MBB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[John Gleich]

Should be a good in-region game this weekend when #14 Anderson travels to #24 Augustana on Saturday.  That should be a good early season test for both teams.

Agreed.  Last year Augie won @ Anderson by 7...

http://www.augustana.edu/athletics/mbasketball/stats/2009-10/10mbb04.htm

Regardless of what the ratings say, I have to believe Augustana is a pretty heavy favorite in that game.

Augie is playing a great non-conference schedule.

Not to put you on the spot Bob, but how underrated do you see Augie compared to their #24 preseason ranking?  10 spots?  More?

[Titan Q]

I didn't realize 6-9 Wes Dukeman had left Elmhurst until I looked at the Monmouth starters...

http://www.iwuhoops.com/notes11.htm

[Titan Q]

Not to put you on the spot Bob, but how underrated do you see Augie compared to their #24 preseason ranking?  10 spots?  More?

Well, I'd like to see how that Anderson games plays out Saturday, but my gut feeling is that Augie is closer to #15, yes.

[dansand]

Obviously a lot of positives about last night's game, but if I had to pick one that stood out to me it was how well Augie's big guys shared the ball. The interior passing in the first two games has been great. That's a big reason why the Vikes are shooting .686 inside the arc. Augie's strength on the boards was expected, but I wouldn't have predicted a nearly 2-to-1 margin (77-40) through two games. That's pretty amazing. After shooting .635 last year and losing their best FT shooter, Matt Pelton, the way they've shot free throws (34-37, .919) has been a nice surprise.

Here are the local newspaper accounts of the game:

Dispatch/Argus

Quad City Times

[Gregory Sager]

I didn't realize 6-9 Wes Dukeman had left Elmhurst until I looked at the Monmouth starters...

http://www.iwuhoops.com/notes11.htm

Wes Dukeman got into two varsity games for Elmhurst last season, not coincidentally the first two games of the year. He saw a grand total of 15 minutes of playing time in those two games, during which he scored no points and garnered one rebound. It's my understanding that he did not even suit up for most of Elmhurst's varsity games and was strictly a JVer.

The fact that Dukeman was not a part of the Bluejays varsity in spite of his being 6'9, in a year in which Elmhurst was absolutely desperate for size, probably tells you everything that you need to know about Wes Dukeman -- and, I suspect, the fact that he's now starting for Monmouth probably tells you everything that you need to know about the Fighting Scots.

To be fair, it's always possible that he's made great strides in his game since last season. I don't want to write him off as just being some tall stiff, and in fact I wish him good luck at his new school. Tonight could be a golden opportunity for him to do this:



... to Mark Scherer and everyone else at Elmhurst by playing well against one of the top CCIW teams.

Still, I can't help but do a double-take that he's starting for Monmouth, in spite of the fact that last year he couldn't stick with the varsity of the shortest CCIW team that I can ever remember.

[dansand]

Seeing Dukeman in JV play the past couple years, he was very thin and conditioning seemed to be a big problem. I see that Monmouth has him listed at 225 lbs, which I think is about 35 lbs. more than he was listed at Elmhurst. Maybe the added weight (and presumably strength) might help with his conditioning. We'll find out. Augie's at Monmouth next Wednesday.

[usee]

Dansand,

As a guy with experience in this area recently, I can almost assure you that adding weight does NOT help with conditioning. 

[Mr. Ypsi]

Dansand,

As a guy with experience in this area recently, I can almost assure you that adding weight does NOT help with conditioning. 

But, you're not 19!

[dansand]

Dansand,

As a guy with experience in this area recently, I can almost assure you that adding weight does NOT help with conditioning. 

But, you're not 19!

...or (I'm assuming) 6'9" and 190 lbs. 

[Mr. Ypsi]

Dansand,

As a guy with experience in this area recently, I can almost assure you that adding weight does NOT help with conditioning. 

But, you're not 19!

...or (I'm assuming) 6'9" and 190 lbs. 

Touche!  But also a flag for piling on/late hit!

[Titan Q]

IWU 81
Monmouth 68

* Sean Johnson: 35 pts (career high...32 @ UW-Stevens Point last year)
* Ryan Connolly: 14 pts

* Bryce Donaldson: 19 pts

[Titan Q]

Aurora 67
North Central 59


North Park 74
Edgewood 69


St. Norbert 74
Elmhurst 48


Franklin 74
Millikin 62


Wheaton 79
Loras 63

[Titan Q]

CCIW in-region report (through 11/23)...


