MBB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[augie_superfan]

New Top 25 out....

#3 Augustana (1)....only 2 points ahead of #4 Hope
#7 IWU
#15 NCC
#26 Elmhurst....12 points behind #25 Calvin

[iwumichigander]

Congratulations to Adam Dauksas of Ill. Wesleyan named the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin Men's Basketball Player of the Week  Monday Feb 6, after his performance during the previous week of competition. Dauksas, a senior from Flossmoor, Ill., averaged 21.5 points and 6.5 assists in two Illinois Wesleyan conference wins last week against teams that had earlier handed the Titans losses. For the week he shot .533 from the field, .538 from beyond the arc, and had a 6.5 assist/turnover ratio

[dansand]

Thanks to those who responded about my QOW questions.
Dennis, was the large crowd there to see the park play or to see Al May ( a class act) get inducted?
Cardinal Pride-- I know the season is not over and the EC/NC is going to be a great game.  as are all the remaining CCIW bball games this year.
The EC/IWU game was a spectatular show so why is there a need for showboating/taunting, whatever??  Fact is, either team could have won that game and the nonsense doesn't belong.
Anyway you slice the cake the top 4 teams (most likely) Augie/EC/IWU/NC  whether it is A vs. NC  or A vs. EC  is going to be a great CCIW Tournament.

79jaybird, I don't know what you're talking about.  I wasn't showboating or taunting you.  I simply made a statement.  You were asking a question as if the season was already over.  The truth is before anyone can say with any certainty which teams will receive pool c bids over another, the season has to be played out fully including conference tournaments.  I'm sorry I didn't address your question.  Here is the answer pure and simple.  The reason NCC is in better shape than EC for pool c consideration is because NCC has a better record in the region and overall.  Case closed.

cardinalpride,

I think Jaybird's comment about taunting was referring to the discussion between rpknupp and titanhammer about the student (and player) behavior in the IWU-Elmhurst game. I think it was a separate thought from his reply to you. I could be wrong, but that's how I took it.

[79jaybird]

Cardinalpride,  yes my comment  "no need for taunting etc."  is a general comment reflecting the fact that I think IWU nor Elmhurst need not taunt, agitate or poke fun at the opposition.  This is not a "shot" at you.. I think you took it the wrong way.
After such a great spectacle at the Shirk Center, my comment(s) were about Dauksas and ( if there were any) Jays mouthing off, don't have a place after the game. 
How can NC be ranked #15 and EC not ranked after EC has allready beat NC?
NC 16-4 5-4
EC 14-7 6-4
both beat IWU
Elmhurst beat NC at their place.
Go figure?

[79jaybird]

Dansand, thanks you interpreted it the right way and it is NOT a shot at Cardinalpride.

[iwumichigander]

How can NC be ranked #15 and EC not ranked after EC has allready beat NC?
NC 16-4 5-4
EC 14-7 6-4
both beat IWU
Elmhurst beat NC at their place.
Go figure?

Ah Ha -79jyabird - I do not to ruffle your feathers or Cardinalpride's; however, you are looking at the incorrect.  It is the In Region not the Overall Record together with the QOWI that matter in the rankings (particularly NCAA's) -- and, those factors influence D3 also.
NC In Region 10 4   QOWI through games of Thursday, Feb., 2: 10.077
EC In Region 11 6   QOWI through games of Thursday, Feb., 2:   9.313

Then, you look at the entire body of work

[cardinalpride]

Cardinalpride,  yes my comment  "no need for taunting etc."  is a general comment reflecting the fact that I think IWU nor Elmhurst need not taunt, agitate or poke fun at the opposition.  This is not a "shot" at you.. I think you took it the wrong way.
After such a great spectacle at the Shirk Center, my comment(s) were about Dauksas and ( if there were any) Jays mouthing off, don't have a place after the game. 
How can NC be ranked #15 and EC not ranked after EC has allready beat NC?
NC 16-4 5-4
EC 14-7 6-4
both beat IWU
Elmhurst beat NC at their place.
Go figure?

79jaybird, I apologize.  I also believe EC should be in the top 25 somewhere

[TitanRailer]

If you are stating that Elmhurst should be ranked because they beat NCC at NCC, then where will we see Penn State this week?

There are no 6 loss teams in the Top 25, let alone a 7 loss team.  One or two good wins does not reward several losses (except in the conference tourney).  And the Top 25 does not reflect region games, it is for fun only, with NO bearing on selections.

I agree that Elmhurst could advance in the NCAA tournament, a good team in a great conference, but not worthy of a Pool C bid.  QOW rewards wins, not losses to good teams.  Although likely a very good SOS, they needed to win more games.  The difference is the 2 regional out-of-conference losses.  Augie, IWU, and NCC won all of their non-CCIW region games.  This is why those three will get bids (as of today). 

[veterancciwfan]

Maybe I'm thinking wrong, but I think IWU would be in better shape for a C bid if Augie and not Elmhurst or NCC wins the conference tourney. But it's probably too early to even start thinking about that. I still think that there is only a 25% chance at best that 3 CCIW teams will be in the D3 tourney, and then only if Elmhurst does not win the conf. tourney, which is a very big if at this point the way the Bluejays are playing (with their 2 freshmen getting better with each game). Whoever wins the conf. tournament is certainly going to earn it. Too bad all 4 teams can't be included in the D3 tourney because each of them could win a national title with some luck.

