MBB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[AndOne]

IWU (now 7-2) led by 5 at the half, and pretty comfortably most of the 2nd.  I believe the largest lead was 13 points and the average was about 8...it got down to 5 in the final few minutes, but the Titans were able to close it out.

The Titans held a team that came in averaging 84.4 points to 59, at their place...so that's a big positive for IWU.  IC scored 94 vs Lawrence, 74 vs Carroll, and 70 vs North Central in regulation (86 total in the game).  The Blueboys shot just 29% on the game, including 16% from 3.

In the postgame on WJBC, Ron Rose said he felt good about IWU's defensive effort and how they closed out on IC's perimeter shooters.  Rose also spoke highly of Dan Schouten's performance.

Leaders for the Titans...

Sean Johnson: 16 pts, 6 reb, 3 assists
Doug Sexauer: 16 pts, 6 reb
Travis Rosenkranz: 10 pts (8-8 FT)
Edmond O'Callaghan: 9 pts, 10 reb
Dan Schouten: 8 pts

IWU outrebounded IC 48-80.


The Titans are now off 12 days...they play Trinity (Tx) and Southwestern in San Antonio Dec 28 & 29.

Well, 48 rebounds is pretty good. But, gosh, 80!!! 
The Titan players must all be related to the Jolly GREEN Giant!   

[CCIWFAN3]

TitanQ...has Big Country been sick or injured the last couple games?

I saw he didn't play last game and last night he only had 9 minutes.

[Titan Q]

TitanQ...has Big Country been sick or injured the last couple games?

I saw he didn't play last game and last night he only had 9 minutes.

As far as MacMurray...

I was not at the IWU win over MacMurray, and wasn't able to listen either.  I know, though, the coaching staff went into the game intent on giving two JV players significant minutes in the varsity rotation - 6-5 sophomore forward Dan Schouten and 6-3 sophomore guard Steve Rudnicki.  I guess both have really been knocking on the door in practice.  Schouten and Rudnicki played 18 & 17 minutes last night respectively (after not playing a meaningful varsity minute leading up to this game).

To get those two in, they decided before the game to not play top reserve Ryan Connolly (10.0 ppg).  The 6-9 sophomore did not see the floor last night.

Last night, the big boy played just 3 minutes less than his season average of 12 per game.  I think Illinois College is another one of those teams where there's just not a defensive matchup for Connolly.  He cannot guard the "mobile", step-outside kind of post player (U. of Chicago was a bad fit for him too).  He can only matchup with the "true 5"-type post.  (The alternative, I guess, is to play some zone...but Ron Rose doesn't like to play zone.) 

[CCIWFAN3]

K thanks.

[petemcb]

Is "K thanks" the same as +k?  Just checkin'.

[petemcb]

TitanQ...has Big Country been sick or injured the last couple games?

I saw he didn't play last game and last night he only had 9 minutes.

As far as MacMurray...

I was not at the IWU win over MacMurray, and wasn't able to listen either.  I know, though, the coaching staff went into the game intent on giving two JV players significant minutes in the varsity rotation - 6-5 sophomore forward Dan Schouten and 6-3 sophomore guard Steve Rudnicki.  I guess both have really been knocking on the door in practice.  Schouten and Rudnicki played 18 & 17 minutes last night respectively (after not playing a meaningful varsity minute leading up to this game).

To get those two in, they decided before the game to not play top reserve Ryan Connolly (10.0 ppg).  The 6-9 sophomore did not see the floor last night.

Last night, the big boy played just 3 minutes less than his season average of 12 per game.  I think Illinois College is another one of those teams where there's just not a defensive matchup for Connolly.  He cannot guard the "mobile", step-outside kind of post player (U. of Chicago was a bad fit for him too).  He can only matchup with the "true 5"-type post.  (The alternative, I guess, is to play some zone...but Ron Rose doesn't like to play zone.) 

Bob, if that's the case, and I believe you that it is, then how much use will Connolly get during the CCIW season?  I'm not doing well at coming up with many CCIW teams that feature a "true 5"-type post.  I would think Rose would maybe be looking to give Connelly the opportunity to play against smaller, less traditional centers to prep for the conference part of the schedule.

[Titan Q]

TitanQ...has Big Country been sick or injured the last couple games?

I saw he didn't play last game and last night he only had 9 minutes.

As far as MacMurray...

I was not at the IWU win over MacMurray, and wasn't able to listen either.  I know, though, the coaching staff went into the game intent on giving two JV players significant minutes in the varsity rotation - 6-5 sophomore forward Dan Schouten and 6-3 sophomore guard Steve Rudnicki.  I guess both have really been knocking on the door in practice.  Schouten and Rudnicki played 18 & 17 minutes last night respectively (after not playing a meaningful varsity minute leading up to this game).

