MBB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[TitansIWU]

I don't think IWU expected to win either.

If I had to pick a team I think had any real reason to expect to win the conference, I have to say it would be North Central led by Raridon.

[AndOne]

IWU probably didn't exceed their own expectations this year,

You think IWU expected to go better than 13-1?

Not unless their minds left their bodies. And, no more than I think they expected to lose the last game of the season at North Central   

BUT, I do think they likely expected to win the conference. Don't you?

IWU came into this season having to replace its entire perimeter rotation (Gonzalez, Zimmer, Rudnicki, Koschnitzky).  North Central returned most it's nucleus from a team that had won back-to-back CCIW titles.

Do I think IWU "expected to win the conference?  Not really.  Contend...sure.  Hope to win the conference...sure.  But expected to win?  No.

I bet you if you asked the Wesleyan players if they expected to win conference this year you would get a bunch, if not all, positive responses.
I think it likely you'd even get positive response from Coach Rose.

[AndOne]

I don't think IWU expected to win either.

If I had to pick a team I think had any real reason to expect to win the conference, I have to say it would be North Central led by Raridon.

You bet NCC expected to win the conference.
Why would you think the Wesleyan players/coach would have any lesser expectations?

[Titan Q]

I bet you if you asked the Wesleyan players if they expected to win conference this year you would get a bunch, if not all, positive responses.
I think it likely you'd even get positive response from Coach Rose.

Mark, I spent a lot of time with Ron Rose in writing this...

http://www.iwuhoops.com/preview12-13.html


I can promise you with 100% certainty that he did not "expect" to win the CCIW this year before the season started.  Again, "hope to contend" - yes, absolutely.  "Expect to win" - no.

[TitansIWU]

I don't think IWU expected to win either.

If I had to pick a team I think had any real reason to expect to win the conference, I have to say it would be North Central led by Raridon.

You bet NCC expected to win the conference.
Why would you think the Wesleyan players/coach would have any lesser expectations?

I think when you come into the season with less than experienced players in key roles, you hope to, try really hard to, but I think in the back of your head, there is an element of realism that suggests you probably won't win the conference. Now qualifying for the tournament is a different story, they may have expected that, but I have no real insight into the mind of the team.

[AndOne]

Well, we certainly took a big step from my original thought about preferring the COY be determined by a vote of the conference coaches to a debate about the feelings of the IWU coach and players as far as their expectation as to whether or not they felt they would win the conference. I just can't imagine if you had asked guys like Andrew Ziemnik, Victor Davis, or Kevin Reed at the beginning of the season whether or not they expected to finish 1st in the conference, that any of them would have said "no." I think Coach Rose prob expected the same, but for some reason felt it prudent not to express that feeling publicly.
Seems this topic has had enough play.

[AndOne]

Does anyone know what the top 3-4 teams were in the Midwest Region in the final NCAA regional rankings?

[SevenTen]

Does anyone know what the top 3-4 teams were in the Midwest Region in the final NCAA regional rankings?

1) NCC  2) WashU 3) IWU ... not sure about 4.  This is not guaranteed but was alluded to by Dave on Hoopsville that he had seen or heard about the final rankings and NCC had jumped up past WashU to #1.

[SevenTen]

Does anyone know what the top 3-4 teams were in the Midwest Region in the final NCAA regional rankings?

1) NCC  2) WashU 3) IWU ... not sure about 4.  This is not guaranteed but was alluded to by Dave on Hoopsville that he had seen or heard about the final rankings and NCC had jumped up past WashU to #1.

Found the clip.  Check out 3:59:00 (that's not minute 3... it's hour 3:59).  They start talking about it and finish up talking about it around 4:01:30.

http://www.d3hoops.com/hoopsville/archives/2012-13/feb25

[AndOne]

Thanks Seven. I wasn't sure. I thought Dave prob had a handle on it if anyone did. I posted the question in the Multi Regional/Bracket Of Death room earlier today, but thought this board was probably more well read with the probably someone here would more readily have the answer. 

[Mr. Ypsi]

#4 and #5 would surely be Wheaton and Rose-Hulman, but unsure which would be which.

Just checked - in the last published rankings, Wheaton was #3, Rose was #6.  RHIT would surely have jumped Transy, but with the massive difference in SoS, I'd guess Wheaton #4, Rose-Hulman #5.

[iwu70]

Hoping the Titans, WC and NCC all ready to play on Saturday.  Let's go 3-0 on the opening weekend!  Given the two recent losses and the poor play vs. AC in the CCIW tournament, sure hope the Titans have a win-or-die attitude, fully ready for Transy.  Transy looks like a very dangerous team to me, with plenty of scoring, balanced scoring and senior leadership.  They've been around and been winning for a good time, so they will be tough, even @The Shirk, IMHO.  First game in the tourney important, to set a good competitive tone, high-quality of play.  Hope Zimmer is healthy and ready to go.  Any word?  I'm not reading the Pgraph, so perhaps someone can fill us in on the latest health update, injury report for both IWU and Transy. 

Good luck to NCC and WC too -- hope they have big wins, good starts to the tourney.

I think if the Titans win on Saturday, looks like another trip to Wash U -- a common occasion in Dances of recent years.  I can remember quite a few superb tournament games vs. Wash U over the years.  Perhaps another is coming up . . .   

Gotta take care of business first.

