MBB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[Gregory Sager]

Augie's roster:

http://www.augustana.edu/x47781.xml

No Kameron Norton.    Old news?

I don't remember seeing that reported here, although I might've simply missed it. It's an interesting development. Norton was an experienced big man and a solid role player who was particularly proficient on the offensive boards.

[augiefan]

Saw Kameron was gone on the Augie preseason review on their website but do not know why. Big loss for Augie. Possibly senioritis? Dansand will know if he still visits this site.

[Titan Q]

Saw Kameron was gone on the Augie preseason review on their website but do not know why. Big loss for Augie. Possibly senioritis? Dansand will know if he still visits this site.

2011-12: 18 min/game, 5.7 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 47-99 FG (.475), 37-58 FT (.638)

I know he was a big body and all, but whatever Norton did for Augie is very replaceable...and they have plenty of more talented options to choose from.

The big loss was Scarlata last year -- he was extremely talented and, in my opinion, would have been a stud this year as a senior.

[Titan Q]

http://www.cciw.org/news/2012/10/24/MBB_1024125658.aspx

1. North Central, 49 (7)
2. Illinois Wesleyan, 39 (1)
3. Carthage, 36
4. Augustana, 31
5. Wheaton, 29
6. Elmhurst, 19
7. North Park, 11
8. Millikin, 10

[iwu70]

About what I expected on the coaches' pre-season poll.  I have AC higher than CC, but otherwise, pretty much the same.  And, I think I had NP above ECC.  Time will tell.

In about three weeks, we'll begin to see how these teams have come together for the new year.  Here's hoping the CCIW has a very strong pre-CCIW season record this year. 

IWU70

[izzy stradlin]

During today's chat, when asked about reengaging the study body Matt Nadelhoffer said this:

"I have met with Greek chapters on campus and I eat with random students in the dining hall trying to build relations across campus. I am singing with the Millikin men's choir on Sunday and I have let people know that the basketball will never be at the level it has been ever again. We have also started up a student section for our games. I have spoken at numerous community events to get connected with the local community.

Combine this with his efforts in recruiting and I think it is safe to say that Millikin is going to get a lot better.   This is good for the CCIW.   

[Gregory Sager]

Reading how the preseason poll shook out, it appears that three of the coaches feel that Millikin will not be the last-place team in the CCIW this season. Instead, they think it'll be NPU. Since the scale is set at seven points for a first-place vote, six points for a second-place vote, etc., seven last-place votes gets you seven total points in the poll; MU has 10. NPU, which only beat out Millikin by one point with 11, is clearly the team that occupied the bottom rung on three of the eight ballots. That means that, in all likelihood (since I'll bet all the corn in Manito that nobody picked Millikin higher than seventh), there are three CCIW head coaches out there who think that Millikin will beat out NPU, with the Park occupying the cellar. And as far as what lies above North Park is concerned, there's a very big separation between Elmhurst (19 points) and NPU (11 points) in terms of sixth place.

With that in mind, I hope that Tom Slyder's printing out the preseason poll and putting it on the locker-room bulletin board for Cassita, Weaver, Holmes, Gabriel, etc., to see.

Speaking of Tom Slyder, here's his answer to two of the questions that were put to him in the annual CCIW coaches chat this morning:

Question for Tom: What are your expectations for your first season as North Park's new head coach?

Comment From Tom Slyder
I know most people may laugh considering the recent records of North Park. But our expectations are the same here now as any program I have been the head coach. Set the expectations high and don't settle for anything less. Those expectations are: Win the conference regular season, Win the conference tournament, and Win a National Title. Again, I recognize most will laugh but that's ok.

Question for Tom: Where do you expect to finish in the conference this season? Top-3? Middle pack?

Comment From Tom Slyder
As I stated in the above post. We have set the goal at the top.

There's no doubt in my mind that my alma mater has hired the right guy.

