MBB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[John Gleich]

Kyle Nelson led Augie with 22 points and 6 boards, while Matt Pelton added 19 points (he scored all his points on treys, as he went 6-9 from downtown) and Troy Rorer chipped in 10. NCC was led by David Twyman, who scored 22 points before fouling out in the game's waning minutes, while Derek Raridon scored 19, Reid Barringer contributed 12, and Brian Evans added 10 points and 7 rebounds.

Todd Raridon only used seven players in this game, but what's even more unusual is that Grey Giovanine only used eight.

Although some posters, one in particular, are exceptionally fond of criticizing my penchant for questioning why some players would choose to attend a school already loaded with players at their position rather than attending another school where they can also get a great education AND play sooner rather than later, this just serves as yet another example of why, from a basketball standpoint, such a choice is questionable. (Hows that for a run-on sentence??)

If you want to PLAY college ball, go someplace where you can PLAY, rather than just being another spectator.  

This certainly isn't the case for every school... but what if the player wants to be part of a winning program?  Augie, for example, got the the NCAA tournament 3 straight years and won the conference 3 straight years too.

I actually have a harder time understanding how so many players can go to schools where there is absolutely zero winning history.  Yes, it's possible to start some history of your own (a la Eastern Mennonite this year), but that doesn't happen very often.  What do you really have to show for it if you're a 4 year starter and average 15 points per game over your career on a team that wins 12 games in your 4 years?

[AndOne]

Kyle Nelson led Augie with 22 points and 6 boards, while Matt Pelton added 19 points (he scored all his points on treys, as he went 6-9 from downtown) and Troy Rorer chipped in 10. NCC was led by David Twyman, who scored 22 points before fouling out in the game's waning minutes, while Derek Raridon scored 19, Reid Barringer contributed 12, and Brian Evans added 10 points and 7 rebounds.

Todd Raridon only used seven players in this game, but what's even more unusual is that Grey Giovanine only used eight.

Although some posters, one in particular, are exceptionally fond of criticizing my penchant for questioning why some players would choose to attend a school already loaded with players at their position rather than attending another school where they can also get a great education AND play sooner rather than later, this just serves as yet another example of why, from a basketball standpoint, such a choice is questionable. (Hows that for a run-on sentence??)

If you want to PLAY college ball, go someplace where you can PLAY, rather than just being another spectator.  

This certainly isn't the case for every school... but what if the player wants to be part of a winning program?  Augie, for example, got the the NCAA tournament 3 straight years and won the conference 3 straight years too.

I actually have a harder time understanding how so many players can go to schools where there is absolutely zero winning history.  Yes, it's possible to start some history of your own (a la Eastern Mennonite this year), but that doesn't happen very often.  What do you really have to show for it if you're a 4 year starter and average 15 points per game over your career on a team that wins 12 games in your 4 years?

Point---

Your point is not without merit.

In answer to your question, what you have is a very nice 1,400 point career and the satisfaction and pride that comes to oneself as a result of working hard to achieve such a noteworthy accomplishment. Is that not worth anything?

You go, or should go, to school for academics 1st. Playing basketball is an enhancement to the overall college experience. However, its pretty hard to experience/accomplish that enhancement by sitting and watching the action rather than by actually being part of it.

Lastly, I think a kid should be given a little credit when he doesn't necessarily choose the "easy" path of a program thats been successful long term, but instead, tries to forge new ground by helping begin a new tradition that he can take tremendous pride in as far as being part of the foundation of a new winning tradition.

[Gregory Sager]

The Augie @ NCC game was a little strange, as two of the CCIW teams that have the best defensive reputations ended up shooting quite well against each other. Augie shot 63% (31-49) from the field on the night; AC's previous high FG percentage this season was 52% against Beloit back in mid-November. The Doggies also shot a blistering 45% (10-22) from downtown.

