MBB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[Mr. Ypsi]

An article on IWU's former home, Fred Young Fieldhouse...

http://www.pantagraph.com/sports/high-school/basketball/boys/article_87b4c076-1fae-11e0-b639-001cc4c03286.html


There is a quote in there about FYF "smelling good."  I'll never forget the way that place smelled when you walked in the door - some combination of popcorn and basketball that was just absolutely perfect.

Ah yes - I well remember the "block concrete wall" where you first came in, having gone head-first into it while running on the 'indoor track' (the exterior corridor around the inside of the fieldhouse - oh, for the indoor track they now have! ) when my Achilles' tendon suddenly snapped during a training session my freshman year!  (Fortunately, there was a metal-clad radiator all along the bottom of the wall with some give, so I didn't add brain-damage [though some may disagree ] to my 'career-ending' tendon damage.  [Fortunately for the Titan track team, I NEVER would have been a middle-distance runner anyway; at that time I still had the general public's view of 'glorified intramurals'. ]

Agree with you about the smells (on game nights, at least; the smells in the locker room were somewhat different ).

[iwu70]

Q, thanks for posting the piece about Fred Young Fieldhouse.  Yes, some awfully clear and good memories of that place . . . and all the runs to CCIW championships, and hopes for "going to Kansas City," in my era, 1966-70.  We had the good teams with Gramkow, Fred Evans and Sheldon Thompson.  They were tough hombres with great rebounding  by Fred Evans and Sheldon Thompson . . and great outside shooting and quickness by Tommy Gramkow.   He could stop on a dime and hit the jumper from almost anywhere.  Fred Evans was, I think, one of the most athletic, good rebounders in IWU history and Sheldon Thompson had that high-arching shot that you thought would never come down until it hit the bottom of the net. 

The place was intimate, hot, crazy, with the then current version of the Fred Young "crazies" of all types.  I remember best the heat and humidity whilst sitting in the middle of student section bleachers -- something like a free sauna bath during all the cheering, in a day when the cheerleaders and the student crowds actually worked in unison.  And, I remember well, all the fans sitting on the tops of those block walls at the south end, even on top of the ticket booth, looking down on the court almost as if it were a cock-fighting pit.  But, it could take you 30 minutes standing in line to take a whizz . . . as the bathrooms were just so small and totally inadequate for the crowds that filled the place. 

Best memories of course are all the intra-mural games we played side-court, with my Adams Hall buddies, senior year team going 16-0 and even beating the jocks of the TKEs, SIGs, and Fijis.  We had a good team of slightly over-the-hill, slightly geeky high school players, who were, like me either a step too slow or a few inches too short to satisfy Mssr. Bridges and the glorious Titan teams of that era.  We still had our fun, still played good team ball, and with Bill Devore, especially Bobby Werner, David Petreman, the Schoenwald twins, Colby Martin, . . . well, we had a darn good IM team that had a great run through the league that year.  I'm sure we've all had knee surgery in recent years due to those long hours on the Fred Young hardwoods.  We were all good students and serious student activists of those years, but we sure enjoyed our roundball at the old Fieldhouse -- as spectators and as players.

And, we travelled to KC to support our beloved Titans. 

[Mr. Ypsi]

Whlie I ALWAYS went to Decatur (and usually to other locations) to support the Titans, I could never find the funds to go to KC.  Beyond that, my memories are more bittersweet.

Franklin Hall (as far as I know) did not have a bball team (I DID lead them to a bowling title).  In the required PE class, I always chose bball.  Every class, same thing - choose teams.  I was ALWAYS either last chosen on the first teams, of first chosen on the last teams.  And I was almost always top scorer on whichever team I was chosen .  Being very 'un-jock' in looks, stereotypes obviously cannot be broken by reality!   I'll stop whining now, but I was probably the best 5'8" bball player at IWU!

[iwu70]

Chuck, you were the only 5'8" basketball player at IWU in those years!   

