MBB: Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association

[GoKnights68]

Wash U was practicing a little tonight in the Fieldhouse.  They sure have a lot of all-around height.   Even their coach was huge.

[wolverinekeith]

Looks like Matt Veltema played his way into the starting lineup with a stellar showing Saturday against LSSU.
KVS told the esteemed members of the West Michigan media that he's opening with sophomore John Mantel at the 5, junior Tim Katt at the 4, sophomore Veltema at the 3, senior Derek Griffin at the 2, and junior Caleb Velthouse at the 1.
Look for Engelsma, Schuster and Smith to get a lot of minutes off the bench.

No Zoerhoef?  Strunk?  We all know how KVS loves those 9- or 10-man rotations. 

[Gregory Sager]

Passage led Hornets have gone into places like Wooster and Elhmurst and come away with wins. 

Yeah, but those wins were five years ago and three years ago, respectively. In Kalamazoo's last trip to Wooster (2005-06) the Hornets lost to the Scots by 18, and in their last trip to Elmhurst (last season) the Hornets lost to the Bluejays by 27. I was at that game at Elmhurst last December; believe me, it could've been a lot worse for Kalamazoo. The Bluejays basically dictated the final score.

Coaching is a "what have you done for me lately?" business, and while I believe that Rob Passage is a good coach (he's well-respected by every coach whom I've ever heard mention his name, and since he's an ex-Maroon I sorta root for him to succeed) the fact remains that his last four seasons have been losing ones. Since that win over Elmhurst in December of '04, the Hornets have not beaten a single team that's gone on to post a winning record.

Can they upset Wheaton this weekend? Sure. I've seen bigger upsets than that in my time. I just wouldn't get all Joe Namath about the possibility of it happening, the way that PicknRoll did last night.

[sac]

FDF, I agree that we don't want any possibility of a 5th Calvin-Hope game this year. So just in case Hope loses the first game, you'll have to bring your maroon and gold clothing so you can help prevent that fifth game possibility. 

I thought black was the in color this year. 

If you wear black FDF, you can't lose.  If Calvin wins the Calvin fans would be happy, and if they lose your dressed appropriately for the wake.


I'm sorry that was a .........nightmare of an attempt at levity.

[sac]

A momentary break from basketball.

T-Shirt seen in Ann Arbor:  "I'm thinking of trading in my Carr for one with Les Miles"

Back to basketball.

It should read "Fewer Miles,"  but I don't want to spoil the D-1 fun.

I don't care how many miles it has on it, as long as it knows off-tackle right is not a trick play, its not against the rules to hire a special teams coach, its not actually in the rule book that you have to be 10 points behind before you start attacking a defense, and finally that you don't get bonus points for dominating the time of posession. 

[Gregory Sager]

It'll be great for the MIAA if K-zoo beats Wheaton. I for one will be mighty surprised if it happens, but I'll be happy if it does. I think I'll be happy if the MIAA splits the MIAA/CCIW challenge. Any thoughts on that?

Here's the sked for the matchups (and possible matchups) between our two leagues this season, along with where the teams are picked in their respective preseason polls:

11/16: ⁶Kalamazoo @ ³Wheaton
11/16: ⁷Illinois Wesleyan vs. ³Tri-State
11/17: ⁷Illinois Wesleyan @ ⁴Albion *
11/30: ⁵Carthage @ ²Calvin
11/30: ³Wheaton vs. ¹Hope
12/1: ⁵Carthage vs. ¹Hope
12/1: ³Wheaton @ ¹Calvin
12/1: ⁸Alma @ ²Elmhurst
12/5: ³Tri-State @ ⁴North Park
12/18: ³Tri-State vs. ²Elmhurst
12/19: ¹Hope vs. ²Elmhurst

* possible second-round tourney matchup

[Gregory Sager]

Just for the heck of it, I've compiled the CCIW vs. MIAA results since Calvin, Carthage, Hope, and Wheaton started playing the CCIW/MIAA Classic three seasons ago. Since head-to-head totals can be misleading without actually seeing the teams involved, I'll give the full list of results:

2006-07

result	location
North Park 69, Kalamazoo 64	neutral
Wheaton 73, Calvin 62	neutral
Carthage 71, Hope 65	Carthage
Wheaton 73, Hope 70	neutral
Carthage 74, Calvin 54	Carthage
Elmhurst 74, Alma 66	Alma
Elmhurst 84, Kalamazoo 57	Elmhurst
Carthage 82, Olivet 63	neutral
Elmhurst 76, Albion 46	neutral
North Central 69, Albion 58	North Central
Illinois Wesleyan 94, Albion 80	Illinois Wesleyan

