MBB: Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association

[Hopester]

I am going to go a completely different direction and say Mocini from Albion. We have proved we can beat Calvin with both Veldhouse and Griffin, but we lost to Albion. Mocini seems like the leader of that team to me. So that is who I would bench.

[Flying Dutch Fan]

I am going to go a completely different direction and say Mocini from Albion. We have proved we can beat Calvin with both Veldhouse and Griffin, but we lost to Albion. Mocini seems like the leader of that team to me. So that is who I would bench.

Not sure who benefits from Mocini sitting out a Hope/Calvin game?   

[Hopester]

I am going to go a completely different direction and say Mocini from Albion. We have proved we can beat Calvin with both Veldhouse and Griffin, but we lost to Albion. Mocini seems like the leader of that team to me. So that is who I would bench.

Not sure who benefits from Mocini sitting out a Hope/Calvin game?  

Haha yeah, I read the post for "the game" wrong. Oops. Well in the case of The Rivalry, I would say Mantel. He can eat us alive down low, but we can shut down the guards for the most part. Without him creating a little bit of space, Veldhouse doesn't score nearly as much. I am also fine with Veldhouse scoring 23 if he keeps on putting up 19 shots a game.

In terms of any team in the league though I stick with Mocini, if I can.

[Pat Coleman]

I am going to go a completely different direction and say Mocini from Albion. We have proved we can beat Calvin with both Veldhouse and Griffin, but we lost to Albion. Mocini seems like the leader of that team to me. So that is who I would bench.

Not sure who benefits from Mocini sitting out a Hope/Calvin game?   

All three teams do since it would be a severe eligibility issue.

[Pat Coleman]

Sac -- thanks for the heads-up on the milestones. I've added them to our list.

[sac]

Its a cliche but protecting the home floor I've always felt is pretty important to the MIAA race.

Hope 7-0
Albion 6-0
Calvin 5-2
Tri-State 2-4
Adrian 3-4
Olivet 2-4
Kzoo 1-5
Alma 2-5

Home teams are just 28-24 in league play this season.  But the top three are 18-2.

The last 4 years
28-24........4 to go
35-21
33-23
30-26

Here's how the teams have fared the last four years at home  --*= 1 home game remaining

Hope 25-3
Calvin 24-4
Albion 23-4*
Adrian 16-12
Tri-State 13-14*
Alma 9-19
Kzoo 9-18*
Olivet 9-18*


edit--missed some vital words to my last set of numbers

[ChicagoHopeNut]

First, I'd have Veldhouse sit out. I'll take my chances with Mantel and Engelsma especially if you have Caleb sitting its easier to move guard help down in the post. Plus I don't break into a cold sweat thinking of Mantel or Engelsma throwing up a 3 with under 10 seconds left in a game like I do with Veldhouse.

Second, the MVP poll! I think it has to be Wolfe or MVH but I am torn. I also picked Mocini but then I looked and his stats aren't really there to be an MVP. 9.1ppg (23rd in league) and 2.5 assists (14th). That's aren't MVP numbers regardless of the intangible factor. And well I believe the MVP has to come from at least one of the top 3 teams, probably the top 2 so that eliminates Calvin players in my book...
Ok, I am going to keep thinking about Wolfe and MVH. Hmmm.....

[sac]

Second, the MVP poll! I think it has to be Wolfe or MVH but I am torn. I also picked Mocini but then I looked and his stats aren't really there to be an MVP. 9.1ppg (23rd in league) and 2.5 assists (14th). That's aren't MVP numbers regardless of the intangible factor. And well I believe the MVP has to come from at least one of the top 3 teams, probably the top 2 so that eliminates Calvin players in my book...
Ok, I am going to keep thinking about Wolfe and MVH. Hmmm.....

I wanted to put an Albion player up there, but the truth is there just isn't one.  They've got a great team with no individual standouts even though a couple have had better than expected seasons.......Yancey, Mocini and Reuhle.  But even of those 3, who would make first team all-miaa?

I thought it was hard to pick the mvp last year with Cramer...but this year its truely up for grabs.

