MBB: Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association

[wiz]

Why do we have to wait 24 hours to give more karma?

[goodknight]

At the half

Calvin 39
Alma 35

Bryan Powell has 13, Snikkers has 9.
Kruis is 0-5 and DeBoer is 1-6 from the field.
Another painfully slow start for the Knights.

[KnightSlappy]

At the half

Calvin 39
Alma 35

Bryan Powell has 13, Snikkers has 9.
Kruis is 0-5 and DeBoer is 1-6 from the field.
Another painfully slow start for the Knights.

DeBoer, Kruis, and Snikkers have combined 12 points and are 4-21 (19%) from the floor.

Rest of the team has 27 points on 8-17 shooting (47%).

[scottiedawg]

My second look at Hope this year!

It's so ridiculous that Hope brings Overway and Neil off the bench. They're both phenomenal athletes and great players.

NVA has looked really good this half; mobile; decently disciplined on defense. Prepolec has been silent.

Hope has taken a ton of sub-optimal shots. Not terrible shots, but settling more than they should.

[scottiedawg]

Phenomenal game from Nate VanArendonk today. He was everywhere, filling up the stat sheet, altering shots and being smart on defense. Perfect from the line, 6 blocks, great defense on Prepolec. Nothing but huge positives today!

[sac]

Hope 88 Kzoo 67

http://www.miaa.org/mbb/stats/1112/0114kzho.htm

Another solid effort from the Dutchmen this afternoon.  Hope really did a number defensively on Joe Prepolec.  Joe doesn't quite look the same player from a year ago, and I don't just mean the long hair and tights, perhaps an injury of some kind. I don't know, but regardless he had just 5 points, which is a far cry from the 40 he lit the Dutchmen up for a year ago.

The story of this one was probably Hope's ability to get out and run on the fast break.  They seemed particularly focused on rebounding and getting the quick outlet time and time again.  Lots of great passing led to easy baskets.  The fast break points must have been very lopsided, which is a good thing because the jumpers weren't falling.  It is a rare thing to see a Hope team with just one 3 point shot made.

As mentioned Nate VanArendonk was really, really good today.  He made a couple terrific post moves that simply won't be stopped by anyone at this level.  Coltan Overway was just superb, in +/- hockey speak he was probably a +20 today.  Great energy and hustle, including a sequence where he ran nearly 3/4's of the court and made the play on defense and offense 2 possessions in a row and an elapsed time of about 15 seconds. 

For Kzoo I think they actually did a pretty decent job defending in the half court at times, they just couldn't stop Hope's transition offense and were killed on the boards.   A few other times Hope just made great passes to break down the D. 


Great to see a nice sized crowd at the AAC, it hasn't really been that way for awhile.  Nice student turnout.  They had the creativity dial on full.


Also, that's 29 consecutive wins for Hope over Kalamazoo which boggles this guys mind.

[sac]

Calvin 85 Alma 77  --- I probably haven't said it but I think Alma is just going to be pesky at home.  http://www.miaa.org/mbb/stats/1112/0114amca.htm


Trine 70 Albion 54  ---  62 of Trine's 70 points came from 3 guys.
http://www.miaa.org/mbb/stats/1112/m114tuab.htm


Adrian 78 Olivet 49 ---  Adrian's not struggling with teams they shouldn't struggle with anymore
http://www.miaa.org/mbb/stats/1112/0114olad.htm


standings with +/-........+1 for road wins/-1 for home losses

Hope          4-0       +2
Adrian        3-1        +1
Trine          3-1        +1
Calvin         2-2       0
Albion         2-2       0
Kzoo          1-3        -1
Olivet         1-3       -1
Alma          0-4       -2


Next week--Seems to me Calvin has the big week next week with Hope on the road and Trine at home.

Wednesday, January 18
Adrian at Alma, 8 p.m.
Kalamazoo at Albion, 8 p.m.
Calvin at Hope, 8 p.m.
Trine at Olivet, 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, January 21
Adrian at Kalamazoo, 3 p.m.
Alma at Albion, 3 p.m.
Olivet at Hope, 7:30 p.m.
Trine at Calvin, 3 p.m.

