MBB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[Titan Q]

I believe Jordan Nelson suffered a bad sprained ankle in IWU's first practice on 10/15 -- I've heard out 3 weeks, but can't confirm that.

With Zimmer and Nelson both banged up, Bryce Dolan is absolutely in the guard picture right now and will get a nice chance to state his case.

[Iwufan]

Nelson did sprain his ankle on first day of practice. Out at least 3 weeks.

[Mr. Ypsi]

Iwufan (or whoever) - with the wealth of returning players and the d1 transfers, are there any freshmen with any realistic chance of making the varsity rotation?  (Keelan Amelianovich certainly showed, if there was any doubt, that a year of basically jv is no 'badge of shame'. )

[iwu70]

Sorry to hear about Nelson.  Was hoping to see him play soon.  Bad ankle sprains can be tricky.  Does give Dolan (or Nelms) a chance to play a key role -- esp. in exhibition on Nov. 2nd, and perhaps in pre-CCIW portion.  IWU seems to have some injury bugs in Shirk during the November-December period.  Hope Zimmer can rest it, and get back to normal playing shape very soon.  Let's hope everyone else is/stays healthy.   Calling Mike Mayberger!!!    (As much as I love Eric Dortch, I don't want to see him at the 2 again this year.  Just say'in!). 

IWU football stronger, with some injured players coming back now in mid-season.  Big games these next two weeks, for sure.

IWU70

[Titan Q]

are there any freshmen with any realistic chance of making the varsity rotation? 

No.

[veterancciwfan]

Nelson never had an ankle sprain prior to the Oct. 15 mishap. I'll repeat a point a made last year regarding Nate Snuggerud, the Hope College star. He graduated this spring and played sparingly during the 2012/13 season due to severe back problems. It's a blessing to be healthy and be able to suit up and compete in D3 athletics. Ask Snuggerud. Playing at the highest level in D3 is hard enough when healthy. Knowing how great Snuggerud was when he was a junior , I had a lot of compassion and sympathy for him last December in FL (he played 5 painful minutes and scored 2 points) when IWU beat Hope on a miracle 3-pointer by Overstreet and a game-ending block by Dortch.   

[Mr. Ypsi]

Nelson never had an ankle sprain prior to the Oct. 15 mishap. I'll repeat a point a made last year regarding Nate Snuggerud, the Hope College star. He graduated this spring and played sparingly during the 2012/13 season due to severe back problems. It's a blessing to be healthy and be able to suit up and compete in D3 athletics. Ask Snuggerud. Playing at the highest level in D3 is hard enough when healthy. Knowing how great Snuggerud was when he was a junior , I had a lot of compassion and sympathy for him last December in FL (he played 5 painful minutes and scored 2 points) when IWU beat Hope on a miracle 3-pointer by Overstreet and a game-ending block by Dortch.   

Amen.  I was in Holland in March 2012, when IWU somehow overcame Snuggerud's 40 points to down the #1 ranked Hope team on their home court in double overtime.  It happened because seniors Jordan Zimmer and John Koschnitsky, though both in very obvious pain (especially Jordan, but John was also grimacing), simply refused to have their college careers end that way (Jordan OWNED the second overtime!).  (Zimmer was in such obvious pain against UWSP the night before that his grandfather, seated in front of me, thought he couldn't possibly play against Hope.  Alas, I agreed and dropped him from my fantasy team starting line-up, and missed his best game of the tournament! )

If Hope had made it into the 2013 tourney, I don't doubt that Snuggerud might have had a similar performance.  A shame we will never know.

[iwu70]

Titan's Jordan Nelson actually fractured his ankle, in a boot now for several weeks.  No surgery.  Likely he's out, not in game shape until around Dec. 1st, perhaps a bit later.  We'll see in time. 

More positive news on the women's side -- as Olivia Lett, former national player of the year and CCIW MOP, has joined Mia Smith as an assistant coach.  Welcome back Olivia!

IWU70

[Gregory Sager]

I'm sorry to have to report that one of the grand old men among CCIW fans, Dave McCarrell, has passed away at the age of 82. A graduate of Wheaton College and the former head football coach of North Park Academy and Niles North, Dave ran the Pacific Garden Mission, a ministry to homeless men in downtown Chicago, for 17 years. His brother Dan "the Chief" McCarrell, who succeeded him as the head football coach at North Park Academy, was the head coach for the first three of NPU's five national championships, and Dave's daughter Chris McCarrell Horner was inducted into the Viking Hall of Fame just three weeks ago in recognition of her fine volleyball career at NPU. (Her husband is former NPU star basketball center Marc Horner.)

Dave was a regular presence at Wheaton games in King Arena, and he was a frequent visitor to the crackerbox as well (especially in recent years, as his grandson, Trent Kucera, has played for the Vikings for the past two seasons). Peace to his memory.

[bigz61550]

I'm sorry to have to report that one of the grand old men among CCIW fans, Dave McCarrell, has passed away at the age of 82. A graduate of Wheaton College and the former head football coach of North Park Academy and Niles North, Dave ran the Pacific Garden Mission, a ministry to homeless men in downtown Chicago, for 17 years. His brother Dan "the Chief" McCarrell, who succeeded him as the head football coach at North Park Academy, was the head coach for the first three of NPU's five national championships, and Dave's daughter Chris McCarrell Horner was inducted into the Viking Hall of Fame just three weeks ago in recognition of her fine volleyball career at NPU. (Her husband is former NPU star basketball center Marc Horner.)

Dave was a regular presence at Wheaton games in King Arena, and he was a frequent visitor to the crackerbox as well (especially in recent years, as his grandson, Trent Kucera, has played for the Vikings for the past two seasons). Peace to his memory.

Dave was my coach at Niles many years ago.  While he was fine Christian man, he never held back as our coach.  I'm sure he is resting in peace!!!

[Randy Reinhardt]

Source for above Wesleyan information? Oh, I don't know. But just maybe ...

http://www.pantagraph.com/sports/college/illinois-wesleyan/titan-transfer-nelson-may-miss-opener-with-ankle-fracture/article_675b47f2-3b97-11e3-aaf3-001a4bcf887a.html

http://www.pantagraph.com/sports/college/basketball/women/ex-titan-star-lett-joins-iwu-women-s-coaching-staff/article_fb2569a0-3b96-11e3-92f3-001a4bcf887a.html

[iwu70]

Randy, good reporting.  Glad someone still reads the paper.    Gotta have an authoritative source.  Can't report all of what I see, hear and observe around Ames Library and elsewhere on campus.  Some things on campus are surely X-rated.  I can assure you most of the chatsters in this room don't read the Pgraph.

IWU70

[Dennis_Prikkel]

Dave McCarrell was a good friend and we shared watching many CCIW football night games at North Central over the years.

While his brother Dan coached North Park and then when Bosko took over Dave could always be found in the North Park gym.

My favorite Dave McCarrell story was the first game of the Dec. 1968 Holiday Basketball tournament at Beloit College.  North Park played St. Mary's of Minnesota in the first game at 6 p.m.  There was a terrible ice storm.  The only two fans at the game for either team were Dave McCarrell and Dan's wife Joanne.  That was loyalty.

[iwu70]

Dave McCarrell, RIP. 

[joehakes]

Sorry to hear about Dave McCarrell.  A great guy from a great family.