Like I said, though, Hope's inability to get a rebound was the real difference maker. Oh and the fact that Calvin hit some huge shots 

You have to protect the players. It's all fun and games...

Dykstra and Stout were allowed to get away with quite a bit in their defense of Benson and  Blackledge. Hope would have gotten a few more free throw attempts had that been properly officiated. With that said, Hope could have grabbed a rebound or two in the second half to keep the Knights from getting the W

While no one may have been trampled, it was not a pleasant ending to a great game. There was a lot of discussion in the sports world this week about rushing the court. Calvin should have sent a few people in to keep the students under control until the teams were done shaking hands. Then let the pplayers and fans celebrate.

I was there in Wisconsin too.  That game winning shot was incredible and we rushed the court afterwards.  I was giving my buddy the play by play over the phone and when Spaman hit that shot it was bedlum there!  I wish I could have seen the shot this past weekend. 

I saw Kool play in Lansing a couple years ago when his team won and he put up those incredible numbers.  He'd be alright off the bench at a D 1 school but he's just too small.  His strength is his desire to win.  He'll probably do fine at Western but he won't gain the "star quality" he would at a local D 3 school

Kool isn't D I material.  He's an extraordinary player with serious heart but he's probably a little too small.  Playing at Western probably won't get him very far either.  I see him as a Joel Holstege type of player.  He would have thrived at a local DIII school!  I suppose there's still a chance.

meant to say that albion lacks depth of talent...no disrespect...just an observation.  Their toughness gets it done.

Tonight's game between Hope and Albion should be a good one.  I expect Hope to win but it will probably be fairly close.  Playing at Calvin probably favors Albion a bit.  I do expect Hope to take this tournament, though.  Albion is a tough team but the depth of talent.  Calvin is a young team that is undersized.  They do have a great game plan to go against larger teams, though.  Whoever compared them to the Bulls earlier on was right on.  Kalamazoo...no disrespect but someone had to win the K-zoo/Tri-State game.  On the other hand, this is college basketball and anything can happen.  Hope has a solid starting 5 and has depth on the bench.  They have a true point guard now coming in for Immink.  Regardless of how you feel about this kid being a part of the team, he is much needed.  And Scott Richardson (who hurt his ankle in the last game...any updates?) is as good as they get coming off the bench for your big guys.  Hope wants to lock up their bid and they want to get back that game they lost to Calvin.  They can do all of that by winning this tournament.  

P.S.  Player to watch out for next year....Hope's Tim Partirdge.  This kid is going to be a great one.

What up, RastaRob?!?

Do you know why Brandon Crawford goes to the line when he puts up a shot in the post?  Because he's always taking it STRONG to the basket.  He can't do it any other way.  You will get the call if you go strong to the basket.  That is something that Hope's Voisen is beginning to learn.  If you're 6'9" and are right under the basket you have to go strong and try to dunk the ball.  If you don't make it, you'll get the call.  You might even get both sometimes.  But Crawford knows this and does a great job with it.  It's smart basketball.  There are a lot of big men out there that could learn a thing or two from Crawford.

There is a lot of complaining about the refs here.  Guess what?  Refs don't play the games.  The players do.  If the refs are calling a "bad game", you have to play through it.  It sounds like Calvin did that last night and Olivet didn't.  I bet if Olivet kept it together they would have pulled out a victory.  And whoever said that the offciating was questionable at the Hope game last night is out of their mind.  The officiating was actually very good.  I kept hearing people in the stands getting upset at stuff that wasn't there at a point in the game where it didn't matter (Hope was up by 20).  I hate to break it to you but both Hope AND the refs don't want anything called at that point.  They just want to be done with the game.  I'm afraid that fans and players put too much on the refs.  Like I said, you have to play the game and not the officials.  You're not going to get every call and you're actually not going to be right on every call...that goes for both refs AND fans.  I would challenge all fans to watch more basketball and understand the game better.  Nothing annoys me more that an ignorant fan who's yelling at the ref when the call was actually a good one.  Know the rules and know the game.  You'll enjoy it that much more.  There will be some great games this weekend so ENJOY them!