MBB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[augie_superfan]

Augustana

48% shooting

Harrigan:   14 pts on 5-16 shooting
McAdams-Thornton:  12 pts. on 6-11 shooting
N. Swetalla:  10 pts. on 4-6 shooting (2-3 from 3pt.)
D. Swetalla:  11 pts on 2-5 shooting (7-11 from FT); 8 rebs.


Elmhurst

34.5% shooting

Martin:  14 pts on 4-14 shooting (5-5 from FT); 7 rebs.; 5 A
Michael:  20 pts on 6-12 shooting (7-7 from FT); 8 rebs.
Patchett:  13 pts on 5-7 shooting (3-5 from 3pt.)


Looks like the Augie defense/bad Elmhurst shooting won this one for the Vikings....would be interested to hear about it from someone that was there.

[Titan Q]

Without question everyone is playing for tournament seeding now...the inaugural CCIW conference tourney will be held in Rock Island.  For the 3 visiting teams, it'd be much better to play in the 2/3 game on Friday than to have to face Augie at the Carver Center.

It will be interesting to see what the D3hoops.com voters do with Elmhurst.  I think if you are voting for Augustana, Illinois Wesleyan, and North Central on your top 25 ballot, you absolutely have to vote for the Bluejays -- they've played two close game vs Augie, beat IWU, and won at NCC.  Come Monday, half of the CCIW should be in the Top 25.

[Pat Coleman]

I don't think I have to vote for Elmhurst unless I'm voting for Millikin.

I mean, I probably will, but Elmhurst has some losses that are going to keep it out of the big dance unless it wins the automatic bid. Gotta look at the whole body of work, not just the past two weeks.

[sac]

I disagree Q, they have 5 losses, there are still too many teams out there with only 2 or 3 losses.  Quality losses or not they are losses.

Now true Elmhurst might handle them but I can't assume that when voting.

I certainly have them on my radar but its going to take other teams losing more to move Elmhurst up my list into the top 25.

They are in my 25-30 range

just my opine

[augie moose]

There was also a story about a 35 year old who played football for someone within the past couple years.  Came back from the military and enrolled in college and played football for someone.
I believe it was a reciever from southern carolina the called him pops.


I was at Elmhurst today very physical game augie got beat up inside the refs called it even both ways this team just seems to find ways to win games.  Congrats to Augie going thru the first half of the season with no losses in conference.  The cciw is tuff top to bottom

[sac]

There was also a story about a 35 year old who played football for someone within the past couple years.  Came back from the military and enrolled in college and played football for someone.
I believe it was a reciever from southern carolina the called him pops.

Yes thats it thanks.

[Mr. Ypsi]

I'd say the ONLY way Elmhurst has a chance for a C is if they now start a 7-game winning streak (and even that MIGHT not be enough).  They'd better concentrate on making the tourney and winning te A.

I haven't seen the game-by-game stats (and stats don't always tell the whole truth), but it seems like Chris Martin's two worst games have been against Augie.  Dennis seems to feel that at least today it was a lackadaisical Chris - would others who have any knowledge on the subject say it is more CM or a tribute to Augie's defense?

If it IS more Chris Martin, I would tend to view him in the category of Jon Steven - a guy with the talent to be POY but who might get punished by the coaches and not even make first-team CCIW.

[Mr. Ypsi]

I disagree Q, they have 5 losses, there are still too many teams out there with only 2 or 3 losses.  Quality losses or not they are losses.

Now true Elmhurst might handle them but I can't assume that when voting.

I certainly have them on my radar but its going to take other teams losing more to move Elmhurst up my list into the top 25.

They are in my 25-30 range

just my opine

Actually, they now have 6 losses.  (And one of them was at Albion, by a lot less than Hope lost by!  Sorry, couldn't resist!)

I think you are putting too much weight on their record (4 of their 6 losses are to teams in the top 7 of the poll!) or their 17-point loss to Hope (which I imagine was your only viewing of them, but which was the first game of the season).  Name me a team in the bottom half of the top 25 with wins over teams of the caliber of IWU and NCC.

Your range for them is not unreasonable by any means, but I think it is AT LEAST 5 slots too low.

[iwumichigander]

I really thought that out of Wheaton, Millikin, and Carthage, at least ONE of them would make a run for the conference tourney (and someone MAY yet), but it is looking increasingly like we already know the top four.  (And having been swept by NPU, Millikin, despite wins over NCC and Elmhurst, had better be concerned whether they can even manage 7th!)

Tomorrow's game is HUGE for the regular season title (though perhaps a bit diminished with the tourney) - if Augie wins, we can ALMOST go ahead and give them the crown (3 game lead with 6 to play).  If Elmhurst wins, Augie is still in the driver's seat, but the race is on.

Barring an upset, the remaining Augie CCIW schedule favors them to win the regular conference with I think one or two losses before the regular season finishes out.  The Thunder, Big Blue and Redmen each had keys personnel losses going into and during the season thus far.  Of the three, I think Wheaton is a long shot -- but it is a very, very long shot for a young team: The Thunder play 3 of 4 on the road Feb 1 - 8.  Three are consecutive road games @ Carthage, North Park and North Central.  And, during this stretch, play three games in five days finishing up at home Feb 8 vs. Augustana!

