MBB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[Titan Q]

Bob, 

Good points, and I guess I would agree that "on paper" if they don't add anyone they would still be the favorites but I feel the reality would be they wouldn't win the conference without at least one major addition in the post.   I also would agree that the transfer route is probably the most obvious move to make in terms of a ready made player but hoping that they can get a freshman big man too.

I don't think you can discount your Titans quite yet as they will have all five starters back and they will only get bigger and better.   At least you have players at each position that can compete to make for a more complete team.   And you can't discount NP either as they have a fine point guard, a very talented (but inconsistent) player in Williams and a center who is everything Carthage needs.  Millikin sure made a turnaround in one year...I'm not so sure NP won't be that team next year.  If both IWU and NP learn to play better defense, they both will be in the mix for the conference tournament next year.   And, I'm not so sure Wheaton won't be a problem for teams.   They certainly lose the best player but they have some nice parts to fill with.

Plus, if Carthage didn't add anyone, everyone else will and that could mean some difference makers that might change the conference around quicker than we think.   

I think IWU will be good next year, Mark.  It's just that after what happened this year in the league (5-9), there are several important questions to answer.  For me, those include:

1) Can this nucleus learn to defend?
2) Who is going to emerge as the leader?
3) Will they get tougher?
4) Is there a go-to guy in this group?

As I mentioned last week, I believe IWU is one player away.  For next year, I like:

G Rosenkranz, 6-0
G Zimmer, 6-5 (or Johnson, 6-1)
F Koschnitzky, 6-6
F ?
C Sexauer, 6-7

These guys all had inconsistent years, but I'm sold on them being good CCIW players moving forward.

Either gotta find a recruit to come in a play the post alongside Sexauer, or have to develop an Eric McCullough (6-9) or Ryan Connolly (6-9).  "Big Country" Ryan Connolly came a long way this year from what I hear, and Eric McCullough will hopefully get healthy (and bigger, stronger, and tougher).

I'm optimistic IWU will be back next year.  At least the Titans will finally be back on equal footing in terms of experience - it will be a veteran team next season.  Having to play so many sophomores and freshmen this season (78% of IWU's CCIW playing time) was very unfortunate.

[74impala]

Sssshhhh!  Andone is still sleeping!!!!!

I think he has a migrane after his head exploded last night.

[Titan Q]

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/highschool/chi-090221-boys-basketball-morton-luke-scarlata,0,5551254.story

Scarlata has yet to decide where he will attend college but has narrowed it to four schools--Loyola, Southern Illinois-Edwardsville, Augustana and Illinois Wesleyan.

"I have Division I offers, but I might take the Division III route strictly for academics," Scarlata said. "I want to study business or medicine and Augustana has a great medical school. I kind of want to get [the decision] out of the way before playoff time."


Everything I read early in the season said U. of Chicago or SIU-E.

[Late nite]

http://www.carthage.edu/athleticspages/mens/basketball/release.html

Quoting Coach Bosko Djurickovic on the Feb. 21 Elmhurst Game:  "The first 10 minutes of the game was the key," said Carthage coach Bosko Djurickovic.  "We played with such a good idea of what to do, that we should have been 15 points ahead.  We missed layup after layup and opportunity after opportunity early on.  We've managed to make Elmhurst look like national-championship contenders twice this year.  They share the basketball well, and they're a very well-coached team.  They have a chance to do very well in the CCIW tournament.  Elmhurst was better, they earned it, and we have a lot of work to do.  Going 7-7 is a good year for a lot of teams but not for us.  We'll be better next year.  We have the best-returning player and a lot of other returning players.  We should be picked as one of the top teams in the league next year.  This was a good group to coach.  They were hard workers and resilient.  They gave me what they had.  The results are my fault.  The name of the game is recruiting, and that's what we have to do every day from now until August."


For a second there, I thought Bosko was going to go Lee Elia in that quote.  "The name of the game is, shoot the ball, defend the ball, and get the #$%&$'n job done."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uv23pqH9iG0

Without adding a single player, I think Carthage will be the CCIW favorite next season.  The Red Men finished 7-7 - two games better than IWU and 7 games better than North Park (the two other teams that return almost everyone).  The 4 conference tournament teams from this season lose so much that I can't see any being the 2010 favorite.  If Carthage finds two good big guys, ready to step in and play next year, they will be scary.  Maybe even with just one good big guy.  