To get those two in, they decided before the game to not play top reserve Ryan Connolly (10.0 ppg).  The 6-9 sophomore did not see the floor last night.

Last night, the big boy played just 3 minutes less than his season average of 12 per game.  I think Illinois College is another one of those teams where there's just not a defensive matchup for Connolly.  He cannot guard the "mobile", step-outside kind of post player (U. of Chicago was a bad fit for him too).  He can only matchup with the "true 5"-type post.  (The alternative, I guess, is to play some zone...but Ron Rose doesn't like to play zone.)  

Bob, if that's the case, and I believe you that it is, then how much use will Connolly get during the CCIW season?  I'm not doing well at coming up with many CCIW teams that feature a "true 5"-type post.  I would think Rose would maybe be looking to give Connelly the opportunity to play against smaller, less traditional centers to prep for the conference part of the schedule.

Actually, I think Connolly has much better matchups in the CCIW than he's had in the non-conference.  Almost every team IWU has played in the non-conference has featured forwards who step out and shoot the 3, and really nothing the resembles a traditional "center."  

Here is a list of the current starting CCIW 5's (if you have to pick a 1-2-3-4-5), and their 3-point stats on the season...


Tyler Pierce, 6-6 (Carthage) - 0-0
Jake Carwell, 6-7 (Wheaton) - 0-0
Joscar Demby, 6-7 (Millikin) - 0-0
Brandon Stanciel, 6-7 (North Centarl) - 0-0
Kameron Norton, 6-6 (Augustana) - 0-0
Emmanuel Crosby, 6-7 (North Park) - 0-0
Joe Acosta*, 6-3 (Elmhurst) - 0-2
Aaron Schroeder*, 6-3 (Elmhurst) - 0-1

* not sure which Elmhurst player to call the "5"


I think for 15 minutes or so per game, depending on who is in there for the opposing team, Connolly will be OK in most CCIW games.  A lot of these guys score their points around the basket (as opposed to shooting 18 and 22-foot jumpshots) and he does OK there.  And at 6-9, he can alters shots on the blocks.

Now, the Elmhurst matchup will be kind of fun.  I mean, B.C. can't chase Joe Acosta and Aaron Schroeder around, but I know one thing for sure - they can't guard 6-9/275 Connolly either.  I think both watching him try to guard those guys, and watching them try to guard him, will be entertaining.

Connolly "is what he is" right now, but I think he will be a factor in CCIW games.  He has been a productive reserve for the Titans in the non-conference.  Consider this...


* Ryan Connolly, IWU (12.0 min/game) - 9.6 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 27-56 FG (.482), 23-29 FT (.793)
* Kyle Nelson, Augie (24.7 min/game) - 11.3 ppg, 6.7 rpg, 31-57 FG (.544), 17-27 FT (.630)

[Gregory Sager]

Phil Schniedermeier will be starting for North Park by the time that the Vikings play Illinois Wesleyan, and, while like Emmanuel Crosby he's a player who scores all of his points close to the basket, he's not a lummox who simply plods up and down the floor from one low post to the other. Schniedermeier likes to run, and he's a high-energy type of player. I'm sure that the game plan for NPU when Connolly is in the game for IWU will be to get Schniedermeier up and down the floor as rapidly as possible while Connolly is huffing and puffing somewhere in his wake. I have to imagine that NCC is thinking the same thing with Stanciel, Wheaton is thinking the same thing with Carwell, Carthage is thinking the same thing with Pierce, Augie is thinking the same thing with its various big men, etc.

In other words, Connolly can be formidable once he's settled into position beneath the basket, which (based upon what I saw against Chicago) is usually about ten to twelve seconds into an IWU possession. But he's less formidable if your big man can beat him down the floor and establish an optimal defensive position down on the blocks. And he's not formidable at all on defense if you're passing the ball to your center beneath the basket and there's nobody there to stop him from scoring because Connolly is still making his way down the floor. In other words, the problem with Connolly isn't restricted to his inability to get out to the perimeter and cover centers who can shoot from outside.

Connolly reminds me very much of a couple of other gargantuan but overweight centers that the CCIW has seen in recent years, Elmhurst's Ryan Voss and NPU's Jason Thurman. Neither Mark Scherer nor Rees Johnson could ever keep those two on the floor for very long, either, not just because they had no endurance but because their inability to get up and down the floor quickly made them liabilities.