[Gregory Sager]

Carthage is right behind Illinois Wesleyan in the poll, just three points back. Now, I've never put much stock in the coaches poll. Our coaches are an experienced bunch who're generally pretty astute judges of talent, and all of them -- even newcomer Tom Slyder, to some degree -- know this league. But over the three-plus decades that I've followed this league, I've observed that the coaches have established a pretty lousy record as prognosticators. (No offense to them, of course; I highly doubt that even the eight most informed CCIW fans, whoever they may be, could do better.) But I think that the coaches are on to something here. As I said a week or two ago, don't sleep on Carthage. If Bosko can find a way to get all of those disparate pieces to fit together, I could see the Red Men winning the league this season.

Augie and Wheaton are big question marks. Lots of young talent in both places, but not a lot of returners ... and Augie's gonna get even younger without Kameron Norton around. He may not have been a big force statistically, but he was a very good defender and rebounder. As Grey Giovanine said in the coaches chat today, defense and rebounding are usually aspects of the game that come with experience. And Augie without Norton is a less experienced team.

I'm curious to see Elmhurst. I think that the 'jays will be a lot like NPU: A heavily newbie-dependent team whose newcomers will immediately play a prominent role in terms of both minutes and points.

[izzy stradlin]

Mike Schauer stated in chat today that of Wheaton's returnees, new starters will likely be Peter Smith and Nathan Haynes.  As to impact newcomers, he mentioned Brayden Teuscher with all-CCIW potential right away and then also listed Joel Smith and Michael Berg as freshmen who will get significant minutes to start the season.  Based on these comments it looks like Wheaton will start:

PG: Tyler Peters 6-4 Jr.
SG: Brayden Teuscher 6-3 So.
G/F: Peter Smith 6-6 So.
F: Joel Smith or Michael Berg both 6-6 Fr.
F/C: Nathan Haynes 6-6 Jr.

Haynes has improved significantly per Schauer but I still don't think he'll be a big offensive threat in the post.  Post scoring well have to come from freshmen.  I think we'll also see an effort to get the ball to Tyler Peters in the post as he is a good back-to-the-basket player and will often have smaller guards on him.   

[WheatonFanChris]

Thunder season preview available now:

http://athletics.wheaton.edu/news/2012/10/26/MBB_1026121604.aspx

[AndOne]

Is Augie dealing with some injury problems?   

Quote from Giovanine during the 10/25 Coaches Chat:

9:07--Comment From Grey Giovanine.......
We have just three players practicing that played varsity minutes with us last year. Defending and rebounding will be real challenges for a group this inexperienced. It is usually veteran teams that do those things well.

Current Augie roster:

http://www.augustana.edu/x47781.xml

Sure seems like there are more than 3 returnees who played varsity minutes last season. Kunz, Dexter, Roth, Schlitter, & Jurgutis all played significant minutes. Thats 5 players right there.

Maybe "Stomper" needs to repeat that 100 level math class?   

[AndOne]

Reading how the preseason poll shook out, it appears that three of the coaches feel that Millikin will not be the last-place team in the CCIW this season. Instead, they think it'll be NPU. Since the scale is set at seven points for a first-place vote, six points for a second-place vote, etc., seven last-place votes gets you seven total points in the poll; MU has 10. NPU, which only beat out Millikin by one point with 11, is clearly the team that occupied the bottom rung on three of the eight ballots. That means that, in all likelihood (since I'll bet all the corn in Manito that nobody picked Millikin higher than seventh), there are three CCIW head coaches out there who think that Millikin will beat out NPU, with the Park occupying the cellar. And as far as what lies above North Park is concerned, there's a very big separation between Elmhurst (19 points) and NPU (11 points) in terms of sixth place.

With that in mind, I hope that Tom Slyder's printing out the preseason poll and putting it on the locker-room bulletin board for Cassita, Weaver, Holmes, Gabriel, etc., to see.

Speaking of Tom Slyder, here's his answer to two of the questions that were put to him in the annual CCIW coaches chat this morning:

Question for Tom: What are your expectations for your first season as North Park's new head coach?

Comment From Tom Slyder
I know most people may laugh considering the recent records of North Park. But our expectations are the same here now as any program I have been the head coach. Set the expectations high and don't settle for anything less. Those expectations are: Win the conference regular season, Win the conference tournament, and Win a National Title. Again, I recognize most will laugh but that's ok.

Question for Tom: Where do you expect to finish in the conference this season? Top-3? Middle pack?

Comment From Tom Slyder
As I stated in the above post. We have set the goal at the top.

