MBB: Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association

[KnightSlappy]

Just to add to the confusion, D3hoops has Carthage as in-region for Calvin.
Roanoke is not in-region for Hope.

D3hoops lists Wheaton as in region for Calvin but Carthage as out-of-region.

Microsoft MapPoint (the NCAA's official map program) list Calvin to Wheaton as 201.7 miles using the shortest distance.

[HopeConvert]

Just to add to the confusion, D3hoops has Carthage as in-region for Calvin.
Roanoke is not in-region for Hope.

D3hoops lists Wheaton as in region for Calvin but Carthage as out-of-region.

Microsoft MapPoint (the NCAA's official map program) list Calvin to Wheaton as 201.7 miles using the shortest distance.

And Calvin to Carthage as 79 miles. Estimated time: 8 hours and 44 minutes.

[SKOT]

Interesting score in the Chicago Tribune's sports section today...

Calvin 68, Wheaton, Mass. 69. 

If someone could tell me how this fits in the master plan, I would really like to hear it.  Why would a school play a game so secret that only the Chicago Tribune's crack staff gets the results?!?  I was going to post a picture of it, but my camera is out of batteries.  Will try again w/ a full charge~

[northb]

Interesting score in the Chicago Tribune's sports section today...

Calvin 68, Wheaton, Mass. 69. 

If someone could tell me how this fits in the master plan, I would really like to hear it.  Why would a school play a game so secret that only the Chicago Tribune's crack staff gets the results?!?  I was going to post a picture of it, but my camera is out of batteries.  Will try again w/ a full charge~

Ah--see that's why we lost, we played one....er, no two! two Wheaton games in the same day.  And the wrong scouting report, yeah... that's the ticket.  And then there's Morgan Fairchild...

[gohope]

Congratulations on being rewarded for his play this past weekend, and throughout the early season:

MIAA Player of the Week - Hope senior forward Marcus Vanderheide

[hopehoopfan]

Buried in snow in Northern LP and not going to attempt a trip south . Hope someone out there will be attending the Hope JV game against Davenport in Caledonia. If you do, please give a summary, THANKS!

[HopeConvert]

Just to add to the confusion, D3hoops has Carthage as in-region for Calvin.
Roanoke is not in-region for Hope.

D3hoops lists Wheaton as in region for Calvin but Carthage as out-of-region.

Microsoft MapPoint (the NCAA's official map program) list Calvin to Wheaton as 201.7 miles using the shortest distance.

Not if Calvin would take the ferry and travel to Wheaton that way. Then it would be about 140 miles, according to MapPoint.

Also, if you run the MapPoint software, asking for shortest route from Calvin to Carthage it suggests that you take the ferry. If you run it from Carthage to Calvin, it sends you around the lake. Meanwhile, it suggests the ferry both ways if you are traveling between Hope and Carthage. A dead horse, I know, but it may come up again as an issue, and I hope at some point reason rules the day on this, particularly given the unreliability (inconsistency of results) of MapPoint. NCAA - are you listening?

[almcguirejr]

J. Mantel (and any other player) will only get better by being on the floor, making plays, learning, and having some fun.

You get better during practice.  Playing time is a reward for what is accomplished there.

Calvin is very inexperienced along the front line.  Kaat, Veltema, Mantel, Engelsma, Schuster have had some decent stretches of play but have not been consistent.

[bulldogalum]

You ought to get better every time you step on the floor, be it practice or game.  Each time you're on that floor is a valuable learning experience, and although game time is a reward for hard work in practice, I wouldn't be so quick to dismiss the ability to improve through game experience.

