MBB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[Titan Q]

Elmhurst has the Zack Boyd game winner online now...

http://www.elmhurstbluejays.com/index.aspx?tab=basketball&path=mbball


Best part - at the end of the EC bench is a kid sitting down, with crutches - watch him after Boyd makes the shot.  Classic!

You know, having watched it again, I'm wondering if that should that have been a technical foul on the Elmhurst bench.  The kid was way out on the floor with time still on the clock.  Augie was not yet inbounding the ball, but still, you can't have a guy out on the floor can you??

[AndOne]

Congrats to Wheaton who did just enough last night to take advantage of many NCC errors and omissions to chalk up a home W.

North Central:

* Went into the game still with no CJ Goldthree or Mike Boyd. Yes, I know injuries are a part of the game, but this obviously severely limits NCC's options.
* Up by 13 with 6:24 to play. Finish it!
* 22 TOs. What the h-e-double hockey sticks???   
* THREE bench points. 

When Aaron Tiknis fouled out late in regulation, and was not available for the OT periods, things went from bad to worse for NCC. Tikinis, who with 17 and 11 registered his third double-double this season, is playing at a 1st team all-conference level.

Looking forward to the rematch in beautiful downtown NaPPereville. Hopefully both teams will have their full compliment of players available.

[TitansIWU]

Best part - at the end of the EC bench is a kid sitting down, with crutches - watch him after Boyd makes the shot.  Classic!

It is like the shot healed him, until he kinda realized... "Oh my God, I'm jumping around on the court during the game!"

I say T him up.

[Titan Q]

It is like the shot healed him

It was as if Robert Tilton reached out and touched his bad wheel.  I thought I was watching a miracle.

[AndOne]

Best part - at the end of the EC bench is a kid sitting down, with crutches - watch him after Boyd makes the shot.  Classic!

It is like the shot healed him, until he kinda realized... "Oh my God, I'm jumping around on the court during the game!"

I say T him up.

Is that really what you want Titans? 
If he gets T'd up, that likely spells an Augie win.
You might want to rethink that one. 

[Titan Q]

Is that really what you want Titans? 
If he gets T'd up, that likely spells an Augie win.
You might want to rethink that one. 

Well the only thing we know for sure is that a T would have led to an Augustana player shooting a couple wide-open shots from 15 feet.  CCIW scouting reports generally encourage that.  So who knows.

[TitansIWU]

Boom! Roasted!

[AndOne]

Boom! Roasted!

The nuts, Titans?

[Mr. Ypsi]

Boom! Roasted!

The nuts, Titans?

What, more Beer Nuts talk?!

[iwu70]

Well, an exciting week of CCIW play, with lots of surprises, to say the least.

Seems there might be lots of movement -- in and out -- of the top 25 poll this week.  Wonder if Augie will drop out entirely?  Could happen.

Q, I take your point about NCC and the number of losses they already have.  But, they are coming on strong now, as many on this board predicted.  As you know, I was, continue to be a skeptic on NCC, but when they get all their players back, surely they are going to be up there contending.  So far, clearly, IWU, WC and NCC are the contenders, and Augie has really had a terrible beginning.  As you have said, unless they can solve their offensive woes, everyone is going to zone them for sure and dare them to make shots, neutralize all their size and supposed rebounding prowess.  How they got outrebounded that way at EC, after seeing how they pounded the glass against IWU at the game @Shirk, well, stunning, hard to imagine how it happened.

Titans are playing with such a good defensive intensity, overall team temperament and comradery.  Not surprized Bosco noticed it.  And, each game there seems to be a new part of the Titan rotation step up and play an important part, to win, however.  Great to see Nick Anderson have his break out game, good for his confidence, and proving what many have been saying, apparently Coach Rose not the least -- that he needs to "uncoil," stretch out, reach up and finish, play aggressively on offense and use all that size and good athleticism to good result.  IMHO, he needs some good summer coaching from Sikma, or from others with good back-to-the-basket footwork and moves. (Zack Freeman or Jon Lipic).   Nick can be so so valuable to the Titans in future should he develop this part of his game as well as his defense, shot-blocking, and excellent FT shooting.  Perhaps Nick felt the warm breath of Parker Musselman breathing down on his rotational minutes, and decided to step up his game.  He sure did.  Kudos to Nick, to Andrew Ziemnick and to Kevin Reed on good games for the IWU bigs.  Made a huge difference.  Lots of good defensive performances vs. CC, by several other Titans, too -- Dortch, Gonzalez and Kman come to mind.

Going on the road vs. NCC is going to be a very big challenge.  Hope these Titans prove to be a good road team, too, getting some wins away against the contenders and beating up on those teams in the bottom tier of the league.  Gotta keep it going, keep the defensive effort intense.

