MBB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[AndOne]

These guys are good-- I think you hit it on the head with mentioning Drennan out with an injury.  I thought Drennan played real well at Elmhurst and was able to feed Walton some open looks.  Elmhurst big guys were pretty dominant in that game at Elmhurst, and I just don't see NC being able to handle the trio of Michael, Ruch, and Hintzsche.

Based on their first game, it doesn't APPEAR North Central has much to worry about in the form of Hintzsche. In the initial meeting he was basically invisable. In 14 minutes he didn't score, had one rebound, and committed 4 fouls.

I think the 3 players NCC has to worry about most are, in order, Ruch, Burks, & Michael. NCC must also find help off the bench to counter the nice contribution EC sub Bacon often makes. Look for NCC's Brandon Smith to be more than up for that challenge.

If referee Jerry Scherzinger is doing the game, NCC has no chance. But, at least we'll prob all get to see Jerry show us he knows where his crotch is (as he pointed to the NCC fans and then to his crotch after calling 3 Ts in the first game at EC).

[coebball70]

Straw poll --- Wheaton vs Millikin or Elmhurst vs North Central?  One distinct advantage of living in the Western Suburbs is it's as easy to get to Naperville as it is Wheaton.  I'm looking for advice.  Which game to attend and why?  I'm big on Wheaton's team play and excellent coaching but I think the game will be a dull one.  This is mainly due to Millikin's fundamentally lazy play and Drew Gensler just going through the motions half the time.  On the other hand, Elmhurst is in need of a win to stay in the race and North Central's will be playing for pride alone.  My picks are Wheaton and North Central.  But which one should I choose.  Looking for some advice from the board.

[AndOne]

Straw poll --- Wheaton vs Millikin or Elmhurst vs North Central?  One distinct advantage of living in the Western Suburbs is it's as easy to get to Naperville as it is Wheaton.  I'm looking for advice.  Which game to attend and why?  I'm big on Wheaton's team play and excellent coaching but I think the game will be a dull one.  This is mainly due to Millikin's fundamentally lazy play and Drew Gensler just going through the motions half the time.  On the other hand, Elmhurst is in need of a win to stay in the race and North Central's will be playing for pride alone.  My picks are Wheaton and North Central.  But which one should I choose.  Looking for some advice from the board.

Coe---

Easy call. Go with NCC-Elmhurst. Elmhurst is fighting to overtake Augie and to be able to host the conference tourney. NCC is fighting to stay in the race for a tourney birth. As an added bonus, Elmhurst's Michael and NCC's Simmons aren't really what you would call each others biggest fans.  Additionally, with Ruch & Krumtinger battling underneath, bodies may be flying

Bottom line--no mattter what I or anyone else says here, it seems like you have already made your decision when you said."I think the (Wheaton/Millikin) game will  be a dull one."

[AndOne]

i have always "loved" all the talk about how bad a team would be without that player.  the problem with all that talk is that we rarely get to find out how bad (or good) they all become.  Always seemed like a pointless discussion to me. Oh well,  i guess people have to talk about something besided the games at hand. 
As for EC-NCC, i'm getting ready to buckle up for a great game as three of the last four games at the fieldhouse have gone to OT, and the other was a wild 107-100 loss. 
Lets just hope that this is the last time I ever get to see Simmons in a uniform as his attitude is always good for at least one, "this type of player is what gives basketball a bad name" rant that I seem to make everytime calling one of his games.
I know he's been battling an injury all season, but I'm amazed more attention hasn't been made to this player who in the eyes of most people was a no-brainer 1st team All-CCIW performer (and preseason 2nd team All America).  I enjoy his poor performances for several reasons.  1) It shows that he is a headcase who was never albe to live up to his potential 2) will likely prove to Raridon never to recruit a player with that attitude 3) has let everyone in the conference know that Dan Walton is clearly the best player on that team.

Then again, I hope that Simmons drops 35 on Augie this Saturday and gives the EC faithful a chance to root the Bluejays towards a CCIW crown.

ecdubb----

1. I guess my first question is who appointed you king for the day?

2. Labeling a player a "headcase" and saying you would like him to basically fall flat on his face one night and shine the next night sure sounds like someone who likes it both ways.        

3. Anthony has had some personal problems that he has done a good job battling back from and through. For one thing, he has played the last 2/3 of the season with a piece of bone that chipped off his ankle and is floating around in his heel. I sense you wouldn't have done as well under the circumstances.

4. Anyone close to CCIW basketball who has even half a frickin' brain knows that Todd Raridon did not recruit Anthony. This is his 3rd year at NCC which means he came on board when Anthony was a soph.

[advoice]

Anyone know if the Augie @ IWU game will be video streamed?

[Titan Q]

Anyone know if the Augie @ IWU game will be video streamed?

