MBB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[Naperick]

Benedictine leads Elmhurst, 25-8, with 9 minutes to go in the 1st half.

[markerickson]

TJ Sims had more shot attempts (25) than minutes played (24).  Also, since he's 5'8", I suspect NPU will keep him in check.

[Titan Q]

Final from Elmhurst...

Benedictine 94
#8 Elmhurst 86

BU dominated the game -- it was 47-19 at halftime.  The Eagles look like a very legitimate Top 25 team to me.

[Titan Q]

A cool D1/D3 game this weekend with some CCIW ties...

John Giannini and his Division I La Salle team is playing at D3 Rowan to commemorate the 20th anniversary of Rowan's 1996 national championship.  Giannini, of course, played at North Central.  And Rowan defeated Illinois Wesleyan in a legendary national semi-final game in Salem before facing Hope the next night.

http://www.d3hoops.com/columns/around-the-region/atlantic/2015-16/twenty-years-later-rowan-reunion

http://www.nj.com/college-basketball/index.ssf/2015/11/division_i_la_salle_to_play_basketball_game_at_division_3_rowan.html

Hoopsville interview w/ Giannini (starts about 1:32:00) - http://www.d3hoops.com/hoopsville/archives/2015-16/nov19


That Rowan team was the best Division III team I've ever seen.  They had three incredible D1 transfers:
- Antwan Dasher (Farleigh Dickinson) - 3-year starter/3-year leading scorer at FDU
- Roscoe Harris (Villanova) - starter/scored 24 vs Georgetown
- Demetrius Poles, 6-10 (St. Joseph) - started multiple games in all 3 seasons at St. Joseph
http://articles.philly.com/1996-02-17/sports/25658045_1_rowan-division-iii-fairleigh-dickinson

And then homegrown Terrence Stewart, who was Rowan's all-time leading scorer.  Rowan was, very legitimately, the caliber of a good mid-major Division I team.

The 1995-96 IWU team is the best I have seen in the 26 years I've been following the Titans. 
G - Brady Knight, 6-1 Sr  (6.9 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 3.5 apg)
G - TJ Posey, 6-3 Sr  (8.0 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 4.1 apg)
F - Bryan Crabtree, 6-7 Jr  (17.8 ppg, 5.0 rpg)
F - John Litwiller, 6-6 Sr  (12.9 ppg, 4.8 rpg) - transfer/starter from D1 Illinois State
C - Chris Simich, 6-6 Sr  (19.3 ppg, 8.2 rpg)

F - Scott Peterson, 6-6 Sr - transfer from D1 Northern Illinois
C - Andy Boyden, 6-9 So
F - Matt Swingler, 6-5 Sr

In one of the best games I've ever seen, IWU fell 79-77 on a very improbable tip-in by 6-10 Demetrius Poles with 8 seconds to play. IWU had led 77-75 with 0:23 to go, making it even tougher to swallow.

Hard to believe that was 20 seasons ago.  Very cool what Giannini and La Salle are doing...not just playing Rowan, but doing so in the D3 school's gym.

Still want to see that IWU/Hope national championship game...maybe Sac and I can get the guys together.

[GoPerry]

Final from Elmhurst...

Benedictine 94
#8 Elmhurst 86

BU dominated the game -- it was 47-19 at halftime.  The Eagles look like a very legitimate Top 25 team to me.

I agree.

Not that it means very much, but I'll be very interested to see where the voters put them when the first in-season poll comes out on Monday considering they received nothing in the pre-season poll.  After their start, it seems to me they should be well into the top 20.

[pointlem]

A cool D1/D3 game this weekend with some CCIW ties...

John Giannini and his Division I La Salle team is playing at D3 Rowan to commemorate the 20th anniversary of Rowan's 1996 national championship.  Giannini, of course, played at North Central.  And Rowan defeated Illinois Wesleyan in a legendary national semi-final game in Salem before facing Hope the next night.

You describe the disappointing end of that game well, Titan Q. I can still see that tip in my mind's eye. Hope and IWU fans seemed to be rooting for each other--and for a true DIII championship game against two excellent liberal arts colleges. 

