MBB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[Flying Dutch Fan]

I'm planning the trip, also.  Do we know times yet?

Hope's website says games are tentatively at 5:30 and 7:30 on Friday, and 7:00 on Saturday.  Ticket info will be announced on Tuesday, and you can bet it will be a full house.

Contacted Hope this morning; tickets go on sale Wed at 10am to general public with priority first to "those standing in line"; IWU athletic department should have some info later today or early tomorrow about tickets. I'm assuming NCAA ticket allocation policy will apply as in past years.

Ticket rules apply for sure.  Looking forward to you all coming to Holland.  FWIW, Hope fans will be in line at 5am (no exaggeration) for those tickets. 

[Gregory Sager]

IWU could have certainly helped their case if they had won a few more games (or definitely two more, in the conference tournament) but their SOS would have been higher and thus their chances for a bid even better if the CCIW as a whole hadn't had the worst collective year since (GS can fill in the year here...).

The 1997-98 season was the last time that the CCIW had a sub-.600 winning percentage in non-con play until this season. The CCIW was an abysmal .511 that year, so this year the league will have no problem topping that. However, in order to rise above .600 -- the league's currently 51-27 (.580) -- and keeping in mind that at least two of the three CCIW teams in the tourney will lose, the Cardinals, the Sonic Atmospheric Disturbance, and the Titans are going to have to win nine games between them in order to get the league up to .600 for the year. Not to be Mr. Wet Blanket or anything, but I just don't see that happening.

As Bob and others have said, the reason why the CCIW got three teams into the dance in a down year for the league has to do with the fact that the weakest of the three, Illinois Wesleyan, had a superlative performance in the non-conference portion of the schedule ... plus the fact that the selection committee seems to have put the accent upon SOS as the key primary criterion this year (except for the oddball cases of NYU and St. Joe's of Long Island).

Very winnable first round matchup for IWU.  Tyler Tillema is out for the season for UW-Stevens Point and it has really showed in their last few games without him.  They aren't playing like the same team they were earlier this year.

I was going to make this same comment myself, re: Tyler Tillema. For a team that came in at the tail end of the Pool C selections and has gone a pedestrian 4-4 in its last eight games, Illinois Wesleyan really couldn't have asked for a better first-round draw. Without Tyler Tillema, UWSP seems very beatable.

(Then again, his brother Dan -- who is also one of UWSP's stars -- might be inspired by the Dutch-American vibe at Hope's DeVos Arena to put on a superhuman effort. You can't say that it isn't feasible for a kid whose last name is Tillema. Maybe he'll even make a windmill dunk. )

[NCF]

What does anyone think the odds are for an NCC/Wheaton rematch down the road? Pat seems to think it is possible.

[Gregory Sager]

If I was an oddsmaker, I'd set it at about 100-1.

[Mr. Ypsi]

Greg, you've been at bat for a while on the fantasy draft.

[Gregory Sager]

OK, thanks.

(Made my pick. You're not gonna like it, Chuck.)

[Mr. Ypsi]

OK, thanks.

(Made my pick. You're not gonna like it, Chuck.)

Why not?  I'd love for the Titans to knock your #1 pick out early!

(Actually, despite the IWU/Hope potential matchup, I'm strongly considering Nate Snuggerud at #10 or #11.)

[Stagg Again!!]

If I was an oddsmaker, I'd set it at about 100-1.

So you think the Crusaders are going to get knocked out early too?   

[Gregory Sager]

OK, thanks.

(Made my pick. You're not gonna like it, Chuck.)

Why not?  I'd love for the Titans to knock your #1 pick out early!

(Actually, despite the IWU/Hope potential matchup, I'm strongly considering Nate Snuggerud at #10 or #11.)

As Schwartz said in A Christmas Story, I triple-dog dare ya!

[Gregory Sager]

If I was an oddsmaker, I'd set it at about 100-1.

So you think the Crusaders are going to get knocked out early too?   

Whoa ... easy there, Tiger. Your Cardinals have never made it out of the first weekend of the tourney. In fact, the only time that they've won their first-round contest was back in 1989. To show you how long ago that was, the team that they beat was Millikin. At least Wheaton's managed to make it to the sectionals, and has a winning tourney record (8-7; NCC's is 2-6, with its' other win coming in a regional consolation game, back in the '80s when they used to play those.)

[Pat Coleman]

What does anyone think the odds are for an NCC/Wheaton rematch down the road? Pat seems to think it is possible.

It is possible since both are on opposite ends of the bracket. That's all that's saying.

[Dennis_Prikkel]

If I was an oddsmaker, I'd set it at about 100-1.

So you think the Crusaders are going to get knocked out early too?   

Whoa ... easy there, Tiger. Your Cardinals have never made it out of the first weekend of the tourney. In fact, the only time that they've won their first-round contest was back in 1989. To show you how long ago that was, the team that they beat was Millikin. At least Wheaton's managed to make it to the sectionals, and has a winning tourney record (8-7; NCC's is 2-6, with its' other win coming in a regional consolation game, back in the '80s when they used to play those.)

that regional consolation win was in 1985 vs Monmouth (game was at NPC).  North Park had beaten Monmouth by 40 the night before.

North Park's next four wins in the tourney were by a total of 10 points.

[Dennis_Prikkel]

Good luck to all three CCIW teams this weekend as they "hit the road".

I agree with IWU70 (frame that G.S.) about you know what.

I also agree with G.S. that probably no overnight reservations will be needed by CCIW fans - I'd be surprised if any make it to the next weekend.

[robertgoulet]

I know it's early, but anyone have any insight into how NCC matches up with RH? I have a couple of friends who went to RH and would love nothing more than to give them the business after the game.

[WUPHF]

For North Central fans, the Washington University fans will be in line at 5:00 am, or rather five minutes before the game starts.  My only advice: do not sit in the section opposite the away team bench.

Campus Police allow for one parking ticket per fiscal year without consequences and do not ticket on Saturdays.

The Crowne Plaza Hotel in Clayton is probably the best deal if you want go stay close.  Rooms are $99 per night if you tell them you are visiting campus.