIW so that when they were traveling to the CCIW school in early December they would be at home during the Thanksgiving weekend and vice versa. With Calvin's new arena scheduled to be ready for the 2008-09 year both schools' venues are attractive choices when the games would be played in West Michigan.