MBB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[Gregory Sager]

Illinois Wesleyan 2-0
North Central 2-0
Augustana 1-1
Carthage 1-1
Wheaton 1-1
Elmhurst 0-2
Millikin 0-2
North Park 0-2


Tuesday, Jan 10
Augustana @ Illinois Wesleyan
North Park @ Carthage
Elmhurst @ North Central
Millikin @ Wheaton

Elmhurst's 1-1.

[Titan Q]

Illinois Wesleyan 2-0
North Central 2-0
Augustana 1-1
Carthage 1-1
Wheaton 1-1
Elmhurst 0-2
Millikin 0-2
North Park 0-2


Tuesday, Jan 10
Augustana @ Illinois Wesleyan
North Park @ Carthage
Elmhurst @ North Central
Millikin @ Wheaton

Elmhurst's 1-1.

Corrected!

I obviously did not make sure my debits = my credits!

[Pat Coleman]

... Sidearm ...

[Gregory Sager]

Pat, that post was loaded with mystery and obviously pregnant with meaning.

[iwumichigander]

This afternoon's game at the crackerbox was truly bizarre. I'm still scratching my head trying to figure out how a team that can't shoot and can't rebound somehow almost made it all the way back from what had been a 20-point deficit with under ten minutes to go in the game. The best I can figure out is that NPU simply played with an energy and a desire that the Vikings just haven't shown much thus far this season. It wasn't as though Wesleyan got complacent, because the Titans kept doing all the little things well that they had done all day: Rebounding, setting screens, knocking down FTs. The difference is that NPU just seemed to play with a reckless abandon that somehow didn't lead to the turnovers and/or dumb shots that usually seem to occur when the Vikes flip the "reckless abandon" switch.

The Vikings chopped the 20-point lead down to two with two and a half minutes left on a trey by, of all people, Kendell Greer, a guy who really looked for most of the game as though there was someplace else he'd rather be. Greer has struggled mightily with his shot all season long, and when he hit that triple to bring what had been a 57-37 Wesleyan lead to 64-62, I thought that this might be the day that the basketball gods smiled on North Park. Unfortunately, the basketball gods help those who help themselves, and at that point NPU stopped helping itself. On their next three possessions the Vikings threw the ball out of bounds on a post entry pass; missed a wide-open trey from the right corner by Greer that was (naturally) rebounded by Wesleyan; and had a trey attempt from the top of the key by Mark Holmes roll all the way around the inside of the rim and then pop out. Meanwhile, IWU had hit a jumper and made four three throws while all this was going on to bump its lead back up to eight. Although the Vikings did manage to get the deficit back down to three in the final minute, IWU was good enough at the FT line to put it away. Kudos to the Titans for showing some composure down the stretch and staving off what would've been a crusher of a loss for them.

NPU's rebounding situation is a nightmare. I can't figure out how a team that has three very good big men consistently gets beat on the boards the way they do. Elmhurst outrebounded NPU by 13 the other nght, and today Wesleyan outrebounded NPU by 18. Give credit to Victor Davis, who did a great job on the boards for Wesleyan, but it sure would've been nice if the Vikings had ... oh, I don't know, maybe put a body on him a time or two? The rebounding fundamentals of the Vikings are terrible.

But the Vikings did some things well, too. Their 14:15 A:TO ratio was much better than Wesleyan's 9:18. Ro Russell (6 asts, 0 TOs) outplayed Eliud Gonzalez, even though he didn't score a single point. (Gonzalez didn't, either). Josh McNaughton (3 asts, 0 TO) again provided good energy off the bench, as did freshman Mike Rice. Mark Holmes (23 pts, 4-6 treys) was the star of the show down the stretch during the comeback attempt, and Mike Gabriel (17 pts, 5 rebs) was generally solid. Emanuel Crosby (14 pts) came to play tonight, unlike his there-in-name-only game on Wednesday at Elmhurst. The problem is, the Vikes just aren't getting the boards from these three guys that they need to get to stay competitive for forty minutes.

It was a very disappointing outcome, and in some senses it was even more disappointing because the Vikings fought back so hard and looked so determined after spending 30 minutes looking like a rec league team. If they could only take that 7 1/2 minute stretch when they whittled the 20-point deficit down to two and bottle it ...

You are exactly right regarding the Vikes getting position on the boards.  And, I agree with you on the 'reckless abandon' comment.  I expected the Vikings to self-destruct but somehow they did not.  It seemed to me Crosby needs to let the game come to him rather than forcing it at times.

I thought the Titans may have left the bench in a little too long in the second half' in part, driven by the team foul situtation.  No lack of a frequent whistle tonight folks!!