CCIW 11, MIAA 0 (@ CCIW 5-0, @ MIAA 1-0, neutral 5-0)

2005-06

result	location
Hope 70, Elmhurst 53	Hope
Hope 93, Wheaton 67	Hope
Calvin 82, Carthage 78	neutral
Calvin 84, Wheaton 64	neutral
Hope 75, Carthage 61	Hope
Elmhurst 88, Kalamazoo 78 (2 OT)	Kalamazoo
North Central 86, Adrian 63	Adrian
Elmhurst 64, Olivet 51	Elmhurst
Albion 74, Elmhurst 66	Albion

MIAA 6, CCIW 3 (@ CCIW 0-1, @ MIAA 4-2, neutral 2-0)

2004-05

result	location
Elmhurst 75, Hope 67	Elmhurst
Carthage 70, Hope 65	neutral
Wheaton 91, Calvin 87 (OT)	Wheaton
Calvin 83, Carthage 82 (OT)	neutral
Wheaton 76, Hope 57	Wheaton
Alma 73, Elmhurst 62	Alma
Kalamazoo 74, Elmhurst 72	Elmhurst
North Central 77, Adrian 62	North Central
North Central 79, Kalamazoo 62	North Central
Augustana 82, Hope 64	Hope
Calvin 75, Wheaton 74	Wheaton

CCIW 7, MIAA 4 (@ CCIW 5-2, @ MIAA 1-1, neutral 1-1)

OVERALL, 2004-05 thru 2006-07
CCIW 21, MIAA 10 (@ CCIW 11-2, @ MIAA 4-5, neutral 6-3)

The MIAA's last win over a CCIW team in a CCIW gym was the March 3, 2005 first-round tournament game in which Dan Aultman's jumper at the buzzer propelled Calvin to a 75-74 win over Wheaton in King Arena. The MIAA's last win over a CCIW team anywhere was Albion's 74-66 win over Elmhurst in Albion on December 29, 2005.

With at least ten, and possibly eleven, CCIW vs. MIAA games on tap for this season, I fully expect you MIAAers to break through with a win. It'll be interesting to see how the entire season series shakes out, though, not just the CCIW/MIAA Classic in Grand Rapids.

[cardinalpride]

Good work as usual GS!  I had no idea that the CCIW went 11-0 against the MIAA last season!

[oldknight]

An article on the Knights appears in today's online edition of the Holland Sentinel at the following link:

http://hollandsentinel.com/stories/111607/localsports_20071116059.shtml

Other than the usual Sentinel writing mistakes (for example, John Mantel has added 25 pounds not 25 points since last year), and if you can ignore an unusually silly introductory comment (Contempt may be left for opponents? ), it's a passable read. I did find it interesting that both Griffin and KVS noted that last year's team didn't really gel until they finally learned how to defend and how hard they had to play to be succesful at the college level.

[Dark Knight]

An article on the Knights appears in today's online edition of the Holland Sentinel at the following link:

http://hollandsentinel.com/stories/111607/localsports_20071116059.shtml

Other than the usual Sentinel writing mistakes (for example, John Mantel has added 25 pounds not 25 points since last year), and if you can ignore an unusually silly introductory comment (Contempt may be left for opponents? ), it's a passable read. I did find it interesting that both Griffin and KVS noted that last year's team didn't really gel until they finally learned how to defend and how hard they had to play to be succesful at the college level.

That article had a pointer to Babbitt's blog (http://blogs.hollandsentinel.com/alan/), which had some interesting additional details, such as a mention of the Knights' new "donder en bliksem" offense. Actually, that wasn't the term used, but perhaps it should have been.

Babbitt says he's going to write a preview for all the Knights' games. (Thus returning the favor by which the GR Press treats Hope games as home games??)

[Stinger]

Passage led Hornets have gone into places like Wooster and Elhmurst and come away with wins. 

Yeah, but those wins were five years ago and three years ago, respectively. In Kalamazoo's last trip to Wooster (2005-06) the Hornets lost to the Scots by 18, and in their last trip to Elmhurst (last season) the Hornets lost to the Bluejays by 27. I was at that game at Elmhurst last December; believe me, it could've been a lot worse for Kalamazoo. The Bluejays basically dictated the final score.