[Titan Q]

Phil Schniedermeier will be starting for North Park by the time that the Vikings play Illinois Wesleyan, and, while like Emmanuel Crosby he's a player who scores all of his points close to the basket, he's not a lummox who simply plods up and down the floor from one low post to the other. Schniedermeier likes to run, and he's a high-energy type of player. I'm sure that the game plan for NPU when Connolly is in the game for IWU will be to get Schniedermeier up and down the floor as rapidly as possible while Connolly is huffing and puffing somewhere in his wake. I have to imagine that NCC is thinking the same thing with Stanciel, Wheaton is thinking the same thing with Carwell, Carthage is thinking the same thing with Pierce, Augie is thinking the same thing with its various big men, etc. isn't restricted to his inability to get out to the perimeter and cover centers who can shoot from outside.

Obviously, yes...that is what every opponent has done all season long when Connolly enters the game.  But 1) Despite his limitations, he is usually productive while in the game, and 2) As your post suggests, he is a reserve low post player you have to gameplan for...and how many of those are there in the CCIW?

Low-post starters:

• Tim McCrary (Wheaton), 31.0 min/game – 19.3 ppg, 9.9 rpg, 65-115 FG (.565), 24-37 FT (.649)
• Doug Sexauer (IWU), 27.4 min/game – 15.9 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 60-102 FG (.588), 21-30 FT (.700)
• Tyler Pierce (Carthage), 30.1 min/game – 13.4 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 40-67 FG (.597), 27-53 FT (.509)
• Joscar Demby (Millikin), 28.7 min/game – 12.1 ppg, 6.6 rpg, 33-60 FG (.550), 19-30 FT (.633)
• Kyle Nelson (Augie), 24.7 min/game – 11.3 ppg, 6.7 rpg, 31-57 FT (.544), 17-27 FT (.630)
• Jake Carwell (Wheaton), 27.3 min/game – 8.5 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 25-48 FG (.521), 18-28 FT (.643)
• Phil Schniedermeier (NPU), 24.6 min/game – 7.6 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 17-39 FG (.436), 4-15 FT (.267)
• Edmond O'Callaghan (IWU), 20.7 min/game – 5.0 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 16-36 FG (.444), 13-21 FT (.619)
• Kameron Norton (Augie), 19.3 min/game – 4.3 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 12-27 FG (.444), 4-10 FT (.400)
• Brandon Stanciel (NCC), 22.7 min/game – 3.3 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 9-25 FG (.360), 2-8 FT (.250)


Low-post reserves:

• Ryan Connolly (IWU), 12.0 min/game – 9.6 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 27-56 FG (.482), 23-29 FT (.793)
• Emmanual Crosby (NPU), 20.1 min/game – 7.6 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 25-41 FG (.610), 11-19 FT (.579)
• Spencer Schultze (Wheaton), 15.1 min/game - 7.5 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 25-37 FG (.575), 10-14 FT (.714)
• Dan Schouten (IWU), 11.3 min/game - 5.0 ppg, 2.0 rpg, 6-13 FG (.462), 7-8 FT (.875)
• George Dexter (Augie), 15.3 min/game – 4.3 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 14-33 FG (.424), 1-5 FT (.200)
• Luke Scarlata (Augie), 12.3 min/game – 3.3 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 7-19 FG (.368), 6-11 FT (.545)
• Christian Dillon (Elmhurst), 11.3 min/game – 1.4 ppg, 0.7 rpg, 5-9 FG (.556), 0-0 FT

(I tried to identify traditional low-post guys averaging 10+ min/game...let me know if I've mssed anyone.)

If CCIW teams need to use their starting 5 to guard Connolly for the 12 minutes he's in there for Doug Sexauer, that's 12 minutes they can't guard Sexauer (no one plays 40 minutes) - one of best pure back-to-the-basket guys around.  Or it means those starters will have to expend more energy during a game vs IWU than they do vs most other teams.  Either way, Connolly is a factor.

And realistically, Connolly will be in against the Crosby's, Dexter's, Dillon's, etc a lot of the time.

If 6-9/275 Connolly - with the nice shooting touch and low-post game he has - could run the floor like a gazelle, he wouldn't be in Division III.  So yes, he is flawed.  But is he a positive factor?  He sure is.

[Titan Q]

Connolly reminds me very much of a couple of other gargantuan but overweight centers that the CCIW has seen in recent years, Elmhurst's Ryan Voss and NPU's Jason Thurman. Neither Mark Scherer nor Rees Johnson could ever keep those two on the floor for very long, either, not just because they had no endurance but because their inability to get up and down the floor quickly made them liabilities.

