MBB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[Pat Coleman]

"Iron. glass, twine, on that sojourn to the line"

That would be a very D3 call -- maybe we can dig into the SAT words as well.

[Gregory Sager]

Highlights of the night by the NP announcer on the video stream (who I assume is Mr. Sager).   "Rim, glass, twine" as the description of a free throw that did exactly that.  Also describing a trip to the free throw line as a sojourn was well played.

Thanks! But it's "iron, glass, twine," not "rim, glass, twine." I've made it a signature call of mine for free throws that strike the rim and then the backboard before going through the net, but I freely admit that I stole it from the University of Chicago's P.A. announcer from about a decade ago. "Sojourn" is all mine, though.

Dang!!??...you're right (obviously).  You may be able to make that into a rhyme if it's the second free throw or the 'and-one' attempt...."Iron. glass, twine, on that sojourn to the line"

Ooh, that's nice! I might give that one a spin on Saturday's broadcast and see how it runs!

[79jaybird]

Agree Vox,

Of their remaining slate IMO-

@AC
@NC

IMO,  Elmhurst has to win at least 1, perhaps both.   I'm not saying the Jays couldn't  stumble against any/all remaining teams, but judging by first round results and current status (playing level) I'd think the Jays would be strong bets on the others.

I was really hoping Augie would have beat NC last night.

[Gregory Sager]

I was really hoping Augie would have beat NC last night.

The Rock Islanders came pretty darned close to doing so last night.

The two other games that haven't been discussed here yet:

North Central 54, Augustana 53
Wheaton 58, Carroll 54

[lmitzel]

I was really hoping Augie would have beat NC last night.

The Rock Islanders came pretty darned close to doing so last night.

They really did. Q posted the final play of the game on Twitter last night, for reference. I think my heart rate is just now starting to come back down.

Augie outrebounded the Cardinals 42-26, including 18 offensive rebounds, despite Blaise Meredith logging a game-high 11 boards (eight in the first half) and outscored the Cardinals in a couple key metrics (13-8 off turnovers and 11-7 off second chances).

But it was a good old-fashioned defensive struggle as many Augie-NCC games tend to be. The Vikings hit their first two threes of the game in the opening two and a half minutes, then went 3-21 the remainder of the game from downtown and shot just 33 percent from the field for the contest. North Central, for its part, shot just shy of 45 percent from the floor and 6-20 from beyond the arc (but only hitting two of nine in the second half, part of why the Vikings were able to make it a one possession game late).

I was really glad to see Meredith break out. He's really struggled to get going offensively this year, but put up 16 in the win last night, including a 2-4 night from deep (he hit his first attempt, which I think got his confidence up, and he buried a pretty stepback one that got the gym pumped up a few minutes later).

Also, for those of you scoring at home, the jacket came off not even five minutes in, following an offensive foul on Micah Martin with 15:13 left in the opening half. I had a feeling it was coming, and was so happy to turn towards the Augie bench after said foul to see Grey in the process of ripping it off.

[Gregory Sager]

I was really hoping Augie would have beat NC last night.

The Rock Islanders came pretty darned close to doing so last night.

They really did. Q posted the final play of the game on Twitter last night, for reference. I think my heart rate is just now starting to come back down.

Nice call by Kevin Jackman on that final possession.

[voxelmhurst]

Agree Vox,

Of their remaining slate IMO-

@AC
@NC

IMO,  Elmhurst has to win at least 1, perhaps both.   I'm not saying the Jays couldn't  stumble against any/all remaining teams, but judging by first round results and current status (playing level) I'd think the Jays would be strong bets on the others.

I was really hoping Augie would have beat NC last night.

Don't forget about @ IWU. Always a tough spot for Elmhurst. I think they've won about 4/5  games (if that) in Bloomington over the last 30 years. I don't think they've beaten Augustana in Rock Island since the Chris Martin era. I could be wrong. 

I don't expect Elmhurst to run the table but 13-3 is attainable for them in my view.

[AndOne]

Agree Vox,

Of their remaining slate IMO-

@AC
@NC

IMO,  Elmhurst has to win at least 1, perhaps both.   I'm not saying the Jays couldn't  stumble against any/all remaining teams, but judging by first round results and current status (playing level) I'd think the Jays would be strong bets on the others.

I was really hoping Augie would have beat NC last night.

Not nice Mark. Not nice at all. 

[AndOne]

Agree Vox,

Of their remaining slate IMO-

@AC
@NC

IMO,  Elmhurst has to win at least 1, perhaps both.   I'm not saying the Jays couldn't  stumble against any/all remaining teams, but judging by first round results and current status (playing level) I'd think the Jays would be strong bets on the others.

I was really hoping Augie would have beat NC last night.

Don't forget about @ IWU. Always a tough spot for Elmhurst. I think they've won about 4/5  games (if that) in Bloomington over the last 30 years. I don't think they've beaten Augustana in Rock Island since the Chris Martin era. I could be wrong. 

I don't expect Elmhurst to run the table but 13-3 is attainable for them in my view.

I don't expect to see anyone running the table either but, as you say Vox, 13-3 is quite attainable for the 'Jays. But, the same is attainable for another team.     

Impressive outing by Baines' boys last night. Where has Wesley "Look At Me" Hooker been lately? Is he on IR? When is he expected back? An important cog for EC.

[Gregory Sager]

Hooker has a wrist fracture. He's out for four to six weeks.

[kiko]

Also, for those of you scoring at home, the jacket came off not even five minutes in, following an offensive foul on Micah Martin with 15:13 left in the opening half. I had a feeling it was coming, and was so happy to turn towards the Augie bench after said foul to see Grey in the process of ripping it off.

Kevin Jackman mentioned on the NCC broadcast right after this happened that he always makes a pre-game guess as to when the jacket will come off.  He was lamenting the fact that his pregame prediction (5 minutes left in the first half, iirc, which is a bold bet in that it was so late in the game IMO) was well off from the actual shedding time.

[Gregory Sager]

I likewise noted on the air when the Giovanine sportcoat came off when Augie visited the crackerbox last week, "for those of you wagering on this biweekly event." I think that this is becoming a commonplace for the broadcasters of Augustana's opponents. Even Chris and Dan will make note of it from time to time.

It's the closest thing our league has to a ritual, apart from Bosko's annual announcement in a Carthage press release of how many years it's been since the last undefeated CCIW team, once the last unblemished squad bites the dust in league play.

[voxelmhurst]

Impressive outing by Baines' boys last night. Where has Wesley "Look At Me" Hooker been lately? Is he on IR? When is he expected back? An important cog for EC.

Hooker has a wrist fracture. He's out for four to six weeks.

Im bummed to see Wesley out. As it relates to the team as a whole, I'd be more concerned were it not for the great play of Genco off the bench. If a 6thMOY were awarded in the CCIW, I think he would be on the short list of candidates.

[GoPerry]

Impressive outing by Baines' boys last night. Where has Wesley "Look At Me" Hooker been lately? Is he on IR? When is he expected back? An important cog for EC.

Hooker has a wrist fracture. He's out for four to six weeks.

Im bummed to see Wesley out. As it relates to the team as a whole, I'd be more concerned were it not for the great play of Genco off the bench. If a 6thMOY were awarded in the CCIW, I think he would be on the short list of candidates.

That's bad news indeed.  I agree that Genco is a really good one first off the bench.  But beyond that, does Baines confidence in his bench at critical moments go much further than one guy?  That would seem to be a precarious situation for such an otherwise high level team. 

[Wildcat]

I spoke to Wes Hooker prior to the game against Wesleyan. He said he should return from his injury around CCIW tournament time.