MBB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[lmitzel]

I don't think I've heard his last name pronounced the same way by any broadcast team or PA guy all year. Good luck!

And, pronounced in more than one way by the same broadcaster, same game.

I've got a cheat sheet from years past so, hopefully, this won't be an issue. But this is where the tried and true strategy of "Ask the coaching staff before the game so I don't sound like an idiot" comes into play too.

It never hurts to ask, even when it's the name of an upperclassman such as Jason Gregoire who has seen a lot of playing time in previous seasons. I used to feel embarrassed when I'd find myself wondering, "How did I pronounce that guy's name last season?", but I didn't want to look ignorant by specifically asking the opposing coaches about him. But I've found that the best way around that is to simply go up to an assistant coach and quickly run through the pronunciations of all the players. That conveniently hides the problem.

That's typically how I do it, yeah. Any time I come across one I either don't know going in or mess up with the coach, the typical line is "This is why I ask."

BTW, kudos to all of the CCIW SIDs who are now sending pronunciation guides to their colleagues before games. More and more SIDs are doing this for various sports. I realize that this is one more task being taken on by individuals who are typically among the busiest and most overworked employees on their respective campuses, but this is a welcome and long-needed development that really helps out us broadcasters and P.A. announcers.

It's always nice to walk into the gym and have one of those at my spot, so for any CCIW SID's who happen to pop in here... your hard work is not unappreciated.

[Gregory Sager]

This is Drew's forecast for the first Central Region ranking, which comes out today:

Central region
1) Augustana (20-2, 12-1 CCIW, 0.909 WP, 0.548 SOS, 0.510 ncSOS)
2) UW-Oshkosh (19-1, 9-0 WIAC, 0.950 WP, 0.523 SOS, 0.466 ncSOS)
3) UW-La_Crosse (15-6, 8-2 WIAC, 0.714 WP, 0.590 SOS, 0.535 ncSOS)
4) North_Central_(Ill.) (18-3, 10-2 CCIW, 0.857 WP, 0.517 SOS, 0.442 ncSOS)
5) UW-Whitewater (14-6, 3-6 WIAC, 0.700 WP, 0.562 SOS, 0.515 ncSOS)
6) UW-Stevens_Point (14-6, 6-4 WIAC, 0.700 WP, 0.583 SOS, 0.560 ncSOS)
7) Wheaton_(Ill.) (16-6, 9-4 CCIW, 0.727 WP, 0.556 SOS, 0.594 ncSOS)
8) Washington_U. (14-6, 7-2 UAA, 0.700 WP, 0.556 SOS, 0.543 ncSOS)
----------
Chicago (13-7, 6-3 UAA, 0.650 WP, 0.558 SOS, 0.559 ncSOS)
St._Norbert (15-6, 12-1 MWC, 0.714 WP, 0.508 SOS, 0.600 ncSOS)
Webster (15-4, 11-2 SLIAC, 0.789 WP, 0.470 SOS, 0.528 ncSOS)

[WUPHF]

As an addendum to the regional rankings predictions, he had Tweeted on Monday, the results vs. projected regionally-ranked teams (does not include Monday or Tuesday results).

Rowan 6-3
Williams, Augie, UW-Lax 5-2
Swarthmore, Chicago 4-0
Rochester, Scranton, Capital 4-1
Nichols, Oswego, R-M, Marietta, Wooster 4-2
Cortland, Guilford, UW-O, Whitman 3-1.

The regionally ranked component is always interesting.  Chicago, for example, has 7 losses and could lose two more against Brandeis and NYU and still go 7-0 against regionally ranked opponents with three road wins.

[mwunder]

Maybe the issue is that you need to be clearer in what you post.  Your track record of 'who, me?... that's not what I meant at all!' in this forum is rather extensive.

ZING!   

[lmitzel]

Drew Pasteur, aka Fantastic50 here, tweeted some projected regional rankings.  For the Central he has...

1. Augustana
2. UW-Oshkosh
3. UW-La Crosse
4. North Central
5. UW-Whitewater
6. UW-Stevens Point
7. Wheaton
8. Wash U

By the way, if you are Twitter you should follow him at @d3bubble.  Great stuff.

Matt Snyder, aka KnightSlappy, has...

