MBB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[Gregory Sager]

Schaumburg's not considered to be part of the western suburbs. It's always lumped in with Barrington, Palatine, Hoffman Estates, Mount Prospect, etc., as a "northwest suburb".

[Hardwood]

Final from the Gateway City:

Wash U 71
Augie 68

Augie was significantly outplayed in this one.

I watched this game also, what makes you think Augie was significantly outplayed?

[Gregory Sager]

Augie has better personnel, but Wash U worked harder. Defensively, the Doggies got beat off the dribble quite a bit, especially on the baseline, and the help defense was frequently a step too slow to contain the Bears' drives to the hoop. Offensively, Augie settled for way too many trey attempts. Here's the breakdown of how many of Augie's field goal attempts have been from behind the arc in the first six games of the season:

opponent	trey atts out of total FG atts
Aurora	32%
St. Norbert	31%
UW-Oshkosh	23%
St. Ambrose	30%
Wisconsin Lutheran	21%
Washington (MO)	46%

Sometimes these kinds of numbers can be deceptive, if the opposing team is constantly fouling penetrators or low-post players in the act of shooting. That, of course, depresses the number of two-point FG attempts. But not this time. Augustana is averaging exactly 30 FT attempts per game thus far (180 FT attempts in six games). Augie attempted 29 free throws against Wash U. The Bears had 23 fouls called against them, which ties Wash U with St Norbert and UWO for the fewest number of fouls called on an Augie opponent this season.

Wash U isn't very big -- Mark Edwards sported a three-guard lineup the entire game, with the two big-man slots filled by 6'6, 205 freshman Matt Palucki (35 mins), 6'6, 220 senior Alex Toth (20 mins), 6'7, 225 junior Robert Burnett (20 mins), and 6'5, 205 freshman Nick Burt (5 mins). In other words, Augie should've been able to go inside all day against a significantly smaller Bears team. It didn't. And it contributed to Augie's losing the game, because even though Wash U's tough defense kept Augie well below its season average in FG percentage, the combination of absymal three-point shooting and the lost opportunity to shoot more free throws (to say nothing of putting Wash U in foul trouble; as it was, Toth only played half the game due to foul trouble) meant that Augie would've been much more effective if it had tried to get the ball inside more often rather than settle for the long-range jumper.

[iwu70]

Congrats to Jordan Zimmer, CCIW Player of the Week. 

(Olivia Lett of IWU was also given the award on the women's side)

Titan eyes are smiling.

IWU70

[Hardwood]

Greg,

Your original statement was that "Augie got out played" and now in a response you say "Wash U worked harder".  I believe those are subjective statements that don't give credit to how hard this game was played on both sides.  I believe most of your rhetoric here may more accurately apply to a different "strategy" that you believe Augie should have taken.

This game appeared to be a battle of two very good teams.  I would certainly say Augie was the favorite going into the game but on the road, at Wash U, any year is a tough game.  There were 17 lead changes, the score was tied 14 times, Augie was +3 on the boards, Augie got to the FT Line 12 more times than Wash U, 3 Augie players and 2 Wash U players played 31 or more minutes.  "Worked harder" and "Got out played" don't apply to either team in this game.

[Gregory Sager]

Greg,

Your original statement was that "Augie got out played" and now in a response you say "Wash U worked harder".  I believe those are subjective statements that don't give credit to how hard this game was played on both sides.

I give plenty of credit to both sides for playing hard. But I give more credit to the Bears, because they played harder.

I believe most of your rhetoric here may more accurately apply to a different "strategy" that you believe Augie should have taken.

I don't think it was a strategy at all. In fact, I'll bet a steak dinner that Grey Giovanine kept telling his players during timeouts to pound the rock inside instead of constantly attempting outside jumpers. The fact that they didn't heed their coach's admonitions definitely falls into the getting-outplayed category, because Wash U's players clearly did a better job of selecting their shots.

This game appeared to be a battle of two very good teams.

It didn't appear to be a battle of two very good teams. It was a battle of two very good teams. I have only limited insight into what Rochester, Brandeis, and Emory bring to the table this season, but I would not be the least bit surprised if Wash U is right up there with them in the UAA sweepstakes in 2011-12.

I would certainly say Augie was the favorite going into the game but on the road, at Wash U, any year is a tough game.

Two truisms. I highly doubt that anyone is going to disagree with either statement.

There were 17 lead changes, the score was tied 14 times, Augie was +3 on the boards, Augie got to the FT Line 12 more times than Wash U, 3 Augie players and 2 Wash U players played 31 or more minutes.  "Worked harder" and "Got out played" don't apply to either team in this game.

Sorry, I don't agree. Augie has a better team than Wash U, but Wash U won the game. The Bears played a better game than did Augie, and that's what allowed them to erase the talent gap. They played harder, and they played smarter.

There's nothing controversial about this at all. This type of scenario happens hundreds of times every basketball season. It's what makes college basketball so wonderful.

[ThatOneGuy35]

Found out some news the other day over here at Millikin.  Joscar Demby (who graduated in 2010) will play for the Chicago Muscle this year in the PBL.  I want to wish him the best of luck and a successful season.  http://www.chicagomusclepbl.com/

Also wanted to mention that his brother Devin Demby known as the guy who posterized Mitch Tompson two years ago (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_q0BzPMeWkU) was just recently was featured on a shoe commercial that some of you might have seen (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y1j5-4MyBGM) and will be doing another commercial soon along with D-Rose as one of his doubles.

