MBB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[augiefan]

Any news on the Augie scrimmage today?

Augie 65 -- Edgewood 47

Any stats from the Augie scrimmage. Edgewood had a pretty good team last year. Lots of unknowns for Augie this year.

[iwumichigander]

I'm pretty sure Ron Rose has the pieces to have a really good season -- just a matter of putting them together.  I sense that process will take well into the non-conference season.

I doubt a 'starting lineup' will emerge much before conference.  Rose has a nice problem - loads of talent that can form into multiple combinations to compete against different opponent lineups.  The key, I think, will be to find the right four guys to build around Victor Davis.  It is not as easy as one would think.

Perhaps Rose will use the non-conference portion of the schedule to "experiment" with different lineups in order to find the best, most cohesive lineup.
North Central did this 2 years ago. The result was a 4-7 record going into the conference portion of the season for which NCC received a heavy dose of criticism from several angles. However, by using the non-conference games as a testing ground, the Cardinals were able to "surprise" many people and come up with lineup that compiled an 11-3 conference mark and became conference co-champions.

As far as finding the "right 4 guys" to go with Davis, I believe the problem is actually already half solved as it would be quite a shock if Ziemnik didn't open at the 3, and Reed at the 5. I think the key is for the Weenies to find their best PG and 2G. And, it sounds like these choices may end up being determined by injury status as much as anything else.

Good and fair points AndOne. 

[Titan Q]

Seven 2012-13 CCIW rosters posted, and most of these have been online for a few weeks now.  I wonder what the delay is at league favorite North Central?  (Their women's roster is posted.)


Augustana - http://www.augustana.edu/x47781.xml

Carthage - http://athletics.carthage.edu/roster.aspx?path=mbball

Elmhurst - http://www.elmhurstbluejays.com/roster.aspx?path=mbball

Illinois Wesleyan - http://www.iwusports.com/roster.aspx?path=mbball&roster=92&

Millikin - http://athletics.millikin.edu/roster.aspx?path=mbball&

North Central ? - http://northcentralcardinals.com/index.aspx?tab=basketball&path=mbball

North Park - http://athletics.northpark.edu/roster.aspx?path=mbball

Wheaton - http://athletics.wheaton.edu/roster.aspx?path=mbball&

[Gregory Sager]

Any news on the Augie scrimmage today?

Augie 65 -- Edgewood 47

Any stats from the Augie scrimmage. Edgewood had a pretty good team last year. Lots of unknowns for Augie this year.

Edgewood returns only one starter from last season's team.

Looks like major improvement coming in Decatur . . . with all the newbies, all the freshies.  I wish Coach Nadelhoffer all the best.  Long way to come back, but sounds like he has some fresh horses ready to bring new respectability to the Big Blue program. 

IWU70

But do they have a Jesse (shudder! ) Price?

Then I would worry, big time!

But it would be great for the conference to see them become respectable again.

Any predictions of "major improvement" for Millikin based upon the size of the roster are misplaced. Attrition is a very serious problem with teams at the bottom of the standings ... and in a situation like Millikin's, in which the downturn is so severe that it results in a league-record 34 straight league losses as well as 59 losses in the last 62 games overall, attrition gets even worse. Kids usually want to play for a winner, but almost nobody's willing to endure playing for a team that constantly loses, usually by big scores. That's why MU's been down to nine or ten players by the end of the past two seasons, and it's why you're never sure who's still playing for the Big Blue at any given moment in January and February, aside from the ever-faithful Rodney Clark.

Millikin is so young this year that the Big Blue will no doubt have to endure the same sort of troubles on the court. This is a very unforgiving league. And, because the non-conference portion of the slate comes at the beginning of the season rather than at the end, the inferior teams that MU normally has a better chance of beating will get to face the frosh-heavy Big Blue when they are at their greenest.

