MBB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[tjcummingsfan]

Well hey, 21 points isn't awful.

I'm amazed that Berg is that good.  I never saw him becoming much after his first 3 seasons. 

A moral victory is a moral victory, no matter how far one needs to stretch for it.  Handling any 5 guys on the IWU roster is, in my opinion a good step for NPU right now.

[armywife]

It looks like I'll be able to enjoy Augie's winning ways for at least a couple of more days. Great win for them. Sounds like they had a good crowd for this game. If they can beat IWU on Wednesday and I know that is a big "if", and stay in first, they may start packing the gym again.

There is a nice sound clip from the game, when Harrigan drained a 3 to put Augie up, on the front page of "Posting Up". I don't know who is writing those articles right now, but you are doing an awesome job. That is a lot of basketball to keep track of and you are really staying on top of it. From the little I heard on that sound clip, it sounds like Augie is doing a good job with their webcasts too. If I didn't have to work, I'd stay up and listen to Q do the Augie/IWU game this week.

[armywife]

Things I learned after a little research today:

* Drew Wessels didn't show up on the stat board, but he did show up defensively for the Vikings. According to Coach G, he played a great game.

*When the Swetalla brothers got into some foul trouble and one injured his ankle, Rorer and Brusveen stepped up and played well.

*Harrigan and McAdams-Thornton are having great years.

*The attendance for the Augie/NCC game last night was over 1,700

*The game between Augie and IWU on Wednesday at 7:30 will be webcast on www.cciw.org with full audio and video for free. The play by play provided by Q. The game will be available nation wide. I may have to catch some of that game, even if it will be 2:30 am here.

[augiedad]

1) Scott Trost put in his JV right about when I expected him to do so, with about 5 minutes remaining and Wesleyan up by about 30. But a minute later he took them out and put his seniors back in after NPU had quickly eaten into the lead and got it down to about 20. As the NPU coaches were saying after the game, the lesson that the Vikings needed to take away from that was that for about a minute there they played next year's Wesleyan top-line players -- Gant, Smith, Manus, Harrigan, and Gilmore -- and they handled them.

Gregory, come on.  Geeeeeez.

[augiedad]

Looking at that IWU/NPU boxscore:

Cory Jones: 5-6 FG, 11 pts

Chris Jones: 5-6 FG, 11 pts


Talk about "identical."

[augiedad]

The Augie/NCC game was a classic.  And credit Vikings fans for coming out of the woodwork last night - it was a nice crowd.

Rick Harrigan has turned into a legitimate superstar.  He did what All-American types do - he made huge shots down the stretch to win a game.  He looks like a different player than the one who came to Rock Island badly out of shape 3 yrs ago.

Pat Brusveen very quietly had a nice game for the Vikes.  He knocked down 2 3's and played good defense I thought.

Overall, just a great victory, but as I said yesterday it was a much-needed victory since it was at home.  This now sets up the enormous ballgame in Bloomington Wednesday!  Oh will the Shirk be rockin'.

[kenoshamark]

"The Mausoleum"  in Iowa.

The only saving factor of that crypt was Mc Daniel's buzzer beater.

dansand,  I'm sure you aren't the only one wondering what Stat was referring to so I better explain.  He is talking about the night of January 23rd, 2002 when Carthage came to Rock Island.   The Redmen were in the middle of their greatest season ever and Carthage happened to be down by one point with under 6 seconds left when Antoine McDaniel drove the length of the floor and hit the buzzer beater from just outside the left elbow.  This was also the game when Coach Bernero gave Coach G. the "noogie" afterwards. 

I recall it well (I did have to look up the date) as I was sitting in the second row behind the Carthage bench and was straight across from where Antoine released the ball. 

Stat and I decided to make the road trip together and after a stop at the local casinos we made our way to the game. 

I don't know if losing that game would have changed the course of the season but it would have left us at 3-2 instead of 4-1 after the season opening loss to Elmhurst.

This game has to go down as one of my all time favorite memories of Carthage basketball.  I really enjoyed that team, players and parents I got to know. 

[kenoshamark]

augiefan,

Pat Kalamatas graduated last year from Carthage.  Although his career wasn't spectacular he really had a nice finish to his junior season and a terrific senior year where he was able to garner a third-team all conference selection. 

Pat was a very fine rebounder on both ends of the floor.  He had the knack of once he got his hands near the ball it was his.   He was also effective knocking down a perimeter jumper and finishing around the rim.  His numbers for the year were 12.6 points and 7.9 rebounds. 

He was one of those players you just love to have on your team as you could really count on those types of stats every game.

I believe Pat is helping out as an assistant coach for one of the high schools in Kenosha county.

