MBB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[hopefan]

Brady Zimmer, Pantagraph Player of the Year...

http://www.pantagraph.com/sports/high-school/basketball/boys/article_153ae83a-39ff-11df-b0d9-001cc4c03286.html


The article mentions the status of his college choice.  "The goal is to play right away."  This is consistent with what I've heard along the way -- that immediate time is something Brady is factoring in heavily.

Send him to a SLIAC school  -  he'll play right away!!!   

[usee]

Augustana's nonconference football schedule is up on the school web site.

At Greenville
Central (IOWA)
At Adrian

This should be a good test for the Vikes before the CCIW season begins!!!

The first issue with this is that this is the baskeball board, not the football board. The second issue (and more serious) is the simple fact that Greenville does not constitute a "test" of any kind, let alone good preparation for the CCIW football slate. Central is a great team and program and Augie will have their hands full playing them. Adrian has been a middle of the pack MIAA team for a while (they were better last year, competing with Capital and Trine in close games) and their program seems to be getting better. I would like to see CCIW teams schedule less teams like Greenville and more teams like Central in football.

I'd say Greenville prepared Augustana pretty well for the CCIW slate including their best win of the season against Carthage that just happened to end with the same score as the Greenville game: 42-20.  Only Wheaton and North Central managed to put up more than 20 against the Vikings last year.  Find something else to complain about.

You bring up a good point. Versus Greenville Augie's offense scored Touchdown's on 4 of their 1st 6 possessions. Against Carthage, they scored TD's on 5 of their first 8 possessions. The similarities end there, however. Greenville had 226 yds of offense including a TD run of 65 yds and a TD pass of 69 yds (on a busted coverage). Take away those two plays and Greenville had less than 100 yds for the rest of the game (their 3rd TD was on a 92 yr punt return). So analyzing just the score doesn't result in any reasonable assessment of their readiness for CCIW play. Greenville was not competitive against Augie by almost any measure. I am not complaining just stating the facts.

The fact that you have to take away plays to make your point, illustrates my point.  I'm sure Augie learned many lessons from the Greenville scores which helped limit those plays in CCIW play.  I wouldn't be surprised to see a little closer game this year.

No, you missed my point. My point was Greenville was not competitive with Augie at any point during their game and it is not a good game to prepare a team for the CCIW schedule. The statistics from the Greenville game support that view. One guy busting a coverage or missing a tackle doesnt' prepare a team the way a 12 play 80 TD drive against you prepares a team. Augie dominated the game, start to finish and with opponents like the WIAC schools and other IIAC teams available I would think there is better competition to schedule. Obviously, there are other factors at work in the scheduling process than simply the best competition. We have seen this repeatedly from all the CCIW schools.

[usee]

Augustana's nonconference football schedule is up on the school web site.

At Greenville
Central (IOWA)
At Adrian

This should be a good test for the Vikes before the CCIW season begins!!!

The first issue with this is that this is the baskeball board, not the football board. The second issue (and more serious) is the simple fact that Greenville does not constitute a "test" of any kind, let alone good preparation for the CCIW football slate. Central is a great team and program and Augie will have their hands full playing them. Adrian has been a middle of the pack MIAA team for a while (they were better last year, competing with Capital and Trine in close games) and their program seems to be getting better. I would like to see CCIW teams schedule less teams like Greenville and more teams like Central in football.

Adrian has finished 2nd the last two years and 5 of the last 8.  By no means are they a D3 power but they're a little better than just middle of the MIAA pack.

That's true but you also have to admit the parity in he MIAA means there isn't a big difference between the 2nd and 5th place team most of those years. But certainly Adrian has had a resurgence of late and has been more competitive. I also have been very impressed with Trine and I think their level of play and success in the playoffs will raise the bar in the MIAA for all the teams.

[usee]

I have moved this dicsussion over the CCIW football board where it is more appropriate. sorry guys.

[Dennis_Prikkel]

I wonder if Butler will invite Bobby Plump to the Final Four?

[Titan Q]

Ron Rose and his staff received a significant recruiting commitment today.  6-4 combo guard Brady Zimmer of Delavan H.S. has decided to attend Illinois Wesleyan.  Brady was pursued by several schools but he seemed to be down to IWU, Carthage, and Augie by about mid-January.  I give a lot of credit to Brady for making sure he did not just blindly follow his older brother – it's clear he wanted to carefully look at other options and make his own decision.  This Titan fan is glad that decision was Illinois Wesleyan.