I'm rooting for Millikin to improve, too, in no small part because I like Matt. (How irritating is it that my alma mater's archrival turns out generally likeable alumni? ) But let's not prematurely declare his problems solved. I'm waiting for the smoke to clear at the end of the season to see how many of his now-battle-tested freshmen are: a) still wearing the Big Blue uniform; and b) willing to come back to play for Millikin again in 2013-14.

Seven 2012-13 CCIW rosters posted, and most of these have been online for a few weeks now.  I wonder what the delay is at league favorite North Central?  (Their women's roster is posted.)


Augustana - http://www.augustana.edu/x47781.xml

Carthage - http://athletics.carthage.edu/roster.aspx?path=mbball

Elmhurst - http://www.elmhurstbluejays.com/roster.aspx?path=mbball

Illinois Wesleyan - http://www.iwusports.com/roster.aspx?path=mbball&roster=92&

Millikin - http://athletics.millikin.edu/roster.aspx?path=mbball&

North Central ? - http://northcentralcardinals.com/index.aspx?tab=basketball&path=mbball

North Park - http://athletics.northpark.edu/roster.aspx?path=mbball

Wheaton - http://athletics.wheaton.edu/roster.aspx?path=mbball&

That #33 listed next to Trent Kucera's name had better be a typo. (He wore #4 last season.) The school retired Michael Harper's #33 with great fanfare at a Trailblazers @ Bulls game in 1981, Harps' first season with Portland. Poor Trent shouldn't be needlessly saddled with the ire of crotchety old NPU alumni like me (to say nothing of King Crotchety himself).

[Dennis_Prikkel]

Any news on the Augie scrimmage today?

Augie 65 -- Edgewood 47

Any stats from the Augie scrimmage. Edgewood had a pretty good team last year. Lots of unknowns for Augie this year.

Edgewood returns only one starter from last season's team.

Looks like major improvement coming in Decatur . . . with all the newbies, all the freshies.  I wish Coach Nadelhoffer all the best.  Long way to come back, but sounds like he has some fresh horses ready to bring new respectability to the Big Blue program. 

IWU70

But do they have a Jesse (shudder! ) Price?

Then I would worry, big time!

But it would be great for the conference to see them become respectable again.

Any predictions of "major improvement" for Millikin based upon the size of the roster are misplaced. Attrition is a very serious problem with teams at the bottom of the standings ... and in a situation like Millikin's, in which the downturn is so severe that it results in a league-record 34 straight league losses as well as 59 losses in the last 62 games overall, attrition gets even worse. Kids usually want to play for a winner, but almost nobody's willing to endure playing for a team that constantly loses, usually by big scores. That's why MU's been down to nine or ten players by the end of the past two seasons, and it's why you're never sure who's still playing for the Big Blue at any given moment in January and February, aside from the ever-faithful Rodney Clark.

Millikin is so young this year that the Big Blue will no doubt have to endure the same sort of troubles on the court. This is a very unforgiving league. And, because the non-conference portion of the slate comes at the beginning of the season rather than at the end, the inferior teams that MU normally has a better chance of beating will get to face the frosh-heavy Big Blue when they are at their greenest.

I'm rooting for Millikin to improve, too, in no small part because I like Matt. (How irritating is it that my alma mater's archrival turns out generally likeable alumni? ) But let's not prematurely declare his problems solved. I'm waiting for the smoke to clear at the end of the season to see how many of his now-battle-tested freshmen are: a) still wearing the Big Blue uniform; and b) willing to come back to play for Millikin again in 2013-14.

Seven 2012-13 CCIW rosters posted, and most of these have been online for a few weeks now.  I wonder what the delay is at league favorite North Central?  (Their women's roster is posted.)


