MBB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[CCIWFAN3]

Only possible way to defend S.D. is to play him straight up man 2 man (with the quickest lateral moving guard) and keep him out of the paint. Then hope he won't hit too many 3's. Pick your poison, but layups and free throws are higher percentage in the long run versus 3 point attempts.  Stephen P. played him for 10 minutes last night and held him scoreless, by containing him and keeping him out of the paint.  If he gets in the paint its over.  18 of his 44 points were layups...and I mean layups!!!  Can't hedge on ball screens with him either..fight over the top and jab help and recover. 

[mwunder]

Did I say it was? No, I didn't. On the contrary, I said that McCrary is a phenomenal player who should get All-American consideration. What I said was that the idea that McCrary could win the MOP over Djurickovic is nonsense. Surely even you can see that, in spite of your Wheaton bias and your bushel of sour grapes regarding Djurickovic.

AMEN!

McCrary being put up as a MOP candidate this season is a joke.  Look at the numbers SD put up last season in relation to one Kent Raymond last season and tell me who was the POY.  There's no way you can convince me that Steve didn't deserve it last season ASIDE from the fact that Wheaton was the better TEAM.  If you went purely by numbers, Steve would be going after his second consecutive POY award.

Stop your crying and take off the ORANGE colored blinders.

[veterancciwfan]

CCIW Potpouri

I haven't posted in quite a while. I have seen 8 of the 9 league games played by IWU and have seen all 7 league opponents. Based on that, I offer my observations.

1) I think the overall talent level of the CCIW is down in 09/10. There are 3, maybe 4 premier players but no great team. I consider a great D3 team to have an excellent to dominating point guard, wing, and post player.

2) Perhaps the talent level in D3 this year is down. If so, the bad economy is probably to blame, as discussed earlier on this board.

3) Wash U. is the best D3 team I have seen this year.

4) I think the CCIW will have 2 teams selected for the D3 tournament, but my guess now is that neither will make the Elite 8.

5) One of the reasons for the past success of the CCIW in D3 tournaments is the outstanding coaches. Currently, the CCIW has 8 capable coaches and many of them are great coaches.

[usee]

I was the one who suggested McCrary as a MOP candidate and 4 games ago he lead stevie d and the whole league in about every category save assists (he was 2nd). Over the last 4 games Stevie D has shown why he will be the MOP and McCrary has kept up a rather pedestrian double double but stevie has taken over the scoring lead and dominated in the process. Saying it was nonense or a joke now is pure hindsight stupidity. He was an underdog 4 games ago but certainly worthy of mentioning. Now I agree there is only 1 choice.

[CCIWchamps]

Did I say it was? No, I didn't. On the contrary, I said that McCrary is a phenomenal player who should get All-American consideration. What I said was that the idea that McCrary could win the MOP over Djurickovic is nonsense. Surely even you can see that, in spite of your Wheaton bias and your bushel of sour grapes regarding Djurickovic.

AMEN!

McCrary being put up as a MOP candidate this season is a joke.  Look at the numbers SD put up last season in relation to one Kent Raymond last season and tell me who was the POY.  There's no way you can convince me that Steve didn't deserve it last season ASIDE from the fact that Wheaton was the better TEAM.  If you went purely by numbers, Steve would be going after his second consecutive POY award.

Stop your crying and take off the ORANGE colored blinders.

Yeeeeeeeikes.  
Never did I say that SD wasn't worthy of winning the MOP or that he wouldn't.  I just felt the wording of "nonsense" was a little hyberbole, whereas the assessment that "For 2010 and 2011, the award is Stevie D's to lose" carries the same message with a tone I can agree with.  I get it- the MOP is the highest scorer on the best team- [waiting for CCIW historians to correct this statement] - and SD just scored 44 in single coverage and his team is #1, so he's a shoe-in.  Fine.

I'm just saying that other players, such as Tim, put up very good all around numbers and deserve to be in the conversation.  Otherwise, you're right, they should've just given it out in the pre-season to SD or even last spring when Kent finished his game vs. Wash U.   It's understood that he is the player to beat in the CCIW.  Tim is putting up 20 and 10 with almost 5 assists a game.  He'd get a vote even from someone "not wearing orange colored blinders" for those.  That's all I'm saying.  Ease up on the throttle a bit fellas- you're the ones making the heavy handed statements here, not me.

[CCIWchamps]

I was the one who suggested McCrary as a MOP candidate and 4 games ago he lead stevie d and the whole league in about every category save assists (he was 2nd). Over the last 4 games Stevie D has shown why he will be the MOP and McCrary has kept up a rather pedestrian double double but stevie has taken over the scoring lead and dominated in the process. Saying it was nonense or a joke now is pure hindsight stupidity. He was an underdog 4 games ago but certainly worthy of mentioning. Now I agree there is only 1 choice.

I'll even agree to that.

[CCIWFAN3]

Might run into ya Saturday G.S.  I'm hoping Williams and Russell won't have and entire evening of "Free Pass to the Paint.  If you pass GO collect $200"  Last 2 games have been that way.

