MBB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[AppletonRocks]

Attending the Carthage at UW Oshkosh game today.  What should I look for from the Red Men ? 

[WUPHF]

Augie 71 Coe 66 Final. 21 for Hunter Hill and 20 for Ben Ryan. All in all a pretty uninspired effort by Augie. Sorry to say, but in way are they the #2 team in D III. Probably not even the #2 team in the CCIW.

Please allow me to explain to the rest of you who live comfortably off the flood plains with an image that captures how we live on the mighty Mississippi.

[havej]

Interesting reading on the IWU game - as an outsider I hear quite a bit about the talented guards at IWU, yet they are done in by Cal Lutheran's quickness?

And the matchup nightmare referenced, Arik Smith transferred to Cal Lutheran from UW - River Falls two years ago.  He was an honorable mention all conference player in the WIAC

[augiefan]

Saying Augie does not deserve the #2 ranking in the country does not mean I believe they have a mediocre team. However, narrow victories over really weak teams like MacMurray and Coe make them suspect. Certainly Augie's interior players are underachieving by Augie standards, and they do miss Schlitter from a depth standpoint. The team also has a tendency to build up big leads early in games only to blow the leads in the second half of games. This year's nonconference schedule has been unusually weak other than the game against UW Whitewater, which they won only because of a career game by Hunter Hill. Shut down Hill and Ryan and you beat Augie.

I am not sure Vikings are ready for CCIW play in a year when all of the teams look like they have the potential to beat any other team. Certainly any road game is going to be a challenge. No walk overs at NPU or Millikin any more.  IWU has also underachieved in the nonconference schedule, so I think the race will be very interesting. Of course, conference play always is, but maybe more so than usual this year. NCC seems to be better than expected, and Wheaton is always good.  However, my guess is one of the remaining 4 will make the conference tourney.

[WUPHF]

Saying Augie does not deserve the #2 ranking in the country does not mean I believe they have a mediocre team.

I was just joking with my suggestion that you were purposefully lowering expectations which is something I do.  Its a slow day in the office.

I have not seen Augustana play, but even with a MacMurray and Coe, it is hard not to remember that they have two of the best  wins in Division III this season in Whitewater and Bradley.

[AppletonRocks]

Oshkosh over Carthage at the Kolf Center this afternoon, 72-63.  Over 50% 3 point shooting by the Titans, while Red Men were 35%.   

43 fouls were called by no one fouled out.  First half took almost an hour.  Remedial officiating, is that a major anywhere?  I have a candidate. 

[Hardwood]

Augie 71 Coe 66 Final. 21 for Hunter Hill and 20 for Ben Ryan. All in all a pretty uninspired effort by Augie. Sorry to say, but in way are they the #2 team in D III. Probably not even the #2 team in the CCIW.

Coe also played Wash U in St. Louis and lost by 10 after trailing by only 4 at the half - Good teams find ways to win even when they look "Uninspired".  The box score indicated that three Augie players scored 21, 20, and 13.  The team shot 50% from the floor - I hope this "Uninspired" play continues!

[kiko]

This year versus last year as we more or less make the turn into the conference portion of the schedule...

		'14-15			'13-14
		W	L		W	L		+/-
Augustana		10	1		10	1		0
Elmhurst		10	1		8	3		+2
North Central		10	1		7	4		+3
North Park		8	2		2	8		+6
Illinois Wesleyan		8	3		10	1		-2
Wheaton		7	4		7	4		0
Millikin		5	6		6	5		-1
Carthage		4	6		7	4		-2.5
Overall		62	24		57	30		+5.5

[kiko]

SATURDAY

Wheaton at Elmhurst
Illinois Wesleyan at North Central
Millikin at North Park
Augustana at Carthage

WEDNESDAY

Illinois Wesleyan at Wheaton
North Central at Millikin
Carthage at North Park
Elmhurst at Augustana


If you subscribe to the 'hold serve at home and go 4-3 on the road' theory of what it takes to win a CCIW championship (which I do), then this is a particularly big week for North Park and Illinois Wesleyan.  The Titans have a chance to get a leg up if they come away with results in road games against what are expected to be two first-division teams, and the Vikings need to hold serve against two teams that have struggled a bit in non-conference play or they will be chasing the field from the get-go this year.

[iwu70]

Kiko, agreed.  Big set of games for IWU -- to steal a game or two away.

I would expect NPU to hold home court.

IWU70

[AndOne]

This year versus last year as we more or less make the turn into the conference portion of the schedule...

