MBB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[IWU53]

OK, There have been a couple of Kudos given, and justly so! You folks just don't know just how valuable your postings are to those of us who are afar (in my case Florida), so long out of school (IWU53 -- get it?) and hungry for all the info we can only get by what you provide! Q is the only Poster I've met (Salem a few years back) but I feel I know all of you and appreciate what you do so well in evaluating, explaining and analyzing THE BEST DIII program  in the land!

I'll return now to my Lurker status with a big THANKS!!

[iwumichigander]

IWU just got dominated at the Shirk Center in the 2nd half.  The Titans go from contenders to pretenders in a hurry. Very disappointing.

I am not sure the word pretenders is accurate or fair, though I have been having this gnawing feeling like IWU (and really everyone in the CCIW) has been ranked higher than warrented by their roster and record. However, this is still a very good team that has put in a decent showing this season (even just being Wheaton's closest game this season by far is a big deal!), and they will only get better. I am sure IWU will be back to it's annoying place of perpetual excellence in coming seasons. In the meanwhile, as I have been following these statistical ratings: http://talismanred.com/ratings/hoops/divisioniii.shtml... IWU has been down at 40th or so the whole time they were ranked in the Top 25. Fortieth sound about right to me. While they're obviously over ranked, they're still a good squad and a serious threat as they become more experienced this season.

While surprised at IWU's early ratings, I do think Titans have the pieces to be a Top 25 team. I can't get too stressed over the loss to Wheaton; whoops, I should more correctly write the loss to Raymond.  IWU should not have lost on their own home court to NCC.  IWU is simply better than that.

Gant was the "glue" which kept the Titans together and focused last season.  With Chamernik out early, IWU had to,again, use rotating fives to find some chemistry.  My gut instincts tell me McCullough needs to be in the mix even though he is probably not ready.

[all blues]

Regarding Raymond's discussions with officials-

Clearly, Raymond is a player who knows exactly how far he can push an official before it is time to back it down. 

He could do worse...I once saw Randy Pfund (Wheaton, early 70's, coach's son)(later NBA coach and GM) pat the ref on the a** after a call he didn't appreciate, and got T'd up for the gesture.

[iwumichigander]

I would just like to say that I talk to the Wheaton players and coaches at halftime all the time. How else do you think they've come out of the locker room on fire every game after a frequently lackluster first half?  But seriously...

I am not looking forward to Augie coming to King Arena on Wednesday. This is a great team, but we need Wiele to be worthy of our ranking, and even if he does play, there's the likelyhood of him being a little rusty. Will be interesting to see how this one plays out.

Since you brought Mr Wiele up - I really think Wheaton will look back at the end of this season(whenever that should occur) and find that Wiele's injury this early maybe the best thing for the development of the entire team. 
Bill Harris typically uses a short bench where 8,9 & 10 at best get mop up duty.  Wiele's injury has given a few Wheaton players minutes and opportunity to step up while forcing Harris to use the deeper part of his bench that a team will need in post season play.  (And, yes, Wheaton will have post season opportunity - there - I wrote it.)

In the short run, it is painful.  (You've at least got Augie at King rather than going to Carver.)  In the long run, it will payoff.

[Gregory Sager]

I would just like to say that I talk to the Wheaton players and coaches at halftime all the time. How else do you think they've come out of the locker room on fire every game after a frequently lackluster first half?  But seriously...

I am not looking forward to Augie coming to King Arena on Wednesday. This is a great team, but we need Wiele to be worthy of our ranking, and even if he does play, there's the likelyhood of him being a little rusty. Will be interesting to see how this one plays out.

Since you brought Mr Wiele up - I really think Wheaton will look back at the end of this season(whenever that should occur) and find that Wiele's injury this early maybe the best thing for the development of the entire team. 
Bill Harris typically uses a short bench where 8,9 & 10 at best get mop up duty.  Wiele's injury has given a few Wheaton players minutes and opportunity to step up while forcing Harris to use the deeper part of his bench that a team will need in post season play.  (And, yes, Wheaton will have post season opportunity - there - I wrote it.)

In the short run, it is painful.  (You've at least got Augie at King rather than going to Carver.)  In the long run, it will payoff.

Excellent point, IWUM.

[79jaybird]

There hasn't been much Elmhurst talk, mostly because the same taglines have been reoccurring.  They don't put away teams that they should and don't play with consistency. 
Tough to swallow a pill when you lead by 14 in the first half and have to hope for your opponent to miss to send the game to OT and a second OT.

I think the players have to take a long look in the mirror and that's where the turnaround will start. 

Two CCIW nights in a row where Elmhurst had the lead and the shoulda, coulda, woulda, - ending up a loss happened. 

To me that is not coaching as much as the players just not executing in the clutch.

Having said that, with the way the CCIW has been a helter skelter beat each other up league, I don't think Elmhurst is completely off the radar.  They do have to start winning these close games and get back their rhythm which we saw in the Wash U game.

Before I forget,  Congrats to Millikin and way to play hard and earn that victory.

[Naperick]

I was at the Elmhurst-Millikin game Saturday.  It was a fun game to watch.  Both teams had their chances in regulation and the first overtime.  Millikin seemed to want it more and deserved the win.  Millikin has improved a great deal since last year and plays tremendous defense.  They really covered the passing lanes well.

Kudos to Marc Smith on the improvement of the "Big Blue."  They are not a sure 'W' anymore.