Yes, on IWU.edu with student broadcasters...

http://www2.iwu.edu/news/live/index.shtml

[Titan Q]

Tomorrow is Senior Night for 4 IWU players -- Tyler Smith, Mike Harrigan, Andrew Freeman, and Zach Freeman.

http://www.iwuhoops.com/seniors.jpg

Please allow me to ramble a bit...

To some extent, I think Tyler Smith was a victim of bad timing.  He came to IWU one year behind one of the best class in school history.  Tyler was a high school superstar at Tolono Unity, leading his team to Peoria as a junior.  He was the leading scorer in the 2002 Class A state tournament, finishing with 80 points in 4 games.  As a senior he was named a Class A 1st Team all-stater by the IBCA. 

Tyler was buried behind the IWU Class of 2006.  This year when he finally got his chance, he got off to a tough start shooting the basketball and just seemed to lose all of his confidence – anyone watching him could see how much it affected him.  Despite falling out of the varsity rotation, the coaches will tell you that no one works harder in practice than Tyler in helping his teammates get ready for each game.  He's an impressive young man and as an IWU fan, I certainly appreciate his dedication to the program.  I've always had even more admiration for guys like Tyler Smith than I have the superstars – guys who work their tails off everyday, even when they know they may not get in the game.  That takes an impressive amount of character.

I was disappointed when Mike Harrigan chose not to come to IWU out of high school and instead accepted the opportunity to walk-on at Division I Loyola – I was looking forward to a fellow Brother Rice Crusader joining the program.  When I heard that Mike was transferring two years ago, I was happy for him...I thought he'd really like being a student and a basketball player at Illinois Wesleyan. 

Mike's another guy that has only had one year to make an impact.  As is the case with any kid named "Harrigan" from Brother Rice High School, Mike can shoot the basketball.  He's 32-64 (.500) from beyond the arc this year.  Mike has played hard every minute he's been on the floor and he was one of the key guys to lead to comeback from 21 down in the 2nd half at UW-Whitewater, scoring 16 points in that one.  Mike is just simply a likeable young man and someone who will do very well in his life post-Titan basketball.

Andrew Freeman has not only been in the shadows of older players like Keelan Amelianovich, Cory Jones, Chris Jones, and Steve Schweer, he's been in the shadow of his identical twin brother.  I don't know what that dynamic must be like – to have a twin brother who is a 4-year starter and superstar but having to scrap for a few minutes here and there for 3 years – but I know it's been great to see Andrew start this year and have a good season (11.6 ppg, 6.1 rpg).     

I've been pleasantry surprised to find out that Andrew is actually the more assertive of the twins on the floor.  Zach does his thing pretty quietly – Andrew is the guy who gets on people and fires up the troops.  His 18-point 2nd half performance at Hanover is one I will remember for a while   He has been a class act and a team player at Illinois Wesleyan for four years.

[Titan Q]

Zach Freeman's first basket as a Titan was – fittingly - a dunk.  On one of the first possessions of IWU's 2002-03 opener at U. of Chicago, Zach caught a lob pass from sophomore Adam Dauksas and flushed it.  I remember turning to Art Kimball and saying, "This kid's going to be pretty good."  Zach has been punishing rims ever since.  I have no idea what IWU's previous career dunk record was – afterall, IWU is a place that the dunk hasn't always been celebrated - but I'd guess Zach shattered it sometime last year and this year set a new mark that will never be broken at IWU.

Zach's combination of pure basketball skill and athleticism makes him such a unique player in Division III.  It all started to click for him during IWU's tournament push last season.  He averaged 20.3 ppg and 7.9 in IWU's final 8 games last season (CCIW, NCAA tournaments) and as a senior is averaging 21.5 ppg and 8.7 rpg.  What he has done this year, despite the graduation of a 1st Team All-American point-guard, a 1st Team All-American wing, and a bunch of big/physical low post running mates, has been amazing.  Every game he has played, opposing defenses have keyed solely on him, hoping to limit his touches and points.  He has scored 17 pts + in 17 of 22 games and 20+ 13 times.

Zach is going to leave Illinois Wesleyan #7 on the all-time scoring list and #4 in rebounding.  His current career FG% of .584 (577-988) is the best in school history among the players with 900 or more attempts...higher than great Titan post players like Jeff Kuehl (.573), Chris Simich (.534), Luke Kasten (.519), and Jack Sikma (.514).  Zach was a starter on two CCIW title teams and 1 Final Four team squad.  This year will mark his 4th selection on the All-CCIW team.

Zach Freeman has been a special player and one people will be talking about for a long time.  It will be nice to see him play one more game at the Shirk Center tomorrow, but also hard to see him go.

[diehardfan]

So, I just wanted everyone to know that today I was out in the mountainous area just out of town and teaching an ARC CPR and First Aid class. I was eating lunch and all of a sudden, little pieces of hail hit the ground outside... yes, it was 38 degrees and rainy where I was today... but I loved every minute of it!

