MBB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[David Collinge]

I was at Westmont last night, watching the IWU/UPS game and the first half of Westmont/Berry alongside Q.  The IWU game was about as I had expected; I saw UPS last week at Caltech (against PSU-Behrend) and wasn't terribly impressed.  I told Q before the game that I thought IWU would win by at least 15.  IWU was considerably taller and more athletic than UPS, and used those advantages to get out to a dominating lead in the first half.  I was very impressed that UPS was able to come out in the 2nd half with such focus and intensity; it's a credit to the coach, because the players' heads were hanging as they left the court after the first 20 minutes.  This is UPS' style (a style similar to that of UW-Stout, who does it better IMHO): they try to run you off your legs with their aggressive end-to-end attacking man defense.  Once again it worked, and was the reason UPS was able to make a game of it in the second half.  But IWU was (just barely) too well conditioned, and has gamers like Matt Arnold that made the difference. 

I'm going to go out on a limb and predict that Westmont defeats the Titans tonight.  Westmont is both bigger and quicker than IWU, from what I saw, and although the pace of tonight's game will be much more to IWU's liking, I think I'd give the Warriors a small edge. 

You're right, Dennis; Westmont is in the hills slightly above Santa Barbara.  My brother-in-law says he thinks it may be over the line into Montecito.  We passed a Covenant church on the road leading up to the campus.  Their gym is old school: not big, concrete walls on the ends, musty old banners hanging from the walls, with Lubbock Christian's roster still posted from some past game alongside the scoreboard.  There weren't many people there, either; the Westmont contingent didn't show up before the 2nd half of the IWU game (and it wasn't large), and UPS only brought a fraction of the people that came down last week for the Caltech tourney--but they were a pretty loud fraction, they did a good job supporting the Loggers.

All in all, a good evening of basketaball.  Plus I got to avoid the angina I surely would have suffered listening to the Wooster/B-WC double OT thriller on the web. 

[veterancciwfan]

Steve Schweer played the best game of his career last night. And Chris Jones was just as brilliant. Without Matt Arnold's leadership in the 2nd half with Dauksas sitting with 4 fouls, this game could have been closer. Arnold hit the biggest shot of the game with a 3-pointer to increase a shaky 6 point lead.

[Titan Q]

Dennis, this is my second trip to Santa Barbara (I was here with IWU in 2001-02) - it is one of the most beautiful places in the United States.  I got to play some golf today in the 72 degree temps at a course up one of the hills, overlooking the ocean. 

I'm going to watch the Puget Sound/Berry game at 5:30 (local time) to try to get a better feel for the Loggers.  I don't want to evaluate them just on one game. 

The IWU (9-0)/Westmont (8-3) game starts at 7:30 local (9:30 CST) with pregame coverage on WJBC starting at 9:15 CST.  It should be a great game on the Warrior's homecourt.  Westmont has some big boys and also some good 3-pt shooters.  Their star post player, Santiago Aguirre, is one of the best big guys IWU will face this year.  But as big and strong as Westmont is, IWU is bigger, stronger, and more athletic at almost every position.  This is the perfect final non-conference game because it is against a team that basically looks and plays like a CCIW contender.  Westmont will try to slow IWU down and try to be physical with IWU, just like Augie, NCC, Elmhurst, etc will.

The Titans are better than Westmont and should win this game.  I've seen enough of these games to be ready for a "road whistle" tonight though!

[Jim Matson]

If Wesleyan defeats Westmont, I say that they'll go undefeated in the 2006 half of this season.  The Titans have played just about as good a schedule as one could play and to come out of it without a loss (sans the Big 10 game), is impressive.

Arnold's return happened at just the right time.

And now for the University of Redlands...!

[Jim Matson]

Ypsi, come 'on!  I used a winkie so you know I was just yanking your emotional chain!

Dennis, I thought I had all my friends beat at 46 of 50.  Oh well....

[Mr. Ypsi]

Sorry, Hiker!

But I say enough outrageous things, I figured it was me!

A belated 'Merry Christmas' and a Happy New Year.

[iwu70]

IWU over Westmont, 76-60.  10-0.

[iwu70]

Three Titans make the all tournament team:  Chris, Adam and MVP Keelan.  Congats to all the Titans on an absolutely fabulous pre-conference season.

