MBB: Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association

[hoopdreams]

Are the frosh not "playing as well" because there PT has been decreased, or has there PT been decreased because they are not playing well?  Since the Elmhurst game, the flow of the subbing patterns has definitely changed.  Rather than subbing at 15 left in the half, it's 13 or even 11.  At Olivet, even after the second group played outstanding, they went with the starters the last 10 minutes straight, which didn't happen earlier in the year.  Right or wrong... who knows.

It is very clear the GVW feels that the starters are the KEY to success.  Every quote/statement only solidifies this. The second group has now become "a breather" for the starters AND THEY KNOW IT.  Have they done much to change this approach lately? not at all.  But I'm sure that knowing their time is limited is causing them to press a bit.  No sure if that's the same as losing confidence.

I truly feel that Hope would be better if they mixed up the lineup a bit which I KNOW WILL NEVER HAPPEN.  When he puts the babies in together with Kratz and Osburn, there is no experience, no one to "go to" because they have been regulated to role players.  Who is going to take the big shot?  who is going to take control when things don't go perfectly?  How about starting DVS, Tanis, Bowser, Klein and Vanderheide, and you can bring in Carter, Wolfe and Reimink and Osburn, or a variation of this.  That way you can always have 2 or 3 players on the floor with significant experience?  Rather than always putting a group out there with none.

The thought of the second group out there by themselves against Calvin's experience could not go so well, or they can rise to the challenge which Hope fans better wish they do.

[scottiedawg]

A Few Keys to Hope-Calvin game

Will the refs call the game close and get the Dutchmen into foul trouble, or will they call the game loose, and allow the Dutchmen to assert themselves physically over the Knights?  The Dutchmen badgered All-American Kent Raymond into countless turnovers, embarassing a quality Wheaton squad.  The Dutchmen also lead the MIAA in steals per game.  This does not come without poking, prodding, reaching, grabbing, colliding, trapping, and other various forms of physical defense that could result in fouls. 

Can Marcus Vanderheide, Jesse Reimink, and Ryan Klein stay out of foul trouble?  See above.

What Ty Tanis will show up?  The one from earlier in the year or the one currently playing?  If he is on, Calvin fans will hate him as much as Hope fans hated Matt Veltema last year. 

What Matt Veltema will show up?  The awesome, dagger throwing, freshmen, or the inept and lost sophomore?

How will Hope's freshmen respond to THE GAME?  Also Engelsma, who is a freshmen when it comes to this game. This can really be applied to every player, freshmen or senior.  Each and every one will either wilt/be a non-factor under the enormous pressure, or rise to the occasion and write themselves into rivalry lore.

How healthy is Derek Griffin?  He appears to be more of a spot up shooter this year; last year, he could take it to the hoop and that is what ultimately did Hope in in the tournament.  As good as Veldhouse is and was, Griffin killed Hope last year. 

Can Derek VanSolkema contain Caleb Veldhouse?

Does Coach Glenn VanWieren have enough faith in his second team, to allow the starters to get some rest?

Will Dan Holt dunk for the second straight game?

[sac]

Kzoo is averaging allowing 77.6 pts per game........the league average is 67.2.



You really have to read the play-by-play to understand what a great game was played between Tri-State and Olivet last night.   Seven ties, the 2 largest leads of the game were 6 points and 5 points lasting for all of 40 seconds and 7 seconds.  One of those games that goes by without much fanfare because we have no TSU or non-Olivet employed posters.

http://www.miaa.org/mbb/stats/0708/0123olts.htm

........The Albion/Adrian game was equally as good, and looked like a carbon copy of the Adrian/Hope game.


If Dan Holt dunks Saturday...........Hopes winning.

[Flying Dutch Fan]

With all the focus on THE GAME, how about the fact that Tri-State is sitting at 4-1, and with a win on Saturday, will either be in second place alone (with a Hope win) or a 3 way tie for first (with a Calvin win). 

[realist]

Olivet winless at this point in conference play has to be one of the bigger MIAA surprisis so far.

[Erm Schmigget]

Are the frosh not "playing as well" because there PT has been decreased, or has there PT been decreased because they are not playing well?  Since the Elmhurst game, the flow of the subbing patterns has definitely changed.  Rather than subbing at 15 left in the half, it's 13 or even 11.  At Olivet, even after the second group played outstanding, they went with the starters the last 10 minutes straight, which didn't happen earlier in the year.  Right or wrong... who knows.

It is very clear the GVW feels that the starters are the KEY to success.  Every quote/statement only solidifies this. The second group has now become "a breather" for the starters AND THEY KNOW IT.  Have they done much to change this approach lately? not at all.  But I'm sure that knowing their time is limited is causing them to press a bit.  No sure if that's the same as losing confidence.

I truly feel that Hope would be better if they mixed up the lineup a bit which I KNOW WILL NEVER HAPPEN.  When he puts the babies in together with Kratz and Osburn, there is no experience, no one to "go to" because they have been regulated to role players.  Who is going to take the big shot?  who is going to take control when things don't go perfectly?  How about starting DVS, Tanis, Bowser, Klein and Vanderheide, and you can bring in Carter, Wolfe and Reimink and Osburn, or a variation of this.  That way you can always have 2 or 3 players on the floor with significant experience?  Rather than always putting a group out there with none.