Of course, that is easier said than done - for whatever reason, Bosko has not been able to find a good big guy on the recruiting trail in recent years.  And most of the time, it takes even a good low post prospect two years to develop.  

Carthage may have the best player in Division III next year, and several other good perimeter complements.  With a couple key additions in the low post, they could be a legitimate national powerhouse next year.  My money is on Carthage going the transfer route.  

Bob, 

Good points, and I guess I would agree that "on paper" if they don't add anyone they would still be the favorites but I feel the reality would be they wouldn't win the conference without at least one major addition in the post.   I also would agree that the transfer route is probably the most obvious move to make in terms of a ready made player but hoping that they can get a freshman big man too.

I don't think you can discount your Titans quite yet as they will have all five starters back and they will only get bigger and better.   At least you have players at each position that can compete to make for a more complete team.   And you can't discount NP either as they have a fine point guard, a very talented (but inconsistent) player in Williams and a center who is everything Carthage needs.  Millikin sure made a turnaround in one year...I'm not so sure NP won't be that team next year.  If both IWU and NP learn to play better defense, they both will be in the mix for the conference tournament next year.   And, I'm not so sure Wheaton won't be a problem for teams.   They certainly lose the best player but they have some nice parts to fill with.

Plus, if Carthage didn't add anyone, everyone else will and that could mean some difference makers that might change the conference around quicker than we think.   

Don't discount the possibility that Augie will again be in the mix---Graduation will cut deeply into their rotation from this year---No doubt---But the return of two 6'7" kids who can play and the return of 2 point guards is a pretty good starting point for any team---Giovanine will find the other parts to remain competitive

[Titan Q]

Don't discount the possibility that Augie will again be in the mix---Graduation will cut deeply into their rotation from this year---No doubt---But the return of two 6'7" kids who can play and the return of 2 point guards is a pretty good starting point for any team---Giovanine will find the other parts to remain competitive

Augie will always be in the mix with Coach G.  And yes, they have a lot of talented players who have been waiting their turn.  (In addition to the big guys, I like DeSimone a lot.)

The topic above was specifically about who would be picked to win it, and while I'd expect Augie to be right in the mix, I don't think the Vikings will be picked to win the 2010 race.

[Late nite]

Don't discount the possibility that Augie will again be in the mix---Graduation will cut deeply into their rotation from this year---No doubt---But the return of two 6'7" kids who can play and the return of 2 point guards is a pretty good starting point for any team---Giovanine will find the other parts to remain competitive

Augie will always be in the mix with Coach G.  And yes, they have a lot of talented players who have been waiting their turn.  (In addition to the big guys, I like DeSimone a lot.)

The topic above was specifically about who would be picked to win it, and while I'd expect Augie to be right in the mix, I don't think the Vikings will be picked to win the 2010 race.

I agree---IWU will be picked as the favorite by the coaches and most of the posters on this site

[Titan Q]

Don't discount the possibility that Augie will again be in the mix---Graduation will cut deeply into their rotation from this year---No doubt---But the return of two 6'7" kids who can play and the return of 2 point guards is a pretty good starting point for any team---Giovanine will find the other parts to remain competitive

Augie will always be in the mix with Coach G.  And yes, they have a lot of talented players who have been waiting their turn.  (In addition to the big guys, I like DeSimone a lot.)

The topic above was specifically about who would be picked to win it, and while I'd expect Augie to be right in the mix, I don't think the Vikings will be picked to win the 2010 race.

I agree---IWU will be picked as the favorite by the coaches and most of the posters on this site

As discussed above, I don't think so.  I think Carthage will be considered the favorite by most - again, they finished better than IWU this year and return every bit as much of their 2009 production.