The championship game against Rowan also went down to the wire.  Hope couldn't have played better, losing 100 to 93, despite 39 points from guard Joel Holstege, who wasn't even slightly intimidated by the DI-->DIII players.

[Titan Q]

#13 Ohio Wesleyan at #24 Illinois Wesleyan, 3:00pm...


Ohio Wesleyan (5-0)
G - Nate Axelrod, 5-7/155 So.  (15.8 ppg, 2.0 rpg, 5.0 apg)  Preseason Honorable Mention All-American
G - Seth Clark, 6-4/210 So.  (6.2 ppg, 4.0 rpg)
F - Claude Gray, 6-4/205 Sr.  (17.6 ppg, 3.2 rpg) Preseason 3rd team All-American
F - Ben Simpson, 6-4/200 Jr.  (11.0 ppg, 10.6 rpg)
F - Matt Jeske, 6-5/215 Sr.  (7.6 ppg, 5.6 rpg)

F - Joey Kinsley, 6-6/205 Sr.  (6.8 ppg)
G - Zak Davis, 6-1/180 Sr.  (2.8 ppg)
G - Jon Griggs, 5-11/175 Jr. (0.4 ppg)

Illinois Wesleyan (3-1)
G - Brady Rose, 6-2/190 So.  (10.3 ppg, 1.8 rpg, 4.3 apg)
G - Bryce Dolan, 6-1/165 Sr. (12.8 ppg, 1.5 rpg, 4.3 apg)
F - Andy Stempel, 6-4/192 Jr. (11.8 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 3.0 apg)
F - Alec Bausch, 6-6/210 Jr.  (9.8 ppg, 6.3 rpg)
C - Trevor Seibring, 6-8/235 Jr.  (16.5 ppg, 5.5 rpg)

F - Jaylen Beasley, 6-6/180 So. (12.3 ppg, 5.3 rpg)
G - Joel Pennington, 6-0/180 Sr.  (9.9 ppg, 2.3 rpg)
F - Colin Bonnett, 6-3/195 Fr.  (8.0 ppg, 3.5 rpg)
C - Rob Mahlke, 6-8/220 Sr.  (2.5 ppg, 2.0 rpg)
G - Brian Nelms, 5-11/170 Sr.  (1.5 ppg, 2.5 apg)

Pantagraph - http://www.pantagraph.com/sports/college/basketball/men/old-rival-awaits-rose-iwu-in-ohio-wesleyan/article_a808693b-d0b6-5a18-b968-42c38a02ab7c.html

Live video/stats - http://portal.stretchinternet.com/iwu/

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

[Titan Q]

As the Pantagraph article linked to above mentions, IWU and OWU met in the national quarterfinal in March 1988.  I never saw that IWU team, but most Titans fans who did seem to think it was IWU's best non-Sikma team:

G - Ron Rose, 6-1 Sr (7.1 ppg, 1.9 rpg)
G - Paul Petersen, 6-2 Sr (12.4 ppg, 3.4 rpg)
F - Brian Coderre, 6-4 Sr (11.9 ppg, 5.6 rpg)
F - Jeff Kuehl, 6-7 So (17.1 ppg, 6.2 rpg)
C - Bill Braksick, 7-0 Sr (14.8 ppg, 12.0 rpg)

IWU fell 106-103 at Ohio Wesleyan.  The Battling Bishops went on to beat Nebraska Wesleyan by 16 in the national semifinal and then Scranton by 22 in the title game.

That March 12, 1988 matchup vs OWU - Ron Rose's final game - is on the short list of games that come up when IWU fans talk about all-time great games. 

[mr_b]

Final from Michigan: North Park 73, Adrian 70.  The Vikings held on to a three-point lead with 11 seconds to go as the teams traded turnovers.  The Bulldogs missed the front end of a pair of free throws to stay behind by one, and Colin Lake hit two free throws to seal the victory and hand Adrian its first loss in six games.  Lake (21), Juwan Henry (18) and Jordan Robinson (16) led the Viking offense.