1. Augustana
2. UW-Oshkosh
3. UW-La Crosse
4. UW-Stevens Point
5. North Central
6. Wheaton
7. UW-Platteville
8. UW-Whitewater

https://tomaroonandgold.blogspot.com/p/division-iii-mens-regional-rankings.html

1. UW-Oshkosh
2. Augustana
3. North Central
4. UW-LaCrosse
5. UW-Stevens Point
6. Wheaton
7. UW-Platteville
8. UW-Whitewater

🔮 💡  😏

Well, you got North Central right.

Augie slots in at #1, Wheaton at #4. I'm assuming the D3 post will be updated shortly.

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

Here they be: https://www.d3hoops.com/notables/2019/02/men-regional-rankings-first

[lmitzel]

Here they be: https://www.d3hoops.com/notables/2019/02/men-regional-rankings-first

A quick glance tells me the committee seemed to lean almost exclusively on win percentage except at the very top, where SOS may have come into play (.545 for Augie, .524 for Oshkosh). Everyone below NCC has an SOS of at least .550 (NCC's is .518).

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

Here they be: https://www.d3hoops.com/notables/2019/02/men-regional-rankings-first

A quick glance tells me the committee seemed to lean almost exclusively on win percentage except at the very top, where SOS may have come into play (.545 for Augie, .524 for Oshkosh). Everyone below NCC has an SOS of at least .550 (NCC's is .518).

Well ... I mean ... there is other data. As the committee chair stress... look at the entire resume.

[Gregory Sager]

Here they be: https://www.d3hoops.com/notables/2019/02/men-regional-rankings-first

A quick glance tells me the committee seemed to lean almost exclusively on win percentage except at the very top, where SOS may have come into play (.545 for Augie, .524 for Oshkosh).

Not just SOS, common opponents also. Augie is 6-0 versus common opponents (two wins apiece over NPU and Elmhurst, one win apiece over UWSP and Wheaton), while UW-Oshkosh is 3-1 (wins over Elmhurst, NPU, and UWSP; loss to Wheaton).

Everyone below NCC has an SOS of at least .550 (NCC's is .518).

It looks like the elimination of the SOS/W% calculator is having a real dampening effect on the importance of SOS relative to previous seasons, as Dave speculated might happen.

[GoPerry]

Here they be: https://www.d3hoops.com/notables/2019/02/men-regional-rankings-first

Wheaton fans should be encouraged by the #4 –--- at least for the next 6 hrs because it won't mean much if the Thunder can't come up with either a W tonight at Augie or Saturday at NCC ( and beat MU).  Lose both and they'll be toast for a Pool C.

[duckfan41]

Here they be: https://www.d3hoops.com/notables/2019/02/men-regional-rankings-first

Wheaton fans should be encouraged by the #4 –--- at least for the next 6 hrs because it won't mean much if the Thunder can't come up with either a W tonight at Augie or Saturday at NCC ( and beat MU).  Lose both and they'll be toast for a Pool C.

I'm surprised they're that high taking into account who they've lost to this year. But hey, I'll take it. Serious work needs to be done starting tonight in Rock Island if Wheaton wants a chance at pool C at all.

[kenoshamark]

But, they were supposed to be good this year, based on experience and transfers coming in, and we can see how that went.

In all likelihood, they are going to miss the conference tourney again this year, even with an expanded field.  That means they have only qualified for it three times in the fourteen years.   This is not acceptable, in my opinion. 

K-Mark.  Your second point, I agree with you 100%.  Unacceptable, but Carthage, Kenohsa and 40K per year is a tough sell for any coach. 

The first comment, I disagree with 100%.  At the beginning of the season, they only had two players who played any significant minutes in the CCIW the previous season, Perry and Baltimore, who was second team CCIW.  Everyone else was a wildcard.  They were picked to finish tied for 6th in the league by the coaches and Perry hasn't played a minute so I can see why they didn't achieve that position.  The fact that they can't find a way to win a close one can be attributed to a lot of factors including experience and coaching. 

The end of the IWU game is a microcosm of the Carthage season.  Put yourself into position to win and then free-lance.  No one set a screen for Baltimore to get open and then it's Chinese fire drill after that.  Both inexperience and coaching are to blame.  Just not sure which deserves more of that blame.  Same thing at the end of the Augie game.

