MBB: St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

Started by FC News, March 01, 2005, 11:03:19 PM

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hopefan

#16860
OK...Let's do the annual hopefan ratings of SLIAC non conference schedules.... Remember, the ratings are based on my very subjective 'watchability' scale, and I'm not taking into account how much the opponents are bringing back or their recruiting classes... so I'm doing things mainly on last season's record with a little bit of past history thrown in...
From worst to first, rating factors go from 1.0 to 4.0

9.5) Iowa Wesleyan  1.93.....  last year ranking (9)         Only one team on the schedule with a significant winning record, Wartburg (17-9), and we're not sure if they'll meet.. Iowa Wez, Wartburg, Cornell (6-19) (Cornell, Iowa) and a mystery team are in the Wartburg tourney.  Rest of the schedule is pretty bland, Dubuque (14-13), Monmouth (13-13), and (let's make sure we play them... Cornell).  Also 2 non D3 games, Culver Stockton (probably best team on schedule) and usually weak Lincoln Christian. 

9.5)  Fontbonne 1.93.... last year ranking (8)       If everyone that was supposed to come back for Fontbonne came back, this schedule would be really sad for a team with great potential... but many chose not to return.. True, Fontbonne has next door neighbor Wash U (17-8)  (losing a significant group of grads), and they go up to Iowa to play Simpson (16-10) and Buena Vista (11-14)... but the rest... SAD.. Stl Pharma (7-22), Waldorf (6-22), the Moody Bible Tourney with Moody (4-15) and North Park (4-21) and someone else not id'd yet...  Font finishes tied for last, but I give them a minute positive due to significance of "rivalry" with Wash U

8) Principia 2.05.... last year ranking tied for 6,7...  Prin plays only 6 non-conference games, opting for 2 exhibitions and a scrimmage... the only thing that kept them out of the bottom ranking is their appearance in a pretty good tourney at Wheaton.. they will probably open vs Wheaton (23-9), then play either Franklin (12-15, or Wisc-River Falls (11-14)...  other games include Elmhurst (12-14) and Berea (11-14)... and ugh Knox (1-24) and Lincoln Christian (11-18)

7) Eureka 2.15....last year ranking (10.. dead last).... Why is Eureka not last again.. only because schools 8-10 are even worse.... The good news is that Eureka plays 6 D3 teams, plus an NCAA D2 team...the bad news is that only one of those teams had a winning record last year... Why EC schedules so soft every year is a mystery to me.. kids returning from last year ought to be rewarded with at least several known winners as opponents to look forward to.... Eureka could go in any direction to find them, but chooses not to..  Big game of the year is vs Grinnell (19-6), Grinnell has never disappointed me when I've seen them, and Eureka likely will be agreeable to play fast with them...Eureka also has D2 Maryville, who abandoned the SLIAC to become a mediocre D2 program, would LOVE to see EC beat 'em... beyond that, remaining 5 games are not inviting.....Monmouth (13-13), Knox (1-24), Dominican (3-22), Berea (11-14), and a sightseeing trip to play U of Dallas (11-16)...... let's see, why not almost any CCIW team, almost any WIAC team, any top 5 NACC team, any top 5 MWC team, Hope, Calvin, Trine etc etc....sorry to pick, but EC's sked is so bad every year....

6) Mac 2.21... last year's ranking (5)... Mac's first 3 games might induce some to turn a tad green.. Central Christian (Moberly) (13-15), Lincoln Christian (11-18), and Knox (1-24).. Geesh, that's bad, tho the Mac's should start out 3-0....The schedule does pick up after that.. Monmouth (13-13), Augustana (26-4), Coe (14-12) and Loras (23-7)... nice the game with Augie seems to be an every year affair...

5) Westminster 2.43.......last year's ranking  tied for 3rd and 4th....  Westminster chooses to play Central Christian Moberly (13-15) not once, but twice, which killed their rating, because the rest of their sked is pretty decent...They play in the same tourney in Iowa as Fontbonne does, meeting Buena Vista (11-14) and Simpson (16-10), also the Webster Tourney where they'll play Hanover (21-7), and Manchester (9-16), and finally Grinnell (19-6) where the matchup appears to be lopsided....in fact, with all the graduation losses Westminster had, even the Central Christian games may be a challenge.

4)  Spalding  2.5.... last year's ranking  tied for 3rd and 4th....Spalding's ranking suffers from some guesses because two of the tourneys they are in haven't yet shown who potential opponents might be... Spalding plays in the Defiance Tourney where they start out with a very weak Defiance team (3-22), then will play either Olivet (13-14) or Great Lakes Christian (21-12 against mostly Bible Schools).  They are also in the Wittenberg tourney.. no matchups yet, includes Wittenberg (24-6) and Elmira (7-18).. 4th team not figured out yet.. other opponents are Franklin (12-15) and two proven winners, Hanover (21-7) and Centre (23-5).

