MBB: Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

My understanding with the injury was always for him to graduate in four years and give himself options for the fifth.

I suspect he's not going to another d3 school.  It'll be Calvin or a scholarship, for sure.

[Flying Dutch Fan]

He did celebrate senior day on Saturday so it seems unlikely he'd return to Calvin. I'm sure there are D1 opportunities out there for him.

In the article he said "Now that my class is out of here, I feel like I've done what I can here."

[sac]

I was surprised to see him out there until I thought about it later.  Four years at Calvin, degree in hand, get a pretty free Masters somewhere else.  Easy choice really.

"A D2 school" was the very uncomfirmed scuttle butt in the nearly vacant Hope end.

[KnightSlappy]

I think (but I'm old now and my memory is bad) Uchenna Egekeze also celebrated senior day before deciding on a fifth year at Calvin (and then celebrated another senior day), but yeah, I think the plan for Jalen was always to graduate and then explore what options exist.

There is a D1 in Michigan with a coaching staff full of guys who have seen Jalen dominate their teams at past stops. I would bet they will reach out when the time comes.

But we still have between 1 and 9 games left to enjoy with him here at Calvin!

[AlwaysHope]

He did celebrate senior day on Saturday so it seems unlikely he'd return to Calvin. I'm sure there are D1 opportunities out there for him.

In the article he said "Now that my class is out of here, I feel like I've done what I can here."

At the end of the Holland Sentinel article were these two quotes from Jalen:  The article about Overway concluded with these remarks, "Overway said he'd like to follow the same path as former high school rival Gabe Newhof, who played three years at Spring Arbor University before transferring to Division I James Madison University for the current season.  "He's killing it over at James Madison," Overway said."

Sounds like he already pretty much decided.

[oldknight]

Calvin beats Adrian 105-63 Tuesday night. This game was never competitive. On to the semis to take on Hope for the second time in six days.

[sac]

Cole Charter  6-5 G  Clarkston will attend Calvin

[pointlem]

Cole Charter  6-5 G  Clarkston will attend Calvin

If Jalen Overway moves on it looks like Calvin will be amply restocking talent, including seven recruits from this top 200 MI listing.
https://mittenprephoops.com/2025/12/13/michigan-boys-prep-hoops-top-100-players-in-class-of-2026/

[goodknight]

I've heard Calvin expects to welcome at least a dozen new players for the program, including 10 high school seniors and likely a couple of transfers. There will be a ton of minutes available with the graduation of Overway, Winkle, Ressler and Ewing.

[TUAngola]

Another Trine commitment and once again another 'big', although his X page says he's a SG.  This might be one of the best classes coming in that I can remember. 

Drew Matelic    6'7 SG    Speedway HS, IN

26.8 ppg, 7.9 rpg.  Had offers from Illinois Wesleyan and Wabash. 

[pointlem]

I've heard Calvin expects to welcome at least a dozen new players for the program, including 10 high school seniors and likely a couple of transfers. There will be a ton of minutes available with the graduation of Overway, Winkle, Ressler and Ewing.

Calvin's big (and seemingly strong) recruiting class raises an interesting question, to which I have no answer. What's an optimum size recruiting class--with enough talent to enable the fittest to survive to playing time, but not so many that most recruits' expectations go unfulfilled, with diminished team morale?

And what's the optimum size for a team? Hope's 20-man varsity has given playing time to a dozen players in recent games, while leaving some nearly always as spectators (though one of last year's end-of-bench spectators--Orion Yant, who got in three games last year--is now a starter and major contributor).

[ziggy]

I've heard Calvin expects to welcome at least a dozen new players for the program, including 10 high school seniors and likely a couple of transfers. There will be a ton of minutes available with the graduation of Overway, Winkle, Ressler and Ewing.

Calvin's big (and seemingly strong) recruiting class raises an interesting question, to which I have no answer. What's an optimum size recruiting class--with enough talent to enable the fittest to survive to playing time, but not so many that most recruits' expectations go unfulfilled, with diminished team morale?

And what's the optimum size for a team? Hope's 20-man varsity has given playing time to a dozen players in recent games, while leaving some nearly always as spectators (though one of last year's end-of-bench spectators--Orion Yant, who got in three games last year--is now a starter and major contributor).

As it relates to a recruit's expectations, it is up to the coaching staff for the communication to be clear and honest during the recruiting process regardless of the size of the class or program roster.

[KnightSlappy]

I think similar when it comes to roster size. I had a conversation with a Calvin assistant one time who said they would prefer to allow players to self cut rather than cutting. There's obviously a line here, but if a guy is going to show up every day in practice and put in the work to help make the team better, all while knowing there's not a prayer of getting any meaningful minutes (hopefully good communication between the staff and player in knowing that), they have sometimes kept that guy around as an upperclassman. Some guys just love to be part of the team, some guys don't want to put in that time and effort to not see action, and both are totally understandable.

[pointlem]

I've heard Calvin expects to welcome at least a dozen new players for the program, including 10 high school seniors and likely a couple of transfers. There will be a ton of minutes available with the graduation of Overway, Winkle, Ressler and Ewing.

Calvin's big (and seemingly strong) recruiting class raises an interesting question, to which I have no answer. What's an optimum size recruiting class--with enough talent to enable the fittest to survive to playing time, but not so many that most recruits' expectations go unfulfilled, with diminished team morale?

And what's the optimum size for a team? Hope's 20-man varsity has given playing time to a dozen players in recent games, while leaving some nearly always as spectators (though one of last year's end-of-bench spectators--Orion Yant, who got in three games last year--is now a starter and major contributor).

As it relates to a recruit's expectations, it is up to the coaching staff for the communication to be clear and honest during the recruiting process regardless of the size of the class or program roster.

Good words, Ziggy, but boy what a challenge that is for a coach. Calvin, for example, is graduating four players from an 18-player youngish roster. If, indeed, they welcome in 10 high school recruits and two transfers, and if 14 players return, that's 26 players likely dreaming of playing time . . . when only eight players saw the floor for more than 6 minutes per game this year, of whom four are returning.

So . . . 22 players hoping to replace those four departing graduates? Are most made aware that they'll likely be playing jv or riding the bench? Perhaps some from this year's team will see the incoming talent and decide to focus their time and energies elsewhere. Regardless, and I'm just using Calvin as an example, I empathize with coaches who need to overbook talent, like airlines overbooking seats knowing that some won't show, while also being both transparently honest yet encouraging to their student athletes. I'm glad I'm a fan and not a coach.

P.S. I remember Hope former coach Glenn Van Wieren, in a talk on his recruiting process and mindful of uncertainties including injury, claiming to tell every recruit: "Don't come to Hope unless you could be happy here not playing basketball."

[ziggy]

While the size of the varsity roster seems to have changed at some point, I'm not sure the size of the overall program has really changed.

It used to be you'd see a varsity roster maybe capped at 15 with just a couple guys listed on both a varsity and JV roster. This year Calvin has an 18-player roster but there are only two players on the JV roster who do not also appear on the varsity roster.

I believe at some point the NCAA changed the allowable gameday bench size. That is probably the difference and it gives guys 16-18 a better student-athlete experience than the might have otherwise previously if they capped out as a two year JV player.