MBB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[magicman]

Carthage defeats Geneva 76-48 at the Cal-Lutheran Tournament in California. This one was only close for the first 7 minutes. Tied at 6, Carthage opened up a double digit lead at 20-10 with 6:07 to go in the first. 3 minutes later it was 29-12 and the rout was on. Redmen were up 37-19 at the break and stretched it to a 28 point advantage with 9 minutes gone by in the 2nd period. Their largest lead was 74-40 with 4:20 remaining. Carthage was led by Mitch Thompson with 23 points on 11x14 shooting. Malcolm Kelly had 17 points (7x15 fg, 3x8 3's,) and Reese Herth added 12 (4x6 fg, 2x4 3's, 2x2 ft). Luke Johnson had 12 rebounds, 9 blocks, 4 assists, 4 pts and 1 steal.

Carthage improves to 6-4 and will take on Washington College (Md.) in the championship game on Friday at 8 PM PST. Washington defeated host Cal-Lutheran 75-67.

[dansand]

Some good news & some bad news heading into tonight's game with MacMurray. It sounds like Bryant Voiles is back at full speed and ready to go. Unfortunately, Luke Scarlata has decide to leave the team for personal reasons. He's a nice young man and everyone associated with the program wishes him well. Brandon Kunz, who has played similar minutes to Luke, will move into the starting lineup and Kevin Schlitter could be in line for more playing time now.

[Titan Q]

Some good news & some bad news heading into tonight's game with MacMurray. It sounds like Bryant Voiles is back at full speed and ready to go. Unfortunately, Luke Scarlata has decide to leave the team for personal reasons. He's a nice young man and everyone associated with the program wishes him well. Brandon Kunz, who has played similar minutes to Luke, will move into the starting lineup and Kevin Schlitter could be in line for more playing time now.

Wow, quite a bombshell and something that I think impacts the 2012 CCIW race...to what degree I guess we will find out over the course of the next 60 days.

I have watched Augie on video several times this year and have been really impressed with Luke Scarlata's (8.7 ppg, 5.1 rpg, .593 FG) skill set.  He is that extremely rare pure back-to-the-basket player ("center") with tremendous size for Division III.  And he probably has as good of a left hand as you'll see for a right handed low post player in D3.  I think I posted earlier that I saw a 2nd Team All-CCIW season coming from Scarlata.  (Although I will say that I think Augie tended to go through stretches where they would not get the ball to Scarlata enough...or maybe Scarlata did not do a good enough job getting himself open, I don't know.)

It is quite a luxury to have a 6-7 Brandon Kunz to plug in, but I think Augustana will really be missing something without Scarlata.  Kunz is a very big and talented player, but he is more of a "4", and certainly not the low post scoring threat Scarlata is.  If you have a 6-6 or 6-7 post to guard Kunz, I don't think you have to be nearly as mindful about doubling him on the blocks as you do with Scarlata.  (I don't know enough about Kevin Schlitter to comment...I know he is enormous.)

Augie is certainly still good enough to win the CCIW but I do think Scarlata's absence hurts the Vikings.


 

[Gregory Sager]

Scarlata's departure certainly doesn't help Augie, but it's hardly a crushing blow. He's definitely the most talented of the brigade of Augie big men (Voiles not included, because he's really a super-elongated small forward rather than a big man), but there's not enough of a gap between him and the Kunz/Dexter/Norton triumvirate to make Scarlata irreplaceable. Let's keep in mind that we're talking about a player who, aside from the 19 and 12 performance he put on in the opening-day cruise over Aurora, has posted pretty undistinguished numbers this season for a 6'9, 240 veteran center with a well-developed skill set. He's averaging 8.7 ppg and 5.1 rpg. He has not led Augie in scoring since that opening-day win, and has tied twice for the team lead in rebounding in a game -- once with two other guys with only four caroms apiece, once with a single teammate for eight. And he's not as good a defender as the other three.

That doesn't mean that he wouldn't have turned it on once the bell rings next week for CCIW play, but it doesn't mean that he would've turned it on, either. I think that Giovanine will distribute his minutes between Kunz, Dexter, and Norton, and Augie will succeed without him. Augie's talent margin (and interior depth) advantage over everyone else got thinner, but not to the point where I foresee the loss of Scarlata costing Augie the CCIW title.

I think that Scarlata's loss will be felt more keenly next season, when Voiles is gone and the Doggies need a new go-to man to step up and take on the responsibility of being the primary offensive threat.

