MBB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[Titan Q]

TitanQ's logic makes sense.  There will be a lot of good guard play this year, but the key will be rebounding and FT's.  Of the top 4...the team that shoots 75% from the FT line and wins on the boards will win the conference.  Those are the 2 keys to winning the CCIW. 

How the last 6 CCIW champions have ranked (out of 8 teams) in FT% and Rebounding Margin...


2009 - Wheaton (11-3): FT #6 (69.2%) #6, Reb Margin #3
2008 - Augustana (11-3): FT #6 (72.6%), Reb Margin #2
2007 - Augustana (11-3): FT #4 (70.6%), Reb Margin #4
2006: Augustana (11-3): FT #3 (70.5%, Reb Margin #6
2005: Ill Wesleyan (12-2): FT #3 (72.3%), Reb Margin #1
2004: Ill Wesleyan (12-2): FT #4 (72.0%), Reb Margin #2




http://www.cciw.org/winter_bball_m/past_mbb_seasons.php

[CCIWFAN3]

Got to agree with Dennis.  The first stat every cciw coach looks at halftime is the rebounding stat. I don't care what numbers  from previous years were. You had better get to the ft line more than the other team...make 72% and above and win the rebounding war.   Too many stats from previous years...they don't matter.   There is one other issue that is a little important....the athletes need to be able to PLAY!

[CCIWFAN3]

3 things that championship teams do well:
1) FT's:)
2) rebounding:)
3) play as a team!

Offense is fun!
Defense wins games!
Rebounding wins Championships!

Just ask: Ms. Summit; Mr. Riley; or Mr. Knight

[Gregory Sager]

I'm not sold on the idea of Carthage being the favorite, or even a favorite, to win the CCIW. Yes, the Redmen have a player who is head-and-shoulders above everyone else in the league. But basketball is not a one-man game, it's a five-man game, and too often over the past two seasons Carthage looked like the mid-80's Bulls teams that consisted of Michael Jordan and four other guys who stood around and watched Jordan do everything. What I see in particular is a Carthage program that has really struggled to find any sort of an inside presence in recent seasons, and although Bosko has a couple of beefy 6'5 freshmen coming in who had outstanding high-school careers, anyone who trusts a freshman big man to put together an All-CCIW season is on a fool's errand. It very rarely happens. And without an inside game to complement Steve D., it's hard to escape the idea that Carthage just won't be consistent enough to win a minimum of 11 CCIW games.

I like Millikin as a sleeper. If there is any identifiable pattern to success in the CCIW, it's that seniors are a decisive ingredient, and Millikin is the only team in the league that can start an all-senior lineup. If Marc Smith so chooses, and I'm betting that he will, he can go with a lineup of the Demby brothers, Robert Burton, Charles Warren, and Justin Thompson. That's huge, especially in the context of this season's edition of the CCIW. The league is going to be lacking in seniors who see a lot of court time this season, because the CCIW class of 2010 is perhaps the weakest senior class in memory. I see two or maybe three other CCIW teams likely starting two seniors, and everyone else starting either one or none. The abundance of seniors for the Big Blue, and the lack of them on the other teams, could weigh heavily in favor of Jimmy Millikin.

I think that North Park has the potential to have a very strong bounce-back season. The only significant absence from last year's team will be Clayton Cahill, who is most likely going to take the year off from playing and will return to the team next year with junior eligibility status -- and NPU got used to playing without him, anyway, since he missed the last ten games of the 2008-09 season with a thigh injury. The two transfer guards that NPU has added, junior Shaun Collins and sophomore Davone Robinson, are CCIW-ready players who will be big additions. However, it would be presumptuous to assume that NPU will become a better defensive team just because everyone's a year older (for that matter, it's presumptuous to assume the same thing of Illinois Wesleyan as well), and the jury's going to remain out on Paul Brenegan until he gets NPU into the first division.

[CCIWFAN3]

Ditto Greg!  But look out...I bet there will be more stats coming shortly:)

[Dennis_Prikkel]

I'll agree with CCIW fan that most of the time good free shooting and a healthy rebounding margin are signs of a contending CCIW team,

however,

the 1978, 1979 and 1980 North Park teams were barely 67% from the free throw line (or perhaps worse), of course they made up for it by shooting over 53% from the field and having very wide rebound and scoring margins.  Still watching some of those guy attempt free throws was often ....

dgp

the curmudgeon has returned

[Hardwood]

    The Titans have to be the favorite --

     -- Top 5 scorers back = good experience

     -- Good size with 10 players @ 6'5'' or above

     -- Lots of depth at the 1,2, and 3 spots

[Titan Q]

   The Titans have to be the favorite --

    -- Top 5 scorers back = good experience

    -- Good size with 10 players @ 6'5'' or above

    -- Lots of depth at the 1,2, and 3 spots

But lots of questions at the 4 & 5 spots.  Doug Sexauer should be one of the premier big guys in the CCIW (maybe the region), but still lots to sort out regarding the other starting post and the 2 reserves.  (The good news is that IWU has a lot of talent at the 4/5 to choose from...but it is unproven/inexperienced talent.)

Also a huge question about IWU's defense.  The Titans were a very bad defensive team last year as we all know.  I believe a lot of that was simply due to younger players getting beat up by bigger, stronger, older players...I think IWU will be much better defensively in '09-10.  But that's just a theory.  I guess we'll see when games start.

I do think IWU will be right in the middle of the CCIW title picture all season long.

[AndOne]

Got to agree with Dennis.  The first stat every cciw coach looks at halftime is the rebounding stat. I don't care what numbers  from previous years were. You had better get to the ft line more than the other team...make 72% and above and win the rebounding war.   Too many stats from previous years...they don't matter.   There is one other issue that is a little important....the athletes need to be able to PLAY!

