MBB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[rknuppel]

Had a great time at Augie last night watching to great CCIW basketball games.  I played 4 years in the league and have watched several games - yet every time I watch a game I'm amazed at how physical this league is.  The Wheaton/Elmhurst game was just a war. 

Elmhurst basically dominated this game from start til about 3 minutes to go.  Wheaton made a nice run to actually take the lead with a minute or so to go.  They came back on pure hustle, scrappy play and hard work.  Congrats to them on a well fought game.  Elmhurst was just too much for Wheaton to handle.  Burks had a great game scoring 27 and showing that he just might belong on that 1st team this year.  Ruch played solid as usually and probably belongs on the 1st team as well.  Michael had one of his best games of the year.  He finished some big buckets under the basket, wore the wheaton posts down with his aggressive posting, and stuck his freethrows.  Lee was solid as usual.  He his several left handed floaters which continues to impress me.  As for Wheaton - Kent Raymond is flat out good!  He is quick, can shoot, has that knack for drawing fouls, etc... If I were Wheaton I think I would have put him up top with the ball in his hands EVERY TIME.  Spread the other four guys down low and let Raymond create.  He is just unstoppable when he is going 1 on 1 with an open court.  One of the best shot fakes I've seen.

As for the last play.  I was sitting directly under the Elmhurst basket and Burks was clearly fouled.  Sure, nobody wants to end a game like that - but the refs simply had no choice.  He was hit from both sides.  I'm sure the emotions of the game got to the Wheaton coaching staff after the game - but I think Coach Harris might change his stance a little after he actually DOES watch the video tape.  Seemed to me like a pretty clear foul and an easy one to call.

Great work Jays!!!  Take care of business today and don't leave your tourney fate in the hands of the committee.

[rknuppel]

Lot's more thoughts on some of the comments made...

Late nite thoughts on the tourney games:
1---Burks flopped after HE initiated contact with a scissors kick---HOWEVER

2---EC deserved this break after numerous phantom fouls that were called for Raymond---At one point, an EC fan sneezed in the 8th row and Raymond went to the line to shoot 2

6---No chest beating or jersey popping from the two winning teams---just handshakes

1 -- I don't think I agree with your assessment of that last play.  Two Wheaton guys flew at burks and hit him squarely on the arm.  It's a worthless argument at this point I guess.

2 -- Hilarious.  I'm not sure how he does it... But he gets the benefit of the doubt from the refs.  Great player regardless!

6 -- Exactly!  Very good to see two teams win with class.

Elmhurst fans:

Can you please contain your enthusiasm and keep the in-game updates confined to the in-game updates board on Saturday?

Pat - I'm just happy to see enthusiastic Elmhurst fans 

There is no question that Elmhurst would be very much on the bubble with a loss tonight, but I'd hope a little non-primary criteria discussion would take place at the national level.  Whether the CCIW is the best, second best, or third best league in the country (that is an entirely different debate), the bottom line is that Elmhurst finish 2nd in the one of the toughest leagues in Division III.  You'd have to hope that at some point they step away from the numbers and have a basketball conversation.

Would they really take 5 UAA teams and 1 CCIW? 

Elmhurst winning tonight would obviously lock the CCIW into 2 teams.

Amen to that!

[Gregory Sager]

I thought some may find this interesting:

http://www.northpark.edu/home/index.cfm?northpark=RNews.RNews_Story&ID=1865

Between Rus Bradburd taking up the fiddle and former star center Marc Horner becoming a semi-professional Irish bagpiper, NPU's basketball alumni have the nucleus of a pretty good Irish music band.

Perhaps we can induce Rob Berki to learn how to play the pennywhistle.

[Gregory Sager]

Pat, yes, I promise not to post in game updates tonight.  Sorry!

Please ... by all means post them, since not everyone will be able to get the audio stream of the championship game. Just confine them to the in-game updates room, which was designed for that purpose.

