MBB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

AndOne · October 30, 2012, 06:37:17 PM

Quote from: Titan Q on October 30, 2012, 10:49:26 AM
AndOne, who are the players in the mix for NCC at the 1 and 2 spots? Obviously the Cardinals are tremendous at the 3-5 spots, just wondering how the 1/2 looks? Thanks.

At this point, I think it best to say there are several candidates for the starting PG position, and there is really no clear leader/degree of separation between them at this point. However, the water will likely become a lot more clear by the end of next week following scrimmages with Univ of Chicago, and Lake Forest.

Unless I've totally missed something, I would fully expect junior Vince Kmiec to man the 2G spot. Vince occupied the position for the vast majority of last season, and turned in a very admirable performance including banking 40 threes, and making 38 steals in 29 games.

Mr. Ypsi · October 30, 2012, 07:53:11 PM

Mark and Bob, size of a PG is irrelevant if he's good enough. Earl Boykins shrank from 5'8" to 5'5" during his career at Eastern Michigan (regarding his height loss, the coach said "you think I'm gonna risk my career admitting I recruited a midget before he showed how good he was!"); he has so far played 14 years in the NBA!

Although he was a sociology major, I never taught him. But colleagues who did said 5'3" was more realistic!

)

Though, yes, there is an appeal to a 6'9" PG like Magic if you can recruit him!

Titan Q · October 30, 2012, 11:03:19 PM

If this has already hit the board, I apologize. Article about Augustana ending the series with NAIA St. Ambrose...

http://qctimes.com/sports/basketball/college/augie-to-end-basketball-series-with-st-ambrose/article_8edcaef0-1c5e-11e2-b253-001a4bcf887a.html

"We have been told twice in the last four years that we were among the final teams under consideration for an at-large berth, but we were left out because we did not play a full complement of Division III opponents," Vikings coach Grey Giovanine said.

Win or lose, the NCAA does not allow games against non-NCAA institutions or teams in different divisions to count toward a team's record when selection committees meet to determine postseason fields.

Augustana's 19-7 record last season was viewed as an 18-7 record by the NCAA committee as it determined at-large entries into the Division III playoffs.

"At the end of the day, we have to do what is in the best interest of the student-athletes participating in our program who have a goal of playing in the NCAA Tournament," Giovanine said. "I've been reluctant to go this route, but it's unfortunate because it has been a terrific series filled with games of great interest."

Titan Q · October 30, 2012, 11:17:51 PM

While I do appreciate Division III's effort to implement objective selection criteria over the course of the last decade - I generally agree with it and support the concept - I don't like that fact that teams are essentially discouraged from playing local non-D3 teams. I really enjoyed IWU's series with Olivet Nazarene (discontinued by IWU about 5 years ago) - it seemed to be good for both schools. I know Augie's rivalry with St. Ambrose has been a good one over the years -- that will now end. Obviously Hope has a few local NAIA's that seem like logical fits on the schedule each year -- for basketball and non-basketball reasons. The Flying Dutchmen will continue to basically be penalized for playing those games.

I've enjoyed a lot of the D3 vs NAIA matchups over the years...unfortunately most are disappearing.

Pat Coleman · October 30, 2012, 11:30:34 PM

It's a good story. In my experience, explanations are never quite that simple, though. One game out of 26 shouldn't make that kind of difference.

Titan Q · October 30, 2012, 11:41:33 PM

Quote from: Pat Coleman on October 30, 2012, 11:30:34 PM
It's a good story. In my experience, explanations are never quite that simple, though. One game out of 26 shouldn't make that kind of difference.

I disagree with you there, Pat. I was just looking back on Selection Sunday last year, when many of us were crunching Pool C numbers and trying to project the 19...

http://www.d3boards.com/index.php?topic=4232.3780

I think it's fair to say that one additional win can make a difference in regional ranking as well as Pool C standing.

In terms of putting his team in the best position for the NCAA tournament, I can't argue with Grey Giovanine's decision on the St. Ambrose series at all. Replacing a game that doesn't count with an in-region win should help Augie most years.

Pat Coleman · October 31, 2012, 12:03:56 AM

I don't see Augustana on the board and with a sub-.500 SOS, I think there was more that needed to be changed than one game.

I think there should be room for one game against a local rival.

Mr. Ypsi · October 31, 2012, 12:56:40 AM

At the risk of sounding like the ultimate wimpy fence-sitter, I agree with both Q and Pat! I doubt that the St. Ambrose game has been the (sole) downfall of Augie in any specific year, but it COULD be, and Coach Giovanine is quite correct in wanting to give his players the BEST chance to make the tourney. I also agree with Pat that 'there should be room for one game against a local rival', but can the coach be SURE that there is that room?

