MBB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[Brick]

Does any one know how this weeked will work?  I mean there are two games and everyone knows seating is limited at Carver, so will they be kicking everyone out after the first game so there will be a fair shot at good seats for the second game?

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

You better start camping now if you want to get in.  I have a tent you can borrow.

[natalie]

Per Sagers suggestion, I will give my take on the non-conference season. As a player I think you want to play the best competition. First, if you are any type of an athlete you want to play meaningful and challenging games. Secondly, it prepares you for the conference season. We did play a few lower level teams, and beating up on Taylor Fort Wayne certainly didn't prepare us for the CCIW. Lastly, these tough games will help your team learn how to win close ball games and deal with the end of the game pressures, a situation you can't emulate in practice.

My two concerns with the non-conference schedule is:
1) I believe most teams make 2 year commitments to play each other. Now, let's say you schedule the '03 Redman, you know the next year they wouldn't be quite as strong after losing McDaniel, Garnes, Fabian, and company. So do you worry about it 1 year at a time?
2) The year I helped coached at Carthage- '03. We lost close games to SXU, and ONU, and to a very good team in Hawaii. I still believe those losses helped us in the conference season, but if we had 3 more regional wins, even if they were against some poor teams, would it have made a difference in us making the tournament. I think all teams have to think about that.

Keep in mind I don't know how the point systems work (QOWI)- Titan Q, Sagers, and the rest of you that can figure it out, you are all much smarter than me.

[Elmhurst_Mom]

As far as the tourney seating....i heard originally that host team got 1/2 of the tix and the other 3 schools split the remaining giving them each 366...buy those for the first game and whatever is left today at noon, the schools send back to augie to sell first come first serve.  i also heard originally that after the 6pm elmhurst game that they would clear the gym and then start with the augie game...but yesterday i was told by an a.d. that they've decided not to do that and that once you're in you're in.....in regards to the saturday game....they'll start selling those after the first game friday night....but i'm sure they'll be making annoucements that night...what a stampede that will be.

[diehardfan]

It looks like the Charles Dickens of "postingupland" were out in full force on the CCIW board last night...  

Tell, me, does Pat pay by the word as well?

I can't speak as a former college athlete, especially not a former men's basketball player, but from the experience of the competitive sports I did play, I have to say I find it hard to believe that any athlete wants to play the easy teams.

Any reasonable person, with any sort of perspective is gonna want to feel, at the end of the day, that they won, because they worked hard, and deserved to win, not just because their currently undeveloped 3rd string players are less bad than the starters on a random crappy school's team. What satisfaction does a player have, if they can't be satisfied with performing to their potential? Isn't that the whole point of athletics? Performing at the top of your game and working to make the top even higher?

I remember coming into games, thinking... okay, yeah, we're going to beat this team or there is something seriously wrong with us. And we would, and we'd all play perfectly respectably. But the games that I remember are the ones where where were were down to a good team, and I wanted to win so badly and was so into what was happening in the game that I moved faster than I realized I could... those split seconds where you think... wow, did I just get all the way over there to make that steal/rebound/block? And it wouldn't be from any sort of personal arrogance, just this feeling of "wow, I didn't know my body could do that." I don't have any sort of record of my high school stats (nor would I want anyone to see them!  ) but I guarantee my best games came against the tough competition.

In those games, even if we didn't win, there was redemption from the fact that you knew, you worked your rear off, and there was nothing more you could have done to make things any better. Does it stink to lose? Sure, yes.... DEFINITELY... gosh, I hate to lose... even now, at random board games like Scrabble. But the satisfaction of beating up on a team who has much less talent than you is pretty minimal.

The only benefits I see of playing a bad d3 team are that your younger players get some real game experience. There's just a definite, unavoidable difference between a good JV game in front of ten people and a real game. And that experience can be useful in later years, or later that season, if God forbid, one of your key players gets injured.

I've also heard more than a few freshman athletes get excited that they are playing X really bad team because it means that they are going to get some playing time, and sometimes families of said players will actually just come out for these games! I've noticed that helps keep players interested and on the team for those future years when the program will need them.

