MBB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[Gregory Sager]

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:)

You're presuming that Bosko won't just run an iso play and have Steve D. back in his man, something he's perfectly capable of doing to a smaller guard.

[Gregory Sager]

From watching the Wheaton game wednesday they had Jahns on Steve D much of the game and Jahns is quick enough but Bosko then goes to either the post up option or the high pick and roll with a big and it looks exhausting to run through those big guy picks while trying to stay in front of Steve D. Jahns was probably pretty sore Thursday (imagine that feeling--my body aches and I gave up 44). SD is a tough matchup all the way around. It's clear his basketball intelligence makes him even more dangerous as he knows how to counter each defensive set and where to take/pass the ball.

Your point about the ball screens being set up high for Djurickovic is excellent, and it brings up the conversation we had here a couple of days ago as to why Adam Tolo (and Richard Williams, too) has vanished from the Carthage rotation. One of the reasons why Pierce and Guzman have relegated Tolo and Williams to the bench is that both Carthage freshmen are so burly and take up so much horizontal space that they can set the sort of teeth-rattling, opponent-exhausting screens for Steve D. that Tolo and Williams can't.

[Gregory Sager]

It's been 36 hours since I attended the Carthage vs Wheaton game so it's my turn to comment on the ways to defend Stevie D.  This whole issue brings back memories of watching Pete Maravich (which I was lucky enough to do twice).  Obviously, someone who averages 44 points per game for his career was tough to stop.  Yet, it happened several times.  I left the Wheaton game really disappointed in the creativity of Wheaton's coaching efforts.  First, no attempt was made to press Carthage except for a possession or two at the end of the game.  The Redmen's ball-handling ability as a team was never challenged.  Second, Wheaton rarely, if ever, used a zone to force Carthage into a perimeter game.  Two options come immediately to mind.  First, why not a box and one, or better yet a tight diamond and one?  Guzman and Pierce are good sized but not particularly fast or for that matter, well-conditioned.  Guzman can shoot outside but I would take that risk vs Stevie D.  Finally, am I the only one who questions Wheaton's decision not to extend the game by intentionally fouling Carthage.  Several times in the last three minutes of the game, Wheaton, down by either 3 or 5 points, allowed Carthage to simply possess the ball while precious seconds elapsed without any attempt to stop the clock.  At the start of the season, I predicted Carthage to end on top of the league but I am confident there are ways to slow their progress.          

It's little consolation to Paul Brenegan, but if he's been reading the room over the past couple of days he must feel at least a little vindicated that some people are wondering why teams don't play more zone against Carthage. By the way, I'm surprised that nobody has taken up 74impala's suggestion yet that someone deliver a hard foul to Steve Djurickovic. Early in the second half of Wednesday night's AC @ NPU contest Troy Rorer hammered Nick Williams so hard from behind on a breakaway layup attempt that I'm surprised Williams got up. (It was clean in the sense that Rorer did get his arm up high enough to indicate to the ref that he was making an attempt to stop the shot, although that was clearly not his purpose.) Williams missed both free-throw attempts and was never the same for the rest of the half.

[Gregory Sager]

all good defensive ideas - however

1- North Park got blown out when they zoned Carthage

Again, Carthage didn't get separation in that game until after NPU started playing more man. The first half, in which NPU stuck almost exclusively with the 2-3 zone, ended with the Red Men up by three points.

2- Wheaton has had trouble stopping opponents' guards penetrating all year.

This is true, and it's what North Park is banking on tomorrow evening.

[Gregory Sager]

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.

How about X's and Y's?

Right.  I'm talking chromosomes here.

Two people contributed to those chromosomes, not one. And both of them won CCIW titles as head coaches; Becky Johnson Djurickovic helmed North Park to the 1987-88 CCIW women's basketball title. Plus, although Bosko was a decent player in his own right, people I know who have seen both of Steve's parents as players tell me that Steve definitely inherited his mother's athleticism. Becky was a phenomenal basketball player for North Park.

[Gregory Sager]

Nice quotes from Wheaton's coach about Bosko and Steve, seems like a classy guy

Mike Schauer is one of the classiest head coaches in the business.

[usee]

Greg- my guess on why the games at wheaton are flip flopped are similar to my guesses as to why their womens soccer, basketball and other programs have received so much funding from the school over the past 15 yrs. Tony Ladd has always been an over the top Title IX proponent.

[John Gleich]

I haven't seen anyone suggest a gimmick like a box and 1 or a triangle and 2.  By no means am I saying that you should run it the whole game... actually, I think you shouldn't run ANYTHING for the entire game, except for have a guy in SD's shorts. 

