MBB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[Gregory Sager]

Clearly Augustana won the defensive battle as well, but Washington University brought the defense as well and held the Vikings scoreless for three to four minute stretches throughout.  The Vikings were held under their season average.

True, but the Bears were held thirty points under their season average this evening. That's a big deal.

I know I am not allowed to blame the rust or the referees (do not get me started), so I'll leave it at that.

Well, you're entitled to blame the rust. The Bears hadn't played since beating Illinois Wesleyan twelve days ago, while Augie played a week ago this evening. That's a pretty significant gap in layoffs, if you're inclined to go the my-boys-must've-been-away-too-long route. As for scapegoating the refs ... well, that's every fan's prerogative, isn't it?

Might just be something with the gameplans, but Coleman getting less and less minutes each of the last three contests, seemingly falling out of the rotation in favor of Gregoire who provides more length (6-4 compared to a very generous 6-2 for Coleman) and similar shooting. Knobloch also pretty much out of the rotation against Birmingham with just three minutes and another 0-fer afternoon.

Great bounce-back game for Wolfe who had struggled in his last few as well, netting a career-high 10 pts.

Knobloch suddenly started the last couple of games before today in place of Coleman, and appears to have done a more abrupt flameout than his predecessor. Yesterday he started and, in 18 minutes of PT, went O fer 5 (all threes) with O assists and 3 TOs. Today, he didn't start and only played 3 minutes, missing both of the 2 shots he took. He has a history of being a good long distance shooter but lately, not so much. He also appears to be slow afoot, thus likely a liability on the defensive end.
Perhaps the problem is that he is a one dimensional, three point shooter, and when his shots from downtown aren't falling Ron Rose has several more versatile options available?

Zach Knobloch was one of many Titans who had the flu today.  I don't think he played at all today - I believe that is a mistake in the boxscore.  In the WJBC pregame they said he was out with the flu, then Ron Rose talked about it after the game as well.

😷 💊 💉
Amazing how a guy who doesn't play at all can appear in a box score. Who is inputting this stuff?

Typically, when a live stats operator has to use a placeholder to cover an unassigned statistic (usually a single shot or rebound or foul or somesuch) in the middle of a game, he employs a player who is little-used or never used and gives him 0+ or 1 minute played. Knobloch isn't exactly Mr. DNP, as he had been a starter 24 hours earlier against Emory, so it wouldn't make sense to use him as a placeholder. Also, he is credited with three minutes played, which is actually a substantial amount of time on the floor -- an inordinate amount for a placeholder -- and two shots attempted, including one from three-point range.

Perhaps more tellingly, this live stats operator tracked substitutions in his PBP, which, of course, not every live stats operator does. And he has Knobloch entering the game twice. He comes in at the 11:20 mark of the first half, makes no statistical contribution, and exits at 9:03. He then re-enters the game at the 5:29 mark of the first half and misses a trey attempt 14 seconds later. Tyler Burdine was fouled by a Panther while rebounding Knobloch's miss, and on the ensuing inbounds play Knobloch attempted and missed a layup at 5:12 (it was blocked by a Panther). He then exits the game for good at 4:34 without any further statistical impact.

And typically, if a live stats operator is conscientious or has the time, he'll go back over the PBP, find the error, and fix the mistake (often with the help of the official scorer and/or a coach), erasing the placeholder in the process. But the box score still shows Knobloch unchanged.

Granted, the championship game of the Emory tourney took place a half-hour after the IWU vs. BSC game ended, so the live stats operator may not have had time to correct the input error, if indeed there was one. But Knobloch doesn't really look like a placeholder (i.e., a red flag for an input error to later be corrected) in terms of his stat line. He looks like a guy who just got in for two short stretches that added up to about three minutes of PT and who had a minimal effect upon the game.

The only other possibility that I can think of is that somebody else for the Titans wore #4 today, and the live stats operator simply used the online or game-program IWU roster without double-checking with the official scorer before inputting the lineups prior to the game.

