MBB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[Gregory Sager]

Seems like NPU loses a lot from this year's team. None of the seniors listed are returning for a 5th/Covid year?

The Boyd brothers and Marquise Jackson have finished their Covid years, and are done. They're on target to graduate and move on with their lives. Same with the little-used Jacob Williams (whom I was happy to see score in garbage time last night).

Adam Bulwa and Karl Polk were both honored during Senior Day ceremonies, but that doesn't necessarily mean anything. One or both of them might return for their Covid years, but, then again, it's possible that neither one of them will. It all comes down just as much to their academic goals and their finances as it does to whether they want to stay on with the program as the Sean Smith era enters year two.

The Boyd brothers are both excellent players, but it's the leadership that they provided as team captains and the work ethic and cameraderie that they embodied that really made them special. It would've been so easy for them as holdovers from the old regime to either check out altogether or to disregard the new coach (who's only six or seven years older than they are) and play selfishly. Instead, they fully bought into the new coach and his radical new style, and they worked their butts off not only to make Sean's style possible but to set a good example for everybody else. They also really embraced the new players and were the keys to the team's chemistry.

Jordan's and Jalen's place in North Park men's basketball lore is secure. You can be sure that they will be greeted warmly and with great respect every time that they walk into the crackerbox for years to come. I have no doubt that they can be replaced, performance-wise; leadership-wise, however, that remains to be seen.

Marquise Jackson is special. You simply don't see someone with that kind of burst at this level very often. His explosiveness made him a highly dangerous weapon with the ball in his hands, and it was also a big part of why he was the best defender in the CCIW this season. He tied Alex Dimitrijevic's 29-year-old North Park record for most steals in a season with 78, finishing only three behind the immortal Bill Rapier of Augustana for the most steals by any CCIW player in a season. Rapier swiped the ball 81 times in 31 games for Augustana in its national runner-up season of 1980-81, so 'quise is actually the second-best thief behind Dimitrijevic in CCIW history on a per-game basis, having stolen the ball 2.79 times per game this season as compared to Alex D.'s 3.00 times per game in 1993-94 and Rapier's 2.61 times per game in '80-'81.

And kiko's re-post of the troll's set of declarations about NPU back at Thanksgiving time made me laugh again at the troll's assertion that 'quise on some nights "will absolutely kill the Vikes with selfish and out-of-control play." That never happened ... not once. Yes, Jackson had off-nights, but he never dragged the Vikings down with him. And he was more than just a really quick guy who could blow past you off the dribble or swipe the ball out of your hands like Houdini. He's incredibly strong for his size; a fair number of his steals consisted of 'quise literally ripping the ball right out of somebody's hands. And when he flew through the air at crazy angles on an approach to the basket, it was usually because he wanted to fly through the air at a crazy angle when attacking the rim, not because some big man had knocked him askew in midair. I had no problem with stating on the air numerous times that 'quise was, inch for inch, the best rebounder in the CCIW; his strength and toughness, as well as his quickness and his ability to read the ball coming off of the rim or the backboard, made him a superb boardsman, especially on the offensive glass. No doubt about it -- 'quise will be hard to replace.

So, yeah, the Vikings will be losing three valuable pieces. But they have All-CCIW first-teamers Shamar Pumphrey and Kolden Vanlandingham, super-subs Quillin Dixon, Davante Robinson, and Lance Nelson, and little-used but promising Preston Bax coming back next year, and that's an awfully good nucleus. Adding Caleb Newman from T.F. South is a really nice start to augmenting that returning sextet of guards. What the Vikings need, obviously, is bigs, especially since there's no guarantee that they'll have the services of Bulwa and/or Polk in 2023-24. I'm in touch with NPU's recruiting enough to know that that need will be nicely rectified over the next few months. This is going to be a really exciting off-season for North Park in terms of adding players. We've all seen what Sean Smith and Ed McGhee can do on short notice in terms of locating and recruiting CCIW-quality transfers. Now we'll get to see what they can do with a full year's worth of work in terms of recruiting CCIW-quality high-school graduating seniors and recruiting CCIW-quality transfers.

[Gregory Sager]

Illinois Wesleyan has added its third recruit, 6'7" Brady Kuehl from St. Louis (Parkway HS). Kuehl's dad is former Titans All-CCIW first-teamer Steve Kuehl, and his uncle is former Titans CCIW MOP Jeff Kuehl.

[WashingtonWiz99]

Some interesting names being thrown out for Carroll. Don't know what is true and what isn't!