[pointlem]

As mentioned Nate VanArendonk was really, really good today.  .

I should say . . . 13 of 14 shooting (including 8 of 8 free throws), 11 rebounds, six blocks (and more altered shots), three assists, and only 2 fouls in 27 minutes was an amazing day for Nate.  He has made tremendous progress since the season's beginning, and had a Carissa Verkaik-like day.  All players will have up and down days . . . but the trend seems upward for Nate, and his performance--plus great team ball movement leading to lots of lay-ups--helped offset 1 of 11 3-point shooting.

Thank, as always, for your great synopses and previews, Sac.

[knights2000]

Maybe a little off topic, but is anyone aware of high school seniors in the area who are thinking Calvin or Hope or even other MIAA schools? Curious of the names I should be keeping an eye out for and games I should attend...

[goodknight]

In Calvin's win over Alma, Bryan Powell set a career-high in scoring with 24 points on 10-18 from the field and 4-5 from the charity stripe.  Tommy Snikkers had a strong second half to lead the Knights with 25 points, and Brian Haverdink chipped in with 13.
The bad news is that Tyler Kruis and Matt DeBoer both remained in an offensive funk.
In order to keep things remotely competitive this Wednesday, the Knights are going to need a lot more help than they've been getting from all five starters and the depleted bench.
Noticed that freshman Daniel Stout saw his first varsity action with seven minutes of play and a couple of rebounds and a pair of free throws. 

[hoopdreams]

K2K-  Based on the scores I'm seeing in the papers and the boatload of medicore "teams" recordwise, there ain't a whole lot of talent in WM that isn't already committed to a school next year, aren't yet seniors or won't go to Calvin/Hope because of grades.  Cannot ever remember seeing so many teams score in the thirties for an entire game (Hudsonvilles state quarters team with everyone back from a year ago, with 3 college athletes (2 hoopers)  struggled to score 34 against Rockford)

From the press yesterday... Hud 35 EK (8-1) 32, Muskegon 48 Grandville 39, WO 43, Mona 35, Unity CHR 39 to Byron 30, Rogers with 38, Hastings with 35, Coops with 41, Covenant Christian 33???, even FHC had 48 against a very average Holland, a team with the ginormous post in Berry ( a whopping 14 points BTW).  These scores aren't representative of playing against a stiffling defensive or full-court press that forces TO's.  If that was the case, the other team would be scoring in the 70-80's off of transition layups.......ugly.  Even Northview, with 2 D2 players mustered 56 in OT against an AWFUL Lowell team.

Based on what I've watched in person, a small sample, there are a lot of good athletes floating around but not many solid basketball players.  Some seniors haven't played well based on stats- shooter from Holland; and there are many schools I have not watched -  Greenville, Zeeland E, and the "city" schools that are good generally don't send players to MIAA.

I have watched Tri-unity play twice and they have 4 or 5 kids who can play college ball and are quite impressive, LOVE their PG but he's a junior.

Based on the stats and pic of Spring Lake player in the press yesterday, Austin Johnson????looks like a man

There simply aren't many names in GR who has me thinking " I really need to go watch this kid play" not named Drake Harris.

[SBell]

K2K-  Based on the scores I'm seeing in the papers and the boatload of medicore "teams" recordwise, there ain't a whole lot of talent in WM that isn't already committed to a school next year, aren't yet seniors or won't go to Calvin/Hope because of grades.  Cannot ever remember seeing so many teams score in the thirties for an entire game (Hudsonvilles state quarters team with everyone back from a year ago, with 3 college athletes (2 hoopers)  struggled to score 34 against Rockford)

From the press yesterday... Hud 35 EK (8-1) 32, Muskegon 48 Grandville 39, WO 43, Mona 35, Unity CHR 39 to Byron 30, Rogers with 38, Hastings with 35, Coops with 41, Covenant Christian 33???, even FHC had 48 against a very average Holland, a team with the ginormous post in Berry ( a whopping 14 points BTW).  These scores aren't representative of playing against a stiffling defensive or full-court press that forces TO's.  If that was the case, the other team would be scoring in the 70-80's off of transition layups.......ugly.  Even Northview, with 2 D2 players mustered 56 in OT against an AWFUL Lowell team.

