MBB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[Gregory Sager]

Coach G took his coat off with 3:28 left in the first half, to cheers from the home crowd, if anyone is keeping track.

I just wish that the UWSP radio guys, who are otherwise very good, would pronounce his name right (and the names of a couple of Augie players that they're getting wrong).

[PauldingLightUP]

Elmhurst seems to have listened to Q, no reply after every basket in the first couple of minutes today.

[Titan Q]

Augustana 68
UW-Stevens Point 60

Huge win for Augie and the CCIW.

[Gregory Sager]

Augustana 68
UWSP 60

Austin Elledge took over this game down the stretch. With Augie down by seven, 53-46, and eight and a half minutes left on the clock, Elledge proceeded to outscore UWSP by 15-1 all by his lonesome over the course of the next six minutes to give the Greymen a three-possession lead, and the Pointers would never get any closer than six the rest of the way. Elledge led the way with 27 for Augustana, Pierson Wofford contributed 14 and 9, and Micah Martin added 10 and 8.

[Titan Q]

I took my first shot at hypothetical Central region rankings this am...and wow is it crazy.  The region is so deep, and so balanced, it just really hard to order these teams.

Data courtesy of Matt Snyder - https://tomaroonandgold.blogspot.com/p/division-iii-mens-regional-rankings.html

(WP/SOS/notable wins)

1. Wash U .900/.576 (vs Eau Claire, vs Augustana, at IWU)
2. UW-Platteville 1.000/.518 (vs Wash U)
3. St. Norbert .714/.654 (at UW-Eau Claire, vs UW-Oshkosh)
4. UW-Eau Claire .800/.599 (at Whitworth)
5. Stevens Point .875/.593 (at Christopher Newport)
6. UW-La Crosse 1.000/.527 (vs Augsburg)
7. Benedictine .800/.539 (vs St. Norbert, vs LeTourneau, vs North Central)
8. Elmhurst .889/.476 (vs St. Norbert, vs UW-Oshkosh)
--------
- Illinois Wesleyan .700/.606 (vs Carthage, at Augustana)
- Carthage .900/.508 (vs UW-Oshkosh, vs North Central)
- Wheaton: .800/.479 (vs UW-River Falls, at Illinois Wesleyan)
- Augustana .667/.625 (vs Loras)
- UW-River Falls .714/.545 (vs Nebraska Wesleyan)
- UW-Oshkosh .556/.638 (at Augustana, at North Central)
- North Central .700/.519 (at Elmhurst)


Every game these teams play is big...and any head-to-head games are enormous.

Crazy stuff.

Just to show how fluid this thing is, I'd say that loss knocks UWSP out of the top 8.  Probably bumps IWU in, w/ Augustana knocking on the door.

These head-to-head games between Central contenders are huge.

When the WIAC teams start conference play that will impact all of this in a big way.  So far CCIW teams have been beating each other up...the WIAC will start that soon.

[Titan Q]

Elmhurst seems to have listened to Q, no reply after every basket in the first couple of minutes today.

Kudos to Elmhurst for listening to audience feedback.

[Gregory Sager]

Elmhurst cruised to an easy 93-58 win over Illinois College. Jake Rhode and Derek Dotlich were both on fire from downtown, finishing with 25 and 17, respectively, and Lavon Thomas grabbed 9 boards, while Ebrahim Jobe contributed 10 and 8 off of the bench.

[Gregory Sager]

Carroll turned the Husson Eagles into chicken pot pie, running away with an 83-59 victory in a game that the Pioneers led by 40 with seven minutes left before Paul Combs got down to the arduous task of ensuring that all 20 players that he had brought with him to Daytona Beach got in for at least a couple minutes of playing time.

[voxelmhurst]

Elmhurst cruised to an easy 93-58 win over Illinois College. Jake Rhode and Derek Dotlich were both on fire from downtown, finishing with 25 and 17, respectively, and Lavon Thomas grabbed 9 boards, while Ebrahim Jobe contributed 10 and 8 off of the bench.

Congrats to Illinois Wesleyan for supplying both Head Coaches in this game!

[Titan Q]

My updated best shot at Central Region rankings as of 12/24...

Data courtesy of Matt Snyder - https://tomaroonandgold.blogspot.com/p/division-iii-mens-regional-rankings.html

(WP/SOS/notable wins)

1. Wash U .900/.579 (vs Eau Claire, vs Augustana, at IWU)
2. UW-Platteville 1.000/.512 (vs Wash U, vs Hope)
3. St. Norbert .714/.659 (at UW-Eau Claire, vs UW-Oshkosh)
4. UW-Eau Claire .800/.599 (at Whitworth)
5. UW-La Crosse 1.000/.523 (vs Augsburg)
6. Benedictine .800/.539 (vs St. Norbert, vs LeTourneau, vs North Central)
7. Illinois Wesleyan .700/.615 (vs Carthage, at Augustana)
8. Augustana .700/.647 (vs Loras, at UW-Stevens Point)
--------
- Stevens Point .778/.597 (at Christopher Newport, vs Hope)
- Carthage .900/.509 (vs UW-Oshkosh, vs North Central)
- Elmhurst .900/.467 (vs St. Norbert, vs UW-Oshkosh)
- Wheaton: .800/.482 (vs UW-River Falls, at Illinois Wesleyan)
- UW-River Falls .750/.590 (vs Nebraska Wesleyan)
- UW-Oshkosh .556/.646 (at Augustana, at North Central)
- North Central .700/.519 (at Elmhurst)
- Lake Forest .571/.615 (at Wheaton)

Conference play will sort a lot of this out, but man is the Central a deep and messy picture right now.

[iwu70]

Thanks, Q.  Incredible strength and depth in the Central Region.

Merry Christmas all!

'70

[Titan Q]

My Pool Cs as of Christmas Day - http://www.d3boards.com/index.php?topic=4232.msg1970067#msg1970067.

Merry Christmas, all!

[iwumichigander]

Merry Christmas everyone!

[jaybird44]

Thanks Titan Q for putting the lists together!

[Titan Q]

IWU and North Central are playing in the Concordia (TX) Classic this weekend.

NCC
Saturday: vs Concordia (TX), 3:30pm
Sunday: vs Sul Ross State, 3:30pm

IWU
Sunday: vs Concordia (TX), 5:30pm
Monday: vs Sul Ross State, 2:00pm

This tournament was a very late add for the Titans after the tournament in Phoenix (at the gym with the crazy floor) fell apart somehow.  They were lucky this worked out.

IWU's game notes - https://s3.amazonaws.com/sidearm.sites/iwusports.com/documents/2019/12/23/Game11_12_ConcordiaClassic.pdf. 

"It will be IWU's first game against an American Southwest Conference institution all-time."  That surprised me.

I'm heading down tomorrow - I look forward to seeing the Cardinals and Titans in person.  I'll be doing color for Eric Stock on the WEXG Radio broadcasts of the IWU games.

I watched the Titans practice 12/26 at SMU here in Dallas and then joined the crew that evening for the Dallas Mavs game.  Nice to hang out with the Titans.