Millikin, in contrast, plays the current CCIW top 4 in a row.  Ouch!  I just do not see the Big Blue from Decatur surviving that gaunlet. But on any given night ...

On the other hand, throw out the loss Sat to IWU; Carthage has been in each earlier game with the current top four.  The Redmen are better than their current record.  It is a young team with some experience -- only one senior and three juniors -- that will need to run the table to have a shot at 4th.  If the Redmen play within themselves, I think they might be able to do it.

[augie moose]

where does everybody see augie and the others in the new rankings
augie-5
iwu-7
ncc- 13
elmhurst-24to25??

[sac]

Cabs---Six losses even worse.  Look I don't doubt Elmhurst is top 25 talented but they are not currently a top 25 team.  There are just way too many teams with better records that deserve to be ranked ahead of a 6 loss team even if they've played miserable competition.

just my opinion Cabs, I've already voted you won't sway me  


Elmhurst also went double-overtime with a team Hope beat by 37 and 28 so I trump your Elmhurst/Hope/Albion comparison.  

[dansand]

I'd say the ONLY way Elmhurst has a chance for a C is if they now start a 7-game winning streak (and even that MIGHT not be enough).  They'd better concentrate on making the tourney and winning te A.

I haven't seen the game-by-game stats (and stats don't always tell the whole truth), but it seems like Chris Martin's two worst games have been against Augie.  Dennis seems to feel that at least today it was a lackadaisical Chris - would others who have any knowledge on the subject say it is more CM or a tribute to Augie's defense?

If it IS more Chris Martin, I would tend to view him in the category of Jon Steven - a guy with the talent to be POY but who might get punished by the coaches and not even make first-team CCIW.

I obviously didn't see the game today, but I saw the matchup in Rock Island and I watched the stream from Bloomington this week and it's apparent that Nate Swetalla is turning into this year's defensive stopper. So far he's done a great job on some of the league's best #3 players (Martin, Amelianovich and Walton). Those three have combined for 11.3 ppg on 35% shooting in four games versus Augie. Players that good aren't going to be stopped by one guy, but Swetalla has had the primary responsibility and has done pretty well. Speaking of stopping great players, it looks like teams are starting to be successful in refusing to let Harrigan beat them. IWU and Elmhurst held him to 8-of-29 shooting this week. What's really encouraging, as an Augie fan, is that the Vikes won both games against two of the league's best--on the road! No one else has really replaced his numbers in those two games, but they've gotten just enough production from everyone else and play good enough defense (36% combined shooting for the Titans and Bluejays!) to get the job done.

[Mr. Ypsi]

Cabs---Six losses even worse.  Look I don't doubt Elmhurst is top 25 talented but they are not currently a top 25 team.  There are just way too many teams with better records that deserve to be ranked ahead of a 6 loss team even if they've played miserable competition.

just my opinion Cabs, I've already voted you won't sway me 


Elmhurst also went double-overtime with a team Hope beat by 37 and 28 so I trump your Elmhurst/Hope/Albion comparison. 

I've highlighted (mostly!) the portion I most want to take issue with.  You HAVE to take into account the schedule they've played (otherwise Lawrence would unanymously be #1, and St. John Fisher would have topped the poll for the last half of last season).  While I obviously cannot prove it, I'll contend that nearly half the teams in the top 25 would have a WORSE record than Elmhurst if they had played Elmhurst's schedule.  4 of their 6 losses are to teams in the top 7 - #18 (or #21 or #24) teams are SUPPOSED to lose to top 7 teams!  They only have two losses to 'others'.  And I believe these are thoroughly made-up for by their wins over IWU and NCC.  Find me ANY other team in the bottom half of the top 25 with a pair of wins of that caliber.

I would NEVER try to (directly!) sway a voter!

Touche on the last paragraph - I was hoping you wouldn't notice K'zoo!

[augiefan]

Another tough game today for Augie. To win on the road at IWU and Elmhurst in the same week is remarkable. A real accomplishment against two great opponents.

Although Augie hasn't overwhelmed any of its CCIW opponents as yet, they have proven a lot by winning the close ones. Defense did it this week, as both IWU and Elmhurst were successful in slowing down Harrigan. One thing that has become evidence is the fact that the Swetallas were huge additions to Augie's squad, particularly since Dain Swetalla is recovered from his injury.

Good teams win the close ones, and that's been Augie's pattern so far. Nevertheless with 4 Augie road games remaining and a visit from IWU, the regular season isn't quite over as yet. I like our position a lot, but there us still work to do. If anything has been proven so far, it's that no CCIW team is going to provide an automatic victory.

All in all a most enjoyable visit to Elmhurst today.

[cardinalpride]

On the other hand, throw out the loss Sat to IWU; Carthage has been in each earlier game with the current top four.  The Redmen are better than their current record.  It is a young team with some experience -- only one senior and three juniors -- that will need to run the table to have a shot at 4th.  If the Redmen play within themselves, I think they might be able to do it.

IWM, that's not all together true.  Carthage was never in the game vs. NCC at carthage.  NCC lead by as many as 28 ultimately winning by 19.  I don't see anything changing at NCC.