Some statistics from Brady's senior year at Class 1A Delavan:

* 29.3 ppg/8.7 rpg/2.4 apg
* 299-549 FG (.545)
* 45-124 3-pt (.363)
* 265-303 FT (.875)

He was named the AP Class A 1st Team all-state, IBCA 1A/2A 1st Team all-state, and Chicago Sun Times Class A 1st Team all-state.  So far he has been named the Pantagraph Area Player of the Year (all levels), and the Pekin Times 1A/2A Player of the Year.  He holds the Delavan H.S. record for points in a game (46), season (908), and career (2048).

While his high school numbers are eerily similar to his brother's (he passed Jordan on the all-time Delavan scoring list with the last basket of his career), Brady is a different basketball player.  Whereas Jordan Zimmer (a 2/3) is a pure 3-point shooter first, Brady is a slasher.  Brady does shoot it well...just not quite as well as Jordan.  And while Jordan is learning to handle the ball a lot better, he doesn't have the handles Brady does.  With the skill set he has, Brady could end up being a very good player at the 1, 2, or 3 at IWU.  He will have to work hard and develop, just as junior-to-be Jordan is in the process of doing as a collegiate player -- it is a huge step up from IHSA Class 1A to the CCIW.  I think how he develops in handling the ball will determine if he ends up as IWU's next point-guard, or as more of 2 or 3.  

While different players, the biggest similarity between Jordan and Brady (outside of their long, thin frames) is their work ethic.  Some of the articles linked to below really paint a picture of how hard they work.  For example, from the Pekin Times piece...

-----

"My brother and I, our games aren't very similar, but if you compare our work ethics, they're pretty similar," Brady said. "He was working really hard when I was a freshman, so I followed him because I figured that's what I had to do if I wanted to be as good as him.

"I started going in the mornings with him, and we'd work together. We shot a lot of shots. That's what gave me the year I was able to have. His work ethic showed me what it takes to be successful."

"Brady has a work ethic second to none," said Delavan coach Ryon Kramer. "He's been blessed with God-given ability, but he has not just gotten by on that. He's put in so much time and effort into becoming the player he is."
-----

Brady Zimmer is a 4.0 student (as Jordan was at Delavan), and to say he is a "high character kid" would be an understatement.  Ron Rose has landed another really good player and really good kid.  


Miscellaneous links on Brady Zimmer...


Brady Zimmer: Pantagraph Player of the Year

   
Complete Pantagraph All-Area Team


Zimmer continues family tradition as Pekin Times Class 1A/2A Player of the Year


AP Class 1A All-State team


Delavan's Zimmer named first team all-state (Pekin Times)


IBCA Class 1A & 2A All-State Team


Brady Zimmer Pantagraph feature, 1/28/10

[Titan Q]

It looks like Brady, while very thin, has a little more muscle on him as a H.S. senior than Jordan did two years ago...

Brady Zimmer senior year H.S. (2010)

Jordan Zimmer senior year H.S. (2008)


I know Jordan has worked his tail off in the weight room and gained 15 pounds since his freshman year.  And he is still very thin.

The struggle to gain weight.  About 15 years from now, they will enjoy this.

[Mr. Ypsi]

That's great news about Zimmer!  When he stressed how important immediate PT was to him, I figured 'uh, oh'.  With Travis and Sean Johnson (plus his own brother) blocking his way next year, I'd imagine he won't even be varsity.  Maybe Jordan stressed to him how wide open competition should be by his sophomore year (and tossing in the example of Keelan Amelianovich - JV as a frosh, CCIW MOP as a soph - might be good salesmanship, too ). 

[Titan Q]

That's great news about Zimmer!  When he stressed how important immediate PT was to him, I figured 'uh, oh'.  With Travis and Sean Johnson (plus his own brother) blocking his way next year, I'd imagine he won't even be varsity.  Maybe Jordan stressed to him how wide open competition should be by his sophomore year (and tossing in the example of Keelan Amelianovich - JV as a frosh, CCIW MOP as a soph - might be good salesmanship, too ). 

Minutes at the backup PG spot are wide open (Sean Dwyer), as are the minutes behind Sean Johnson and Jordan Zimmer.  There will be healthy competition between guys like Stephen Rudnicki, Eliud Gonzalez, Dan Oswald, Matt Schick, and Brady Zimmer.   

