MBB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[BlueJay21]

A little off topic, but relevant nonetheless. Wheaton recruit, Michael Berg, had 37 points and 31 rebounds last night in a conference victory last night for the Midwest Central Raiders. Here is a video link to a few of his highlights from the game:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gheHUN8nk4M

[bopol]

Max Cary left the Carthage game 2 minutes in with an injury.  A Cary-less Redmen team would create all sorts of problems as they seem to have a very shallow bench to begin with and very, very shallow for guards.

[Civic Minded]

Max Cary left the Carthage game 2 minutes in with an injury.  A Cary-less Redmen team would create all sorts of problems as they seem to have a very shallow bench to begin with and very, very shallow for guards.

He came down very awkwardly from an attempted rebound.  Look like he hyperextended his knee perhaps.  Hate to see that happen to anyone.  Any word on the extent of the injury?

[devildog29]

A little off topic, but relevant nonetheless. Wheaton recruit, Michael Berg, had 37 points and 31 rebounds last night in a conference victory last night for the Midwest Central Raiders. Here is a video link to a few of his highlights from the game:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gheHUN8nk4M

3 1/2 minutes of footage from Manito, and I didn't see a single kernel of corn. 

[iwu70]

Am surprised Augie went down to Wash U.

Titans did look sharper, better last evening, with especially strong games from Victor Davis and the re-emergence of sharp-shooting Jordan Zimmer.  But, to be fair, this Webster team, with not a starter over 6'3", was one of the weaker Webster teams seen over the past two decades or so.  IWU bigmen basically had their way with this game, i.e. Kevin Reed, Nick Anderson and Victor Davis.  Nice to see Jordan Zimmer coming back to shooting form, which is going to be needed going forward.  Yes, Kman in street clothes.  IWU was able to put in the JV squad with about 6 minutes remaining. 

IWU vs. Wash U should be a good one on December 17th @ Shirk, 3 p.m.

Perhaps due to finals week, some cold drizzle, again a very poor Shirk crowd last eve of about 400+.  IWU's pep band is, IMHO, the best in the country.  Their sound fills up Shirk with wonderful music and energy no matter how large the crowd of Titan nation faithful.   My kudos to all the band members.  They are really good . . . much appreciated.

IWU70

[AndOne]

Wheaton fans---or anyone else..........

I apologize if this was previously reported and I missed it.....

Jon DeMoss started 19 games for Wheaton last year and did well, but has been invisible so far this season. He is still listed on the roster. But, is he injured?, just lost time to other players?, suspended? Anyone have any info?

[Titan Q]

I have not seen any CCIW teams in person yet, but I have watched several games online and following things pretty closely from afar.  Below are my impressions of the league as of today...


Tier 1 - Teams with a legitimate chance to win the 2012 championship

1. Augustana

The Vikings - with tremendous low-post weapons (led by 6-9 Luke Scarlata), an outstanding 3-point threat in Bryan Voiles, the versatile Troy Rorer, great team defense, and strong senior leadership - have to be considered the favorite.  Augie lost a tough one on the road last night, but I don't think losing @ Wash U is anything to get overly concerned about - especially considering the talent the Bears have.  Augie remains vulnerable to games where Voiles is not shooting it well (last night 1-7 3-point), but still, they are the most complete team in the CCIW this year and the team with the least questions.

2. Wheaton

The emergence of 6-4 guard Aaron Garriott - who looks very much like a 1st Team All-CCIW player - has made Wheaton a very legitimate title contender.  Garriott's overall athleticism, his ability to knock down 3's, and the fact that he can also get to the basket brings such a different element to the Wheaton offense.  We knew coming into the season that Tim McCrary would perform like a 1st Team All-American, and we knew the Thunder had several other nice complementary players (Pfederer, Schultze, Peters, Serenius, etc), but we did not know Wheaton would have a second player as good as Garriott.  Behind this dangerous offensive balance and typical strong Wheaton team defense, I believe Wheaton can win the league.  I do question if they have enough big bodies to handle Augustana.

Tier 2 - The top candidates for the 3rd and 4th place spots

3. North Central
4. Illinois Wesleyan

I believe there is a significant drop-off from Augustana & Wheaton to the next tier, which at this point I believe to be NCC and IWU.  I think these two teams are dangerous, and very talented, but I don't believe either can go 11-3 or better (the probable record needed to win the league). 

North Central has two 1st Team All-CCIW-caliber players in Landon Gamble and Derek Raridon, and another All-CCIW candidate in CJ Goldthree - this nucleus automatically makes the Cardinals a very dangerous team.  But here in the early going, NCC has struggled, and it appears depth is a big reason.  NCC has to be the favorite for the 3 spot in the 2012 standings, but I just don't think the Cards are as complete as Augie and Wheaton.

