MBB: St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

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

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hopefan

#16665
The first of 10 write-ups regarding what have you done for me lately... the last 5 years...

10)  Alex Huisman  Iowa Wesleyan  at 40 and 49 in the conference over the last 5 years, they don't present the worst record over that time frame, but 10-26 over the last two years is bottom of the barrel... They had a very good season in 2016-17, led by the Soukup brothers, but their recent offshore recruiting has not measured up to the SLIAC level of play in 2018 and 2019...Only one win against a .500 team this past season, not competitive in a large number of conference games...  A bad trend...
Not eligible for the conference tourney, would have made it in 2016-17
2014-15  All Conf 2nd team  Chris Fowler
2015-16  All Conf 1st team    Chris Fowler
2016-17  All Conf  1st Team    Steven Soukup
2016-17  All Conf  3rd Team    Mike Soukup
2017-18  All Conf   1st Team    Brock Butler
No All Conf players in 2018-19
The only thing not to be liked in Florida is no D3 hoops!!!

hopefan

2nd write-up in series of 10

9)  Lance Thornhill Fontbonne at 31-59 in conference over past 5 years, 20-52 in Thornhill's 4 years.  5 years ago, Anthony Hall came in and took the Griffs to the conference tourney, then proceeded to score a stunning victory over 1st place Webster.  When Hall unexpectedly left, long time assistant Thornhill took over. What followed was 3 horrendous seasons, slightly tempered by an 8-10 finish in 2018-19.  I'll say it again, Fontbonne has been getting good players, but has had key injuries and a defection or two that have hurt.  This season is Critical... they need to hit a top 4 slot... the 2018-19 potential shown kept this team out of 10th spot.      
Made the Conference Tourney in 2014-15 under Coach Hall, lost in Championship game         
2014-15  All Conf 2nd team            Jared Greenlee
2015-16  All Conf 3rd team         Ben Kissing
No All Conf players in 2016-17 or 2017-18         
2018-19  All Conf 3rd team         Luke DeLine
The only thing not to be liked in Florida is no D3 hoops!!!

WUPHF

Thanks for the write-ups...

I know you will address this at some point, but it seems to me that between the returning players for both Fontbonne and the rest of the league, the Griffins should have a shot at the conference tournament.  I say they get it done if everyone is healthy.

hopefan

Quote from: WUPHF on June 12, 2019, 12:34:51 PM
Thanks for the write-ups...

I know you will address this at some point, but it seems to me that between the returning players for both Fontbonne and the rest of the league, the Griffins should have a shot at the conference tournament.  I say they get it done if everyone is healthy.

Agreed... my write-up alludes to that potential...But as said before, it is time for them to win... they haven't figured it out the past 4 years...
The only thing not to be liked in Florida is no D3 hoops!!!

hopefan

While Iowa Wesleyan and Fontbonne were clearly the 9-10 choices, Mac, Spalding, and Prin are in a group that will be 6-8... still mulling over in my mind to figure out my number 8....
The only thing not to be liked in Florida is no D3 hoops!!!

hopefan

3rd in a series of 10 write-ups... what have you done for me lately...past 5 seasons....

8) Todd Creal MacMurray at 42-48 in conference over the past 5 years.  MacMurray had very good players in 2015 and 2016, led by Clayton Whitlock and transfer Deavis Johnson, making the conference tourney both seasons, but when they left, the talent level could not keep up with the rest of the conference.  17-37 over the next three years, Brent Long couldn't do it himself in 2017,18, and though they had surprise wins over Blackburn and Westminster this past season, they were not competitive in a majority of conference games.  Outstanding Frosh Logan Dougherty returns, but loss of 3 graduating seniors means Mac has got to raise the bar on recruiting            
Made Conference Tourney in 2015, 2016, lost in first round both times..            
2014-15  All Conf 1st team          Clayton Whitlock   
2014-15  All Conf 3rd team          Deavis Johnson   
2014-15  All Conf 3rd team          Dylan Guthrie   
2015-16  All Conf 1st team         Deavis Johnson   
2015-16  All Conf 1st team         Brent Long   
2016-17  All Conf  2nd Team         Brent Long   
2017-18  All Conf  1st Team         Brent Long   
2018-19  All Conf  3rd Team         Logan Dorethy  (Newcomer of the Year)   
The only thing not to be liked in Florida is no D3 hoops!!!