FG% of NCC opponents this season in CCIW play...

vs IWU - 62%
@ Wheaton - 49%
vs North Park - 46%
@ Millikin - 42%
vs Carthage - 62%
vs Augustana - 63%


Regardless of past team defensive reputation, I don't think we should be surprised when a 2010 NCC opponent (especially a "contender") shoots well from the floor.

Yup. That's why I said "reputation." As Mark stated, NCC's personnel problem is hampering the team's ability to defend, among other things.

[Viking Blue]

Nice showing for the Vikings tonight in Bloomington.  I think a lot of people in the conference expected them to go down there and get it handed to them, but the game was within reach for 39 minutes.

I am now convinced that this team is good enough to make the conference tournament.  They have proven that they have the ability to win at home, and that they can hang with the top teams on the road.

[Titan Q]

IWU 83
NPU 77

Solid home win for the Titans against a good North Park team.  The Titans remain tied for 1st place (5-1) with Carthage. 

I listened to the WJBC broadcast and it was game IWU led the entire way, most of the time by a fairly comfortable margin, but the Titans could never separate for good.  The Vikings hung in there nicely.

Paul Brenegan gambled by coming out in a zone (the WJBC crew called it a 1-3-1), which NPU played most of the 1st half it sounded like.  Zone is basically the opposite of how every other head coach has decided to play the Titans so far this year in CCIW play.  Everyone else has chosen to play extremely tight man-to-man defense on IWU's perimeter duo of Sean Johnson and Jordan Zimmer and, to some extent, let Doug Sexauer get his down low (trying to make him work hard for his points).  IWU burned North Park's zone badly in the first half, knocking down open shots from all over the floor.  It sounded like Jordan Zimmer had numerous wide-open 3's, and North Park could never stop IWU for any extended stretch in the opening half.  It just seems zone was a very big gamble vs an IWU team that can really shoot it from the perimeter...especially at the Shirk Center.

IWU dominated the glass today, out-rebounding NPU by a final count of 43-29. 

Another big game for Doug Sexauer 17 pts (8-12 FG) & 12 reb.  Sean Johnson had a huge game, finishing with 20 pts, 9 assists, and 4 assists.  Johnson is really having a strong junior year.  Jordan Zimmer knocked down 4 3's and Travis Rosenkranz finished with 11.

[Mr. Ypsi]

One thing about the Titans felt very familiar today.  4 of 9 from the stripe during the first 37 minutes; 9 of 10 during crunch time.  Is that biased recall in my memory, or is that sort of performance really a pattern?  Seems like fts are an adventure until they absolutely HAVE to make them (when they nearly always seems to come through).

[Titan Q]

Home win = +0
Road win = +1
Home loss = -1
Road loss = +0


Carthage +2
Ill. Wesleyan +2
Augustana +2
North Park +1
Wheaton +0
Elmhurst -2
Millikin -2
North Central -3


Wednesday
Augustana @ Illinois Wesleyan
Carthage @ North Park
North Central @ Elmhurst
Wheaton @ Millikin

[Titan Q]

Realistically, we have a 5-team battle for 4 conference tournament spots...and it should be a really exciting chase for those 4 spots.

In my opinion, to win the league a team will have to go 6-0 vs Millikin, North Central, and Elmhurst.  So far, none of the top 5 have lost a game to the bottom 3.  Sooner or later, though, that bottom 3 is going to get someone...and it's going to be huge.

[Gregory Sager]

The biggest problem that NPU had today with that zone wasn't Wesleyan's shooting, it was the rebounding. When you play a zone, you really make it difficult upon yourself to make contact with your man and box out, and the ensuing rebounding disparity was huge in this game.

Emmanuel Crosby led the way for North Park with 17 points and 6 boards, while Nick Williams had 13 points, Ro Russell contributed 12, and Nick Hoekstra added 10 for the Vikings. Williams had a poor shooting night, however, and this makes three games in a row in which he's been off pretty badly from the field. He needs to pick it up if the Vikes are going to continue to make a run at it, as he's too important a player for NPU to afford his being cold for an extended part of the CCIW season.

