MBB: Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association

[pointlem]

Thank you, sac! That is the best recap I've ever read! If only more sports writers would write up their recaps like that.

What Dutchfan said...I've long thought Sac could have been a sportswriter. So grateful to Sac, and for you all who contribute here.

[sac]

Thank you, sac! That is the best recap I've ever read! If only more sports writers would write up their recaps like that.

I don't believe a single media outlet was in Olivet.  Just a shame.



Olivet did a great job hosting, same as last time.   Crowd was down a bit, those Friday games are tough, but man put your phones away, turn off the tv and get out and watch some live basketball.  These were great games.

 I really enjoyed having Hargraves on the video broadcast, great insights on the game, players.  A nice feature for future MIAA Tournament games, though I doubt host schools want to be available for that.  I'd love to hear more from the leagues coaches about other teams.

[sac]

Hope's tournament options. 

Seeding pods 1,2,3,4

Hope NPI is #49 that should make them a #4

as a #4 you're looking at playing a host school
Host schools in our half of the country should be Chicago, Illinois Wesleyan, UW-LaCrosse, WashU, Gustavus Adolphus.  I've penciled in Mt. Union as a host, because there should be an Ohio host to help with East/West geography and Mt. Union is #18

Hope to Gustavus Adolphus is over 500, so that's out.
Chicago should get Bethany Lutheran, so Hope "shouldn't" draw Chicago

IWU/WashU/LaCrosse are all plausible matchup

If Hope were sent to Mt Union and they're the #3 and don't play Mt Union the possibilities of opponents is too long to mention.  Anywhere from NY, NJ, PA all the way to Virginia.



The geography issue we always get means Hope is straddling that 3seed/4seed line
As a #3 Hope would be a weaker one and will probably draw Mt. Union if they don't host, Whitewater or Stevens Point

Other options that wouldn't follow strict seeding closely but seem plausible would be Platteville, John Carroll, Otterbein

Less likely 3 vs 2 matchups would be Grinnell or Loras

Hope won't play Bethany Lutheran, Heidelberg, PSU Behrend or Transylvania and shouldn't play Aurora, Wash & Jeff.  If they do they did something wonky or geography made it happen.


There's always the possibility, though highly unlikely, they fly Hope somewhere like Cali or Texas. 


As a side, with 4 WIAC's and 1 hosting. None of them can get to Mt. Union, so Whitewater, Stevens Point and Platteville will go one each to IWU, Chicago, WashU or Gustavus

You want the one without the WIAC school. 

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

Sneak preview of our mock bracket: Hope at UWL.

[monsoon]

Hope plays at UW-La Crosse.
Claremont-Mudd-Scripps and Aurora are the other two teams in the quad.

[AlwaysHope]

Anyone know if Parker Hovey is out for the tournament?  I see Hope's opponent on Friday,  UW LaCrosse, is 22- 6 on the year and 8 - 1 at home.  Game starts at 6:50 Central time.  They have played twice before, with Hope winning both in 2015 and 2016.

[Happy Calvin Guy]

Congrats to Hope and best of luck in the NCAAs.

Reflecting on the end of the Calvin seniors' careers...I note that those listed as Freshman on the 2022-23 Calvin roster (8 listed, but only 5 received significant playing time) combined for 4,593 points in their Calvin careers. Top two scorers on that list only played three seasons. Not sure if that point total is some kind of record, but what a class.

[Flying Dutch Fan]

A quick check on Massey and he's predicting this:

UW Lax 79
Hope 71

[oldknight]

Thank you, sac! That is the best recap I've ever read! If only more sports writers would write up their recaps like that.

I don't believe a single media outlet was in Olivet.  Just a shame.

That's not the way it used to be. Sadly, it's a different world now isn't it? Locally, WZZM has only a one-person sports department (and he's only on TV 3-4 days a week), while WXMI totally axed their sports division last year, with only an occasional sports mention by the news anchor. Given the amount of interest I sense is out there for sports news, it's ridiculous. Of the three Grand Rapids TV stations, only WOOD-TV has a fully staffed sports department.

[TUAngola]

Trine commit:

Cassius Bont    6'3 G    Byron Center HS MI (same high school as Trine senior Logan McKenzie)

Out with season ending injury since February.  Averaged 20 pts, 6.5 reb, 5.6 asst.  Had offers from Albion, Calvin and Hope. 

[TUAngola]

Good luck to Hope in the NCAA tournament!

