MBB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[True Basketball Fan]

NCC was a team in question about how good they actually are.  Their win tonight @ Franklin (who is 8-2 and very solid) helps greatly in answering that question.  I think they are better than expected.  All this talk about Augie & Elmhurst being the two teams duking it out for 2nd place.......maybe NCC has a claim.

Also, Augie finally plays a team that will test them for 40 minutes.  How they do tomorrow will definitely speak volumes with regards to their potency, win or lose, as UW-Stout is awfully tough, especially at home.

Elmhurst has a serious test @ #6 Albion tomorrow night.  They have played tough teams already this year, but they only have one road win (double OT victory vs. 3-5 K'zoo).  This game will show whether Elmhurst can compete at a high level away from home (it wasn't totatlly proven @ Hope, but that was early) and WIN.

IWU vs. Puget Sound.........darn scary game for IWU folk.  Puget runs and guns and does it very well.  They make Redlands and Grinnell look like chumps with their hectic style.  Interesting neutral site game vs. two potential late NCAA Tourney participants.

What a week!

[cardinalpride]

NCC was a team in question about how good they actually are.  Their win tonight @ Franklin (who is 8-2 and very solid) helps greatly in answering that question.  I think they are better than expected.  All this talk about Augie & Elmhurst being the two teams duking it out for 2nd place.......maybe NCC has a claim.

Also, Augie finally plays a team that will test them for 40 minutes.  How they do tomorrow will definitely speak volumes with regards to their potency, win or lose, as UW-Stout is awfully tough, especially at home.

Elmhurst has a serious test @ #6 Albion tomorrow night.  They have played tough teams already this year, but they only have one road win (double OT victory vs. 3-5 K'zoo).  This game will show whether Elmhurst can compete at a high level away from home (it wasn't totatlly proven @ Hope, but that was early) and WIN.

IWU vs. Puget Sound.........darn scary game for IWU folk.  Puget runs and guns and does it very well.  They make Redlands and Grinnell look like chumps with their hectic style.  Interesting neutral site game vs. two potential late NCAA Tourney participants.

What a week!

TBF, it's nice to be mentioned with the upper half of the CCIW, but NCC is not playing for 2nd place.  99% of CCIW posters have already gift wrapped and sent the CCIW trophy down to bloomington.  "Not so fast my friend" as Lee Corso would say.  I believe NCC, Augie, and Elmhurst have as good a chance as IWU to win the league.  As I stated in previous posts, I believe NCC will beat IWU in bloomington.  Remember ya heard it here first!!! 

Go Cards!!!

[armywife]

Thanks for the score and stats Augiefan, I think if all of the guys can contribute with points instead of leaving all of the scoring to Harrigan and McAdams-Thornton, they have a great chance to win it. It's nice to see Kolze getting some playing time as a freshman and contributing points. I have a soft spot for those Lake Zurich guys since that is my school as well as Shaun's.

I have to agree with you cardnialpride, I hope to see all of these other teams give IWU a run for their money this season. You can bet the other coaches don't have their guys playing for second place. It should be a great year one way or another.

[petemcb]

Can any of the Augie fans give us an update on freshman Alex Washington from Wheeling High School?  I watched him for 3 years in high school, and he was an exceptional talent offensively for those years.  I saw him playing with Augie this summer in Des Plaines, so I assume he's on campus and with the team.  Is he playing at all?

[petemcb]

.......and, by the way, Happy New Year to one and all here on the Board.  May it be filled to overflowing with a fresh serving of Greg's generally incisive, more recently acerbic, but always welcome commentary.

[markerickson]

Many of us have complained aout lame to outrageous officiating.  No job compares to that of the officiating crew's "perormance" during last night's Michigan/Nebraska crew at the Outback Bowl.  Even the announcers consistently complained.  You'll never hear milquetoast Brent Mushburger acknowledge an official's mistake.

[CardinalAlum]

TBF, it's nice to be mentioned with the upper half of the CCIW, but NCC is not playing for 2nd place.  99% of CCIW posters have already gift wrapped and sent the CCIW trophy down to bloomington.  "Not so fast my friend" as Lee Corso would say.  I believe NCC, Augie, and Elmhurst have as good a chance as IWU to win the league.  As I stated in previous posts, I believe NCC will beat IWU in bloomington.  Remember ya heard it here first!!! 

Go Cards!!!

