MBB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[Titan Q]

Just a little tidbit that y'all might enjoy.  Brian Nussbaum, former IWU player, hurt often but one of the ony two IWU players I would let myself root for (along with fellow HF alumn Adam Dauskas), has just won a gold medal with the USA team at the Maccabi games down in Brazil.  The best Canada in the championship game after beating Israel in the semis.

Awesome for Nuss.  Injuries cost him basically his entire college basketball career, so great to see him have this experience and success.

[Titan Q]

PG
(WC) Jeremy Pflederer, 6-0 Sr – 9.2 ppg, 1.6 rpg, 2.6 apg, 2.0 A:TO
(MU) Rodney Clark, 6-0 Jr – 8.4 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 1.7 apg, 0.9 A:TO
(NPU) Roshawn Russell, 5-9 Sr – 8.0 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 2.5 apg , 2.0 A:TO
(NCC) Kevin Gillespie, 5-11 Sr – 7.6 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 2.6 apg, 1.5 A:TO
(AC) Brian DeSimone, 6-1 Sr – 7.2 ppg, 2.0 rpg, 3.9 apg, 2.9 A:TO
(IWU) Eliud Gonzalez, 5-9 Sr – 5.6 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 6.2 apg, 3.0 A:TO
(EC) D'Ante Foster, 5-11 Jr – 5.6 ppg, 2.0 rpg, 3.4 apg, 1.2 A:TO
(CC) Donte Logan, 5-11 Fr – 2.6 ppg, 1.8 rpg, 2.5 apg, 1.8 A:TO


Injured?
(EC) Mike McCurdy, 6-0 Sr PG, 23.7 min/game – 7.6 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 3.3 apg

I received a note indicating that Mike McCurdy is no longer enrolled at Elmhurst College...and obviously is therefore no longer a Bluejay basketball player. 

[Titan Q]

Here is what I posted about the league a month ago:

I have not seen any CCIW teams in person yet, but I have watched several games online and following things pretty closely from afar.  Below are my impressions of the league as of today...


Tier 1 - Teams with a legitimate chance to win the 2012 championship

1. Augustana

The Vikings - with tremendous low-post weapons (led by 6-9 Luke Scarlata), an outstanding 3-point threat in Bryan Voiles, the versatile Troy Rorer, great team defense, and strong senior leadership - have to be considered the favorite.  Augie lost a tough one on the road last night, but I don't think losing @ Wash U is anything to get overly concerned about - especially considering the talent the Bears have.  Augie remains vulnerable to games where Voiles is not shooting it well (last night 1-7 3-point), but still, they are the most complete team in the CCIW this year and the team with the least questions.

2. Wheaton

The emergence of 6-4 guard Aaron Garriott - who looks very much like a 1st Team All-CCIW player - has made Wheaton a very legitimate title contender.  Garriott's overall athleticism, his ability to knock down 3's, and the fact that he can also get to the basket brings such a different element to the Wheaton offense.  We knew coming into the season that Tim McCrary would perform like a 1st Team All-American, and we knew the Thunder had several other nice complementary players (Pfederer, Schultze, Peters, Serenius, etc), but we did not know Wheaton would have a second player as good as Garriott.  Behind this dangerous offensive balance and typical strong Wheaton team defense, I believe Wheaton can win the league.  I do question if they have enough big bodies to handle Augustana.

Tier 2 - The top candidates for the 3rd and 4th place spots

3. North Central
4. Illinois Wesleyan

I believe there is a significant drop-off from Augustana & Wheaton to the next tier, which at this point I believe to be NCC and IWU.  I think these two teams are dangerous, and very talented, but I don't believe either can go 11-3 or better (the probable record needed to win the league). 

North Central has two 1st Team All-CCIW-caliber players in Landon Gamble and Derek Raridon, and another All-CCIW candidate in CJ Goldthree - this nucleus automatically makes the Cardinals a very dangerous team.  But here in the early going, NCC has struggled, and it appears depth is a big reason.  NCC has to be the favorite for the 3 spot in the 2012 standings, but I just don't think the Cards are as complete as Augie and Wheaton.

