MBB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[markerickson]

I had the complete opposite reaction to Augie (I didn't see Elmwurst play this year).  Augie had no signs of being a legitimate Final Four team, except perhaps, for (slow-moving) height.  In fact, I had such a low opinion of the eventual CCIW champion that I predicted they would not win a game in the national tourney, a prediction that unfortunately came true.

No amount of blustering will change my opinion that this year's CCIW earned the right to be praised or rewarded, especially by the pollsters.  The CCIW should have its tail between the legs, wimpering in the corner.

Other predictions:  Minnesota will cakewalk to the Big Ten wrestling championship en route to being crowned national champions.  Book it, Danno!  Now, if my dad can get a flight into Chicago from Utah, we can use our tickets for the Big Ten tourney this weekend in East Lansing.
   

[Late nite]

Very disappointing ending for Augie---Give all the credit to Carroll for dictating the tempo of the game---They were prepared magnificiently for everything that the Vikes tried to execute---Out-of bounds plays, set plays and the motion offense---In every case, they beat the Augie players to the spots---I thought that the Carroll coach did an outstanding job of creating mismatches that the Vikes coaching staff never countered until desperation time at the end of the game---Augie's front line players logged 23, 26 and 27 minutes of playing time vs an offense that basically had 4 guards slashing past them to the basket---The percieved inside advantage that Augie had was neutralized by the mismatches at the other end and trying to guard the smaller, quicker players---At times, Augie's post players seemed to be in the way---Yes, they did put up some decent numbers, but given their huge size advantage, should have been a whole lot more effective with the all the minutes that they logged---Washington and Brusveen should have played more and the some of the bigs should have played less---This was a battle of stopping dribble penetration and not necessarily a case of winning a battle of the boards---Carroll made Augie play their game and that is why the Vikes are done---Great accomplishments this season, but another NCAA exit courtesy of an uptempo team---Congratulations on the CCIW regular season and conference tournament titles

[petemcb]

Very disappointing ending for Augie---Give all the credit to Carroll for dictating the tempo of the game---They were prepared magnificiently for everything that the Vikes tried to execute---Out-of bounds plays, set plays and the motion offense---In every case, they beat the Augie players to the spots---I thought that the Carroll coach did an outstanding job of creating mismatches that the Vikes coaching staff never countered until desperation time at the end of the game---Augie's front line players logged 23, 26 and 27 minutes of playing time vs an offense that basically had 4 guards slashing past them to the basket---The percieved inside advantage that Augie had was neutralized by the mismatches at the other end and trying to guard the smaller, quicker players---At times, Augie's post players seemed to be in the way---Yes, they did put up some decent numbers, but given their huge size advantage, should have been a whole lot more effective with the all the minutes that they logged---Washington and Brusveen should have played more and the some of the bigs should have played less---This was a battle of stopping dribble penetration and not necessarily a case of winning a battle of the boards---Carroll made Augie play their game and that is why the Vikes are done---Great accomplishments this season, but another NCAA exit courtesy of an uptempo team---Congratulations on the CCIW regular season and conference tournament titles

This brings up an interesting point that I would appreciate any and all Augie fans to comment on.  I watched Alex Washington play for three years at Wheeling High School.  I know he had more options than Augie (including one or two D1 possibilities).  I have seen him play in the summer league Augie plays in in Des Plaines each summer.  I don't understand why he doesn't getting more floor time for Augie, and particularly in a game like this one sounds.  I'm reading about Carroll's guards being quicker and remembering Washington being quick-footed, smooth-moving, and able to penetrate.  It seems like more PT for him might have helped Augie's cause against Carroll.  Any comments from the Augie faithful?

[coebball70]

Wow, am I bummed out....Augie and Loras go down early and in flames!  Nobody to root for except, maybe, Aurora....which is tough to do at the last minute.  The CCIW's supposed 'toughness' really took a hit last night.
TitanQ, I too think your assessment is dead on....accurately written.  Oh well, now we turn to who does what in recruiting this Spring!

[LU_nut]

well, since I started a bit of a debate on the CCIW vs. WIAC a week or two ago, I thought I might weigh back in.

Titan Q, I think you summarized it all right on target.  I think the CCIW has been the deepest conference.  I continue to believe the top end of the WIAC is better.  I know that Elmhurst beat Oshkosh this year. But I think that outcome is different on a neutral court.    I guess it all depends on what being the "best" conference means.  Again, 7 of the last 8 national champions that have come out of this conference have come out of the WIAC.