[Titan Q]

This is an update to something I posted about a week ago.  It's my best projection at how the top Midwest Region teams stack up right now, based on NCAA seeding/selection criteria. 

(These are "in-region" records - games vs non-D3s or out-of-region D3s have been excluded.  I also listed wins over other teams on this list and wins vs prominent teams from other regions if the game was counted as "in-region", as well as all in-region losses.)

1. Transylvania (HCAC), 9-0 (won vs Wabash)
2. Augustana (CCIW), 8-1 (won vs UW-Stevens Point...lost @ Wash U)
3. Grinnell (MWC), 7-0 (won vs Ripon)
4. Ripon (MWC), 5-1 (won vs Illinois Wesleyan...lost @ Grinnell)
5. Illinois Wesleyan (CCIW), 7-2 (won vs Wash U...lost @ Ripon, @ UW-Whitewater)
6. Washington U (UAA), 7-2 (won vs Augustana, vs Wheaton...lost @ Whitworth, @ IWU)
7. Wheaton (CCIW), 7-2 (won vs Whitman...lost @ Hope, @ Wash U)
8. Edgewood (NATHC), 7-1 (won vs Lake Forest, @ Lakeland...lost vs UW-Stevens Point)
9. Hanover (HCAC), 6-2 (won vs Ohio Wesleyan, vs Rose-Hulman...lost vs Ohio Northern, @ Manchester)
10. Lake Forest (MWC), 7-1 (won vs Lakeland...lost @ Edgewood)
11. Rose-Hulman (HCAC), 9-2 (none...lost vs Wabash, @ Hanover)
12. Lakeland (NATHC), 4-2 (none...lost @ Lake Forest, vs Edgewood)

(The only Midwest Region conference I do not have representation for is the SLIAC.)


Transylvania's win over Wabash on 12/21 was huge (Wabash is in the Great Lakes region but that game was "in-region" for both teams.)  Wabash is 7-1 in-region, including a win over Wooster.  The Little Giants are right near the top of the Great Lakes region picture right now.  This could be a non-conference win that ends up really helping Transylvania as the season plays out.

It's probably too early to start thinking about this but...here are a few things to root for during conference play if you think your CCIW team might need a Pool C bid come Selection Sunday:

* Transylvania to win the HCAC (and not need a Pool C).

* Grinnell to win the MWC (and not need a Pool C).

* Ripon to rack up some losses in MWC play (hurting Pool C competitive position).

* Wash U to rack up some losses in UAA play (hurting Pool C competitive position).

Noteworthy Midwest Region result last night as Transylvania falls to Gustavus Adolphus (that game was considered "in-region")...

http://www.d3hoops.com/seasons/men/2011-12/contrib/201112300pe1ha

[Titan Q]

Scarlata's departure certainly doesn't help Augie, but it's hardly a crushing blow. He's definitely the most talented of the brigade of Augie big men (Voiles not included, because he's really a super-elongated small forward rather than a big man), but there's not enough of a gap between him and the Kunz/Dexter/Norton triumvirate to make Scarlata irreplaceable. Let's keep in mind that we're talking about a player who, aside from the 19 and 12 performance he put on in the opening-day cruise over Aurora, has posted pretty undistinguished numbers this season for a 6'9, 240 veteran center with a well-developed skill set. He's averaging 8.7 ppg and 5.1 rpg. He has not led Augie in scoring since that opening-day win, and has tied twice for the team lead in rebounding in a game -- once with two other guys with only four caroms apiece, once with a single teammate for eight. And he's not as good a defender as the other three.

While statistically Luke Scarlata has not really been that much of a standout relative to Kunz, Dexter, and Norton, I just think he gave Augustana a dimension they don't get from those guys.  I think Augie will really miss the low post offensive presence Scarlata provided.

[KnightSlappy]

Noteworthy Midwest Region result last night as Transylvania falls to Gustavus Adolphus (that game was considered "in-region")...

Shouldn't be in-region.

Non-conference (HCAC vs. MIAC)
Different defined region. (Midwest vs. West)
Different Admin Region (Region 3 vs. Region 4)
Schools are over 200 miles apart (811)

Looks like it's an 'oops' on the team schedule pages.

[Titan Q]

Noteworthy Midwest Region result last night as Transylvania falls to Gustavus Adolphus (that game was considered "in-region")...