Regarding IWU, I believe the biggest question is the 5 spot.  6-7 junior Kevin Reed is playing well overall, but he is really more of a 4...not necessarily a go-to, back-to-the-basket scorer.  6-9 sophomore Nick Anderson seems to be very much a work in progress.  After all that time with Doug Sexauer in the low post, I got used to having that great threat on the blocks.  IWU has three guys talented enough to play at All-CCIW level - 6-5 G Jordan Zimmer, 6-5 PF Victor Davis, and 6-6 SF John Koschnitzky.  The Titans need these three to lead the way and get contributions from a bunch of others.  IWU is anything but a lock for a Top 4 spot in 2012, but I think the Titans are better than the teams in the tier below.

Tier 3 - Other contenders for the 4 spot

5. Carthage
T6. Elmhurst
T6. North Park

One of these teams is going to make a strong push at the #4 spot.  On paper, I like North Park here - with 6-6 D1 transfer Mark Holmes, 6-8 D1 transfer Mike Gabriel, two-time All-CCIW center Emmanuel Crosby, and talented PG Roshawn Russell, how could this not be a pretty good team?  But NPU's early season performance has been very shaky.  I do think there is a chance NPU settles in and becomes a tough team by mid-January. 

If I had to put money on it, I guess I'd go with Bosko and the Red Men to finish the best of this group.  Malcom Kelly has become a 1st Team All-CCIW contender, Max Cary is a very good player, and 6-9 freshman Luke Johnson has a lot of promise. 

Elmhurst might quietly be the sleeper for a push at #4.  Lewis transfer Jerome Robinson, a 6-6 F, and Zack Boyd give the Bluejays a nice one-two combination.

One of the interesting things about the 2012 CCIW season might end up being that it seems like there are legitimately 7 teams in the mix for the 4 CCIW tournament spots. 

Tier 4 - No chance

8. Millikin

6-9 JUCO transfer Brock Van Nordeck (high ankle sprain) finally suited up for the Big Blue yesterday.  His development is about the only thing that could allow Millikin to win a game or two.


These are my impressions here in early-December.  By January 1 things could look different.

After factoring in the entire non-conference, a few thoughts:

* I'd have to rank IWU ahead of North Central right now.

* IWU and Wheaton are a heck of a lot closer than I originally thought.  I'd give a slight edge to Wheaton for now due to the presence of Tim McCrary, but when you really match up individidual players and look at non-conference results and stats, I'm not sure there is much separation at all.  (Should be a great game in Bloomington tomorrow.)

* I believe Augustana has come back to the pack to some degree with Luke Scarlata's departure.  The Vikings are certainly still the favorite, but not by the margin I once believed.


If I had to sumbit a CCIW ranking right now, I'd have to go...

1. Augustana
2. Wheaton
3. Illinois Wesleyan
T4. North Central
T4. Carthage
T4. North Park
T4. Elmhurst
8. Millikin


Should be another fun race!

[Titan Q]

Illinois Wesleyan vs Wheaton...


PG
(WC) Jeremy Pflederer, 6-0 Sr – 9.2 ppg, 1.6 rpg, 2.6 apg, 2.0 A:TO
(IWU) Eliud Gonzalez, 5-9 Sr – 5.6 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 6.2 apg, 3.0 A:TO

SG
(WC) Aaron Garriott, 6-4 Jr – 15.2 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 2.6 agp, 13-44 3-point (.295)
(IWU) Jordan Zimmer, 6-5 Sr – 14.7 ppg, 1.7 rpg, 1.0 apg, 41-94 3-point (.436)

G/F
(IWU) John Koschnitzky, 6-6 Sr – 10.4 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 42-101 FG (.416)
(WC) Tyler Peters, 6-4 So – 8.9 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 3.6 apg, 35-65 FG (.538)

