MBB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[Gregory Sager]

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

On the contrary, Wheaton has everything to lose. Bill's Boys are still in the race for a conference tourney berth, however slender their chances may be. The Wheaties will be playing for the opportunity to keep their season alive tomorrow night. That makes them much more dangerous than they'd be if they were a team that has "nothing to lose".

Re: Conference tournament possibilities -- As confusing as they are at the moment on the men's side, they're a piece of cake to figure out compared to the CCIW women's race. I spent about an hour trying to piece that scenario last night. It was harder than Chinese arithmetic.

[maddog]

I would like to offer my belated congratulations to Coach G and his players on being the CCIW regular season champions. Augie earned the crown this season with the players playing hard and executing the game plans of Coach G very well. They have had a great regular season run.

[79jaybird]

Greg- regarding to Wheaton "nothing to lose"  I was referring to the fact that Wheaton is going to give the Jays 110% like they always do.  They have nothing to lose because 2 weeks ago, nobody was considering Wheaton to have a shot this late in the season.  If they win tomorrow, then they are still a hot plate on the stove.  If they lose, well nobody had considered them to have a chance this late anyway.  Case in point, Wheaton is overachieving and another reason why I would vote Coach Harris as the COY this year.

[79jaybird]

TitanQ-  What if IWU beats North Park, North Central loses to Augie, and Elmhurst beats Wheaton?
I don't see IWU losing to NPU.  I think the NC/Augie game is a craps shot and while I think Elmhurst will win tomorrow, that game can go either way also.

[cardinalpride]

TitanQ-  What if IWU beats North Park, North Central loses to Augie, and Elmhurst beats Wheaton?
I don't see IWU losing to NPU.  I think the NC/Augie game is a craps shot and while I think Elmhurst will win tomorrow, that game can go either way also.

While reading the post I thought I would answer for you Q.  Elmhurst would get the #2 seed,  IWU would be #3,  and NCC would be #4.  If Elmhurst and IWU are tied at 9-5, Elmhurst would win the tiebreaker by virtue of a sweep over Wheaton. 

[Gregory Sager]

Greg- regarding to Wheaton "nothing to lose"  I was referring to the fact that Wheaton is going to give the Jays 110% like they always do.  They have nothing to lose because 2 weeks ago, nobody was considering Wheaton to have a shot this late in the season.  If they win tomorrow, then they are still a hot plate on the stove.  If they lose, well nobody had considered them to have a chance this late anyway.  Case in point, Wheaton is overachieving and another reason why I would vote Coach Harris as the COY this year.

I don't agree, Jaybird. I strongly suspect that the Wheaton players have felt all along that they have a chance. I'll bet good money that Harris and his assistants, and Tony Bollier as well, have mentioned to the team that they are still mathematically in this thing ... and I wouldn't be at all surprised if they brought this to the attention of the team prior to the Augie game last week.

Whether the rest of us felt that Wheaton had a chance or not is completely irrelevant. What's important is whether or not the Sonic Atmospheric Disturbance themselves felt that they had a chance.

A team that still has a chance at the postseason is not a team that has "nothing to lose".

[oldreporter]

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?

Interesting, and not far-fetched at all. Back in the 00-01 season at IWU, the Titans had to do just that...and they did. Elmhurst on a Saturday and Carthage on senior night the next Wednesday. Then they also had to beat Millikin, and ended up with 3rd in the NCAA.

[veterancciwfan]

Bridges was 0-4 against Henderson State (Arkansas), losing twice in the 75-76 season including a 2nd round game at the NAIA tourney in KC. Henderson State also ended IWU's 76-77 season (Sikma's senior year) in an NAIA quarterfinal game at KC. I know the coach during 75-76 and 76-77 was Don Dyer, the man who later developed Scottie Pippen at Central Arkansas. I am fairly certain he was also Henderson State's coach during the 74-75 season when IWU lost in their initial meeting. Don Dyer was a great coach and very caring man. He recruited mainly rural players from Arkansas and Louisiana (some of whom lived in houses with dirt floors according to Don) and gave them a chance to play and more importantly a chance at a free college education. At that time, the NAIA allowed 15 scholarships and Don Dyer used all of them. He literally taught Scottie Pippen how to play the game as he didn't play HS ball until his junior year (as I remember the story).