Regarding IWU, I believe the biggest question is the 5 spot.  6-7 junior Kevin Reed is playing well overall, but he is really more of a 4...not necessarily a go-to, back-to-the-basket scorer.  6-9 sophomore Nick Anderson seems to be very much a work in progress.  After all that time with Doug Sexauer in the low post, I got used to having that great threat on the blocks.  IWU has three guys talented enough to play at All-CCIW level - 6-5 G Jordan Zimmer, 6-5 PF Victor Davis, and 6-6 SF John Koschnitzky.  The Titans need these three to lead the way and get contributions from a bunch of others.  IWU is anything but a lock for a Top 4 spot in 2012, but I think the Titans are better than the teams in the tier below.

Tier 3 - Other contenders for the 4 spot

5. Carthage
T6. Elmhurst
T6. North Park

One of these teams is going to make a strong push at the #4 spot.  On paper, I like North Park here - with 6-6 D1 transfer Mark Holmes, 6-8 D1 transfer Mike Gabriel, two-time All-CCIW center Emmanuel Crosby, and talented PG Roshawn Russell, how could this not be a pretty good team?  But NPU's early season performance has been very shaky.  I do think there is a chance NPU settles in and becomes a tough team by mid-January. 

If I had to put money on it, I guess I'd go with Bosko and the Red Men to finish the best of this group.  Malcom Kelly has become a 1st Team All-CCIW contender, Max Cary is a very good player, and 6-9 freshman Luke Johnson has a lot of promise. 

Elmhurst might quietly be the sleeper for a push at #4.  Lewis transfer Jerome Robinson, a 6-6 F, and Zack Boyd give the Bluejays a nice one-two combination.

One of the interesting things about the 2012 CCIW season might end up being that it seems like there are legitimately 7 teams in the mix for the 4 CCIW tournament spots. 

Tier 4 - No chance

8. Millikin

6-9 JUCO transfer Brock Van Nordeck (high ankle sprain) finally suited up for the Big Blue yesterday.  His development is about the only thing that could allow Millikin to win a game or two.


These are my impressions here in early-December.  By January 1 things could look different.

[sac]

Wheaton 71
Calvin 66

Calvin led 60-47 with 6:12 to play.  From that point on, they did not score until a FT with :29 to play.  Wheaton went on a 18-0 run during that stretch to take a 65-60 lead.  Just crazy.  Either a colossal meltdown by Calvin, or a tremendous comeback by Wheaton.  Just depends on how you want to look at it I guess.  I'm kind of in the meltdown camp after watching it...Calvin was just awful down the stretch.

This was a very rare win by a road team over the host in the CCIW/MIAA Challenge.  I don't have the numbers, but I don't think that has happened often in the history of this event.  As usual, the road league (the CCIW) went 1-3.

At one point Wheaton was 1-11 from 3-point range, and then 2-13 - a lot of wide-open misses from Pflederer and Garriott.  It seemed that like would do them in with 6:00 or so to play.  But those two both played very well during the comeback.

Out-of-region game by about 3 miles or so.  It basically does not count.

To answer this, out of 32 games the road conference has only won 6 games.  A host school has lost 4 times, Calvin twice now.  Wheaton has yet to loss as the host.


The whole history can be found here:  http://www.hope.edu/athletics/mbb/miaacciw.html


The overall difference in the series has been Wheaton's 7-1 record over Calvin.  They've now won 6 in row vs the Knights.

[sac]

2. Wheaton

The emergence of 6-4 guard Aaron Garriott - who looks very much like a 1st Team All-CCIW player - has made Wheaton a very legitimate title contender.  Garriott's overall athleticism, his ability to knock down 3's, and the fact that he can also get to the basket brings such a different element to the Wheaton offense.  We knew coming into the season that Tim McCrary would perform like a 1st Team All-American, and we knew the Thunder had several other nice complementary players (Pfederer, Schultze, Peters, Serenius, etc), but we did not know Wheaton would have a second player as good as Garriott.  Behind this dangerous offensive balance and typical strong Wheaton team defense, I believe Wheaton can win the league.  I do question if they have enough big bodies to handle Augustana.

I was really impressed with Wheaton.  The one thing that I thought really hurt them this weekend was they just weren't quite as deep as either Hope or Calvin.  In both games Wheaton had 7 players reach double digit minutes, while Hope had 9, Calvin 10.

It didn't seem to affect their ability to make a big comeback in both games, but I think it helped Hope survive foul trouble and helped Calvin stay with a much better team.  Calvin just has so many big guys they can put on the floor, they're a very difficult team to match-up against.  Wheaton probably won't be out-rebound much this year like they were by Calvin.

[AndOne]

From the Midwest Conference room:

[/b]

Grinnell handled Ripon today 125-103. Lentsch had 12 points. The beauty of the system was evident on the floor and in the box score. Lots of players stepped up and the scoring was quite balanced. People were hitting 3s in bunches. Ripon, you'll remember is the team that crushed Illinois Wesleyan earlier this year. Not to put too fine a point on it, but to lose 2 outstanding players (Levin and Skelly) and still win this big against a quality team is an achievement. The team looks terrific at times, but still has periods of sketchy play. Looks like the prospects are there for a very good year.

This year, that is not necessarily a major feat.  Looking at their graduation losses, I predicted back in March that this would be a VERY down year for the Titans.  I would be absolutely thrilled if they even make the (4-team) CCIW tournament this year.