Augustana (10)
11/16, @ Simpson  W
11/22, vs Washington U W
11/27, vs Anderson
12/1, @ Monmouth
12/11, vs Buena Vista
12/15, vs UW-Whitewater
12/20, @ MacMurray
12/29, vs UW-Stout, at St. Norbert
12/30, @ St. Norbert or vs Lakeland, at St. Norbert
1/2, vs Chicago

Out of region:
12/8, vs St. Ambrose

Carthage (4)
11/19, vs Bethany Lutheran  W
11/24, vs Whitworth (in Hawaii)
11/26, vs Pacific (in Hawaii)
1,2, @ Transylvania

Out of region:
11,16, vs Calumet-St. Joseph  
11/20, vs John Carroll
12,3 vs Hope
12/4, vs Calvin
12/7, vs Silver Lake
12/11, vs Albion
12/12, vs Cardinal Stritch

Elmhurst (11)
11/16, @ Cornell  L
11/20, vs Hamline L
11/23, @ St. Norbert  L
12/1, @ Olivet
12/5, @ Westminster (Mo)
12/9, vs Kalamazoo
12/11, vs Loras
12/20, vs Aurora, in Las Vegas
12/21, vs UW-Oshkosh, in Las Vegas
12/29, vs DePauw
12/30, vs Calvin or Benedictine

Illinois Wesleyan (9 or 10)
11/15, @ Benedictine  W
11/19, vs Aurora  W
11/20, vs Ripon  W
11/23, @ Monmouth  W
11/27, vs Dominican
11/29, @ Webster
12/4, vs Chicago
12/11, vs MacMurray
12/18, @ Washington U
(12/30, @ Cal Lutheran)

Out of region:

12/29, vs Gettysburg, at Cal Lutheran
(12/30, vs Hobart, at Cal Lutheran)

Millikin (6 or 7)
11/19, vs Nebraska Wesleyan  L
11/23, vs Franklin L
11/28, @ Rose-Hulman
12/4, @ Aurora
12/20, @ Transyvania
12/29, @ St. Mary's (MN)
(12/30, @ Illinois College)

Out of region:
12/1, vs Robert Morris-Springfield
12/8, @ Indianapolis
12/18, @ Adrian
12/21, vs Piedmont (GA) or Westminster (PA), at Transylvania
(12/30, vs Clarke at Illinois College)

North Central (8)
11/19, vs Bluffton L
11/20 vs Edgewood  L
11/23, vs Aurora  L
11/27, @ Illinois College
11/28, @ Manchester
12/7, vs Lake Forest
12/22, @ Benedictine
12/27, @ Rockford

Out of region:
12/1, vs Albion
12/17, @ Hawaii-Hilo
12/30, @ Adrian

North Park (9)
11/17, vs Concordia  L
11/23, vs Edgewood  W
11/27, @ Fontbonne
11/30, @ Carroll
12/4, vs Trine
12/11, @ Spalding
12/30, vs Milwaukee Engineering
12/19, @ Coe
12/20, @ Loras

Out of region:
12/28, vs Williams, at Salem State
12/29, vs Regis, at Salem State

Wheaton (6)
11/16, vs Manchester  L
11/19, vs UW-Whitewater  W
11,23, vs Loras  W
12/1, vs Chicago
12/4, vs Hope
12/11, vs Washington U

Out of region:
11/19, vs Covenant
12/3, vs Calvin
12/9, vs Trinity Intl
12/30, vs Messiah, in Phoenix
12/31, vs Husson, in Phoenix


CCIW non-conference totals (88 games)
In-region games: 65 (74%)
Out-of-region games: 23 (26%)

(Assumes the IWU and MU TBD games end up in-region)


CCIW in-region, non-conference record (through 11/23)
10-10

[CCIWchamps]

Wheaton 79
Loras 63

Wheaton played well tonight to pull away before halftime and control it through the second half.  Good ball movement, good help-side defense, and the benefit of what many Loras fans were screaming as a "home whistle."  Loras travels well, and apparently travels angry.  Someone should have told them that refs don't make the players miss layups and free-throws though.

#24 on Loras did have a highlight backdoor alley-oop, which was high and spectacular.  Another 9 of those and Loras might have won this one. 

I was reminded tonight how much I enjoy watching McCrary pass out of double teams for wide open layups and jumpers.  If they can stay patient on the offensive end, Wheaton can be solid. 

[Titan Q]

IWU's JV score from last night...

IWU 83
Monmouth 40

* Brady Zimmer: 17 pts
* Eric Dortch: 14 pts
* Victor Davis: 13 pts
* Nick Anderson: 12 pts


On Saturday the IWU JV beat Peoria Prep 98-54.