Based on what I've watched in person, a small sample, there are a lot of good athletes floating around but not many solid basketball players.  Some seniors haven't played well based on stats- shooter from Holland; and there are many schools I have not watched -  Greenville, Zeeland E, and the "city" schools that are good generally don't send players to MIAA.

I have watched Tri-unity play twice and they have 4 or 5 kids who can play college ball and are quite impressive, LOVE their PG but he's a junior.

Based on the stats and pic of Spring Lake player in the press yesterday, Austin Johnson????looks like a man

There simply aren't many names in GR who has me thinking " I really need to go watch this kid play" not named Drake Harris.

Tell me about it, killing me on gas $ because when I want to stick local for a night, to find good "West Michigan" players have to drive to Edwardsburg and Dowagiac.

By far the most fun GR game I've seen was Tri-Unity at NorthPointe Christian. Fun basketball decided by the players, antithesis of so many O-K schools.

Austin Johnson is a tough kid, double-double machine albeit as a 6-2 forward (ding!ding! for the MIAA board).

[hoopdreams]

If I was really ambitious, the drive to watch Highsmith or Ryskamp would surely be rewarding.

I did watch to "bigtime" scorers go at it with Evans from Jenison and Love from Wyoming Park earlier this year.  Evans is a really high volume shooter that shot poorly that night (1-12 from behind the arc) who has 1.5 other competant players to play with- although one is a physical specimen sophomore ( with bigtime famiy connections to Hope..sorry knight fans).  The kid from Park played unbelievably well this night and ended up with 38.  Further stat lines have show that that was not a complete fluke, but Park is still waiting for Drew to come back, or his son.

I forgot about Northpointe and their 2 good players...both guards and young I think???  Zuidema is for sure, although it all blends in after a while.  NPC gets no press, recognition or respect, maybe they should? A little?

[SBell]

One semi-local kid for whom Trine is one of the favorites is Jared Holmquist, 6-5, 230 all-around forward from Reed City. Some WHAC schools are throwing the bank at him, as he's strong, tough and smart enough to play right away. Won a lot of games coaching him last two years in AAU so biased but for good reason. He'd help any team in the MIAA. Dad Chuck played at Alma.

Best GR team that plays fun ball right now is Godwin Heights. All keys off Kevin Badger, which is a good thing since he's so fast. They lost to Pershing in final of GVSU tournament in June, and weren't out of place.

Love's a mystery. Playing for Grady Elite will do that to a career. Good player though.

NorthPointe has soph guard Drew Zuidema, and freshman point guard Preston Huckaby. A decent soph forward too, forget his name his dad was the "other" forward with Matt Steigenga on South Christian 88.

[sac]

It's not the Sentinel's fault but I see they printed Hope has won 28 in a row vs Kalamazoo.  I'm sure they're just getting their info either directly or indirectly from Hope's archives.   http://hope.edu/pr/athletics/mbb/mbbvsmiaa.html


This is how the archive appears.  Italics = errors

2000 Hope 66, Kalamazoo 54
2000 Hope 82, Kalamazoo 67
2001 Hope 69, Kalamazoo 66
2001 Hope 93, Kalamazoo 84 ot
2002 Hope 76, Kalamazoo 61
2002 Hope 75, Kalamazoo 68
2002 Hope 68, Kalamazoo 67

This is how it should appear..........

2000 Hope 66, Kalamazoo 54
2000 Hope 82, Kalamazoo 67
2000 Hope 69, Kalamazoo 66------This game was the MIAA Tournament game of 2000
2001 Hope 93, Kalamazoo 84 ot
2001 Hope 76, Kalamazoo 61---------This game was played in 2001, not 2002 as shown above
2002 Hope 87, Kalamazoo 60---------This game is missing from the above archive
2002 Hope 75, Kalamazoo 68
2002 Hope 68, Kalamazoo 67 ---------This was the MIAA tournament game of 2002





Therefore, Hope's streak over Kalamazoo is 29 games.