MBB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[armywife]

Congratulations to Augie for a win last night over Carthage. Those guys keep finding a way to win. Only 1 home game left and that against IWU. The road games they are playing will be challenge as well. I hope they find a way to keep winning games.

Congratulations to the Titans for their last second win over Elmhurst. Sounds like both teams played their A games, with IWU coming out on top. It would have been a great game to see.

Good job by Wheaton as well. Sounds like there was a lot of good basketball last night. I'm sorry that I couldn't catch any of it.

[Titan Q]

Last night's IWU/Elmhurst performance was simply one of the best college baskteball games I've ever seen for a number of reasons.  First, the game was played in front of a Shirk Center crowd of 3000 and the atmosphere in the building was electric from the tip.  It was fun to just be in the building last night.  Second, the game featured three All-Americans (Adam Dauksas, Keelan Amelianovich, and Chris Martin), and everyone in the gym got to see the impressive skills of all three.  Each made a number of enormous plays down the stretch.  And third, the degree of back and forth and the "never say die" attitude from the players on both teams was just amazing -- it's what college athletics is supposed to be about.

As former Titan Mark Aubry, who did color for me last night, said, "Elmhurst did absolutely everything right and made every play and lost."  Freshman Brent Ruch from nearby Farmer City was a force -- 10-12 FG and 23 points.  Fellow freshman Robert Strzemp also had a big game - 5-7 FG, 10 points.  33 points out of freshmen on the road in front of 3000 people.  And Chris Martin was Chris Martin -- 21 points, 8 rebounds, 8 assists, and 3 steals.  Martin, who is known for getting a little caught up in the emotion of big games, was poised throughout the entire game and was terrific down the stretch.  He had 7 points in the final 9:33 of regulation and then scored the final 7 points of the game for Elmhurst (in overtime), including a 12 footer to make it 87-86 Elmhurst with :17 to play.

Illinois Wesleyan was just as impressive.  Adam Dauksas scored 10 points in the final 2:29 of regulation and 6 points in overtime and also had the assist on the game winning basket by Chris Jones.  Keelan Amelianovich had 9 points in the final 11:03 of regulation and 4 in OT.  Keelan hit one of the games many huge shots when he drove to the basket and scored in traffic with :50 to play in overtime, making it 86-85 Titans.

The play of the game though was the miracle 3 by Dauksas to send the game to overtime.  After two Chris Martin FT's, IWU trailed 76-73 with 5 seconds to play.  The Titans called timeout and had to go the length of the floor to tie the game.  They got it in to Dauksas near the FT line and the Bluejays tried to trap him and I believe they were trying to foul him.  (Someone asked last night why Elmhurst didn't foul and put IWU on the line instead of allowing a 3-pt attempt...I am almost positive they tried to foul.)  Dauksas didn't get to halfcourt until about 2.5 seconds on the clock, so when he crossed the timeline he really didn't have any options.  He took two dribbles past halfcourt, pulled up, set his feet, and released a 28-30 footer......that went in.  I've never heard the Shirk Center louder.

Just a great game to be part of.  Cliche, but as Chris Martin told us on the WJBC2.com postgame show, it was one of those game where "neither team deserved to lose." 

[Titan Q]

The boxscore from the game and today's Pantagraph coverage...

http://www.iwu.edu/~iwunews/sports/mbb2006/miwu20.htm

http://www.pantagraph.com/articles/2006/02/05/sports/105749.txt


It's back on the road...11:00am flight to Dallas for another 3 day trip.  At least it's better than Cleveland in the winter!

[Stat]

Isn't it amazing how relative the term "All American" really is?  Any number of D1 bench players could be deemed that at the D3 level. 

Baseball may the only sport where All American can be interchanged at the D1 and D3 divisions.

[Johnny Augie]

Q,

Nice call on the basket by Jones for the win.  I can't wait for the next IWU/Augie matchup.

[augie_superfan]

Here are the updated QOWI numbers:

Augustana   11.333
IWU             10.733
NCC              9.929
Elmhurst       9.059


I hope these are correct.  Elmhurst's loss last night drops them below .667 so that took some points away from Augie, IWU, & NCC.

Elmhurst is done for Pool C chances barring some miracle where all the other top teams in the nation start losing to the bottom teams.  Atleast they still got the chance at the A.

IWU is in pretty good shape with their QOWI and with a 12-3 in region record.

If NCC wins out, they will be in good Pool C shape most likely w/ a 15-4 in-region and a QOWI of somewhere b/w 10.000 and 10.500...Losing one of those before the tourney would drop the QOWI closer to 10 or just below.