The thought of the second group out there by themselves against Calvin's experience could not go so well, or they can rise to the challenge which Hope fans better wish they do.

I agree with several of your thoughts here, but I don't think this is the time to make the drastic change you suggest.  Maybe you're not so much making a suggestion, but rather thinking out loud about a different approach that might have some strong benefits.  Either way to change their approach this way would be too disruptive and result in more losses.

One thing I've noticed that approaches what you're talking about:  GVW has left Klein in with the first 4 off the bench for a few minutes before Osburn comes in.  Klein becomes the go to guy, and has had some big games lately with this sub pattern.  I was listening to last night's game while watching the women's game last night, so I didn't really pick up on subbing, but looking at the min. played, I assume it was more the wholesale subbing variety.

My take is stay with the starting 5, build a solid lead (hopefully), and then mix up the lineup with some experience and some of the new guys.  Having the leadership of an MVH, DVS, etc. on the floor with the youngsters seems to me like it could only help.

But I don't have 603 wins...

[realist]

FDF:  Very interesting point, and shows how the schedule impacts conference standing.  If Tri -State goes to second (alone) it shouldn't last very long.

[sac]

Tri-State has been in every game but two........Davenport which makes no sense and Defiance which makes some sense, but the 38 point difference makes no sense.

They've covered the loss of Wes Weir nicely, and are getting really great production from  Andre Patrick.   Sitting at 4-1 I'm sure feels good, however they could just as easily be 2-3 with losses to Alma and Olivet, whom they beat by 4 and 1.

This weekend is not just big for Hope and Calvin.  Tri-State hosts Albion Saturday, and the Britons could find themselves right back in the race after a disastrous, albeit understandable conference start.

[NW Hope Fan]

FDF:  Very interesting point, and shows how the schedule impacts conference standing.  If Tri -State goes to second (alone) it shouldn't last very long.

A difficult week ahead with Albion, Hope then Calvin. The biggest thing going for them is 2 of those games are at home...

Although Hope's week looks a bit more daunting with Calvin, Tri-State and Albion, with 2 away games...

[Flying Dutch Fan]

Will Dan Holt dunk for the second straight game?

I'm not sure, but here's proof that he did do it last night

http://www.rodcannon.exposuremanager.com/p/hope_at_alma_hm07/07hmhopeac-527

and so did Sharples

http://www.rodcannon.exposuremanager.com/p/hope_at_alma_hm07/07hmhopeac-4347

[GoKnights68]

Very good thoughts, hoopdreams.  I will give my thoughts a little later on the keys of the game for Calvin to win.


For now, I'd like to point out the two rivalry pages.  I find the rivalry page that Hope provides MUCH better than the calvinhope.com one.

http://www.hope.edu/athletics/therivalry/index.html

The Hope one has more features, including write-ups of certain years that were important in the rivalry.


Glad the Game has finally come.   I've been waiting too long for it!

[ChicagoHopeNut]

Glad the Game has finally come.   I've been waiting too long for it!

47 hours, 27 minutes to tip!!!

[oldknight]

Check out this link. Sounds like Adrian is in hot water with the US Department of Education's Civil Rights Division over Adrian's new sports upgrades. Maybe bulldogalum can defend his alma mater and use it as a career starter. 8)

http://freep.com:80/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080124/NEWS05/801240370/1001

[Pat Coleman]

We'd be glad to take more Adrian women's basketball press releases if that would help them here:

Other complaints at the time included those involving plans for larger locker rooms for men in the new ice arena, plans for baseball stadium renovations far greater than those planned for the softball field, male athletes' access to athletic trainers and publicity for their events.

[ChicagoHopeNut]

Check out this link. Sounds like Adrian is in hot water with the US Department of Education's Civil Rights Division over Adrian's new sports upgrades. Maybe bulldogalum can defend his alma mater and use it as a career starter. 8)

http://freep.com:80/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080124/NEWS05/801240370/1001

One quote from this article is:
"Among the more notable complaints is one that the $6.5-million Multisport Performance Stadium, completed in 2006, has no women's locker room but a men's locker room with lounge furniture and a plasma screen TV set.

Creehan called that an oversight and noted that an adjoining facility, the Merillat Sport & Fitness Center, has a women's locker room, and other women's locker rooms on campus have plasma TV sets."

Now I have not visited Adrian since it begin this overhaul nor do I know if the women's locker rooms at Merillat were there prior to the addition or if they were renovated around the same time. I would think that if this were the case the fact the Multisport Stadium (really that's the best name Adrian could think of?) has a men's locker room but not a women's may cancel out.  There would be a lot of factual questions that would have to be answered but the mere fact there is not a women's locker room in Multisport is not dispositive of a violation.

However, the question of whether or not there are plasma tv sets in the locker rooms!!! I mean I don't think that the point of Title IX was to ensure the exact same tv sets and screen size in locker rooms. (And I would suggest if we are at the point where that is one of the larger issues that Title IX investigations are now dealing with that we have made a great deal of progress overall in the last 30 years).