[Mr. Ypsi]

Bridges was 0-4 against Henderson State (Arkansas), losing twice in the 75-76 season including a 2nd round game at the NAIA tourney in KC. Henderson State also ended IWU's 76-77 season (Sikma's senior year) in an NAIA quarterfinal game at KC. I know the coach during 75-76 and 76-77 was Don Dyer, the man who later developed Scottie Pippen at Central Arkansas. I am fairly certain he was also Henderson State's coach during the 74-75 season when IWU lost in their initial meeting. Don Dyer was a great coach and very caring man. He recruited mainly rural players from Arkansas and Louisiana (some of whom lived in houses with dirt floors according to Don) and gave them a chance to play and more importantly a chance at a free college education. At that time, the NAIA allowed 15 scholarships and Don Dyer used all of them. He literally taught Scottie Pippen how to play the game as he didn't play HS ball until his junior year (as I remember the story).

vet,

Why you were in negative karma, I have no clue, but I've fixed that.  Now I also have no clue why I'm in negative karma (after being +19 two weeks ago), but I can't fix that!

My question addressed CCIW coaches, so your response was not directly relevant, but I relish learning more about the CCIW (and IWU spefically), so thanks!  I would suspect that no other coach can match a 4-0 reord against Coach Bridges.

[cciw watcher]

Re: Conference tournament possibilities -- As confusing as they are at the moment on the men's side, they're a piece of cake to figure out compared to the CCIW women's race. I spent about an hour trying to piece that scenario last night. It was harder than Chinese arithmetic. 



Never under estimate the heart of the defending NCAA III national champs (Millikin Big Blue). They answered the bell winning at wheaton in OT this week and in my opinion will win out to gain a berth in conference tournment!   

[cciw watcher]

After watching elmhurst blow the final 2 possessions against augustana and north central (can't forget IWU with 5 seconds left and 3 point lead) Wheaton will win if they are tied with 2 mins to go.   Elmhurst coaching just terrible in final mins against north central. 

[Stat]

If, then

When, will

Would of , Could of , Should of.


My playoff scenario and predictions.

[Titan Q]

A nice article from the Pantagraph about IWU's senior class, which will take the Shirk Center floor for the final time tonight.

'Special' seniors bid Shirk farewell

I'm not sure where this group ranks in terms of best Titan classes ever (one could argue it's the best), but I am sure that IWU hasn't had a better group of young men than Keelan Amelianovich, Matt Arnold,  Adam Dauksas, Chris Jones, Cory Jones, Jason Fisher, Mike McGraw, and Steve Schweer. I feel fortunate to have gotten to know all of these guys pretty well over the course of 4 years and they're just all first-class individuals.  The Titan class of 2006 really demonstrates how important the environment one grows up in is, as the families of all of these guys are rock solid.

As an Illinois Wesleyan alum, I'd like to thank all of the the seniors for their all-out effort and execution on the floor and more importantly, the way they conduct themselves off of it.  All of the time spent with the little kids at the Shirk Center...the dedication in the classroom...what they've accomplished in the community.  The class of 2006 has just done an exemplary job of carrying the torch for Titan baskteball.  This Titan fan will have trouble seeing 'em go.

[79jaybird]

CardinalPride-- thank you for the response regarding the tourney positions.  I don't think you could classify Elmhurst as big of a favorite over Wheaton. 
Somebody mentioned Coaching.  In the final 2 minutes coaching/strategy  has a lot to do with it, however the players still have to execute.  I think the IWU and NC late losses you have to point the finger at the players.  IWU- EC players didn't foul Dauksas and let him shoot  NC- EC missed a shot to win.  I don't think this is coaching as much as just a failure to execute in crunch time.
Greg-  "I don't agree Jaybird".  That's fine and that's why we have the boards.    I am looking forward to a big game at Wheaton.  King Arena is one of my favorite places to see a bball game.

