MBB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[cciw watcher]

CCIW Posters:
In looking at the 4 potential conference tournament teams who will not get in?  Carthage, Auggie, Wheaton, North Central?  Any predictions?   From my prospective, the final saturday night could determine everything with Carthage at Elmhurst and Wheaton playing North Central. Any thoughts?

[Sakman 1111]

In this league do to the tremendous parity a lot of things can happen before talking about the importance of key last games of the year. Talk about last regular season match ups seems premature....

[voxelmhurst]

CCIW Posters:
In looking at the 4 potential conference tournament teams who will not get in?  Carthage, Auggie, Wheaton, North Central?  Any predictions?   From my prospective, the final saturday night could determine everything with Carthage at Elmhurst and Wheaton playing North Central. Any thoughts?

I see Carthage as being the odd team out.  They have the toughest schedule of the 5-3 teams left.

[REDMENFAN]

Here's the preview about the Carthage/IWU game tonight in the newspaper

http://www.kenoshanews.com/sports/4308059_4308059.html

[andrewmp]

I am really intrigued by the matchup tonight of Augie vs Elmhurst, and though most people are picking Elmhurst, I really think that it could go either way.  While Elmhurst sure would like to have that game back that they let go in Augie, that was a long time ago, and they have been playing well for the last six games.  I think they will struggle tonight to have their offense stay at the level it has been...Augie just throws you off of your rythm.  And while they have won 6 straight, I don't know if this will be a factor in them being content and causing a slight let down, or in them continuing to play well.  Augie has to feel more urgency.  Already being swept by one team, they need to have this win if they want to hold onto the crown.  They just might be the hungrier team tonight.
The other interesting game tonight is the Carthage/IWU game.  If IWU loses, I think they are going to be on the outside looking in.  Being 3-6 is going to be really difficult to make up in this league.  Same thing goes for Millikin.  Wheaton handled them pretty well without Raymond, and now they have them at home. 
I see NCC rebounding in a commanding way after their loss.  NPU doesn't have the experience to match up with them.  Interesting night, and we could be back to a virtual 5 way tie if things shake out in a certain way.

[Gregory Sager]

I don't think it is any coincidence that the 7th and 8th place teams in opponents points per game are IWU and North Park (81.9 ppg).

Please. IWU and NP spend no time TEACHING or RECRUITING defensive minded players, never have.
Neither school has ever had the reputation of playing defense.

Is OurHouse trolling under a different name again?

You have no idea who NPU and IWU recruit, dude, nor how much time their respective coaches spend teaching defense. And your assertion about NPU never having had the reputation of playing defense is 100% wrong. Back when Bosko Djurickovic was coaching the Vikings, North Park had a pretty fearsome defensive rep in the CCIW.

[79jaybird]

"I think this game could go either way.."
Could be said about almost every game in the CCIW this year. 

Couple Elmhurst keys
1) Open up the game with some fire, a hunger, and be ready to play
2) (the regulars) limit the turnovers, grab the rebounds. and play good defense.
3) Play 60 minutes.  There is absolutely no reason why they should have/did lose that game in R.I.   

Couple of Augie keys

1) Force Elmhurst to try another man besides Ruch
2) Create opportunities on offense via strong defense.

This game is very hard to predict.

[Mr. Ypsi]

"I think this game could go either way.."
Could be said about almost every game in the CCIW this year. 

Couple Elmhurst keys
1) Open up the game with some fire, a hunger, and be ready to play
2) (the regulars) limit the turnovers, grab the rebounds. and play good defense.
3) Play 60 minutes.  There is absolutely no reason why they should have/did lose that game in R.I.   

Couple of Augie keys

1) Force Elmhurst to try another man besides Ruch
2) Create opportunities on offense via strong defense.

This game is very hard to predict.

So you're predicting four OTs??

[79jaybird]

hehe no.  My hockey games are 60 minutes.  What I meant was play a FULL game, with no mental lapses, which cost them the game in R.I. 

[Dennis_Prikkel]

"I think this game could go either way.."
Could be said about almost every game in the CCIW this year. 