WUPHF

Quote from: hopefan on June 12, 2019, 07:20:00 PM
Agreed... my write-up alludes to that potential...But as said before, it is time for them to win... they haven't figured it out the past 4 years...

That is true.  I am looking forward though to your preseason predictions and comparisons.  Fontbonne should be better by personnel but should also be better relative to the rest of the league.  Or, so it seems...

Let's Go Blues!

hopefan

#16672
4th in a series of 10 write-ups... what have you done for me lately...past 5 seasons....

7) Todd Zimmerman Principia... Prin had experienced 5 dreadful seasons from 2012-2016 under Coach Mike Bushong, going 9-76 in that span, but in 2016, he had a very good nucleus of players.  Zimmerman came in and quickly turned things around in 2017, going 11-7 in conference and gaining a conference tourney spot. In 2018, they barely missed out on a tourney spot, going 9-9 in conference, but with 3 All Conference players, should have been better.  But further recruiting successes have failed to materialize, and the 2019 team regressed to 5-13 in conference, despite having the conference MVP in Micah Paulson.  With Paulson's graduation, there seems to be little hope of even reaching that level in 2020 unless help arrives immediately. Prin has a beautiful campus, one of the nicest gyms in the conference, a loyal fan base.... but so hard to get players to come due to the school's strict admissions policies.  I have grown to love the place...                   
One Conference Tourney appearance, 2017, lost in first round.                  
2014-15  All Conf 2nd team          Justin Ball         
2015-16  All Conf 2nd team         Adaku Anumu         
2016-17  All Conf 2nd team         Adaku Anumu         
2016-17  All Conf  3rd Team         Parker Davidson         
2017-18  All Conf  2nd Team         Parker Davidson         
2017-18  All Conf  2nd Team         Micah Paulson         
2017-18  All Conf  3rd Team         Trevaughn Goodman         
2018-19  All Conf  1st Team         Micah Paulson      Conference MVP   
The only thing not to be liked in Florida is no D3 hoops!!!

WUPHF

I had an interesting conversation with a Principia alum and former student-athlete regarding the admissions restrictions and the future of Principia College.  The Principia endowment has helped the college maintain the Christian Science requirements but it sure seems that eventually, those will have to be lifted.

There are a number of faith-related institutions that have maintained a distinctive faith character even after opening to those outside the faith.  Principia could certainly do and could probably increase the overall enrollment during an otherwise tough time.

hopefan

Quote from: WUPHF on June 14, 2019, 11:00:38 AM
I had an interesting conversation with a Principia alum and former student-athlete regarding the admissions restrictions and the future of Principia College.  The Principia endowment has helped the college maintain the Christian Science requirements but it sure seems that eventually, those will have to be lifted.

There are a number of faith-related institutions that have maintained a distinctive faith character even after opening to those outside the faith.  Principia could certainly do and could probably increase the overall enrollment during an otherwise tough time.

One time I went over for a game expecting an earlier start, and found I had an hour to kill... walked over to the dining hall... people said hi to me, people asked me if they could help me find anything, one student conversed with me for several minutes about Prin athletics when I told him I was going to the game... it was such a refreshing atmosphere....
The only thing not to be liked in Florida is no D3 hoops!!!

WUPHF

I said this before, but when I went there for a game, two students left their skateboards outside the gym during the game.  I got lost and a student voluntarily walked me all the way back to the gym.

I do not expect that culture to change with a more inclusive admissions policy. 

In fact, that culture and the beautiful campus is the draw.

RFMichigan

Quote from: hopefan on June 14, 2019, 10:24:43 AM
4th in a series of 10 write-ups... what have you done for me lately...past 5 seasons....

