MBB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[armywife]

I agree Augiedad, tonight is huge, and I hope they can come in and just play. I'd like to see them come in and play with confidence, instead of playing tight and worrying about making mistakes.

Great pic of the Freeman twins on the IWU website. Like I said before, recruiting twins saves all kinds of time and money. 

[maddog]

Truebasketball fan
"Any chance that NP stays with IWU and keeps the streak alive for the most nerve racking CCIW games played in a row in IWU's history?  I would think not, but who knows anymore these days"

As a Titan fan I would say that chances are very good that the NP/IWU game will come down to the wire again. NP has played the Titans tough in the crackerbox even when good IWU teams were playing well. This years' team is struggling right now and I expext close another game at NP, hopefully ending with a Titan victory

[Titan Q]

"Like I said before, recruiting twins saves all kinds of time and money."


Well, for the school, sure...but don't tell that to Bob & Sheree Freeman who are paying $30,000+ x 2 per year!

It's a good thing Bob takes my money on the golf course every year on the New Year's trip.

[augie22]

Augie Dad,
Tonight is going to be a tough one but i still have Augie by four.  Its hard to stop a team that is rolling....(although NC is doing the same).  But anyways im about to leave from Chicago now to head out to the Quad Cities....hope to see the Augie faithful and get a huge W in Carver.
Go Vikes!

quifal qualf

[augie_superfan]

Do any of the NC faithful know if wonc will be broadcasting the game tonight?  I will listen to the Augie call if I must but I remember the NC basketball radio being pretty darn good last year.  Let me know.  Thanks

[Titan Q]

Was just looking back at a piece I wrote for IWUhoops.com on April 22, 2003 when Zach and Andrew commited to Illinois Wesleyan.  

http://www.iwuhoops.com/RECR2003.HTM

I noticed how similiar Zach's senior year of H.S. stats are to his junior year numbers at IWU...

2002-03 at Normal Community H.S.
14.2 ppg, 7.2 rpg, .628 FG, .774 FT

2005-06 at IWU
14.8 ppg, 7.8 rpg, .545 FG, .722 FT


I think when coaches recruit players, what they're ultimately asking themselves is, "Can this player do what he's doing in high school at the CCIW level?"  It seems easiest to evaluate H.S. players who are playing Class AA, as the level of competition is much closer (relatively) to the CCIW.

Last year, for example, Millikin freshman Ray Kissing averaged 31.6 ppg and 11.4 rpg for Class A Marion Crab Orchard H.S...

http://www.illinoisprephoops.com/2005/AllState2005.htm

Kissing is strictly a JV player at Millikin this year.  While he will be a good player at Millikin someday, he'll never score 32 points per game in the CCIW.

The CCIW has had some great IHSA Class A players over the years -- Chris Martin (Eureka H.S.), Ryan Knuppel (Midwest Central H.S.), Luke Kasten (Hillsboro H.S.), and Brent Niebrugge (Teutopolis H.S.) come to mind from the last decade.  It's gotta be a little more difficult for coaches to evaluate them though.

[cardinalpride]

Do any of the NC faithful know if wonc will be broadcasting the game tonight?  I will listen to the Augie call if I must but I remember the NC basketball radio being pretty darn good last year.  Let me know.  Thanks

Yes, there will be a radio broadcast for the game tonight.

[advoice]

So much of college recruiting these days is done in the summer that it has become easier to evaluate kids at small schools. Ten years ago, AAU ball was not nearly as popular as today. Today, most of those small town kids compete nationwide against good competition. It is not uncommon for a kid to play 50 games in the summer.

This trend has made it easier and taken some of the guesswork out of recruiting class A players.

I can't imagine how difficult it was for women's college coaches when recruiting the state of Iowa not long ago when they were still playing 6 on 6.

[iwumichigander]

I'd like to step forward and state, unapologetically, that I am enjoying basking in the glow of Augie being in first place. I'd also like to say that in my few years of following CCIW basketball, this is the strangest season I've seen so far. For those of you who have been following this conference for many years, it's probably normal to see teams be really good ony to fall off and then regroup and be strong again. I have a question. Does that fact that there is a CCIW tournament this year change the dynamics for these teams? Now, you don't have to take first in the conference to get a tournament bid, you can get one by winning the CCIW tournament, is that right? Does that mean that teams don't come out with do or die intensity that they had to have before?