I, too, would like to congratulate Wheaton and North Central on very good seasons and for making it all the way to the CCIW tourney. In what turned out to be a very competitive and high-performance season, making it as far as they did is a real testament to the excellence of both teams.

79jb, I'm not going to chastise you for having the same feelings about Elmhurst that I have. In fact, I'll bet that you'd be hard-pressed to find a fan of any CCIW school that doesn't think Elmhurst deserves to be in the tourney if they lose today. We're all with you on that. And I fervently hope that Bob's right, that the selection committee steps back from the five primary criteria and looks at the bigger picture.

But you just can't expect that to happen. The criteria are there for a reason. They make the process as objective as possible, which is absolutely necessary on a level in which it is absolutely impossible for anyone to see every contender.

I hope Elmhurst wins and makes the point moot. But I just don't see them getting a Pool C bid.

[79jaybird]

Pat/ Brlhsfan, I am the one to blame for the many EC/W updates last night on this board, it's my fault and I will control the # of posts in the future. 
Very exciting game last night between Elmhurst & Wheaton  and like RKnuppel said, it's tough to have the game decided on a questionable foul.
AndOne-  Thank you and I must say that that all 4 teams in the Tournament have displayed class, heart, and what the CCIW stands for. 
I feel for Dan Walton and the other Cardinals' Seniors  who took the Cards on their shoulders to make the tourney, after their slow start.

I am in a bind now,  I have a group hockey outing (fundraiser) at the Chicago Wolves Hockey Game in Rosemont, IL  AND the biggest game of the year between Elmhurst and Augustana... 2 places-1 person- 2 loves- hmm, I might have to bring the laptop to the Allstate Arena.

[79jaybird]

This is somewhat unrelated but something I have thought about for awhile.  I think Elmhurst AD Paul Krohn and the entire Athletics Staff/Coaches at Elmhurst are doing a phenomenal job of raising the "bar" of Bluejays Athletics.
I was at EC from 1998-2002 and know that the 90's were not the best decade for Elmhurst Athletically.  The 70's and 80's was a time of EC success, and then (for 1 reason or another) the 90's was a difficult decade.  With the promotion of Coach Krohn to AD and some great coaches on the staff, athletics has begun to prosper again.  I am not saying we are going to win every title in every sport, rather with the athletic masterminds we have, we can expect to be competitive year in and year out.  As an Alumni Cabinet Member, I can say that this is a great sight to see.

[tuvwxyz]

  and like RKnuppel said, it's tough to have the game decided on a questionable foul.

I don't think he said that at all. He said it was a clear foul in his view.

[usee]

Isn't it convenient how all the Kent Raymond phantom call - conspiracy theory specialist all conveniently forget to mention all the hard fouls against him were he hits the floor hard.   I taped most of the home games and the tape shows otherwise.  Since your from other schools and rarely have seen him play or better yet watched the tape your information must have come from radio announcers.  I'm sure the All American committee is interested in your secondhand opinion.   NOT! 

Go Thunder,

congratulations on your 200th post and your newfound abilities to give karma. use it well.

[Late nite]

Raymond is a great player---But, when you put up as many shots as he does, there are going to be times you pay the price and hit the floor---He and Burks were the beneficiaries yesterday of some great acting and some poor officiating

Isn’t it convenient how all the Kent Raymond phantom call - conspiracy theory specialist all conveniently forget to mention all the hard fouls against him were he hits the floor hard.   I taped most of the home games and the tape shows otherwise.  Since your from other schools and rarely have seen him play or better yet watched the tape your information must have come from radio announcers.  I’m sure the All American committee is interested in your secondhand opinion.   NOT! 

[bbfan44]

Out of curiosity...if you were at the game, which ref called the foul at the end of the game? 

[Late nite]

Short, stocky official, who had been making the dramatic calls the entire game---The Wheaton assistant coach ran after the taller offficial after the game, but he wasn't the one who made the call

Out of curiosity...if you were at the game, which ref called the foul at the end of the game? 