[Gregory Sager]

According to the WIAC board, Carroll's mainstay PG Ben Widdes has transferred to UWEC and will play right away for the Blugolds.

The gallows will be ready if UWEC plays at Carroll during Widdes' tenure in Eau Claire. 

That prompts me to wonder if there are Carroll fans who actually care enough to show up at Van Male with the rope.

"It's funny. There's over six hundred people in the Wash U Field House -- and yet the only things I can hear on the webcast, aside from sneaker squeak, the P.A., and ref whistles -- are Jay Murry's play-by-play and the megadecibel bellowing of Grey Giovanine. "

The big early lead by Augie sucked the energy out of the Wash-U faithful.  Wasn't a lot for them to cheer about until the Bears got within 8; then the crowd got into it as a timeout was called.  Their enthusiasm was quickly curbed by the previously-referenced offensive foul committed out of that timeout.

Yeah, I posted that right before the Bears made that final run to get it down to eight. It wasn't so much a dig at the fans in attendance, though (nobody really expects a raucous crowd over winter break, even at a game that involves two top-ten teams), as it was a comment on the impressive volume that the Augustana head coach is able to attain, especially once the blazer has been tossed aside and he's had sufficient time to loosen up his vocal cords.

[WUPHF]

Clearly Augustana won the defensive battle as well, but Washington University brought the defense as well and held the Vikings scoreless for three to four minute stretches throughout.  The Vikings were held under their season average.

True, but the Bears were held thirty points under their season average this evening. That's a big deal.

This is true and a big deal, though to be fair, I said that Augustana was clearly the better defensive team.  Augustana is going home with a nice win over a then Top 10 team, so credit where credit is due.

But at the same time, I think my other point still stands.  Hard to imagine the multiple posts on the beat down would have read the same if the loss hit closer to home.  8 point lead with 5:52 minutes left.

As for scapegoating the refs...

I say blame, not scapegoat, but either way, officials and officiating are all part of the game.  Just gotta find a way to win.

I did check the archive and they absolutely blew the over and back call.  It was not an easy call, but it was a late call and should not have been made.  I think they blew the offensive foul on Jake Knupp that Jay Murry referenced after the time out.  Probably an Augustana foul if anything.

[AndOne]

An Augie foul? Surely, you jest! The Stomper wouldn't hear of it. 

Don't know if the same applies at Augie, but of course there is one school that never fouls.
It seems since the coach doesn't teach fouling at practice, the players don't know how.     

[iwu70]

Let's hope the flu bug passes and the TITANS get healthy and ready for Augie coming into The Shirk next week. Augie looked really good vs. Wash U.  Sure would like to see the Titans put it all together, given the talent they have.  Hasn't gelled as yet.

IWU'70

[augiefan]

A really nice win last night for Augie. Nice enough that it brought out the Coach G haters and has a Wash U fan complaining about the refs at a WU home game. Coach G aka The Stomper aka Gene Keady Jr. may be a jerk in the minds of most non Augie CCIW fans, but isn't that the lot of most really successful college coaches? Coach K, Knight, Calipari etc. I just know we Augiefan fans are glad to have him on our bench. 

[WUPHF]

The home team may always get the calls in Carver but for the rest of us...

[jaybird44]

I find Grey to be very amusing.  I'm also a bit jealous...I could've used his vocal cords last night.

I think he qualifies as Greg's "Sonic Atmospheric Disturbance", all by himself.  I mean that in a good way...

[lmitzel]

I for one just enjoy "running" the unofficial Grey Giovanine Jacket Toss pool every time Augie comes to Naperville. 

[Gregory Sager]

A really nice win last night for Augie. Nice enough that it brought out the Coach G haters and has a Wash U fan complaining about the refs at a WU home game. Coach G aka The Stomper aka Gene Keady Jr. may be a jerk in the minds of most non Augie CCIW fans, but isn't that the lot of most really successful college coaches? Coach K, Knight, Calipari etc. I just know we Augiefan fans are glad to have him on our bench. 

