MBB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[Gregory Sager]

Augustana 68, North Park 63

* Emanuel Crosby: 13 pts
* Davone Robinson: 10 pts, 6 asts (1 to)

* Matt Pelton: 12 pts, 7 asts (3 to)
* Brandon Kunz: 12 pts
* Troy Rorer: 11 pts
* Chris Anderson: 11 pts
* Kyle Nelson: 10 pts, 16 rebs

This game really came down to a six-minute stretch in the middle of the second half in which NPU tanked on both ends of the floor. It was 43-43 with fifteen minutes to go, and six minutes later Augie had run off a 13-1 rally to take a 56-44 lead. You simply can't give up a run like that to Augie, given the bulldog defense and the clock-eating offense that that team plays, and North Park was stuck in catch-up mode for the rest of the night. NPU did get the deficit down to three points in the last minute, but the home Vikes couldn't manage to come back all the way. If only they had played with the same kind of urgency in the middle of the half that they did at the end....

You can't take anything away from the Augie defense, of course, but NPU really shot itself in the foot all night at the offensive end of the floor. In the opening stanza the home Vikes ganked what seemed like a dozen shots that were either right at the rim or within a couple of feet of it; in the second half, the bigger problem was wide-open trey shooters who are usually reliable that couldn't knock 'em down (Hoekstra, Russell, and Collins). The big story for Augie (literally and figuratively) was Kyle Nelson, who looked like an All-CCIW first-teamer tonight. He was the main reason why Augie enjoyed a 41-26 bulge on the boards. NPU just couldn't match up against him, although the Park didn't do a very good job of bodying him up, either.

The refs blew the whistle a lot tonight, which you figure would help North Park ... except it didn't. NPU was actually called for more fouls than Augie, 19-13, and the Park only got to the line twelve times -- and NPU depends upon getting to the line more than their opponents in order to win. The refs called a lot of fouls, but they let a ton of stuff go as well. But they played no role in the outcome. Augie simply played its game and imposed its will upon NPU for that all-important six minutes, and forced the homestanders to come from 8-to-12 points behind the rest of the way -- something that very few teams are able to do against Augie.

NPU is in desperate straits now. Saturday night's game at Wheaton is firmly and definitely a must-win for the royal blue and gold.

[CCIWchamps]

I watched the Wheaton/Carthage video stream.  Steve Djurickovic's performance tonight was one of the best I've ever seen in a CCIW game.  I don't even know how many points he finished with (didn't have the stats up and didn't have the sound on), but it had to be a ton.

I think he is a legitimate mid-major D1 player.  Wow is he something.

Allow me to be a little biased, but having just seen the game I will have to stop you short and say he played a good game amidst a bunch of people playing like garbage.  He holds the ball for every possession, which makes sense, then makes a move and either makes the basket or gangly flops and gets a call.  He's getting calls MJ wouldn't have gotten.  Heck, he's getting calls Kent wouldn't have gotten.  And the calls he doesn't get or that Wheaton does get, pops runs his mouth like bloody murder.  (I am remembering correctly that the coach is his dad, not the ref, right?)

I digress.  Wheaton played terrible.  Carthage aside from SD looked just as bad.  Wheaton missed a great opportunity and the refs missed a great final 5 minutes.  The game was just poor.

/RANT FINISH

I do want to modify my statement that I was impressed by his LONG 3 late in the second half.  That was unreal.

[izzy stradlin]

I watched the Wheaton/Carthage video stream.  Steve Djurickovic's performance tonight was one of the best I've ever seen in a CCIW game.  I don't even know how many points he finished with (didn't have the stats up and didn't have the sound on), but it had to be a ton.

I think he is a legitimate mid-major D1 player.  Wow is he something.

I would love to see how he could compete at a higher level.   Any time he had the ball and there was an open lane, it was two points Carthage.   Bosko has done a good job of building a system around Steve.   It kinda feels like watching an NBA game with all the isolation and pick and roll.

It the time I have been following the D3, I will put his game tonight in my top two, along with Raymond's 47 in the '08 sweet sixteen.

[Titan Q]

Allow me to be a little biased, but having just seen the game I will have to stop you short and say he played a good game amidst a bunch of people playing like garbage.  He holds the ball for every possession, which makes sense, then makes a move and either makes the basket or gangly flops and gets a call.  He's getting calls MJ wouldn't have gotten.  Heck, he's getting calls Kent wouldn't have gotten.  And the calls he doesn't get or that Wheaton does get, pops runs his mouth like bloody murder.  (I am remembering correctly that the coach is his dad, not the ref, right?)

