MBB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[AndOne]

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

* 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.

It would be hard to argue that the Vikings were not both outplayed and out coached last night.

[iwu70]

Hey, Greg, green is a nice color even, especially on Vikings fans!

Any takers on this board that somehow Elmhurst or Carthage will win a game against the "contenders?"  The way NP played in the second half, I wouldn't be surprised to see them win a game or two against one of the currently touted top four.

IWU70

[AndOne]

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...

* 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.

I think Kevin's mindset relative to Augie is much like staunch Bears fans attitude toward the Packers. If they can only win 1 game during the season..............................

[AndOne]

Hey, Greg, green is a nice color even, especially on Vikings fans!

Any takers on this board that somehow Elmhurst or Carthage will win a game against the "contenders?"  The way NP played in the second half, I wouldn't be surprised to see them win a game or two against one of the currently touted top four.

IWU70

I stated after the conclusion of the Deerfield summer league that Elmhurst would be improved this season. I'm not sure how the improvement will show in terms of their final conference record, but any team taking the Jays lightly is likely in for a tough evening. They did a pretty good job in sticking with Wheaton for 3/4s of the game.

[AndOne]

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...

* 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.

Somewhat surprising perhaps, but in no way very surprising.
Too many people put too much emphasis on NCC's non-conference 6-5 record. As I've indicated previously their record was largely a function of an exceptionally heavy dose of the injury bug. The Cardinals have now had a starter entirely miss 6 of their first 13 games.

There is no way in heck that they lose at Albion with Kevin Gillespie, at Simpson with Aaron Tiknis, or against Scranton with Derek Raridon. Had they been entirely healthy, they would have almost certainly entered the conference portion of the season with a 9-2 record, and would not be 11-2 following their wins against Carthage and Augie.   

The Cardinals still need to get and remain entirely healthy, and somehow get a stronger contribution from their bench in order help maintain their early conference success over the long run. 

[iwumichigander]

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?

It might be because of the effort expended on guarding Zimmer -- at least two Vikings have impressions of #25 on their white unis after last nights game!  Stuck with Zimmer like glue

On balance, I think (from a Vikings perspective) there were more positives than negatives based on what I saw yesterday afternoon.  Still a lot of work to do but making progress.

[Titan Q]

Somewhat surprising perhaps, but in no way very surprising.
Too many people put too much emphasis on NCC's non-conference 6-5 record. As I've indicated previously their record was largely a function of an exceptionally heavy dose of the injury bug. The Cardinals have now had a starter entirely miss 6 of their first 13 games.

There is no way in heck that they lose at Albion with Kevin Gillespie, at Simpson with Aaron Tiknis, or against Scranton with Derek Raridon. Had they been entirely healthy, they would have almost certainly entered the conference portion of the season with a 9-2 record, and would not be 11-2 following their wins against Carthage and Augie.

But even factoring in the injuries you note above, aren't those all games that a team good enough to win at the Carver Center should win?  I think so.  That's why I'm sticking with "very surprising."  I mean, Albion, Simpson, and Scranton aren't exactly Wooster, UW-Stevens Point, and Hope.

It sounds like NCC might have things put together now, but the Cardinals really struggled during the non-conference.  I watched the Simpson game, and that was really an awful showing by NCC.  Then there was the Aurora loss (with all NCC players healthy)...and a 20-point loss to a UW-Platteville team that without Chas Cross is very marginal.

I just think you add all this up, and consider how good Augie is, and the fact the game was in Rock Island, and you come away with "very surprising."

[Gregory Sager]

Hey, Greg, green is a nice color even, especially on Vikings fans!

Only if they've just puked up a bowl of pea soup.

I stated after the conclusion of the Deerfield summer league that Elmhurst would be improved this season. I'm not sure how the improvement will show in terms of their final conference record, but any team taking the Jays lightly is likely in for a tough evening. They did a pretty good job in sticking with Wheaton for 3/4s of the game.

More than three-quarters; Elmhurst was in the lead with 7:06 left in that game when Nate Serenius hit a trey that put Wheaton up for good.

I said the other day that the CCIW race might come down to whichever team is able to sweep Elmhurst, and I still think that that's the case. Wheaton's passed the test; now we'll see how everyone else does. As I said, the 'jays are going to be a tough out in Faganel Hall.

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?

It might be because of the effort expended on guarding Zimmer -- at least two Vikings have impressions of #25 on their white unis after last nights game!  Stuck with Zimmer like glue

I don't think that's it. Neither of the two Vikings who guarded Zimmer, Brett Peterson and Kendell Greer, had any responsibility for either guarding or doubling down on Davis.

On balance, I think (from a Vikings perspective) there were more positives than negatives based on what I saw yesterday afternoon.  Still a lot of work to do but making progress.

NPU ain't gonna win any games until the Vikings learn how to rebound. In three of the four losses in their current losing streak the Vikes have been outrebounded by 12, 14, and 18 boards. The only team that they outrebounded was Edgewood, a team that starts four guards and a small forward. No rebounds, no wins. It's as simple as that.

NPU is getting better, and I hate to keep sounding like Mr. Negative. But the Vikes definitely have some holes this year and not a lot of depth, so their margin for error is perilously thin in any CCIW game they play (aside from Millikin). And getting outrebounded by a dozen or more boards goes way beyond the margin for error.

[iwu70]

Happily, Greg, I've never seen any pea soup served in the neighborhood of the North Park campus!  Choking perhaps, but no puking.