Bob made it sound as though the offensive shredding was done by only one of the two teams on the floor today, but both teams shot exactly the same from the field, and, in fact, NPU actually shot a percentage point better than IWU from beyond the arc. The noteworthy statistic, aside from the gruesome rebounding advantage that went Wesleyan's way, was the fact that each team made 13 free throws, but NPU shot five more of them, in spite of having to foul at the end of the game. It's characteristic of NPU to get to the line more than its opponents, since it's a heavily dribble-penetration-oriented team; after today, NPU has shot 111 FTs to 78 for the Vikings' CCIW opponents. Today the Vikes only went 13-24 from the line, with some of those misses being the front ends of one-and-ones. That's just not going to cut it. NPU is not a good enough team to be able to afford to clank that many free throws, especially on the road. NPU is .636 from the line overall and .632 from the line in CCIW play, both good only for seventh place in the league. That's a statistic that will continue to plague North Park unless the Vikings can get it turned around.

Give credit to the Titans for playing a good game today and for holding serve at home. IWU definitely looks like a team that's going to be right in it all the way in this race. But I think that NPU could've done a better job than it did today to try to eke one out on the road.

Nice showing for the Vikings tonight in Bloomington.  I think a lot of people in the conference expected them to go down there and get it handed to them, but the game was within reach for 39 minutes.

I am now convinced that this team is good enough to make the conference tournament.  They have proven that they have the ability to win at home, and that they can hang with the top teams on the road.

Actually, nobody else in the league has proved anything more than that, with the sole exception of Carthage's win at Augustana. I don't see a team in this league that's clearly the favorite to win the title as we approach the clubhouse turn.

[Titan Q]

Bob made it sound as though the offensive shredding was done by only one of the two teams on the floor today,  

In my post, I was only referring to North Park's decision to play zone in the 1st half.  IWU shooting...

IWU 1st half (NPU primarily zone) - 18-31 FG (58.1%), 7-15 3-pt (46.7%), 46 points (IWU 8-point lead)
IWU 2nd half (NPU primarily man) - 12-29 FG (41.4%), 3-9 3-pt (33.3%) , 38 points (NPU outscores IWU by 2)


My point is simply that, on the defensive end, North Park gambled and lost in the 1st half.  I don't think you'll see many teams play a zone against this IWU team...especially in Bloomington.  

[Gregory Sager]

Sure, but I wanted to set the record straight. The Titans didn't shoot any better today than did the Vikings -- in fact, they shot ever-so-slightly worse from downtown -- except for at the free-throw line, which IMO was a major Achilles heel for NPU today.

[CCIWFAN3]

I was at the game.  IWU just out hustle them ...epsecially on the boards.  Zimmer and Johnson were open against man and zone.  4 three's for each of them.  Two of the best arc shooters in the league and they are left wide open ...back to back posessions. N.P. would make a run and then do something really dumb with the ball or leave zimmer wide open and then the momentum would change again.  Russell played well.  williams had his moments. I know the shooting % was decent but N.P. had terrible shot selection.  IWU won because they hustle more and they played smarter.  I liked Russell thought. He had good decision making...can't say that for the rest.  At times N.P. looked like they just lost focus...on both ends of the floor.

[Titan Q]

Sure, but I wanted to set the record straight. The Titans didn't shoot any better today than did the Vikings -- in fact, they shot ever-so-slightly worse from downtown -- except for at the free-throw line, which IMO was a major Achilles heel for NPU today.

Which is why I think the "gamble" is so significant.  As well as North Park played offensively, what if they had played more effective defense vs the Titans in the first 20 minutes?  There is no way to know what would have happened had NPU come out man-to-man, but I'm guessing the Titans wouldn't have shot better than that 58%.

[CCIWFAN3]

That brings another point...can anyone shoot free throws other than Stevie D?  Free throws were ugly today from both teams.

[CCIWFAN3]

It didn't matter which defense N.P. was in...they still lost Zimmer and Johnson. I bet Paul gives a rear end chewing.