[tuvwxyz]

2 refs blew their whistles at almost the same time. One on rt baseline and one out front.

This call is in line with the way the entire game was called. Raymond got fouled on shots and they were called, much to the chagrin of EC fans. Burks got fouled on the shot but this time Wheaton fans didn't like it. It was consistent.

[79jaybird]

Go Thunder has the karma power (flex those muscles)  
Raymond is an unbelievable ball player and single handedly almost brought Wheaton a W last night.  I beg to differ with those who think Wheaton would be where they are/were without Raymond.  He has that "drive" and "tenacity" that you don't find in too many players at this level.  
The CCIW as with many other leagues is a physical, brutal war.  No doubt that there is going to be some pushing, shoving, etc. that comes with the play.  The 2 games (EC/W) I saw had some calls that went both ways.  As I look back, I can say that the calls evened out in the long run and the team that played better won both games.
FYI, for those traveling out to Rock Island tonight be extra cautious as the weather reports are saying inclement weather is expected to hit around 3 CST.  So give yourself some extra time traveling west on I88 or I 80.

[AndOne]

FYI, for those traveling out to Rock Island tonight be extra cautious as the weather reports are saying inclement weather is expected to hit around 3 CST.  So give yourself some extra time traveling west on I88 or I 80.

And be prepared to spend the night. Just talked to a friend who stayed in Rock Island last night after the Augie/NCC game. The freezing rain has already started.

Here is the official Weather Service forecast for Rock Island for this afternoon, eveming, and tomorrow for what its worth. Hopefully its wrong:

Winter Storm Warning

A WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM CST SUNDAY.

FREEZING RAIN AND SLEET CHANGE TO HEAVY SNOW BY THIS EVENING. UP TO A HALF OF AN INCH OF ICE ACCUMULATION WILL OCCUR BEFORE THE CHANGE TO SNOW. STRONG EAST WINDS FROM 25 TO 35 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 45 MPH...WILL COMBINE WITH THE ICE ACCUMULATION TO PRODUCE DOWNED POWER LINES AND TREE LIMBS. THE STRONG WINDS WILL COMBINE WITH THE HEAVY SNOW TONIGHT TO PRODUCE WHITEOUT AND NEAR BLIZZARD CONDITIONS AT TIMES. VERY HAZARDOUS AND POTENTIALLY LIFE THREATENING CONDITIONS WILL BE POSSIBLE BY THIS EVENING. BY SUNDAY AFTERNOON...SNOW ACCUMULATIONS FROM 3 TO 7 INCHES WILL HAVE OCCURRED IN THE WARNING AREA.

A WINTER STORM WARNING MEANS 6 TO 8 INCHES OR MORE OF SNOW... FALLING AT INTENSE RATES AT TIMES OF 2 TO 3 INCHES PER HOUR... COMBINED WITH STRONG WINDS WILL OCCUR. ALSO SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF FREEZING RAIN AND SLEET WILL OCCUR. THIS WILL MAKE TRAVEL VERY DANGEROUS OR IMPOSSIBLE... SO ONLY TRAVEL IN AN EMERGENCY AND TAKE YOUR WINTER SURVIVAL KIT.

[79jaybird]

Yes, freezing rain and the so-called "black ice" is what is really dangerous, where you press the brakes and you feel the car sliding, etc.  so give yourself that extra 30-45 minutes.
I think both teams know each other very well and know what works/doesn't work against each other.  I think it is imperative for Elmhurst to not fall behind early like they did in RI the first time.  They spotted Augie a comfortable lead and were treading water after.
For Augie, I think trying to get Elmhurst into foul trouble (their bigs) is a goal, also I think Delp is one of the Vikings keys.  Delp was a key component in both games.  Any way you slice the cake, this one is a doozy.