Congrats to Miss Carthage on Miss America.  Lovely looking woman with a set of beautiful and poised performance for the Title.  I prefer Ms. Lett for CCIW POY.  Diana Jacklin had a great game . . . and that Carthage team is one excellent basketball team.  The rematch in Kenosha will be another good one, for sure. 

On to NCC on Tuesday night. 

IWU70

P.S.  No color or Beer Nuts comments from me tonight.  Surprised to see the Pack sent packing so decisively by the Giants.  My money is now on the Patriots, given how Brady is playing.   ms

[Titan Q]

Q, I take your point about NCC and the number of losses they already have.  But, they are coming on strong now, as many on this board predicted. 

My point was simply in response to your statement...

"Seems NCC should be getting more attention, more votes now too."

With a win @ Augie and a 2 OT loss @ Wheaton, it's clear that North Central has its non-conference issues figured out...and is a contender for the 2012 CCIW title.  But you are just not correct about them being slighted in the D3hoops.com Top 25 poll.  They are not "votable" right now due to their entire body of work (which is not good).

The IWU @ NCC game Tuesday should be another great one - both regular season games last year were thrillers.  Unfortunately I will be on the road for work and not able to follow, but really hoping for a Titan win.  The starting lineups seems very, very even to me...I think IWU is deeper...I hope depth is the difference.

[iwu70]

Q, I agree with your point about NCC's total body of work.  You are right, "not votable."  Is Augie "votable" now?  Will be interesting to see if the Titan women break into the top 25 this week, even with their 4 losses. 

Seems things have broken in all the right ways for our Titan guys so far.  Hope it keeps breaking that way.  The NCC-IWU game @NC should be another great early CCIW-season matchup.  Personally, don't think Augie is going to get it together enough . . . and that obviously something is not working right with the Augie team and their timid coach. 

To me, seems time for another monster game from Jordan Zimmer on Tuesday . . . just say'in.  Really wonderful seeing Nick Anderson play so well this past Saturday.

IWU70

[veterancciwfan]

Ron Rose should be given accolades for the 13-2 Titan start. After losing a major part of last year's offense to graduation, many thought that IWU might have a rebuilding year with sophomores getting some CCIW experience. But IWU has the deepest bench and maybe the best half-court defense in the league plus a rebounding edge (usually-the Augie game an exception with +15 for AC) in most games. The sophomores are getting better. Should be a great game in Naperville Tuesday. IWU generally plays well at NCC. They did the last time when IWU beat NCC in the semifinals of the 2011 conference tournament.

[Titan Q]

Q, I agree with your point about NCC's total body of work.  You are right, "not votable."  Is Augie "votable" now?

I'm not sure.  See Darryl Nester's post regarding how the 25 did last week...

http://www.d3boards.com/index.php?topic=4097.6795

I have to believe that Augustana is the only 4-loss team the voters would even think about.  #18 Puget Sound and #21 Buffalo State will quickly lose their votes, but since the Vikings sit at #6 as we speak, they'll get a lot of consideration.

Augie's chances to make the Week 7 poll are helped by all of the week 6 losses at the bottom of the poll.  I mentioned #18 and #21 leaving, but 20, 22, 23, and 24 could be on their way out the door as well.  So I see Augie being in the discussion for one of 7 spots at the bottom (#19-25) along with teams like:

* St. Thomas
* Wittenberg
* William Paterson
* Wheaton
* Wash U
* Eastern Connecticut
* Transylvania
* Lake Forest


Frustrated with week 6 carnage, I see the voters taking the "new blood" route and putting 7 of the teams above in, and leaving Augie out.

Of the teams I have watched on video stream, I'm very confident Wash U and Wheaton are Top 25 teams in the 2011-12 landscape.  I've only seen Transylvania once, but I think they belong as well.  I see Lake Forest behind those 3, and while I am not 100% sold on them as a Top 25 team yet, I think think they are a very solid team.

In the case of Wheaton, all 3 of the Thunder's loss are games they should have lost if the poll is accurate - vs Hope (neutral), @ Wash U, @ IWU.  On the flip side, Wheaton does not really have a "signature win" for voters to hang their hat on.  I think the Thunder get back in this week though.

[Titan Q]

Here is a pic of IWU sophomore Nick Anderson from the Carthage game...

http://www.iwuhoops.com/nick.jpg


I think Anderson has a nice upside due to his height and ability to get off the ground.  Saturday was the first time it all seemed to click for him.  I'm hoping he can emerge as a consistent low post scoring threat as the season goes on.