MBB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[iwumichigander]

If Carthage faces St. Thomas, I honestly won't feel like the Red Men, at home, are the underdog in that game.  I don't care what the D3hoops.com Top 25 or Massey says.  I don't see this St. Thomas team as the powerhouse last year's team was...and they just lost to Carleton in the MIAC tournament after all.

I like Carthage's chances emerge from their pod.  I think Aurora's game prep will be good and also has some advantage in knowing Stevie D (maybe a little more than by reputation).  I'm not sure St. Thomas on the other hand will be ready for Stevie D.  St. Thomas might be well served to watch the entire 1st Carthage match-up.

[AndOne]

back in the day Central (IA) had several good basketball teams.

There 1969-70 team featured a bruising 6-7 center, who later went on to make a name for himself in the NFL, Vern Den Herder, starting at defensive end for the Miami Dolphins of undefeated fame.

Their 1978 team hosted the midwest regional in Pella.  They lost a close battle to Minnesota-Morris in the first round.

In 1979 they came to North Park for the midwest regional.  They pressed Minnesota-Morris into 32 turnovers in easily winning their opener.  In the regional championship game North Park played a near-perfect game to win by 15 points, with one turnover and only five fouls.  To this day I still think that the best game North Park played in its three-year championship run.

Yes, "back in the day."
Long, long ago in a galaxy far, far away..........   

[AndOne]

Article from Kenosha News today about Carthage hosting. Bosko with some good quotes about the other teams, especially Aurora and their coach.

http://www.kenoshanews.com/sports/carthage_to_host_ncaa3_regional_7460094.html

Aurora head coach James Lancaster is a good guy -- and a terrific coach. We don't give the NAthCon much credit around here, and the Spartans inevitably struggle in the D3 tournament. But the fact of the matter is that they get to the tournament with impressive regularity -- this is Aurora's eighth trip to the dance in thirteen seasons -- and in a league as large and as competitive as the NAthCon it's not easy to string together multiple trips. Don't underestimate the job that Lancaster has done at Aurora.

Nevertheless, I'm thinking Carthage should dispatch Aurora with relative ease.
Especially, as related by Coach Lancaster just last evening, considering the fact that out of Aurora's 10 best players at the beginning of the season, only 5 remain. The losses have been due to a combination of quitting the team, grades, and injuries, and involve at least 2 players who were starters at the beginning of the season.

[Titan Q]

Looking at IWU vs Central on paper in a little more detail...


Miscellaneous:

Massey Rating
Central: #15
IWU: #22

D3hoops.com Top 25 Rating
Central: #22
IWU: n/a

Massey Strength of Schedule (out of 413 D3 teams)
IWU: 35
Central: 77

Massey Conference Rating
IWU (CCIW): #3
Central (IIAC): #6


Season stats (27 games played for both):

Points/game
Central: 78.4
IWU: 75.2

Opponents Points/Game
Central: 65.6
IWU:  68.3

Points per 100 Possessions
IWU: 112.6
Central: 104.5

Opponent Points per 100 Possessions
Central: 87.7
IWU: 101.0

Total # of Possessions per Game (team + opponent)
Central: 149.7
IWU: 134.4

Field Goal %
IWU: .492
Central: .462

Opponent Field Goal %
Central: .398
IWU: .451

3-point Field Goal %
IWU: .371
Central: .336

Opponent 3-point Field Goal %
Central .311
IWU: .343

FT %
Central: .700
IWU .696

Rebound margin/game
Central: +7.5
IWU: +4.3

Assist to Turnover Ratio
IWU: 1.32
Central: 0.91

Opponent Assist to Turnover Ratio
Central: 0.71
IWU: 0.84

[iwumichigander]

Article from Kenosha News today about Carthage hosting. Bosko with some good quotes about the other teams, especially Aurora and their coach.

http://www.kenoshanews.com/sports/carthage_to_host_ncaa3_regional_7460094.html

Aurora head coach James Lancaster is a good guy -- and a terrific coach. We don't give the NAthCon much credit around here, and the Spartans inevitably struggle in the D3 tournament. But the fact of the matter is that they get to the tournament with impressive regularity -- this is Aurora's eighth trip to the dance in thirteen seasons -- and in a league as large and as competitive as the NAthCon it's not easy to string together multiple trips. Don't underestimate the job that Lancaster has done at Aurora.