3) Webster (2.71)... last year's ranking (1... best in the SLIAC)... Webster continues strong, but down a little from last year's top ranked position...they have a true hot or cold schedule.. 4 very tough teams, 3 rather weak teams.... The weaker teams (though they still may present good competition) are Illinois College (9-16), Piedmont (5-20) in the Maryville Tenn. Tourney, and Manchester(9-16) in the Webster Classic.   The four solid winning teams sure to give Webster a good prep for SLIAC are Maryville (Tenn) (22-7), Hanover (21-7) and Wash U (17-8) along with NAIA top 10 team Missouri Baptist (28-5)...Can Webster finish 4-3 vs this schedule?

2) Greenville (2.79)... the Wild Child of the SLIAC really stepped up their schedule last year when they were ranked No 2, and maintain it this year...with a large number of untested or new faces in the lineup, it will be a challenge, but great prep for SLIAC competition.  Greenville plays in two tourneys.. the Case Western Reserve Tourney where they open up with Centre (23-5), then play either Central (7-17) or Case (9-16) the second night.  They are also in the Carroll Tourney, opening with Wabash (21-6), then getting either Simpson (16-10) or the CCIW's Carroll (11-15) the 2nd night.. (TOUGH TOURNEY!!!)  Other games are with Dominican (3-22), Carthage (8-17) and North Central (23-6).

1) Blackburn (3.07)..  tied for 6 and 7 last year, and normally a middle of the pack with their schedules historically, stepping up to the best schedule in the SLIAC is a real surprise....But it shows as a clear winner... unfortunately, BC may be fortunate to escape with 2 wins vs this competition.. Weaker teams are St. Louis Pharma (7-22), and that's it.. Millikin (11-13) has been more down than up, and SLIAC teams have been very competitive with them in recent years.  Otherwise, a Murderers row of Illinois Wesleyan (18-9), Loras (23-7), UW-La Crosse (17-10), and down to Texas for two ASC teams, Texas Dallas (24-5) and East Texas Baptist (12-14 don't let the record fool you)..   Wonder if the departed Coach Kollar wrote this one up, or if the Rookie Austin Kirby came in feeling his oats!!!

I enjoy doing these comparisons, hope some readers enjoy reading them!!!
The only thing not to be liked in Florida is no D3 hoops!!!

WUPHF

Quote from: hopefan on October 01, 2019, 12:33:11 PM
If everyone that was supposed to come back for Fontbonne came back, this schedule would be really sad for a team with great potential... but many chose not to return...

Many chose not to return?  How many are we talking about?

y_jack_lok

#16862
One interesting thing I notice is that Prin, Eureka, and Mac are each playing Knox and Monmouth. So for those, like me, who like to consider results against common opponents as a way to expect how a game between two teams (EC vs Mac or Mac vs Prin for example) might go, this is useful info. I'm sure there are other common opponent examples to watch as several play Wash U and some SLIAC teams are in the same "classic" so will also have common opponents. Thanks for doing this.

P.S.  If you can edit the post to add a return at the end of the Eureka write up it will make it easier to read the Mac write up.

hopefan

Quote from: WUPHF on October 01, 2019, 02:29:19 PM
Quote from: hopefan on October 01, 2019, 12:33:11 PM
If everyone that was supposed to come back for Fontbonne came back, this schedule would be really sad for a team with great potential... but many chose not to return...

Many chose not to return?  How many are we talking about?

5 from my writeup this summer rating returning groups from each school...  DeLine, Ottwell, Leonard, Moliva, and Anthony Jones... I have had a brief communication with Anthony Jones, a young man who felt school and career needed to take precedence in his life....These 5 did not appear in the 2019-20 roster...
The only thing not to be liked in Florida is no D3 hoops!!!

hopefan

Quote from: y_jack_lok on October 01, 2019, 03:01:15 PM
One interesting thing I notice is that Prin, Eureka, and Mac are each playing Knox and Monmouth. So for those, like me, who like to consider results against common opponents as a way to expect how a game between two teams (EC vs Mac or Mac vs Prin for example) might go, this is useful info. I'm sure there are other common opponent examples to watch as several play Wash U and some SLIAC teams are in the same "classic" so will also have common opponents. Thanks for doing this.

P.S.  If you can edit the post to add a return at the end of the Eureka write up it will make it easier to read the Mac write up.

Correction made.... thanks
The only thing not to be liked in Florida is no D3 hoops!!!

y_jack_lok

Quote from: hopefan on October 01, 2019, 04:33:50 PM
Quote from: WUPHF on October 01, 2019, 02:29:19 PM
Quote from: hopefan on October 01, 2019, 12:33:11 PM
If everyone that was supposed to come back for Fontbonne came back, this schedule would be really sad for a team with great potential... but many chose not to return...

