MBB: Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association

[ChicagoHopeNut]

for the past four or five years, the Knights have struggled early and then put together a nice run once Feb/March rolls around.  While this is nice, it is also puzzling at the same time.  What makes them struggle during the first half and then thrive the last couple of weeks???  KVS always has something up his sleeve for the boys to learn.  tonight was no exception.  a "well timed" technical sends a message much greater than losing one game to a solid team in Albion...it is preparing the boys for the future...teaching them to play with passion and desire.  i recently read an article on espn.com about rick majerus and would recommend it to all; very well written and i can see some of the same qualities in KVS that Majerus has...the ornery almost pissed off attitude all the time, striving for perfection, always teaching, always competing.  the knights are definitely on the verge...how many times will griffin score 2 points???  how many times will our depth be matched...very few.  Time to step it up for good and be men, take it to the opponent, either Hope or Alma.  we lack that punch, that attitude, when we find that though, we can be scary good, nationally competing good (sorry Hopesters, you don't have the depth we do). 

the year goes on

While I agree that at times a technical and close loss can help a team as much as a win I certainly doubt that was KVS approach yesterday

Despite Calvin"s struggles yesterday was only their second regional loss! Yes! Thanks to the NCAA"s regional system Hope and Calvin were actually tied in the loss column up until yesterday. So while its unlikely its not totally impossible that Calvin could get a pool C bid. I think its unlikely because despite just 2 losses Calvin still lacks the quality in-region wins that Hope has.

All that to say that I rarely think a tough in-region loss is good.

But we have th potential for 3-5 quality in region wins before the season is over

Absolutely. No offense to Calvin but I think the fact they still stand a good chance of getting an at large bid so long as they win out in conference play (maybe with one loss to Hope) and then get to the conference championship game speaks volumes to the oddness of the regional ranking system.

[ChicagoHopeNut]

gk68:  Obviously you have forgotten the HOF game at the fieldhouse in Nov of 06  

I think that is a game all Calvin fans would want to forget. But Calvin usually plays Hope tightly during the conference season.

While there is little question that Hope has been the better team this year I really think Calvin has at least a 50-50 chance of winning this game. I might even favor them. Can't really pinpoint why. Just a gut fear/feeling I have about this game.

[Erm Schmigget]

(sorry Hopesters, you don't have the depth we do). 

I disagree.  Hope's bench is more productive than Calvin's, without a doubt.  The one player you might point to in rebuttal is Kratz, with only 1.4 ppg.  But he is tied with MVH to lead the team in blocked shots, and helps create enough scoring opportunities for his teammates for Hope to be comfortable with him in there.  Not counting Kratz (because he's a bit of an anomoly), the scoring for Hope's next five off the bench slows by only 13%, while Calvin's slows by 51%.  Looking at the last 4 off the bench for these teams, Hope again comes out ahead.

MWK, I like your enthusiasm in supporting your team, but your glasses appear to be tinted a little too much.  

Here's a thought: Hope's bench may be more productive than Calvin's, but who will use their bench most effectively: KVS, or GVW?  In past years, I would quickly say KVS, but GVW has used his bench more this year, and has benefitted well from it.

[Civic Minded]

This Saturday's game is what we've all been waiting for since last March.   

I'm already excited and fearful at the same time.  I'm just not comfortable with a Calvin team that hasn't quite found it's stride yet.  Somehow, the rivalry is all they need to get going, and they will be more than ready by Saturday.  As with any rivalry game, I don't think there's a clear favorite.  And as with any rivalry game, I'm going to need a fresh supply of Tums and orange Tootsie Pops.     (Yes Sac, I'll try very hard to remember them -- one for each half, and one, God forbid, for overtime.)     Someone told me once I'm supposed to enjoy the tension, buildup, and close games.  So far, I haven't figured out quite how to do that!   

I am, however, blessed to be holding a ticket for Saturday's game.  I'm wondering though, how many fewer tickets (total) are available due to the construction?  And if I get there early enough for the start of the jv game, will there be parking close enough to avoid the shuttle?  Or is all parking gone at this point?  Thanks in advance!