I think that you're overstating the matter in my case, and I'm the one who brought up the subject of Giovanine bellowing during last night's game in the first place. I brought it up because I was amused by it, not because I was offended by it. It's a question of whose ox is being gored, and mine certainly isn't by anything that goes on in a game between Augustana and Wash U. And, frankly, there was no indication that he was yelling anything untoward or embarrassing. I didn't hear anything of that sort, and I didn't imply in my post that I had. All I said was that his voice cut through the audio portion of the webstream like a knife. When you think about it, that's actually kind of a compliment. A healthy set of lungs and a durable larynx are certainly assets for a college basketball coach.

I also think that you're overreaching with your statement that most successful college basketball coaches are considered to be jerks by opposing fans. I don't think that that's the case at all. Let's look at some pertinent examples. Bosko Djurickovic has won two national titles as a head coach and is one of only two coaches in D3 history to have taken two different programs to the Final Four. I don't recall anyone ever calling him a "jerk", or words to that effect. Granted, he's hardly universally beloved (AndOne, for instance, isn't fond of him), but there's absolutely no comparison between how Bosko is regarded by opposing fans and how Grey is regarded.

Speaking of AndOne, Todd Raridon is another highly-successful D3 coach; he's the other coach besides Bosko who has taken two different programs to the Final Four. Raridon's occasionally heated behavior on the sidelines has been noted before on CCIW Chat, but, again, there's no comparison between how he is regarded by opposing fans and how Grey is regarded. Ron Rose? Highly successful coach who has taken IWU to the Final Four twice. The next opposing fan who says anything bad whatsoever about Ron Rose will be the first. He is, even by the lights of those who loathe Illinois Wesleyan, someone for whom the description "gentleman" is apt.

Mark Edwards of Wash U? One of the most successful head coaches in D3 men's basketball history, and generally regarded as a class act by everyone. Greg Mitchell of Hope and Kevin VandeStreek of Calvin? The only people who ever complain about them are their own teams' fans. Pete Moran of John Carroll, Keith Bunkenberg of Benedictine, Dick Peth of Wartburg, Steve Moore of Wooster, Johnny Tauer of St. Thomas ... nobody ever badmouths those guys for their comportment on the sidelines, and they run highly-successful programs. I could go on all day, but you get the point.

The success that Grey Giovanine has had at Augustana is blindingly obvious. If Augie fans aren't bothered by his behavior, or are willing to overlook it as long as his teams keep winning, then that's their business. But to connect boorishness to on-court success is a false equation.

[iwumichigander]

IWU vs Birmingham Southern -
Knoblach - my recollection is: he was in the game briefly as Greg noted ( and thanks for pouring through the PBP! You saved me and Ypsi some work)

Knoblach - Coleman - Gregoire: my thinking is Ron Rose trying to find one of them that can consistantly produce as a starter; all have struggled, it is a puzzler and my guess is he who practices well, or not sick,  gets the nod for now

[all blues]

Principia at Millikin right now (3pm Saturday) for the CCIW men's basketball addicts amongst you

[Augie6]

A really nice win last night for Augie. Nice enough that it brought out the Coach G haters and has a Wash U fan complaining about the refs at a WU home game. Coach G aka The Stomper aka Gene Keady Jr. may be a jerk in the minds of most non Augie CCIW fans, but isn't that the lot of most really successful college coaches? Coach K, Knight, Calipari etc. I just know we Augiefan fans are glad to have him on our bench. 

Couldn't have said it better augiefan.  Others can make their snide little comments about Coach G, and he will just keep on winning!

[Yogao]

What I found promising last night is that Micah Martin stayed out of foul trouble. If he can continue to stay in games without getting into foul trouble during the conference schedule it will go a long way in making up for losing Wofford. Prior to the Stevens Point game he had a string of games where he got into foul trouble / fouled out.  Hopefully he's turned a corner and can stay in games.

[robertgoulet]

Sorensen 54 pts for NCC today. School record.