MBB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[petemcb]

NCC will scrimmage with Concordia tomorrow night @ Concordia @ 7 PM.

This scrimmage, plus the one next Thursday vs. U of Chicago, will go a long way in determining the starters at 3 positions, the remaining regular rotation (8-10 total?), the remainder of the varsity roster, and the JV starters and rotation.

Mark, is that NCC/U of C scrimmage on the southside or in Naperville? 

[petemcb]

One more note:  Chris Edquist was quite involved talking with/teaching each guard as they came off the floor.  Some listened more than others.  Some get it better than others.

[AndOne]

NCC will scrimmage with Concordia tomorrow night @ Concordia @ 7 PM.

This scrimmage, plus the one next Thursday vs. U of Chicago, will go a long way in determining the starters at 3 positions, the remaining regular rotation (8-10 total?), the remainder of the varsity roster, and the JV starters and rotation.

Mark, is that NCC/U of C scrimmage on the southside or in Naperville?

It was originally listed as being in Naper, but I've heard talk that its NCC that will actually be doing the traveling. I'll have to confirm with those in the know.

[AndOne]

Sorry to hear about IWU's injuries, this early.  Does seem like we've had rather more than our share of pre-season and early season injury problems in recent years, with J. Zimmer and Kman last year, others in previous years.  I share the views that it is uncertain at this point where the consistent scoring is going to come from.  With this injury report from Q about the younger Zimmer, there's goes my wish for a Zimmer on each wing shooting 3s with a high percentage.  Gonzoles and Rudnicki are not known as scoring type of guards, so it does seem that the Titans will have to find points mostly from the 3, 4 and 5 . . . or off fastbreaking.  All the more reason I've been saying that it is important for Davis, Dortch, Ziemnick, and/or Anderson to step up, have a break out, move up season and be a second or third consistent scorer, at least in double figures, with 8-10 rebounds per game, consistently.  We need strong consistent "work horses" banging the boards and getting second chance points, offensive rebounds.  No one seems to be talking about Kevin Reed or young Mssr. Molinari as a major scoring contributor.  Yes, Kman and Jordan Zimmer are likely the first two scoring options, but the Titans will surely need more than that, unless they really, substantially prove and improve to be a stronger defensive team than Titan squads have been in recent years.  More of a report after tonight's scrimmage.

Is K-Man an acceptable nickname?

well-played.  +k

Nice pgkevin! Another +
U never know. Some people are awfully sensitive about that type of thing.

[Gregory Sager]

Excellent report on NPU, Pete. I know that there is a lot of excitement on the North Park campus about having Mark Holmes on the team. I don't wanna hype him, but he could turn out to be a significant difference-maker for the Vikings this year and next.

Sorry to hear about IWU's injuries, this early.  Does seem like we've had rather more than our share of pre-season and early season injury problems in recent years, with J. Zimmer and Kman last year, others in previous years.  I share the views that it is uncertain at this point where the consistent scoring is going to come from.  With this injury report from Q about the younger Zimmer, there's goes my wish for a Zimmer on each wing shooting 3s with a high percentage.  Gonzoles and Rudnicki are not known as scoring type of guards, so it does seem that the Titans will have to find points mostly from the 3, 4 and 5 . . . or off fastbreaking.  All the more reason I've been saying that it is important for Davis, Dortch, Ziemnick, and/or Anderson to step up, have a break out, move up season and be a second or third consistent scorer, at least in double figures, with 8-10 rebounds per game, consistently.  We need strong consistent "work horses" banging the boards and getting second chance points, offensive rebounds.  No one seems to be talking about Kevin Reed or young Mssr. Molinari as a major scoring contributor.  Yes, Kman and Jordan Zimmer are likely the first two scoring options, but the Titans will surely need more than that, unless they really, substantially prove and improve to be a stronger defensive team than Titan squads have been in recent years.  More of a report after tonight's scrimmage.

Is K-Man an acceptable nickname?

well-played.  +k

Nice pgkevin! Another +
U never know. Some people are awfully sensitive about that type of thing.

I know that I was pretty offended by the nickname. It was obviously an insinuation that someone in Koshnitzky's family is laundering money through a clandestine Cayman Islands bank account.

[Titan Q]

Here is a brief preview of the Titans from WEEK TV in Peoria...

http://www.centralillinoisnewscenter.com/sports/IWU--132668723.html


Ron Rose, Jordan Zimmer, and David Molinari are interviewed in the piece.

