MBB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[thealmascots]

I'm just curious what the thoughts are from Wheaton and Carthage about the CCIW/MIAA challenge this weekend.  Hope looks to have quite a bit of talent, but are quite young and not much size.  Calvin has a couple good returning players, but is coming off a very disappointing and under-achieving year.  The verdict is still out on both.  Wheaton is highly ranked and the discussion here looks the expectation is for very few loses this year.  I have not heard much about Carthage this year.  What is the thought there??

[Mr. Ypsi]

Another very impressive win last night for the Thunder. I think they have a great shot at entering the CCIW slate undefeated. .

The question might be is Wheaton going to go undefeated in CCIW conference play? They look pretty unbeatable if everyone stays healthy. Has anyone ever finished undefeated in conference play? Generally it would be virtually impossible to win them all, particularly with Elmhurst, Augie and others being pretty darn good this season,  but this Wheaton team is special.

Several teams have gone undefeated, but not for several decades.  Augie (1973) and IWU (1970) were the last to do it - both going 16-0 (Carroll was still a member back then).

As thundermike points out, with 4 teams currently ranked in the top 13, I just can't see it (even if one of them eventually cops the walnut-and-bronze ).

[dansand]

Another very impressive win last night for the Thunder. I think they have a great shot at entering the CCIW slate undefeated. .

The question might be is Wheaton going to go undefeated in CCIW conference play? They look pretty unbeatable if everyone stays healthy. Has anyone ever finished undefeated in conference play? Generally it would be virtually impossible to win them all, particularly with Elmhurst, Augie and others being pretty darn good this season,  but this Wheaton team is special.

Wow. Augie/Wheatiefan sounding like Mr. Ypsi. (as Chuck beats me to the first reply)

'72-73 Augie was the last to go undefeated. 16-0 in the league and 29-2 overall. They lost to Lloyd "World B" Free and M.L. Carr and Guilford in the NAIA semifinals before taking third place. John Laing (7-0), Bruce Hamming (6-11), Chuck Menzer (6-6), Mark Brooks (6-2) and Drew Boster (6-0) were the starters. No one has done it since and I'd be willing to bet it doesn't happen this year.

[thundermike11]

I'm just curious what the thoughts are from Wheaton and Carthage about the CCIW/MIAA challenge this weekend.  Hope looks to have quite a bit of talent, but are quite young and not much size.  Calvin has a couple good returning players, but is coming off a very disappointing and under-achieving year.  The verdict is still out on both.  Wheaton is highly ranked and the discussion here looks the expectation is for very few loses this year.  I have not heard much about Carthage this year.  What is the thought there??

Wheaton has started out the year playing essentially in mid-season form. They are a very good team right now and I think are ranked right were they should be. I think Wheaton understands that Hope and Calvin, while currently un-ranked, are teams that are very capable of beating them. The biggest things about Wheaton are 1) they have played outstanding team defense thus far this year, and 2) they have proven to be a very balanced team offensively. Last night 5 players finished in double-figures. Unlike past years, it is not sufficient to place all of your defensive energy on Kent Raymond. Hope and Calvin should be the best teams the Thunder have faced so far, and hopefully Wheaton will be up to the challenge.

[April]

My karma can afford it, so I am just going to make this post and bear with me. 

I just want to say that I am having sooo much fun watching this season and these posts. Did someone really just say the words undefeated? Obviously it's unlikely, but I'd be lying to say it wasn't fun to have a knowledgable fan even suggest it!

In my first season of watching Wheaton basketball,we went 16-9 overall and 6-8 in the conference season. The previous year was similarly bad, so I didn't become a Wheaton BB fan thinking it was always going to be fun.
We've had some really good years since then, but they've also been pretty heartbreaking... Blowing a large lead against IWU at the Shirk in 04 to decide the championship (and not getting an at large bid)? A buzzer tip in by a Calvin player in the first round of the playoffs in 05? Heck, just three years ago we went 11-14 and 7-7. I had to watch us lose to Whittier. There have been lots and lots of long drives/flights home (and reading lots of posts of IWU fans gloating )

Coming off a run to the sectionals last year? Having an even better team this year? I am eating this up. 

Okay, now back to your regularly scheduled programming.

[augiefan]

It's good to know Augie was one of the undefeated CCIW Teams. Speaking of ancient history Dansand how is the son of another Augie great, young Max Artis, doing on the Augie JV team this year? Augie is loaded with seniors this year, so hopefully the freshman class is looking good at the JV level.

And I too would not bet on anyone going undefeated in the CCIW this season. The IWU team Keelan & Co. from a few years ago was probanly just as talented, and they couldn't pull it off.

[Titan Q]

Upset alert - Millikin leading Division I SUI-E...

http://www.siue.edu/ATHLETIC/MBB/20082009/xlive.htm

[Mr. Ypsi]

Now, Dan, play fair!

Can you really blame me for envisioning the 2005-06 IWU team going undefeated, being unanimously #1 in the poll and having Adam and Keelan being first-team AAs that year (and Zach the next)?   I try to imagine the Titans winning every year, but that's the only time I ever even speculated about being undefeated.

[Mr. Ypsi]

WOW!  Millikin up 9 with under 2 to play!

[augiefan]

Millikin, up by 11,  is a couple oif minutes away from beating SIU Edwardsville to remain undefeated. It looks more and more like there are not going to be any easy games in the CCIW this year.

[dansand]

Speaking of ancient history Dansand how is the son of another Augie great, young Max Artis, doing on the Augie JV team this year? Augie is loaded with seniors this year, so hopefully the freshman class is looking good at the JV level.

Max is doin' fine. He had 19 on 9-9 FG's at Simpson and 27 against Wash U. I think he's averaging around 16 through their first five games. He's a completely different player than Max Sr. About 6-3, 225. An undersized but very clever post player. He wore out Wash U's 6-9 center. And, yes, with six seniors there will be plenty of minutes available next year for anyone who wants to grab them up.

Upset alert - Millikin leading Division I SUI-E...

http://www.siue.edu/ATHLETIC/MBB/20082009/xlive.htm

Crap...Q beat me to it.

Now, Dan, play fair!

Can you really blame me for envisioning the 2005-06 IWU team going undefeated, being unanimously #1 in the poll and having Adam and Keelan being first-team AAs that year (and Zach the next)?   I try to imagine the Titans winning every year, but that's the only time I ever even speculated about being undefeated.

I only joke about it 'cause I know you'll take it good naturedly.

I speculated about Augie doing it that same year, but in fairness, it was after they'd won their first 10 in the league.

[wheatonfanaddict]

14 sec left

millikin up by 10

congratulations BIG BLUE

this season is gonna rock!

[Mr. Ypsi]

Chalk it up - Millikin leads by 10 w/ 14 seconds left.

This is the first d3 regular-season win over d1 this year, and done by the pre-season last-place team in the CCIW!  

[Millikin MAY not be headed for the basement.]

[dansand]

Wow. Millikin outscored SIUE 46-26 in the second half...crazy. Congrats to the Big Blue. Actually, looking at the rest of their non-conference schedule (Blackburn, Eureka, Knox and 1-7 York, NY) they also have a reasonable chance to start the CCIW portion of the schedule undefeated as well.

[Mr. Ypsi]

Final score:  Blue 70, (very blue )SIUE 59.