PF
(WC) Tim McCrary, 6-6 Sr – 17.8 ppg, 7.2 rpg, 69-121 FG (.570)
(IWU) Victor Davis, 6-5 So – 10.7 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 46-79 FG (.582)

F/C
(IWU) Kevin Reed, 6-7 Jr – 10.5 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 51-77 FG (.662)
(WC) Spencer Schultze, 6-6 Sr – 8.3 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 30-56 FG (.536)

Bench

Perimeter:
(WC) Nate Serenius, 6-3 Jr G, 19.2 min/game – 7.2 ppg, 2.1 rpg
(WC) Tad Fisher, 6-0 So G, 12.1 min/game – 3.1 ppg, 1.0 rpg

(IWU) Stephen Rudnicki, 6-3 Sr G, 16.2 min/game – 4.5 ppg, 2.5 apg
(IWU) Eric Dortch, 6-3 So F, 13.5 min/game - 3.2 ppg, 3.3 rpg

Post:
(IWU) Nick Anderson, 6-9 So C , 14.5 min/game - 6.1 ppg, 3.8 rpg
(IWU) Andrew Ziemnik, 6-5 So PF, 17.3 min/game – 5.2 ppg, 3.9 rpg

(WC) Nathan Haynes, 6-6 So F,  14.0 min/game – 1.9 ppg, 2.5 rpg


Points per Game
IWU, 79.6
Wheaton, 75.7

Field Goal %
Wheaton, .494
IWU, .490

FT
Wheaton, .754
IWU, .667

Assist/Turnover
Wheaton, 160/137 (1.20)
IWU, 181/161 (1.12)


Points Allowed per Game
Wheaton, 59.9
IWU, 65.5

Opponent FG %
IWU, .392
Wheaton, .419

Rebound Margin
IWU, +10.1
Wheaton, +0.3

Opponent Assist/Turnover
IWU, 105/172 (0.61)
Wheaton, 130/178 (0.70)

[Naperick]

The game seemed to turn permanently toward Elmhurst with 1:48 left in the 2nd half.  Wash-U's Chris Klimek was called for an offensive foul, instead of getting a 3-point play in the paint...and a nanosecond later, one of the refs gave Wash-U head coach Mark Edwards a technical foul.  I thought the ref had pre-determined that he was going to give a "T", based on the quickness of the call.

Elmhurst took advantage of that, and had a chance to win the game after receiving a touch foul heading toward the basket on Wash-U with 4.2 seconds left.  #23 for the Bluejays (haven't looked up his name yet, sorry) makes 1 of 2 free throws for a 1-point lead.  Game appears to be over.

However, Wash-U fires the inbound pass from under the basket to a player standing just inside the Bears' frontcourt, and Edwards calls a quick timeout with 3 seconds left.  That gives Wash-U a chance to set up a play for a decent shot at a victory.  Aboona gets the inbound, was able to get the ball to Dylan Richter deep in the left corner for a fadeaway 3* at the buzzer to win the game.

(*-Richter's shot was ruled a "2", to give Wash-U a 67-66 victory)

Nice win for the Bears, who needed a boost heading into conference play at home against Chicago January 7th.

I only got to see the 2nd half of this game and it was fun to watch.  The Bluejays played well but Wash U. made one more play.  It's fun to watch a Mark Edwards team play.  Good luck to the Bears in the UAA!

[Titan Q]

Looks like IWU will be video streaming conference games...

http://client.stretchinternet.com/client/iwu.portal#


Hallelujah!  Dear ole IWU is a little late to the video party, but this is great news.

I think we now have 7 CCIW teams with live video...all but North Central.  How cool for displaced CCIW fans like me to be able to watch 13 of 14 games!

[TitansIWU]

I kept seeing the link to WATCH, and I kept thinking... Watch live stats? Watch still photos? Watch other websites while listening to the game on WJBC??