I have gone on record numerous times stating that I thought the IWU team from last year was the most talented team I had seen since the back to back Point teams.  How they lost 6 games I will never understand.  I was not that impressed with Augie last year.  They were slow and were handled by Puget Sound.  On the MWC page, I gave Carroll a good shot at beating Augie this year.  Carroll was smart and quick on the perimeter.   They were the only team to "handle" LU this year(all other losses were close) and they did it twice.

I still wish we could have seen how Elmhurst and Oshkosh did in the tourney.

Nut

[Titan Q]

This is certainly not the result that people were expecting, either inside or outside the CCIW, and that's because it doesn't happen very often. The CCIW hasn't gone one-and-out since Carthage lost in the second round at home in 2000 to eventual national runner-up UW-Eau Claire after the Redmen had drawn an opening-round bye. And the CCIW hasn't bowed out in the first round since Ripon knocked off Illinois Wesleyan in 1999. Only three times prior to tonight, in 2000, 1999, and 1991 (when Illinois Wesleyan also fell in the first round to Ripon) has the CCIW exited the tourney without winning a single game.

A couple corrections...

1) In 1999 when IWU traveled to Ripon and lost in Round 1, the Titans were an at-large selection (not sure if the term "Pool C" existed then).  Wheaton, the league champ, beat Wash U in Round 1 and then lost to Manchester in Round 2.

2) The CCIW also exited without winning a game just two years ago (2005) when Pool C Wheaton lost at home to Calvin in Round 1 and Pool A IWU lost to Hanover in Round 2, after a bye.


The fact that is eye-opening is that this is just the third time in 32 years of the Division III tournament that the CCIW has not had a team in the second round.  The other three seasons were...

* 1977 when 12-4 Augustana lost to Central (Iowa) in Round 1*
* 1984 when 14-2 IWU lost to UW-Whitewater in Round 1
* 1991 when 15-1 IWU lost @ Ripon

(all Round 1 losses)

* Note that in 1977, league champion IWU (15-1) played in the NAIA tournament

[Titan Q]

I know that Elmhurst beat Oshkosh this year. But I think that outcome is different on a neutral court.    I guess it all depends on what being the "best" conference means.  Again, 7 of the last 8 national champions that have come out of this conference have come out of the WIAC.

But, Augustana only lost by 3 @ #1 UW-Stevens Point in a game that Augie led for 30 minutes...

http://www.augustana.edu/athletics/mbasketball/stats/2006-07/07mbb11.htm

Perhaps that result would have been different on a neutral court (as you say of the Oshkosh @ Elmhurst game)?  Other CCIW/WIAC matchups included CCIW #2 Elmhurst over WIAC #4 UW-Whitewater and also CCIW #7 IWU over UW-Whitewater (@ Whitewater)...in addition to the Elmhurst over Oshkosh result mentioned already.

I still believe that anyway you stack up the CCIW vs the WIAC in 2006-07 - whether you are talking about the top of the leagues or top-to-bottom - the CCIW comes out on top based on head-to-head play and other results (like the Hope/Calvin sweeps by #3 Wheaton and #5 Carthage and Augie's win over Wash U).  Again, the games played at the top of the leagues indicate very little separation there and I think the bottom of the CCIW was much stronger than the bottom of the WIAC.

I was not that impressed with Augie last year.  They were slow and were handled by Puget Sound. 

Augustana played that game vs Puget Sound last year without their starting point-guard Drew Wessels, a CCIW 1st Team selection this year.  It is extremely hard to play against a Puget Sound or Grinnell without your point-guard...I was also at the Augie/UPS sectional game and Augustana just wasn't the same team that won the CCIW.  A combination of pure 2-guards handled point duties and it wasn't pretty.  Remember, the healthy Augustana beat the Final Four IWU team twice last year.

[Late nite]

Very disappointing ending for Augie---Give all the credit to Carroll for dictating the tempo of the game---They were prepared magnificiently for everything that the Vikes tried to execute---Out-of bounds plays, set plays and the motion offense---In every case, they beat the Augie players to the spots---I thought that the Carroll coach did an outstanding job of creating mismatches that the Vikes coaching staff never countered until desperation time at the end of the game---Augie's front line players logged 23, 26 and 27 minutes of playing time vs an offense that basically had 4 guards slashing past them to the basket---The percieved inside advantage that Augie had was neutralized by the mismatches at the other end and trying to guard the smaller, quicker players---At times, Augie's post players seemed to be in the way---Yes, they did put up some decent numbers, but given their huge size advantage, should have been a whole lot more effective with the all the minutes that they logged---Washington and Brusveen should have played more and the some of the bigs should have played less---This was a battle of stopping dribble penetration and not necessarily a case of winning a battle of the boards---Carroll made Augie play their game and that is why the Vikes are done---Great accomplishments this season, but another NCAA exit courtesy of an uptempo team---Congratulations on the CCIW regular season and conference tournament titles

