MBB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[rknuppel]

Congrats to the Bluejays for their first conference win.  I take 100% credit for this one for breaking out of my year long "positing up" slump.  lol jk of course.  String a few together now!

I can't believe "all the corn in manito" is still tossed around on here!

[REDMENFAN]

Article in Kenosha News from last night's Carthage/Wheaton game.  Some good quotes from Bosko

http://www.kenoshanews.com/sports/djurickovic_pours_in_44_points_7272886.html

[Viking Blue]

Disappointing effort for the North Park last night, but Augie's defensive intensity is the best I have seen so far in the conference.  Grey uses his bench well, and keeps his guys fresh.

The nice thing about this year's version of the CCIW is the competitive nature.  While it might seem easy to count teams out, I haven't quite done that with my Vikings....yet.

[Dennis_Prikkel]

Disappointing effort for the North Park last night, but Augie's defensive intensity is the best I have seen so far in the conference.  Grey uses his bench well, and keeps his guys fresh.

The nice thing about this year's version of the CCIW is the competitive nature.  While it might seem easy to count teams out, I haven't quite done that with my Vikings....yet.

VB - nice note - and I agree.  I have been impressed with North Park's stepped-up defensive intensity this season.

I stayed for the first half last night and the difference was Augustana played intense defense for 20 minutes, North Park 19.  During those sixty seconds spread through the entire half the hometown vikings gave up five uncontested layups.

North Park also has not learned that laying the ball off the glass on the offensive end is a far more effective way of attempting a layup.  At least a dozen wide open layup attempts missed in the first half because of their refusal to use the glass - that's what it is there for guys.

[Viking Blue]

North Park also has not learned that laying the ball off the glass on the offensive end is a far more effective way of attempting a layup.  At least a dozen wide open layup attempts missed in the first half because of their refusal to use the glass - that's what it is there for guys.

I keep forgetting to comment on this, myself.  It's maddening to watch.  But I still stick by my predictions earlier in the year--that Emmanuel Crosby is going to become a force for NP before all is said and done. 

[Gregory Sager]

North Park also has not learned that laying the ball off the glass on the offensive end is a far more effective way of attempting a layup.  At least a dozen wide open layup attempts missed in the first half because of their refusal to use the glass - that's what it is there for guys.

I keep forgetting to comment on this, myself.  It's maddening to watch.  But I still stick by my predictions earlier in the year--that Emmanuel Crosby is going to become a force for NP before all is said and done. 

The really discouraging thing is that the worst culprit of this early in the season for NPU was Phil Schniedermeier. Now he's sidelined for the year but his teammates have taken up his penchant for going straight to the rim with their layups rather than banking them in. It's particularly distressing to see Nick Williams do it so much, because as a senior he should have a better concept of at-the-rim shot selection than anybody else. The other weird thing is that the Vikings as a whole have no problem using the backboard to bank in jumpers from the angles. It's just the layups that seem to cause a glass allergy for the Park.

Emanuel Crosby is getting better and better every game. Remember, he's only a sophomore, and it usually takes longer for big men to emerge as fully-developed players. There were stretches in the second half when NPU looked really dispirited and he was the one who sparked both his teammates and the crowd with his energy on the floor, something you don't usually expect to see in a team's center. Having both Crosby and Schniedermeier around for the next two years will be a real asset for NPU.

[Titan Q]

I also think you have to mix in some zone against Carthage.  Some coaches are ideologically against zones, but defenders in this conference cannot stay in front of Djurickovic and by the time help comes, he has no trouble finding an open teammate.   Going back a couple weeks, I still think NPU's zone against Carthage was poorly executed, but for many of the reasons Greg argued, I can't blame Brenegan as much for staying in it.

It's interesting to watch how everyone goes about trying to deal with Djurickovic.  For example, last Wednesday NPU played a zone...and he made 8-10 from beyond the arc.  Saturday IWU tried to guard him man-to-man, with help coming...he finished with 10 assists and made all of his teamates look like All-Americans (and he added 18 points).  Last night Wheaton just guarded him completely straight up, hoping to contain the rest of the team...Djurickovic torched the Thunder for 44 points.

I believe the best job anyone has done on him so far was IWU in Bloomington (Carthage's only loss).  Travis Rosenkranz and Sean Dwyer really did a great job man-to-man, and got help from others.  Djurickovic scored 22, but I think half were in garbage time in the final few minutes.  The difference between the Bloomington game and the one in Kenosha is that Carthage did not knock down open shots.  The Red Men shot 8-30 (26.7%), including 0-6 from Cody Hilton.  In Kenosha Hilton was 5-6 from 3...with almost the identical looks...and as a team, Carthage was 10-19 from 3.

I have no idea what the best approach is.  You absolutely cannot guard him straight up (see Wheaton last night)...he's the league's leading scorer (25.4 ppg) and will go nuts.  You cannot completely leave the other scorers...he leads the league in assists (8.11 per game...almost double #2, Travis Rosenkranz and Tim McCrary) and will carve you up.  You can't play zone and lose him or sag off at all...because he has become one of the best 3-point shooters in the CCIW (2nd in 3-pt %, 16-32).

I think you have to hope a) the supporting cast (as a unit) has a bad night, b) Djurickovic struggles a bit from the field, and c) that he doesn't get all the calls he usually gets (and end up at the line all night).