[Gregory Sager]

Today ends the careers of NPU's two seniors. I try to say a little something about the departing Vikings every year. I missed the chance to do it last season, so I'm making sure I don't miss this year. Here's my thoughts:

* Bjorn Berg has had an unusual career as a college basketball player. He began as a freshman on North Park's JV team, transferred to a WIAC school for a year and didn't play, and then came back to the Park for three more years. His sophomore and junior years, it was basically as though he'd never taken that detour, because not much changed for him. He was almost exclusively a JV player, making garbage-time cameos in six varsity games as a soph and thirteen as a junior.

This year, however, he became a varsity regular almost by necessity. The Vikings clearly had very few legitimate threats as far as perimeter shooting was concerned, and the one thing Berg could always do was shoot. In fact, that was the biggest criticism of him as a JV player -- he was a shooter who didn't do much else. Given that, and the fact that he's undersized for a CCIW two-guard, it didn't seem as though he'd ever amount to anything on the varsity level.

But Berg turned everyone's heads pretty quickly this season. After a goose-egg stat line in 10 minutes of action in the opener at Benedictine, and two DNPs after that, he erupted for 22 points and hit the game-winning trey with seven seconds left in the 76-75 win over Judson on November 29. Those 22 points were only nine fewer than he'd scored in his entire varsity career to that point. Two nights later he scored 28 points and made five FTs in the final :33 to ice an 81-80 win over Concordia (WI). That remarkable 72 hours earned him CCIW Player of the Week honors; he's easily the most improbable winner of that award I've ever seen in my quarter-century of following this league, coming completely out of nowhere to win it.

Berg has been a key component of the Vikings ever since. In spite of his diminutive size and the fact that his team doesn't do a good job of getting him open with screens, he's still somehow managed to be an effective scorer, averaging 10.7 ppg on the year and 9.2 in CCIW play. More impressive is the way that the rest of his game has rounded out. He's no longer just a gunner; he's now a much better defender and passer, and he's a vocal leader on the floor for a team that badly needs one. In spite of the fact that he has played on dismal teams at NPU, as an individual player he's been a remarkable success story this season, and a lot of fun to watch.

* Brett Mathisen has had the misfortune of being the guy whose career can be summed up with the "good player on bad teams" tag. He became a varsity regular as a sophomore after spending a year on the JV team, and by midseason he was a starter. He averaged 9.8 ppg and 4.2 rpg that year, but as a junior he established himself as one of the better inside players in the CCIW. He averaged 12.2 ppg and 6.2 rpg and was named to the All-CCIW third team. This year he's averaging 13.5 ppg and 5.5 rpg, and the remarkable thing is that he's stepped that up in CCIW play in spite of the fact that NPU doesn't play non-conference competition that's nearly at the level of CCIW teams. In conference play this year he's 14.6 and 5.8, and has for the first time added the three-point shot to his arsenal.

He's one of the most fluid and skilled low-post scorers that the Park has had in the past twenty years, and his success has been remarkable in spite of the fact that he's pretty undersized at 6'5", 210 for a guy who's essentially played the center position in the CCIW for most of his career. Rees Johnson and Paul Brenegan always wanted to get him out on the floor more to utilize his abilities to play facing the basket, but in the end NPU never really had a better alternative to putting Mathisen down in the blocks at the 5 instead of the 4. He's been an exemplary team captain and leader, and he will be sorely missed next season. I just wish he'd had the chance to be a part of something more successful in terms of the team. Individual accolades are only worth so much; this is still a team sport, after all.

Bjorn and Brett are both great guys who have done the Park proud and have been a credit to the blue and gold uni they wore. Best of luck to them in their future endeavors.