MBB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[John Gleich]

Maybe StevieD should transfer to Stevens Point in pursuit of some team hardware.

That might make the dinner table conversation a little awkward...

[CCgrad2004]

CONGRATS TO STEVIE - DIII player of the year!

Way to go!

[Titan Q]

The 2009-10 D3hoops.com All-America team...

http://www.d3hoops.com/all-american/menallam10.htm

Congrats to the CCIW players on the team:

* Steve Djurickovic, 6-3 Jr. (Carthage) - 1st Team (Player of the Year)

* Tim McCrary, 6-6 So. (Wheaton) - 2nd Team

* Ben Panner, 6-3 Sr. (Wheaton) - Honorable Mention


Also congratulations to North Central's Derek Raridon - the national Rookie of the Year.  Quite an honor considering how many freshmen are out there on D3 rosters.

[Titan Q]

Best guess at where 2010-11 starting lineups stand at this point (without factoring in recruits and transfers)...


Augustana
G - Brian DeSimone, 6-2 Jr.
G - ?
F - Troy Rorer, 6-2 Jr.
F - Brandon Kunz, 6-7 So.
C - Kyle Nelson, 6-9 Sr.

Carthage
G - Steve Djurickovic, 6-3 Sr.
G - Malcolm Kelly, 6-0 So.
G - Max Cary, 6-3 Jr.
F - Mitch Thompson, 6-6 So.
C - Tyler Pierce, 6-5 So.

Elmhurst
G - Mike McCurdy, 5-11 Jr.
G - ?
G - Zack Boyd, 6-3 JR.
F - ?
F/C - ?

Illinois Wesleyan
G - Travis Rosenkranz, 6-0 Sr.
G - Sean Johnson, 6-1 Sr.
F - Jordan Zimmer, 6-5 Jr.
F - John Koschnitzky, 6-6 Jr.
C - Doug Sexauer, 6-7 Sr.

Millikin
G - Rodney Clark, 5-10 So.
G - Colby Long, 6-0 So.
F - ?
F - ?
F/C - ?

North Central
G - ?
G - ?
F - Brian Evans, 6-3 Sr.
F - Derek Raridon, 6-6 So.
F/C - ?

North Park
G - Roshawn Russell, 5-9 Jr.
G - Davone Robinson, 6-0 Jr.
G - Shaun Collins, 6-2 Sr.
F - Jorge Gonzalez, 6-5 Sr.
C - Emmanuel Crosby, 6-7 Jr.

Wheaton
G - Aaron Garriott, 6-3 So.
G - Andrew Jahns, 6-2 Sr.
F - ?
F - Tim McCrary, 6-6 Jr.
F - Spencer Schultze, 6-6 Jr.


I think IWU, Carthage, and North Park will enter the season with the least question marks.  (Each of the 3 has things to figure out in terms of starting lineup, rotation, etc...but it seems less uncertainty across the board than everyone else.)

Preseason favorite will be either IWU or Carthage...probably could go either way.

[markerickson]

I'd have Schneidermeier in the NP lineup instead of three guards.

Gopher wrestler, Jayson Ness, is a national champ!  What a finish!!

[Titan Q]

I'd have Schneidermeier in the NP lineup instead of three guards.

Gopher wrestler, Jayson Ness, is a national champ!  What a finish!!

I think North Park will be very good at the 5 for 40 minutes next year, however they split the Crosby/Schneidermeier minutes.  But I don't think you can have both guys on the floor together all that often.  NPU can exploit certain matchups by playing them together some but I would be surprised if that duo starts together.  Who would guard Tim McCrary?  Derek Raridon?  John Koschnitzky?  (Insert name of other mobile 4's).  

Plus, that Gonzalez guy seems like he's going to be pretty darn good.

[AndOne]

Best guess at where 2010-11 starting lineups stand at this point (without factoring in recruits and transfers)...


Augustana
G - Brian DeSimone, 6-2 Jr.
G - ?
F - Troy Rorer, 6-2 Jr.
F - Brandon Kunz, 6-7 So.
C - Kyle Nelson, 6-9 Sr.

Carthage
G - Steve Djurickovic, 6-3 Sr.
G - Malcolm Kelly, 6-0 So.
G - Max Cary, 6-3 Jr.
F - Mitch Thompson, 6-6 So.
C - Tyler Pierce, 6-5 So.

Elmhurst
G - Mike McCurdy, 5-11 Jr.
G - ?
G - Zack Boyd, 6-3 JR.
F - ?
F/C - ?

Illinois Wesleyan
G - Travis Rosenkranz, 6-0 Sr.
G - Sean Johnson, 6-1 Sr.
F - Jordan Zimmer, 6-5 Jr.
F - John Koschnitzky, 6-6 Jr.
C - Doug Sexauer, 6-7 Sr.