Coaching is a "what have you done for me lately?" business, and while I believe that Rob Passage is a good coach (he's well-respected by every coach whom I've ever heard mention his name, and since he's an ex-Maroon I sorta root for him to succeed) the fact remains that his last four seasons have been losing ones. Since that win over Elmhurst in December of '04, the Hornets have not beaten a single team that's gone on to post a winning record.

Can they upset Wheaton this weekend? Sure. I've seen bigger upsets than that in my time. I just wouldn't get all Joe Namath about the possibility of it happening, the way that PicknRoll did last night.

Greg, there's no doubt that the Hornets are enormous underdogs, @ Wheaton @ the Lee Pfund. Even Lee himself might guarantee an automatic strikeout.  Yeah those wins were a few years back.   We Hornet fans are just trying to get fired up for the season, and you're pulling  an agua fiestas on us.

So, even if you're given me a 1 in 1 million chance, like Lloyd Christmas, I'm saying there's a chance.

[CalvinChelseaMom]

An article on the Knights appears in today's online edition of the Holland Sentinel at the following link:

http://hollandsentinel.com/stories/111607/localsports_20071116059.shtml

Other than the usual Sentinel writing mistakes (for example, John Mantel has added 25 pounds not 25 points since last year), and if you can ignore an unusually silly introductory comment (Contempt may be left for opponents? ), it's a passable read. I did find it interesting that both Griffin and KVS noted that last year's team didn't really gel until they finally learned how to defend and how hard they had to play to be succesful at the college level.

Thanks for the link.  Ummm...yes...just a few errors here and there (in addition to the one mentioned, John Mantel is named "Josh").  I think the difficulty learning the defense last year was a big issue and, yes, the guys have learned they need to play hard all the time.  Hopefully, the will.

[YeomansWork]

YeomansWork, good to have you, don't forget about Academy1! It will be nice to chat to a few people about the hornets this year. If you know any other hornet fans out there put a calling out to them!

I realized I forgot a few Hornet fans that are still in fact around this post when I took another look through, and I apologize. I remember back in the day when a number of hornets were on here...where'd they all go?

So this karma's like a golf score? I seem to be one under after my first day.

and for the weekend...go hornets, go buckeyes!

[oldknight]

An article on the Knights appears in today's online edition of the Holland Sentinel at the following link:

http://hollandsentinel.com/stories/111607/localsports_20071116059.shtml

Other than the usual Sentinel writing mistakes (for example, John Mantel has added 25 pounds not 25 points since last year), and if you can ignore an unusually silly introductory comment (Contempt may be left for opponents? ), it's a passable read. I did find it interesting that both Griffin and KVS noted that last year's team didn't really gel until they finally learned how to defend and how hard they had to play to be succesful at the college level.

Thanks for the link.  Ummm...yes...just a few errors here and there (in addition to the one mentioned, John Mantel is named "Josh").  I think the difficulty learning the defense last year was a big issue and, yes, the guys have learned they need to play hard all the time.  Hopefully, the will.

I'm guessing that Babbit is confusing your son with Josh Tubergen, a similar type player who played for the Knights several years ago, and a key sub on Calvin's 2000 national championship team. Tubergen prepped at Holland Christian so the author may have had Tubes in the back of his mind when writing about John. The article also incorrectly mentioned Tim Katt as being from East Kentwood when he's actually from Wisconsin. All in all, an embarrassing "effort" by the Sentinel.

[ziggy]

An article on the Knights appears in today's online edition of the Holland Sentinel at the following link:

http://hollandsentinel.com/stories/111607/localsports_20071116059.shtml

Other than the usual Sentinel writing mistakes (for example, John Mantel has added 25 pounds not 25 points since last year), and if you can ignore an unusually silly introductory comment (Contempt may be left for opponents? ), it's a passable read. I did find it interesting that both Griffin and KVS noted that last year's team didn't really gel until they finally learned how to defend and how hard they had to play to be succesful at the college level.

Thanks for the link.  Ummm...yes...just a few errors here and there (in addition to the one mentioned, John Mantel is named "Josh").  I think the difficulty learning the defense last year was a big issue and, yes, the guys have learned they need to play hard all the time.  Hopefully, the will.

I'm guessing that Babbit is confusing your son with Josh Tubergen, a similar type player who played for the Knights several years ago, and a key sub on Calvin's 2000 national championship team. Tubergen prepped at Holland Christian so the author may have had Tubes in the back of his mind when writing about John. The article also incorrectly mentioned Tim Katt as being from East Kentwood when he's actually from Wisconsin. All in all, an embarrassing "effort" by the Sentinel.

Not to pile on, but he lists Matt Veltema as a Jr.