Many chose not to return?  How many are we talking about?

5 from my writeup this summer rating returning groups from each school...  DeLine, Ottwell, Leonard, Moliva, and Anthony Jones... I have had a brief communication with Anthony Jones, a young man who felt school and career needed to take precedence in his life....These 5 did not appear in the 2019-20 roster...

I don't remember all those guys, but I do remeber DeLine and Otwell. DeLine almost single-handedly beat Webster at FU last season. Tough losses for the Griffins.

WUPHF

Big losses for sure.  I do think Movila had a chance to be a big player for Fontbonne, but alas...

y_jack_lok

#16867
Webster roster is posted: https://websterathletics.com/roster.aspx?path=mbball

Seven freshmen, no transfers. The tallest is 6'4", shortest is listed at 5'1" but is pegged as a guard/forward. Something off there. We already know about the absence of Nigel Wilcox. Ethan Hughes, a solid, tenacious player, will fill some of that void. With the other returning players and some help from the newcomers it should be a good season. Yes, Nigel would make it even better. Still, this is a good team.

hopefan

SLIAC news/rumors are just flowing to the beach hangouts of Florida, so naturally I'm picking them up..

Some very disappointing news...we've already discussed the loss of Nigel Wilcox at Webster, and the fab 5 possibly not playing this year at Fontbonne.. but there seems to be more..

Huge from Westminster.. we already saw that they were losing 5 grads from last year.. but they were returning 1 starter and 4 others who saw time off the bench... but their 19-20 roster reveals worse... 3 of those 5 expected to return now appear to be gone... Mainly Koby Wands, 15.0 ppg, 3.5 boards.. who probably would have gone for over 20 per game this year, maybe even 25, out of sheer necessity.. But he's gone!!!  Along with Hayden Drice and Nolan Huot... Westmin returns only 8 ppg from last year, Steve Brandt and Makygh Galbraith... Just Brutal....

The rumor circuit seems to tell us that 2 from Defending Tourney champ Eureka aren't coming back... very disappointing we won't see Drew Yonker in the middle.. great size and athleticism for a SLIAC middle man, he would have been a starter for a very good team.... Also Koby White, he's had plenty of experience, seemed likely to be in a 3 man rotation for  2 guard spots.... Major adjustment seems called for to replace Yonker in the middle. And the loss of White is a big hit to EC's depth...

MacMurray, Iowa Wesleyan, and Spalding also lost expected returners, and an unconfirmed rumor has a very significant starter not returning to Blackburn....

One piece of good news is that the Principia roster shows the return of Payton Sellers... he was a very good 6th man/starter as a freshman two years ago, but did not play last year... if he can make a comeback, it is a big up for Prin.....
The only thing not to be liked in Florida is no D3 hoops!!!

Greek Tragedy

So much for drafting Wands and Wilcox...

+1 on your work, hopefan.
Pointers
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TGHIJGSTO!!!

GU1999

If you are interested in drafting some new guys, you may want to consider Pickard, Johnson and Reyes from GU.  All three are coming into GU with All-Conf or HM credentials from California South Coast JC conference that previously produced Shane Smith and Kenny Greene.  Smith and Greene were SLIAC all-conference level players and made a significant contribution as soon as they stepped on campus.  Smith and Greene did not earn All-Conf honors at South Coast as did Pickard, Johnson and Reyes.  Also, interestingly, all three are guards which GU needs as they are replacing Dix, Saeli, Murphy, Price and Parker.  Also of note is that Reyes appears to be a top level shooter.  He led all CA juco's with 108 made 3s last year while shooting it at a 44% clip.  He shot 39% his freshman year.  That is a serious percentage for such a high volume.  I suspect that if Reyes can be a nominal defender he could be the Bateman of a top two shift.   

hopefan

Good stuff GU... Smith and Green were both top notchers several years ago... Green was a shooter, Smith a super leaper and really went to the basket...

Unfortunately, I'd also label Smith as the start of GC's behavioral problems....I love aggressive players, but on occasion he went too far.

Greenville needs to find a number of new faces to step in....the 3 California kids sound like a great start.
The only thing not to be liked in Florida is no D3 hoops!!!

GU1999

#16872
Brief reminder of Shane's ability to attack the rim.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXvCjbtNLmk&feature=share

hopefan

The trouble with the Karma point system is that when a negative is rewarded, there is no feedback on why the reader assigned it, and for a multiple poster like myself, what post or part of a post generated the negative feelings... wish there was feedback required so that the comment in question could at least be discussed...
The only thing not to be liked in Florida is no D3 hoops!!!

GU1999

Hadn't given karma points any attention or thought.  I'll look for a tutorial today to learn a bit more.