Millikin
G - Rodney Clark, 5-10 So.
G - Colby Long, 6-0 So.
F - ?
F - ?
F/C - ?

North Central
G - ?
G - ?
F - Brian Evans, 6-3 Sr.
F - Derek Raridon, 6-6 So.
F/C - ?

North Park
G - Roshawn Russell, 5-9 Jr.
G - Davone Robinson, 6-0 Jr.
G - Shaun Collins, 6-2 Sr.
F - Jorge Gonzalez, 6-5 Sr.
C - Emmanuel Crosby, 6-7 Jr.

Wheaton
G - Aaron Garriott, 6-3 So.
G - Andrew Jahns, 6-2 Sr.
F - ?
F - Tim McCrary, 6-6 Jr.
F - Spencer Schultze, 6-6 Jr.


I think IWU, Carthage, and North Park will enter the season with the least question marks.  (Each of the 3 has things to figure out in terms of starting lineup, rotation, etc...but it seems less uncertainty across the board than everyone else.)

Preseason favorite will be either IWU or Carthage...probably could go either way.

There is an excellent chance North Central will be starting 2 freshmen next season.
And, depending on recruiting results, it would not be surprising to see 3 rookies in the starting lineup. There are probably only 2 for sure things that can be said about next season's Cardinals. 1) Derek Raridon will start. The question will be where. Depending on final recruiting results and the development of those recruits, Derek could begin the season at the 2, 3, or 4 spot. 2) Look for NCC to have the strongest group of newcomers they have had in recent years. While nothing can be guaranteed until the opening day of practice, the Cardinal recruiting efforts during the just concluded season have been the strongest in recent history. Led by their 1st year recruiting coordinator, top assistant coach Todd Kelly, the Cards are on more quality recruits, that they have a good chance of landing, than I have previously observed.

Brian Evans, who began the year as a sub but emerged mid-season to exceed everyone's expectations, except probably his own, and finish among the league leaders in several statistical categories, is a strong candidate to start. At "worst" Evans should be the Cards' 6th man. Again, recruit commitment and development at specific positions should be the determining factor here. Several of the kids NC will bring in this year will be capable of playing more than one position. It will just be a question of what position turns out to be the strongest one for these recruits. With his combination of skill, determination, and smarts, my money is on Evans to be the 2nd Cardinal starter along with Raridon.

Three other returnees who might factor into the starting lineup equation are Kevin Gillespie, Tyler Bantz, and Brandon Stanciel. Gillespie and Bantz both played well in the backcourt when presented with the opportunity after Jonny Knapczyk suffered a tragic season ending head injury during the North Park game. Gillespie directed the team well, and Bantz flashed outstanding marksmanship over the course of the last 3 games. The coaching staff will also look for continued development from the 6'7" Stanciel who started the first 11 games of the season.

In total, between the starters and the 1st man off the bench at each position for the Cardinals, chances are that we'll see 5 or 6 of those first 10 positions manned by a first year player.            

[Titan Q]

Great article by a big-time writer about the D3 Final Four...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/20/AR2010032003291.html?sub

[Gregory Sager]

I'd have Schneidermeier in the NP lineup instead of three guards.

Gopher wrestler, Jayson Ness, is a national champ!  What a finish!!

I think North Park will be very good at the 5 for 40 minutes next year, however they split the Crosby/Schneidermeier minutes.  But I don't think you can have both guys on the floor together all that often.  NPU can exploit certain matchups by playing them together some but I would be surprised if that duo starts together.  Who would guard Tim McCrary?  Derek Raridon?  John Koschnitzky?  (Insert name of other mobile 4's).

Plus, that Gonzalez guy seems like he's going to be pretty darn good.

I explained this earlier when Mark stated that NPU should have both Crosby and Schniedermeier in the starting lineup. I have no idea why Mark is still fixated on the concept of Crosby and Schniedermeier playing alongside each other. It wouldn't work, and it won't happen. They're both pure centers, pure back-to-the-basket low-post players who don't really have strong face-the-basket games (i.e., jumpshots that range out past ten feet, minimal ballhandling ability, sufficient quickness to cover forwards on defense, etc.). A team only has room on the floor for one guy like that at a time. Two of them would clog the lane, bog down the offense, and make the defense vulnerable.

Crosby and Schniedermeier will split the center position next year. Given the fact that Schniedermeier will begin the 2010-11 season only eleven months removed from ACL reconstructive surgery, I think it's reasonable to project that Crosby will be the starter. I would imagine that Crosby would play 28-30 minutes or so per game, Schniedermeier would play 10-12 minutes or so, and that their minutes might go down somewhat in games that have situations that call for Paul Brenegan to go small and replace the center with a more mobile player.