[realist]

 

AL:  Guess this is one we are going to disagree on.  As BDalum is quick to point out you gain experience by practice, and playing.  Why is it you single out frontline players as inexperienced, but not gaurds.  The real point is look at the numbers, playing time, and performance by AQ, Carthage, and Wheaton frontline players.  Position for position you have guys playing many more minutes than Calvin's players are posting.  J. Mantel has learned nothing sitting on the bench against AQ, Carthage or Wheaton.  I still think he would be a much better player, and his performance would improve if he got 30 minutes playing time like the guards are getting.  I also feel that having him sit on the bench is having a very negative impact on his self confidence.  How can the team gel as a starting unit when the playing time varies so greatly? 

[Flying Dutch Fan]

I also feel that having him sit on the bench is having a very negative impact on his self confidence.  How can the team gel as a starting unit when the playing time varies so greatly? 

I think that hits the nail on the head.  For most of these guys, their talent and/or ability is not the question.  It's all about confidence - both self-confidence, and maybe more importantly, the confidence the coach has in them.  Having a guy like Mantel sitting on the bench during crunch time (including 2 overtime periods) is sending a message (whether it's intended or not). 

Some of us Hope fans struggled with our coach sending a confidence message to the end of the bench on Saturday versus Carthage.  Watching the lead disappear, I know I was too quick to think the starters needed to be put back in.  To do that would have blown any confidence for the players on the floor (although as a fan I would have been more comfortable with the starters back in and winning by a larger margin).  Somewhere down the road, the bit of confidence the coach displayed in his bench will have some payback.

[realist]

Thanks FDF: +k to you for saying what I was struggling to get across.  I don't want to get down on KVS, but think he has fallen into a pattern of behavior that is proving very counterproductive.  I tried to make the point last week using the boxscore, and comparing who got playing time, their production etc. with those who sat on the bench.  KVS has repeatedly said how integral J Mantel is to the team, but then sits him on the bench.  This shortcoming was very glaring in the AQ game, and you picked up on it then.
AQ beat Calvin using their starters who all played lots of minutes.  If a person deserves to be a starter they should be getting the bulk of the playing time at that position.  All the combinations of players on the floor hasn't made Calvin better nor has it won games.

[oldknight]

I believe posters on this board need to take a more long-term, realistic view of what is going on with Calvin's team. When KVS is coaching his team during these pre-conference games he is not doing poorly considered, mystifying player rotations. He is both teaching lessons to his players and he is trying to find out which player rotations seem to work and which ones don't. KVS has proven year after year that his teams are considerably better in February and March than they are in November and December. The Knights have a veteran backcourt and a less experienced front line. Those two facts are evident right now because, currently, he is getting far more consistency from his backcourt than from his front line. These front line players are pretty young yet but they are very talented. Give me talent that needs molding any day--especially if KVS is coaching it. We also have to remember that these kids have other lives too--like preparing for exams. They don't eat and sleep Calvin hoops like certain obsessive posters (like OK). Most have a heavy load of schoolwork right now so let's cut them some slack. Let's see how this team develops over time and not assume that every loss is a setback. These are learning experiences that I believe will pay dividends down the road. As much fun as it would be to beat Wheaton by 30, the Knights are learning a lot more by playing in close games against good teams. I'm not discouraged at all and others shouldn't be either.

[sac]

What message was Bosko Djurickovic sending to his bench when he left his starters on the floor for the final 3 minutes of a 20 point ball game to face Hope's cleared bench? (rhetorical)


It sounded ugly on the radio and looking back, Hope's final 3 minutes included

1-4 FT shooting (including missing front end of 2 1-1's), 3 turnovers, committing 2 fouls and getting 1 offensive shot.  While Carthage went 4-8 from 3 and outscore Hope 15-4.

[Titan Q]

D3Hoops.com Top 25 voter here with a ballot due today.  I would like your input...

Who should be rated higher this week, Hope or Calvin? I'm not necessarily looking for which team is expected to be the best by late January, but rather which is the best team today.

Also, projecting each team at its best, how would you slot Wheaton on a ballot vs Hope and Calvin (Who is 1, 2, and 3?)

Your unbiased analysis is appreciated.