MBB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[kiko]

Also -- I think you can easily make a case for North Central to be ranked as low as #17.(*)

It's not the injury angle that Dave McHugh suggested, but rather, that the Avians have simply not been a very good road team this year.  Going back to December, we have:

- 61-55 struggle to a victory at Benedictine, which is now 4-17 on the year
- 71-51 victory over Elmhurst
- 64-53 loss at Carthage
- 69-61 victory at North Park in a game where the Cards struggled throughout
- 69-61 loss at IWU
- 71-69 OT loss at Wheaton

(I am excluding the neutral site wins over Ramapo and UW-Lacrosse as these were not home games for the opposition, either.)

Yes, some of the opponents are in the D3 elite, but there is really only one dominant performance in that span, and the absence of a stronger track record away from Gregory Arena can IMO be strong justification for a lower ranking.  The Cards have just two more regular season games away from the Hanger, but will need to rise to the occasion on the road at some point if they have designs on an extended season.

(*) - As I said before, I think somewhere around #7-#12 feels right.  I wouldn't rank them as low as 17th, but can see how someone would.

[cardinalpride]

... I think you might be combining the two games. I think what you're describing about Sanborn checking out on offense was more in the UWL game, for what it's worth.

No, because I remember talking to McBreen after the NCC game and we talked about the fact that Sanborn knows he probably won't be subbed for even if he isn't trying. Then the next game against La Crosse he is doing the same thing and McBreen subs him out...

Dave, I'm not understanding your point here.  Sanborn took 20 shots against NCC and made 6 of them scoring 14pts. Sanborn's 20 fga doesn't fit the bill of a player freezing himself out of a game offensively! The next night, according to the boxscore, they played Hiram not lacrosse. He only attempted 8 fgs but made 6 of them scoring 19pts.  Seems like to me his 8 fga was more attributed to treadwell going 13-16 and scoring 37pts rather than sanborn taking plays off. Ramapo won the Hiram game by the way even with Will "the thrill" standing in the corner.

[cardinalpride]

Also -- I think you can easily make a case for North Central to be ranked as low as #17.(*)

It's not the injury angle that Dave McHugh suggested, but rather, that the Avians have simply not been a very good road team this year.  Going back to December, we have:

- 61-55 struggle to a victory at Benedictine, which is now 4-17 on the year
- 71-51 victory over Elmhurst
- 64-53 loss at Carthage
- 69-61 victory at North Park in a game where the Cards struggled throughout
- 69-61 loss at IWU
- 71-69 OT loss at Wheaton

(I am excluding the neutral site wins over Ramapo and UW-Lacrosse as these were not home games for the opposition, either.)

Yes, some of the opponents are in the D3 elite, but there is really only one dominant performance in that span, and the absence of a stronger track record away from Gregory Arena can IMO be strong justification for a lower ranking.  The Cards have just two more regular season games away from the Hanger, but will need to rise to the occasion on the road at some point if they have designs on an extended season.

(*) - As I said before, I think somewhere around #7-#12 feels right.  I wouldn't rank them as low as 17th, but can see how someone would.

Kiko,
If we analyzed every top 25 team's schedule, a case could be made of their ranking being to high or low.

[iwu70]

I think it is fair to say that the Titans success so far this season is significantly due to the development, maturity, productivity and assists / assist-TO ration of Dylan Overstreet.  He's been much better than most of us even hoped for when various doubts were expressed about him in the pre-season and the pre-CCIW portion of regular games.  Congrats to Dylan on putting together a stellar season for the Titans and making such a huge contribution to the overall success of the team and winning record, to date.

IWU70 

[Titan Q]

Certainly not through with this season yet (not yet lighting a victory cigar, but the regular-season title and tourney hosting job seems set with the win tonight - they're not gonna lose THAT many games

I'm not there in terms of the hosting privileges yet, Chuck...

* I believe either Wheaton or North Central is going to finish 11-3.  Wheaton will be a favorite in 4 of their remaining 5 games (and is just maybe a 3-4 point underdog @ IWU).  North Central will be a favorite in all 5 remaining games...and I think will win all 5 (I think the Cards will win @ Augie).

* IWU has three tough, very losable games left - vs Wheaton, @ Carthage, @ North Central.

* If the Titans lose to Wheaton Saturday, and if you assume they'll lose @ NCC on the final night of the season, then there is no margin of error heading to Kenosha in terms of winning the league outright (I have not thought through 11-3 tie-breakers yet)

* The Titans have lost their leading scorer in CCIW play - things looked really ugly without Brady Zimmer for 30 minutes last night.  Losing Zimmer hurts the Titans in a big, big way.


Don't get me wrong, I think the Titans are in great shape for 12-2...but I won't feel as sure as you do unless the Titans take care of business vs Wheaton Saturday.

but as Reed is the ONLY senior in the rotation, will the Titans be even better next year?  Speculation on Reed's replacement: Anderson? Dortch? Musselman?  Mayberry? other?  And will Zimmer continue as the best 6th man in the conference (country?), or replace somebody?

Can we at least wait until the off-season?

Mayberry? 

Mayberger

[Titan Q]

From the Tribune - "Catching up with Andrew Ziemnik."

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/highschool/ct-spt-0131-prep-college-catchup-20130131,0,276984.story


Six-foot-4 and stocky with hair down to the middle of his back, Andrew Ziemnik looked more like a bouncer or a roadie than a basketball player while leading Oswego to the Class 3A state final as an Oswego junior in 2009.

Four years later he's still flunking every eye test and exceeding every expectation at Illinois Wesleyan.

