MBB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[Gregory Sager]

It's tough to change a culture and he has done that really well.  People will judge success in different ways, often without knowing what success in a particular situation may be.  Matt has chosen to find the positives in bringing young men into the program and teaching them about life.  The wins will come in time.

This is a good point, Joe, especially the part that I bolded. I'm reminded of something that Bosko said in a Carthage press release regarding Malcom Kelly a few seasons ago. It was something to the effect of, "Malcom is the kind of guy that I really root for, because he comes from more difficult circumstances than the typical CCIW player."

I fully back Bosko on that point. The typical profile of a CCIW men's basketball player, like that of a CCIW student in general, is that of a middle-class or upper middle-class kid from leafy suburbia with two parents, a comfortable lifestyle, a safe environment, and a good education from solid elementary and secondary schools. But that typical profile doesn't fit everybody in the CCIW. There are young men in this league who weren't blessed with that set of advantages in life before (and after) they arrived on their respective campuses. Those are young men who struggle with both inward and outward challenges all the while that they're taking classes and playing ball in college. I know that for a fact, because I've seen a significant number of them over the years at NPU. As evidenced in his statement about Malcom Kelly, Bosko continues to work with kids like that at Carthage, too. (With Bosko it's a personal thing as well; he grew up in a working-class immigrant household a couple of miles from the North Park campus and attended distinctly unglamorous Schurz High School at Milwaukee and Addison. You can take the kid out of the big city, but you can't take the big city out of the kid.) And it's plain to see that Matt Nadelhoffer is working with kids like that at Millikin, too.

Unlike Bosko, I don't think that Matt really identifies with that set of difficult circumstances by dint of his own background and exposure to blue-collar life from a young age. My impression is that, like most Wheaton folks, he was blessed with more advantages growing up. But I also get the impression that Matt really cares about those kinds of kids, up to and including his willingness to impose some tough love upon them whenever it's necessary. Sometimes a coach has to walk the fine line between being the guy who is trying to do everything that he can to win basketball games and being the mentor to his players that some of them especially need. I don't see him as the kind of coach who would just recruit a kid from a disadvantaged background simply in order to use him up as a basketball player and then discard him when either his patience or the kid's eligibility ran out, whichever came first. On the contrary, I think he's the kind of coach who will see the opportunity to coach players like that as a sort of, if you'll excuse the term, calling, rather than simply as a chance to improve his team by bringing in an individual with a lot of basketball ability. And, ultimately, success with a student-athlete like that is much more about seeing him get a degree and develop into a responsible and productive person with dignity and self-worth than it is about how many points and rebounds you can squeeze out of him.

Bosko roots for guys like Malcom Kelly to make it both on and off the court. I do, too, and I'm pretty certain that Matt Nadelhoffer does as well.

There's more that goes on in CCIW men's basketball than just basketball, people.

[Gregory Sager]

The CCIW's current record is 39-24 (.619). I have to admit that the league is well behind the pace that I thought it'd have this season with regard to non-conference play. That's partly due to the composite schedule being stronger than I figured it'd be (which is, in turn, partly due to the MIAA being much better than it has been recently and also partly due to the fact that the double round-robin now used by the NACC means less feasting upon that particular league in November and December). But it's also explained in part by the inescapable truth that some CCIW teams have had a more sluggish start out of the gate than I had anticipated.

[Gregory Sager]

Nice job by Tom Jessee to coax a win out of Augustana last night, even though his team appeared to sleepwalk through a first half that was dominated by a feisty bantamweight MacMurray team. Grey Giovanine took the night off for health reasons, so, even though it doesn't officially count as a Tom Jessee win in the record books, I'm gonna tip my cap to him, anyway.

[WUPHF]

The CCIW's current record is 39-24 (.619). I have to admit that the league is well behind the pace that I thought it'd have this season with regard to non-conference play. That's partly due to the composite schedule being stronger than I figured it'd be (which is, in turn, partly due to the MIAA being much better than it has been recently and also partly due to the fact that the double round-robin now used by the NACC means less feasting upon that particular league in November and December). But it's also explained in part by the inescapable truth that some CCIW teams have had a more sluggish start out of the gate than I had anticipated.

It looks like the CCIW has overtaken the 44-20 UAA as the best conference according to Massey, for what it is worth, followed by the MIAC, MIAA, American SWE, NESCAC and the WIAC.  The 36-32 WIAC is in seventh, wow!

[John Gleich]

The CCIW's current record is 39-24 (.619). I have to admit that the league is well behind the pace that I thought it'd have this season with regard to non-conference play. That's partly due to the composite schedule being stronger than I figured it'd be (which is, in turn, partly due to the MIAA being much better than it has been recently and also partly due to the fact that the double round-robin now used by the NACC means less feasting upon that particular league in November and December). But it's also explained in part by the inescapable truth that some CCIW teams have had a more sluggish start out of the gate than I had anticipated.

It looks like the CCIW has overtaken the 44-20 UAA as the best conference according to Massey, for what it is worth, followed by the MIAC, MIAA, American SWE, NESCAC and the WIAC.  The 36-32 WIAC is in seventh, wow!

The WIAC is clearly down this year compared to recent years (though the bottom of the league has been down the last several years from a decade and longer ago...), but I found this interesting:

Augie is 3-0 vs the WIAC (with one game coming against Oshkosh). Hope is 3-0 against the WIAC. St. Thomas is 3-0 against the WIAC. St. Norbert is 2-1 against the WIAC (only top 25 win was UWSP over SNC by my count... unless you consider the two wins against St. Olaf top 25 wins).

If you take away those games... the WIAC is 35-23. That's only 60%, which still isn't great (compared to historic WIAC non-con records) but it does put things in context a bit.