[augie_superfan]

Sorry, I don't agree. Augie has a better team than Wash U, but Wash U won the game. The Bears played a better game than did Augie, and that's what allowed them to erase the talent gap. They played harder, and they played smarter.

There's nothing controversial about this at all. This type of scenario happens hundreds of times every basketball season. It's what makes college basketball so wonderful.

I'd have to agree with Greg after watching the game myself.  Augie just got outplayed that evening for whatever reason.  Watching that game, one other thing that struck me was the lack of Augie being able to create much outside of the set offense in the second half.  Not sure on the breakdown but Augie usually does a pretty good job of getting points in transition or atleast quick hitters to big men running the floor and getting a good post position.  In the second half, it seemed like Augie was forced into running their methodical offense and Wash U did a good job of shutting that down which led to a lot more jumpers than usual.  I'm just glad that DeSimone was hitting some of those 3's to give us a chance at the end.

One other observation is that Chris Anderson is getting significantly less playing time this year, anyone know the reason?  He is still averaging about 8 points a game but only 14.5 mpg.  I was hoping that this year he would be one to step up and take over some of the scoring.  Watching him in person last year he seemed to be a very athletic player and had good size and strength which I thought would help when creating his own shots and getting to the hoop from the perimeter.  I think Augie misses that type of player at times.  Rorer is that type of offensive player but I don't think he can use his size the way Anderson would be able to.  Hopefully Anderson gets some more minutes and can contribute because on nights where Voiles is cold or the inside is shut down, they need another option.  Anyone have thoughts?

[Titan Q]

Also wanted to mention that his brother Devin Demby known as the guy who posterized Mitch Tompson two years ago (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_q0BzPMeWkU)

So one of the most memorable Millikin baskets of the last few years was one that did not even count.  I guess that says it all.

[devildog29]

Also wanted to mention that his brother Devin Demby known as the guy who posterized Mitch Tompson two years ago (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_q0BzPMeWkU)

So one of the most memorable Millikin baskets of the last few years was one that did not even count.  I guess that says it all.

Bob, does it mean I'm just getting old if my most memorable Titan basket is a Crabtree baseline jumper against Rose-Hulman?

[Dennis_Prikkel]

Also wanted to mention that his brother Devin Demby known as the guy who posterized Mitch Tompson two years ago (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_q0BzPMeWkU)

So one of the most memorable Millikin baskets of the last few years was one that did not even count.  I guess that says it all.

Bob, does it mean I'm just getting old if my most memorable Titan basket is a Crabtree baseline jumper against Rose-Hulman?

and mine is Gramkow's jumper versus Illinois State.

[Titan Q]

Bob, does it mean I'm just getting old if my most memorable Titan basket is a Crabtree baseline jumper against Rose-Hulman?

Probably - but I'm getting told too.  That is probably my most memorable Titan basket as well among a lot of great choices.

and mine is Gramkow's jumper versus Illinois State.

WJBC radio call...

http://www.iwuhoops.com/iwuisu.mp3

[Mr. Ypsi]

Since I was at the final IWU/ISU game (and a classmate of Tom Gramkow), I'm gonna have to agree with Dennis.  devildog, your selection of Crabtree shows good taste, but also illustrates that you are still just a young'n!

[Titan Q]

Half - Augustana 35 Fontbonne 29

Video - http://client.stretchinternet.com/client/augustana.portal#


Half - Lake Forest 30 Carthage 26

Video - http://www.ustream.tv/channel/carthage-athletics

[iwu70]

Q, you and devildog are surely young things!  I remember that amazing Crabtree shot, some great end-of-games one from Kory Coon and Adam Dauksas, but I also have to go with Ypsi and savour and relish in the Tom Gramkow shot vs. ISU.  I was there too, as that was the night we hid a chicken under the cheerleaders' pompoms, and then threw it out on the floor just before tip-off, with a sign parading about, "The Real Redbird!"  I also remember some great dunks, tip-ins from Fred Evans vs. Kentucky State in KC, wonderful trip to Kansas City for the tournaments of those days, pre-Salem trips, and some high-arching bombs from Sheldon Thompson, that seem to nip the arches of the old Fred Young Fieldhouse.  We used to sit on top the ticket booth at the south end of the Fieldhouse, and that place was rocking, hot like a sauna, with the Titans seeming to know where the dead places in the old Fred Young floor were.   The student section used to jump up and down in the bleachers, creating an amazing racket . . .   but, that Gramkow, stop-on-a-dime, jumper from the top of the key, that bounced around several times before dropping through for the win, well, that was Titan heaven, and the fans rushed the floor at the old Horton Fieldhouse.   

At our class' 40th reunion in fall, 2010, Tom Gramkow made a very sweet speech thanking Lee Short (Admissions Director in our day) for letting him into IWU.  Lee was present at the dinner, now about 90 or so.  Tommy basically said had it not been for Lee Short, he could not have made that shot, would not have been in Titan green, could not have created that moment in Titan basketball history.  It was a very sweet moment, I'm sure greatly savored by Lee Short. 

Great memories.

IWU70