First time seeing Titans this season --- folks Victor Davis is a "load".  If Victor keeps improving this season and seriously continues in the weight room -- he will be almost impossible to stop.  Very quick for his size.

[iwumichigander]

Illinois Wesleyan 2-0
North Central 2-0
Augustana 1-1
Carthage 1-1
Wheaton 1-1
Elmhurst 0-2
Millikin 0-2
North Park 0-2


Tuesday, Jan 10
Augustana @ Illinois Wesleyan
North Park @ Carthage
Elmhurst @ North Central
Millikin @ Wheaton

Elmhurst's 1-1.

Corrected!

I obviously did not make sure my debits = my credits!

That Rock Island score sort of makes it hard to concentrate on the math!

[Gregory Sager]

You are exactly right regarding the Vikes getting position on the boards.  And, I agree with you on the 'reckless abandon' comment.  I expected the Vikings to self-destruct but somehow they did not.  It seemed to me Crosby needs to let the game come to him rather than forcing it at times.

That's generally the comment I save for Mark Holmes, who sometimes seems to feel the burden of being the big-stud D1 transfer and tries to put the team on his shoulders, when -- to borrow your cliche -- just letting the game come to him is what is necessary for him to succeed. I'm not going to ride a player too hard when he's put together back-to-back 23-point games to open the CCIW season, though. He is a joy to watch when he's "on".

Crosby did a much better job of fighting for position and "making himself big" today, and I'm sure that Dylan Howard and his staff exhorted the Vikes in team meetings after Wednesday night to do a better job of looking for Crosby down low.

I thought the Titans may have left the bench in a little too long in the second half' in part, driven by the team foul situtation.  No lack of a frequent whistle tonight folks!!

Over the years I've noticed that Dennis Bracco and Rob Dowling generally like to exercise their whistle muscles. I don't have much of a complaint with the way that they and Trent Eschleman called the game today, though, because even though it was a tighter "call" that you usually see in a CCIW game, it was consistent. That's what I ask for from a ref crew: Consistency. Dan Sand asks for proper positioning from the refs before they blow the whistle, and I ask for consistency. Maybe one game both our wishes will come true.

First time seeing Titans this season --- folks Victor Davis is a "load".  If Victor keeps improving this season and seriously continues in the weight room -- he will be almost impossible to stop.  Very quick for his size.

He certainly was a beast this afternoon. But as for being "almost impossible to stop" ... how can we know that if nobody in a white uni was even trying to do so today?

[Titan Q]

An update on how I see the Midwest region through 1/5, based on NCAA seeding/selection criteria.  These are the teams I feel would be in the mix for one of the 8 Midwest spots as of today. 

(These are "in-region" records - games vs non-D3s or out-of-region D3s have been excluded.  I also listed wins/losses vs other teams on this list and vs prominent teams from other regions if the game was counted as "in-region.")

1. Transylvania (HCAC), 10-0 (won vs Wabash)
2. Augustana (CCIW), 10-1 (won vs UW-Stevens Point...lost @ Wash U)
3. Grinnell (MWC), 8-0 (won vs Ripon)
4. Ripon (MWC), 6-1 (won vs Illinois Wesleyan...lost @ Grinnell)
5. Illinois Wesleyan (CCIW), 8-2 (won vs Wash U, vs Wheaton...lost @ Ripon, @ UW-Whitewater)
6. Washington U (UAA), 8-2 (won vs Augustana, vs Wheaton...lost @ Whitworth, @ IWU)
7. Wheaton (CCIW), 7-3 (won vs Whitman...lost @ Hope, @ Wash U, @ IWU)
8. Edgewood (NATHC), 8-2 (won vs Lake Forest...lost vs UW-Stevens Point, @ UW-Whitewater)
----------
9. Hanover (HCAC), 8-2 (won vs Ohio Wesleyan, vs Rose-Hulman...lost vs Ohio Northern, @ Manchester)
10. Lake Forest (MWC), 7-1 (none...lost @ Edgewood)
11. Rose-Hulman (HCAC), 10-2 (none...lost vs Wabash, @ Hanover)


(The only Midwest Region conference I do not have representation for is the SLIAC.)

My #1 and #2 teams in the Midwest both suffered upset losses yesterday - Augustana at home to North Central, and Transylvania on the road to Defiance (previously 0-5 in HCAC).  Edgewood also fell (at Milwaukee Engineering).

So my revised regional ranking projection through games on 1/7...