[GoKnights68]

gk68:  Obviously you have forgotten the HOF game at the fieldhouse in Nov of 06  

Yeah right after I posted that, I remembered that game.  It shouldn't be an excuse, but it just wasn't the same atmosphere as a normal Calvin-Hope game.  People were dead quiet the whole game with barely any students.  Hope was clearly the better team that day, though.  Hope also beat Calvin pretty bad in the 2006 MIAA tourney finals at the field house. 

Despite having a 11-16 record vs Hope, I still think KVS does a solid job of having his boys ready for the Game for the most part.

[GoKnights68]

This Saturday's game is what we've all been waiting for since last March.   

I'm already excited and fearful at the same time.  I'm just not comfortable with a Calvin team that hasn't quite found it's stride yet.  Somehow, the rivalry is all they need to get going, and they will be more than ready by Saturday.  As with any rivalry game, I don't think there's a clear favorite.  And as with any rivalry game, I'm going to need a fresh supply of Tums and orange Tootsie Pops.     (Yes Sac, I'll try very hard to remember them -- one for each half, and one, God forbid, for overtime.)     Someone told me once I'm supposed to enjoy the tension, buildup, and close games.  So far, I haven't figured out quite how to do that!   

I am, however, blessed to be holding a ticket for Saturday's game.  I'm wondering though, how many fewer tickets (total) are available due to the construction?  And if I get there early enough for the start of the jv game, will there be parking close enough to avoid the shuttle?  Or is all parking gone at this point?  Thanks in advance!

Well the whole upper-deck of one side of the court(the side behind the Calvin student section) is closed off.  That's pretty much one/fifth of the seating there closed off, although I'm sure it will still be very loud!

The shuttle has changed locations.  It was previously going to be at the Prince Center, now it's going to still be across the Beltline, but more north, directly across from Boer-Bennink hall (the best hall).  I should, or somebody else should, be getting more information in our emails and we'll copy and paste onto the board so you know exactly where to go for the shuttle. 

If you don't mind walking in the cold, and get their early enough, then you should find some parking spaces in the normal West lot.

I just recommend getting there a little earlier than usual than past years.  The start of the JV will be a good time.

[hopefan]

Just confirmed that the Hope-Calvin game is on CSTV channel 610 on DirecTV

Nice to be able to DVR, watch my local D3 game live, then come home to watch THE game in my living room  --any St Louis people who are missing the Ozzie's showing, take note of this opportunity.

[Stinger]

I sure wish the Calvin and Hope teams are thinking like this board come Wednesday night.

[MWKnight]

great point stinger- i am reminded of a certain football rivalry game this fall that the illini and badgers urinated on the week before

[HopeConvert]

Like DCHN, I'm quite apprehensive about this game. The one game this year where Calvin brought its "A" game, against Wash U (with Wallis), they proved they are a talented team capable of playing with anyone. There has been a noted absence of passion in many of their other games, but this won't be a problem against Hope. There is a lot riding on this game for Calvin, and I expect the team that beat Wash U to show up Saturday. If that's the case, it should be quite a battle, as I think Hope has showed all season long they are a team of that caliber. It'll be fun to see how Hope's freshmen respond to their first Hope/Calvin game; perhaps as well as Veldhouse responded when he was a freshman. I'll be very surprised if it isn't a barnburner (sans hay, of course).

From what I understand, there are about 2500 seats available for The Game. Maybe Hope could loan them use of the Civic Center.

I'm still worried about the way Hope matches up with Calvin. I really worry about the ability of either DVS or Carter to slow down Veldhouse, and any of Hope's players to match up with Griffin. Hope plays nice team defense, but I'm not confident in one-on-one matchups.

But perhaps I ought to wait until Thursday or Friday.

[bulldogalum]

Erm:

The intentional foul was Asher's 4th foul.  He got his 5th seconds later when a Hope player (can't remember which one) drove the baseline and Asher fouled him while attempting to recover.  Just a minor point of clarification.

[MWKnight]

it has been a long time since Calvin's bench was called on to do some scoring, probably since the year KVS' title.  the offense (loosely used) has not been geared to set up those players for scoring opportunities.  so to compare Calvin's bench to Hope's by scoring numbers is not the best measuring stick.  Even though the W-L column right now is not in our favor, history is...GVW, as pointed out, will typically not use more than 7 or so guys when crunch time comes around.  On the flip side, KVS uses 9 or 10 every year with great success, to go with some hardware, in case anyone forgot (we've got extras).  Go back to the Final Four year in 05- Calvin brought players off the bench deep into that tournament run, I recall a huge game from Roelofs in Aurora.  This years team lacks that interior depth, but makes up for it with superior guard play.  If only we can get the bigs some "marbles" this year, we can go a solid 9 deep and make a run.