For 'bubble teams', the margin is often razor-thin. ANY edge might be the difference between dancing and sulking.

Titan Q · October 31, 2012, 09:23:43 AM

Quote from: Pat Coleman on October 31, 2012, 12:03:56 AM
I don't see Augustana on the board and with a sub-.500 SOS, I think there was more that needed to be changed than one game.

I think there should be room for one game against a local rival.

Just a couple thoughts...

First, just to be clear on my end, I do not think the information conveyed in the Grey Giovanine quote is accurate: "We have been told twice in the last four years that we were among the final teams under consideration for an at-large berth, but we were left out because we did not play a full complement of Division III opponents."

I'm not saying Coach G is making that up -- but either he was given inaccurate information, interpreted something wrong, or maybe is just kind of spinning the situation this way for the St. Ambrose people and the media. I'm confident that Augie was not left out because they "did not play a full complement of Division III opponents." I don't think that any Midwest Region/national committee members from the last four seasons would agree with that statement. In just looking back at last year, replacing their St. Ambrose game (which did not count) with an in-region win would not have put Augustana in.

That said, while I also believe there should be room to play a local NAIA rival, I understand and agree with Augie's decision to replace St. Ambrose with an in-region D3 opponent. One win can be the difference between being in and out in the Pool C process. If we take a look back at the last 5-6 Pool C teams in last year, I think it's fair to say that one less win would have put each of these teams on the wrong side of the bubble.

I think Augustana has made a tough call on this, but a good one.

Titan Q · October 31, 2012, 09:38:20 AM

Interested to hear how the North Central/Chicago scrimmage goes tonight. Is that in Naperville or Hyde Park??

Sources close to the Maroons report that Chicago's rotation for now looks something like this...

G - Royce Muskeyvalley, 5-11 So (Wayne Simon, 5-11 Jr)
G - Alex Pyper, 6-5 So (Jordan Smith, 6-4 Fr)
F - Charlie Hughes, 6-5 Jr
F - Sam Gage, 6-6 Jr (Nate Brooks, 6-5 Fr)
F - Matt Mackenzie, 6-6 Sr (Alex Voss, 6-5 Fr)

Chicago is really good on the perimeter and NCC on the front line -- wish we had some live scrimmage video to check out.

iwu70 · October 31, 2012, 11:18:55 AM

Great name for the new season = Royce Muskeyvalley!

"It's Muskeyvalley for three!" "It's Muskeyvalley to the line" or "Muskeyvalley takes the charge!" "Overstreet rolls Royce"

I'm sure there are some other great new names out there in our D3 parlance for the new season.

Yes, a good scrimmage = NCC vs. UC.

IWU70

iwu70 · October 31, 2012, 11:20:40 AM

UC looks very very young for the new year . . . portents of good things to come?

IWU70

hopefan · October 31, 2012, 12:40:45 PM

Quote from: iwu70 on October 31, 2012, 11:18:55 AM
Great name for the new season = Royce Muskeyvalley!

"It's Muskeyvalley for three!" "It's Muskeyvalley to the line" or "Muskeyvalley takes the charge!" "Overstreet rolls Royce"

I'm sure there are some other great new names out there in our D3 parlance for the new season.

Yes, a good scrimmage = NCC vs. UC.

IWU70

wonder if he's any relation to Munchie Muskeyvalley who played at Rose Hulman 2002-6? He was a pretty good player...

iwu70 · October 31, 2012, 01:08:33 PM

hopefan, should I stick my leg out so you can pull it ? . . . or is that for real? Munchie? You gotta wonder what the parents were thinking, heh?

I once had a colleague and co-worker named Olive Turnipseed. Truly. Some great, funny names in China, names given to their students by "foreign experts" teachers, coming up with great English names. That tradition goes on . . . in Hong Kong and in the Mainland.

IWU70

Titan Q · October 31, 2012, 01:30:37 PM

Quote from: hopefan on October 31, 2012, 12:40:45 PM
wonder if he's any relation to Munchie Muskeyvalley who played at Rose Hulman 2002-6? He was a pretty good player...

I remember Munchie as a good player as well. They are brothers...

http://www.qconline.com/archives/qco/print_display.php?id=483048

Munchie's birth name is "Ray"..."Munchie Muskeyvalley" is definitely one of the most memorable names in my time around D3.

Royce was the PG on the Rock Island H.S. 3A state title team a couple years ago...

http://espn.go.com/blog/chicago/high-school/post/_/id/1029/3a-rock-island-wins-its-first-state-title-in-2-ot