***************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************

Mr Ypsi---

I believe you may be selling your team a bit short.
IWU has a great shooter in Zimmer, a very good all around player in John K., and a widely regarded future star in Victor Davis. They have balanced scoring. They are shooting 11% better than their opponents overall from the field, including 3% better from 3. They do need to upgrade their FT shooting. The have good depth. It seems they should have an excellent chance of finishing in the top 4. 



[Modified by Titan Q for quote formatting]

[Mr. Ypsi]

From the Midwest Conference room:

[/b]

Grinnell handled Ripon today 125-103. Lentsch had 12 points. The beauty of the system was evident on the floor and in the box score. Lots of players stepped up and the scoring was quite balanced. People were hitting 3s in bunches. Ripon, you'll remember is the team that crushed Illinois Wesleyan earlier this year. Not to put too fine a point on it, but to lose 2 outstanding players (Levin and Skelly) and still win this big against a quality team is an achievement. The team looks terrific at times, but still has periods of sketchy play. Looks like the prospects are there for a very good year.

This year, that is not necessarily a major feat.  Looking at their graduation losses, I predicted back in March that this would be a VERY down year for the Titans.  I would be absolutely thrilled if they even make the (4-team) CCIW tournament this year.

***************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************

Mr Ypsi---

I believe you may be selling your team a bit short.
IWU has a great shooter in Zimmer, a very good all around player in John K., and a widely regarded future star in Victor Davis. They have balanced scoring. They are shooting 11% better than their opponents overall from the field, including 3% better from 3. They do need to upgrade their FT shooting. The have good depth. It seems they should have an excellent chance of finishing in the top 4. 



[Modified by Titan Q for quote formatting]

Well, since I'm usually touting them for the Final Four my pessimism I'm sure comes as a real relief to many, especially Titan Q!

[izzy stradlin]

Wheaton fans---or anyone else..........

I apologize if this was previously reported and I missed it.....

Jon DeMoss started 19 games for Wheaton last year and did well, but has been invisible so far this season. He is still listed on the roster. But, is he injured?, just lost time to other players?, suspended? Anyone have any info?

Injured.  High ankle sprain. Hopefully will return soon.  Last year he started ahead of Peters, but now Peters is really playing the point (forward) for Wheaton which is not a role that fits DeMoss.  Schauer spoke highly of DeMoss in the preseason. It will be interesting to see how he uses him when he gets back on the court.  My guess is that he may come of the bench with Serenius.  I'd be surprised to see Tyler Peters lose his starting spot. 

[AndOne]

Benedictine has games coming up against CCIW members Elmhurst on 12/13, and North Central on 12/17. However, it appears BU may be without  Nate Green, its best player by a wide margin, for those games. Green, a 1st team all-conference selection last season, has been suspended from the team indefinitely and has missed the last 2 games, both BU victories.

[iwu70]

Given the evidence, stats and observations to date, it is hard to argue with Q's assessment of the upcoming CCIW race.  I basically agree with it, though I'm hoping the Titans will gel more and more and challenge the top two in Tier #1 of the League.  From seeing 3 games so far, I believe Kevin Reed is actually playing quite consistently and well, along with Victor Davis.  To me, for the Titans to be successful and make this challenge, Kman and Zimmer need to play at a high level more consistently.  Jordan had a breakout game vs. Webster, but as mentioned earlier, that was a very weak Webster team this time.  He feasted on a very poor-reacting zone.   Nick Anderson has actually contributed well, with excellent minutes off the bench in points and rebounds, though against the weaker opponents.  He clearly is a work in progress.  For tough opponents, requiring great defensive intensity for the Titans to stay close, I would expect Coach Rose to go more with Eric Dortch and Andrew Zeimnick, as they are better defenders.   It will be important to maintain the good depth the Titans have and to avoid further injuries or suspensions.  Hope Kman's tenure in street clothes is a short one.   We need continued improvement of the outside shooting of Rudnicki, Molinari and Oz.  Only Zimmer shooting treys will not be enough, as teams will clearly focus on him in CCIW play. 

Two very good tests upcoming =  Chicago @ Ratner, and Wash U at home, then a trip to the Big Apple over the Christmas break.  I'm very much hoping the Titans are able to come into CCIW play vs. Wheaton in early January at 8-3 or even 9-2. 

[Mr. Ypsi]

Greg (and likely others, hence the post rather than a PM):

A fascinating article in this week's New Yorker by Sarajevo political asylum refugee Aleksander Hemon, who has resided in Chicago since 1992, called "Mapping Home" - I HIGHLY recommend it!

One minor tidbit was fascinating: his first job was canvassing for Greenpeace (he didn't know what either Greenpeace or 'canvassing' meant, but it was a job ).  In addition to walking the 'wealthy' north suburbs, and the 'southern working-class ones', he talks of the 'proudly indistinguishable, dull western suburbs'.  Should I take the 'indistinguishable' at face value (and figure he just didn't want to list them all ), or is there some significance that he mentioned Schaumburg and Naperville, but left out Wheaton and Elmhurst?!

But also some very interesting stuff on Chicago itself (though even more on Sarajevo).