This brings up an interesting point that I would appreciate any and all Augie fans to comment on.  I watched Alex Washington play for three years at Wheeling High School.  I know he had more options than Augie (including one or two D1 possibilities).  I have seen him play in the summer league Augie plays in in Des Plaines each summer.  I don't understand why he doesn't getting more floor time for Augie, and particularly in a game like this one sounds.  I'm reading about Carroll's guards being quicker and remembering Washington being quick-footed, smooth-moving, and able to penetrate.  It seems like more PT for him might have helped Augie's cause against Carroll.  Any comments from the Augie faithful?

He had a very good year---Giovanine's tolerance for mistakes is low---Unfortunately for both players mentioned, the leash was much shorter on their mistakes than that of the other players---Other players continued to get major minutes without nearly the production---It happens on every team---It's all speculation , but I agree that more action from these players would have helped the cause---In addition, Shaun Rose, who was, by far, the most consistent big man down the stretch,  also remained on the bench as the season slipped away

[79jaybird]

Congratulations to Augustana for their CCIW Championship.  Very sorry to see the Vikings lose and now no CCIW Teams playing still.
"Has there ever been a Black Coach in the CCIW?"
Somebody mentioned Benji Taylor for NC.  Also Augie had James Black coaching the Women's Team.  Both gentlemen were African American.
I have been away on business a couple of days, but a few pages back there was a clip from April on Michael Fiddler.  Congrats to Michael on that honor.  As a former 2 sport athlete, I know just how difficult it can be to maintain superior grades.

[Sakman 1111]

I was going to make all types of comments about the CCIW and WIAC being dominant conferences and agreeing that this is more a National Invitation Tourney rather than a National Championship.....but after Augustana's loss in the first round I will fade away and wait for WIAC dominance in football......Still wish the Bluejays would have got a crack at Salem....

[north central]

I know everyone in here is concerned about augies loss in the postseason but does anyone know anything or have any inside info on who Millikin is looking at to replace Littrell.  And thank you lori kerans for putting lit out of his misery. I for one think two former assistants should get some serious looks. Chad Bolser   and Marc Smith  . Smith is now a head coach at division 3 Keystone college and has a 5 year record of 88-50.  And he is from springfield.

[AndOne]

I know everyone in here is concerned about augies loss in the postseason but does anyone know anything or have any inside info on who Millikin is looking at to replace Littrell.  And thank you lori kerans for putting lit out of his misery. I for one think two former assistants should get some serious looks. Chad Bolser   and Marc Smith  . Smith is now a head coach at division 3 Keystone college and has a 5 year record of 88-50.  And he is from springfield.

I doubt Millikin has "targeted" anyone specific to take over the head coaching job. Also, as with any soundly run business, I hope the Big Blue athletic department administration is a secure enough organization that they can protect the job applicants names and not allow them to become public.

Logic would seem to dictate that the vast majority of applicants for the Millikin head coaching position would be current assistant coaches from within the regional area, plus a few regional head coaches in "lesser" conferences who would like to move "up" to the level of competition found in the CCIW. As you indicated, it makes perfect sense that members of the Millikin "family" get serious consideration, especially if they are currently serving in a coaching position. As we all know, such was the case when the Wesleyan position came open prior to this season.   

[north central]

well i hope millikin does not go the route iwu did and hire a high school coach with no college head coaching experience  when there are several quality people who are interested. I just want millikin to finally be a contender in the CCIW. the last time the big blue was even close to contending was in 98-99. The program has been a joke the last 7 years.

[Jim Matson]

Well, for the diehard fan, there is always the Wheaton and Illinois Wesleyan women's teams in the first round tonight.

Did I use April's name in vain?  I didn't mean to...

[diehardfan]

By all means, support the CCIW women. For those that don't want to/cant make the long drive, there are some great, fun local matchups at nearby Aurora tonight, with Hope, Calvin, Chicago all there.

For those that can't leave the house and have robust internet connections, the Miss College vs Oxy game tonight should be a great one, and the Miss College SID, Chris Brooks, worked it so they are doing the games in a high quality video stream! It makes Penn Atlantic look bad it's so good!  (Link is on the ASC board)