| GRSHOF | Tournament |
|---|---|
| Who | Hope (#17) |
| Cornerstone (NAIA II #4) | |
| Aquinas (NAIAII) | |
| Where | Sturrus Center, Aquinas College |
| When | Friday |
| Hope vs. Cornerstone 6:00 PM | |
| Calvin vs. Aquinas 8:00 PM | |
| Saturday | |
| Consolation Game - 6:00 PM | |
| Championship Game - 8:00 PM | |
| Radio | WFUR 102.9 FM |
| Web Audio | Stretch Internet |
| Web Video | None |
| Live Stats | None |
| Tickets | $8.00 Everyone |
| Directions | Click Here |
I just want to say right off the bat that I hate this tournament. It's difficult to attend if any sort of Thanksgiving travel is included in the family plans, I don't really care to see Calvin play a combination of Cornerstone and Aquinas three times in a season, and I definitely don't care to see a Calvin/Hope contest this early on in the year. I don't think anyone does.
I've heard mumblings and grumblings that this tournament might go away after this season, but that's nothing more than "he said, she said" at this point. We can only hope it's true. Maybe they'll at least change the format to guarantee the conference foes don't meet (and then hopefully Calvin can drop the second game against Aquinas they always seem to play). I'd much rather see Calvin mix in some more games, or a tournament, against some HCAC, NCAC, or OAC schools.
Hope versus Cornerstone
I think it's easy to say that Cornerstone is the heavy favorite to win this tournament going in. They're really the only team without question marks. They're 6-0, but the only team on their schedule that I'm familiar with is Grace Bible. Cornerstone won by three.
Hope didn't play their first game of the season until last night, an 81-67 loss to Davenport. The box score seems to suggest that the game wasn't even this close. I'm not really sure what to make of the result. Calvin found out that Davenport was quite good in their season opener, but the Knights were very much in that game the whole way. Maybe I underestimated how much the Dutchmen would struggle with Peter Bunn sidelined with an injury, maybe it was just the fact that it was their first game, and the Panthers had played seven already.
Calvin versus Aquinas
It seems to be a down year for the Aquinas Saints. Usually a good to very good NAIA II team, they sit at 3-4, but that does include a 13 point win over what should turn out to be a very good Olivet team. They're probably struggling with inconsistency just like Calvin, maybe even more. AQ lists seven true freshmen (and two more red shirt freshmen) on their 16-man roster. I'd say they're young.
Matchups
| Matchup | Calvin | Aquinas | Adv. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calvin eFG% vs. Aquinas DeFG% | 0.514 | 0.442 | Aquinas |
| Calvin DeFG% vs. Aquinas eFG% | 0.415 | 0.462 | Calvin |
| Calvin TOr vs. Aquinas DTOr | 0.215 | 0.199 | Aquinas |
| Calvin DTOr vs. Aquinas TOr | 0.179 | 0.266 | Calvin |
| Calvin ORb% vs. Aquinas DRb% | 0.327 | 0.745 | Aquinas |
| Calvin DRb% vs. Aquinas ORb% | 0.669 | 0.306 | even |
| Calvin FTr vs. Aquinas DFTr | 0.367 | 0.470 | Calvin |
| Calvin DFTr vs. Aquinas FTr | 0.320 | 0.387 | even |
| Calvin OEff vs. Aquinas DEff | 102.4 | 91.5 | Aquinas |
| Calvin DEff vs. Aquinas OEff | 94.8 | 88.9 | Calvin |
The stats suggest a relatively even matchup, with both teams gaining the advantage on defense. It looks like Calvin should get to the free throw line a lot, as Aquinas has given up nearly a 50% free throw rate. Hopefully Schnyders et al. can take advantage of that.
It really struck me how poor Aquinas' offense rates. Only an 88.9 offensive efficiency rating (100 was average for MIAA teams last year), an eFG% of only .462, and a turnover rate of over 26%. Their only offensive number that's average or above for a team of the D3/NAIA II level is their free throw rate.
It is a home game for the Saints, though. Hopefully the new gym (now with lights!) will be kinder to the visiting Knights.
[EDIT:] Does anyone want the enviable task of picking me up a ticket for Saturday night in the event of a Calvin and Hope matchup? Send me an email if you're interested.
Sure To Be Wrong Prediction
Cornerstone over Hope by 10.
Calvin by 6.
Need to win level: low
Expected to win level: medium