[Mr. Ypsi]

Update on the Titans:

I'm raising their odds of running the table in the CCIW to 30%, and their odds of a national title-winning, undefeated season to 20%.

While the odds are still against it, I'm gonna stick my neck out and say these Titans are going all the way (undefeated)!  This assumes, of course, that they are not reading their press-clippings (including my post, if this can be considered press!).  If they consider EVERY game a game that COULD be lost, I cannot find a game that they should lose.  The away games at Augie, Elmhurst, and NCC (and all the others!) scare me, of course, but they SHOULD be won.  EVERY tourney game, of couse, scares me, but again, what game should IWU lose?

2005-06 Titans: 29-0!  [With the scrimmage against the Illini removing a game, and assuming a bye in the first round, 29-0 is the number.  But I will accept 30-0, 31-0, whatever, if necessary!]

[Pat Coleman]

Don't forget two CCIW tournament games.

[Jim Matson]

Looks like Wesleyan is on their way to winning their second Byron Classic at Westmont.  I think they'll handle host Westmont by 15 or so.

Done.

[Jim Matson]

If Wesleyan defeats Westmont, I say that they'll go undefeated in the 2006 half of this season.  The Titans have played just about as good a schedule as one could play and to come out of it without a loss (sans the Big 10 game), is impressive.

High probability of being done.  Perhaps the only hurdle is Carver or Faganel.  To go into the NCAA Tourney undefeated would be stunning.

Yps, I give it more than your 30% for the regular season!

[iwumichigander]

Two nice wins at the Westmont Tournament for IWU.  Great effort by Chris Jones in both games earned him a spot on the All Tournament Team along with Adam Dauksas and Keelan Amelianovich (MVP also).  

I think this west coast trip results show the Titans still have a lot of opportunity to improve.  I am thrilled about Matt Arnold's performance.  Matt worked very hard to be ready to get back into the lineup.  Great job Matt!  Steve Schweer has also shown tremendous consistency and leadership.

I still see North Central, Augustana and Elmhurst battling all season for 2, 3 and 4.  And, I think Bosko Djurickovic and Bill Harris will find a way to make Carthage and Wheaton better as the season progresses.  Millikin will be better than last season's 4-10 CCIW record; and, so will North Park.

And, the most important conference wins this year for the top four finishers will be the two W's in the conference tournament.

[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?

CP - for the record, i had faith in the cardinal football program this year. i had faith in the cardinal football program last year......i had faith because i saw a marked improvement in the play of the team as well as the records over the past 5 seasons (wins went from 3 in 2001, to 6 in '02, 7 in '03 and '04, and 9 in '05). i had faith because of the teams the cards were returning in 04 and 05. the fact is that, while they made the playoffs, they still didnt make the step up to conference champs....so they still haven't made the final step, as far as their conference goes (maybe next year?). do i see North Central making strides in men's basketball? yes i do. do i think that they are eventually going to be consistently at the top half of the conference and maybe return to their early 90's ways? sure i do. do i think it's this year? i dont know.....because even though i see them taking care of business in the non-conference schedule, as they have done in the recent past, they haven't handled their business in the CCIW in the last 4 seasons (4 conf. wins in 01/02 and 02/03, 5 in 03/04 and 04/05......all of which placed them in the bottom half of the conference). will it take them finishing in the top 4 for me to start believing consistently? yes. until that happens, i will be a skeptic. i dont understand how being skeptical of an alma mater/a few friends' teams puts me in the same class as so-called "enemies." as larry the cable guy would say, "that's like wiping before you poop, it dont make sense."

I guess, I should have asked if you have been to a game this year.  It's not fair to ask an opinion of THIS YEARS TEAM IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THIS YEAR'S TEAM PLAY.  Right?

[cardinalpride]

D3hoops nation will find out a lot about NCC on the 4th!

Hmm ... I read a post like this and I am reminded of Ferrum football fans. "You'll find out about Ferrum when we play Christopher Newport!" Indeed we did: Christopher Newport 44, Ferrum 7.

Pat, lucky for us this is not football and we're not playing Christopher Newport! 

cp,
Still wondering about that negative karma of yours? 

CA, it lets me know people are reading what I'm posting.  I could care less  if they like it or not.  I only speak my opinion and the truth.  Plain and simple.