Kzoo is a perfect game to prepare for Hope.  They will scrap and defend and play a little bit dirty, it will be a nice challenge.  Go Knights!!!!!!

[HopeConvert]

I thought a key moment in the game yesterday was the intentional foul called on Adrian's Brett Asher, and I have to say I simply don't like that rule. (For those who missed it, Reimink head faked and Asher came down on top of him). Asher played a tough game, and he instinctively went for a fake and tried to protect himself on the way down. It just isn't an intentional foul.

First, I have to say that Mr. Asher played impressively, especially for one who came into the game with only 1.4 ppg.  (He's now at 2.8 ppg.)  That said, he also lacked control, fouling out in 18 min. of play.  The last foul was the flagrant foul in question.  If Reimink had not "faked him out", and instead actually gone up for the shot, it still would have resulted in a hard foul, Asher's 5th, putting Jesse at the line for 2 (in the act of shooting).  As it was, Reimink did fake, Asher bit, and made excessive contact, coming down squarely on top of Reimink, and finishing off by pulling Reimink down with his arm, as AndersDY pointed out.  Bottom line, Asher flew into Reimink in a way that would have resulted in a hard foul, no matter how the play unfolded.  No other way to call it.

Here's where I disagree with the most recent interpretation of the intentional foul call:

When an offensive player successfully fakes the defender (esp. in the post), then jumps into the defender on the way down, causing excessive contact.  If the defender jumps straight up, and comes down right where he was, why should he be hit with a flagrant foul when the shooter jumps forward, backward, or laterally into him?  He didn't move toward the position of the offensive player, rather, the offensive player took advantage of a defender who wasn't set.  Effectively, the shooter submarined the defender.  It should be nothing more than a blocking foul.  Good fake; go to the line.  Then it's your opponent's ball.

That it was a hard foul is beyond doubt. Asher played aggressively on both ends the whole time he was in. The key word is intent. I know many times when I've played I've grabbed the offensive player on the way down simply out of instinct, to break my fall. It's a hard foul, and obviously he should get two shots - but an intentional foul? Give them the ball too? I'm not convinced. If I'm not mistaken, however, they called Reimink for the hook out on top on that possession, so maybe it all evened out. I still don't like the intentional foul call there, however.

Then again, as a player with no skills other than hustle and aggression, I have more sympathy for the fakee than the faker. Of course, certain friends of mine who have been at the losing end of my aggressive play might have a different view.

[GoKnights68]

I sure wish the Calvin and Hope teams are thinking like this board come Wednesday night.

Good point.

I think Hope will win with ease against Alma, but Calvin not so much.

Wednesday's game will be huge for Calvin.  Should be a close one.

[Erm Schmigget]

That it was a hard foul is beyond doubt. Asher played aggressively on both ends the whole time he was in. The key word is intent. I know many times when I've played I've grabbed the offensive player on the way down simply out of instinct, to break my fall. It's a hard foul, and obviously he should get two shots - but an intentional foul? Give them the ball too? I'm not convinced. If I'm not mistaken, however, they called Reimink for the hook out on top on that possession, so maybe it all evened out. I still don't like the intentional foul call there, however.

Then again, as a player with no skills other than hustle and aggression, I have more sympathy for the fakee than the faker. Of course, certain friends of mine who have been at the losing end of my aggressive play might have a different view.

Maybe calling it something other than an intentional foul would give a different perspective on it.  I think the point of calling it a technical or flagrant foul in that case is one of personal accountability, less so than one of intent.  Asher may not have intended to sack Reimink like a third string quarterback, but he played so out of control at that moment, that it warranted something more than just sending Reimink to the line. 

Either way, it still may not seem fair, but then, is fairness the first thing on coaches' and players' minds when they teach and learn how to take a charge?  "Ok, now grunt loudly and fall at just the right moment.  Not too soon, or you'll just look silly."