I was at the MIAA championship game up at Olivet.  I thought Hope played about as well as I've seen them play this year in person and on tape, even without Hovey in the lineup.  Brady Miller was easily the player of the game and a huge spark for them.  What a special game from him, when his number was called he really stepped up, he could not miss a shot.

Trine exploded out of the gate, but then Hope got their footing and fought back in and Trine just couldn't get a stop the last part of the first half.  The momentum swing was huge.  It was eerily similar to Hope's comback in the second half at Trine.  We couldn't do anything right and Hope just made play after play.  In the second half we just couldn't make it all the way back.  Got close a few times, but Hope always with a big bucket to answer.  Cargill with another dagger 3 at the end just like he had at the game at Trine.  He might not make a high percentage of 3s but the ones he makes seem always to be at crucial times in games.

Trine graduates 4 seniors, all starters: Jayden Bradshaw, Nate Tucker, Logan McKenzie, and Danny Flood.  So glad for Nate to finish his senior year strong after his struggles in the new system earlier in the season.  Logan improved so much over his 4 years at Trine, was rewarded with being a key contributor inside for the Thunder.  Bradshaw and Flood both transferred in from Marietta and performed so well.  I sat with Danny's Dad at the championship game.  He said Danny didn't even take a visit to Trine before committing, decided when Coach VanderWal was leaving for Trine that he was going to too.  And also mentioned he played hurt all year, some sort of injury to both legs then hindered his lateral movement. 

I am excited for the future.  This incoming freshman class appears on paper to be pretty special.  VanderWal is a tireless recruiter, something I know Coach Miller didn't enjoy at times.  But Brooks loved to teach, a master with the Xs and Os.  We'll have Elias Lewis, Cade Brenner, and Elisha Jones all returning in the backcourt.  The frontcourt will have lots of new faces, we will have freshman Braxton Crane returning who after being injured the first part of the season, was primarily Logan's backup at the 5 spot and gained valuable experience.  Drew Panning the transfer from Heidelberg also returns as a wing or post.   

[hopefan]

Good Luck tonight Hope... from a Hope oldtimer

Back in the Day (the 80's), there would have been no question... "honey, I'm going to LaCrosse... wanna come?"

So many great days back then, but unfortunately, so many end of the season disappointments.... 

[sac]

LaCrosse 75 Hope 61 F

Tough night all around just putting the ball in the hoop, 2-19 from 3 made the first and last, inbetween 0-17 (woof), missed numerous close in shots, even struggled from the Ft line.  After an 8-0 lead, found themselves down 19 just before half, managed to battle all the way back to 6 with 3 cracks at it to go under but that was as close as they could get it.

Orion Yant was a huge bright spot with a game high 22, Hope consistently wormed their way in close but man the finishing was just so off.


A few Hope guys really dragged themselves across the line today, long physcially tough season took its toll.  But they played so dang hard, gave it all, got a little reward at the end.

[pointlem]

Alas, 63 of 64 tournament teams end their seasons downcast, as did Hope after a cold shooting night. Is seventeen consecutive three-point misses a team record?

Nevertheless, kudos for another year that, once again, began with a rigorous pre-league schedule and ended with a league tournament championship—as was accomplished four of the last five years, excepting last year when Hope beat the eventual national champion in the league semi-final. Somehow Greg Mitchell's teams seem to gain strength over their seasons.

Kudos to seniors Marcus Wourman and Justice Mims for their joyful spirits, as well as speed to the basket...and to defensive specialist Sam Carlson and sharpshooter Deven Marathe for their loyal team support.

With 75 percent of Hope's scoring the last four games coming from the frosh and sophomores, Hope looks to be a team on the rise. And with Calvin and Trine recruiting and returning a ton of talent, and Olivet returning its league-winning team, the MIAA should offer topflight competition next year.

[Flying Dutch Fan]

I totally agree with pointlem that Hope has a bright future.  Cargill in his Fr season scored 359 pts, shot 0.362 from 3 (Hope as a team was 0.282, but without Cargill they were 0.251), and 0.863 from the line.  Yant in his So season ( after 3 game sin his Fr year) was 6th all time in FG% for a season at 0.627.  Hovey (HOPEing for a healthy Sr season next year) is 150 pts shy of 1000, and already Top20 all time in career rebounds, assists, blocks, and steals. 

All that being said, it is always hard to see seniors careers end.  Wourman and Mims both brought so much energy - especially defensively - and that will be hard to replace.  Great work ethic from all the seniors.  Despite the loss at UWL, it did bring a smile to my face to see Devin hit that late 3, mostly because his teammates were all so exctied to see it as well.