MBB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[diehardfan]

And nobody's questioning anybody's loyalty, Scotsfan.

lol... oh come on! that was the funniest post on the subject by far!

April, I didn't include John Mohan in that "I wasn't previously impressed" statement I made about Fiddler and Wiele. I have been impressed by Mohan in the two earlier Wheaton games I saw this season. Also, keep in mind that Wiele was matched up against an "excellent and dramatically more seasoned player" for part of Saturday's game, NPU's Brett Mathisen. Mathisen's poor game is also a testament to how well Wiele and Fiddler played.

On Mohan... that's true, you didn't include him. Sorry for making generalizations. As this was your third Wheaton game, let me ask you a question. While I tend to like John as a player a lot, John's A-TO ratio is atrocious for a guard - 0.89. What do you think is the cause of that... is it more the people he's throwing to not getting a good pass, or is there fault both ways, or is it mostly on him. I couldn't get a conclusive feel on that in the two games I saw while Wheaton was out in Cali.

Good point also concerning Mathison, I have always thought a lot of Brett... though I haven't seen a lot of him since his sophmore year! 

Diehard (April) - February 22 against Carthage. I'm tentatively scheduled to come out retirement to call the game on WETN. That gives me a good month to come up with odd-ball stats (like free throw ptc in odd numbered minutes).

I had orginally seen it as a throw-away, end of the season game, but could Wheaton possibly be battling for a top 4 finish when we get to the wire?

Ah ha! I knew all I had to do was post your name and you'd come out of the woodwork! 

There is an off chance that I might be at that game as well. I have plenty of vacation stored up, and plan to use a considerable amount before the end of the basketball season (as I tried to explain to my boss, I know most people travel during the summer, but uh, this is my major travelling season for uhm, secret reasons). If I don't get to be there, I will be somewhat consoled by knowing that I'll get a good broadcast.

I went down to give Brett Marhanka cookies after the Whittier game and was chatting about you for a while with him and one of the new WETN broacasters. Glad to know that you are finishing your degree (heck, if you can, why not?) so that we can claim you when you become famous. Sorta like Wes Craven, only, uh, different...

The new WETN broadcaster didn't get cookies yet... I haven't decided if he's that cool yet. Maybe if he's really nice when I try to remind him to give us the time and the score every few minutes.

And yes, I've never stopped hoping that that one of the conf tourney spot has our name on it. They don't call me diehard fan for nothing. And technically, according to the "formula" we are in pretty good shape at +1! Woo!

Incidentally... I wouldn't start compiling those stats just yet... they "might" be a little out of date in a month. 

[Gregory Sager]

On Mohan... that's true, you didn't include him. Sorry for making generalizations. As this was your third Wheaton game, let me ask you a question. While I tend to like John as a player a lot, John's A-TO ratio is atrocious for a guard - 0.89. What do you think is the cause of that... is it more the people he's throwing to not getting a good pass, or is there fault both ways, or is it mostly on him. I couldn't get a conclusive feel on that in the two games I saw while Wheaton was out in Cali.

There were a bunch of Wheaton games earlier in the year (esp. vs. Hope and Benedictine) in which Wheaton was absolutely eaten alive by turnovers. It's a common syndrome of young teams; I spent November and December watching the same thing happen to North Park. Mohan was learning on the job, but so were his teammates (except Bollier). I wouldn't make too big a thing out of it. You have to make some allowances for growing pains when almost the entire rotation is getting its first extended varsity experience.

Glad to know that you are finishing your degree (heck, if you can, why not?) so that we can claim you when you become famous. Sorta like Wes Craven, only, uh, different...

Ah, Wes Craven. The second-most impressive Wheatie in showbiz, after Catherine Keener. A very distant second. 

The new WETN broadcaster didn't get cookies yet... I haven't decided if he's that cool yet. Maybe if he's really nice when I try to remind him to give us the time and the score every few minutes.

Hey, he deserves cookies just for not flinging around goofy Bermanisms in his broadcast like "Joel Kolmodin Dragon", "Martin Chicago Trimiew", and "Jim Ferocious Fortosis", the way that BH's predecessor did.

Incidentally... I wouldn't start compiling those stats just yet... they "might" be a little out of date in a month. 

Shhhh ... the stats are compiled by the league office, not by me or by anyone else on CCIW Chat. And we don't want the league to stop compiling them, now, do we? 

[Mugsy]

Q - Once again good to see you last week. I see a chain reaction forming, since your earlier post just inspired me to go run four miles.

Thinking about running four miles is enough for me.

[Mugsy]

One of the things that fueled the early competitiveness of the North Park - Wheaton rivalry - other than the fact that NPC ended Wheaton's 62-game CCIW winning streak in Centennial Gym upon the Crusaders return to the conference in 1968, or the fact that North Park regularly drew as many or more fans to the showdowns in the western suburbs, or that a number of Wheaton faculty and staff are members of Glen Ellyn Covenant Church - were the ties that former Viking coach Dan McCarrrell had to Wheaton.