I think my ideal, would be maybe two games like this... three as a max.

The playoff things is a whole other issue and there are benefits to both sides... before, for a CCIW team, you pretty much had to win your conference, because the autobid was all you had. Now there definitely is some benefit to playing an easy team who's gonna end up with a gaudy in-region record as far as making the playoffs is concerned. But schedule too many of those, and you're just not going to be prepared to win the close games in conf play, or many games into the tourney.

So there are benefits, sure, but I'm not sure how many players who would say "yeah, I'd rather play the easy team" at all... and if they did, then the question would be, do you really want them on your team???   

[diehardfan]

Dang... do I win a prize for the longest post of the week, that no one will have the patience to read? 

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

I made it to "any reasonable person" but that was it... sorry.

[Dennis_Prikkel]

FWIW - not much I'm sure - here is my take on possible NCAA bids for the four remaining CCIW teams

1- Augustana - win or lose the Vikings are a Pool C lock, even if they lose their first game to IWU (a little louder).

2- IWU - must beat AC on Friday night to get in - 3 losses to the same conference school would really besmirch the Titan's stellar non-conference season.  If the Titans win Friday and lose Saturday they're in as a Pool C (if Elmhurst is the team they lose to on Saturday the Titans Pool C chances slide a little).

3- NC needs a Friday win to be in.  A Saturday loss would not be as damaging to them as would be a Friday loss to Elmhurst.

4- Elmhurst - must have the AQ to get in, so they have to win both in RI.

5- Carthage, Wheaton, Millikin & North Park - wait until next year.

The only way the CCIW has of getting three teams in the tourney is if Augustana loses on Friday night.

If IW and NC both lose Friday night - they're both done.

IMHO - MW


2-

[Jim Matson]

Greg, thanks for posting the Tribune story.

[diehardfan]

Almost forgot:

It's right up there with calling non-conference games "preseason" on my list of pet peeves.

In other words... really really high! 

That saying is just a string of empty words that people recite because it somehow sounds profound.

Hey, I thought that was the whole point of these boards! 

If anything, I happen to think that a team has gotta feel pretty good about playing a team for the third time, that they've already beaten twice. Always nice to play a team you know you can beat, and the extra confidence can come in handy... just ask the Wheaton football team about playing augie... any year recently minus this past year. 

I made it to "any reasonable person" but that was it... sorry.

Stop it, the one liners are Jim's job!

[Brick]

I was just worried that us Augie fans wouldn't be able to get out front and center seats in what usually is the Augie student section....and have time to get into the "right frame of mind" for the game....Sounds like we will have to multi-task

[Johnny Augie]

I was just worried that us Augie fans wouldn't be able to get out front and center seats in what usually is the Augie student section....and have time to get into the "right frame of mind" for the game....Sounds like we will have to multi-task

Does being in the "right frame of mind" mean being drinky?

[Brick]

Of course not...just getting amped up for the biggest game I've ever seen at Augie

[Redmen40]

Keep in mind I don't know how the point systems work (QOWI)- Titan Q, Sagers, and the rest of you that can figure it out, you are all much smarter than me.  Jimmy O

Give yourself a little credit here James, you are the brains behind the Chicago Cubs Marketing Staff.... Not sure if that's saying anything!!!

Jim makes some great points in his post, which a change from his usual nonsensical blabber.   My opinion may differ slightly. I say, schedule the creampuffs early... 3-5 shoe in wins to get your feet wet. Head to some place tropical and play two tough teams. This is the opportune time to play your DII schools. Come home with another home guarantee win, mix in a competitive NAIA and finish the non-conference with a decent Midwest rival. At the very most 4 of the 11 games should be a challenge.  This ensures two things; momentum heading into the CCIW season, and a decent argument come tournament time.

Do whatever it takes to win 9 games during your non-conference slate.

Sager if your looking for a quick victory for your vikes, take a tip from the Serb... Taylor Fort Wayne, Dominican, and Marycrest are great examples....

That is of course if you can get them on the schedule before they disband their athletic programs

[Redmen40]

I hope my feathers do not offend any of you.

I could not find the politically correct logo, nor do I want to.