Hi Michael Wunder,

Good to always get your Carthage perspective.  I know you are agreeing with my one statement, the only thing I would add is the location and cost doesn't seem to have the same impact on other programs at Carthage.  The men's volleyball is consistently ranked high in the nation so they are pulling in top notch recruits....the football and baseball teams have been more than competitive as of late and the women's programs are making their respective conference tournaments.

As far as your disagreement on my other statement, we just may need to agree to disagree.  Let me at least give you my reasoning for my orignal comments.  A preseason ranking of 6th place made sense based on where they ended last year and who you mentioned they had coming back.  My point was Bosko knew what type of team he was going to be able to put on the court vs. what the other coaches knew going into their rankings.  Sean Johnson was a known entity even though he wasn't a starter last year.  Frankly, he was starting to see more and more minutes toward the end of the year and I think it would have been tough to keep him out of the starting lineup if Perry was back this year.  There is no way you can play them at the same time so seeing Johnson get the full time minutes only solidifies him as a solid player this year.  Remember, Bosko raved about him as he came into school and basically said he was going to be a star someday. 

Additionally, you had Kedrowski coming back who was a starter as a freshman.  So, he knows the system and was able to step right in.  Then you had Laketa who was an experienced player who also stepped right in as a very good offensive threat. 

So, I saw four players, Baltimore, Johnson, Kedrowski and Laketa who Bosko saw as a strong core.  He stated in the write up before the season how strongly he felt about this team and certainly didn't feel like a 6th place ranking was accurate.  This doesn't include another transfer he had talked up too, Crishawn Cook.  I think he was out injured for awhile, came back for a few games and has been no where to be found since.

Again not disputing your opinion of my opinion, just felt there was more perspective on why I commented the way I did....what looks to be an 8th place finish is not what was anticipated with the players coming in and returning.  Would they have won more with Laketa in the lineup, probably.   But we have seen other teams overcome injuries and still find a way to win.

[Mr. Ypsi]

IWU with the big upset in Naperville, 72-64.  Tommy Koth almost does it again, with 24 points before fouling out in the final minute.  Against everyone else I'm not sure his PPG is even quite 5; against the Titans it is 25!

Alas, unless they win the conference tourney, it is too little, too late for what seemed early on to be a top ten team.

[iwu70]

Finally, the Titans finish well against a top-flight team, winning at NCC 72-64.  Making key FTs.  Perhaps some confidence going into the last few games of the season, and the CCIW tournament.  Gotta win the AQ.

'70

[Gregory Sager]

Elmhurst 91
North Park 64

Toby Marek: 16 pts
Matt Szuba: 11 pts, 9 rebs
Jake Ellis: 11 pts
Jeremy Greenlee: 7 rebs
Antonio Gardner: 3:0 a:to
Alan Nikoletic: 3:1 a:to

Jeremy Ireland: 30 pts, 11 rebs
Derek Dotlich: 15 pts, 6 rebs, 3:0 a:to
Rayn Patton: 14 pts
Jake Rhode: 11 pts, 6:2 a:to
Nick Perry: 3:1 a:to

This was a weird game. Elmhurst basically blew the doors off of NPU in the first half, going into the locker room with a 46-26 lead. Tom Slyder didn't start Veggie Tangen in the second half ... and he ended up not playing Veggie at all in the final stanza. After a brief opening interlude, Matt Szuba came out -- and he stayed on the bench for the rest of the game, too, So it was Toby Marek and a handful of reserves, with a couple of brief cameo appearances by fellow starters Antonio Gardner and Izaiah Sanders, for the rest of the game. The weird thing is that it worked; whether it was the sheer hustle of NPU's bench guys or the utter disinterest of the Bluejays, the Vikings shaved down a 27-point deficit to 15 points with 6:03 to go on a Marek trey.

I've seen plenty of 15-point leads evaporate in six minutes or less. But Tom Slyder still withheld his two top scorers, and the moment passed. EC went back to feeding Jeremy Ireland, who was unstoppable in the low post even when Szuba and Tangen were playing, and the 'jays cruised to the win. It was a head-scratcher.

UPDATE: Mystery partially solved. Veggie's occasionally balky back stiffened on him in the locker room, which explains why he sat out the second half. Still dunno about Szuba, although it's always possible that he did or said something that incurred the coach's displeasure when he came out of the game early in the second half.