Nevertheless, I'm thinking Carthage should dispatch Aurora with relative ease.
Especially, as related by Coach Lancaster just last evening, considering the fact that out of Aurora's 10 best players at the beginning of the season, only 5 remain. The losses have been due to a combination of quitting the team, grades, and injuries, and involve at least 2 players who were starters at the beginning of the season.

Thanks AndOne.   Given the above (and just having looked at their stats), I agree with you.  It's possible Bosko could have the luxury of his starters playing limited time in the Aurora contest; and, that will make St. Thomas job that much harder.

[Titan Q]

Total # of Possessions per Game (team + opponent)
Central: 149.7
IWU: 134.4

I had heard Central is an up-tempo team, but seeing the possessions per game number really caught my attention.  IWU's 134.4 was the highest in the CCIW this year - in other words, IWU played at the fastest pace (generating the most combined possessions).  The Titans, at 134.4, aren't even in the ballpark with Central in terms of pace.

Most teams want to slow IWU down and make them play a halfcourt game.  The Titans really haven't been allowed to run in a long time...maybe since the non-conference.  It will be interesting to watch the pace of the IWU/Central game.  There could be a whole bunch of points scored Friday night!

[AndOne]

TO: All fans of CCIW women's/men's Saturday league doubleheaders.

If you are one of the multitude of fans overjoyed at this season's implementation of the women's/men's Sat. doubleheaders during the conference part of the season, your joy may be multiplied to the maximum next season.

The reason? Well, it seems the conference Presidents have directed the ADs to explore the possibility of expanding the doubleheader format to also include the Wed night games beginning next season. In other words, the entire CCIW conference schedule.
To this end, the conference ADs recently had their women's and men's head coaches vote on whether or not they would also like to play Wed doubleheaders.

Not too surprisingly, the women's coaches vote was unanimous AGAINST the proposal. Not positive, but I also heard the men's vote was 6-2, also against. However, the coaches vote is non-binding, intended only to obtain the coaches feelings toward the proposal. The Presidents and ADs can still do whatever they want. Accordingly, the very real possibility exists that, beginning next season, ALL CCIW conference games will be played under the women's/men's doubleheader format.

And how do you like them apples?  

[Titan Q]

Opponent Points per 100 Possessions
Central: 87.7
IWU: 101.0

Central's defensive points per 100 possessions also really jumped out at me.  87.7 is better than the best CCIW team by quite a bit...I think Wheaton was about 92.0.  A few weeks ago I looked at this # for the Top 25 teams, and if I recall, 87.7 would put Central among the elite defensive teams in the nation.

Now, the Dutch certainly have not played a schedule like some of the CCIW teams.  But still, on paper, they appear to be a very good defensive team.

[usee]

When Q is quoting himself you know the postseason is at hand and IWU is still playing!!

[Titan Q]

When Q is quoting himself you know the postseason is at hand and IWU is still playing!!

"I was sort of misquoted by myself."

- Bosko Djurickovic, 2010

[Mr. Ypsi]

Q, early front-runner for 'comeback of the year'!

[Gregory Sager]

back in the day Central (IA) had several good basketball teams.

There 1969-70 team featured a bruising 6-7 center, who later went on to make a name for himself in the NFL, Vern Den Herder, starting at defensive end for the Miami Dolphins of undefeated fame.

Their 1978 team hosted the midwest regional in Pella.  They lost a close battle to Minnesota-Morris in the first round.

In 1979 they came to North Park for the midwest regional.  They pressed Minnesota-Morris into 32 turnovers in easily winning their opener.  In the regional championship game North Park played a near-perfect game to win by 15 points, with one turnover and only five fouls.  To this day I still think that the best game North Park played in its three-year championship run.

Yes, "back in the day."
Long, long ago in a galaxy far, far away..........   