Couple Elmhurst keys
1) Open up the game with some fire, a hunger, and be ready to play
2) (the regulars) limit the turnovers, grab the rebounds. and play good defense.
3) Play 60 minutes.  There is absolutely no reason why they should have/did lose that game in R.I.   

Couple of Augie keys

1) Force Elmhurst to try another man besides Ruch
2) Create opportunities on offense via strong defense.

This game is very hard to predict.

obviously containing Ruchs is a defensive key for Augustana - they've shown that without Bertrand they are vulnerable inside - but an even greater key is containing the hot shooting of the Jay guards - IWU kept Burks in check, but Childs and Bernier went crazy and Strzemp even hit a few outside shots, while IWU was futilely trying to contain Ruch.

dgp

[shepherd]

Here's the preview about the Carthage/IWU game tonight in the newspaper

http://www.kenoshanews.com/sports/4308059_4308059.html

Djurickovic Has one of the best garage shots I have ever seen.  You know that shot he spent years practicing in his driveway.  Definitly not in any basketball book I've seen.  He dribbles outside the three point shot towards the corner and shoots the ball just before jumping out of bounds for three.  I think he hit two of those against Wheaton.  There must have been some conversation where the coach said if any other player tries that shot he will be benched for three weeks.

[Gregory Sager]

Here's the preview about the Carthage/IWU game tonight in the newspaper

http://www.kenoshanews.com/sports/4308059_4308059.html

Djurickovic Has one of the best garage shots I have ever seen.  You know that shot he spent years practicing in his driveway.  Definitly not in any basketball book I've seen.  He dribbles outside the three point shot towards the corner and shoots the ball just before jumping out of bounds for three.  I think he hit two of those against Wheaton.  There must have been some conversation where the coach said if any other player tries that shot he will be benched for three weeks.

"Garage shot"? Not quite. Why would he need to waste his time shooting in his driveway? He grew up in a family in which both of his parents were basketball coaches. If there was a dictionary entry for the term "gym rat" Steve Djurickovic's face would be right next to it. He's probably spent more time in gyms over the course of his short life than most housewives have spent in their kitchens.

[Dennis_Prikkel]

Here's the preview about the Carthage/IWU game tonight in the newspaper

http://www.kenoshanews.com/sports/4308059_4308059.html

Djurickovic Has one of the best garage shots I have ever seen.  You know that shot he spent years practicing in his driveway.  Definitly not in any basketball book I've seen.  He dribbles outside the three point shot towards the corner and shoots the ball just before jumping out of bounds for three.  I think he hit two of those against Wheaton.  There must have been some conversation where the coach said if any other player tries that shot he will be benched for three weeks.

The "garage" shot as you call it - was one that Rick Mount used repeatedly during his career at Purdue.

It's a shot perfected - like Greg said - when you are at the gym and your father is running practice and you can only use the sidelines of the side baskets.

dgp

[Gregory Sager]

The first regional rankings of the season are out. Here's the Midwest Region's rankings:

team	overall	in-region
1. Washington	17-1	16-1
2. Elmhurst	15-4	15-4
3. Wheaton	16-3	12-3
4. St. Norbert	16-1	15-1
5. Transylvania	14-4	11-2
6. Augustana	15-5	14-5
7. North Central	13-6	11-4
8. Carroll	13-5	13-5

[andrewmp]

The first regional rankings of the season are out. Here's the Midwest Region's rankings:

team	overall	in-region
1. Washington	17-1	16-1
2. Elmhurst	15-4	15-4
3. Wheaton	16-3	12-3
4. St. Norbert	16-1	15-1
5. Transylvania	14-4	11-2
6. Augustana	15-5	14-5
7. North Central	13-6	11-4
8. Carroll	13-5	13-5

If I understand correctly, this doesn't include the St. Norbert loss.  So there will be some changes to this potentially by next week, considering that at least one other team will also have a loss (Elmhurst or Augie). 
I can still see the CCIW getting four teams in, but I think it would require the fourth place NCC team winning the tournament, if they are even the fourth place team (they could still be first).  This would require Augie an Wheaton to win out, Elmhurst to finish with a 10-4 mark, and I think that would put NCC at 8-6.  An unlikely scenario, but a possible way to get four teams in.