MBB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[commonsense]

Another tough Titan loss last night, WOW the CCIW is tough.

Titans are 4-9 in last 13 games vs. CCIW opponents dating back to last year and have lost 3 of last 4..Hopefully they can get things things turned around and make the conference tourney.

[79jaybird]

What a great game at Elmhurst last night Whew!  That game had everything, scoring, defense, miscues, record breaking efforts, irony, tension... you name it, it was there. 

Very topsy-turvy game throughout.  It is pretty clear that Augie is a different team when Bertrand is on the floor.  He played well as did Alex Washington.

I was worried as the game had shades of deja vu down the stretch.

Congrats to Brent Ruch now the Elmhurst all time Blocks leader.  In the first half the difference was Dustin Bainter scoring 9 points and really was the only offensive factor driving to the bucket.  In the second though,  Ruch showed his poise and leadership grabbing loose balls and being a force in the middle.

Great crowds on both sides.  Hope the Jays can make it 2 for 2 in terms of avenging earlier losses at Millikin Sat.

[petemcb]

cciw.org has:

Feb 11:

Augie @ Millikin
Millikin @ Carthage

I don't think the Blue can pull that off!

Am I correct in concluding that the latter game is actually NCC @ Carthage?

2-11 is NCC @ Carthage and 2-14 is Millikin @ Carthage.

[petemcb]

Unless maybe they're doing a Spring Training split squad kind of thing.........It's almost that time of year. 

[Late nite]

Augie is clearly a team seeking an offensive identity---The Vikes have always been a low-post oriented offense, but the consistent offensive threat down low is lacking for them this year---To complicate matters, their outside shooting is average on a good night and below average on most---They have the depth and defense to compete on a nightly basis, but for them to be successful against the top teams in this conference, they will need to improve in at least ONE of these areas---The road doesn't get any easier for a team that struggles to put the ball in the basket---If they are able to survive and make the conference tourney, they will have to play much better offensively to keep up with the likes of EC and Wheaton

[REDMENFAN]

Article in Kenosha news from Carthage/IWU game. Bosko is clearly thrilled to get out of Bloomington with the Redmen's first win there since 2002

http://www.kenoshanews.com/sports/three_20point_scorers_boost_carthage_4314860.html

[andrewmp]

I will offer up a few things that I saw in the Wheaton - Millikin game last night.
The two Wheaton players I was most impressed with were Panner and McCrary.  It seemed to me that Panner shot very well during the game, and hit shots consistently when a teammate found him open.  He ended the game 9-13.  I think he thrives in the secondary role when Raymond helps to break down the defense.  McCrary had an impressive all around game, and spent most of the night guarding Ogunleye.  I have noticed that McCrary has often drawn tough defensive assignments, and has defended guards and forwards, showing great versitility in that way.  His stats for the game: 12 points, 5 boards, 5 assists.
Jahns also had a nice game, sparking the thunder with a steal near the end of the first half that put Wheaton up for good. 
Wheaton's two best players were not their best tonight.  Wiele at times fails to be aggressive when he is one on one against someone that he owns a distinct advantage against.  He also had a few passes that he just threw out of bounds.  Yet he continues to be a huge asset on the boards.
I felt like this was a game where Kent decided that he was going to try and get his shot back.  Wheaton didn't shoot that bad from outside, Kent did (1-8).  Some of those shots just looked awful.  However, those bad looking shots were in the first half.  He played a much better second half, finishing strong around the basket for two traditional 3 point plays, and started finding his stroke.  He hit one three and another shot just inside the line.  He sat down with about 8 minutes left in the game not to come back in.  He seems to be close to 100% mobility wise, and seems to be getting very close to the dominant play he showed before he went down.

The game was close in the first half in part because Raymond missed so many shots, and the offense just lacked flow.  The second half seemed more like the team that we have seen most of the year, with great passing finding the open man cutting to the hoop.  It was refreshing to see them score with or without Raymond on the floor much more easily than has been the case.

When Raymond began putting up bricks in the first half, I expected him to keep shooting for him to find his shot.  This game and the next against NPU is about the team getting back to the place before Raymond and Wiele had their injury woes.  That place is Kent setting the pace, and a balanced attack behind him.  Four players in double figures, and 20 assist for the team (8 for Jahns!).  A great second half for Wheaton.

[Sakman 1111]

Elmhurst continued to look good last night....frittered away a few 10 point leads but came back each time. Augie is one of the only teams that outrebounds them and that hurt last night. Childs had a rough game shooting wise last night but Ruchs and Strzemp picked him up and both were money down the line hitting some clutch shots....Guard play for the Bluejays has improved throughout the year. Now hopefully to even the score with Milliken on the road....

[andrewmp]

I went back through the play by play.  I believe Raymond was 2-12 in the first half, to underscore my point before of why it was close.  Of course, that means he was 5-8 in the second, which is much better.

[iwumichigander]

Another tough Titan loss last night, WOW the CCIW is tough.