Certainly, I thought to myself, this can't possibly mean they are going to stream the games from the Shirk??

Alas, you have confirmed it, and I shall be tuned in!

Now they just need the "Zimmer 3 ball Cam" and maybe the "Ron Rose Helmet Huddle Cam".

[bopol]

Ypsi, thanks, I'll try to find it in a library.

Titan, 4-way tie for 4th.  C'mon, be courageous and make picks for 4 through 7. 

I'm sticking with my original picks:
1. Augie
2. Wheaton
3. IWU
4. Carthage
5. NC
6. Elmhurst
7. NP
8. Millikin

[Titan Q]

I kept seeing the link to WATCH, and I kept thinking... Watch live stats? Watch still photos? Watch other websites while listening to the game on WJBC??

Certainly, I thought to myself, this can't possibly mean they are going to stream the games from the Shirk??

Alas, you have confirmed it, and I shall be tuned in!

Now they just need the "Zimmer 3 ball Cam" and maybe the "Ron Rose Helmet Huddle Cam".

Note, for tomorrow it says "Video stream will not include audio commentary."  So I guess if you want to hear a broadcast you have to open the WJBC (or WETN) audio in one browser, then the video in another, and hope they sync up.

Oh well, I'll take the video for now.

[Titan Q]

Titan, 4-way tie for 4th.  C'mon, be courageous and make picks for 4 through 7. 

Yes, I'll concede the 4-way tie is pretty poor.  I just struggle to find any separation between those 4 based on what I've seen so far. 

I guess if I had to, I'd go:

1. Augustana
2. Wheaton
3. Illinois Wesleyan
4. North Central
5. North Park
6. Elmhurst
7. Carthage
8. Millikin

[bopol]

Titan, ow...did you not see AugieFan's computer says Carthage will be 4th?

[BlueJay21]

Wheaton Coach Mike Schauer was in Manito tonight to watch his top recruit, Michael Berg, play. Berg had another amazing game including hitting a fadeaway 15 footer as time expired to send the game into overtime. He has to be drooling over the thought of Berg playing for the Thunder next season... After the game I mentioned to him that he might wanna guard Zimmer tomorrow, which brought a sarcastic comment back from him.

I will be at the Shirk Center tomorrow night for the Wheaton/Wesleyan game. It will be my first time viewing a CCIW game since I graduated from Elmhurst. Can't wait for a great game, and a great start to the conference season. Good luck to all teams, especially to the Elmhurst College Bluejays. As a former player I know how hard it is to navigate through a CCIW season, and I wish every current player the best of luck. Let's have a great CCIW race everyone!

[Titan Q]

Tonight will be the first Illinois Wesleyan/Wheaton basketball game since the passing of Dave Lawrenz ("Wheaton C") on September 4.  By 10:30am on gameday, Dave and I would have already e-mailed back and forth about 5 times and spoken on the phone twice.  We would have had the "keys to the game" all figured out.

Dave would have been really excited, and extremely nervous, all day today.  Hard to believe he won't be at the Shirk tonight.

http://www.drl12.org/Obituary.pdf

[Mugsy]

Article from Pantagraph on Aaron Garriott's return to Shirk Center after overcoming a series of knee problems.

http://www.pantagraph.com/sports/college/basketball/men/cchs-grad-garriott-returns-to-familiar-shirk-center/article_abfb4d54-3670-11e1-8201-001871e3ce6c.html

[Titan Q]

D3 Basketball Index predictions for tonight...


- Augustana @ Millikin (Augie by 31)

- Carthage @ North Central (Carthage by 1)

- North Park @ Elmhurst (Elmhurst by 8)

- Wheaton @ IWU (pick 'em!)

https://sites.google.com/site/d3basketballindex/jan-4-2011-predictions


All that data, and Wheaton @ IWU comes out to a spread of "0."  Wow.