I take your point about fashion and color loyalty, especially since the IWU Titan green is a bit dominating to the eye. 

Good luck in getting your guys sorted out.  I totally agree with you on the issue of rebounding.  The Titans' +10 or 11 per game in rebounding is a huge part of why the GREEN are 11-2 so far.  The IWU bigs have really been working hard and getting to the glass = Dortch, Anderson, Ziemnik, Reed, Kman and Davis, all playing their part, especially Reed and Davis.  Zimmer and Gonzales have also contributed in this regard at times during this first part of the season.  Augie is the big test, to see if we can come out on top or at least a wash in rebounding with the giants from the QC.

IWU70

[Gregory Sager]

Happily, Greg, I've never seen any pea soup served in the neighborhood of the North Park campus!  Choking perhaps, but no puking.

George's, across the street from Old Main until it closed a few years ago, used to serve pea soup.

There are a thousand and one restaurants within a few blocks of NPU. It's one of the virtues of being a school in the big city. I'm sure that if a Parker really had a hankering for pea soup, she or he could find someplace local that served it without having to search too hard.

I take your point about fashion and color loyalty, especially since the IWU Titan green is a bit dominating to the eye.

It's not dominating. It's simply an unattractive color. Plus, I can't think of a single team I've ever rooted for that's worn green, of any shade. If it weren't for photosynthesis and my need for food and oxygen, I'd have no use for the color at all.

NPU's royal blue and gold is a wonderful color scheme, in that: a) the two colors look good together; b) it's not just some color paired with white as the alternative; and c) it actually means something. Royal blue and gold are the colors of the Swedish flag, and since NPU was founded by Swedish-Americans the colors have historical meaning for the school. (Don't ask me why Augustana, which is also a Swedish-American school, has navy blue and gold as its colors, or why Trinity International, another Swedish-American school, features royal blue and white as its colors, or why Gustavus Adolphus, which is yet another institution founded by Swedish immigrants, is black and gold.)

Then again, my high school had orange and blue as its colors, so once upon a time I actually thought that that was a decent color scheme. Ah, the foolishness of youth.

[veterancciwfan]

One item from the IWU/Wheaton game last week that was interesting. With 46 seconds left in regulation, Eliud Gonzalez was fouled and left the game with a severe leg cramp. Stephen Rudnicki replaced him. Before this year, Rudnicki, the player selected by Ron Rose to replace the injured player, would have shot the FTs (I think IWU was shooting 2 as Wheaton had 10+ fouls). This year, due to a new rule, the Wheaton coach was allowed to select one of the 4 IWU players on the floor when Gonzalez was fouled to shoot the 2 FTs. Mike Schauer selected John Koschnitzky to shoot the 2 FTs instead of Kevin Reed. Koschnitzky made one of two to put IWU up by 2. I'm not sure what the FT percentage was for Koschnitzky compared to Reed. The fans were confused when Koschnitzky stepped to the line instead of Rudnicki.

I agree with Titan Q that Scarlota's loss is huge to Augie. As I remember, he was rated one of the 50 top IL HS seniors when he graduated from LaGrange (?)  IWU heavily recruited him. He was a true back-to-the basket post player with clever moves to the basket. Skills like he had can make a big difference in D3 b'ball.

[Mr. Ypsi]

Greg on green: "It's simply an unattractive color.... If it weren't for photosynthesis and my need for food and oxygen, I'd have no use for the color at all."

Aw, Greg, Kermit just came to me sobbing: "Didn't I already tell him it's not easy being green?"  May the (formerly) Jolly Green Giant torment your nightmares!

[AndOne]

I agree with Titan Q that Scarlota's loss is huge to Augie. As I remember, he was rated one of the 50 top IL HS seniors when he graduated from LaGrange (?)  IWU heavily recruited him. He was a true back-to-the basket post player with clever moves to the basket. Skills like he had can make a big difference in D3 b'ball.

Luke Scarlata graduated from Morton HS in Berwyn, IL.

The linked article below is one from when he was being recruited. In it he talks about Augie's "great medical school." The revelation at the time that Augie had a medical school was quite surprising to many posters who had been pretty familiar with the Rock Island school for some time, but still weren't aware of the existence of a medical school being a part of the Augie campus.  Perhaps Mr. Scarlata left the team in order to devote more time to his medical curriculum courses. 


http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/highschool/chi-090221-boys-basketball-morton-luke-scarlata,0,5551254.story

[devildog29]

Happily, Greg, I've never seen any pea soup served in the neighborhood of the North Park campus!  Choking perhaps, but no puking.

George's, across the street from Old Main until it closed a few years ago, used to serve pea soup.

Pea Soup Andersen's up the central coast of California on the PCH just outside of Solvang, north of Santa Barbara - best pea soup you'll ever eat.  Then grab some Danish kringle in Solvang and head to the Chumash Casino.  Oh, they also have just a small bit of wine in the area as well........

[hopefan]

I can only trust the CCIW room to get a correct answer....

It's the end of the game.. Team A scores a basket with 3 seconds left to go ahead of Team B... Team B gets the ball to go full court and  they can run the baseline with the ball on the inbounds....   they can't get it in... they call a time out....  when they get the ball again, can they run the baseline after the timeout.... does the timeout take away that capability?  The MIAA room conversation seems to be saying it does, which really surprised me...  Does a timeout impact the ability to run the baseline with the ball?