[Pat Coleman]

Well, does anybody still think that John Born's new hire as NPU head men's basketball coach was a mistake?

I can think of two people who said something along these lines ... but neither one is a member of this board any longer.

[iwu70]

After a horrible start, being down 15 at the half, Wheaton fights back to make a game of it, getting within one in the second half, then losing to CNU 76-70.  Great season for the Thunder.  My congrats to them for sure.   Too bad they played poorly, couldn't buy a basket in the first half.   Congrats to North Park as well for a remarkable season, bringing the Vikings back into the top tier of the CCIW. 

My son's alma mater, Swarthmore College, near Philly, is going to the Final Four -- winning over Nichols on a game-winning lay-up with 5 seconds to go.  Tarble packed and the students storming the floor after the win!  Go Garnet. 

IWU'70

[Gregory Sager]

Fantastic and gutty comeback attempt by Wheaton tonight after falling behind by 24 late in the first half, capped by a 20-4 second-half run by WC to almost completely drain away the Christopher Newport lead. Wheaton got within one with a few minutes left, and then a Cruickshank trey got them back within two in the final minute, but they couldn't close the deal. CNU winds up cutting down the net after surviving a squeaker, 76-70.

Congrats to Wheaton on a great season, and to Tyson Cruickshank, who went down tonight with guns blazing in his final appearance in orange and blue.

[GoPerry]

I am incredibly proud of the Thunder for not giving up (I did) and fighting all the way back into the game.  It's a shame they played so poorly early, going down by 24 and not scoring their 10th point until 7 mins left in the half.  In the meantime, CNU was red hot and hardly missed a shot thru the first 10 mins of the game.  It was just too big a hole they dug against the Captains who have so many weapons and get contributions from all over.

Cruickshank's final line: 34 points, 8 rebs, 6 asst, stl

Congrats to CNU on a fine game and the final four berth.

Best of luck to Tyson Cruickshank who was a blast to watch these last couple seasons.  Congratulations on a fine season from TJ Askew and Connor Braun who joined this year.  Thanks and all the best to seniors Eli Considine, Eddie Scott, and Andrew Williams after terrific careers.

[iwu70]

Final Four for Ft. Wayne set:   UW-Whitewater, Mt. Union, Christopher Newport and Swarthmore.   

Some great games last night, esp. the Swarthmore buzzer-beater and the Swarthmore fans swarming the flloor at Tarble.   A rare sight for heady, geeky Swarthmore.  The school has a well-deserved tee-shirt :   "Anywhere else it would have been and A."    To think of Swarthmore College as a "basketball school" is something unusual indeed, though they've had good teams in the recent few years. 

I'm sorry Wheaton couldn't quite get over the hump, have the amazing comeback for a win.  Almost . . . a great season for the Thunder. 

IWU'70

[Wildcat]

 I want to congratulate Wheaton, on their comeback attempt. They should some real guts. Cruikshank was amazing in defeat, and number 10 came alive in the post season when they needed him the most. They lose a lot in graduation, but with the transfer portal. Who knows?

[USee]

I noticed not a single player from the CCIW was chosen to play in the all star game this weekend.  I thought Cruichank would have been a lock.  Was it because Wheaton played this weekend?

[TheOsprey]

Miles Mallory of RMC is playing.  Is he coming back next year?

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

Miles Mallory of RMC is playing.  Is he coming back next year?

Not if he's in the AS game. That's an eligibility ender.   A number of guys in that game giving up their final year or eligibility.

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

I noticed not a single player from the CCIW was chosen to play in the all star game this weekend.  I thought Cruichank would have been a lock.  Was it because Wheaton played this weekend?

There are often conflicts for players. They chose not to come for one reason or another.  You'll know for sure when NABC all region teams are announced.

[Gotberg]

https://twitter.com/VikingsNPU/status/1635669731741925376

[Stertorous Thunder]

I understand why the all-region voters might have resisted putting more than three CCIW players on the Region 8 First Team, but it's unfortunate for Filip Bulatovic that he ended up down on the Third Team.  It's not a significant difference but a Second Team honor would look better on his resume as he sits in the transfer portal, hoping for someone to give him a scholarship for his fifth year of eligibility.  He's such a versatile player that he would be a great pickup for a team looking for a final piece or some additional depth for a championship run.

Fun fact: Two of the fifteen all-region players hail from the same hometown (Tyson Cruickshank and Dan Carr from Highlands Ranch, Colorado), which is nowhere close to Region 8.