MBB: Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association

[monsoon]

So Capital it is...

Safe travels to those of you heading to Cleveland for the women on Friday and back to Holland for the men on Saturday - they're calling for some nasty weather in Ohio this weekend.

I don't like being nit picky, but Baldwin-Wallace is in Berea.

Then why do it?      Having grown up in suburban Cleveland, I know exactly where B-W is, have friends who went there, etc.  I was assuming the generality of "Cleveland" would be more helpful of a description on this board for most folks and that those knowing the specific location of B-W would understand what I was getting at.  When I tell people where I grew up, I say "Cleveland", because most of them outside the area won't know the specific suburb anyway; I do the same thing now living in the near-west suburbs of Chicago.  It's more helpful; we can always add the details later if needed.  Sorry to step on your toes.

[Erm Schmigget]

hahaha  read the wrong weather forecast.  5-7 inches of snow today, followed by 5-7 more tonight.  booyah!

With that forecast...

If you get stuck in Toledo on the way thru to the Cleveland area tonight, stop in at the Erie Street Market's Civic Center Promenade at 237 S. Erie St. in the heart of downtown Toledo for the Glass City Beer Festival.  New Holland Brewing Co. will be there, and proceeds will go to the Northwest Ohio Hemophilia Foundation and The Arc of Lucas County.  Tickets are $25 dollars in advance and $30 at the door.  Admission will include 12 drink tickets.  There will also be food, live music and of course beer from New Holland.

(Most of the above text is from the NHBC newsletter.  ...giving credit where credit is due.)

[OC_SID]

Safe travels to everyone because it sounds like the weather is nasty in Michigan and Ohio.

I can't give any forecasts for either place because I am in warm, sunny Florida. Left yesterday for our baseball and softball team's spring break trip!

[Hopester]

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/basketball/nba/wires/03/06/2030.ap.bko.small.college.success.0991/

Interesting article about Hope basketball

[SKOT]

Said article proves that is isnt just West Michigan journalists that make mistakes and editors that don't do their due diligence.

"I think a thing many student athletes consider coming out of high school is, well, I want to go to a school and get a good education but I also want to go to a place where I can be on a successful sports team,'' said co-captain Scott Glase, a senior forward from Ann Arbor who plans to attend medical school after graduation. "Hope's had that for quite a long time and it's one of the things that attracted me to Hope.''

[sbaum]

Although there may be a mistake in the spelling, it is still great to see Hope getting national exposure and praise like this. It's a real testament to all of the years of hard work and dedication that both Van Wieren and Morehouse have put into creating and maintaining top-notch athletic programs with a strong emphasis on academics.

[Stinger]

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/basketball/nba/wires/03/06/2030.ap.bko.small.college.success.0991/

Interesting article about Hope basketball

This tee about sums it up.   

[wiz]

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/basketball/nba/wires/03/06/2030.ap.bko.small.college.success.0991/

Interesting article about Hope basketball

This tee about sums it up.   

Eventually you learn to ignore Stinger and his lame attempts at humor.   

[section7]

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/basketball/nba/wires/03/06/2030.ap.bko.small.college.success.0991/

Interesting article about Hope basketball

This tee about sums it up.   

Stinger,

How's the tennis team preping for the year?  Cuz you know the football, basketball and baseball teams are bottom dwellers!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Knightmare]

Does a successful GV program make it that much harder for the MIAA schools to recruit?

Personally, I don't think that Grand Valley has any effect at this point.  They are undefeated and ranked #1 in DII and are probably recruiting kids that were slightly higher talent level than the MIAA schools would've brought in anyways.  GV has recently raised the bar in basketball much the same way they have in football over the last 5-7 years.  They could almost be considered a low-level DI sports program based on talent and results (as evidenced by an upset over in East Lansing earlier this season).

[Knightmare]

Does a successful GV program make it that much harder for the MIAA schools to recruit?

Personally, I don't think that Grand Valley has any effect at this point.  They are undefeated and ranked #1 in DII and are probably recruiting kids that were slightly higher talent level than the MIAA schools would've brought in anyways.  GV has recently raised the bar in basketball much the same way they have in football over the last 5-7 years.  They could almost be considered a low-level DI sports program based on talent and results (as evidenced by an upset over in East Lansing earlier this season).

Sorry, after checking Grand Valley is actually ranked #2, not #1 as I had reported (that error still wouldn't preclude me from blogging for the Sentinel though  )

[EC Knight]

Props (or koodos (sp?)) to you Stinger for your guts to stand up to the majority on this board. I appreciate the contrary view, so thanks for providing it. I did not find that to be a lame joke either, and I'm still trying to figure out yours a few pages ago wiz - I didn't even realize it was a joke, and couldn't make sense of it as a comment either. I can understand reminding the Hopesters of Baldwin Wallace, but a better way to do it would be to begin making comparisons of that year's BW team to this year's Capital team. Unfortunately, all I could find with quick research on BW's 94-95 team and that win is the following (the OAC website's history pdf is really cheesy, I don't recommend it). This is from the BW men's basketball website program history:

"B-W's second trip to the NCAA tourney, in 1994-95, may have been the most exciting.  B-W had a strong season with a solid 19-9 overall record.  B-W was seeded eighth in the tourney and drew the top seed in the Great Lakes Region and the number one team in the nation in Hope College of Michigan.
The Yellow Jackets defeated Hope 72-69 on its home floor on a shot at the final buzzer by then sophomore guard Ryan Sooy.  Hope entered the game with the best home record in Division III and in Division III tourney history.  It was a great win for B-W and quite possibly the biggest win since B-W turned Division III in 1972."

Watch for junior Ryan Stahl to play the giant killer role of Ryan Sooy, or maybe it'll be another sophomore, and Ben McGratz will step up to the plate.

In any case, this was all in good fun while I'm stuck here at work. I'm sure Hope will take care of business this time. I mean that BW team was ranked 8th, while this one is 20th after all. But if not, that'll be two forbidden names... I guess three if you count Ashabi. Don't do it to Sac guys, he deserves better than that.

Finally, I love how the crickets seemed to have followed you Greg... sorry your level of humor is just too sophisticated for the rest of us. Who is that guy?

[Hopester]

Couple of big upsets already today. Wheaton goes to overtime and beats Lawrence, and big surprise of the day St. Mary's defeats Guliford. There goes D3hoops projected champion.

[NW Hope Fan]

Guilford is out of the tournament.   

Is their coach the former Defiance coach?

Sorry found the answer: He moved to Guilford from Defiance where he compiled a 100-63 record and coached nine all-conference players as the Yellow Jackets' head men's basketball coach.

[Hopester]

Whitewater loses!!!!!!