1. Grinnell (MWC), 8-0 (won vs Ripon)
2. Ripon (MWC), 6-1 (won vs Illinois Wesleyan...lost @ Grinnell)
3. Illinois Wesleyan (CCIW), 9-2 (won vs Wash U, vs Wheaton...lost @ Ripon, @ UW-Whitewater)
4. Washington U (UAA), 9-2 (won vs Augustana, vs Wheaton...lost @ Whitworth, @ IWU)
5. Augustana (CCIW), 10-2 (won vs UW-Stevens Point ...lost @ Wash U, vs North Central)
6. Transylvania (HCAC), 10-1(won vs Wabash...lost @ Defiance)
7. Wheaton (CCIW), 8-3 (won vs Whitman...lost @ Hope, @ Wash U, @ IWU)
8. Lake Forest (MWC), 8-1 (none...lost @ Edgewood)
----------
9. Hanover (HCAC), 9-2 (won vs Ohio Wesleyan, vs Rose-Hulman...lost vs Ohio Northern, @ Manchester)
10. Rose-Hulman (HCAC), 11-2 (none...lost vs Wabash, @ Hanover)
11. Edgewood (NATHC), 8-3 (won vs Lake Forest...lost vs UW-Stevens Point, @ UW-Whitewater, @ MSOE)

[Titan Q]

First time seeing Titans this season --- folks Victor Davis is a "load".  If Victor keeps improving this season and seriously continues in the weight room -- he will be almost impossible to stop.  Very quick for his size.

Yesterday's game in Chicago featured two very good sophomore 4's.  IWU's Victor Davis and North Park's Mike Gabriel are both are going to be 1st Team All-CCIW players before they're done in my opinion.

6-8 Gabriel (11.7 ppg, 5.9 rpg, .576 FG) has great height, is extremely long, and has very polished low post moves.  The D1 transfer from Quinnipiac is a very tough matchup already...he'll really be a stud JR and SR.

6-5 Davis (11.2 ppg, 5.7 rpg, .571 FG) is undersized, but makes up for that by being strong as an ox, athletic, and quick.  He can also shoot both the 15-footer and the 3.  Davis is not very "polished" right now, but he's already a good player because of his strength and athleticism.  I think Ron Rose put it very well shortly he landed Davis:

"He's going to be an absolute matchup nightmare," Rose said of Davis, a third-team Class 3A-4A Illinois Basketball Coaches Association all-state selection. "If you put a bigger guy on him, he'll go outside and shoot or go off the dribble. If you put a smaller guy on him, he'll just overpower him."
http://www.galesburg.com/newsnow/x1859641374/Silver-Streaks-Notebook-Relentless-Rose-lands-Victor-Davis


Mike Gabriel and Victor Davis are good players to build around.

[Titan Q]

When the season started, the reason I thought IWU would not be able to compete with Augustana was due to the low post matchups.  Consider the total career CCIW minutes played by IWU's posts coming into 2011-12:

Andrew Ziemnik: 82 min
Victor Davis: 30 min
Nick Anderson: 2 min
Kevin Reed: 2 min


When I think about where each team is coming into Tuesday's game, however, I think IWU matches up rather well at the 4 & 5 spots...

PF
(IWU) Victor Davis, 6-5 So – 11.2 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 56-98 FG (.571)
(AC) George Dexter, 6-7 Jr – 4.8 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 22-56 FG (.393)

F/C
(IWU) Kevin Reed, 6-7 Jr – 10.2 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 58-88 FG (.659)
(AC) Brandon Kunz, 6-7 Jr – 6.5 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 30-52 FG (.577)

Bench
(IWU) Nick Anderson, 6-9 So - 5.3 ppg, 3.8 rpg
(IWU) Andrew Ziemnik, 6-5 So - 5.2 ppg, 3.6 rpg

(AC) Kameron Norton, 6-7 Jr - 5.7 ppg, 4.7 rpg
(AC) Kevin Schlitter, 6-8 So - 3.2 ppg, 1.2 rpg


I sure would not have believed I'd be saying this in early November, but I don't think Augustana really has an edge over IWU in the post.

Should be a great game - two very different teams, but in my estimation, two very even teams overall.

[Gregory Sager]

First time seeing Titans this season --- folks Victor Davis is a "load".  If Victor keeps improving this season and seriously continues in the weight room -- he will be almost impossible to stop.  Very quick for his size.

Yesterday's game in Chicago featured two very good sophomore 4's.  IWU's Victor Davis and North Park's Mike Gabriel are both are going to be 1st Team All-CCIW players before they're done in my opinion.

6-8 Gabriel (11.7 ppg, 5.9 rpg, .576 FG) has great height, is extremely long, and has very polished low post moves.  The D1 transfer from Quinnipiac is a very tough matchup already...he'll really be a stud JR and SR.