Shouldn't be in-region.

Non-conference (HCAC vs. MIAC)
Different defined region. (Midwest vs. West)
Different Admin Region (Region 3 vs. Region 4)
Schools are over 200 miles apart (811)

Looks like it's an 'oops' on the team schedule pages.

Good call.  I saw that it was listed as in-region on the schedule here and really didn't stop to realize that was not right.

So it goes from a big game to one that basically didn't happen!

[KnightSlappy]

So it goes from a big game to one that basically didn't happen!

The wonders of the regional emphasis!

[Gregory Sager]

North Park has one last chance to get it right before CCIW play starts, as the Vikings play Edgewood (9-1) tomorrow afternoon on the Eagles' home floor up in Madison.

Edgewood will be a tough customer. Here's what the Eagles present:

G: Derek Nkemnji (6'2, 185, SR, 9.7 ppg, .586 3FG%)
G: Cashton Craig (6'1, 175, JR, 9.7 ppg)
G: Jake Guziewski (6'3, 180, SR, 5.1 ppg)
G: Ben Wisniewski (6'3, 180, SR, 17.2 ppg, .456 3FG%)
G: Kent Faurote (6'6, 205, SR, 15.5 ppg, 7.3 rpg, .435 3FG%)

It's Bob's dream lineup ... five guards!

Seriously, this is a smallish but very effective starting five. All of them have at least as many assists as turnovers; the rebounding deficit margin is modest for a team that doesn't really have an inside presence (Faurote's really more of a wing than a post); and the experience level is off the charts. How much experience does this team have? Back in November, 2008 I saw the first Edgewood game of the season, a contest in which the Eagles beat defending UAA champion Chicago, 101-93. It was the first collegiate game for the four current Eagles seniors. Three of them -- Wisniewski, Faurote, and Nkemnji -- not only played in that game, they were key contributors in the win; Wisniewski, who started, scored 15 in 18 minutes of playing time, Faurote scored 17 in 20 minutes, and Nkemnji scored 12 in 25 minutes. Here's what I said in the NAthC room after that game:

The only upperclassman who saw any appreciable time in that game was Ciche, and his contribution was not a substantial one. I was at the game, and I was very impressed by those Edgewood underclassmen, especially the PG (Schuster), the skinny and exciteable forward who came off of the bench (Faroute), and the 6'7 stringbean forward (Barczak). The Wisniewski kid is a really good shooter, and I love the way Nkemnji plays D on the perimeter. All that having been said, I'm stunned that the Eagles lost on Sunday to Kenyon, because I was not impressed at all by the Lords. (Of course, nothing in that tourney went according to form; I can't for the life of me figure out how IIT beat Chicago, either.) I suppose that one can chalk it up to the inconsistency of youth, as part of the problem with playing so many freshmen and sophomores is that a team is often hot one day and cold the next.

One thing's for sure ... if all of those kids stay at Edgewood, that's going to be the team to beat in the NAthCon in the early part of the next decade.

Yes, this is Greg Pats Himself On The Back Day on CCIW Chat.

Faurote and Wisniewski are members of the Thousand Points Club. Craig is a former D2 transfer who got a lot of playing time as a freshman at Minnesota-Duluth. Edgewood is a pretty good D3 basketball team.

NPU is going to have a tough time of it. Hopefully, Mike Gabriel is healthy, because I think the key for North Park is going to be the considerable size advantage that the Vikings will have. If they can translate that into easy layups and lots of rebounds -- and the Crosby/Gabriel/Holmes trio certainly has the ability to dominate in those respects -- and the Vikings can manage to minimize their chronic problem with turnovers, they may find a way to pull this one out. Otherwise, it could be yet another unpleasant chapter in what has turned out to be a very sour non-con portion of the season for NPU.

[Titan Q]

North Park has one last chance to get it right before CCIW play starts, as the Vikings play Edgewood (9-1) this afternoon on the Eagles' home floor up in Madison.

A very interesting game in my opinion for three reasons:

1) To see where NPU is heading into CCIW play against a solid team (similar to how I looked at IWU's game vs Bethany yesterday),
2) Because this is a big in-region game for Edgewood, and
3) These two teams have such contrasting styles - the 5 guard lineup (awesome!) vs all that NPU size.


Really interested to see how this one goes.

