MIAA basketball coaches got out their crystal ball Thursday and offered their pre-season predictions of this season's conference races. The vote came during the coaches' annual pre-season meetings.
MIAA basketball coaches got out their crystal ball Thursday and offered their pre-season predictions of this season's conference races. The vote came during the coaches' annual pre-season meetings.
The Flying Dutchmen are the pre-season favorite in the men's race while the Flying Dutch have been picked to finish second in the women's standings.
Men's MIAA Poll
A year ago Hope and Albion were MIAA co-champions. This year the coaches predict another
close race. The Flying Dutchmen received four of the seven first place votes while
Albion received two and Calvin one.
Coach Glenn Van Wieren's Dutchmen garnered eight points in the poll followed by Albion 11, Calvin 14, Olivet 21, Adrian 27, Kalamazoo 31 and Alma 35.
Women's MIAA Poll
Albion has never won an MIAA women's basketball championship while Hope is the four-time
defending champion. Each team received four first place votes in the poll of coaches.
The rest of Albion's votes were second place while Hope received three seconds and
a third.
In the end, Albion tallied 10 points followed by Hope with 11. There is a three-way tie for third place with Alma, Calvin and Olivet each tallying 27 points. Kalamazoo was pegged for sixth with 32 points while Adrian and Saint Mary's tied for seventh with 45.
The basketball season begins the weekend of Nov. 21-22. The Flying Dutchmen will play in a tournament in Illinois and the Flying Dutch in a tourney in Ohio.