As for Elmhurst, they need to regroup.  A lot of things disappointed me Saturday night but the free-throw shooting got to me the most.  That has been a strength the past few years but it has cost them big time in losses at Augustana and to Millikin.

[Naperick]

By the way, as 79Jaybird said, congrats to Millikin on the victory.  They truly earned it.

[wheatonfanaddict]

I really think Wheaton will look back at the end of this season(whenever that should occur) and find that Wiele's injury this early maybe the best thing for the development of the entire team.
Bill Harris typically uses a short bench where 8,9 & 10 at best get mop up duty.  Wiele's injury has given a few Wheaton players minutes and opportunity to step up while forcing Harris to use the deeper part of his bench that a team will need in post season play.

I like the way you think.

aside from that I would like to congratulate the CCIW for their strong showing in the polls going 7 for 8 in the TOP 50

[Gregory Sager]

New poll is out, and seven of the eight CCIW teams are getting votes: Wheaton is still #1, Augie fell to #11, and Elmhurst dropped to #20, while Carthage, Illinois Wesleyan, Millikin, and North Central (in that order) are all in the Others Receiving Votes category.

I realize that in all likelihood this is just a reflection of Dave McHugh's theory that the pollsters will keep slotting multiple CCIW teams at the bottom of their Top 25 ballots as an eeny-meenie-miney-mo gesture until the smoke clears and it becomes apparent which teams are the CCIW powers and which ones aren't, but it's still a nice validation of the league. What it isn't, of course, is a validation of the lone CCIW team left standing out in the cold, NPU, and so here's hoping that it makes the Vikings angry enough to do something about it.

[iwumichigander]

New poll is out, and seven of the eight CCIW teams are getting votes: Wheaton is still #1, Augie fell to #11, and Elmhurst dropped to #20, while Carthage, Illinois Wesleyan, Millikin, and North Central (in that order) are all in the Others Receiving Votes category.

I realize that in all likelihood this is just a reflection of Dave McHugh's theory that the pollsters will keep slotting multiple CCIW teams at the bottom of their Top 25 ballots as an eeny-meenie-miney-mo gesture until the smoke clears and it becomes apparent which teams are the CCIW powers and which ones aren't, but it's still a nice validation of the league. What it isn't, of course, is a validation of the lone CCIW team left standing out in the cold, NPU, and so here's hoping that it makes the Vikings angry enough to do something about it.

I think NPU can get some votes if they settle down.  NPU has had more adversity to overcome than I think any poster on this board would have anticipated.  The team just needs to stick to the basics, fundamentals and get in sync.

I do think the voting is reflective of the improvement by all eight teams. It is a credit to the coaches, the players and proven by non-conference records.  I also did not feel any CCIW team played a really "cream puff" non-conference schedule.

[dansand]

New poll is out, and seven of the eight CCIW teams are getting votes: Wheaton is still #1, Augie fell to #11, and Elmhurst dropped to #20, while Carthage, Illinois Wesleyan, Millikin, and North Central (in that order) are all in the Others Receiving Votes category.

I realize that in all likelihood this is just a reflection of Dave McHugh's theory that the pollsters will keep slotting multiple CCIW teams at the bottom of their Top 25 ballots as an eeny-meenie-miney-mo gesture until the smoke clears and it becomes apparent which teams are the CCIW powers and which ones aren't, but it's still a nice validation of the league. What it isn't, of course, is a validation of the lone CCIW team left standing out in the cold, NPU, and so here's hoping that it makes the Vikings angry enough to do something about it.

This is why people shouldn't get all excited (positively or negatively) about the polls too  early. It's a fun thing to brag about a little, but in reality, they don't mean too much, especially before the league schedules begin. Obviously some teams will be underrated and others overrated early, but by the end of the regular season (and after the post-season), there's enough data to get a pretty accurate picture.

...BTW, anybody know if Andy Wiele's going to play Wednesday?

[thundermike11]

...BTW, anybody know if Andy Wiele's going to play Wednesday?

I don't know for sure but I doubt it.

[AndOne]

There hasn't been an NCC update this year!  Does anyone know what has happened to AndOne?

CP---

Thanks for your concern. Its nice to ne missed by someone other than the sneaky Karma grinch who steals in in the middle of the night to wack you.

I've needed more treatments lately as the Mad Cow has been acting up a bit more recently, and then there was that recent incident with Naperville's finest, but thanks to those who posted bail, I'm back now! Also, if you will scroll back, I'm sure you'll find some descriptions of some of NCC's games so far this season.

[AndOne]

I want to thank all of you for the excellent jobs you are doing in relating the games. 

I also want to say thanks to all the posters since Dennis started it. It's nice having AndOne in the rotation of posters as it adds an informed poster from another school that we haven't had a ton of great posters from. It's also nice to have quality Wheaton student posters. It really adds to the diversity of quality game reports available, which in turn makes the season so much easier to follow. I am having a hard time being so far for what will likely be Wheaton's best season in a looong time, and all of your reports make it a little easier.

Thank you sweat lady.
Actually, I've been around for about 2 1/2 years, but I never say anything inflammatory or controversial in any manner, nor do I have many strong opinions, so I'm easy to miss. Also, being the only real NCC basketball poster on here, its easily for the legions of fans of some of the other schools to dismiss my rantings and/or "overpower" me with rhetoric.