MBB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[Brick]

Last I heard Harrigan is a no go

[iwumichigander]

Hoops fan, I agree.  If you get in, you get in.  ... Augie has only lossed 2 games in the conference this year.  They won at the Shirk.  Even if they've dropped a couple games lately that they shouldn't have, they've still had a great season.  Were their miscues towards the end of the season offset by some miscues from other teams?  Sure, but who cares if that's backing in or not.  Nobody expected them to be in this position in the first place.  Congratulations on a great season and don't worry about how you got in.  Once the tourney starts, it's a whole new season anyways.

devildog29 - I could not agree more.  Augie thus far has found a way to win. Whether Augie backed in, drove in or jumped in -- they in.  I disagree however with your statement about nobdoy expected Augie to be in this postiion.  In the CCIW pre-season coached poll one coached voted for Augie.  And, since a coach can't cast a vote for his own team -- that would then most likely be my guess -- IWU's Scott Trost.

You are also right on the money about 'a whole new season starts' -- at least for four teams!  Going into the CCIW Tournament every team is 0 - 0.  Throw out the non-conference record, the CCIW record and the overall record as they will only matter to the team that does win the CCIW Tournament and the AQ.

[iwumichigander]

Last I heard Harrigan is a no go

Oopsie  - I really hate to read this.  You never want an injury to keep a player out.   Harrigan as I understand it from this chat board has a deep thigh bruise.  A really tough injury to heal in a short time.

I understand also that Chris Jones @ IWU is a maybe. 

[iwumichigander]

I'd bet a lot of money that Rick Harrigan plays tomorrow.

I would too -- if he's cleared medically!! A really tough decision for both Harrigan and Coach G though.  Do you risk further injury to Harrigan for what -- to protect against a shared CCIW title and not have Rick available for the CCIW Tournament, or worse, an NCAA Tournament run?  I not so sure Augie should run that risk.

[Titan Q]

If the season ended today, the CCIW tournament field would include teams #9, #10, #21, and #25 from the D3hoops.com poll.  That's pretty darn impressive -- that field is not too far off from what the typical Final Four looks like.  Here's the last 5, using the pre-tournament poll...

(winner in bold)

2005: #1 UW-Stevens Point, #14 Calvin, #19 York, #21 Rochester

2004: #1 Williams, #5 Amherst, #10 UW-Stevens Point, #13 John Carroll

2003: #3 Williams, #4 Hampden-Sydney, #6 Wooster, #24 Gustavus Adolphus

2002: #1 Carthage, #4 Elizabethtown, #6 Otterbein,  #18 Rochester

2001: #3 Ohio Northern, #11 William Paterson, #14 Catholic, #17 Illinois Wesleyan


Impressively, even with the whacky D3 tournament format, all 20 Final Four teams over the course of the last 5 seasons have been ranked by D3hoops.com heading into the tourney.

[Titan Q]

I'd bet a lot of money that Rick Harrigan plays tomorrow.

I would too -- if he's cleared medically!! A really tough decision for both Harrigan and Coach G though.  Do you risk further injury to Harrigan for what -- to protect against a shared CCIW title and not have Rick available for the CCIW Tournament, or worse, an NCAA Tournament run?  I not so sure Augie should run that risk.

Augie would like to host a Sectional, mich - that makes getting to Salem a whole bunch easier.  A 3rd in-region loss might make that impossible.

The Vikings still have a lot to play for.

[dansand]

If Rick Harrigan is no better than he was in the second half of the Wheaton game, I'd rather he didn't play. Save him  for the CCIW and NCAA tournaments. If he has improved then it's a tougher call. Augie definitely still has a lot to play for in the regular season, but hobbling around the way he was after the injury I don't think he'd be much help tomorrow.

If he doesn't play, it's another opportunity for guys like Brusveen, Delp, Johnson, Kolze, etc. to help fill the void. It looks like Brusveen did that against Millikin. Hopefully some others will rise to the occasion.

[Johnny Augie]

I'd bet a lot of money that Rick Harrigan plays tomorrow.

I would too -- if he's cleared medically!! A really tough decision for both Harrigan and Coach G though. Do you risk further injury to Harrigan for what -- to protect against a shared CCIW title and not have Rick available for the CCIW Tournament, or worse, an NCAA Tournament run? I not so sure Augie should run that risk.

My source tells me that Harrigan will be playing tomorrow night.

If he's cleared to play, he's going to play.  Harrigan is way too competitive to sit out a game like IWU.  Plus, it's tough to re-injure a bruise.  These ball-players look forward to big games like IWU.

[Johnny Augie]

Q,

I can't make it out to Augie tomorrow.  Where can I listen to your broadcast?  Nothing against the Augie guys, but you do a much better job.

