MBB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[sac]

Not quite sure if I got Hope's starters right, but here's what that personnel from 1995-96 looked like...

Hope, 1995-96 (27-5/11-1 MIAA 1st place)
G - Joel Hostege, 6-2 So (13.2 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 5.2 apg)
G - Kevin Brintnell, 5-11 Sr (11.9 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 2.7 apg)
G - Dan Van Hekken, 6-3 So (5.6 ppg, 2.7 rpg)
F - Kris Merritt, 6-5 So (9.6 ppg, 6.0 rpg)
C - Duane Bosma, 6-9 Sr (17.6 ppg, 8.7 rpg)

Illinois Wesleyan, 1995-96 (28-3, 12-2 CCIW 2nd place)
G - Brady Knight, 6-2 Sr (6.9 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 3.5 apg)
G - T.J. Posey, 6-3 Sr (8.0 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 4.1 apg)
F - Bryan Crabtree, 6-7 Jr (17.8 ppg, 5.0 rpg)
F - Chris Simich, 6-6 Sr (19.3 ppg, 8.2 rpg)
C - Jon Litwiller, 6-7 Sr (12.9 ppg, 4.8 rpg)


Many IWU fans consider this to be the best non-Sikma IWU team...in the discussion with the 1987-88 team (Jeff Kuehl, Mark Edmundson, Paul Peterson, Ron Rose, Bill Braksick) and the 1994-95 team (swap out the guards above with Chad Hutson and Mark Aubry).  It always takes a while before someone actually brings up the team that actually won the national championship - the 1996-97 team.

Not only did IWU have two of the best players in NCAA Division III in Chris Simich and Bryan Crabtree, but the Titans had Jon Litwiller starting at center (who started for Division I Illinois State), and Scott Peterson as the 6th man (another Division I transfer, from Northern Illinois).

I think a lot of IWU fans forget that this team didn't win the CCIW.  The Wheaton team featuring Matt Nadelhoffer, Wesley Pitts, Jason Senik, Tim Seneff, etc. went 13-1.  The IWU/Wheaton games from 1994-95 and 1995-96 were classics.

I doubt there is a team in Division III this year with close to as much talent as the Hope, Wheaton, and IWU teams from '95-96.  It's gotten harder for D3 teams to land talent like that.

I think you're right about this.  The current era of internet visibility, AAU etc makes it harder for the D1 coaches to miss talent.

D3 tuition has also more than double since just 1996 as well.  Any scholarship is hard to compete against these days.

[AndOne]

I doubt there is a team in Division III this year with close to as much talent as the Hope, Wheaton, and IWU teams from '95-96.  It's gotten harder for D3 teams to land talent like that.

I think you're right about this.  The current era of internet visibility, AAU etc makes it harder for the D1 coaches to miss talent.

D3 tuition has also more than double since just 1996 as well. Any scholarship is hard to compete against these days.

How true about it being hard to compete with any athletic (especially a full or 1/2 one) scholarship. This is probably the #1 reason we see players that could be D3 stars going NAIA, D2, or even D1.

Sometimes NAIA, D2, or D1 (athletic) money is necessary for a family to be able to send a son or daughter to a 4 year school. Thats understandable, especially in these times of lower pay, higher taxes, etc. I think the real dilemma and most unfortunate situation with regard to scholarship money arises when its obvious that going D2 or D1 means Jimmy will spend 98% of his time sitting and watching watching basketball rather than playing basketball, but either Jimmy (or dad) thinks D3 means failure as a basketball (or any sport really) player, or dad/mom can afford it, but just can't pass up saving $100,000 or more.   

[Gregory Sager]

Nobody mentioned this, but Augie blew out Loras by an 83-53 score at Carver on Friday night. Kevin Schlitter, who had played in Augie's most-recent game against MacMurray, was a no-show again, but George Dexter did get to play ten minutes in Friday night's rout.

[Gregory Sager]

The CCIW is now 52-28 (.650). Just eight games left on the non-con docket:

Friday, December 28
Ripon (4-5) @ Elmhurst (3-6)
Ramapo (8-0) vs. North Central (9-0) (@ Las Vegas, NV)

Saturday, December 29
Calvin (7-2) or Wabash (3-6) @ Elmhurst
Millikin (3-7) @ Rockford (5-5)
Wisconsin-LaCrosse (8-2) vs. North Central (@ Las Vegas, NV)
North Park (5-5) @ Illinois College (4-5)

Sunday, December 30
Benedictine (3-9) @ Carthage (4-6)
Illinois Wesleyan (8-2) @ Franklin (6-4)

[wheels81]

The CCIW is now 52-28 (.650). Just eight games left on the non-con docket:

Friday, December 28
Ripon (4-5) @ Elmhurst (3-6)
Ramapo (8-0) vs. North Central (9-0) (@ Las Vegas, NV)

Saturday, December 29
Calvin (7-2) or Wabash (3-6) @ Elmhurst
Millikin (3-7) @ Rockford (5-5)
Wisconsin-LaCrosse (8-2) vs. North Central (@ Las Vegas, NV)
North Park (5-5) @ Illinois College (4-5)

Sunday, December 30
Benedictine (3-9) @ Carthage (4-6)
Illinois Wesleyan (8-2) @ Franklin (6-4)

You mean Pre-season?   