[TitanPride]

Important game for setting the CCIW tournament field looming at Carver this Saturday when Carthage comes to town.  Carthage needs to avenge its earlier home loss to Augie to have a chance to make the tournament.  Augie needs the game or it could be looking at a 4 game losing streak with upcoming games at Wheaton and vs. NCC.

[kiko]

Also -- I think you can easily make a case for North Central to be ranked as low as #17.(*)

It's not the injury angle that Dave McHugh suggested, but rather, that the Avians have simply not been a very good road team this year.  Going back to December, we have:

- 61-55 struggle to a victory at Benedictine, which is now 4-17 on the year
- 71-51 victory over Elmhurst
- 64-53 loss at Carthage
- 69-61 victory at North Park in a game where the Cards struggled throughout
- 69-61 loss at IWU
- 71-69 OT loss at Wheaton

(I am excluding the neutral site wins over Ramapo and UW-Lacrosse as these were not home games for the opposition, either.)

Yes, some of the opponents are in the D3 elite, but there is really only one dominant performance in that span, and the absence of a stronger track record away from Gregory Arena can IMO be strong justification for a lower ranking.  The Cards have just two more regular season games away from the Hanger, but will need to rise to the occasion on the road at some point if they have designs on an extended season.

(*) - As I said before, I think somewhere around #7-#12 feels right.  I wouldn't rank them as low as 17th, but can see how someone would.

Kiko,
If we analyzed every top 25 team's schedule, a case could be made of their ranking being to high or low.

Of course we can, with the exception of Mount Union football.  That's why I said I feel they are lower-top-tenish but can see a case for the lower ranking.  But you should direct this comment to Andone, since he took strong exception to a voter ranking the Cardinals as low as #17.  As the above demonstrates, there's a pretty compelling case for it depending on which variables you value more strongly.

[iwumichigander]

Certainly not through with this season yet (not yet lighting a victory cigar, but the regular-season title and tourney hosting job seems set with the win tonight - they're not gonna lose THAT many games - so hopefully MANY weeks still to go!), but as Reed is the ONLY senior in the rotation, will the Titans be even better next year?  Speculation on Reed's replacement: Anderson? Dortch? Musselman?  Mayberry? other?  And will Zimmer continue as the best 6th man in the conference (country?), or replace somebody?

Win over Augie certainly a good step.  By this time next week, the picture maybe a little clearer.  For right now, the focus has to be on the next game one at a time.

[TitansIWU]

I will be curious to see how the rest of the season goes.

This Titan team doesn't seem like a dominant force, but their record speaks for itself. Nice team play.

I look at the next 5 games and see them as facing a challenge to win 3 of them. I am hopeful they win all 5, or maybe 4.

Anyway, I enjoy checking everyone's incredibly knowledgeable comments and just felt like putting my two cents in.

Go Titans!

I haven't seen any good GG Jacket toss conversations. There have to be some great ones this year?

[iwumichigander]

Augie - A young team, yes.  A talented team with a good upside, again yes.  A dangerous team, again yes.  When the light bulb goes off inside a couple of young players heads this Augie team just as it is could be a handful.  You might not like Coach G but with all the adversity in the Augie program he has done a pretty good job with mostly underclassmen. 

[iwumichigander]

I will be curious to see how the rest of the season goes.

This Titan team doesn't seem like a dominant force, but their record speaks for itself. Nice team play.

I look at the next 5 games and see them as facing a challenge to win 3 of them. I am hopeful they win all 5, or maybe 4.

Anyway, I enjoy checking everyone's incredibly knowledgeable comments and just felt like putting my two cents in.

Go Titans!

I haven't seen any good GG Jacket toss conversations. There have to be some great ones this year?

This is one of the better IWU groups I've seen play as one.  The parts are interchangable with no significant difference in playing as a team regardless of who is on the floor.  Unselfish almost to a fault, this team has 2 or 3 players who have the ability to just take over a ball game.  Dominate right now - not exactly.  The potential to be dominate - yes, when they learn to play hard on both ends for 40 minutes. 

[Titan Q]

The On Demand replay of the IWU @ Augie game...

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

IWU comes out of that timeout at 9:31, down 59-43, at the 1:43 mark on the player.

* It was a 21-4 IWU run over 6:25 to take the first lead, 64-63, at the 3:06 mark (on the Ziemnik 3)

* IWU points during the final 9:31
  - Dylan Overstreet: 10
  - Ziemnik: 9
  - Dortch: 5
  - Sodemann: 2
  - Reed: 2

Augie's inexperience clearly showed, but I think it's worth noting that Dylan Overstreet was a JV player last year, playing his first ever varsity game at Augustana.  Among many key IWU players down the stretch, an inexperienced one really made a bunch of plays.  Overstreet's development as not just a "decent" or "serviceable" PG, but as a really good PG, is probably the biggest single reason the Titans are 9-0 in the league.  (There are of course many other reasons as well.)

[iwumichigander]

IWU comes out of that timeout at 9:31 mark, down 59-43, at the 1:43 mark on the player.

* It was a 21-4 IWU run over 6:25 to take the first lead, 64-63, at the 3:06 mark (on the Ziemnik 3)

Augie's inexperience clearly showed, but I think it's worth noting that Dyan Overstreet was a JV player last year, playing his first ever varsity game at Augustana.  Among many key IWU players down the stretch, an inexperienced one really made a bunch of plays.

Kunz picked up foul #3 @ 10:54 and foul #4 @ 9:59 after which he came out until 7:05. Dortch scored all of his 5 points during that 2:54 minutes off two jumpers and a FT narrowing Augie lead to 6. And, I thought Augie foul trouble helped clear the way for Overstreet to drive the basket.

[Mr. Ypsi]

Apologies to Mike Mayberger for the brain fart on your name.   I assure you I DO know your name!