MBB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[matblake]

Wheaton highlights vs IWU on Saturday: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A3vS3Aiu4Uo

[bopol]

Why is the D3 tournament 61 teams anyway?  I mean, it's easy enough to add 3 Pool C's by a simple expansion to 64.

[Pat Coleman]

Well, it's 62 this year.

The number is tied to the number of schools sponsoring men's basketball. It's one spot for every 6.5 schools. Eventually we will get to 64 but I doubt we will ever go higher, so it doesn't bother me to wait, I guess.

[cardinalpride]

I've always been in agreement with Bob that the tourney is a bad idea. I would support it if it: a) raised some money for the league and/or the host; b) drew some media coverage that might help the league's programs; or c) both. But it doesn't.

Greg, would you just expand on this a bit?  How come there's no money raised, just low attendance?

It's my opinion that the tournament is certainly exciting to follow; but in a league like the CCIW where the 2nd and 3rd place teams are usually in line for a Pool C, it just doesn't make sense.

If North Central were to hold on this year and Wheaton/IWU/Augie finished 2-4 with similar or the same records pre conference tournament, would all 4 get in??

Unanimous, here is some data to look at pre conf. tourney and post conf. tourney:

In 2001,
Elmhurst 21-4(12-2), Carthage 21-4(11-3), and IWU 19-6(10-4) all were invited to the national tournament...Augie 17-8(9-5) was not invited.
http://www.cciw.org/sports/2010/6/8/MBB_0608102841.aspx?id=536

In 2002,
Carthage 24-1(13-1) was the lone bid from the CCIW...Augie 17-8(9-5) and Elmhurst 16-9(9-5) were not invited.
http://www.cciw.org/custompages/CCIW_Links/MBasketball/Stats/0102/2002cciwmbbstats.htm

In 2003,
IWU 20-5(11-3) was the lone bid from the CCIW...Augie 20-5(11-3), Carthage 19-6(11-3) and Wheaton 18-7(9-5) were not invited.
http://www.cciw.org/custompages/CCIW_Links/MBasketball/Stats/0203/2003cciwmbbstats.htm

In 2004,
IWU 19-6(12-2) was the lone bid from the CCIW...Wheaton 21-4(10-4) and Augie 16-9(10-4) were not invited.
http://www.cciw.org/custompages/CCIW_Links/MBasketball/Stats/0304/2004mbbcciwstats.htm

In 2005,
IWU 20-5(12-2) and Wheaton 20-5(10-4) were invited from the CCIW...Elmhurst 18-7(10-4) and Augie 17-8(9-5) were not invited.
http://www.cciw.org/custompages/CCIW_Links/MBasketball/Stats/0405/2005mbbcciwoverallstats.htm

In 2006,
Inaugural CCIW tournament***
Augie 21-4(11-3)(0-1) won regular season title, NCC 20-5(9-5)(2-0) won tournament and auto bid, and IWU 20-5(9-5)(1-1) all received bids to tournament...Elmhurst 17-8(9-5)(0-1) was not invited.
http://www.cciw.org/custompages/CCIW_Links/MBasketball/Stats/0506/CONFLDRS.HTM

In 2007,
Augie 20-5(11-3)(2-0)AQ was the lone bid from CCIW...Elmhurst 20-5(10-4)(1-1), Wheaton 17-8(10-4)(0-1), and NCC 16-9(8-6)(0-1) were not invited.
http://www.cciw.org/custompages/CCIW_Links/MBasketball/Stats/0607/CONFLDRS.HTM

In 2008,
Augie 20-5(11-3)(2-0) AQ and Wheaton 19-6(9-5)(0-1) received bids from CCIW...Elmhurst 18-7(8-6)(0-1) and IWU 15-10(9-5)(1-1) were not invited.
http://www.cciw.org/custompages/CCIW_Links/MBasketball/Stats/0708/CONFLDRS.HTM

In 2009,
Wheaton 22-3(11-3)(2-0)AQ and Elmhurst 19-6(10-4)(1-1) received bids from CCIW...Auguie 18-7(9-5)(0-1) and NCC 16-9(8-6)(0-1) were not invited.
http://www.cciw.org/custompages/CCIW_Links/MBasketball/Stats/0809/CONFLDRS.HTM

In 2010,
Carthage 20-5(12-2)(2-0)AQ, IWU 19-6(10-4)(1-1), and Wheaton 18-7(10-4)(0-1) received bids from CCIW...Augie 16-9(9-5)(0-1) was not invited.
http://www.cciw.org/custompages/CCIW_Links/MBasketball/Stats/0910/CONFLDRS.HTM

In 2011,
Augie 22-3(11-3)(2-0)AQ and IWU 18-7(9-5)(1-1) received bids from the CCIW...NCC 15-10(11-3)(0-1), and Wheaton 18-7(9-5)(0-1) were not invited...Carthage also finished 16-9(9-5) but did not qualify for CCIW tournament due to tiebreaker rules.
http://www.cciw.org/custompages/CCIW_Links/MBasketball/Stats/1011/CONFLDRS.HTM

Now based on the data provided, Can anyone make a concrete argument that the CCIW tournament hurts or helps our NCAA pool C selections?