Titans are 4-9 in last 13 games vs. CCIW opponents dating back to last year and have lost 3 of last 4..Hopefully they can get things things turned around and make the conference tourney.

Titans would likely have to both run the table and get some help to have any shot getting into the CCIW tournament.  With 3 road games remaining (NCC, NPU and Millikin) and two home games (Wheaton and Augustana) the 'odds' just don't favor IWU. 

[Thunder Dutch]

Rules question: what happens in the event of a tie on top of the standings?
Say if Wheaton runs the table (beating Elmhurst at Elmhurst) and Elmhurst wins all its other games?
Not a foregone conclusion, certainly, with fairly difficult games remaining (both have NCC, Carthage) both home and away, but not out of the question.
That would make both teams 11-3 and the head to head 1-1. Who wins the regular season and hosts the tournament in that case?

[Gregory Sager]

Rules question: what happens in the event of a tie on top of the standings?
Say if Wheaton runs the table (beating Elmhurst at Elmhurst) and Elmhurst wins all its other games?
Not a foregone conclusion, certainly, with fairly difficult games remaining (both have NCC, Carthage) both home and away, but not out of the question.
That would make both teams 11-3 and the head to head 1-1. Who wins the regular season and hosts the tournament in that case?

Here's the tiebreaker sequence, copied straight ffrom the CCIW website:

i.   Head to head competition.
ii.   Record against team(s) above the tie beginning with the highest ranked team.
iii.   Record vs team or teams in 3rd place. If still tied, go to the next place for determination, et cetera.
iv.   Road record against conference schools.
v.   Record in their last nine games.
vi.   The point spread of the tied teams' head-to head competition.
vii.   Coin toss

[Dennis_Prikkel]

North Park vs North Central

Some observers would have us believe that North Park players never played the game in high school and that is why when they get to college and get on the basketball court in college they know nothing about playing defense.  Um....

North Park players couldn't guard their lunch in the first half against North Central last night – all I could stomach really.  NPU was playing some kind of 2-3 zone and the Cardinals had their choice of any shot they wanted: layup, three-pointer, mid-jumper, they were all there in abundance, just waiting for the shooter to unload.

Meanwhile on the other end North Park's two stars (who played nearly the entire first half) looked like they had never been on the offensive end of the floor before.  The others players knew, though, take a shot and miss it and you're coming out.

DJ Cooper scores ten straight points – misses one shot – he's on the bench.  Phil Schneidermeier makes two shots, draws a foul, makes two free throws, misses a shot – boom on the bench.  So its no wonder that the other players in the game would forego wide open shots in the offense, in favor of turning the ball over, rather than missing a shot and then seeing a sub coming in for you at the next whistle.  Players can't have any confidence when their coach repeatedly takes them out for missing a shot, but not for committing a turnover.  Seven times in the first half North Park guards had wide open looks for three-pointers within whatever passes for an offense that the Vikings were trying to run.  All seven times, with no one anywhere near them, they turned down the shot, five times to turn it over on traveling calls and twice to dribble into the lane and attempting a layup amidst a collapsing defense.  Yuck!  Shoot the ball!

When your star player shows more creativity coming out for his pre-game introduction than he does on the offensive end of the court, taking only two wild three-pointers in the first half, it does not bode well for your team's chances.

Amidst all this North Park rallied to cut their deficit to just two points right before half, but the Cards rebounded an errant shot in the final second, when no Viking made any attempt to rebound and put it back in for a four point half-time lead.  The aftermath was a swearing match between two North Park guards as they left the gym at halftime.  Thus North Park, thus their season – five guys on the court together, but not a team.

[Dennis_Prikkel]

North Park vs North Central

North Park's first half malaise on the court spilled over to the scorer's table as well where eight different people were seated and failed for the final ten minutes of the half to realize to change the scoreboard, that Mike Ventura was not in the game and Nick Williams was.

At the start of the game North Central had more fans, then there were North Park students in the student section.  I counted them 33 to 31.  Talk about a malaise.

Whatever happened to the Carlson Crazies and school spirit?  Maybe the North Park administration likes a quiet gym for home games.

[Titan Q]

Rules question: what happens in the event of a tie on top of the standings?
Say if Wheaton runs the table (beating Elmhurst at Elmhurst) and Elmhurst wins all its other games?
Not a foregone conclusion, certainly, with fairly difficult games remaining (both have NCC, Carthage) both home and away, but not out of the question.
That would make both teams 11-3 and the head to head 1-1. Who wins the regular season and hosts the tournament in that case?

Here's the tiebreaker sequence, copied straight ffrom the CCIW website:

i.   Head to head competition.
ii.   Record against team(s) above the tie beginning with the highest ranked team.
iii.   Record vs team or teams in 3rd place. If still tied, go to the next place for determination, et cetera.
iv.   Road record against conference schools.
v.   Record in their last nine games.
vi.   The point spread of the tied teams' head-to head competition.
vii.   Coin toss

Don't forget...

viii.          Each school involved in tie designates a D3hoops.com poster to shoot 10 free throws in neutral CCIW gym.