[Gregory Sager]

I also think you have to mix in some zone against Carthage.  Some coaches are ideologically against zones, but defenders in this conference cannot stay in front of Djurickovic and by the time help comes, he has no trouble finding an open teammate.   Going back a couple weeks, I still think NPU's zone against Carthage was poorly executed, but for many of the reasons Greg argued, I can't blame Brenegan as much for staying in it.

It's interesting to watch how everyone goes about trying to deal with Djurickovic.  For example, last Wednesday NPU played a zone...and he made 8-10 from beyond the arc.  Saturday IWU tried to guard him man-to-man, with help coming...he finished with 10 assists and made all of his teamates look like All-Americans (and he added 18 points).  Last night Wheaton just guarded him completely straight up, hoping to contain the rest of the team...Djurickovic torched the Thunder for 44 points.

You forgot to mention Elmhurst, which took the unique approach of double-teaming him everywhere he went whenever Carthage had the ball. The 'jays held him to eight points, but he dished out 13 dimes and was still the key reason why CC pounded the 'jays.

Look, it's no slight to Tim McCrary -- he's a phenomenal player in his own right, and I think that he should get All-American consideration even though he's only a sophomore -- but could we please stop with the nonsense that McCrary is a viable alternative for MOP? CCIW commish Chris Martin might as well just hand Steve Djurickovic the plaque right now.

[CCIWchamps]

I also think you have to mix in some zone against Carthage.  Some coaches are ideologically against zones, but defenders in this conference cannot stay in front of Djurickovic and by the time help comes, he has no trouble finding an open teammate.   Going back a couple weeks, I still think NPU's zone against Carthage was poorly executed, but for many of the reasons Greg argued, I can't blame Brenegan as much for staying in it.

It's interesting to watch how everyone goes about trying to deal with Djurickovic.  For example, last Wednesday NPU played a zone...and he made 8-10 from beyond the arc.  Saturday IWU tried to guard him man-to-man, with help coming...he finished with 10 assists and made all of his teamates look like All-Americans (and he added 18 points).  Last night Wheaton just guarded him completely straight up, hoping to contain the rest of the team...Djurickovic torched the Thunder for 44 points.

You forgot to mention Elmhurst, which took the unique approach of double-teaming him everywhere he went whenever Carthage had the ball. The 'jays held him to eight points, but he dished out 13 dimes and was still the key reason why CC pounded the 'jays.

Look, it's no slight to Tim McCrary -- he's a phenomenal player in his own right, and I think that he should get All-American consideration even though he's only a sophomore -- but could we please stop with the nonsense that McCrary is a viable alternative for MOP? CCIW commish Chris Martin might as well just hand Steve Djurickovic the plaque right now.

McCrary with 20 pts, 9 rebs, 6 assists, 4 steals, 2 turnovers isn't exactly nonsense.

[Mr. Ypsi]

CCIWchamps,

At this incredibly premature point, McCrary is my odds-on favorite for 2012.  For 2010 and 2011, the award is Stevie D's to lose.  (And so far, he doesn't show signs of losing it.)

[sac]

CCIWchamps,

At this incredibly premature point, McCrary is my odds-on favorite for 2012.  For 2010 and 2011, the award is Stevie D's to lose.  (And so far, he doesn't show signs of losing it.)

But what are the odds either goes undefeated?

[Gregory Sager]

I also think you have to mix in some zone against Carthage.  Some coaches are ideologically against zones, but defenders in this conference cannot stay in front of Djurickovic and by the time help comes, he has no trouble finding an open teammate.   Going back a couple weeks, I still think NPU's zone against Carthage was poorly executed, but for many of the reasons Greg argued, I can't blame Brenegan as much for staying in it.

It's interesting to watch how everyone goes about trying to deal with Djurickovic.  For example, last Wednesday NPU played a zone...and he made 8-10 from beyond the arc.  Saturday IWU tried to guard him man-to-man, with help coming...he finished with 10 assists and made all of his teamates look like All-Americans (and he added 18 points).  Last night Wheaton just guarded him completely straight up, hoping to contain the rest of the team...Djurickovic torched the Thunder for 44 points.

You forgot to mention Elmhurst, which took the unique approach of double-teaming him everywhere he went whenever Carthage had the ball. The 'jays held him to eight points, but he dished out 13 dimes and was still the key reason why CC pounded the 'jays.

Look, it's no slight to Tim McCrary -- he's a phenomenal player in his own right, and I think that he should get All-American consideration even though he's only a sophomore -- but could we please stop with the nonsense that McCrary is a viable alternative for MOP? CCIW commish Chris Martin might as well just hand Steve Djurickovic the plaque right now.

McCrary with 20 pts, 9 rebs, 6 assists, 4 steals, 2 turnovers isn't exactly nonsense.

Did I say it was? No, I didn't. On the contrary, I said that McCrary is a phenomenal player who should get All-American consideration. What I said was that the idea that McCrary could win the MOP over Djurickovic is nonsense. Surely even you can see that, in spite of your Wheaton bias and your bushel of sour grapes regarding Djurickovic.

[Mugsy]

SD is the POY.

[Mugsy]

Make that MOP.

[Mr. Ypsi]

CCIWchamps,

At this incredibly premature point, McCrary is my odds-on favorite for 2012.  For 2010 and 2011, the award is Stevie D's to lose.  (And so far, he doesn't show signs of losing it.)

But what are the odds either goes undefeated?

Zero.  Is this yet another shot at my 2006 exuberance?  (Which never did include a prediction of an undefeated season - just hopes in that regard.  You can understand HOPEs, can't you! )