6-5 Davis (11.2 ppg, 5.7 rpg, .571 FG) is undersized, but makes up for that by being strong as an ox, athletic, and quick.  He can also shoot both the 15-footer and the 3.  Davis is not very "polished" right now, but he's already a good player because of his strength and athleticism.  I think Ron Rose put it very well shortly he landed Davis:

"He's going to be an absolute matchup nightmare," Rose said of Davis, a third-team Class 3A-4A Illinois Basketball Coaches Association all-state selection. "If you put a bigger guy on him, he'll go outside and shoot or go off the dribble. If you put a smaller guy on him, he'll just overpower him."
http://www.galesburg.com/newsnow/x1859641374/Silver-Streaks-Notebook-Relentless-Rose-lands-Victor-Davis


Mike Gabriel and Victor Davis are good players to build around.

I think that there's a very good chance that both will be eventual All-CCIW first-teamers, too. But, with regard to shooting the trey, Davis is 10-25 (.400) and Gabriel is 11-17 (.647) from behind the arc this season. Mike Gabriel is an excellent shooter, definitely the best face-up shooting big man that NPU has had since a certain Nebraska native was patrolling the middle for the Vikings. Among other things, Gabriel is a master at using the backboard to augment his shooting angles, which is something that not even a lot of shooting guards are good at nowadays.

I'm absolutely giddy at the thought that Dylan Howard will have both Gabriel and Mark Holmes back again next season.

[Gotberg]

First time seeing Titans this season --- folks Victor Davis is a "load".  If Victor keeps improving this season and seriously continues in the weight room -- he will be almost impossible to stop.  Very quick for his size.

Yesterday's game in Chicago featured two very good sophomore 4's.  IWU's Victor Davis and North Park's Mike Gabriel are both are going to be 1st Team All-CCIW players before they're done in my opinion.

6-8 Gabriel (11.7 ppg, 5.9 rpg, .576 FG) has great height, is extremely long, and has very polished low post moves.  The D1 transfer from Quinnipiac is a very tough matchup already...he'll really be a stud JR and SR.

6-5 Davis (11.2 ppg, 5.7 rpg, .571 FG) is undersized, but makes up for that by being strong as an ox, athletic, and quick.  He can also shoot both the 15-footer and the 3.  Davis is not very "polished" right now, but he's already a good player because of his strength and athleticism.  I think Ron Rose put it very well shortly he landed Davis:

"He's going to be an absolute matchup nightmare," Rose said of Davis, a third-team Class 3A-4A Illinois Basketball Coaches Association all-state selection. "If you put a bigger guy on him, he'll go outside and shoot or go off the dribble. If you put a smaller guy on him, he'll just overpower him."
http://www.galesburg.com/newsnow/x1859641374/Silver-Streaks-Notebook-Relentless-Rose-lands-Victor-Davis


Mike Gabriel and Victor Davis are good players to build around.

I think that there's a very good chance that both will be eventual All-CCIW first-teamers, too. But, with regard to shooting the trey, Davis is 10-25 (.400) and Gabriel is 11-17 (.647) from behind the arc this season. Mike Gabriel is an excellent shooter, definitely the best face-up shooting big man that NPU has had since a certain Nebraska native was patrolling the middle for the Vikings. Among other things, Gabriel is a master at using the backboard to augment his shooting angles, which is something that not even a lot of shooting guards are good at nowadays.

I'm absolutely giddy at the thought that Dylan Howard will have both Gabriel and Mark Holmes back again next season.

Greg,

Last night was my first 'in person' game, but I have seen bits of several games via online video.  I am really impressed with Dylan Howard and how he is shaping and improving this year's team.  I think he will do a great job for North Park. 

Any idea where he stands in terms of recruiting, or at least building relationships with high schools?  Gabriel and Holmes will make a great foundation, but a lot of experience will be lost after this season.

Sorry I couldn't chat at halftime.  My daughter started running onto the court.....

