MBB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[Titan Q]

Augustana 80
IWU 78 (OT)

* Troy Rorer: 16 pts, 5 reb
* Bryant Voiles: 15 pts, 6 reb
* Daniellius Jurgutis: 10 pts, 2 reb


* Jordan Zimmer: 20 pts, 3 reb
* Eliud Gonzalez: 14 pts, 4 assists
* Andrew Ziemnik: 13 pts, 6 reb
* Kevin Reed: 11 pts, 8 reb
* Nick Anderson: 10 pts, 3 reb

Great comeback by the Titans, who were down 16 with 5-something to play, to get the game to OT.  A big IWU turnover, however, with the game tied in OT with about 1:00 to play.  I couldn't really tell what happened, but Troy Rorer came out of the lane with the ball, went down the floor, and scored.  IWU did not score on the next possession, then stopped Augie and got the rebound with about 7 seconds to play.  Eliud Gonzalez charged down the floor, but missed the shot.

Great game.

IWU still OK really.  3 losses, but all on the road to the "contenders."  The Titans now need to win out to have a chance at the title - that won't be easy.

[Titan Q]

I wasn't sure how to pass the information along, but Dan Sand's mic volume was messed up the entire game - sounded like the level was jacked up way too high.  Chris Ford's was OK, but most of what Dan said during the broadcast could not be heard.  So just passing along here in case Chris and Dan read the board.

[Titan Q]

Standings through 1/31
North Central: 8-1
Wheaton: 7-2
Augustana: 6-3
Illinois Wesleyan: 6-3
Elmhurst: 4-5
Carthage: 4-5
North Park: 1-8
Millikin: 0-9

+/- standings through 1/31
(+1 for road wins, -1 for home losses)

North Central: +4
Wheaton +3
Illinois Wesleyan: +2
Augustana: +0
Carthage +0
Elmhurst: -1
North Park: -4
Millikin: -4

[A Lover of the Game]

Thanks for the explanation and standings update, Q. It was indeed a great game.

[sac]

Millikin has scored 55 points in its last two games......total. 

FG  19-92
10 assists
42 turnovers.

[NCF]

Standings through 1/31
North Central: 8-1
Wheaton: 7-2
Augustana: 6-3
Illinois Wesleyan: 6-3
Elmhurst: 4-5
Carthage: 4-5
North Park: 1-8
Millikin: 0-9

+/- standings through 1/31
(+1 for road wins, -1 for home losses)

North Central: +4
Wheaton +3
Illinois Wesleyan: +2
Augustana: +0
Carthage +0
Elmhurst: -1
North Park: -4
Millikin: -4

Do you think there is a chance that all of the top four teams can earn a play-off bid? What would have to happen? I don't have a "vested" interest in any team, but would be interesting if four of the 62 teams were from the CCIW.

[Pat Coleman]

Standings through 1/31
North Central: 8-1
Wheaton: 7-2
Augustana: 6-3
Illinois Wesleyan: 6-3
Elmhurst: 4-5
Carthage: 4-5
North Park: 1-8
Millikin: 0-9

+/- standings through 1/31
(+1 for road wins, -1 for home losses)

North Central: +4
Wheaton +3
Illinois Wesleyan: +2
Augustana: +0
Carthage +0
Elmhurst: -1
North Park: -4
Millikin: -4

Do you think there is a chance that all of the top four teams can earn a play-off bid? What would have to happen? I don't have a "vested" interest in any team, but would be interesting if four of the 62 teams were from the CCIW.

You mean an NCAA Tournament bid? Highly unlikely. It's really difficult to get four teams in.

[NCF]

Standings through 1/31
North Central: 8-1
Wheaton: 7-2
Augustana: 6-3
Illinois Wesleyan: 6-3
Elmhurst: 4-5
Carthage: 4-5
North Park: 1-8
Millikin: 0-9

+/- standings through 1/31
(+1 for road wins, -1 for home losses)

North Central: +4
Wheaton +3
Illinois Wesleyan: +2
Augustana: +0
Carthage +0
Elmhurst: -1
North Park: -4
Millikin: -4

Do you think there is a chance that all of the top four teams can earn a play-off bid? What would have to happen? I don't have a "vested" interest in any team, but would be interesting if four of the 62 teams were from the CCIW.

You mean an NCAA Tournament bid? Highly unlikely. It's really difficult to get four teams in.

Yes, and that's what I thought. Thanks.

[und63]

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.

IMHO, the jacket toss by GG early in the game, his continued antics, intimidated the officials to the point that they were more than happy to get off the floor at the end of the game.  They would have to deal with GG one more time, perhaps another technical?
The league should deal with this coach once and for all.  At a minimum, Augustana should address his actions with a stern hand!  Perhaps he should journey back to D1 or the pros where players play for money (tongue in cheek, D1).
During the IL/MI ST game last eve, the announcers stated the national head of officials had sent an email telling the officals to get tough on unsportsmanship like behavior.  This warning should be applied at all levels, not just the coaches and players, but also to the fans.

[chairman]

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!

Sometimes you have to go backwards to go forward. It is not going to be pretty the rest of the way for the 'Big' Blue, but there is a turnaround coming. To do the process right will require a few years and a ton of work in recruiting. I think the new staff knows that and is prepared to do things the right way.

