WBB: Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference

[Jester1390]

I had a couple of dads talking to me and they are frustrated by the lack of scoring their kids are achieving. They are blaming the offense I'm not ready to go there.  It's true that many of them come from a 5 or 4 out offensive system my daughter included.  But it comes down to this and it's on the girls. You can control your free throws and you can control your turnovers.  First 4 possessions of the game turnovers.  7 offensive fouls.      Another game looking at the stats where they pretty much won the numbers and dominated rebounding. They actually outshot them but the difference in free throw attempts was the difference

Ok and also can we get a referee crew where you might be blind but your hearing should work my kid got hit on the arm on 2 3 pointers I was in top row and everyone could hear it and no call but losing teams whine about refs but I'm the dad so I can

Daughter is made the deans list. Very proud of her on that and is coming home Friday for a week and then off to Nashville

[Baldini]

Transylvania climbs one spot from 16 to 15 in this weeks D3Hoops poll, they remain the only HCAC team to receive any votes.

[Enginerd]

I had a couple of dads talking to me and they are frustrated by the lack of scoring their kids are achieving. They are blaming the offense I'm not ready to go there.  It's true that many of them come from a 5 or 4 out offensive system my daughter included.  But it comes down to this and it's on the girls. You can control your free throws and you can control your turnovers.  First 4 possessions of the game turnovers.  7 offensive fouls.      Another game looking at the stats where they pretty much won the numbers and dominated rebounding. They actually outshot them but the difference in free throw attempts was the difference

Ok and also can we get a referee crew where you might be blind but your hearing should work my kid got hit on the arm on 2 3 pointers I was in top row and everyone could hear it and no call but losing teams whine about refs but I'm the dad so I can

Daughter is made the deans list. Very proud of her on that and is coming home Friday for a week and then off to Nashville

I can understand their frustration - they look like a team without any offense at all. Again, however, RHIT has won a lot of games over the last five season running essentially the same stuff. They've always run 4-out, a bit less 5-out maybe because they just have not had the athletes on the perimeter, and the same 3-out/ball-screen/high-low offense with very little variation - and they've won a lot of games. It really looks like they just want to play pick-up basketball - because they've had far less talent than this (with the same numbers-I'm thinking 2009-2011) and still always won 9-10 games.
I see a lot of turnovers because bad screens are being set in the 3-out/ball-screen offense OR the player with the ball is causing offensive fouls by not waiting on the ball-screen - THEN they take two dribbles and look for someone to pass to instead of attacking. Guards throw it all over the place and post players look to get rid of it as quickly as possible instead of being aggressive WHEN the ball gets thrown inside.
Young team - and very unique situation at RHIT because the academics are SUCH a slap-in-the-face for Freshmen students and a big transition from the level or work required at RHIT compared to high school. Having an entire team full of them has to be a huge challenge, especially without any upperclassmen. We barely had calculators-only the very basic ones available in the 1970's - imagine Rose back THEN! LoL

The problem is, nobody at Manchester, Transy, Hanover, etc will be feeling sorry for them anytime soon.

Defense looks better every time out but if they don't start committing to their offense so they can score some points, it's going to be a very long January and February. Hard to win a lot of games when you have to hold every opponent to 47 points of less to have a chance to win.
Congrats on the Dean's list! They give those out as though they were man-hole covers at RHIT. Unless you've attended or had a child attend the place, you just wouldn't understand what an accomplishment that is.

[Jester1390]

Engine  its funny how you said it looks like they want to play pick up on offense. That is the complaint from some of the dads that they are not doing any pickup that every possession is a play and that sometimes they want there kids to be able to just hoop and be creative.   I read article about 5 years ago  about hockey and the decline in playmaking.  the article suggested that kids no longer  go to ice rinks or ponds and just play like they used too.  Now everything is ridged and training, Unlike when they were just out playing with their friends they would be creative and freelance on their moves. 

I cant speak for the rest of the players but i havent seen my kid so pissed off at a loss.  I dont think any of them are concerned that other teams  want to give it to them. They were not part of those teams so what that team accomplished good and bad  they cant identify with as they were not part of it.  I think it would be safe to say that if they had the stud like the one girl  on this squad they would be undefeated in conference or even if they had her sister running the point.   They just dont have that super stud yet. Nosa can defiantly be that but as a dad of a defensive player they have to realize its just not offense  that defines you as a player but your defense.  I dont know what is going to happen I just hope they keep getting better and win some games. 