Given its the first year of the tournament, I think a little more pressure maybe on the top 4 teams as 1st place in CCIW yields homecourt conference tournament advantage and eliminates travel.  In the ebb & flow of this conference not at all unusual to see teams regroup in either a drive for 1st or in the role of a "spoiler".  With 3 current Top 25 teams and a fourth earler in the top 25, I do not see any 1-6 CCIW team backing down in the CCIW. The expanded NCAA tournament gives conferences a chance to put more than one team in the tournament.  I think the odds for the CCIW getting 2 or more teams into the tournament right now are very very good.

Armywife you have earned the right "to bask in the glow" -- for the moment .  You ahve been a consistent and strong supporter of Augie

[iwumichigander]

Here is a few questions after the first 5 games:

Any chance that NP stays with IWU and keeps the streak alive for the most nerve racking CCIW games played in a row in IWU's history?  I would think not, but who knows anymore these days.  Yes, I think a very good chance

Also, would it be safe to say that Wheaton is now the best team in the midwest with the worst record?  (It was Carthage, but they seem to be headed in the wrong direction now)I would not go that far.  Certainly other teams in the Midwest Region which fit that description

Another.......Isn't it about time for NC to start their annual plunge? I do not see NC bombing out and dropping 8 out last 10 like last season

One more.....Can Elmhurst make a run like they did last year?  History says yes (mainly because most of the same players are back)Elmhurst will make a run and probably find a way to stay in the top 4; possibly the most dangerous team in the CCIW tournament which I attribute to Martin desire to win; no quit in the Bluejays

Last one........Will NP win another game, especially since Gordon is out?I think NP culd win two including a late in the season upset

Sorry, had to add this one.........Will Bowens ever play a CCIW game?Carthage posters could best give us some insight here

  TBF good questions.  My response above in italics but I would like to see more from other posters too

[augiedad]

I enjoy the WJBC radio broadcast archives as they do a nice job interviewing not only Scott Trost, but also the opposing head coach in the pregame.

Mark Scherer from before the Elmhurst game last week starts at about the 15:00 mark of the Elmhurst game archive:

http://www.wjbc2.com/archive.htm

Tim Littrell of Millikin is at about the 7:30 mark.

[iwumichigander]

Truebasketball fan
"Any chance that NP stays with IWU and keeps the streak alive for the most nerve racking CCIW games played in a row in IWU's history?  ..." As a Titan fan I would say that chances are very good that the NP/IWU game will come down to the wire again. NP has played the Titans tough in the crackerbox even when good IWU teams were playing well. ...

Current Titan senior's record in the Crackerbox:
Feb 19, 2003  at North Park * +   W 98-97 2OT 
Jan 21, 2004  at North Park * +   L 77-74 
Feb 23, 2005  at North Park * +   W 98-89 

IWU is 3 - 0 versus North Park in each of the last 3 seasons after two losses by the Titans in CCIW play (IWU is 3-2  in current CCIW standings)

Senior Titans have two decisions to make tonight -- Will it be 2 - 2 or 3 - 1 to dig a deeper hole? Will it be a dominating win or a squeaker?

[veterancciwfan]

My guess is that fewer than 500 will be in attendance at Rock Island tonight to see an important league game. Too bad the Quad Cities area doesn't appreciate good D3 b'ball. I was at the Augie/Lake Forrest game in Dec. and it took me about 30 seconds to actually count the fans at tip-off on the visitor's side. And the Augie side was about double that puny figure. And Carver Center used to sell out in the 70s. What a shame.

[augiefan]

The lack of attendance at Augie games has long been a disappointment for those of us who have followed the team for years. The lack of interest by the student body is the most disappointing factor. Even in Steve Yount's Final Four year attendance was poor, except for the IWU game. A good crowd could make the difference in home games against teams the quality of NCC and IWU. Tonight is a must win game, at least for the regular season title.

Speaking of Steve Yount, he was a good guy and a good coach. Think how good his program might have been had Kevin Skillett not transferred to Iowa after his freshman year. At least Steve realized his heart wasn't in the coaching any more and stepped down voluntarily.

[iwumichigander]

Out of curiosity, I decided to take a look at the IWU record over the past 3 completed seasons after two in conference losses -- CCIW 20 - 1; Overall Record, 24 - 4

Over the past 2 completed seasons,  the record of this current Titan team playing as a unit after two in conference losses -- CCIW 15 - 0; Overall Record 17 - 2

This current Titan team reminds me a lot of the 2001 Titan team which after two in conference losses finished CCIW 7 - 2; Overall Record 12 -3.  The 2001 team refused to lose, found ways to win, got to Salem, Va and finished in 3rd Place in the National Division III Tournament.  

Draw your own possibilities and conclusions.