[cardinalpride]

Labeling a player a "headcase" and saying you would like him to basically fall flat on his face one night and shine the next night sure sounds like someone who likes it both ways.       

That was good AndOne! 

[armywife]

Q, great pic and thoughts on IWU seniors. I know they will be playing with mixed emotions tonight. I love how d3 honors their seniors. I remember at Augie, the parents and coaches planned long and hard to senior night and really made it special for them when Shaun was a senior. 

I think Augie is going to have to bring it's A game tonight because those guys are going to be playing on pure emotion and would love to spoil Augie's bid for a conference championship and the right to host the tournament. I won't be waking up in the middle of the night to watch the game, it's too hard to get thru my day afterward, but I'm hoping Augie can take this game.

[Gregory Sager]

Anthony Simmons has been everyone's favorite whipping boy on CCIW Chat over the past few seasons, and I admit that I, too, haven't been immune to the urge to question the focus and level-headedness of the Beast of Bolingbrook. However, even his biggest detractors have to realize that the man has been playing in serious pain for the better part of two months now. Knowing that he is still going out there every day in practices and games and playing on that damaged foot, and is still contributing at a pretty high level (14.0 ppg and 6.1 rpg in CCIW play) is enough to make me lay off of him.

If I want to call out someone for dogging it or for being a headcase on the court, I'll pick on someone who isn't playing with a bone chip floating around in his heel. It's pretty easy for us armchair quarterbacks to question the desire or the mental fortitude of players, but perhaps it isn't quite as easy for us to fully grasp the concept of "playing through pain".

Call me an old softie if you like. Bob admires the good-effort practice players such as Tyler Smith; I admire the players who endure and excel in the face of injury such as Anthony Simmons. Either way, I think that there's something to be said for championing the players who don't have it easy.

[Titan Q]

A nice article on Zach and Andrew Freeman from today's Pantagraph...

http://www.pantagraph.com/articles/2007/02/14/sports/123470.txt

[AndOne]

Labeling a player a "headcase" and saying you would like him to basically fall flat on his face one night and shine the next night sure sounds like someone who likes it both ways.       

That was good AndOne! 

Thank you cardinalpride---------------
I was just working with the material given to me.

When ecdubb holds himself up as a "sportscaster" I expect him to have a certain amount of personal bias and favoritism toward his team. However, we should also rightfully hold members of the broadcast communication field to a standard of unquestioned sportsmanship and a sense of fair play. To label and call a young man, whom he doesn't even know and probably has never even spoken to, a "headcase" is to utterly and completely disregard the tenants of those concepts of sportsmanship and fair play that are part of the foundation of the industry/profession that ecdubb holds himself out to be an active member of.

Anthony Simmons plays at a high level despite the continuing pain caused by a chip fracture (the ortho surgeon's definition of his injury) which resulted in a bone chip off his ankle continuing to float in his heel. In addition, Anthony has also overcome other challenges as he strives to pursue and reach his goals both as a student and an athlete. He studies and plays under the pressure of continuing issues which are nobody's business but his own.

All of us who regularly post on this board are eminently aware of the recent series of incidents where some Wheaton and other schools student-athletes were referred to as "garbage." We rose together in almost unanimous condemnation of that reference, and I trust the vast majority of us were hopeful that we would have no further incidents involving "garbage" in any way, shape, or form. Alas, ecdubb420 has dashed those hopes by spewing forth with his own brand of "garbage" which has no place in the description of the performance of neither Mr. Simmons nor any other student-athlete.

I think ecdubb420 owes Anthony an apology. His unique position of that of a "sportscaster" affords him the perfect medium. If he is calling the North Central-Elmhurst game this evening, I submit that would be the perfect time and place for him to step up and do the right thing.    

[AndOne]

Anthony Simmons has been everyone's favorite whipping boy on CCIW Chat over the past few seasons, and I admit that I, too, haven't been immune to the urge to question the focus and level-headedness of the Beast of Bolingbrook. However, even his biggest detractors have to realize that the man has been playing in serious pain for the better part of two months now. Knowing that he is still going out there every day in practices and games and playing on that damaged foot, and is still contributing at a pretty high level (14.0 ppg and 6.1 rpg in CCIW play) is enough to make me lay off of him.

If I want to call out someone for dogging it or for being a headcase on the court, I'll pick on someone who isn't playing with a bone chip floating around in his heel. It's pretty easy for us armchair quarterbacks to question the desire or the mental fortitude of players, but perhaps it isn't quite as easy for us to fully grasp the concept of "playing through pain".

Call me an old softie if you like. Bob admires the good-effort practice players such as Tyler Smith; I admire the players who endure and excel in the face of injury such as Anthony Simmons. Either way, I think that there's something to be said for championing the players who don't have it easy.

Well said Mr. Sager. Thank you
Perhaps because I've known Anthony for 3 years now, I'm to close to the situation and accordingly, my rhetoric is not so eloquently restrained.