MBB: Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association

[northb]

Civic Minded, I just passed all those pulled-over cars after Madison, too . . . never seen so many highway patrol cars working the same mile.

Wondering if I might get a ticket to the second game tonight, I went to the gym, and was redirected to the university box office in the "university store" (which I think was on Portage Avenue).  They said they were sold out.  When I asked where to park---explaining that I was from Michigan---the ticket manager overhead the conversation and said she had 2nd game tickets set aside for Hope, and happily sold me one (even after I said I didn't want to deprive any rabid Pointer fans of such . . . though presumably their hard core fans would have gotten tickets earlier). 

That was unexpectedly nice hospitality, I thought (and, after all, I guess it takes a serious fan to come all this way).

Or is he trying to deny tickets to Points' opponent?

[bulldogalum]

As a non-Calvin MIAA poster, you can rest assured that I will be rooting hard for the Dutchmen for the rest of their tournament run.  Each Hope win improves the perception of the MIAA, especially in what was considered to be a down year for the league.  Good luck, Dutchmen:  Win tonight, win tomorrow, and move on!

[HopeConvert]

Civic Minded, I just passed all those pulled-over cars after Madison, too . . . never seen so many highway patrol cars working the same mile.

Wondering if I might get a ticket to the second game tonight, I went to the gym, and was redirected to the university box office in the "university store" (which I think was on Portage Avenue).  They said they were sold out.  When I asked where to park---explaining that I was from Michigan---the ticket manager overhead the conversation and said she had 2nd game tickets set aside for Hope, and happily sold me one (even after I said I didn't want to deprive any rabid Pointer fans of such . . . though presumably their hard core fans would have gotten tickets earlier). 

That was unexpectedly nice hospitality, I thought (and, after all, I guess it takes a serious fan to come all this way).

I'm envious you get to experience such hospitality. Some of us are stuck back here in WM on kid duty. Mind you, I love my daughter: but mock trial!?! She better be a good lawyer some day.

[HopeConvert]

In Hope's Region, top left in the bracket, there are 8 teams that ended the season in the D3Hoops top 25.
In the bottom left region, there are 2.
In the top right region, there are 4.
In the bottom right region, there are 3.

Obviously, the D3hoops top 25 is an imperfect ranking, but nonetheless, our bracket appears to be the toughest. 

That does seem to be the case. Figuring Carroll beat Augustana and St. Thomas, that's half the top ten.

[HopeConvert]

Pointlem: I hope you enjoy the games tonight, and the one tomorrow night even more. If so we can look forward to some fun in Salem.

[scottiedawg]

In Hope's Region, top left in the bracket, there are 8 teams that ended the season in the D3Hoops top 25.
In the bottom left region, there are 2.
In the top right region, there are 4.
In the bottom right region, there are 3.

In the Massey Rankings top 25:
In Hope's region: 9
Bottom Left region: 3
Top Right: 2
Bottom Right: 2

Two different rankings, the same results, Hope's bracket (and the bracket of the #1 team) is the hardest by far.

[almcguirejr]

All sports conferences have reputations.  Therefore all the member schools of those various conferences are party to those reputations.  If you go to the MIAA women's chat room you will see an article recently posted by a USM fan.  According to that article the USM coach had instant respect for Calvin.  Why.  Because Hope beat his team last year in the finals.  All season long many posters here lamented how the MIAA was down this year, and the problems this was causing for qowi etc.  The MIAA was considered down because it did not do well against other conferences.  Cheer for whomever you choose.     My point is the better Hope does in the tournament the better it is for all MIAA teams.  If you don't agree, just ask yourself if it benefited (or hurt) UM or MSU or any Big 10 team when OSU got humiliated back on Jan 8th.  Perhaps part of the reason why prized Big 10 recruits bolt for OK, and USC was lack of respect for Big 10 football.  Success breds success. 

If Hope wins tonight, then I guess Alma will really feel better about those 3 40 point losses.  They can add some wording to the bottom of 2006-07 results page saying "3 of our losses were to an elite 8 team so those losses weren't so bad, our conference has a good reputation." 

If Hope loses tonight I guess we can expect some MIAA recruits to "bolt" to the WIAC or CCIW.  Those conferences with the "good reputations only got 1 team into the tournament"

Calvin was pretty mediocre all year long.  They never played 40 minutes of consistent basketball against a quality oppenent.  Nothing that Hope accomplishes will change that fact.

What Hope accomplishes the rest of the tournament will reflect on their team not the entire league.  We all witnessed some really underwhelming basketball this year.  A Hope run in the tournament would not change what I saw with my own 2 eyes.

I saw really good teams just 2 years ago in Calvin, Wheaton, and Albion in the NCAA tournament.  Those teams would have smoked anything I have seen this year.  Trying to fool yourself into thinking that 1 team's wins, make your team's losses look a little better, is like putting lipstick on a pig.

[bulldogalum]

Trying to fool yourself into thinking that 1 team's wins, make your team's losses look a little better, is like putting lipstick on a pig.

"I like pigs. Dogs look up to us. Cats look down on us. Pigs treat us as equals. "

Winston Churchill

[NW Hope Fan]

...like putting lipstick on a pig.

Something wrong with that???

[almcguirejr]

...like putting lipstick on a pig.

Something wrong with that???

Not at closing time. 

[SKOT]

Still several hours and counting...passed a car with UWSP in it's back window, and the adreniline kicked in big time.  So anxious for gametime, anxious to see how we stack up with Carroll, anxious to see the Dutchmen in action one more time.

This info will be too late for most posters/lurkers, but there's a huge speed trap on I-90 around Madison.  Luckily for this leadfoot, I was obeying the traffic rules fairly closely.  Six pull-overs in a mile have convinced me to continue my more cautious approach. 

Is it game time yet??

(Yea Culvers for my posting up fix...)

Don't get a speeding ticket in Wisconsin!  They are incredibly expensive.  While in high school, I got a ticket for going 24 over on the Chicago Skyway (59 in a 35, who knew the speedlimit dropped 20mph before the toll...) and paid $75.  My brother got one, IN WISCONSIN,  for going 22 over a week later and had to pay $295! 

SKOT:  When did they move the Chicago Skyway to Wisconsin?
Having traveled in WI it is never wise to be to aggresive speed wise on their roads.

Whoops.....I can't believe i posted it without a MAJOR detail!  It looks like its back to second grade grammar class for me...

P.S. Thanks for the catch

[almcguirejr]

Carroll 30
Hope   23

7:40 to go first half

Who is this screaming color commentator on Hope's Broadcast?

[almcguirejr]

Hope 35
Carroll 34

Hope on 10 - 0 run

Approx 4 minutes to go

[NW Hope Fan]

Who is this screaming color commentator on Hope's Broadcast?

Sounds a bit like the giggly dude from the Calvin SID's office from the other night! 

[realist]

Al:  Switch to the D3 site.  They are a little more objective.  Not that it really matters