		'14-15			'13-14
		W	L		W	L		+/-
Augustana		10	1		10	1		0
Elmhurst		10	1		8	3		+2
North Central		10	1		7	4		+3
North Park		8	2		2	8		+6
Illinois Wesleyan		8	3		10	1		-2
Wheaton		7	4		7	4		0
Millikin		5	6		6	5		-1
Carthage		4	6		7	4		-2.5
Overall		62	24		57	30		+5.5

Obviously the team which has exceeded "expectations" is North Park. The team picked in the coaches poll to finish last, has a very impressive 8-2 record. I think the most disappointing team in terms of where they were picked to finish vs where they currently are, is Wheaton. Although I personally found the Orange finishing 3rd a little hard to comprehend given their lack of bigs and an inside presence, a fact about which several fellow posters have commented.

As we all know, the CCIW can be a very different and difficult animal, and pre-conference results have as much of a chance to mean little or nothing as they do of being an accurate representation of where the various conference teams will actually finish. One word that certainly has historically accurately described the CCIW is "tough." I believe Mr. Mike Maretti of IWU succinctly commented about that fact in a recent newspaper interview, and opined that toughness will go far in determining the final outcome in many conference contests. I sense there is a great deal of truth in this. Not only when conference play begins tomorrow, but the team or teams that played the toughest pre-conference schedule might well benefit from that experience.

I'm not sure what fans of other teams feel about how their teams have fared to date. But, with regard to the team I am most familiar with, North Central, if someone had said "will you take 10-1 going into conference," I would have said "in a second." Especially, with long 2 game road trips to Caifornia, Pennsylvania, and Ohio, and a trip to central Wisconsin, facing the #10 team in PA and the #11 team in PA, and not having a home game between 11/25 and 1/3. Hopefully, the Cardinals pre-conference schedule has helped well prepare them for the tough CCIW season where every game will be a battle.

[AndOne]

Jordan Robinson did not play in NPU's last game, and Jordan Nelson did not play in IWU's last game. Do we know why not, and whether they are playing tomorrow?

[iwu70]

Pantagraph article on Titans vs. NCC has a Ron Rose quote saying that Jordan Nelson had good practices and that he expects Nelson to contribute to the Titans CCIW campaign.  I'd expect him to get some minutes, esp. if any teams try to zone the Titans.  We'll see.  Other perimeter players have played better than Nelson to date, so you will see perhaps more minutes for Pennington, Stempel and Rose.  Sodemann, Dolan, and Overstreet still starting, though I would not be at all surprised to see Seibring and Marietti on the floor together vs. NCC's bigs.  Coyle or Bausch on the floor at the same time with Seibring and Marietti, if the Titans need to "go big."

Should be two great CCIW games -- men and women -- in Naperville Saturday afternoon and evening.

Go TITANS!

IWU70

[Titan Q]

Illinois Wesleyan (8-3) @ North Central (10-1), 7:00pm CST...

Illinois Wesleyan (8-3)
G - Dylan Overstreet, 6-3/180 Sr. (11.1 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 4.9 apg)
G - Bryce Dolan, 6-0/165 Jr. (9.8 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 2.5 apg)
G - Pat Sodemann, 6-3/195 Sr. (7.7 ppg, 2.5 rpg)
F - Ryan Coyle, 6-6/208 Jr. (11.9 ppg, 5.4 rpg)
C - Trevor Seibring, 6-8/235 So. (9.9 ppg, 6.7 rpg)

G - Andy Stempel, 6-3/180 So. (6.5 ppg, 2.1 rpg)
F - Alec Bausch, 6-6/210 So. (6.1 ppg, 4.1 rpg)
C - Mike Marietti, 6-8/245 Jr. (6.0 ppg, 3.8 rpg)
G - Joel Pennington, 6-0/175 Jr. (5.4 ppg)
G - Brady Rose, 6-2/170 Fr. (3.2 ppg)

North Central (10-1)
G - Jayme Moten, 6-0/175 Jr. (16.1 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 2.6 apg)
G - Joe Kennell, 6-0/170 Fr. (3.6 ppg, 1.7 rpg, 1.7 apg)
G - Erwin Henry, 6-2/190 Fr. (7.5 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 1.4 apg)
F - Charles Rosenberg, 6-6/220 Sr. (18.3 ppg, 7.4 rpg, 3.4 apg)
F - Jack Burchett, 6-6/215 Sr. (10.3 ppg, 7.8 rpg)

F - Kevin Honn, 6-4/190 Jr. (7.4 ppg, 4.0 rpg)
G - Evan Fendley, 6-1/185 So. (5.5 ppg)
G - David Fuller, 5-9/155 Jr. (2.3 ppg)


Pantagraph - http://www.pantagraph.com/sports/college/basketball/iwu-wants-to-get-tough-versus-north-central/article_aa394105-43e6-511c-ab41-43be533b1491.html

Live video - http://nctv17.com

WJBC Radio - http://portal.stretchinternet.com/wjbc/

WONC Radio - http://www.wonc.org

Live stats - http://www.sidearmstats.com/ncc/mbball/

[AppletonRocks]

My prediction is North Central 81, Illinois Wesleyan 69. 

Jordan Nelson will not play.