[Gregory Sager]

Edgewood's gonna webcast it, which make me happy up to a point. I'm pleased that I'm going to be able to watch it tomorrow, but anxious that another bad performance by the Vikings is gonna ruin my New Year's Eve.

[Titan Q]

IWU faces the host school, College of Staten Island, tonight at 6:30pm CST in the Tournament of Heroes championship game...

http://www.silive.com/colleges/index.ssf/2011/12/csi_advances_to_play_illinois.html

http://client.stretchinternet.com/client/wjbc.portal

http://www.csidolphins.com/news/2011/12/29/MBB_1229114714.aspx?path=mbball

Probable starters are:

Illinois Wesleyan (8-2)
G - Eliud Gonzalez, 5-9 Sr (4.5 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 6.4 apg)
G - Jordan Zimmer, 6-5 Sr (13.4 ppg, .427 3-point) 
F - John Koschnitzky, 6-6 Sr (9.9 ppg, 2.8 rpg)
F - Victor Davis, 6-5 So (11.0 ppg, 5.9 rpg, .597 FG)
C - Kevin Reed, 6-7 Jr (10.7 ppg, 5.6 rpg, .671 FG)

College of Staten Island (7-3)
G - T.J. Tibbs, 5-10 Sr (14.9 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 6.0 apg, .310 3-point) (CUNYAC "Preseason Player of the Year")
G - Dale Taranto, 6-2 Sr (4.7 ppg, 4.2 rpg)
G - Bloochy Magliore, 6-3 So (16.3 ppg, 5.0 rpg, .373 3-point)
F - Matthew Van Manen, 6-5 So (8.6 ppg, 6.6 rpg, .700 FG)
C - Jordan Young, 6-5 Sr (15.3 ppg, 6.4 rpg, .612 FG)
http://www.csidolphins.com/roster.aspx?path=mbball



Staten Island won the CUNYAC regular season championship last year, finishing 17-11 overall/10-3 conference.  The Dolphins lost in the CUNYAC championship game to #2-seed Medgar Evers and did not participate in the NCAA tournament.  (Medgar Evers lost in Round 1 to St. Mary's MD.)  Their top 3 performers from 2010-11, who all returned this year, were: Young (17.1 ppg and 7.7 rpg), Tibbs (15.5 ppg, 5.0 apg, 50-118 3-point, .424), and Magliore (14.0 ppg, 65-168 3-point, .387).

One of CSI's three losses this year is to Adrian (7-3) from the MIAA, neutral court game, buzzer beater loss...I don't think the Bulldogs are exactly Hope.

Another interesting non-conference game between teams from different regions, featuring different styles of play.  A team full of kids from New York and New Jersey vs a team full of kids from Illinois.  I think it is fair to say that on paper IWU is a pertty solid favorite.  It seems like these D3 holiday games on another team's floor are never easy though.  Hoping the Titans can close out a 9-2 non-conference record.


http://www.csidolphins.com/news/2011/11/16/MBB_1116113845.aspx?path=mbball

http://www.cunyathletics.com/news/2011/11/16/MBBALL_1116112647.aspx

[Titan Q]

D3 Basketball Index predictions for tonight...


#197 North Central vs #274 Manchester (NCC by 8)

#368 Millikin @ Maryville, Mo (no prediction since Maryville is D2)

#4 Augustana vs #233 MacMurray (AC by 25)

#133 Elmhurst vs #27 Wash U (Wash U by 6)

#9 Illinois Wesleyan @ #64 Staten Island (IWU by 5)

#98 Carthage vs #189 Washington, Md (Carthage by 4)


https://sites.google.com/site/d3basketballindex/top-75

[Titan Q]

Illinois Wesleyan 90
Staten Island 79

* Jordan Zimmer: 28 points (6 3-pointers)
* John Koschnitzky: 15 pts, 5 reb
* Eliud Gonzalez: 14 pts, 4 reb, 5 assists
* Kevin Reed: 9 pts, 8 reb

I listened to the Staten Island broadcast for a while, and then the WJBC broadcast.  Both crews used the word "intense" several times.  It sounded like a very physical and "spirited" basketball game.  A Titan fan who was at the game texted me the word "chippy" at halftime.  In the postgame show, Ron Rose said it felt like a CCIW road game.

Jordan Zimmer was named the Most Valuable Player of the Tournament of Heroes with John Koschnitzky also on the all-tournament team.

IWU finishes the non-conference 9-2 and prepares for the CCIW opener with Wheaton next week.