MBB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[WUPHF]

If anyone wants to watch an awfully played and refereed basketball game that could have implications in the Central Region, tune into the UAA.

Halftime

WashU                26
Carnegie Mellon.  23

You really did not enjoy that game...

Offensively, both teams struggled mightily...but not a bad defensive effort by Washington University in my opinion.

The officiating was very one-sided: if you were defending the side behind the small bleachers, you had the fouls going against you.

[Gregory Sager]

Current Massey:

    9. Augustana
  34. North Park
  39. Illinois Wesleyan
  55. Carthage
  82. North Central
100. Carroll
112. Wheaton
172. Elmhurst
309. Millikin

Massey sez:

Carroll 68, @ Millikin 59 (CU 80%, MU 20%)
Augustana 79, @ Carthage 74 (AC 67%, CC 33%)
North Park 84, @ Elmhurst 78 (NPU 70%, EC 30%)
@ North Central 76, Wheaton 72 (NCC 63%, WC 37%)

[4samuy]

If anyone wants to watch an awfully played and refereed basketball game that could have implications in the Central Region, tune into the UAA.

Halftime

WashU                26
Carnegie Mellon.  23

You really did not enjoy that game...

Offensively, both teams struggled mightily...but not a bad defensive effort by Washington University in my opinion.

The officiating was very one-sided: if you were defending the side behind the small bleachers, you had the fouls going against you.

After watching that first half decided not to take in the second.  Looks as if WashU finished the game nicely.

[Titan Q]

Here is a look at the standings, remaining schedules, and how Massey has the final standings...

Standings (1/28 morning)
Augustana: 8-1
North Park: 7-2
Carthage: 5-4
Carroll: 5-4
Wheaton: 4-4
Illinois Wesleyan: 4-5
North Central: 4-5
Elmhurst: 2-7
Millikin: 1-8

Remaining schedules
* Augustana: @Carthage, @Wheaton, vs Millikin, vs North Central, @Carroll, @North Park, @Illinois Wesleyan
* North Park: @Elmhurst, vs North Central, @Carthage, @Wheaton, @Carroll, vs Augustana, vs Millikin
* Carthage: vs Augustana, vs North Park, vs Illinois Wesleyan, vs North Central, @Millikin, vs Wheaton
* Carroll: @Millikin, @North Central, @Illinois Wesleyan, vs Augustana, vs North Park, vs Wheaton, @Elmhurst
* Wheaton: @North Central, vs Augustana, vs Elmhurst, @Millikin, vs North Park, vs Illinois Wesleyan, @Carroll, @Carthage
* Illinois Wesleyan: @Millikin, vs Carroll, vs Elmhurst, @Carthage, @Wheaton, vs North Central, vs Augustana
* North Central: vs Wheaton, vs Carroll, @North Park, @Augustana, vs Elmhurst, @Carthage, @Illiinois Wesleyan

Massey Prediction
1. Augustana: 15-1
2. North Park: 12-4
3. Illinois Wesleyan: 10-6
4. Carthage: 10-6

5. Carroll: 7-9
6. North Central: 7-9
7. Wheaton: 6-10


IWU has struggled it's last couple of games, but if the Titans start playing better they have a chance to:
  1) Make the conference tournament, and
  2) Get in the Pool C discussion come selection day. 18-7 (.720) and a very strong SOS would have the Titans in the picture at the end of the bubble.

So still a ton of season of left with every game being almost a "must win" -- truly a "one game at a time" situation.  The Titans will have a play up to their potential to go 6-1, but I don't think that's out of reach or unreasonable.

[Titan Q]

A lot of IWU's fate rests on the health of 6-8 Trevor Seibring.  When I first heard of Trevor's back injury, the word was he was probably done for the year.  At this point, he might be 50% ish - I give him a ton of credit for trying to play.

Trevor is averaging 6.5 points and 2.5 rebounds per game since his return (at Carroll, at North Park) and those just are not Trevor Seibring numbers -- this is a guy who has averaged somewhere in the neighborhood of 14 & 6 since late his sophomore season. 

IWU's bye tonight probably comes at a great time in terms of Trevor's status.

[Titan Q]

With the CCIW standings as they are, just about every game the rest of the way has significant implications...which is great.

For example, tonight:

* North Park at Elmhurst
* Wheaton at North Central
* Augustana at Carthage
* Carroll at Millikin

All four of those results will be significant in the final league standings. And there is some element of uncertainty in all four (you can make a case the underdog has a shot).

Fun stuff.

[AndOne]

Today is Men's Basketball Alumni Day at North Central. Several former players, especially of recent and fairly recent vintage will take part.

1:00 -- Alumni basketball game
3:00 -- Renovated locker room tour
5:00 -- Women's game
6:00 -- Catered dinner for basketball alums, Tip-Off Club members, and other alums
7:00 -- Men's game vs. Wheaton

[augie77]

Massey Prediction
1. Augustana: 15-1
2. North Park: 12-4
3. Illinois Wesleyan: 10-6
4. Carthage: 10-6

5. Carroll: 7-9
6. North Central: 7-9
7. Wheaton: 6-10

I would be very surprised if Augustana were to finish 15-1.  They still have away games at all five of the top contenders.  Even Massey's predictions show the games to be close.  Only Millikin is predicted as more than a ten point win.  If all the bounces go Augie's way they could plausibly go 15-1, but how often does everything play out so precisely?  I'll be happy to go 13-3 and hope that's enough to get the top tournament seed.