[Mr. Ypsi]

CCIWchamps, I'm the one who posted that the MOP was SD's to lose for the next two years.  And NOT because he is on the best team (I'm still hoping my Titans will correct that situation! ), but because, like the last two years when Kent Raymond was CLEARLY the best player (regardless of whether or not Wheaton was the best team), Stevie D. is CLEARLY the best player in the league (it is his responsibility to show it - if not, McCrary and others will get their chance to take it).

IMO sometimes the MOP is simply obvious UNLESS he falls on his azz and lets someone else step up.  IMO SD is in that position, and has (so far, at least) not fallen on his azz.

[usee]

Here was my post back on January 24. At the time Wheaton was 4-2 in conference and McCrary was consistently having monster games. Carthage was 5-1 back then

I know Stevie D is the obvious pick but Wheaton's Tim McCrary is making a case to be in the conversation for POY at this early stage. He is on track to be a hands down All American as a sophomore. I watched him play tonight at King Arena and he is as complete a player as I have seen in the CCIW. He is really hard to defend as he moves so well without the ball in Wheaton's motion offense.

Here are his numbers:

24.7 ppg, 10 reb, 4.76 assists, 1.17 steals, 1.33 blcks, 60.8% FG, 66.7% FT, A/T ratio 2.00

Stevie D for comparison:
21.8ppg, 4.8 reb, 8.33 assists, 1.17 steals, .33 blcks, 55.7% FG, 81.3% FT, A/T ratio 3.13

Since that post Carthage has gone 3-0 with wins @NPU v IWU and @ Wheaton. Stevie D  increased his numbers from his average scoring 32.6 pts and 7.66 assist over that span. Over the same time period McCrary's averages have come down as Wheaton went 1-2 winning at Millikin and losing consecuteve games @NCC and v Carthage. McCrary averaged 16.6 pts 9.3 reb and 3.6 assists over that span.

their current numbers look like this:

McCrary
22.0pts, 9.9 reb, 4.33 assists, 1.56 steals, 1.33 blcks, 54.6% FG, 67.7% FT, A/T ratio 1.50

Stevie D
25.4 ppg, 4.4 reb, 8.11 assists, 1.0 steals, .44 blocks, 55.2% FG, 87.8%FT, A/T ratio 3.32

[petemcb]

Just a little Public Service Announcement here if it hasn't already been mentioned (I can't remember and am too lazy to page back):  Saturday's NPU @ Wheaton guys game starts at 5:00, with the women's game following.  Anyone else tempted to try pull off a doubleheader by whipping up to Kenosha for the game at Carthage following that? 

[Titan Q]

Only possible way to defend S.D. is to play him straight up man 2 man (with the quickest lateral moving guard) and keep him out of the paint. Then hope he won't hit too many 3's. Pick your poison, but layups and free throws are higher percentage in the long run versus 3 point attempts.  Stephen P. played him for 10 minutes last night and held him scoreless, by containing him and keeping him out of the paint.  If he gets in the paint its over.  18 of his 44 points were layups...and I mean layups!!!  Can't hedge on ball screens with him either..fight over the top and jab help and recover.  

I agree with this, but there is another "pick your poison" to this strategy.  Usually your quickest lateral moving guard is a little guy (6-0 or shorter).  6-3 Djurickovic is very good with his back to the basket on the blocks and Carthage loves to get him one-on-one down there vs a little guard.  So you have to help down there...and then two Red Men passes later they have a wide-open shot.  There are not really any 6-3 or taller players quick enough laterally to guard him.

I'm trying to think of a tougher individual CCIW matchup in my 21 years around the league, and cannot come up with one.  Bryan Crabtree (IWU '97, D3 POY), a 6-7 perimeter player, would be the next closest for me...but Djurickovic presents more problems.  These CCIW-only numbers are off the charts:

Scoring: 25.4 (1st)
Rebounding: 4.4 (15th)
Assists: 8.1 (1st)
FT %: 65-74, .878 (3rd)...14 more makes than #2 in FTM
3-point %: 16-32, .500 (2nd)


With past great CCIW players I've seen (Raymond, Amelianovich, Crabtree, McDaniel, etc, etc) I'd always try to figure out if they could be successful at the D1 level.  Usually the answer would be, "In the right D1 situation, yes...but they are where they should be in D3."  With Djurickovic, I honestly think he is just simply a Division I player on a Division III roster.  And I'm not talking Western Illinois...I beleive he could be successful (ableit in a much different role) as a starting PG in the Missouri Valley.

[Titan Q]

Make that MOP.

Stevie D = M.O.P.

Bosko = M.O.C.  (Most Outstanding Conceiver)

[CCIWchamps]

Make that MOP.

Bosko = M.O.C.  (Most Outstanding Conceiver)

Does "conceiver" in this sentence refer to him having the idea of building the offense around SD and knowing it would work, or "conceiver" like he helped create SD along with his wife?

[CCIWFAN3]

Good point Q.  I agree if a small guard defends S.D. that Bosko will most likely post him up.  But I think it's still the least of the poisons because 1) helpside is already there and 2) at least the ball isn't in S.D. hands for a few seconds while he's posting up:)

[Titan Q]

Make that MOP.

Bosko = M.O.C.  (Most Outstanding Conceiver)

Does "conceiver" in this sentence refer to him having the idea of building the offense around SD and knowing it would work, or "conceiver" like he helped create SD along with his wife?

I am not referring to X's and O's.