[Gregory Sager]

Final from somewhere southwest of Detroit:

North Park 73
Adrian 70

Colin Lake: 21 pts (5-8 trey)
Juwan Henry: 18 pts, 4:2 a:to
Jordan Robinson: 16 pts (2-3 trey), 9 rebs
Michael Hutchinson: 12 pts, 10 rebs

I didn't get to see this game, since I was broadcasting an overtime game for the NPU women in the crackerbox. I kept one eye on the live stats from Adrian as I called the game in front of me, and I thought to myself, "Boy, it's a good thing I can't watch that men's game." Not only was it a nail-biter, it was ugly at the end, too. Both teams turned the ball over in the final thirty seconds, both teams missed free throws ... but in the end it was local product Colin Lake, no doubt playing in front of a lot of southeast Michigan friends and family, who made the two FTs to seal it.

The Vikings got clobbered on the boards, 44-30, but I'm not going to look a gift horse in the mouth. Adrian was 5-0 going into this game, and by all accounts the Bulldogs are a solid outfit. This is a nice road win for NPU.

[Titan Q]

#13 Ohio Wesleyan 94
#24 Illinois Wesleyan 85

http://www.iwusports.com/boxscore.aspx?id=3477&path=mbball

* Bryce Dolan: 37 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists (8-10 3-point, 7-7 FT)
* Andy Stempel: 13 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists
* Trevor Seibring: 11 points, 7 rebounds


The Titans played extremely poorly overall today in the 2nd half -- especially on the defensive end.  Ohio Wesleyan is a great team, but IWU just was not very good.  The Titans will need to get things squared away on the defensive end to have any chance to compete in the CCIW this year.

Incredible performance by senior guard Bryce Dolan. 

IWU has Wash U at home a week from today.

[Denny McKinney]

Great game Bryce Dolan. You have made the folks of Washington, Mo. proud. Wish it was a win. TQ, I told you he had a chance to be a good one.

[GoPerry]

#13 Ohio Wesleyan 94
#24 Illinois Wesleyan 85

http://www.iwusports.com/boxscore.aspx?id=3477&path=mbball

* Bryce Dolan: 37 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists (8-10 3-point, 7-7 FT)
* Andy Stempel: 13 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists
* Trevor Seibring: 11 points, 7 rebounds


The Titans played extremely poorly overall today in the 2nd half -- especially on the defensive end.  Ohio Wesleyan is a great team, but IWU just was not very good.  The Titans will need to get things squared away on the defensive end to have any chance to compete in the CCIW this year.

Incredible performance by senior guard Bryce Dolan. 

IWU has Wash U at home a week from today.

Just perusing the box score, it looks like the Titans played pretty decently even in the losing effort. They shot 50% from the field including 50% from 3pt.  Rebounding not lopsided really. The thing that sticks out is that OW had a mere 4 turnovers while IWU had a more normal 12.  Thus OW had 10 more shot attempts. The green 58% FT% rather un-stellar also.

[Titan Q]

Just perusing the box score, it looks like the Titans played pretty decently even in the losing effort. They shot 50% from the field including 50% from 3pt.  Rebounding not lopsided really. The thing that sticks out is that OW had a mere 4 turnovers while IWU had a more normal 12.  Thus OW had 10 more shot attempts. The green 58% FT% rather un-stellar also.

Outside of IWU's uncharacteristically bad free throw shooting performance (15-26), offense wasn't the problem vs Ohio Wesleyan.  IWU shot 28-55 (.509), including 14-28 (.500) from 3.  The Titans scored 85 points, and 85 points ought to be good enough to win a game.

The problem was on the defensive end.  Ohio Wesleyan was 33-65 (.509) from the field and had 18 assists to just 4 turnovers. The Bishops were 18-31 (.581) in the 2nd half.  There were about two matchups on the floor at all times that caused IWU huge problems - matchups where OWU had a smaller, quicker player being guarded by a bigger IWU defender.  OWU did a great job exploiting these and using dribble penetration to get into the lane for a shot or a kick out.  Fortunately for IWU, I don't think there are a lot of teams on the schedule the rest of the way that present that degree of of matchup problems.  OWU has a very unique mix of guys.