For his size, I go with Bobby Werner as the best 5'9" player I've ever seen, our starting guard on that 16-0 IM team.  He was so shrewd around the basket, knew how to create space with his body, draw fouls, and could post up guys much bigger and still score easily on them.  We used him as a post player and he scored easily and often was the top rebounder in the game as well. 

Franklin Hall had teams in those years, all the dorms and frat houses had IM teams.  We beat them all that year . . . a lovely run. 

Hope the Titans get more Ws this weekend -- men and women.  I'm still arguing for more playing time for Big Sky. 

[Titan Q]

An article on IWU's Ryan Connolly that covers a lot of things discussed here the last couple days (need for more consistency, etc)...

http://www.pantagraph.com/sports/college/basketball/men/article_031dc4e4-2061-11e0-906e-001cc4c03286.html


It says 6-9 Connolly came to IWU 300 lbs, was 280 last year, and is now about 260.  If he could get to 240 next year as a senior, I think he'd have a chance to be one of the better centers in the CCIW.  (Seems to me he is still about 20 lbs too heavy to really move around as needed for 30 min per game.)

[Titan Q]

Home win = +0
Road win = +1
Home loss = -1
Road loss = +0


+/- Standings through 1/12
Augustana +1
Carthage +1
Illinois Wesleyan +1
North Central +1
Wheaton +0
Elmhurst -1
Millikin -1
North Park -2

(Usually takes +4 to win the title)


Wednesday, 1/15
Millikin @ North Central
North Park @ Wheaton
Augustana @ Carthage
Elmhurst @ Illinois Wesleyan

A huge game in Kenosha tonight.  It seems to me that if Augie comes out of there with a win that a) Carthage will be in huge trouble in terms of winning the CCIW title, and b) the Vikings will be very much in the driver's seat.  Just a really big swing game in the 2011 title race.

The other 3 home teams (Wheaton, NCC, and IWU) are big favorites and just need to avoid upsets.

[petemcb]

Home win = +0
Road win = +1
Home loss = -1
Road loss = +0


+/- Standings through 1/12
Augustana +1
Carthage +1
Illinois Wesleyan +1
North Central +1
Wheaton +0
Elmhurst -1
Millikin -1
North Park -2

(Usually takes +4 to win the title)


Wednesday, 1/15
Millikin @ North Central
North Park @ Wheaton
Augustana @ Carthage
Elmhurst @ Illinois Wesleyan

A huge game in Kenosha tonight.  It seems to me that if Augie comes out of there with a win that a) Carthage will be in huge trouble in terms of winning the CCIW title, and b) the Vikings will be very much in the driver's seat.  Just a really big swing game in the 2011 title race.

The other 3 home teams (Wheaton, NCC, and IWU) are big favorites and just need to avoid upsets.

I'd be curious to see your breakdown of the Wheaton/NPU game.  I didn't have Wheaton figured as a "big favorite" tonight.  I was planning on going to see what would likely be one of the more even matchups those two schools have had in the last decade or more  -  even with NPU's frustatingly inconsistent showing thus far this season.  Frm what I've seen this year so far, I haven't found either team to be consistent enough to predict a big win.  The Wheaton team I saw out at NCC last weekend was almost as frustrating and unpredictable as NPU has been at times this year.

[Titan Q]

I'd be curious to see your breakdown of the Wheaton/NPU game.  I didn't have Wheaton figured as a "big favorite" tonight.  I was planning on going to see what would likely be one of the more even matchups those two schools have had in the last decade or more  -  even with NPU's frustatingly inconsistent showing thus far this season.  Frm what I've seen this year so far, I haven't found either team to be consistent enough to predict a big win.  The Wheaton team I saw out at NCC last weekend was almost as frustrating and unpredictable as NPU has been at times this year.