[iwu70]

I agree with Q that we now have four contenders . . . and given the strong way NP played in the second half on Saturday, it seems there are some real tough spoilers out there too, teams that could easily take down one of the contenders on any given night, especially in home games.  Seems AC has come back closer to the top tier field than we might have thought earlier.  Q, thanks for the post players' analysis for the game upcoming Tuesday.  I agree that the IWU post players are playing well, in a way as I hoped they would, and will surely give Augie's bigs a run for their money on Tuesday @ the Shirk.  I hope Gonzalez is back to his normal form, as he didn't have a strong game at NPU.  Rudnicki is playing very solidly now, clutch at key times when needed.  Let's hope David Molinari gets cleared soon and back to action as another piece of the long IWU bench/rotation.  He, too, can be helpful in close games, with his strong intermediate, penetration game, excellent ball-handling and good FT shooting.  I still think IWU needs more scoring from the 3 (though Dortch is making great contributions during his minutes in there the last two games) . . . and IWU surely needs Zimmer to continue on his current tear.   Jordan is also turning out to be a better defender than in previous campaigns.   Will be interesting to see what kind of refereeing crew we get for the AC-IWU slugfest, knock-down-drag-out on Tuesday. Augie's defense is always just one thin line from thuggery, IMHO.  My congrats to NCC for taking down Augie at home, a major achievement and a rather big surprise this early in the season.

Go TITANS . . . Our House.  Hoping for another big crowd . . . 2000+ or more. 

IWU70

[TitansIWU]

I just have a random question that I was wondering about. Does anyone know if coaches at the D3 level typically get bonus pay for things like winning the conference, winning percentage, post season wins, etc.?

I know the salaries they make are not among the highest of careers out there, but I just wondered if they could possibly earn additional compensation by achieving certain objectives.

I have no ulterior motives with my question, just curious as to whether or not achievements on the floor mean extra cash!

Like for instance, does IWU say... "Ok Rose, we don't care how you do it, but you gotta beat Augustana twice this year and if you do, you get a little extra in your paycheck!"

[Titan Q]

I watched the On Demand broadcast of last night's Augie/NCC game.  (The link is here for those interested - http://client.stretchinternet.com/client/augustana.portal#.)  A few thoughts from the game...

* First, it's always a pleasure listening to the broadcast team of Chris Ford and Dan Sand.  They do a great job of serving as the home team announcers, while also being very balanced and respectful of the opponent.  Chris and Dan are very knowledgeable about the CCIW and are able to throw in helpful information about the league throughout their broadcasts.  Dan seems to be one of those pessimistic-type fans, always ready for the worst to happen to his Vikings.  Usually I've found this syndrome stems from years of rooting for the Chicago Cubs (Exhibit A - my mom).  I'm interested to learn about the MLB loyalties of one Mr. Sand.

* NCC head coach Todd Raridon did a tremendous job from an X's and O's standpoint last night.  Coming into a game where his team's biggest challenge was Augustana's frontcourt size and depth, he employed a 3-2 zone for about the final 30 minutes to try to neutralize Augie's size.  NCC basically eliminated the low post and begged the Vikings to shot wide-open 3-pointers.  Augie went a miserable 8-34 (24%) from beyond the arc.

* I thought the Vikings did a poor job of attacking NCC's zone.  I'm no X's and O's expert, but it seems the teams that attack zones the most effectively get the ball to someone at the FT line, or just inside of it, in the lane.  That player can either knock down the mid-range jumpshot, go to the basket, make a high/low pass to the low post, or kick it out for a 3.  While I don't think Augie has a 4/5 player (Dexter, Schlitter, Norton, Kunz) well suited for that role, 6-9 Bryant Voiles would seem to be perfect.  I was surprised Augie did not use Voiles as the 4, with one other big and 3 shooters outside, and consistently get it to him at the FT line.  Sure Augie got great 3-point looks off the NCC zone, but they did not "attack" the zone at all...they just lived with those 3's the Cardinals gave them.

* North Central PG Kevin Gillespie had a fantastic all-around game - 20 pts, 6 reb and really a nice job as NCC's floor general.  His quote from the newspaper makes me think there was a little extra motivation for the senior, playing close to home:

"This is my first win here at Augie in front of my home crowd against one of the better teams in the conference and the country every year,'' said a happy Gillespie as he left the court Saturday night. "This is such a big win for us. We came in here thinking we could win and played our butts off and got it done.''
http://qconline.com/archives/qco/display.php?id=576505

In a 2011-12 CCIW season without a superstar PG, it's very possible Gillespie is the best of the bunch.

* Derek Raridon and Landon Gamble were both good as well, and NCC got some nice contributions on both ends from Aaron Tiknis, Vince Kmiec, and Charlie Rosenberg. 

* Last night, NCC's third leading scorer, and key perimeter threat, CJ Goldthree did not play due to injury...and backup PG Mike Boyd (14 min/game) also could not suit up.  (Gillespie played all 40 minutes.)  When you consider that NCC did not even have all of their main players, and then you factor in how NCC played during the non-conference season, it really does make this a very surprising result.

* From watching this game, I believe Augustana has been significantly hurt by Luke Scarlata's departure.  The difference in Kevin Schlitter/Brandon Kunz at the 5 vs Scarlata is big.