Dan, like everyone else in his family, attended Wheaton College.  Dan went only one year and then finished at North Park.  Dan's father, a noted Cicero preacher was on the board of Wheaton College for a very long time (40 years rattles in my brain).  Dan's older brother Dave (a member of Wheaton's Hall of Fame), was a regular at just about every North Park home and away game, all the way through the Bosko era, was a starter on several of the great Wheaton football teams of the late fifties.  While I think Dan really respected the ties his family had with Wheaton and respected the school, he really loved to beat them in anything.  About the only thing that endeared former Viking football coach Bill Gourley to Dan was that he never lost to Wheaton (1970-71-72).

MW

Dennis,

I can totally relate to this, only I obviously still side heavily on the Wheaton side.  My brother, my sister and I all graduated from Wheaton.  My brother & I played football at Wheaton and I was an assistant coach for 5 years.  My mother went to Swedish Covenant Nursing school, which I believe included course work at North Park.  Yet I've been attending Glen Ellyn Covenant Church for over 35 years, which has a large percentage of Wheaton alum in membership.  To top it off, my wife is a North Park grad. 

Competitiveness runs wild in that church (and my home)... even when it seems to have calmed down a bit from the student or fan base.

[iwumichigander]

IWM, I knew that I was going to come across as a scold. Sorry about that, but it was difficult to say what I had to say without sounding that way.

Accepted Greg!

[79jaybird]

Hiker Jim, I'm not worried about Elmhurst not being in the Top 25 nor receiving many votes.  The Bluejays play better when they are not ranked compared to when they are.

[The Roop]

Kinda hard to crack the top 25, at this point anyway, with 5 losses but only 29 votes is a mystery to me. 4 of the 5 were on the road and it's a who's who list of DIII basketball.

[Gotberg]

An excellent review of the game has already been given.

But as long as we're talking about coaches:

1- I've never seen Coach Harris so subdued on the Wheaton sidelines.  He arose only once during the first half to protest a call and the rest of the time sat with his legs crossed kibbitzing with an assistant.  Just letting his young team play.  (Center Andy Wiele (btw) will be a stud in this league.  The man can and knows how to play.)

2- The opposing coach could have learned something from coach Harris' repose and demeanor with his young team.  Stalking up and down the bench area with arms folded with a look of disgust for the play of your team is way not cool.  Follow the example of coach Harris and let your kids play and learn their mistakes for themselves while the game is in motion.

MW

I'm watching the Illinois/Indiana game and Weber sure works the sideline pretty hard with arms often folded and also frequently yelling directions to his players.  Watching for 5 minutes I don't think he's sat down once.  With this in mind, I don't think the coaching sideline demeanor translates to success, or lack thereof...

[John Gleich]

But he does it with a smile, Gotberg, he does it with a smile! 

I think the great coaches really know how to pick their moments to complain (and how to do it) to officials.  You can kind of tell when you're reaching your limit (unless you do something that is completely out of line, like lobbing a chair over half-court... or basically using any type of props at all).

[Pat Coleman]

Kinda hard to crack the top 25, at this point anyway, with 5 losses but only 29 votes is a mystery to me. 4 of the 5 were on the road and it's a who's who list of DIII basketball.

If it hadn't been three in a row it would have been better for Elmhurst. Losing three in a row really hurts, regardless of the opponent.

[Mr. Ypsi]

Kinda hard to crack the top 25, at this point anyway, with 5 losses but only 29 votes is a mystery to me. 4 of the 5 were on the road and it's a who's who list of DIII basketball.

If it hadn't been three in a row it would have been better for Elmhurst. Losing three in a row really hurts, regardless of the opponent.

FWIW (probably not much!), the Posters' Poll agreed on that.  I and one other voter put Elmhurst 22nd, but those were the only votes they got.

[markerickson]

Mugsy: what a post!  Relationships within the generations of North Park graduates is not unheardof, but your relationships go one degree or two further.

King Dennis:  your memories should be reduced to writing outside of the dot-com forum.

Sager:  aren't you penning a blockbuster?

[Gregory Sager]

Sager:  aren't you penning a blockbuster?

Yes, I am. It's a dirty story about a dirty man, and his clinging wife who doesn't understand. His son is working for the Daily Mail. It's a steady job, but he wants to be a paperback writer.

I hope I didn't give away too much of the plot.

[dansand]

I see in the paper this morning that Rick Harrigan has a bum ankle and is questionable for tonight's game with Millikin. Coach G says he thinks he'll go, but it's not a certainty. Maybe the Big Blue will be overconfident and Augie can catch 'em by surprise.

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

Sager: A paperback writer?  I'm sure its about a thousand pages, give or take a few.