Quote from: Flying Dutch Fan on July 02, 2025, 01:44:57 PMQuick comparison below:

Calvin:
9 known games (Kuyper doesn't count being non D3) and a TBD in the Wisc Dells Tourney. 
Those 9 opponents last year had a 0.550 W/L, NPI average of 129, and 1 of them (Denison) was an NCAA tourney team last year

Hope:
All 11 oppponents are known. 
Last year they had a 0.596 W/L, NPI average of 111, and 3 of them (Franklin, UW Platteville, and WashU) were NCAA tourney teams last year.

Trine:
9 known games - 2 TBD (Daytona tourney)
Those 9 opponents last year had a 0.502 W/L, NPI average of 165, and 1 of them (Mary Washington) was an NCAA tourney team.

Albion:
9 known games - 2 TBD (Albion tourney)
Those 9 opponents last year had a 0.359 W/L, NPI average of 278, and none of them were an NCAA tourney team.

Albion schedule - albeit with 6 TBDs for 3 non-con tournaments (Westminster schedule does show Albion playing Westminster and Thiel @ Westminster on Nov 14 & 15) so really only 4 TBDs :

https://gobrits.com/sports/mens-basketball/schedule

What is known for non-con is home games vs Manchester and Ohio Northern, and road games at Westminster, Mount St Joseph, Ill Tech, and Aurora, and a neutral site game vs Thiel

Quote from: Flying Dutch Fan on June 30, 2025, 10:12:07 AMQuick comparison below:

Calvin:
9 known games (Kuyper doesn't count being non D3) and a TBD in the Wisc Dells Tourney. 
Those 9 opponents last year had a 0.550 W/L, NPI average of 129, and 1 of them (Denison) was an NCAA tourney team last year

Hope:
All 11 oppponents are known. 
Last year they had a 0.596 W/L, NPI average of 111, and 3 of them (Franklin, UW Platteville, and WashU) were NCAA tourney teams last year.

Trine:
9 known games - 2 TBD (Daytona tourney)
Those 9 opponents last year had a 0.502 W/L, NPI average of 165, and 1 of them (Mary Washington) was an NCAA tourney team.

Trine's schedule has been posted:

https://trinethunder.com/sports/mens-basketball/schedule

Non-cons at home: Ohio Northern, Baldwin-Wallace, and Heidelberg

Non-cons on the road: Ill Tech, Anderson, Manchester,and Wabash. Neutral site vs Mary Washington and Marietta (GL Inv) and 2 TBD games at the Daytona Classic in FL.

Sad news out of Adrian - Siena Heights wil be closing at the end of the 25-26 academic year after 105 years. I would assume Adrian College will see some impact from this closure

https://www.sienaheights.edu/siena-heights-university-announces-closure/

Typical tough schedule for Hope.  Assuming they get Carthage and IWU in the TBD tournament, they are facing (based on last years stats):

4 NCAA tournament teams
5 top 50 in NPI
7 top 100 in NPI
Avg NPI rating of all 9 opponents is 86
Those 9 teams avg 0.690 W/L

Updated recruit list:


                                                                               