[robertgoulet]

The CCIW is now 52-28 (.650). Just eight games left on the non-con docket:

Friday, December 28
Ripon (4-5) @ Elmhurst (3-6)
Ramapo (8-0) vs. North Central (9-0) (@ Las Vegas, NV)

Saturday, December 29
Calvin (7-2) or Wabash (3-6) @ Elmhurst
Millikin (3-7) @ Rockford (5-5)
Wisconsin-LaCrosse (8-2) vs. North Central (@ Las Vegas, NV)
North Park (5-5) @ Illinois College (4-5)

Sunday, December 30
Benedictine (3-9) @ Carthage (4-6)
Illinois Wesleyan (8-2) @ Franklin (6-4)

Interesting weekend upcoming for the Cardinals. Ramapo is ranked #10 in the country by D3hoops and UWL will likely be in the top half of a tough WIAC conference this year. Should be a good test to see where NCC stands. At a glance their non-conference schedule hasn't been as rough as it originally seemed it may be (mainly due to Hope's early season struggles).

Hopefully the Cardinals and sweep the weekend and come back Monday with a #1 ranking!

[Mr. Ypsi]

The CCIW is now 52-28 (.650). Just eight games left on the non-con docket:

Friday, December 28
Ripon (4-5) @ Elmhurst (3-6)
Ramapo (8-0) vs. North Central (9-0) (@ Las Vegas, NV)

Saturday, December 29
Calvin (7-2) or Wabash (3-6) @ Elmhurst
Millikin (3-7) @ Rockford (5-5)
Wisconsin-LaCrosse (8-2) vs. North Central (@ Las Vegas, NV)
North Park (5-5) @ Illinois College (4-5)

Sunday, December 30
Benedictine (3-9) @ Carthage (4-6)
Illinois Wesleyan (8-2) @ Franklin (6-4)

Interesting weekend upcoming for the Cardinals. Ramapo is ranked #10 in the country by D3hoops and UWL will likely be in the top half of a tough WIAC conference this year. Should be a good test to see where NCC stands. At a glance their non-conference schedule hasn't been as rough as it originally seemed it may be (mainly due to Hope's early season struggles).

Hopefully the Cardinals and sweep the weekend and come back Monday with a #1 ranking!

If neither #2 Middlebury nor #4 St. Thomas stumble (UST just beat #5 UWSP, which would trump NCC beating #10 Ramapo), I'd predict that NCC will remain at #3 - but we shall see.  They all gotta win first!

[Titan Q]

29 years ago today...


Illinois Wesleyan 67
@ U. of Arizona 64

[Naperick]

That has to rank among the top wins by a CCIW school.

[Hardwood]

29 years ago today...


Illinois Wesleyan 67
@ U. of Arizona 64

While a D1 school, they were 4-24 that year.

[Gregory Sager]

That has to rank among the top wins by a CCIW school.

I can think of a better one.

The Arizona Wildcats, for all their high-powered status as a D1 major, went 4-24 in 1982-83. (This is actually the 30th anniversary of the Illinois Wesleyan win over Arizona, which took place on December 27, 1982; the two teams didn't play during the 1983-84 season.) The Wildcats brought up the rear of the Pac-10 that year, finishing 1-17 in the league. Other embarrassing losses besides the defeat at the hands of Illinois Wesleyan included a 57-56 loss to Texas-San Antonio (the Roadrunners were then in the second year of their existence) and a 79-68 exhibition loss to Athletes In Action. Yeah, it was a great win for a CCIW school, but that was hardly a top-drawer D1 team that they were playing. (The failed season led to the firing of head coach Ben Lindsay and the hiring in the off-season of a much more familiar name to college basketball fans, Lute Olson.)

During their three consecutive national championships from 1977-78 thru 1979-80, the North Park Vikings played a number of D1 and D2 schools. The most notable one that they played was Jacksonville, whom they faced on a two-game southern swing over the holidays in the 1978-79 season. That Dolphins team, coached by the legendary Tates Locke and led by 6'9 star center Jimmy Ray -- who would later play for the Denver Nuggets for three seasons -- went on to win the Sun Belt Conference and play in the big dance. They finished their season with a 19-11 record that included wins over the likes of Memphis, Pittsburgh, Florida, and Florida State.

North Park beat Jacksonville that season, 78-68, on the home floor of the Dolphins. It is, as far as I know, the only time that a D3 team has ever defeated a D1 team that later went on to play in the D1 tournament.

[Mr. Ypsi]

That has to rank among the top wins by a CCIW school.

While I love the win, it is not a good as it seems.  U of Arizona was absolutely horrendous at the time (not sure if it was the same year, but they went a whole season with only 4 wins about that time).  Not sure if it was directly connected to IWU's win, but soon thereafter they hired Lute Olson away from Iowa (forever after known as 'Loot' Olson in those parts).  THAT is when they became the U of Arizona we now recall.

I see now that others have beaten me to the punch(line)!

[veterancciwfan]

Remembering that 2005/06 IWU Trost coached team and especially that OT win against a very good Elmhurst team. The buzzer beater by Dauksas (sp?) was unbelievable as he escaped several Elmhurst players who were trying to foul him before he launched a desperation shot just beyond the halfcourt line. The box score shows attendance of 3,000 and it was all of that with 3 deep standing room fans. What a difference 6 years can make. I don't think any CCIW team will have 3,000 fans for any game in 2012. A CCIW team now would need 2 games to reach 3,000.

[devildog29]

That has to rank among the top wins by a CCIW school.

While it was a bit before my time, and the opponent wasn't D1 yet, I'm guessing most IWU fans would choose the win over ISU and Doug Collins in 1970 as their favorite win over a "big" school.

[AO]

That has to rank among the top wins by a CCIW school.

While it was a bit before my time, and the opponent wasn't D1 yet, I'm guessing most IWU fans would choose the win over ISU and Doug Collins in 1970 as their favorite win over a "big" school.

Why isn't this an annual game?  Some bad blood in bloomington?