[79jaybird]

I think the EC/IWU game is a great advocate for getting 2-3 CCIW teams into the big dance.  If a reg. season game between 2 of the top 3 teams in the CCIW goes into OT and is this hotly contested, imagine what would happen in the big tourney.  I know 3 teams is highly unlikely, and you can talk all you want to about QOW Index, etc.  the fact is that Augie, IWU, and EC can hang and beat anybody in D-3. 
This loss hurts Elmhurst and really forces them to win ( almost) all of their remaining games.  I'm so looking forward to this CCIW tournament because I think EC/IWU will meet again. 

[79jaybird]

This is a question mostly because I'm not real knowledgeable about how the Pool C's work, but Elmhurst is in 3rd place.  How can NC  who is below EC in the standings, have a better shot at a Pool C when they are behind a school that's in 3rd.  That, and Elmhurst beat NC in Naperville.  Could somebody explain?

[David Collinge]

Where a team finishes in its conference (aside from who wins the conference, thereby earning the automatic bid) is irrelevant to the NCAA.  Their list of factors leans heavily toward the in-region winning percentage and QoWI score, as well as head-to-head results, which is why the knowledgeable posters focus on these factors. 

[iwufans]

[How wide open was Dauksas? From the sounds of the game, it seemed like the Bluejays "tempted him to shoot" .. those that were at the game can you describe the play?
.

[iwufans]

OK, let's try this one more time.  Jaybird, in answer to your question, which is quoted above...Adam took the the ball from the inbounds pass to where he took his shot as if he was in a timed obstacle drill.  The players were spread out everywhere on the court.  It seemed to me that Elmhurst was defending against a pass up court, maybe thinking there wasn't enough time for a dribble up and shot.  As Adam wove through, it just seemed everyone pretty much just watched him go.  There did not seem to be a lot of movement or attempt to foul.  Take that as what I remember seeing last night.  Others may have seen it differently, but most to the attention was on Adam getting the ball upcourt and getting a shot.  Afterwards we just turned to each other and asked how'd he do that?

[Hoosier Titan]

It also seemed to me that Adam was pretty wide open.  I believe Q was quoted as saying that Elmhurst was trying to foul--if so, they simply didn't catch him.  I didn't think he had a prayer, but it was clear that Adam had the clock and his position on the court clearly in mind.  He knew exactly where he wanted to take that shot, and he got there.

[iwumichigander]

This is a question mostly because I'm not real knowledgeable about how the Pool C's work, but Elmhurst is in 3rd place.  How can NC  who is below EC in the standings, have a better shot at a Pool C when they are behind a school that's in 3rd.  That, and Elmhurst beat NC in Naperville.  Could somebody explain?

Currently:  NC is 10 - 4 In Region versus Elmhurst 11 - 6 In Region  and  the Elmhurst QOWI @ 9.059 lower than NC @ 9.929;  so a better In Region W/L with higher QOWI gives NC the current advantage.  The In Region losses to Hope and UW-Plattville really hurt Elmhurst particulalry with UW-Plattville @ .529 Pct In Region (below .667 hurts in QOWI). 

Beyond all that, since you used NC & ELmhurst let's say either Augustana or IWU wins the CCIW Tournament, thus the AQ.  NC and Elmhurst sit behind either team in terms of In Region or QOWI.  As I understand it, a Region can only offer up one team at a time for consideration.  Go beyond all that, sitting "at the table" on selection day are 7 other region each with their best In Region & QOWI Pool C Candidate competing for a limited number of slots. 

[John Gleich]

Something else to consider...  In order for Elmhurst to be in contention for a Pool C bid, they need to lose in the conference tournament.  This will drop their QOWI, their in-region record, and their head to head... I think the only prayer the Bluejays have at this point in the season is to with the AQ.

[Mr. Ypsi]

This is a question mostly because I'm not real knowledgeable about how the Pool C's work, but Elmhurst is in 3rd place.  How can NC  who is below EC in the standings, have a better shot at a Pool C when they are behind a school that's in 3rd.  That, and Elmhurst beat NC in Naperville.  Could somebody explain?

Currently:  NC is 10 - 4 In Region versus Elmhurst 11 - 6 In Region  and  the Elmhurst QOWI @ 9.059 lower than NC @ 9.929;  so a better In Region W/L with higher QOWI gives NC the current advantage.  The In Region losses to Hope and UW-Plattville really hurt Elmhurst particulalry with UW-Plattville @ .529 Pct In Region (below .667 hurts in QOWI).

Beyond all that, since you used NC & ELmhurst let's say either Augustana or IWU wins the CCIW Tournament, thus the AQ.  NC and Elmhurst sit behind either team in terms of In Region or QOWI.  As I understand it, a conference can only offer up one team at a time for consideration.  Go beyond all that, sitting "at the table" on selection day are 7 other conferences each with their best In Region & QOWI Pool C Candidate competing for a limited number of slots. 

iwum,

I know you knew better and just mistyped, but to avoid confusion: a region can..., not a conference can... (and same with the next sentence).