Player	Height	Position	High School	College
Carson Lutz	6-0	G	Milford (MI)	Adrian
Ben Murphy	6-2	G/F	Dexter (MI)	Adrian
Cameron Essell	5-11	PG	East Lansing (MI)	Albion
Aaron Lauer	6-1	PG	Novi (MI)	Albion
Bowen Moore	6-4	G/F	Holly (MI)	Albion
Kaleb Brown	6-4	G	Ann Arbor Huron (MI)	Albion
Colin Whalen	6-4	F	Pontiac Notre Dame Prep (MI)	Albion
Austin Miller	6-5	G/F	Marshall (MI)	Albion
Vincent Salmon	6-8	C	Brighton (MI)	Albion
Jaxon Jurmu	6-0	PG	Marquette (MI)	Alma
Ben Beetham	6-1	PG	West Ottawa (MI)	Alma
Darrion Sardo	6-1	SG	Sandy Spring Friends School (MD)	Alma
Maxx Ladd	6-3	SG	San Jose St Francis (CA)	Alma
Tamarion Kindle	6-8	F	Saginaw Heritage (MI)	Alma
Zion Ruckard	6-0	PG	Aurora (CO) / St Thomas Aquinas transfer	Calvin
Michael Dekuiper	6-1	PG	Rockford (MI)	Calvin
Ben Elzinga	6-8	C	GR Covenant Christian (MI)	Calvin
Brendan Cargill	5-11	G	Forect Hills Central (MI)	Hope
Avery Sanchez	6-2	G	Turlock Pitman (CA)	Hope
Justin Fisher	6-3	G/F	Hudsonville (MI)	Hope
Tucker Walther	6-4	G	Schoolcraft (MI)	Hope
Derek Sanders	6-5	G	Brooklyn Columbia Central (MI)	Hope
Sean Wesolek	6-6	PF	Bay City John Glenn (MI)	Hope
John Kaul	6-3	G	Clarkston (MI)	Kalamazoo
Zander Nash	6-6	G/F	Imlay City (MI)	Kalamazoo
Tarren Calvert	5-11	G	Wyoming (MI)	Olivet
Levi Stambaugh	6-0	G	Mason (MI)	Olivet
Warren Williams	6-1	G	Wyoming (MI)	Olivet
Adam Devalaar	6-2	G	Holland (MI)	Olivet
Hayden Cross	6-2	F	White Lake Lakeland (MI)	Olivet
Alex Genuise	6-2	F	Allendale (MI)	Olivet
Gavin Ort	6-4	F	Waterford Mott (MI)	Olivet
Landon Lybarger	6-1	G	Monroeville Heritage (IN)	Trine
Adam McBride	6-1	G	Ossian Norwell (IN)	Trine
Ayden Dirschell	6-2	G	Coldwater (MI)	Trine
Montell Johnson	6-3	G	Indianapolis Park Tudor (IN)	Trine
Nick Ryan	6-3	G/F	Warren JFK (OH)	Trine
Nolan Fedak	6-6	F	Westerville North (OH)	Trine
Paxton Crane	6-7	F	Ft Wayne Carroll (IN)	Trine

Agree about Hope's schedule, and it looks to be a bit better than Calvin's - at least based on last years records and NPI.  Quick comparison below:

Calvin:
9 known games (Kuyper doesn't count being non D3) and a TBD in the Wisc Dells Tourney. 
Those 9 opponents last year had a 0.550 W/L, NPI average of 129, and 1 of them (Denison) was an NCAA tourney team last year

Hope:
All 11 oppponents are known. 
Last year they had a 0.596 W/L, NPI average of 111, and 3 of them (Franklin, UW Platteville, and WashU) were NCAA tourney teams last year.

Hope's schedule has been posted - link below.

Non-conference games at Home vs Colorado College, Ohio Wesleyan, (Carthage, Franciscan, IWU - 2 of those 3 in a tournament TBD), and Hardin-Simmons

Non-conference games on the road vs UW LAX, UW River Falls, Oglethorpe, and Pacific Lutheran (@ Oglethrope). 

The Hardin-Simmons game is an interesting scheduling anomoly, as it will be played in Holland on Feb 11, with only 3 conf games remaining after that game.  Latest non-con in a long time, and its against a tough opponent! 

https://athletics.hope.edu/sports/womens-basketball/schedule

Hope's schedule has been posted - link below.

Non-conference games at Home vs Wheaton, North Central, UW Platteville, UW Whitewater, WashU, and Muskingum

Non-conference games on the Road at Anderson, Franklin, Elmhurst, Ohio Northern, and Ohio Wesleyan

Only one tournament - the GVW Classic Jan 2-3 which are the games vs WashU & Muskingum (Olivet is the 4th team)

https://athletics.hope.edu/sports/mens-basketball/schedule

Tamarion Kindle, 6-8 F from Saginaw Heritage (MI) will attend Alma per X.  Appears that Alma is introducing a new recruit each day on X

Darrion Sardo, 6-1 G from Sandy Spring Friends School (MD) will attend Alma per X.  It's got me trying to remember if we have had any previous MIAA players from Maryland...

Quote from: Flying Dutch Fan on April 29, 2025, 03:13:20 PMIf VanderWal would become the next coach, does he bring his assistant and former Trine player Pete Smith with him?  Maybe Pete is even throwing his hat in the ring?

Turns out this "prediction" came true:

https://trinethunder.com/news/2025/6/24/mens-basketball-pete-smith-returns-to-trine-as-assistant-coach.aspx

Ben Beetham, 6-1 G from West Ottawa (MI) will attend Alma per X

Quote from: northb on June 15, 2025, 08:15:35 PMAlways fun to have the conference regular season finale be with Hope.

And I'm so happy to see the two rivalry games nearly a month apart!!  The last two years with them 10 days apart was certainly not ideal.