MBB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[Titan Q]

I think when it's all said and done, the 2007 M.O.P. will come down to:

Zach Freeman (IWU) - 21.0 ppg, 10.8 rpg

Kent Raymond (Wheaton) - 21.1 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 4.8 apg

Daniel Walton (NCC) - 18.7 ppg, 10.3 rpg


In my opinion, these are the 3 best players in the CCIW.  (I'd take Walton over Simmons any day.)

[Titan Q]

Also, if Raridon isn't good--then how in the heck did he take a bunch of kids mainly from small towns out in the middle of nowhere in Nebraska and mold them into such consistently good teams over such an extended period. Don't forget, in all his 15 years at Nebraska Wesleyan, he never had a losing season despite being the only school in a NAIA conference. This meant he was the only conference coach whose team couldn't/didn't give scholarships. While he was at NWU, they finished 3rd in the nation 3 times and 2nd once.   8)

AndOne, I'm a big Raridon fan -- I think he's a great coach.  But let's not suggest he took a bunch of kids off the farm and taught them the game of basketball.  As someone in the stands at the 1997 national championship game and several other IWU/Nebraska Wesleyan games over the years, I can tell you he had a lot of superstar players in Lincoln (Mitch Mosser, Kip Kissinger, Chad Ideus, etc, etc).  He always had a great low post player and great guards at Nebraska Wesleyan.  Raridon did it at NWU with the same basic formula every great coach uses -- all starting with recruiting.

[petemcb]

Also, if Raridon isn't good--then how in the heck did he take a bunch of kids mainly from small towns out in the middle of nowhere in Nebraska and mold them into such consistently good teams over such an extended period. Don't forget, in all his 15 years at Nebraska Wesleyan, he never had a losing season despite being the only school in a NAIA conference. This meant he was the only conference coach whose team couldn't/didn't give scholarships. While he was at NWU, they finished 3rd in the nation 3 times and 2nd once.   8)

AndOne, I'm a big Raridon fan -- I think he's a great coach.  But let's not suggest he took a bunch of kids off the farm and taught them the game of basketball.  As someone in the stands at the 1997 national championship game and several other IWU/Nebraska Wesleyan games over the years, I can tell you he had a lot of superstar players in Lincoln (Mitch Mosser, Kip Kissinger, Chad Ideus, etc, etc).  Raridon did it at NWU with the same basic formula every great coach uses -- all starting with recruiting.

Recruiting:  which Raridon was busy at last night.  Prospect High School was playing state-ranked Loyola Academy in the semifinals of the Wheeling Hardwood Classic  -  an excellent game by the way..........Loyola had to work as hard as they've worked all season for a 78-70 victory.....only going 7 deep.  Anyway, Raridon was talking to Loyola's senior point guard, D.J. Glavan, generously listed at 6' in the program, after the game.  He is a very impressive point guard who understands his role on a team that features Senior Jeff and Sophomore Marcus Jordan (yup, MJ's kids), Joe Suhey (yup again, Matt's kid who will be the fourth Suhey generation to play football at Penn State next season) and two 6'5" guys (Sr. Peter Sullivan and Jr. Rob Belcore) who could all play in the CCIW.  This is a solid, highly-ranked team. Glavan is a strong, fast, confident floor general who does a nice job of running the team, only taking/making shots that present themselves within the flow of the offense, rebounds well for a guard his size and gets the ball up the floor in a hurry.  He works hard on the defensive end of the floor as well.  He would be a nice pickup, and would seemingly fit nicely into Raridon's style of coaching. 

If any CCIW fans get the chance, you should check out Loyola at some point this season.  They have at least seven players who would be right at home playing in the CCIW.  They will be in the tournament championship at Wheeling HS tonight, playing Stevenson at 8:45, with the 3rd place Prospect-Stevenson battle at 7:15.  Due to strong local support and the opportunity for an MJ sighting (he comes to every game), you'd be advised to show up for the 7:15 game.  It was a packed house last night and will be again tonight.

[AndOne]

I think when it's all said and done, the 2007 M.O.P. will come down to:

Zach Freeman (IWU) - 21.0 ppg, 10.8 rpg

Kent Raymond (Wheaton) - 21.1 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 4.8 apg

Daniel Walton (NCC) - 18.7 ppg, 10.3 rpg


In my opinion, these are the 3 best players in the CCIW.  (I'd take Walton over Simmons any day.)

Q-----

I agree with your choices exactly. Of course there are a few others anyone would love to have on their team also, Simmons, Burks, Schlemm, & Gensler among them.
However, I still believe you would be hard pressed to find a better ALL AROUND player than Walton.

[Titan Q]

Pete, I'd like to get a small college team together featuring:

G Ryan Paxson (Olivet Nazarene soph.)
G Jeff Jordan (Loyola H.S. senior)
F Marcus Jordan (Loyola H.S. soph)
F Joe Suhey (Loyola H.S. senior)
F Horace Grant, Jr. (Deerfield H.S. senior)

[AndOne]

Pete, I'd like to get a small college team together featuring:

G Ryan Paxson (Olivet Nazarene soph.)
G Jeff Jordan (Loyola H.S. senior)
F Marcus Jordan (Loyola H.S. soph)
F Joe Suhey (Loyola H.S. senior)
F Horace Grant, Jr. (Deerfield H.S. senior)

Chicago fans can sure appreciate those bloodlines. They would be hard to beat!