I digress.  Wheaton played terrible.  Carthage aside from SD looked just as bad.  Wheaton missed a great opportunity and the refs missed a great final 5 minutes.  The game was just poor.

/RANT FINISH

Seems like when the other team's superstar gets calls you don't like it, but you defend the officials when your own guy is the beneficiary...

I made my argument about 2 specific calls- a non-call and a charge.  I'll leave it at that. 
Kent's great at creating contact in his approach to the hole, making it virtually impossible not to call "on the arm" fouls on his defenders.  As well, he's pretty good at slicing through low post D which results in flailing shots as his legs get clipped.  Those seem to be easier calls to make, though they are actually less often called.  In my opinion, he could've gotten more calls for him that he didn't get. 

As for your "leading with his forearm" argument, I don't agree that he does anything more in this area that you see in any other player.  And that he argues calls he disagrees with isn't even worth discussing.  Until you see him pout, cuss out an official, throw a mouthguard or a headband, or something like laugh at an official to his face- anything that results in a T- I'm fine watching an extremely competitive player talk to an official.  He's going to be an intricate part of each game so he needs to know what's being called and why. 

Are you a Wheaton fan?  I ask because I'm wondering how many games you've seen him to make the statement "throughout the course of his fabulous career." 

[steve d is the man]

I watched the Wheaton/Carthage video stream.  Steve Djurickovic's performance tonight was one of the best I've ever seen in a CCIW game.  I don't even know how many points he finished with (didn't have the stats up and didn't have the sound on), but it had to be a ton.

I think he is a legitimate mid-major D1 player.  Wow is he something.

Allow me to be a little biased, but having just seen the game I will have to stop you short and say he played a good game amidst a bunch of people playing like garbage.  He holds the ball for every possession, which makes sense, then makes a move and either makes the basket or gangly flops and gets a call.  He's getting calls MJ wouldn't have gotten.  Heck, he's getting calls Kent wouldn't have gotten.  And the calls he doesn't get or that Wheaton does get, pops runs his mouth like bloody murder.  (I am remembering correctly that the coach is his dad, not the ref, right?)

I digress.  Wheaton played terrible.  Carthage aside from SD looked just as bad.  Wheaton missed a great opportunity and the refs missed a great final 5 minutes.  The game was just poor.

/RANT FINISH

don't hate, takes more than just bad refs to get 44 in a game

[izzy stradlin]

I also think you have to mix in some zone against Carthage.  Some coaches are ideologically against zones, but defenders in this conference cannot stay in front of Djurickovic and by the time help comes, he has no trouble finding an open teammate.   Going back a couple weeks, I still think NPU's zone against Carthage was poorly executed, but for many of the reasons Greg argued, I can't blame Brenegan as much for staying in it.

[shepherd]

This was Wheaton's first home loss of the year.  Wheaton has shot much better at home vs. away this year.  Wheaton had one of their better shooting games at home tonight.  As the coach said sometimes you just have to say we got beat by a better team.  Not to say Wheaton didn't make mistakes tonight, they definitely did.  But this game definitely solidifies Carthage as the top team in the conference.  So as a Wheaton fan I hate that they lost, but I had an appreciation in watching a great game and a very special player.  (Steve D.)  

IMHO:
Carthage has the best player in the CCIW if not D3, with a pretty good all around team.  While IWU is a slightly better all around team that plays inconsistently.  From last year watching IWU they have one of the better passing games in D3 and they get the ball around the horn very quick and crisply.  Which tires out defenses.  I would like to see a game between Carthage and IWU both playing at the top of their games.  Which could possibly happen in the conference playoffs.

[Moser]

I watched the Wheaton/Carthage video stream.  Steve Djurickovic's performance tonight was one of the best I've ever seen in a CCIW game.  I don't even know how many points he finished with (didn't have the stats up and didn't have the sound on), but it had to be a ton.

I think he is a legitimate mid-major D1 player.  Wow is he something.

Allow me to be a little biased, but having just seen the game I will have to stop you short and say he played a good game amidst a bunch of people playing like garbage.  He holds the ball for every possession, which makes sense, then makes a move and either makes the basket or gangly flops and gets a call.  He's getting calls MJ wouldn't have gotten.  Heck, he's getting calls Kent wouldn't have gotten.  And the calls he doesn't get or that Wheaton does get, pops runs his mouth like bloody murder.  (I am remembering correctly that the coach is his dad, not the ref, right?)

I digress.  Wheaton played terrible.  Carthage aside from SD looked just as bad.  Wheaton missed a great opportunity and the refs missed a great final 5 minutes.  The game was just poor.