But my guess is that you are comparing your memories of Voss and Thurman as seniors to Ryan Connolly - a sophomore, who is 9 games into his varsity career.

Ryan Voss (senior year, '03), 15.4 min/game – 7.1 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 50-98 FG (.510), 27-46 FT (.587)

(not sure if NPU has archived stats)

One year ago, Ron Rose couldn't have even considered putting Ryan Connolly in a varsity game.  If he continues to improve at the same rate he has in the last 12 months, he won't be anywhere near the Ryan Voss/Jason Thurman category as a senior.  

[Moser]

Phil Schniedermeier will be starting for North Park by the time that the Vikings play Illinois Wesleyan, and, while like Emmanuel Crosby he's a player who scores all of his points close to the basket, he's not a lummox who simply plods up and down the floor from one low post to the other. Schniedermeier likes to run, and he's a high-energy type of player. I'm sure that the game plan for NPU when Connolly is in the game for IWU will be to get Schniedermeier up and down the floor as rapidly as possible while Connolly is huffing and puffing somewhere in his wake. I have to imagine that NCC is thinking the same thing with Stanciel, Wheaton is thinking the same thing with Carwell, Carthage is thinking the same thing with Pierce, Augie is thinking the same thing with its various big men, etc. isn't restricted to his inability to get out to the perimeter and cover centers who can shoot from outside.

Low-post reserves:

• Ryan Connolly (IWU), 12.0 min/game – 9.6 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 27-56 FG (.482), 23-29 FT (.793)
• Emmanual Crosby (NPU), 20.1 min/game – 7.6 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 25-41 FG (.610), 11-19 FT (.579)
• George Dexter (Augie), 15.3 min/game – 4.3 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 14-33 FG (.424), 1-5 FT (.200)
• Luke Scarlata (Augie), 12.3 min/game – 3.3 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 7-19 FG (.368), 6-11 FT (.545)
• Christian Dillon (Elmhurst), 11.3 min/game – 1.4 ppg, 0.7 rpg, 5-9 FG (.556), 0-0 FT

(I tried to identify traditional low-post guys...let me know if I've mssed anyone.)

Spencer Schultze (Wheaton) 15.1 min/game - 7.5 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 25-37 FG (.575), 10-14 FT (.714)

[Titan Q]

Spencer Schultze (Wheaton) 15.1 min/game - 7.5 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 25-37 FG (.575), 10-14 FT (.714)

Good catch.  Updated above...thanks.

I also added IWU's Dan Schouten, who has gone from JV player to first post off the bench in a hurry.

[augiefan]

Augie beats Chicago 59-47. Chris Anderson had a good night to complement the usual solid efforts from Pelton and Nelson. A nice in region win for Augie against a good Chicago squad. Home court advantage never hurts in these relatively equal matchups.

[WUPHF]

Augie beats Chicago 59-47. Chris Anderson had a good night to complement the usual solid efforts from Pelton and Nelson. A nice in region win for Augie against a good Chicago squad. Home court advantage never hurts in these relatively equal matchups.

Are you sure?  The online stats indicate that there are five seconds left in the game.  I think Chicago may have a chance.

[I guess the stats guy forgot to finalize things.]

Augustana never trailed in the game and had double-digit leads for most of the second half.  I think this is a very good Augustana team, that recovered well from a very long week.

[Gregory Sager]

North Park beat Caltech, 75-41, this evening out in Pasadena. Shaun Collins had 14 points, Nick Williams scored 13, Emmanuel Crosby had a 12 and 10 night, and Nick Hoekstra contributed ten points. Everybody who was on the plane and was eligible to wear a North Park uniform got at least a dozen minutes of playing time in this game except for Phil Schniedermeier, Jorge Gonzalez, and Kendall Greer -- and there was no point in playing them in this game while they're still healing. In fact, freshmen David Williams and Zach Dungee made their varsity debuts tonight, with Williams getting 16 minutes of tick and Dungee 12.

It's nice that the Vikings had the opportunity to vent their frustration tonight from what has been a terrible beginning to their season. And in one sense a win's a win, no matter who you beat. But there's no reason to take any pleasure from this victory; Caltech is a team that no one should ever bother scheduling unless they absolutely have to, and this game in no way helps prepare NPU for its upcoming CCIW slate. Beating Caltech is the hoops equivalent to pulling the wings off of a fly.

Fortunately, the Vikings have to take on what appears to be a fairly solid Whittier squad on Saturday in a game that will make the trip worthwhile in basketball terms for NPU.