[augiefan]

The 4 CCIW tourney teams happen to be the 4 teams with the conference's top seniors. Elmhurst and Wheaton both lose their one two punch, and Augie and NCC have a bunch of quality players graduating. I'd go with IWU and Carthage as 1 and 2 teams going into next season. I do not think the conference will be as deep or as talented as this year, but this was a special year, when teams as good as Carthage, IWU and Miilikin, all of whom would win or be in the mix for a championship in at least 50% of the other DIII conferences, didn't even make the conference tourney. Remember how well all of our teams except NPU played in the nonconference season.

[augiefan]

Scarlata would be a great recruit for Augie or IWU filling a need for both teams in the post. With Collins and Bertrand graduating, Augie really needs a big guy who can rebound. Nelson and Voiles are good offensive big men, but I do not see them doing the dirty work on the boards that Chandlor C. handled so remarkably well given Augie did not have a true center this year. The big man from St. Charles East would be a good recruit for Augie too, but I think he may end up going DII or low DI. It would be nice if Augie got one of them.

In past years Augie seldom won head to head recruiting battles against IWU, particularly for suburban Chicago recruits. I'm sure Titan Q can confirm whether that is correct or not. I do not recall Matt Pelton being targeted by IWU, but I suppose he was at least on their radar. Perhaps Augie's success in recent years against the Titans will turn around this season's head to head recruiting against IWU, if Scarlata does go DIII.

[AndOne]

Sssshhhh!  Andone is still sleeping!!!!!

I think he has a migrane after his head exploded last night.

Feel better now 74impala?
Another post reflective of your vast knowledge and basketball expertise.

[Titan Q]

In Patrick Abegg's new projections, the #1-rated Pool C candidate is Hamilton...

http://www.d3boards.com/index.php?topic=4232.2070

IWU vs Hamilton @ Wash U...

http://www.iwusports.com/custompages/MBB/MBB2009/IWU6.HTM

Under this system, a national Pool C decision is made based strictly on regional criteria.  That is tough.

The new projections seem to support my thought that Wheaton and Elmhurst are locks, while Augie and NCC need to win the conference tournament.

[coebball70]

Can a Wheaton Thunder follower please enlighten me on Ben Panner's status.  He was recognized last evening as a Senior.  In the program, he's listed as a Junior.  I know he is a transfer from Texas but is he going to graduate this year?  Could we have another 5 year player for the Thunder in the near future?

[Titan Q]

In past years Augie seldom won head to head recruiting battles against IWU, particularly for suburban Chicago recruits. I'm sure Titan Q can confirm whether that is correct or not. I do not recall Matt Pelton being targeted by IWU, but I suppose he was at least on their radar. Perhaps Augie's success in recent years against the Titans will turn around this season's head to head recruiting against IWU, if Scarlata does go DIII.

IWU did not recruit Matt Pelton as far as I know.

IWU has done well head-to-head vs Augie over the years, but now Augustana is an established national power, while IWU is going through this rebuilding process after the coaching change.  For a while there, the roles were reversed...and that is why IWU had the edge I think.  Nowadays, when IWU and Augie go after the same kid (which often happens), it could go either way - for example, both went after Kyle Nelson.  And Brian DeSimone.

Augie's staff does a great job recruiting.

[74impala]

Sssshhhh!  Andone is still sleeping!!!!!

I think he has a migrane after his head exploded last night.

Feel better now 74impala?
Another post reflective of your vast knowledge and basketball expertise.

I happened to notice that your eyes were popping out of their sockets by the end of the game last night.  I just figured you were a little under the weather today and thought I'd let everyone know.

[Late nite]

Don't discount the possibility that Augie will again be in the mix---Graduation will cut deeply into their rotation from this year---No doubt---But the return of two 6'7" kids who can play and the return of 2 point guards is a pretty good starting point for any team---Giovanine will find the other parts to remain competitive

Augie will always be in the mix with Coach G.  And yes, they have a lot of talented players who have been waiting their turn.  (In addition to the big guys, I like DeSimone a lot.)

The topic above was specifically about who would be picked to win it, and while I'd expect Augie to be right in the mix, I don't think the Vikings will be picked to win the 2010 race.

I agree---IWU will be picked as the favorite by the coaches and most of the posters on this site

As discussed above, I don't think so.  I think Carthage will be considered the favorite by most - again, they finished better than IWU this year and return every bit as much of their 2009 production.

IWU---More depth, more size and more experience