7) Todd Zimmerman Principia... Prin had experienced 5 dreadful seasons from 2012-2016 under Coach Mike Bushong, going 9-76 in that span, but in 2016, he had a very good nucleus of players.  Zimmerman came in and quickly turned things around in 2017, going 11-7 in conference and gaining a conference tourney spot. In 2018, they barely missed out on a tourney spot, going 9-9 in conference, but with 3 All Conference players, should have been better.  But further recruiting successes have failed to materialize, and the 2019 team regressed to 5-13 in conference, despite having the conference MVP in Micah Paulson.  With Paulson's graduation, there seems to be little hope of even reaching that level in 2020 unless help arrives immediately. Prin has a beautiful campus, one of the nicest gyms in the conference, a loyal fan base.... but so hard to get players to come due to the school's strict admissions policies.  I have grown to love the place...                   

Early in my freshman year we played football at Principia. With an hour or two to kill before pregame taping, etc. I had a chance to walk around Prin's beautiful campus high on the bluffs in Elsah. I found myself sitting on a rocky outcrop overlooking the Mississippi River with the Missouri landscape beyond, and I just took it all in for about half an hour. It opened my eyes to the "new horizons" of the future and that there was more to life than what I had been accustomed to - growing up and then the high school years.  It was one of the most vivid memories and "college transformational moments" that I can recall.

And then we proceeded to play like crap and lost the game and wound up in Jerseyville on the way back to River Forest because the bus driver got lost.

WUPHF

It has to be one of the best views in Division III.  It is a good thing you are not there today though.  The Missouri landscape is underwater including the Village of Elsah.  This has been a terrible season for floods.

hopefan

5th in a series of 10 write-ups... what have you done for me lately...past 5 seasons....

6) Kevin Gray Spalding... Spalding had the best program in the conference from 2010 thru 2014 with players like DeWhonn McAfee and Jametrius Brashear, and that carried over in 2015 when they won the conference tourney led by Brandon Goeing and Brandon Gabriel.  But things slipped the next year, when they made the conference tourney on the last night of the regular season.  After that, disaster... losing seasons in 2017,2018, and giving away what seemed to be a sure tourney slot in 2019 by losing 3 of their last 4. They are a mere 45-45 over the last 5 seasons.   My comment last season, early in the year, was that some players seemed to be playing scared, afraid to make mistakes and being benched.  Coach Gray is an intimidating figure, the tough love that worked in the past may be overbearing to some recently.  Still, the talent level is usually competitive in the conference.               
Two Conference Tourney appearances; won the tourney in 2015, lost in championship game in 2016.               
2014-15  All Conf 1st team          Brandon Goeing      
2014-15  All Conf 1st team          Brandon Gabriel      
2015-16  All Conf 2nd team         Brandon Goeing      
2015-16  All Conf 2nd team         Nick Trisko      
2016-17  All Conf  2nd Team         Nick Trisko      
2017-18  All Conf  3rd Team         Dominique Ellis      
2018-19  All Conf  1st Team         Marcus Montgomery      
The only thing not to be liked in Florida is no D3 hoops!!!

hopefan

6th in a series of 10 write-ups... what have you done for me lately...past 5 seasons....

5) Steve Kollar Blackburn.... From 2008 thru 2015, Blackburn, a once perennial contender in the conference fell to the bottom of the SLIAC standings, first under Kirk Chandler, then Jason Baribeau.  Steve Kollar came in and immediately turned the program around to a level that was competitive with any SLIAC team.  Moving on to Concordia-Chicago for the 2019-20 season, he achieved a 38-34 record in his 4 seasons at Blackburn, making the conference tourney in 2018 and 2019.  His move is a big loss for BC and the conference, as he produced an additional competitive team to the SLIAC mix... here's hoping new coach Austin Kirby can maintain this level of play.                  
Made the Conference Tourney in 2018, losing in the championship game, made the tourney in 2019 losing in Semis.                  
No All Conference in 2015, 2017                  
2015-16  All Conf 2nd team         Chris Davis         
2017-18  All Conf  2nd Team         Malcolm Scott         
2017-18  All Conf  3rd Team         Karson Hayes         
2018-19  All Conf  1st Team         Karson Hayes         
2018-19  All Conf  3rd Team         Raushaun Amos         
                  
The only thing not to be liked in Florida is no D3 hoops!!!