CP,

You can't really believe that our beloved NCC is going to go down to IWU and beat them?  I think you might have had a little too much Egg Nog.    I think Raridon is doing a great job with the program, but I just don't see NCC or anyone else for that matter challenging the Weenies for the conference.  They will lose a game or 2, I believe, and it very well could be NCC doing it, but it would be more so at home than at the Shirk.

[robertgoulet]

being a North Central alum and fan.....it pains me to do this (i feel like my being a cubs, bears, and bulls fan is leaking into my college sports.....NOOOOO!)....but until conference play starts and North Central locks up a few wins i'm gonna be a skeptic (which is what pains me, mainly because i'm friends with a couple of guys on the team and i WANT to believe). i got my hopes up last year AND the year prior when North Central went undefeated heading into conference play and then didn't really make much of an impact in the conference.....so.....until that day.....i will just hope that this is the year that we can take that step.

[amateurstatus]

petemcb....Alex Washington is playing at Augie,however he is stuck playing JV for now.I agree very talanted player but not Coach G,s type of point guard.

[augiefan]

Alex Washington is a freshman. His JV status has nothing to do with his being Coach G's kind of PG.

Alex will get his chance to play big time varsity minutes as early as next year. It may be at backup PG or it may be at SG with Harrigan gone, but he will get his chance. Alex is probably the second best Augie frosh this year behind only Mike Kolze, who is only seeing limited playing time despite great talent.

Freshmen seldom play varsity ball in their freshman year for the better CCIW teams.

[amateurstatus]

Augiefan with 3 PG,s ahead of Alex and not your typical 2 guard where do you see big time minutes coming from

[cardinalpride]

CP,

You can't really believe that our beloved NCC is going to go down to IWU and beat them?  I think you might have had a little too much Egg Nog.    I think Raridon is doing a great job with the program, but I just don't see NCC or anyone else for that matter challenging the Weenies for the conference.  They will lose a game or 2, I believe, and it very well could be NCC doing it, but it would be more so at home than at the Shirk.

CA, I wouldn't have said it if I didn't believe it!   I don't mind going out on a limb for this game. 

[iwumichigander]

I believe NCC, Augie, and Elmhurst have as good a chance as IWU to win the league.  As I stated in previous posts, I believe NCC will beat IWU in bloomington.  Remember ya heard it here first!!! 

Illinois Wesleyan Men's Basketball Records vs. Opponents (prior to 2004-05):
IWU v North Central Wins 100  Losses 29

The Shirk Center  (138-12 Overall Record, 70-7 in CCIW, 11+ Seasons)

As I recall, NCC does not have any of those opponent W's in the Shirk

Understanding your optimism, the CCIW schedule does not favor NCC unless it can hold on in a 7 straight game road schedule including two non-conference games and Augie & Elmhurst drop one or two.  If NCC in the running come February, then the CCIW schedule much more favorable with 6 of 7 home games in the Hangar.  I think CCIW schedule, assuming all three teams equal,  favors Augie for a run at the two spot.

I think its a fair statement that Augie, Elmhurst, IWU and NCC are likely to be the top four finishers in the conference thus in the CCIW tournament.  It's a question as to where each falls out.

Of course, we'll find out if your prediction holds on Jan 4th  

[cardinalpride]

being a North Central alum and fan.....it pains me to do this (i feel like my being a cubs, bears, and bulls fan is leaking into my college sports.....NOOOOO!)....but until conference play starts and North Central locks up a few wins i'm gonna be a skeptic (which is what pains me, mainly because i'm friends with a couple of guys on the team and i WANT to believe). i got my hopes up last year AND the year prior when North Central went undefeated heading into conference play and then didn't really make much of an impact in the conference.....so.....until that day.....i will just hope that this is the year that we can take that step.

With friends like you RG, who needs enemies!  Another NCC non believer.  Tell me RG, did you and CardinalAlum have any faith in the football program this year?

[cardinalpride]

 i got my hopes up last year AND the year prior when North Central went undefeated heading into conference play and then didn't really make much of an impact in the conference.....so.....until that day.....i will just hope that this is the year that we can take that step.

For the record NCC didn't go undefeated heading into CCIW play last year or the year prior.  7-3 in 03' and 10-1 in 04'!  I guess Cardinal Pride starts and ends with me here on D3hoops.  RG have you been to any games this year?