/RANT FINISH

Allow me to disagree. You have to give credit where credit is due. Steve Djurickovic played an outstanding game tonight. He got his usual midrange game going, but also was great from beyond the arc. I don't think he got any calls that Kent Raymond would not have gotten (although he did flop on one 3 and end up with three free throws). The bottom line is, he controls his body so well that he is able to draw contact and get to the line. You don't rack up that many points because of the officials.

Wheaton actually played pretty well for the majority of the game against a very good Carthage team. The offensive rebound by Thompson and the steal by Pierce (I think) in the final minute were the plays that ultimately killed the Thunder.

[CCIWchamps]

I watched the Wheaton/Carthage video stream.  Steve Djurickovic's performance tonight was one of the best I've ever seen in a CCIW game.  I don't even know how many points he finished with (didn't have the stats up and didn't have the sound on), but it had to be a ton.

I think he is a legitimate mid-major D1 player.  Wow is he something.

Allow me to be a little biased, but having just seen the game I will have to stop you short and say he played a good game amidst a bunch of people playing like garbage.  He holds the ball for every possession, which makes sense, then makes a move and either makes the basket or gangly flops and gets a call.  He's getting calls MJ wouldn't have gotten.  Heck, he's getting calls Kent wouldn't have gotten.  And the calls he doesn't get or that Wheaton does get, pops runs his mouth like bloody murder.  (I am remembering correctly that the coach is his dad, not the ref, right?)

I digress.  Wheaton played terrible.  Carthage aside from SD looked just as bad.  Wheaton missed a great opportunity and the refs missed a great final 5 minutes.  The game was just poor.

/RANT FINISH

don't hate, takes more than just bad refs to get 44 in a game

Yes, it also takes 25 of your team's 46 total shots.  The 10 free throws to Wheaton's entire team total of 13 does make a difference.

[sac]

I watched the Wheaton/Carthage video stream.  Steve Djurickovic's performance tonight was one of the best I've ever seen in a CCIW game.  I don't even know how many points he finished with (didn't have the stats up and didn't have the sound on), but it had to be a ton.

I think he is a legitimate mid-major D1 player.  Wow is he something.

Allow me to be a little biased, but having just seen the game I will have to stop you short and say he played a good game amidst a bunch of people playing like garbage.  He holds the ball for every possession, which makes sense, then makes a move and either makes the basket or gangly flops and gets a call.  He's getting calls MJ wouldn't have gotten.  Heck, he's getting calls Kent wouldn't have gotten.  And the calls he doesn't get or that Wheaton does get, pops runs his mouth like bloody murder.  (I am remembering correctly that the coach is his dad, not the ref, right?)

I digress.  Wheaton played terrible.  Carthage aside from SD looked just as bad.  Wheaton missed a great opportunity and the refs missed a great final 5 minutes.  The game was just poor.

/RANT FINISH

don't hate, takes more than just bad refs to get 44 in a game

Yes, it also takes 25 of your team's 46 total shots.  The 10 free throws to Wheaton's entire team total of 13 does make a difference.

This is too easy  http://athletics.wheaton.edu/custompages/mbball/mbbarchivedstats/2008/sect1.htm

Raymond 21 of teams 45 shots, attempted 17 FT's to Whitworth's 15.

......whats good for the goose

[CCIWchamps]

Allow me to be a little biased, but having just seen the game I will have to stop you short and say he played a good game amidst a bunch of people playing like garbage.  He holds the ball for every possession, which makes sense, then makes a move and either makes the basket or gangly flops and gets a call.  He's getting calls MJ wouldn't have gotten.  Heck, he's getting calls Kent wouldn't have gotten.  And the calls he doesn't get or that Wheaton does get, pops runs his mouth like bloody murder.  (I am remembering correctly that the coach is his dad, not the ref, right?)

I digress.  Wheaton played terrible.  Carthage aside from SD looked just as bad.  Wheaton missed a great opportunity and the refs missed a great final 5 minutes.  The game was just poor.

/RANT FINISH

Seems like when the other team's superstar gets calls you don't like it, but you defend the officials when your own guy is the beneficiary...

As well it seems like I write a lot of things when I'm angry.   But there's no need to use the word "seems."  I wrote the words "Heck, he's getting calls Kent wouldn't have gotten," clearly showing my understanding of the comparison I'm making.  JD is great at getting to the hole and getting contact or and-one's, but what I'm complaining about is he gets the top of the key touch calls, the "I just missed a three but took a flop" calls, without the forearm clear out calls going against him.  I've read it on here before, but hadn't watched him in person enough to feel like that was a justified complaint.  Now I feel justified.