Pete, I've gotten to the point that I really don't factor in anything about the Wheaton @ North Central game.  I just kind of assume that Wheaton will always play terrible there and lose.  That's 7 in a row now...

http://athletics.wheaton.edu/custompages/mbball/mbbstats/mwhe13.htm - 2010-11

http://athletics.wheaton.edu/custompages/mbball/mbbarchivedstats/2010/mwhe19.htm - 2009-10

http://athletics.wheaton.edu/custompages/mbball/mbbarchivedstats/2009/mwhe18.htm - 2008-09

http://athletics.wheaton.edu/custompages/mbball/mbbarchivedstats/2008/mwhe19.htm - 2007-08

http://athletics.wheaton.edu/custompages/mbball/mbbarchivedstats/2007/mwhe12.htm - 2006-07

http://athletics.wheaton.edu/custompages/mbball/mbbarchivedstats/2006/mwhe20.htm - 2005-06

http://athletics.wheaton.edu/custompages/mbball/mbbarchivedstats/2005/mwhe12.htm - 2004-05


(The last Wheaton win @ NCC was Feb 11, 2004...Joel Kolmodin 22 pts, Jon Nielson 19.)


Conversely, I can't remember the last time North Park won @ Wheaton.  Do we have to go back to the Bosko days?  It seems to me that Wheaton usually wins comfortably over NPU at King Arena.  I've got Wheaton -12 tonight.

I realize this isn't the most rationale analysis, but it's what I'm going with!

[petemcb]

Bob, I'll buy that.  Not much else has made sense so far this CCIW season, so why attempt to be overly rational.  I guess I'll file this under "those who do not learn from history are condemned to repeat it" and see what happens.  At the beginning of the season, many of us were figuring Wheaton and NPU would duke it out for the 4th spot in the conference tournament at the end of the season.  I wouldn't have bet on them needing to win this game just to keep up with North Central but here we are!  I'm looking forward to what seeing which two teams show up on the floor at Wheaton tonight.  For Wheaton, will it be the team that pummeled UW-W into submission or the team that hasn't been able to find a way to win against even a North Central team that often plays four freshman and a sophomore?  For North Park, will it be the team filled with last year's promise that piled up some decent wins earlier this season or the team that gives games away playing 1 plus 1 plus 1 plus 1 plus 1 on 5? 

[Titan Q]

The Titans have lost 4-year starting PG Travis Rosenkranz for an extended period due to the dreaded "high ankle sprain" injury (suffered earlier this week).  This will hurt.

[titanfan]

The Titans have lost 4-year starting PG Travis Rosenkranz for an extended period due to the dreaded "high ankle sprain" injury (suffered earlier this week).  This will hurt.

Ron just mentioned on the pregame show that Eliud Gonzalez will start and Rudnicki will be getting minutes as the backup PG.

[augiefan]

Augie wins 58-54 at Kenosha. A really nice come from behind road win with Augie making some key FTs down the stretch.

[Mr. Ypsi]

NPU gave it a helluva try, with Ro Russell sinking two 3s in the last 20 seconds, but Wheaton made their FTs and wins 80-76.

Earlier, NCC downed pathetic Millikin, 67-55.

As mentioned above, Augie survived Carthage (Steve D. missed a layup w/ seconds to go, though it would have been too little, too late anyway).

IWU let Elmhurst stay in the game quite a while, but eventually trounced them, 75-55.

[iwu70]

IWU by 20 over EC.  Most outstanding game in a long long time by Sean Johnson and a very solid, good game by Doug Sexauer.  Good to see.  Tough to lose Travis, but Eliud and Rudnicki seemed to have done a good job filling in.  Reliable hands of Matt Schick playing well.  No sign of Victor Davis, little of Lawson and Schouten.  Looks like Coach Rose is settling the rotation down for the stretch run.  We need more consistent production from Kman and JZim.  Sean and Doug will not be doing 28 and 18 every night. 

Augie in the driver's seat -- as Q has mentioned earlier.  Someone has to take them down. 

[mwunder]

Augie wins 58-54 at Kenosha. A really nice come from behind road win with Augie making some key FTs down the stretch.

The biggest Carthage lead was only 5.  This game was close throughout.