[petemcb]

Pete, I'd like to get a small college team together featuring:

G Ryan Paxson (Olivet Nazarene soph.)
G Jeff Jordan (Loyola H.S. senior)
F Marcus Jordan (Loyola H.S. soph)
F Joe Suhey (Loyola H.S. senior)
F Horace Grant, Jr. (Deerfield H.S. senior)

Q, aren't you forgetting G-F Pete McBride, Jr. (Prospect H.S. junior)?!  He is often listed in the above company, for reasons obvious to all real basketball afficionados.

Actually, there is a 6'8" freshman on Loyola's campus with the familiar surname of Wennington.  And the hits just keep on comin'.

[petemcb]

There was also a period in the pre-John Scheyer era when Glenbrook North HS featured Chris Collins (of Doug and Duke fame), as well as a smooth shooter who was the nephew of Craig Hodges and 6'11" Jamar Holcombe, rumored to be related to Kareem.  Also, the non-descript careers of the Phil Jackson twins up at Deerfield HS.   

[Titan Q]

Pete, I'd like to get a small college team together featuring:

G Ryan Paxson (Olivet Nazarene soph.)
G Jeff Jordan (Loyola H.S. senior)
F Marcus Jordan (Loyola H.S. soph)
F Joe Suhey (Loyola H.S. senior)
F Horace Grant, Jr. (Deerfield H.S. senior)

Q, aren't you forgetting G-F Pete McBride, Jr. (Prospect H.S. junior)?!  He is often listed in the above company, for reasons obvious to all real basketball afficionados.

Actually, there is a 6'8" freshman on Loyola's campus with the familiar surname of Wennington.  And the hits just keep on comin'.

Sorry Pete.  I limited my team to the sons of guys that were in posters I had in the '80s.  I never had a poster of you in my room, so Pete Jr. doesn't make my squad.

[ecdubb420]

Though Gensler killed EC last season in his first CCIW game, I struggle to include him as an elite player in this conference.  He is an elite scorer, but besides that, I don't really see much.  For a player to be elite, but only really excel in one dimension of the game, they have to be lights out (aka Rick Harrigan type offense, and don't infer that as harrigan being one-dimensional) in that category.

[Titan Q]

Sounds like Jeffrey Jordan is down to Loyola (Chicago), Illinois State, and Davidson.  I am rooting for ISU -- if I can get MJ out to Prairie Vista Golf Course, I am quite sure I can get in his pocket.

[Jim Matson]

Nice work, Q, if you can get it.

usee, I am encouraged as you are about the balanced play from Wheaton last night.  To see these guys step up and get it done without Raymond is also a sign of strength - building on what they accomplished last year.  This team has defeated a very good Wesleyan team last year, a very good Augustana team last year, and played a Big 10 team close this year.  There is no reason whatsoever that this 2006 team can't make a strong play for the conference championship and the post-season.

[petemcb]

Pete, I'd like to get a small college team together featuring:

G Ryan Paxson (Olivet Nazarene soph.)
G Jeff Jordan (Loyola H.S. senior)
F Marcus Jordan (Loyola H.S. soph)
F Joe Suhey (Loyola H.S. senior)
F Horace Grant, Jr. (Deerfield H.S. senior)

Q, aren't you forgetting G-F Pete McBride, Jr. (Prospect H.S. junior)?!  He is often listed in the above company, for reasons obvious to all real basketball afficionados.

Actually, there is a 6'8" freshman on Loyola's campus with the familiar surname of Wennington.  And the hits just keep on comin'.

Sorry Pete.  I limited my team to the sons of guys that were in posters I had in the '80s.  I never had a poster of you in my room, so Pete Jr. doesn't make my squad.

If you have the poster of Jordan taking off from the free throw line, check for me in the top row of the stands, screaming wildly.  Does that count?

[Gregory Sager]

Now Greg why did you have to throw a harpoon through the zero of my 11-0 record with out Simmons?...bursting my bubble    That's cold man
I knew the teams they've beaten without him were less than stellar, but I wasn't going to tell the rest of you guys.   Good stuff as always.

Sorry, CP. I guess that I used up my quota of Christmas charity too quickly this year.

[Gregory Sager]

Simmons absence is a big blow to my beloved NCC. 

It's also a big blow to my fantasy team.  Wow, my #1 pick out half the year.   

... and your #7 pick, Rob Strzemp, is questionable to suit up at all this season. The CCIW season hasn't even started and you're already flying on a wing and a prayer, Ryan.

(Of course, given the way that CCIW fantasy basketball usually works out, you'll probably win the league and I'll come in last as a karma payback for pointing out your team's troubles. )