[Mr. Ypsi]

The CCIW's current record is 39-24 (.619). I have to admit that the league is well behind the pace that I thought it'd have this season with regard to non-conference play. That's partly due to the composite schedule being stronger than I figured it'd be (which is, in turn, partly due to the MIAA being much better than it has been recently and also partly due to the fact that the double round-robin now used by the NACC means less feasting upon that particular league in November and December). But it's also explained in part by the inescapable truth that some CCIW teams have had a more sluggish start out of the gate than I had anticipated.

The hazards of schedules being made up years in advance.  Some teams that were probably scheduled as 'cupcakes' (I'm looking at you, Alma and Benedictine) have forgotten to play that role.   In partial compensation, the WIAC (as WUH and John Gleich pointed out) is not nearly as scary as usual.

[WUPHF]

Augie is 3-0 vs the WIAC (with one game coming against Oshkosh). Hope is 3-0 against the WIAC. St. Thomas is 3-0 against the WIAC. St. Norbert is 2-1 against the WIAC (only top 25 win was UWSP over SNC by my count... unless you consider the two wins against St. Olaf top 25 wins).

If you take away those games... the WIAC is 35-23. That's only 60%, which still isn't great (compared to historic WIAC non-con records) but it does put things in context a bit.

That is interesting and is important context for sure.

[Gregory Sager]

The hazards of schedules being made up years in advance.  Some teams that were probably scheduled as 'cupcakes' (I'm looking at you, Alma and Benedictine) have forgotten to play that role.

I would say that Benedictine rarely qualifies as a cupcake, Chuck. Over the past nine seasons (including this one) the Bennies have faced 26 CCIW opponents -- and only nine times out of those 26 games has the CCIW team won by double digits, and never by more than 19 points. BU won eight of those 26 games. More often than not you'll get a good game from a Keith Bunkenburg team.

While Alma has been a patsy for decades, it was pretty clear by the way that the Scots performed in MIAA play last January and February that Sam Hargraves was on to something, as they had an NPU-like 7-2 run to end the season, beating both of the MIAA's Big Two in the process for the first time since Hans Brinker put on his silver skates. However, since CCIW vs. MIAA affairs are usually two-season home-and-home contracts, it's unlikely that Tom Slyder or Mike Schauer could've foreseen the rise of the Scots. Elmhurst and North Central were on the Alma schedule this year without having been on it in the recent past, so I can't vouch for John Baines or Todd Raridon one way or the other.

[Mr. Ypsi]

Greg, I'll agree that 'cupcake' was too strong a term for Benedictine, but by your own post CCIW teams were 18-5 against them for the prior 8 seasons.  How about 'penciled in as a probable victory'?

[Mr. Ypsi]

#2 son broke his hand at the gym yesterday, and will need surgery.  Other than that I have no details.  He has a final exam tomorrow, so I sure hope it is not his writing hand (or that he has a very understanding instructor)!  He is apparently not in much pain, so hopefully being 'messed up' on pain pills will not be an issue.  (We've barely talked, since we don't want to risk interrupting his studying.)

[Gregory Sager]

Greg, I'll agree that 'cupcake' was too strong a term for Benedictine, but by your own post CCIW teams were 18-5 against them for the prior 8 seasons.  How about 'penciled in as a probable victory'?

That sounds reasonable, as long as probable is in italics.

[Mr. Ypsi]

#2 son broke his hand at the gym yesterday, and will need surgery.  Other than that I have no details.  He has a final exam tomorrow, so I sure hope it is not his writing hand (or that he has a very understanding instructor)!  He is apparently not in much pain, so hopefully being 'messed up' on pain pills will not be an issue.  (We've barely talked, since we don't want to risk interrupting his studying.)

Got a text message with good news - it is his left hand (he is right-handed), and surgery is not necessarily in his future (will be decided on Tuesday).

[sac]

The MIAA CCIW series is 9 wins for the MIAA 8 for the CCIW with two games remaining  Millikin vs Adrian, Millikin vs Trine.  It should be pointed out 7 of those MIAA wins come from Hope, Calvin and Alma and of those 9 wins 8 have come against Wheaton, North Park and Carthage.  It remains to be seen if any of those 3 will finish in the top 4 of the CCIW.   

No one from the MIAA played Augustana or Illinois Wesleyan this year.

[hopefan]

The CCIW's current record is 39-24 (.619). I have to admit that the league is well behind the pace that I thought it'd have this season with regard to non-conference play. That's partly due to the composite schedule being stronger than I figured it'd be (which is, in turn, partly due to the MIAA being much better than it has been recently and also partly due to the fact that the double round-robin now used by the NACC means less feasting upon that particular league in November and December). But it's also explained in part by the inescapable truth that some CCIW teams have had a more sluggish start out of the gate than I had anticipated.

But Greg... just think if you didn't have those SLIAC "bantamweights" to "massacre", even though "sleep-walking" for part of the games.... the CCIW would be a pedestrian 29-24 vs D3... hardly anything to write home about...

Awww I couldn't resist... just havin' fun with my conference's futility....

[Mr. Ypsi]

The MIAA CCIW series is 9 wins for the MIAA 8 for the CCIW with two games remaining  Millikin vs Adrian, Millikin vs Trine.  It should be pointed out 7 of those MIAA wins come from Hope, Calvin and Alma and of those 9 wins 8 have come against Wheaton, North Park and Carthage.  It remains to be seen if any of those 3 will finish in the top 4 of the CCIW.   

No one from the MIAA played Augustana or Illinois Wesleyan this year.

Playing Augie would doubtless have hurt the record for the MIAA, but much as it pains me to say it, playing IWU might have boosted your record.