[Titan Q]

Olivet Nazarene @ IWU scrimmage.  1st 20 minutes...

IWU 54
ONU 29

2nd 20 underway.

Probably the only D3 scrimmage in-game update ever posted on the internet.

[John Gleich]

Olivet Nazarene @ IWU scrimmage.  1st 20 minutes...

IWU 54
ONU 29

2nd 20 underway.

Probably the only D3 scrimmage in-game update ever posted on the internet.

... It's a preview to Saturday!  I'm not going to UWSP/Wisconsin, but it's being played on the Big Ten Network, so I'll get to watch and update from there!

[Titan Q]

... It's a preview to Saturday!  I'm not going to UWSP/Wisconsin, but it's being played on the Big Ten Network, so I'll get to watch and update from there!

But exhibition is one thing, scrimmage is another!

[John Gleich]

... It's a preview to Saturday!  I'm not going to UWSP/Wisconsin, but it's being played on the Big Ten Network, so I'll get to watch and update from there!

But exhibition is one thing, scrimmage is another!

Touche!

[Titan Q]

Olivet Nazarene @ IWU scrimmage.  1st 20 minutes...

IWU 54
ONU 29

2nd 20 underway.

Probably the only D3 scrimmage in-game update ever posted on the internet.

2nd 20...

IWU 43
ONU 33


So IWU won the total varsity play by a score of 97-62.

Sounds like a pretty good showing vs an NAIA D1 program that makes the tournament pretty regularly.  (Although every person I have heard from said Olivet looked bad.)

[Titan Q]

Miscellaneous blurbs from the 5 people I've heard from on the IWU/Olivet Nazarene scrimmage...

* IWU starters and rotation:

G - Eliud Gonzalez, 5-9 Sr (David Molinari, 6-1 Fr)
G - Jordan Zimmer, 6-5 Sr (Stephen Rudnicki, 6-3 Sr)
F - John Koschnitzky, 6-6 Sr (Eric Dortch, 6-3 So)
F - Victor Davis, 6-5 So (Kevin Reed, 6-7 Jr)
F - Andrew Ziemnik, 6-5 So (Nick Anderson, 6-9 So)

(Anderson is presumably the starter at the 5...did not start tonight due to some missed time lately with a minor injury.)


* The Titans, as a team, are almost opposite what they have been the last 4 years.  IWU has been extremely skilled offensively, but slow-footed at many spots, unathletic overall, and shaky defensively...and are now extremely athletic, good defensively at most positions, can really run the floor well, but have some significant question marks on offense.

* Low post offensive presence will be a question mark heading into the season...IWU is playing a lot of guys at those spots with almost no varsity experience.  The Titans will need Nick Anderson to become a threat down low - he was exclusively a JV player last year and will have to make the big leap to major varsity contributor.

* As far as individual players, freshman PG David Molinari must have looked very good - 5 different people specifically mentioned how well he played on both ends of the floor.  One speculated he'd be the starting PG by CCIW time and most seemed to agree he'd push Gonzalez all season long.

Next up:

Nov 6 - Green/White game (Shirk Center) - 3:00pm
Nov 10 - @ Loras - 7:00pm

[petemcb]

... It's a preview to Saturday!  I'm not going to UWSP/Wisconsin, but it's being played on the Big Ten Network, so I'll get to watch and update from there!

But exhibition is one thing, scrimmage is another!

This reminds me that it's probably time for the annual pre-season/pre-conference clarification.   

[Dennis_Prikkel]

... It's a preview to Saturday!  I'm not going to UWSP/Wisconsin, but it's being played on the Big Ten Network, so I'll get to watch and update from there!

But exhibition is one thing, scrimmage is another!

This reminds me that it's probably time for the annual pre-season/pre-conference clarification.   

what about NPU's new player Kendall Gill?  Is this the same guy who played for Illinois?  Or did you mean Kendall Greer?

[petemcb]

I wondered who would catch that mistake first.  I tried to edit it from my phone and my iPod last night after my son pointed it out to me but must not be tech-savvy enough to figure out how.  I finally gave up late last night.  No, if Kendall Gill (even today) was the Vikings off guard, I might have to alter my prediction of a 4th place finish for the Vikes in the CCIW.