As you said, Bob, Gonzalez is going to be pretty darn good next year -- and he's ideally suited to play alongside the Crosby/Schniedermeier combo as NPU's power forward. But I would hesitate to anoint Shaun Collins as the starter in a three-guard Vikings lineup just yet. NPU will be unusually deep at the small forward spot; three juniors-to-be who have started at that position at one time or another over the past two seasons, 6'5 Nick Hoekstra, 6'4 Kendall Greer, and 6'4 Issa Avery, will be vying for that spot as well.

[Gregory Sager]

Congratulations to Steve Djurickovic, Tim McCrary, Ben Panner, and Derek Raridon, and to Steve D. in particular. Well done, gentlemen!

[markerickson]

G - Roshawn Russell, 5-9 Jr.
G - Davone Robinson, 6-0 Jr.
G - Shaun Collins, 6-2 Sr.

You're criticizing me about possible defensive liabilities!?  I shudder at these guards being on the floor together.  Wow.

[Dennis_Prikkel]

I hesitate to debate the relative merits of what starting lineup North Park should or should not play next year - until - next fall.

This program has a woeful unexplained history of players disappearing into the ether of basketball forgetfulness.  Players who start or were key reserves are deemed expendable or leave for personal reasons.

I was happy to see North Park have a competitive program this year.  I hope they have a competitive program again next year - but given recent past history I think it impossible to speculate on who should be starting where.

[Gregory Sager]

G - Roshawn Russell, 5-9 Jr.
G - Davone Robinson, 6-0 Jr.
G - Shaun Collins, 6-2 Sr.

You're criticizing me about possible defensive liabilities!?  I shudder at these guards being on the floor together.  Wow.

I'm not sure what your problem is with D.A. Robinson's defense, as he's the best perimeter defender on the team. But, while I wouldn't say that either Russell or Collins is a shutdown defender, it's worth noting that in the two games that Paul Brenegan started this trio as his three-guard lineup -- the last two games of the year, which just happened to be against the two best offenses in the CCIW, Carthage and Illinois Wesleyan -- the Vikings' scoring defense was 64.0 ppg (as opposed to the 68.4 ppg the Vikes allowed over the entire course of the CCIW season), which would've ranked fourth in the league (NPU finished fifth in that category). Also, the Vikings had a FG percentage defense of .456 during those two games (which would've been good for fifth place over the long haul), as opposed to .469 over the fourteen-game CCIW slate (the Vikings finished sixth in that category).

Lastly, the Vikings' three-point defense, which was very good as a whole (.326 in CCIW play, bested only by Augustana's .320), actually improved over those final two games, as the Red Men and Titans shot a collective 11-38 (.289) against the starting trio of Russell, Robinson, and Collins.

My criticism of your desire to see Crosby and Schniedermeier on the floor together isn't really a criticism of either's defensive skills. It's more about the general basketball truism that you can't play two pure centers simultaneously. It's like putting two fullbacks in your starting lineup on a football team, or stacking your entire infield with slugging but slow-footed first basemen.

[Titan Q]

My criticism of your desire to see Crosby and Schniedermeier on the floor together isn't really a criticism of either's defensive skills. It's more about the general basketball truism that you can't play two pure centers simultaneously. It's like putting two fullbacks in your starting lineup on a football team, or stacking your entire infield with slugging but slow-footed first basemen.

Although, it was just a week and a half ago that you very accurately posted...

* Meanwhile, Ron Rose inserted Ryan Connolly into the game alongside Doug Sexauer. That completely opened up the inside for Sexauer, who had more or less been held in check down on the blocks. Sexauer went crazy down low once Rose made this move -- and I suspect that the media timeouts helped Connolly keep his wind. I doubt he's ever logged that many consecutive minutes before, but it worked. His presence on the floor made all the difference for Sexauer.

Ron Rose used that double center set several times in big situations this past year.  Like this one (video)...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tsw28ZxBoH4

Putting two guys on the floor that opponents cannot stop one-on-one down low can create huge problems for the defense.

It's not something you can do all game long, but for stretches, absolutely.

[Gregory Sager]

The difference is that Sexauer isn't a pure center, as Crosby, Schniedermeier, and Connolly all are. Sexauer isn't strictly a back-to-the-basket player; he can step out and hit the mid-range jumper, and he's sufficiently mobile enough to cover a lot of opposing D3 power forwards. In fact, he can step out and hit the trey, and I wonder why he doesn't attempt them more often than merely the "demonstration shot" he regularly shoots at the beginning of games. As you yourself argued with cciwfan3 last fall, Sexauer played power forward in 2008-09 alongside Chamernik at center, and he was a prime candidate to play the 4 again this season before Ron Rose decided to play a somewhat smaller lineup.

You can legitimately list Sexauer as a C/F (or as a F/C, if you prefer it that way) in the game program. You can't do that with Crosby, Schniedermeier, or Connolly.