There's no doubt in my mind that my alma mater has hired the right guy.

In Mark Holmes and Mike Gabriel, North Park has 2 far superior players to anyone on either the Millikin or Elmhurst roster, and perhaps on a couple of other teams rosters as well. Two of the main problems NPU appears to be facing are 1) who is going to get the ball to Holmes and Gabriel, and 2) can anyone provide solid relief when they need a breather, or get in foul trouble?

As far as Tom Slyder's comments in the Coaches Chat, I guess my question would be "What did you expect him to say"?
He probably expressed those sentiments when he was interviewed for the position, and wanted to be consistent.

[Titan Q]

My best shot at a preseason All-CCIW team...

1st Team
Victor Davis (Illinois Wesleyan), 6-5 Jr F
Landon Gamble (North Central), 6-6 Jr F
Mark Holmes (North Park), 6-6 Sr F
Malcom Kelly (Carthage), 6-0 Sr G
Derek Raridon (North Central), 6-6 Sr F

2nd Team
Mike Gabriel (North Park), 6-8 Sr F
Luke Johnson (Carthage), 6-9 So C
Tyler Peters (Wheaton), 6-4 Jr G
Nick Sanford (Elmhurst), 6-5 Jr F
Aaron Tiknis (North Central), 6-6 Jr F

3rd Team
Kevin Reed (Illinois Wesleyan), 6-7 Sr F
Mark Roth (Augustana), 6-0 So G
Brayden Teuscher (Wheaton), 6-3 So G
Mitch Thompson (Carthage), 6-6 Sr F
Andrew Ziemnik (Illinois Wesleyan), 6-4 Jr F


There are a number of extremely talented player who I couldn't justify putting on the preseason team but who might earn their way there.  Guys like...

- Nick Anderson (Illinois Wesleyan), 6-9 Jr C

- Taylor Baxter (Elmhurst), 6-5 Jr G

- Tayvian Johnson (Augustana), 6-6 Fr F

- Donte Logan (Carthage), 5-11 So G

- Griffin Pils (Augustana), 6-4 Fr G

- Kevin Schlitter (Augustana), 6-8 Jr C

- Peter Smith (Wheaton), 6-6 So F

- Brady Zimmer (Illinois Wesleyan), 6-4 Jr G

[iwu70]

Q, very hard to know where to put guys on any pre-season all-CCIW team.  I agree with your first team, but after that, really hard to know how it is all going to play out.  Lots of talent out there but very inexperienced in conference play, very few varsity minutes, guys coming back from injury etc.  We'll just have to wait and see how the teams are designing their new offensive sets, rotations, and who is getting the minutes and the opportunities.  May look very very different by mid-January, or early Feburary when we're into the meat of the CCIW schedule.  I'd love to see some perimeter Titans have big breakout years -- like Brady Zimmer (as you mentioned) or Dylan Overstreet or Molinari.  We all know how very tough and talented Victor Davis is, but would love to see Reed and Ziemnik really settle into the big-minutes rotation and have super big years, with defense, consistent scoring and bigtime rebounding.  Same goes with Nick Anderson, if he gets the minutes.  Of some of the others you mentioned, I don't really have a good read on them, save for the Augie Freshmen Tayvian Johnson.  I saw him play in All-Star games and feel he's the real deal, even this coming year, surely in future years, an All-CCIW level player.   As has been mentioned a number of times, key for IWU this year seems to be how quickly, how well the new PG settles in with the other starters, IWU's big stable of talented bigs.  And, how well the 2 contributes to the offense, by stretching defenses, slashing and moving and hitting a high percentage from treyland.  IMHO.

(Of all those you mentioned, Q, only six seniors /of 23 . . . so we're in for a good run of CCIW basketball in the next 2-3 years.  Hope the league posts a very good pre-CCIW season winning percentage and record this year). 

IWU70

[Titan Q]

In ESPN's "Benji", part of the 30 for 30 series, there is a cameo from the late Art Kimball (former IWU play-by-play broadcaster on WJBC).  Art is shown interviewing Simeon coach Bob Hambrick before the 1984 state championship game vs Evanston.

Great to hear that unmistakeable voice again.