[albcard]

NCC 88-68 over Wheaton. Sounds like an easy game for North Central.

[bluemom]

Although I would like to look down the road at the NCAA Tourney, there is still a lot to play in the CCIW.  If you will, there may be a lot of "shaking going on!" or could be.

My perspective (based oin an 8-6 record to get into the Conference Tourney):

North Park and Millikin are out.  Could scramble a few things but not that much, just in my opinion.  The overview on the remaining six.

Augustana
                      *   Lock for Tourney
                      *   Lock for Bid C
                      *   Win one more game and they share the championship
                      *   Schedule: @ Wheaton, @ Millikin, IWU @ NCC
                      *   Can Millikin and Wheaton give IWU an opening?  Doubt it!

IWU
                      *   Lock fo Tourney
                      *   Lock for Pool C
                      *   Augustana holds IWU's destiny in conference race
                      *   Schedule: Millikin, @ Wheaton, @ Augie, North Park
                      *   Can move easy through the end of conference season
                               but must beat Augustana at Augie.  If I were to bet,
                               I'd take IWU in that one on principle only.

Elmhurst
                       *   Not a lock on the Tourney or on the NCAA
                       *   Controls their own destiny
                       *   Schedule:  @ Carthage, North Central, North Park, @ Wheaton
                       *   Gotta' be on top of their game against Carthage and North    
                                            Central at the least
                       *   Conference Tourney:  Determines who they get in first round!
                                         but needs two wins out of these fours to be in Rock Island

North Central
                       *    Schedule:  North Park, Carthage, @ Elmhuurst, Augustana
                       *    Conference seeding may come down to the final game
                                                 Augustana at NCC
                       *    Depending on how Augustana's schedule treats it, wesleyan
                                                 will be very interested in that game
                       *    The game before Elmhurst-Augustana may finalize the
                                                 tourney's four

Fixing Scrambled Eggs?

                        Carthage is playing better and faces Elmhurst, @ NCC,
                        @ North Park, MIllikin, @ Wheaton.  They can make themselves
                        a player in beating Elmhurst and then stealing one from NCC's
                        home court.  (Wouldn't think that they would be a player had
                        they not played Augie to 87-80.)  If they do not become
                        contenders they can shake up the final four positioning.

                        I only wish that Wheaton had it together (no offense in implying
                         they haven't) but they could create real problems if they did have it
                         together having Augustana,
                         IWU, and Elmhurst remaining.  What a chance they would have to be
                         a real factor in the conference race.

                        Wouldn't it be interesting if IWU won out, and Augustana lost to Wheaton and NCC!  It would be the whipped creme on top of the sundae that we have been given by this great season!

People, I am taking one step at a time, and I have North Park and MIllikin out of the conference tournament, and Augustana and Wesleyan in.  Two Positions remaining:  Elmhurst, NCC, Carthage, and Wheaton...with only three of the four showing signs of credibility to be in Rock Island.

These next two weeks are going to be hair-raising enough without considering the NCAA......  and example was Wesleyan and Elmhurst game at the Shirk two weeks before the conference's end!  Please help me by not focusing beyond what we don;t know of yet!  I recuperate so slowly.!

Thanks guys! and ladies!


I am sorry, I can't see beyond the tournament right now, because my Blue Jays aren't officially in the tourney yet!

[bluemom]

BTW, I didn't mention one other consideration that I believe to be somewhat true percentage-wise as we come to the positioning of the four in the conference tournament:  The great play in the CCIW this year, I find it very difficult for any one team in the upper division for that team to beat another team three times in one year.  Depending on what Augie does with NCC, and IWU, given the fact that they have swept Elmhurst in the regular season, an Elmhurst match-up will be quite interesting.  Having IWU and Elmhurst winning on their home floor, and Elmhurst stealing one from NCC on their home court and the second NCC-Elmhurst game to be.  (carthage yet to be determine;  Wheaton on the ropes.)

Friends, I cannot imagine the Conference Tournament going according to rank.

Just my opinion.

[Titan Q]

An entertaining article from today's Pantagraph re: team travel in Dennie Bridges' playing/coaching days...

http://www.pantagraph.com/articles/2006/02/07/sports/doc43e8419419be5671912116.txt

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

Good pick-up Bluemom, I think Carthage is still very much alive in this thing.  They have Elmhurst and then @NCC before their final stretch of @ NPU, Millikin and @ Wheaton.  That is a far more favorable schedule than North Central has (NPU, Carthage, @Elmhurst and Augie).  Obviously, if they beat Carthage they're fine, but if they drop that game, its a tough road those last two games.  The next four days are pretty crucial and the way Carthage has been playing, it could be very interesting.

[Jim Matson]

Dennis, my post on the Wheaton game was short.  Nothing much to say about a Wheaton team that almost beat Augie and Wesleyan, but then gets creamed by Elmhurst and North Central - you just don't know which Wheaton team will show up.

The experience that the Thunder squad is picking up this year will help them be much more competitive next year.  And it has also been a good test for Harris's coaching skills - I think he has done just fine.

I don't have a clue what's happening with Vikings of North Park.  But like Greg said, maybe the Park is becoming a soccer school.  Awesome!