[Gregory Sager]

A lot of IWU's fate rests on the health of 6-8 Trevor Seibring.  When I first heard of Trevor's back injury, the word was he was probably done for the year.  At this point, he might be 50% ish

As I said the other night, he moves and jumps much better than a player who is at 50% due to a back problem. For example, check out this clip from the IWU @ NPU postgame interview of Seibring closing out on a Biko trey attempt. It's at the 2:09 mark of the interview, and it's in slow motion. Seibring runs all the way from beneath the basket out to the arc to genuinely contest the shot, and he covered that ground very quickly. Give Biko credit for posing a formidable physical obstacle on defense in the low post on Wednesday -- and recognize that Seibring's troubles stemmed in large part from his shuffling his feet with the ball in his hands, which is not a back-related issue.

[Titan Q]

A lot of IWU's fate rests on the health of 6-8 Trevor Seibring.  When I first heard of Trevor's back injury, the word was he was probably done for the year.  At this point, he might be 50% ish

As I said the other night, he moves and jumps much better than a player who is at 50% due to a back problem. For example, check out this clip from the IWU @ NPU postgame interview of Seibring closing out on a Biko trey attempt. It's at the 2:09 mark of the interview, and it's in slow motion. Seibring runs all the way from beneath the basket out to the arc to genuinely contest the shot, and he covered that ground very quickly. Give Biko credit for posing a formidable physical obstacle on defense in the low post on Wednesday -- and recognize that Seibring's troubles stemmed in large part from his shuffling his feet with the ball in his hands, which is not a back-related issue.

I have heard from people very close to the situation that Seibring is not even operating at 50% right now - that he is playing through extreme pain. I trust their perspective.

[sac]

Back injuries at 21 are a lot different than back injuries at 45+ 

[Gregory Sager]

I believe that he is operating through extreme pain. I've known plenty of people who've had back problems, and you can tell just by looking at them that the pain can be excruciating. I'm simply saying that the visual evidence is that it hasn't reduced his effectiveness by more than half. Again, I watched him play thirty minutes of basketball the other night, and his running and jumping were well up to par.

Give him credit for his ability to block out his pain while he's on the court.

[USee]

A lot of IWU's fate rests on the health of 6-8 Trevor Seibring.  When I first heard of Trevor's back injury, the word was he was probably done for the year.  At this point, he might be 50% ish - I give him a ton of credit for trying to play.

Trevor is averaging 6.5 points and 2.5 rebounds per game since his return (at Carroll, at North Park) and those just are not Trevor Seibring numbers -- this is a guy who has averaged somewhere in the neighborhood of 14 & 6 since late his sophomore season.

IWU's bye tonight probably comes at a great time in terms of Trevor's status.

Greg,

You make the observation that Seibring appears better than 50% but his numbers are off by more than 50%. There is a big difference between effort and production. He could well be at 70% effort but it takes more than that to produce 14 & 6.

Even your close out video, while he was mobile and got to Biko, if he is operating at 100% Biko maybe doesn't even get the shot off. That's stuff you can't measure but isn't part of the "visual evidence" his production on the floor, which is less than half what it was?

[4samuy]

A lot of IWU's fate rests on the health of 6-8 Trevor Seibring.  When I first heard of Trevor's back injury, the word was he was probably done for the year.  At this point, he might be 50% ish

As I said the other night, he moves and jumps much better than a player who is at 50% due to a back problem. For example, check out this clip from the IWU @ NPU postgame interview of Seibring closing out on a Biko trey attempt. It's at the 2:09 mark of the interview, and it's in slow motion. Seibring runs all the way from beneath the basket out to the arc to genuinely contest the shot, and he covered that ground very quickly. Give Biko credit for posing a formidable physical obstacle on defense in the low post on Wednesday -- and recognize that Seibring's troubles stemmed in large part from his shuffling his feet with the ball in his hands, which is not a back-related issue.

I have heard from people very close to the situation that Seibring is not even operating at 50% right now - that he is playing through extreme pain. I trust their perspective.

I don't know Seibring and what makes him tick, but if he is playing thru that kind of pain, hats off to him and his "want to". My guess is that if the doctors felt he couldn't do more damage to the back, they've cleared him to play.   Playing thru "extreme" pain can be awfully difficult not just from a physical standpoint, but sometimes more importantly from a mental standpoint. When you can't contribute as you have in the past it can really wear on you. All credit to Trevor and hope he starts feeling better.

[AndOne]

If Seibring is having the degree of pain reported above, there is a high degree of likelihood that he is receiving some type of non-surgical aid to allow him to function at whatever level he is capable of.
Ranging from conservative to more aggressive, current treatment might consist of over the counter medication (NSAIDS), prescription medication (pain relievers and muscle relaxants), ice/heat, electrical stimulation, chiropractic manipulation, acupuncture, or epidural steroid injection(s).
Almost seems impossible that one or more of these modalities is not being currently employed.