This is complicated by the fact that he brings the ball up the court...  but even then, I'd make sure my guys hustled back and set the D. 

I'm primarily a man-to-man guy...  but I think that you need to supplement your man with active D's like a 1-2-2, a 1-3-1.  Switching slows the offense down as they have to adjust.

[CCIWchamps]

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.

Come on, that's not what I said at all. I never said that the 2009-10 MOP award should've been handed out in October or November or as far back as last March to Steve D. And, contrary to what Chuck is doing, I don't make predictions about who is going to win the award next year, or the year after that, or the year after that. There's too many unknowns for me to feel even reasonably comfortable with making those kinds of forecasts. What I said was that McCrary's name should not have been put forth as an alternate candidate, then or now.

Actually, you said "CCIW commish Chris Martin might as well just hand Steve Djurickovic the plaque right now."

 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.

Who are you trying to kid? On Wednesday night right after Wheaton lost to Carthage you made the most heavy-handed post I've seen here in months. You posted a diatribe slamming Steve D. that had so much whine in it that it should've come with a sommelier and a corkscrew.

A couple things here:
1, I can see how you get to nearly 10,000 posts after reading this page.  

2, I'll let you and USee carry on the discussion about MOP.  Last time I got involved in a discussion about the best player "in my opinion," it didn't end up going over very well.  I've learned my lesson.  

2b, (But I also learned something else in regards to that: In the discussion regarding an MOP, for instance, similar to the line of logic you just started to make about SD, last year JB won the D3 POY because KR had "too many weapons around him compared to JB" said some posters.  ie You take JB out of MIT and you have nothing else.  FYI, MIT is 19-2 on the year.  Maybe Carthage isn't a bunch of chumps?)

3, I did make a heay handed entry out of anger, which I prefaced with an acknowledgment of my bias and ended with a salutation pointing directly at the fact that I had been ranting.  I let my anger subside and tried to find better ways to describe what I was saying, which was summarized by coebball70's post this morning.  I wasn't making any accusations anyone else hasn't ever made about SD (or Kent, etc) getting the benefit of calls, or that he touches the ball 96% of Carthage's possession time, or that he initiates contact and flopped on a 3- so I don't feel that bad.  Nonetheless, I've modified my statements and actually gained back a +k in the days since Wednesday.        

"Stop your crying and take off the ORANGE colored blinders" is a little harsh, especially when all I wrote was "TM's stat line is not nonsense."  It's pointless to argue this any further, especially since I've acknowledged my true feelings on the issue ("SD deserves to win") and again reconciled my statements on the record.  If nothing else, you can feel good knowing that I've sat and read each and every post of the last 2 days, each of which comes closer and closer to saying that SD is amazing and can likely walk on water.  For me, I'll just have to bite my tongue and remember that a flop on a 3 and a bogus call = 5 free throws that beat Wheaton, and might've changed the course of human history as we in the CCIW know it.  [wink implied]

[Titan Q]

Anyone see the video of how Hope got to overtime vs Carthage way back on Dec. 5?  Check this shot out...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-pu3RCLKYo

[Titan Q]

Wash U vs Rochester live video, about to tip...

http://www.stretchinternet.com/wustlschedule.html

[iwumichigander]

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?  

First of all, thanks for this PSA, Pete. I hope that everyone sees it -- especially any North Park fans who're planning to make the trek out to DuPage County for this game.

But I also have to ask: Why is Wheaton flip-flopping the men's and women's games? Anyone know?

Guesses - 1) In hopes the Carlson crazies miss the change in start time and show up for just the women's contest; 2) Minimize overtime payments to Wheaton's finest for crowd control; 3) Zone Ordinance - Stevie D going to suit-up for the Thunder and needs the extra time to make it back to Kenosha for 7:30 tip-off

[usee]

Greg- regarding your rebuttal on MOP I will reiterate I believe there is only 1 choice but my point stands that McCray's numbers through 6 conference games were amazing and if he had kept them up wheaton would be undefeated in the conference and I can assure you no one would be joking about McCrary in the conversation. That hasn't happened in large part because of what you argued (I.e. Reality set in).

[Moser]

Anyone see the video of how Hope got to overtime vs Carthage way back on Dec. 5?  Check this shot out...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-pu3RCLKYo

Wow

[CCIWchamps]

Anyone see the video of how Hope got to overtime vs Carthage way back on Dec. 5?  Check this shot out...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-pu3RCLKYo

Amazing shot!  That needs to be sent in to the sports shows.