MBB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[veterancciwfan]

Stat: Bet you wouldn't want an 8-team conf. tournament if Carthage was one of top 4 teams. For the bottom 4, I suggest that they recruit and play better next year so they don't get shut out in 06/07.

Yes, Augie did sweep IWU in Trost's first year at IWU with Kasten, Cross, an injured Camardella, Hubbard, Salagi, Starkey. In fact, Augie embarrassed IWU at Shirk in Jan. 2002 85-77 in a game that wasn't that close. Augie had a 20 point lead in the first half of that game.

I think it's humerous for posters who haven't coached a game of basketball or played the game at the high level of this league to criticise coaches and sometimes players after a team loses a very close game. So if IWU gets one more break or call or bounce and IWU beats Augie by 1 in regularion, Trost is a genius and Giovanine is a bad coach riding a 3-game losing streak? The coaches and the players want to win more than anyone. Any of the top 4 teams could have lost a number of very close games they won with a break, call, or bounce, including Augie. That's a testament to how strong this league is.

Regarding IWU's alleged collapse, IWU will probably finish the regular season (anticipating a win Sat.) 19-5 against one of the toughest nonconference schedules in the country and and even tougher 14 games in the murderous CCIW. I have seen a lot of seasons of IWU b'ball and this year is perhaps the most entertaining year ever. So many exciting, nail-biting, down-to-the end games.

So quit the complaining and enjoy the rest of the season. There is still a lot of basketball to be played. I can't imagine what will happen in the inaugural conf. tournament. But ESPN 2 should televise it. I'm sure it's going to be much better than the Grinell/Beloit game last year.

[John Gleich]

I'm sure it's going to be much better than the Grinell/Beloit game last year.

... along with about 80% of the games played throughout the country...  ESPN wasn't looking for a good game, though, they were looking for a different style of play.  Call it a circus if you'd like, but at that point in ESPN's mindset, this is all they were looking for.

On that note... I've heard rumors that ESPNU is looking into the possibilities of a small college game of the week (either D2 or D3... heck, perhaps even NAIA, though I don't remember if that was mentioned).

While I and most who frequent this site would really enjoy it, I think ESPN's skepticism would be viewership...  Why would viewers watch players who are slower, smaller, and less athletic play basketball on a small scale then they could just as easily schedule a game where the players are D-1 on a large stage?  (note:  this isn't my argument, but I'm thinking this might be their take on the subject)

[Mr. Ypsi]

Yes, Augie did sweep IWU in Trost's first year at IWU with Kasten, Cross, an injured Camardella, Hubbard, Salagi, Starkey. In fact, Augie embarrassed IWU at Shirk in Jan. 2002 85-77 in a game that wasn't that close. Augie had a 20 point lead in the first half of that game.

Sounds like you were there, so I'll take your word for it - the IWU website has the score the other way round.  Q?

[dansand]

I commented last night that I could not recall the last time Augie beat IWU twice in the same year. Even in the year they were 2nd in the nation ('92-93'), I'm pretty sure IWU administered one of Augie's two losses. Perhaps Titan Q can recall when Augie last beat the Titans twice in one season.

I just checked the IWU website - Augie DID sweep in 93 (though the second game went OT).

iwufans and veterancciwfan are right. The last time Augie swept IWU was the 2001-02 season. The last time before that was the 1992-93 season. The second game, as Mr. Ypsi pointed out, did go to overtime at Bloomington. The Vikings played that game without Kirk Anderson, who was out with a sprained ankle. I think Josh Thompson had 29 to bail Augie out. Augie's two losses that year were at Millikin and North Park.

Interesting to note, Grey Giovanine is now 8-6 against the Titans and 6-4, I think, against Scott Trost.

[Titan Q]

Yes, Augie did sweep IWU in Trost's first year at IWU with Kasten, Cross, an injured Camardella, Hubbard, Salagi, Starkey. In fact, Augie embarrassed IWU at Shirk in Jan. 2002 85-77 in a game that wasn't that close. Augie had a 20 point lead in the first half of that game.

Sounds like you were there, so I'll take your word for it - the IWU website has the score the other way round.  Q?

IWU.edu has that game as a Titan win, which is why I missed it, but I clearly remember that one and as reported, Augie manhandled IWU at the Shirk Center that night in 2002.

[Brick]

Q,
  Is it true that you guys "made fun" of the Augie announcers for clapping when Jay scored his 1000th point?  When I heard this I found it hard to believe that you and your partner would have done that but then I forgot about it and for some reason sitting here at my desk it just popped back into my head.  I figured who better to ask then the man himself.

[augie22]

Augie2000-

I think there might be a miss understanding...i think that titan Q and his partner thought that the Augie announcers "Bobby Baseball" were clapping when Adam Daukus got hit in the head and bleed all over the place.  I beleive they said quote "we will need to talk to those announcers about professionalism after the game."  Which was actually pretty commical when he said it.  I don't think it had one thing to do about Jay scoring his 1000th point. 