[augie22]

First off, Harrigan messed up my four point spread by taking a layup w two seconds left.  On the other hand the game was great to watch.  Few highlights from my point of view.  One being the monster tip dunk and block by Oliver Rover...wow he can get up! Also great bench play from Rose, Pat B. and Kolzie.   I think Wessels won the point gaurd match up.  But when it came to a tied ball game down the stretch it was Simmons vs. McAdams-Thorton and Harrigan...and everyone knows what Harrigan can do.  I mean he looks gaurded to me but he is just a player.  I know someone said he shot 24 times, but if I had him on my team I would seriously like him to get up 30 shots a game...no shot is a bad shot for him. 
I have to say I was very impressed with NC, they can play!  Very unselfish and physical.  Simmons I thought was quiet for majority of the game but tried to take the brunt od the load towards the end but couldn't do it by himself.
All in all, it was a great game to watch and it even better Augie stays unbeaten in CCIW race.  Big game Wed in which I hope I can make.  It would be great to get one out of two with Augie's next two games on the road @ IWU and Elmhurst...Good Luck!

[dansand]

"The Mausoleum"  in Iowa.

The only saving factor of that crypt was Mc Daniel's buzzer beater.

dansand,  I'm sure you aren't the only one wondering what Stat was referring to so I better explain.  He is talking about the night of January 23rd, 2002 when Carthage came to Rock Island.   The Redmen were in the middle of their greatest season ever and Carthage happened to be down by one point with under 6 seconds left when Antoine McDaniel drove the length of the floor and hit the buzzer beater from just outside the left elbow.  This was also the game when Coach Bernero gave Coach G. the "noogie" afterwards. 

I recall it well (I did have to look up the date) as I was sitting in the second row behind the Carthage bench and was straight across from where Antoine released the ball. 

Stat and I decided to make the road trip together and after a stop at the local casinos we made our way to the game. 

I don't know if losing that game would have changed the course of the season but it would have left us at 3-2 instead of 4-1 after the season opening loss to Elmhurst.

This game has to go down as one of my all time favorite memories of Carthage basketball.  I really enjoyed that team, players and parents I got to know. 

Thanks Mark.

I was pretty sure that's what he was talking about. I was at that game too. I was sitting under the basket where Antoine hit the shot. It was a killer. This is what confused me--I realize that to many Chicago-area folks anything west of Aurora is considered the wild west, but for God's sake Rock Island is in ILLINOIS! The conference is called the College Conference of ILLINOIS and Wisconsin.

[augiedad]

Based on Q's annual theory that to win the CCIW at 11-3, the "on-paper" formula is: a) win all 7 home games, and b) beat the bottom 4 on the road, here is how the Big 4 stack up...

Augustana (6-0): +0
North Central (3-2): +0 (won at IWU but lost at Millikin)
Illinois Wesleyan (4-2): -1 (lost at home to NCC)
Elmhurst (4-2): -1 (lost at home to Millikin)


This demonstates that at 6-0, all Augie has really done is hold serve and that the Vikes are really no better off on paper than North Central.  IWU and Elmhurst have to steal one on the road at one of the contenders while continuing to win the ones they "should" win.

The game Wednesday in Bloomington becomes a "must win" for IWU as I see it.  The Titans cannot afford to lose a 3rd game or to let Augie get to 7-0.

[kenoshamark]

dansand,

Since we were in Iowa first at the casino and Stat took a beating playing craps his memory must have been blurred as to where we really were that night.  

The memory and excitement of that game made the long trek back home much more enjoyable but I can emphatically state that even though Jack said he would stay awake, he was down for the count after about 30 minutes.

[iwumichigander]

iwumichigander,

i could've sworn 2003 was a 3OT game, maybe Greg or TQ could correct me (and if I'm wrong I'm sorry, I mya just be remembering things as way more dramatic than they were)

While I pulled the data from D3HOOPS.COM the stats (provided by North Park) on the IWU website also shows 2OT

[iwumichigander]

Quote from: iwumichigander on Yesterday at 01:44:46 PM
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)

None of that historical stuff matters, IWM. The only thing that's important is what the two teams look like in the here-and-now. - Sager

Well Greg it matters to these IWU seniors.  You continually deflect posters with your "None of that historical stuff matters" yet put up North Park's 5 National Championships and comparison of current NP teams to prior NP teams.  Nobody is buying it particularly me

[iwumichigander]

"As the NPU coaches were saying after the game, the lesson that the Vikings needed to take away from that was that for about a minute there they played next year's Wesleyan top-line players -- Gant, Smith, Manus, Harrigan, and Gilmore -- and they handled them."

Oh my goodness.  Talk about the reach of all-time for a moral victory. 

The North Park coaching staff must have done a lot of evaluating during that one minute Mike Harrigan, Tyler Smith, and Andrew Gilmore played and the "0+" by Steve Manus.  All I can remember from that minute is wondering whether or not Charcoal Delights would be open at 9:30pm on a Saturday.

IWU fans will be disappointed to know that Zach Freeman, Andrew Freeman, Jordan Morris, Brett Chamernik, Brian Nussbaum, and others are not considered "top-line" players by the NPU coaching staff.

One would have thought the lesson the Vikings needed to take away was:  A full court press should be used when you are down (or before you are down) by 18 rather than waiting until you are down by 30.

Another lesson the Vikings needed to take away: Putting on a full court press when your opponent, attempting to not embarass you on your homecourt and clearly emptying their bench is not a good idea.  Particularly, when you have to play that opponent again -- on their homecourt, in their last regular conference game, on their senior night.

Thanks for the motivation for Feb 18th!!