[CCIWchamps]

I watched the Wheaton/Carthage video stream.  Steve Djurickovic's performance tonight was one of the best I've ever seen in a CCIW game.  I don't even know how many points he finished with (didn't have the stats up and didn't have the sound on), but it had to be a ton.

I think he is a legitimate mid-major D1 player.  Wow is he something.

Allow me to be a little biased, but having just seen the game I will have to stop you short and say he played a good game amidst a bunch of people playing like garbage.  He holds the ball for every possession, which makes sense, then makes a move and either makes the basket or gangly flops and gets a call.  He's getting calls MJ wouldn't have gotten.  Heck, he's getting calls Kent wouldn't have gotten.  And the calls he doesn't get or that Wheaton does get, pops runs his mouth like bloody murder.  (I am remembering correctly that the coach is his dad, not the ref, right?)

I digress.  Wheaton played terrible.  Carthage aside from SD looked just as bad.  Wheaton missed a great opportunity and the refs missed a great final 5 minutes.  The game was just poor.

/RANT FINISH

don't hate, takes more than just bad refs to get 44 in a game

Yes, it also takes 25 of your team's 46 total shots.  The 10 free throws to Wheaton's entire team total of 13 does make a difference.

This is too easy  http://athletics.wheaton.edu/custompages/mbball/mbbarchivedstats/2008/sect1.htm

Raymond 21 of teams 45 shots, attempted 17 FT's to Whitworth's 15.

......whats good for the goose

I won't disagree.

[usee]

Steve D took 25 of his teams 46 shots and 10 of their 18 FT. Wheaton shot 13 FT. Fouls were 14-13. Rebounds 30 for wheaton 22 for Carthage. assists 16 for wheaton 10 for carthage. Wheaton shot 45% and Carthage shot 50%. Wheaton made 12-13 FT Carthage 13-18. I would say Wheaton played pretty well actually and Carthage simply played better.

[CCIWchamps]

I watched the Wheaton/Carthage video stream.  Steve Djurickovic's performance tonight was one of the best I've ever seen in a CCIW game.  I don't even know how many points he finished with (didn't have the stats up and didn't have the sound on), but it had to be a ton.

I think he is a legitimate mid-major D1 player.  Wow is he something.

Allow me to be a little biased, but having just seen the game I will have to stop you short and say he played a good game amidst a bunch of people playing like garbage.  He holds the ball for every possession, which makes sense, then makes a move and either makes the basket or gangly flops and gets a call.  He's getting calls MJ wouldn't have gotten.  Heck, he's getting calls Kent wouldn't have gotten.  And the calls he doesn't get or that Wheaton does get, pops runs his mouth like bloody murder.  (I am remembering correctly that the coach is his dad, not the ref, right?)

I digress.  Wheaton played terrible.  Carthage aside from SD looked just as bad.  Wheaton missed a great opportunity and the refs missed a great final 5 minutes.  The game was just poor.

/RANT FINISH

Allow me to disagree. You have to give credit where credit is due. Steve Djurickovic played an outstanding game tonight. He got his usual midrange game going, but also was great from beyond the arc. I don't think he got any calls that Kent Raymond would not have gotten (although he did flop on one 3 and end up with three free throws). The bottom line is, he controls his body so well that he is able to draw contact and get to the line. You don't rack up that many points because of the officials.

Wheaton actually played pretty well for the majority of the game against a very good Carthage team. The offensive rebound by Thompson and the steal by Pierce (I think) in the final minute were the plays that ultimately killed the Thunder.

You're right.  Wheaton just couldn't close it out after putting a run together.  I am typing entirely out of anger and would like to frame my comments in the same manner that the North Park fan was writing last week- losing to a good player still stinks.
However, in watching the game, it didn't feel like 44- I'm not saying this to take away from him- no triple teams or intentional fouls or an absurdly hot hand.  It just felt like a "blah" sort of a game both ways, and the only person scoring was JD or BP for Wheaton.  His 3 seems to be automatic, and BP would follow with one of his own.  I am surprised at the 44 but it makes sense considering the offense they run and the defensive scheme Wheaton tried to employ.  All in all is was a huge one for Wheaton to lose grasp of.  Everyone rest assured that I now acknowledge having seen a good offensive scoring game by Steve D.  Wheaton tried, but couldn't handle him.

[steve d is the man]

 Everyone rest assured that I now acknowledge having seen a good offensive scoring game by Steve D.  Wheaton tried, but couldn't handle him.

don't worry, not many people CAN actually handle him.