[Johnny Augie]

If the season ended today, the CCIW tournament field would include teams #9, #10, #21, and #25 from the D3hoops.com poll.  That's pretty darn impressive -- that field is not too far off from what the typical Final Four looks like.  Here's the last 5, using the pre-tournament poll...

(winner in bold)

2005: #1 UW-Stevens Point, #14 Calvin, #19 York, #21 Rochester

2004: #1 Williams, #5 Amherst, #10 UW-Stevens Point, #13 John Carroll

2003: #3 Williams, #4 Hampden-Sydney, #6 Wooster, #24 Gustavus Adolphus

2002: #1 Carthage, #4 Elizabethtown, #6 Otterbein,  #18 Rochester

2001: #3 Ohio Northern, #11 William Paterson, #14 Catholic, #17 Illinois Wesleyan


Impressively, even with the whacky D3 tournament format, all 20 Final Four teams over the course of the last 5 seasons have been ranked by D3hoops.com heading into the tourney.

It's been a couple of years since the CCIW has been in the Final Four.  Hopefully we will get a CCIW team back there this year. 

I think we have two teams for sure making the tourney, with a third sneaking in.  Like it said on the front page of d3hoops.com, Wheaton was our bad luck year in 2004...maybe this will be our lucky year of getting three.

[Titan Q]

Thank you, Johnny. 

Tomorrow we will be on WJBC, AM-1230 with live stream here...

http://www.wjbc.com/

Jim Williams will have the play-by-play and I will do the color.  Looking forward to another good IWU/Augie game.

[79jaybird]

If I were Giovanine I wouldn't play Harrigan tomorrow.  He's too valuable and needed for the playoffs.  Augie has allready clinched at least a share of the CCIW title and ( I would guess) a first round home game.  Let me regain his full strength.  On the other hand, I'm not Giovanine and I'm curious to see if he does play tomorrow.
Any news are EC and NC at full strength for tomorow's game? I'm looking forward to it at the RAF  tomorrow.  I hate the name of our building! 

[Johnny Augie]

If Harrigan can play, he should.

As an example, not sure if I totally beleive this, but I heard sports talk radio bash the NFL teams who had their players resting before the playoffs.  Augie has lost two in a row and they need to get the momentum going again.

Titan Q knows how south-siders can be...they are stubborn .  Harrigan will want to be on the court tomorrow night.

[Brick]

Speaking of resting players and getting a negative out come just look at the bears...great Defense all season....subs play the last game aginst Min.  and a first round playoff bye....what happens the Defense forgets to show up aginst Carolina....I want to see Rick out on the floor tomorrow even if he doesn't get the minutes he was getting prior to his injury, we need to get back in a groove before the Conf. tourney!  I just don't know if he will be able to go, don't get me wrong I want him to and I think he is a great spark when the team is down, but those deep bruises can be quite pesky.

[bluemom]

Hey guys, I don't know a lot about every element of basketball, but like Art, I like what I see and love to talk about it!

Dansand, Johnnie Augie....if I had April's recipes for her cookies I would bring some when we come to Rock Island for the Conference Tournament.  (See I have been lurking and reading a long time!)  But my cooking, it would not be worth your time or anticipation!!!!

Now Basketball,

Augie is a lock for a Pool C.  In my opinion, and again no disrespect intended....(here I go, stop me when I insult someone), I don't think the committee will sit out a team like IWU....a team who in the eyes of coaches, ADs, sportswriters, you name it, was one of the best teams ....ranked first in everyone's eyes (and still is in talent) in D-III.   There also is one other elemennt that is there with IWU that is considered that no one talks about in selection Sundays, and that is Fan Base, and we all admit that IWU has it and will have it.....Therefore I believe IWU is a pool C lock.  Talent and Following!  It's good for basketball

Although conference standing is of no consideration, I can't get around that, whether we have a conference tournament or no conference tournament,  If either NCC or Elmhurst end the season tied for second or first equal to or better in position to Augustana and IWU, with the respect (or sometimes relunctant respect=envy) that conferences have for the CCIW, I would say that we have at least three solid seats......the selection group hoping that either IWU or Augie, and anyone tied with those two win the conference tournament.  Naturally they would prefer the Higher QOWI.

Need we point out out that the top four teams in our conference went, what was it 41-3? with the three losses being Hope, Albion (granted 2 & 3 in their conference now) and Platteville sitting 6-6 in a normally highly respected WIAC.

There is a solid three in my opinion, an outside of four, although the committee is hoping for a way not to give a conference a 4th, CCIW or any other conference.  I Know....I know....they use the QOW Index as gospel but your decision has to make some sense in the end.......

There again, they can't have a national tournament (I'd be against that....and if I were sitting where Augustana is now, I would be against the conference tournement) and it is the NCAA making the decisions  ....gotcha!