[Brick]

I must have just heard wrong then,  I still don't think bobby would do somthing like clap when another player gets hurt...some of the fans maybe but not Bobby, he does the best he can with what he's given here, and he takes announcing the games very seriously.

[augie22]

I know he does.  He is very energentic and has a great time when he is on air...very fun to listen too.  Just not as polished as the IWU crew.

[79jaybird]

Elmhurst vs. Wheaton  the gameplan is simple for EC.  If you win, you are in the CCIW Tournament and anything can happen.  If you lose and there is a good chance they could ( 1) It's an away game 2) Wheaton has nothing to lose which makes them very dangerous 3) emotionally down after tough loss to NC) then you leave the door wide open for Wheaton to leapfrog into the tournament.
As a bluejay I hope EC takes care of business, but they have to be ready to play.  This game scares me big time!

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

It doesn't seem all that far-fetched does it?  Wheaton has to win twice over Elmhurst and Carthage at home.  Who would have guessed a month ago that this could happen right now?

[Titan Q]

Sent from the league office to the media...
-----

All:

Here's what Chris and I figured out this morning regarding tiebreaker assumptions for the men's basketball tournament:

-Assuming North Park beats IWU, North Central loses to Augustana and Wheaton beats Elmhurst and Carthage:

This would cause a four-way tie at 8-6 between IWU, WC, EC and NCC. Combined records amongst the four teams are NCC: 4-2; IWU and EC: 3-3; WC 2-4. This would give North Central the No. 2 seed and Wheaton would be out of the tournament. To break the tie between IWU and EC, we would look at their head-to-head records of teams above or below the tie. Against Augustana, both teams are 0-2; against North Central, 1-1; against Wheaton, 1-1; against Carthage 2-0. Millikin would break the tie because IWU finished 2-0 against the Big Blue, while Elmhurst was 1-1.

1. Augustana
2. North Central
3. Illinois Wesleyan
4. Elmhurst

-Assuming that IWU beats North Park, North Central loses  to Augustana and Wheaton beats Elmhurst and Carthage:

This would cause a three-way tie between North Central, Wheaton and Elmhurst at 8-6. Combined records amongst the three teams are North Central at 3-1, Elmhurst at 2-2 and Wheaton at 1-3. Wheaton would not make the tournament. To figure out the No. 3 and 4 seeds between North Central and Elmhurst we look at their head to head records, which was a 1-1 split. The next criteria would be head-to-head records of teams above or below the tie. Against Augustana they are both 0-2, 1-1 against Illinois Wesleyan, while North Central is 2-0 against Wheaton and Elmhurst is 1-1. So that would give North Central the No. 3 seed, while Elmhurst would be 4.

1.   Augustana
2.   Illinois Wesleyan
3.   North Central
4.   Elmhurst

-Assuming that IWU beats North Park, North Central beats Augustana, and Wheaton beats Elmhurst and Carthage:

This would cause a two-way tie between Elmhurst and Wheaton at 8-6. Their head to head records are 1-1, so that doesn't break the tie. The next criteria would be head-to-head records of teams above or below the tie. Against Augustana, Wheaton is 1-1 while Elmhurst is 0-2. This would give Wheaton the No. 4 seed. In addition, this scenario would cause a tie between North Central and IWU at 9-5. Their head to head records are split. North Central is 1-1 against Augustana, while IWU is 0-2. This would give North Central the No. 2 seed, while IWU would be No. 3.

1.   Augustana
2.   North Central
3.   Illinois Wesleyan
4.   Wheaton

-Assuming that North Central beats Augustana, IWU beats North Park and Elmhurst beats Wheaton:

This would cause a three-way tie at 9-5 between IWU, North Central and Elmhurst. Their combined records are all 2-2 amongst one another. Next would be their head-to-head records of teams above or below the tie. Against Augustana, IWU is 0-2, NCC is 1-1 and Elmhurst is 0-2. This would give NCC the No. 2 seed. IWU and Elmhurst split during the regular season, so that doesn't break the tie between them. They both finished 0-2 against Augustana, 1-1 against North Central, but Elmhurst would be 2-0 against Wheaton, while IWU would be 1-1 against the Thunder.

1.      Augustana
2.      North Central
3.      Elmhurst
4.      Illinois Wesleyan

[augie_superfan]

Thanks Q, now I don't have to try to decipher their tiebreaker language

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

So if NCC and Elmhurst both win, then the IWU game doesn't even matter?  They could lose and finish 4th outright or win and finish fourth becuase of the tiebreaker.  Those are rough options.

[robertgoulet]

and North Central is the only team that does not have to face augie in the first round, guaranteed. i'll take it.