Often times the "ability to play" is looked at superficially as the ability to be a gifted athlete, and naturally outstanding in a specific aspect of the game. Something usually measured by a statistic of one kind or another. 

However, an often times more relevant and important definition of one's "ability to play" lies in a player's "heart." Someone who might not have the greatest degree of natural ability, but who uses his "heart" to defeat a quicker, bigger, or stronger opponent. Yes, you need natural talent. But in the case of evenly matched teams as far as the talent level is concerned, the winner will usually be the squad with the most "heart."
   

[AndOne]

I'm not sold on the idea of Carthage being the favorite, or even a favorite, to win the CCIW. Yes, the Redmen have a player who is head-and-shoulders above everyone else in the league. But basketball is not a one-man game, it's a five-man game, and too often over the past two seasons Carthage looked like the mid-80's Bulls teams that consisted of Michael Jordan and four other guys who stood around and watched Jordan do everything. What I see in particular is a Carthage program that has really struggled to find any sort of an inside presence in recent seasons, and although Bosko has a couple of beefy 6'5 freshmen coming in who had outstanding high-school careers, anyone who trusts a freshman big man to put together an All-CCIW season is on a fool's errand. It very rarely happens. And without an inside game to complement Steve D., it's hard to escape the idea that Carthage just won't be consistent enough to win a minimum of 11 CCIW games.

Or ----What will Carthage have this year that they didn't have last year except 2 untested freshmen? Certainly not a dominant  (Adam Tolo?) inside force.  
And from what I've learned from sources close to both, the 2 new studs will need a tight rein to remain on course both on and, especially, off the court.
Stevie D is certainly odds on favorite to be the upcoming season's POY. Pair him with super shooter Sean Fendley, and you have the league's most outstanding backcourt. But I sense it will take some reasonably strong frontline play to prevail in the physical CCIW.  

[AndOne]

I think that North Park has the potential to have a very strong bounce-back season. The only significant absence from last year's team will be Clayton Cahill, who is most likely going to take the year off from playing and will return to the team next year with junior eligibility status -- and NPU got used to playing without him, anyway, since he missed the last ten games of the 2008-09 season with a thigh injury. The two transfer guards that NPU has added, junior Shaun Collins and sophomore Davone Robinson, are CCIW-ready players who will be big additions. However, it would be presumptuous to assume that NPU will become a better defensive team just because everyone's a year older (for that matter, it's presumptuous to assume the same thing of Illinois Wesleyan as well), and the jury's going to remain out on Paul Brenegan until he gets NPU into the first division.

I think North Park is this year's "sleeper." Why in the world shouldn't they appear in the CCIW tourney? As partial evidence in support of this position I offer the following:
1. Big Phil S. has the potential to be the league's dominant center man.
2. Especially if he "gets his grove back," and keeps his focus all season, NPU has one of the league's finest all around and most superior players in Nick Williams who should be an all CCIW 1st team performer.
3. This team has a wealth of superior talent and athleticism across the board. This summer, they usually had the largest contingent of players at the Deerfield summer league games, and often times ran players in and out at every position (even bringing a whole new team in on occasion)with no noticeable drop off in production.
4. As a baseball team needs to be good up the middle, and a FB team needs strong leadership from the QB position, NP is "led" by Roshawn Russell who can dribble, pass, and score. And DON'T put him on the foul line.  Stevie D's backcourt partner on the all-conference 1st team?

[Gregory Sager]

4. As a baseball team needs to be good up the middle, and a FB team needs strong leadership from the QB position, NP is "led" by Roshawn Russell who can dribble, pass, and score. And DON'T put him on the foul line.  Stevie D's backcourt partner on the all-conference 1st team?

As important as Schniedermeier and Williams are to the Vikings, I agree that the key to NPU's season is sophomore PG Roshawn Russell. NPU hasn't had a freshman PG of his caliber since Keith Born back in 1992-93, and Russell may have even more of an upside than Born did. It all starts with the point guard position in this sport, and NPU's proficiency at that position over the past decade has been dismal. Russell put everyone on notice last year that he's capable of changing that. It's now a matter of honing his skills (especially defensively) and improving his decision-making; he has to assert himself with his shooting and driving, while at the same time realizing that he has a plethora of weapons to work with in his teammates. He especially needs to recognize that he has good post players who will need to get entry passes from him.

[John Gleich]

I'll agree with CCIW fan that most of the time good free shooting and a healthy rebounding margin are signs of a contending CCIW team,

however,

the 1978, 1979 and 1980 North Park teams were barely 67% from the free throw line (or perhaps worse), of course they made up for it by shooting over 53% from the field and having very wide rebound and scoring margins.  Still watching some of those guy attempt free throws was often ....

dgp

the curmudgeon has returned

In addition to high field goal percentage, a large TO margin can make up for lower free throw percentages.  Teams that can especially cut down their own TO's set themselves up for success by not beating themselves.  Pairing that with good FT shooting can seal games.

Now, causing 25+ TO's per game can drive up the field goal percentage with fast break points... and it can build up big leads that mean you don't have to rely on those same skills late in close ball games... 'cause they're not in the close ball games!

[AndOne]

And--If you don't take care of the ball, you aren't going to get near as many chances to go to the line in the 1st place or to rebound--at least not offensively.   
I think TOs and assist/TO ratio are among the most important stats.

[CCIWFAN3]

Just can't see any 5's in the CCIW being All Region.  The future All Region 5's from the CCIW are current freshmen.  To be All Region you better have more than a drop step with your right foot and jump hook with your left hand.  All Region 5's must be able to use both hands, or be 6'10", strong and athletic.  This year will be more guard dominated in the CCIW.