Brady will have to work hard, but that is what he is known for.

[Mr. Ypsi]

Yeah, you might be right.  Since he seems such an excellent prospect, if I was Ron Rose I'd prefer to see him start on JV than get minimal minutes as a back up - but, you may have noticed, I'm not Ron Rose!

[Mr. Ypsi]

Yeah, you might be right.  Since he seems such an excellent prospect, if I was Ron Rose I'd prefer to see him start on JV than get minimal minutes as a back up - but, you may have noticed, I'm not Ron Rose!

It occurred to me that the only JV game I've ever seen was against the IWU Alumni team!  The key to my post above is - how good is the JV competition?  (Obviously it didn't hurt Keelan!)  In general, which is better for transitioning to CCIW bball (especially from a small hs) - 4-6 minutes (plus 'garbage time') of varsity competition or starters' minutes on JV?

[Titan Q]

Yeah, you might be right.  Since he seems such an excellent prospect, if I was Ron Rose I'd prefer to see him start on JV than get minimal minutes as a back up - but, you may have noticed, I'm not Ron Rose!

It occurred to me that the only JV game I've ever seen was against the IWU Alumni team!  The key to my post above is - how good is the JV competition?  (Obviously it didn't hurt Keelan!)  In general, which is better for transitioning to CCIW bball (especially from a small hs) - 4-6 minutes (plus 'garbage time') of varsity competition or starters' minutes on JV?

Sean Dwyer played 17 minutes per game last year.  I'm not saying Brady Zimmer will win those minutes for sure, but he certainly has the opportunity to win more than 4-6 minutes next season.  (As I posted above, others on the roster have that same opportunity.)  If 4-6 ends up being all that is available, JV would be the better route in my opinion.

As far as the quality of JV competition, unfortunately the CCIW's move to men's/women's doubleheaders has really hurt JV programs across the league.  Having 8 teams with strong JV programs (or at least 5-6) is probably a thing of the past.  Teams like IWU with a ton of talent outside of the varsity rotation now have to go find games against JUCOs or Olivet Nazarene's JV or stuff like that.

[iwumichigander]

A very good start for Ron Rose this recruiting season!  My instincts say he's not done as yet.

[Mr. Ypsi]

Yeah, you might be right.  Since he seems such an excellent prospect, if I was Ron Rose I'd prefer to see him start on JV than get minimal minutes as a back up - but, you may have noticed, I'm not Ron Rose!

It occurred to me that the only JV game I've ever seen was against the IWU Alumni team!  The key to my post above is - how good is the JV competition?  (Obviously it didn't hurt Keelan!)  In general, which is better for transitioning to CCIW bball (especially from a small hs) - 4-6 minutes (plus 'garbage time') of varsity competition or starters' minutes on JV?

Sean Dwyer played 17 minutes per game last year.  I'm not saying Brady Zimmer will win those minutes for sure, but he certainly has the opportunity to win more than 4-6 minutes next season.  (As I posted above, others on the roster have that same opportunity.)  If 4-6 ends up being all that is available, JV would be the better route in my opinion.

As far as the quality of JV competition, unfortunately the CCIW's move to men's/women's doubleheaders has really hurt JV programs across the league.  Having 8 teams with strong JV programs (or at least 5-6) is probably a thing of the past.  Teams like IWU with a ton of talent outside of the varsity rotation now have to go find games against JUCOs or Olivet Nazarene's JV or stuff like that.

Sean Dwyer was a very talented senior - I have doubts that his 17 minutes are up for grabs!  My gut hunch is that Travis, Sean Johnson, and Jordan are gonna grab onto most of those minutes and not let go.  The combination of back ups may only see a combined 15 minutes (plus 'garbage time') - but we shall see.

[Titan Q]

A very good start for Ron Rose this recruiting season!  My instincts say he's not done as yet.

A "good start"?  Yikes...you must be hard to please, mich.  Victor Davis was IWU's #1 post recruit and Brady Zimmer was the #1 perimeter target.  I don't think there is any question these two were Ron Rose's top 2 recruiting priorities.  Joe LaTulip is a solid third recruit.

I'm sure IWU will add a few more recruits before it is all said and done, but I guess I'm just saying don't expect to see names here of prospects as good (or better than) Davis and Zimmer.