You dont want it to get to the point where they lose so much and with all the pressure on them time wise for studies. They decide to stop playing because its not fun and its eating to much into their academic time.

[Baldini]

Transylvania keeps grinding and got another win last night against UC-San Cruz on their court. They move to 8-1 on the season, but they still seem to be struggling to put a complete game together. Starting to wonder if maybe this is just who they are, a hardnosed team that is going to grind it out game after game. Yet to see that dominate team from a season ago.

[Baldini]

As of Christmas Eve, the current Massey Rankings for the HCAC.

Transylvania  51
Hanover  160
Bluffton  166
Franklin  175
Manchester  278
Defiance  300
Anderson  304
Earlham  305
Rose-Hulman  306
Mt. St. Joseph  326

[Jester1390]

Well if my daughter can run the game the way I ran todays meal I see a upset this weekend in Nashville.  Much like Lindsey Whalen on the court I was a tour de force in the kitchen. Leading the team and dishing out assists.  Cooked for 14 people and working the clock flawlessly.  From making rib roast to shimp-pea risotto and beef strew. Twice bake potatoes and a family fav. Cheddar cheese hash brown potato's. A new corn casserole dish that had cream cheese in it and was a huge hit.  My wife's side love their family dip made out of veleveeta and hamburger and my side loves a cream cheese ketchup and tobasco with onion dip

Down the stretch closed out the game with bread pudding the best dam cheesecake which was apple crisp which we had for the first time when kahlan visited gustavus   My 29 year old boys comment was it's a party in his mouth. Lol which he quickly regretted saying out loud.  Then at the buzzer baked Alaska to win the game

Seriously hope everyone had a great Christmas and you got to spend it with the ones who mean the most to you.   Also to remember why we celebrate and give thanks to the lord

Maybe a minor miracle in Nashville is in store
Merry Christmas

[Jester1390]

Well in Nashville for RHIT tournament games starting tomorrow. Good news all girls came back to team I guess the last few years at least one player has quit after the break.  I have no specific reason but I think they will be in the game tomorrow.  I don't k ow anything about Washington-Lee except there record isn't great

[Jester1390]

Well. RHIT totally screwed by calls today.   Lose by 6. 25 free throws attempts to 2 for RHIT.  Was down. 11 in third quarter got game tied. And I am super biased here my kid on a breakaway to take lead get hammered in shoulder no call.  They had to more cheance with less then 2 min to take lead good shots just didn't go in.  Terribble turnover at end of game.  Another disastrous pg turnover total   If they get that cleaned up and get some calls   

Let me just put it his way. This team is staying in games with horrific turnover totals  non free throws.  Better enjoy it now because they are getting closer and closer to figuring it out

[FCGrizzliesGrad]

Franklin down 11 after 1 came back to win and finish 2-0 down in Florida.

One more day of non-conference games for the conference and then the next one will be in the NCAA tourney.

The good news for Rose is the brutal non-conference slate is almost over... the bad news is they've got one more beating from New Paltz first. Massey has them as 25 point underdogs. Hanover should be a bit closer, but then a 3 game road trip that they should have chances in all 3 to win.

[Jester1390]

My kid is guarding their leading scorer averaging 19 pts a senior. She held the 2 Nd leading scorer for Washington to no points she got one bucket when kid was off floor.

Big test for her to prove what I have been saying she is a first team defender for the confrence

[Jester1390]

Down 12 at half was within 2 and then turnover city. Also 5 miss bunnies 19 turnovers first half.  Quick pat on the back to my kid. Their leading scorer at 19 a game has 0 at half.  See if she can keep it up with energy pace is up and down   Working her ass off on both ends

[Jester1390]

14 pt loss. Held them to 4 points in 3rd quarter. The tanks went dry.  Missed another 6 bunnies.  32 turnovers and still was in it in 4 th quarter.  It's simple they will win or lose depending on their turnovers another game if they are under 20 turnovers they win the game.  It's frustrating now because you can see if they would just take care of the dam ball they would be winning

[FCGrizzliesGrad]

Let's see if the new year changes the fortunes of some teams in the conference

Baldini 1-1    11-1
Jester 1-1      8-4
FCGG 2-0       8-4
Enginerd 0-0   5-5 (didn't see any picks, let me know if I missed them)


MSJ @ Manchester is Friday, everyone else plays Saturday

[Baldini]

MSJ @ Manchester
Anderson @ Earlham
Transylvania @ Bluffton
Franklin @ Defiance
Hanover @ RHIT

I've got Manchester, Earlham, Transylvania, Franklin and Hanover.