Hey, now, some of us remember Vern Den Herder and Dick Anderson and Nick Buoniconti and Mercury Morris and Jim Kiick and Paul Warfield and the Zonk and Griese and that whole annual-champagne-swigging crew.

I hated that team, but I still remember it.

Article from Kenosha News today about Carthage hosting. Bosko with some good quotes about the other teams, especially Aurora and their coach.

http://www.kenoshanews.com/sports/carthage_to_host_ncaa3_regional_7460094.html

Aurora head coach James Lancaster is a good guy -- and a terrific coach. We don't give the NAthCon much credit around here, and the Spartans inevitably struggle in the D3 tournament. But the fact of the matter is that they get to the tournament with impressive regularity -- this is Aurora's eighth trip to the dance in thirteen seasons -- and in a league as large and as competitive as the NAthCon it's not easy to string together multiple trips. Don't underestimate the job that Lancaster has done at Aurora.

Nevertheless, I'm thinking Carthage should dispatch Aurora with relative ease.

I never said or felt otherwise. As soon as I saw the bracket, my first thought ... well, my second thought ... was, "Carthage by 15 on Friday night."

(My first thought was, "Hallelujah! The committee learned its lesson and didn't screw up by making another Bracket of Death!")

TO: All fans of CCIW women's/men's Saturday league doubleheaders.

If you are one of the multitude of fans overjoyed at this season's implementation of the women's/men's Sat. doubleheaders during the conference part of the season, your joy may be multiplied to the maximum next season.

The reason? Well, it seems the conference Presidents have directed the ADs to explore the possibility of expanding the doubleheader format to also include the Wed night games beginning next season. In other words, the entire CCIW conference schedule.
To this end, the conference ADs recently had their women's and men's head coaches vote on whether or not they would also like to play Wed doubleheaders.

Not too surprisingly, the women's coaches vote was unanimous AGAINST the proposal. Not positive, but I also heard the men's vote was 6-2, also against. However, the coaches vote is non-binding, intended only to obtain the coaches feelings toward the proposal. The Presidents and ADs can still do whatever they want. Accordingly, the very real possibility exists that, beginning next season, ALL CCIW conference games will be played under the women's/men's doubleheader format.

And how do you like them apples? 

It's a terribly wrong-headed idea. Saturdays and Wednesdays are completely different animals. Unlike Wednesday, Saturday is a non-work day for non-students and a non-school day for students. The only issues that people have with Saturday women's/men's doubleheaders center around the inability to play JV games and the relative fan support of the women's and men's programs -- issues that in the larger scheme of things are comparatively minor. The issues surrounding Wednesday doubleheaders are major ones. Here's two right off the bat: Student classroom schedules and fan attendance. Schedule Wednesday doubleheaders, and you're forcing both the women's and men's teams to leave campus three or four hours earlier in the day for Wednesday road games. That cuts into classroom time. And you're really penalizing women's teams by forcing their fans -- many of whom are women's-team-only fans either by choice or by relationship -- to show up at dinner hour to watch a weeknight game. In other words, you're telling a lot of moms and dads that they will simply be unable to watch half of their daughters' CCIW games, because they're going to tip off right about the time you're getting in your car or boarding your train on your way home from work.

Wednesday women's/men's doubleheaders are a disastrously bad idea. Of course, if Joe Hakes can come on here and give us a sound reason why these complaints against the idea should be swept aside, I will certainly keep an open mind.

[markerickson]

My personal opinion is that Don Shula is the NFL's most overrated coach, ever.  Remember:  he was the Colts' coach that succumbed to the massive underdogs, the Jets.

The undefeated Dolphin team was loaded with talent, no doubt. 

I've despised the Dolphins since elementary school.  Cowboys too.

[John Gleich]

I took a look at the Carthage pod in terms of some of the things that were mentioned earlier.  It's pretty interesting.

I'll post it when I get home from work tonight.

[The Roop]

Wednesday women's/men's doubleheaders are a disastrously bad idea. Of course, if Joe Hakes can come on here and give us a sound reason why these complaints against the idea should be swept aside, I will certainly keep an open mind.

I'm not Joe Hakes but the MWC has had the doubleheader format for years and I don't recall any complaints about it.