[ChicagoHopeNut]

Second, the MVP poll! I think it has to be Wolfe or MVH but I am torn. I also picked Mocini but then I looked and his stats aren't really there to be an MVP. 9.1ppg (23rd in league) and 2.5 assists (14th). That's aren't MVP numbers regardless of the intangible factor. And well I believe the MVP has to come from at least one of the top 3 teams, probably the top 2 so that eliminates Calvin players in my book...
Ok, I am going to keep thinking about Wolfe and MVH. Hmmm.....

I wanted to put an Albion player up there, but the truth is there just isn't one.  They've got a great team with no individual standouts even though a couple have had better than expected seasons.......Yancey, Mocini and Reuhle.  But even of those 3, who would make first team all-miaa?

I thought it was hard to pick the mvp last year with Cramer...but this year its truely up for grabs.

I agree with sac that my initial reaction was to place an Albion player as the MVP but they are just as balanced of a team as Hope in many ways except I think some of the Hope players have better numbers.

In the end I think I had to go with MVH. Wolfe has had some great games this year but in the end I think MVH is the most complete player on the team and is most capable of taking over a game on game by game basis even though he never really has game after game (but neither did Cramer until the MIAA and NCAA tourneys last year and then he was well.... WOW ).

[HopeConvert]

This is an old problem. Is the MVP the best player? The best player on the best team? The player who contributed the most to the best team? The player who came up biggest when it mattered?

There are no dominant players in the league. Marcus is the toughest player to match up against, but he disappeared from time to time. He's been maddeningly inconsistent throughout his career. Veldhouse has had a fine year, and is in my estimation the only Knight worthy of consideration. Albion's players are too even, and Adrian hasn't been competitive enough. For consistency of play, for contributing to his team on both ends of the floor, for picking up his team at key moments, and for being able to score inside and outside, my vote would go to Tyler Wolfe. Were it not for his hot hand (sorry pointlem) at important moments in the game, Hope would have 3 or 4 more losses on the year.

[sac]

...my vote would go to Tyler Wolfe. Were it not for his hot hand (sorry pointlem) at important moments in the game, Hope would have 3 or 4 more losses on the year.

This is very true!



Here's some pics from the Hope/Calvin game off the Hope website
http://www.hope.edu/pr/athletics/mbb/0708hopecalvingallery.html

[AndersDY]

The last of those pictures reminded me I hadn't yet asked: Bowser is a southpaw, right? Has he been jump-shooting right handed all year? Or is he working on turning ambidextrous? I just noticed it a couple games ago, but I was sure he'd been playing full lefty earlier in the year.

[devossed]

bowser is semi-both-handed...shoots right, dunks left.

by the way, this was just enough put me over the edge in the MVP race:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HbzIl4uw_Wk&feature=related

[hope1]

in a couple of hours on the to tri state  and go hope today

[realist]

This is an old problem. Is the MVP the best player? The best player on the best team? The player who contributed the most to the best team? The player who came up biggest when it mattered?

There are no dominant players in the league. Marcus is the toughest player to match up against, but he disappeared from time to time. He's been maddeningly inconsistent throughout his career. Veldhouse has had a fine year, and is in my estimation the only Knight worthy of consideration. Albion's players are too even, and Adrian hasn't been competitive enough. For consistency of play, for contributing to his team on both ends of the floor, for picking up his team at key moments, and for being able to score inside and outside, my vote would go to Tyler Wolfe. Were it not for his hot hand (sorry pointlem) at important moments in the game, Hope would have 3 or 4 more losses on the year.

I repectfully disagree, and think you are missing the key thing about MVH from an opponents perspective.  You have to account for MVH at all times, offensively, and defensiveely.  Granted he may have seemed to disappear from time to time, but watch what the defense was doing at that time.  MVH was pulling defenders towards himself.  He understands positioning, and has good court smarts.  Those may not show on the stat sheet, but they do in the W/L.  If it weren't for MVH IMHO T Wolfe might not have gotten, and made some of those shots.