MBB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[Mr. Ypsi]

Just a quick diversion before returning you to your normal programming.

In the indoor national women's track and field competition, IWU finished sixth.

By recent standards, this was actually a disappointing finish, but with NO seniors among the points-scorers, they should be back to threatening to win it all (or doing so ) by next year.

We now return you to your normal programming.  Congratulations on another great season, Augie - I was hoping for Salem, but still a great year.

[Greek Tragedy]

And who says East Coast basketball isn't strong?

No one.  The cream of the crop has always been very good out East.

[Titan Q]

A couple articles on the Augie/St. Thomas game...

http://qctimes.com/sports/college/augustana/article_c7cf1d46-4d1c-11e0-b319-001cc4c03286.html?oCampaign=hottopics

"Unless you win it all," coach Grey Giovanine said in praise of squad;s man accomplishments, "there's nothing else there."


http://qconline.com/archives/qco/display.php?id=534841

"This was one of the great runs in the storied tradition of Augustana basketball. So I could not be prouder of our guys. Unless we would have won it all, there was nothing else left to accomplish."


These may just be things a coach says after a really tough loss, but if he means them, I will respectfully disagree with Coach G.  While winning the national championship is obviously the big prize, getting to Salem is a huge accomplishment.  The way the student-athletes are treated during that experience, the experience it creates for family and fans of the program, the light that a Final Four appearance puts your program in...all very significant in my book.

Again, maybe this is just "coach speak."

[Titan Q]

Congratulations to Augustana on a great season.  The scary thing is, the Vikings return all of these horses except Kyle Nelson.  While Nelson was Augie's best player, I think there is reason to feel like 6-9 sophomore Luke Scarlata can develop into that caliber player.  Remember, Kyle Nelson didn't get the chance to be a starter, and be "the guy", until his JR year.

Augie will be terrific again next year.

[dansand]

I'd also like to congratulate the guys and Coach G and his staff on a tremendous season. 27-4--second most wins in school history. Fifth CCIW championship in the last nine years and third CCIW tournament championship out of six that have been held. It was a fun ride. Chris & I were thrilled to be a part of it.

Would've loved to have the season last a couple more games, but St. Thomas was just outstanding last night. Tyler Nicolai was amazing and no one this year disrupted Augie with defensive pressure the way the Tommies did. Congrats to them also. Hope they win it all. I think they have a good chance--Augie's been eliminated by the eventual champion in seven of their previous 11 NCAA tournament appearances.

[augiefan]

A very disappointing way to end a great season on Augie's home court, but lots of fun along the way. It is hard to feel too bad about this loss, as St. Thomas dominated the game from start to finish and was clearly the better team. It was great to see fans get behind this Viking team to the bitter end. Hopefully more good times and good fan support again next season

I think Augie will be fine in the big man department next year. Of greater concern is getting more support at the guard position for Brian DeSimone. With Avallone, Croegaert and Rorer also graduating the only other guards returning next year are seldom used Griffin Dwyer and Eric Safranski. Six of Augie's current freshmen are guards, so it may be up to one or more of them to contribute next year.

Sorry to see the BB season end. It seems like a long time until next November, when we get fired up again for another great season of CCIW BB..

[augiefan]

Congratulations to Steve D on the Josten award. Kyle Nelson was also in the final 10 for the award. Both of those great players will be missed next season.

Congrats also to the IWU women. What a comeback. Too bad the Fighting Illini MBB team didn't recruit Nikki Preston. They certainly could use a finisher like her.

[Veinteuno]

Augiefan,rorer is actually a junior so he will be back next season... Unless he is graduating early or something. So things aren't as grim at the guard position.

[markerickson]

"Coach Speak"?  No doubt.  I understand that you are proud of the team's accomplishments, but after the hot start that continued through midseason, I can't believe Augie is satisfied without making the FF.

[augiefan]

Good to know Rorer will be back. He's a talented player but needs to work on his FT shooting in the off season.

[armywife]

Congratulations to Augie on a great season. It is disappointing to see them miss the trip to Salem, but they had a great year.

[Gregory Sager]

A couple articles on the Augie/St. Thomas game...

http://qctimes.com/sports/college/augustana/article_c7cf1d46-4d1c-11e0-b319-001cc4c03286.html?oCampaign=hottopics

"Unless you win it all," coach Grey Giovanine said in praise of squad;s man accomplishments, "there's nothing else there."


http://qconline.com/archives/qco/display.php?id=534841

"This was one of the great runs in the storied tradition of Augustana basketball. So I could not be prouder of our guys. Unless we would have won it all, there was nothing else left to accomplish."


These may just be things a coach says after a really tough loss, but if he means them, I will respectfully disagree with Coach G.  While winning the national championship is obviously the big prize, getting to Salem is a huge accomplishment.  The way the student-athletes are treated during that experience, the experience it creates for family and fans of the program, the light that a Final Four appearance puts your program in...all very significant in my book.

Again, maybe this is just "coach speak."

It might also be a personal thing with Giovanine. He has made Augie the league's most successful program over the past decade, but the one thing that had eluded him was a deep tournament run. He's had one now, but he's still failed to crack the Final Four. His predecessor Steve Yount, who was drastically less successful over the course of his career in Rock Island than Giovanine has proved to be, did manage to take Augie to the Final Four in 1993 -- in fact, he got all the way to the national championship game before losing. I'm sure that Giovanine is well aware of that. And I'm also sure that he's well aware that Jumpin' Jim Borcherding, who is still the benchmark by which all Augie coaches are measured, got to the D3 Final Four three times, finishing third in '75 and '76 and second in '81, as well as third in the NAIA Final Four in '73.

As Bob said, a Final Four run is just a completely different animal in the minds of coaches, players, and fans than an Elite Eight run, even though it's only a matter of one game. There's a luster to the achievement of a Final Four appearance that simply is not matched by anything else, just as there is an even greater luster to a national championship that completely eclipses a mere Final Four appearance.

Augustana -- and Grey Giovanine -- had a great season, and nobody connected to the program needs to apologize for anything in terms of how far the Doggies got. Nevertheless, it's gotta stick in Giovanine's craw that he fell one game short of Salem, especially in light of the facts that: a) there have been three CCIW teams that've reached the Final Four since he took over in Rock Island, and none of those three teams was wearing navy blue and gold; and b) two of his three predecessors at Augustana have a Final Four pedigree that he has not yet matched.

Giovanine is a tremendously successful coach, and even if he never reaches the Final Four he'll still be remembered for building and running the preeminent program of this era of the CCIW. But his postgame speech the other night had a "methinks he doth protest too much" flavor to it.

[iwu70]

Congrats to the five CCIW players who made the D3hoops All-region team.

And, Mr. Gamble as the regional "newcomer"  of the year. 

[RIOCI]

I'll also like to give congrats to young Mr Gamble on All Midwest Region rookie of the year honors, and on being the only freshman to make one of the all midwest region teams!

[devildog29]

Since we are now in offseason when things slow down on this board, here's some, ummmm, interesting D3 related news out Univ. of Chicago.  I mean, how did we do it before the internet and social media?........

http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2011/03/16/u-of-c-students-launch-hookups-website/