IMHO, pool C selections being hurt has more to do with non-conference in region scheduling and losses coupled with conference losses than a conf. tournament loss.  In some years will the conf. tourney hurt pool C chances? Sure.  However, in some years the tourney will help a pool C chance as well.  Just my take fwiw.

[iwu70]

Key for tonight's IWU @ Augie matchup:

For the Titans to put up one more point on the scoreboard than the Doggies!  The wisdom of the ages. 

Go Titans!

IWU70

[Pat Coleman]

Now based on the data provided, Can anyone make a concrete argument that the CCIW tournament hurts or helps our NCAA pool C selections?

In all honesty, I don't think so. That's not enough data because it doesn't take the national picture into account, either before or after the CCIW tournament week.

[Gregory Sager]

I've always been in agreement with Bob that the tourney is a bad idea. I would support it if it: a) raised some money for the league and/or the host; b) drew some media coverage that might help the league's programs; or c) both. But it doesn't.

Greg, would you just expand on this a bit?  How come there's no money raised, just low attendance?

The attendance at the CCIW tourney actually tends to be pretty good, by CCIW (and D3) standards. There's money raised at the ticket window, but not a tremendous amount. What I was referring to in my earlier statement was the sort of big bucks that come from a media contract (television and radio) for the tourney, which the D1 conferences have and which give them a solid financial reason for holding postseason tourneys. The CCIW doesn't have that, and most likely never will. There just isn't any demand among the public for D3 basketball on the airwaves.

Now based on the data provided, Can anyone make a concrete argument that the CCIW tournament hurts or helps our NCAA pool C selections?

In all honesty, I don't think so. That's not enough data because it doesn't take the national picture into account, either before or after the CCIW tournament week.

I agree. The CCIW doesn't exist in a vacuum as far as Pool C berths are concerned. Still, simple math dictates that taking an extra loss will not do a Pool C candidate any good on Selection Day. It might be offset, though, if the team that beat the Pool C candidate was regionally ranked, which would give the candidate an extra game against a regionally-ranked opponent. As Bob has said before, the selection committee looks at the quantity of games that a Pool C candidate plays against regionally-ranked opponent as well as the quality (i.e., wins and losses).

[petemcb]

I'm not finding a link to video for the iwu @ Augie game tonight. Is it out there somewhere that I've missed?

[TitansIWU]

I'm not finding a link to video for the iwu @ Augie game tonight. Is it out there somewhere that I've missed?

Try this:

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

[petemcb]

Thanks! I'm planning on being at the NCC/Elmhurst game tonight but want to keep an eye on some of the other games as well.

[unanimous22]

I've always been in agreement with Bob that the tourney is a bad idea. I would support it if it: a) raised some money for the league and/or the host; b) drew some media coverage that might help the league's programs; or c) both. But it doesn't.

Greg, would you just expand on this a bit?  How come there's no money raised, just low attendance?

The attendance at the CCIW tourney actually tends to be pretty good, by CCIW (and D3) standards. There's money raised at the ticket window, but not a tremendous amount. What I was referring to in my earlier statement was the sort of big bucks that come from a media contract (television and radio) for the tourney, which the D1 conferences have and which give them a solid financial reason for holding postseason tourneys. The CCIW doesn't have that, and most likely never will. There just isn't any demand among the public for D3 basketball on the airwaves.

Anyone want to be the DIII Mark Cuban?

[Mugsy]

Final in Decatur:  Wheaton 82, Millikin 25.

Millikin with 23 turnovers and only 3 assists, 18% from the floor, 8% from 3, 48% from FT.
Wheaton 58% from the field, 65% from 3 (13 of 20), 76% from FT.

Millikin averaging 26.5 points in last two games, while giving up 90 points.  OUCH!

[TitansIWU]

Crazy game at Augustana tonight...

Overtime

74-74

[TitansIWU]

Augustana 80

IWU 78

FINAL

[A Lover of the Game]

Wow! What a comeback for the Titans, and what the heck happened at the end of the game? It appeared to me that there was still some time left when the ball was knocked out of bound.