Augustana - http://www.augustana.edu/x47781.xml

Carthage - http://athletics.carthage.edu/roster.aspx?path=mbball

Elmhurst - http://www.elmhurstbluejays.com/roster.aspx?path=mbball

Illinois Wesleyan - http://www.iwusports.com/roster.aspx?path=mbball&roster=92&

Millikin - http://athletics.millikin.edu/roster.aspx?path=mbball&

North Central ? - http://northcentralcardinals.com/index.aspx?tab=basketball&path=mbball

North Park - http://athletics.northpark.edu/roster.aspx?path=mbball

Wheaton - http://athletics.wheaton.edu/roster.aspx?path=mbball&

That #33 listed next to Trent Kucera's name had better be a typo. (He wore #4 last season.) The school retired Michael Harper's #33 with great fanfare at a Trailblazers @ Bulls game in 1981, Harps' first season with Portland. Poor Trent shouldn't be needlessly saddled with the ire of crotchety old NPU alumni like me (to say nothing of King Crotchety himself).

Eat my shorts - jerk - you've been picking on my ass for years.  If you want to call yourself an asshole its fine with me.

[Titan Q]

More injury problems for the Titans per a Tweet from the Pantagraph's Randy Reinhardt...

Randy Reinhardt ‏@Pg_Reinhardt
Illinois Wesleyan guard Pat Sodemann sidelined with groin injury. Titans don't yet know how long Sodemann will be out.


Sodemann was penciled in at the starting SG spot, replacing injured Brady Zimmer.  I'm not quite sure now where Ron Rose goes.  The good news is that there is still enough depth on the IWU roster to produce good options.

[petemcb]

Wow!  We haven't even had the opening tipoff to the 2012-2013 season and the TQ (Testiness Quotient) appears to be in mid season form.

[petemcb]

By the way, any more scrimmages in the works for any of the squads prior to the start of the season?  I need a fix.

[Gregory Sager]

By the way, any more scrimmages in the works for any of the squads prior to the start of the season?  I need a fix.

NPU's busing up to the Forest City to scrimmage Rockford tomorrow night.

[Gregory Sager]

Wow!  We haven't even had the opening tipoff to the 2012-2013 season and the TQ (Testiness Quotient) appears to be in mid season form.

Wow is right! Here I was, busily monitoring the seismograph on Mount Sager , when all of a sudden a volcano out in the northwest suburbs goes all Krakatoa on us.

It seemed pretty logical to me that DP, as the former SID of North Park and thus a key figure in helping to orchestrate the retirement ceremony of Michael Harper's #33 back in 1981, would take note of Trent Kucera's forbidden uniform number and comment upon it. The "crotchety" thing ... well, is there an adjective that fits him better? I've always been under the impression that he was proud of it.

Yikes!

[Hardwood]

Wow!  We haven't even had the opening tipoff to the 2012-2013 season and the TQ (Testiness Quotient) appears to be in mid season form.

Wow is right! Here I was, busily monitoring the seismograph on Mount Sager , when all of a sudden a volcano out in the northwest suburbs goes all Krakatoa on us.

It seemed pretty logical to me that DP, as the former SID of North Park and thus a key figure in helping to orchestrate the retirement ceremony of Michael Harper's #33 back in 1981, would take note of Trent Kucera's forbidden uniform number and comment upon it. The "crotchety" thing ... well, is there an adjective that fits him better? I've always been under the impression that he was proud of it.

Yikes!

I think he's upset because Augie won last week.

[Mr. Ypsi]

Wow!  We haven't even had the opening tipoff to the 2012-2013 season and the TQ (Testiness Quotient) appears to be in mid season form.

Careful now, Pete - Bob (Titan Q) owns the copyright on TQ.

Don't get him testy!

[USee]

...or crotchety.

[kiko]

The "crotchety" thing ... well, is there an adjective that fits him better?

Maybe he prefers curmudgeonly?

[kiko]

Pass out to Michael, extended free throw line left. He rises up and fires............Kaboom! Down the bottom of the net.

"Kaboom" is the current guy, Neil Funk.

Jim Durham was "Rimming...good."

Spot on, though, that it was "Michael" rather than "Jordan".