[iwu70]

Agree with Q, as I often do, that Titans are OK, but surely will need to win out, get some help from somewhere in putting some losses on NCC.  Augie was very tough, and the Titans came a long long way back to get it to OT.  Great effort, but still a tough loss, but very proud of the team.  We almost stole one.  Plenty of tough games to go, and especially have to hold home court @Shirk vs. NCC.  Tough road game at Carthage yet to play as well.

Very strong games last night from Anderson (he is uncoiling, playing big, developing some new moves), Gonzalez and Ziemnik.  Priority to develop Eric Dortch as an offensive player for the coming two years.  He's so good on defense, but isn't contributing well on the offensive side of the ball.  Jordan Zimmer must have run a hundred miles through countless screens last night to get his 20.  Now Augie has to go on the road and see if they can truly get back into the CCIW race.  Titans just missed a great opportunity last night.   

Those Millikin stats are brutal.  Hope they are at the bottom and can start the climb back up, start the rebuild soon.  That's just embarrassing for MU and for the entire league.

Big "Pink Zone" activities this Saturday at the Shirk, during all the NPU games, to raise money for the local Cancer Center.  Hope everyone in attendance will be very generous and supportive.   Alumni game at 2 p.m. vs. JV, women at 5 and men at 7 p.m. I believe.  A full day of Shirk roundball and philanthropy.  Audio and video streams for both CCIW games vs. NPU.

IWU70

[Gregory Sager]

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.

IMHO, the jacket toss by GG early in the game, his continued antics, intimidated the officials to the point that they were more than happy to get off the floor at the end of the game.  They would have to deal with GG one more time, perhaps another technical?

I doubt that very much. Dave Laning, Jeff Murrow, and Eric Anderson, the crew that reffed the game at Carver last night, are a trio of CCIW veterans. Each one of them has seen Grey's shtick a hundred times, both at Carver and on the road. I highly doubt that any of them are intimidated by Grey. The problem is usually more a matter of refs ignoring Grey so that they can call a "normal" game without unduly influencing the outcome with non-basketball matters (e.g., bench technicals), when in fact those rules about sportsmanship, coaching boxes, etc., are in the NCAA officiating manual for a reason.

The league should deal with this coach once and for all.  At a minimum, Augustana should address his actions with a stern hand!  Perhaps he should journey back to D1 or the pros where players play for money (tongue in cheek, D1).

He's been at Augie for well over a decade now. It's been a highly successful tenure, and yet he has not returned to the scholarship ranks. Face it: Grey isn't going anywhere. There's no sense in even talking about it. As for Augustana disciplining him, if the school had chosen to take umbrage with his behavior it would've done so long ago. The administration at Augie clearly has no problem with the way he acts on the sidelines ... or, perhaps, they're the ones who are intimidated by him (or by his supporters), not the refs.

Either way, you're just indulging in wishful thinking here. The refs aren't going to discipline Grey Giovanine, the league isn't going to discipline Grey Giovanine, and Augustana isn't going to discipline Grey Giovanine. Why grouse about something over which you have no control and which isn't going to change?

Better to just beat his team and then indulge in a little post-game schadenfreude at Grey's expense.

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!

Sometimes you have to go backwards to go forward. It is not going to be pretty the rest of the way for the 'Big' Blue, but there is a turnaround coming. To do the process right will require a few years and a ton of work in recruiting. I think the new staff knows that and is prepared to do things the right way.

I agree, and I think that Matt Nadelhoffer has the right attitude. He's no longer bothering with the scoreboard, and why should he? The scoreboard tells him nothing he doesn't already know about how badly he's undermanned. He's focused strictly upon his players executing better from day to day and demonstrating the effort and character that is often woefully absent when a team gets drubbed every time that it takes the floor.

I think he'll eventually turn the Big Blue around -- and it could take as long as four or five years for that to happen, so I hope the MU administration is patient with him -- and, for the sake of the league I hope he'll get them at least semi-decent soon. Just not too semi-decent.

[TitansIWU]

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!

Sometimes you have to go backwards to go forward. It is not going to be pretty the rest of the way for the 'Big' Blue, but there is a turnaround coming. To do the process right will require a few years and a ton of work in recruiting. I think the new staff knows that and is prepared to do things the right way.

i would think the recruiting story would have to be "Come be part of a turnaround and get huge playing time while we rebuild this program."

Some kids/parents aren't going to buy into that, but some are.

They may not get some recruits they have their eye on, and they might have to lower their sights, and doing so might reveal a few diamonds in the rough that might have gone overlooked in successful years.

I have to think there are "good" players that possibly become "great" with the right coaching and the chance to play in the CCIW.

Boy, I really have my "glass is half full" glasses on today.

Anyway, I wish them luck, and it will be fun to see how they get there!

[TitansIWU]

I would like to see all fans of teams playing Augie for the rest of the season wearing suit coats that they can launch into the crowd at a specified time.

It would make a great display and would be fun to provide some agitation.

[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!

Sometimes you have to go backwards to go forward. It is not going to be pretty the rest of the way for the 'Big' Blue, but there is a turnaround coming. To do the process right will require a few years and a ton of work in recruiting. I think the new staff knows that and is prepared to do things the right way.

No doubt it will not be a simple, quick problem to solve and that the Millikin staff & players are doing the best they can to turn it around.  I really hope they do.  I would love the CCIW to be competitive from top to bottom.

I just found the boxscores from the last two games particularly jolting.