GO TITANS -- let's put on a good show at The Shirk, for the home loyalists, students and long-time fans.  Showtime  . . .

IWU70

[Titan Q]

Transylvania @ Illinois Wesleyan, 7:00pm...

IWU (21-5, 13-1 CCIW)
G - Dylan Overstreet, 6-3/180 So   (8.9 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 4.3 apg, 1.7 A/TO)
G - Pat Sodemann, 6-3/190 So   (11.3 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 1.5 apg)
F - Andrew Ziemnik, 6-4/230 Jr   (11.4 ppg, 6.1 rpg)
F - Victor Davis, 6-5/235 Jr   (8.0 ppg, 4.8 rpg)
F - Kevin Reed, 6-6/230 Sr   (9.4 ppg, 7.0 rpg)

G - Brady Zimmer, 6-4/180 Jr   (10.9 ppg, 2.2 rpg, 1.1 apg)
F - Mike Mayberger, 6-6/220 Jr   (6.4 ppg, 2.7 rpg)
F - Eric Dortch, 6-3/210 Jr   (3.6 ppg, 3.3 rpg)
C - Parker Musselman, 6-8/250 So   (3.4 ppg, 1.8 rpg)
C - Nick Anderson, 6-9/220 Jr   (3.3 ppg, 2.5 rpg)

Transylvania (20-7, 14-4 HCAC)
G - Tate Cox, 6-1/185 Jr   (7.7 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 2.0 apg), 2.0 A/TO
G - Barrett Meyer, 6-2/205 Sr   (14.5 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 1.2 apg)
F - Brandon Rash, 6-3/220 Sr    (14.5 ppg, 5.7 rpg)
F - Ethan Spurlin, 6-4/215 Sr    (16.5 ppg, 7.6 rpg)
F - Parker Stansberry, 6-6/195 Fr    (9.2 ppg, 3.5 rpg)

G/F - Taylor Botkin, 6-1/205 Sr    (3.3 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 1.5 apg)
G - Trey Buettel, 6-1/200 Sr    (2.6 ppg)
G - Nick Fudge, 5-9/170 Sr    (1.5 ppg, 1.0 apg)


Pantagraph: http://www.pantagraph.com/sports/college/illinois-wesleyan/icy-wesleyan-hoping-to-heat-up-vs-transylvania/article_611e967a-82e5-11e2-abbb-0019bb2963f4.html

IWU Game Notes: http://www.iwusports.com/custompages/MBB/MBB2013/13%20Men%20First%20Round%20NCAA%20Notes.pdf

Video/live stats: http://client.stretchinternet.com/client/iwu.portal#

WJBC Radio: http://client.stretchinternet.com/client/wjbc.portal#

Massey ratings: IWU #7, Transylvania #39
http://www.masseyratings.com/rate.php?lg=cb&yr=2013&sub=11620

[Titan Q]

IWU enters the game tonight with an NCAA tournament record of 47-21 (.691) since joining Division III in 1983-84.

http://www.iwusports.com/sports/2010/7/26/MBB_0726101921.aspx?id=141

In those 29 completed seasons, the Titans have been to 15 Sweet 16s, 10 Elite 8s, and 5 Final Fours.


Ron Rose has coached in the tournament 3 times (2010, 2011, 2012), with a record of 8-3.  He has twice knocked off D3hoops.com #1 on the road - Wash U in 2010 and Hope in 2012.  This will be the first NCAA tournament game he has coached at home.


IWU has been good this time of the year.  Hopefully that success continues this evening.

[USee]

Congrats to IWU coach Ron Rose on his COY award for piloting his Weenies to the regular season conference championship. I do wish however, that the award was chosen by a vote of the conference head coaches rather than just automatically being given to the coach of the team that finishes 1st. I believe a coaches vote is how the award is chosen in football.

Personally, I think the coach of the 1st place team certainly merits the award in many years. Especially if he is the coach of the team that was picked first, and fended off a strong challenge or challenges from another team/teams. However, I think that most often the best choice for POY is the coach whose team exceeded expectations by the widest margin. Of course, a tie is possible under this scenario. IWU probably didn't exceed their own expectations this year, but they exceeded probably many of the conference members expectations, as they were picked to finish 2nd, but captured the championship instead. In that Coach Rose certainly exceeded expectations in a very successful season.

However, to me, the COY is either Millikin coach Nadelhoffer or Wheaton coach Schauer. Perhaps a tie. Both guided their teams to places 2 slots above where they were picked to finish. If I have to pick just one, I guess in light of their recent record plus the fact he started 5 freshmen, I'd give it to Coach Nadelhoffer.     

Bottom line, I'd just like to see the award be the result of a vote rather than just routinely being given to the 1st place coach. 

I totally agree the COY decision should be voted on by the coaches. I think it's a cop out to award it to the conference champion. It is true that in football they vote on it. Now, the reality is most of the time the award goes to the conference champion, but not always.

In the case of this years COY for the CCIW. If it HAD come to a vote, I am pretty sure Ron Rose wins it going away for the reasons Q has already listed. Nadelhoffer is a distant second and Schauer third on my ballot. The fact is we have some pretty good coaches in the CCIW with these three along with Raridon, Bosko, Scherer, Slyder and Blazer thrower. That's one of the main reasons we all get to see such good basketball. I don't think there are many conferences with the top down coaching talent the CCIW has. It's a big reason we see such good competition every night and different teams are at the top each year.