This was definitely a disappointing home loss for the Titans.  That said, it was to a great team.  The Bishops returned 4 of 5 starters from a 22-6 team that won the NCAC last year by two games (16-2) and went to the NCAA tournament.  They have two preseason D3hoops.com All-Americans, and several other guys who can beat you. Ohio Wesleyan will most likely be ranked #5 or #6 (somewhere right around there) in the next D3hoops.com poll. OWU has hit the ground running in 2015-16.

IWU's 2015-16 team is still very much a work in progress.  Like last year (when IWU went 8-3 in the non-conference), the Titans are piecing together a new rotation, figuring out roles, and looking for their 2015-16 identity.  They look great for stretches, and then bad for stretches -- it's just not there yet.  I think the Titans will continue to settle in and figure things out -- by CCIW time, I hope things are clicking.  And the schedule they are playing (in particular, games against Ohio Wesleyan, U. of Chicago, Benedictine, Wash U, Rose-Hulman, Texas Lutheran) should have them ready to face the strong CCIW slate. I still like IWU in that #3 CCIW spot, behind Augustana and Elmhurst.

I think IWU gets 6-8 Mike Marietti back soon...and 6-6 Ryan Coyle in later December.  That will help quite a bit.

[AppletonRocks]

Just perusing the box score, it looks like the Titans played pretty decently even in the losing effort. They shot 50% from the field including 50% from 3pt.  Rebounding not lopsided really. The thing that sticks out is that OW had a mere 4 turnovers while IWU had a more normal 12.  Thus OW had 10 more shot attempts. The green 58% FT% rather un-stellar also.

Outside of IWU's uncharacteristically bad free throw shooting performance (15-26), offense wasn't the problem vs Ohio Wesleyan.  IWU shot 28-55 (.509), including 14-28 (.500) from 3.  The Titans scored 85 points, and 85 points ought to be good enough to win a game.

The problem was on the defensive end.  Ohio Wesleyan was 33-65 (.509) from the field and had 18 assists to just 4 turnovers. The Bishops were 18-31 (.581) in the 2nd half.  There were about two matchups on the floor at all times that caused IWU huge problems - matchups where OWU had a smaller, quicker player being guarded by a bigger IWU defender.  OWU did a great job exploiting these and using dribble penetration to get into the lane for a shot or a kick out.  Fortunately for IWU, I don't think there are a lot of teams on the schedule the rest of the way that present that degree of of matchup problems.  OWU has a very unique mix of guys.

This was definitely a disappointing home loss for the Titans.  That said, it was to a great team.  The Bishops returned 4 of 5 starters from a 22-6 team that won the NCAC last year by two games (16-2) and went to the NCAA tournament.  They have two preseason D3hoops.com All-Americans, and several other guys who can beat you. Ohio Wesleyan will most likely be ranked #5 or #6 (somewhere right around there) in the next D3hoops.com poll. OWU has hit the ground running in 2015-16.

IWU's 2015-16 team is still very much a work in progress.  Like last year (when IWU went 8-3 in the non-conference), the Titans are piecing together a new rotation, figuring out roles, and looking for their 2015-16 identity.  They look great for stretches, and then bad for stretches -- it's just not there yet.  I think the Titans will continue to settle in and figure things out -- by CCIW time, I hope things are clicking.  And the schedule they are playing (in particular, games against Ohio Wesleyan, U. of Chicago, Benedictine, Wash U, Rose-Hulman, Texas Lutheran) should have them ready to face the strong CCIW slate. I still like IWU in that #3 CCIW spot, behind Augustana and Elmhurst.

I think IWU gets 6-8 Mike Marietti back soon...and 6-6 Ryan Coyle in later December.  That will help quite a bit.

Will there be a coaching controversy in Bloomington this year?