MBB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[iwumichigander]

IWU 78
Wheaton 64

http://www.iwusports.com/boxscore.aspx?id=1822&path=mbball

* Andrew Ziemnik: 18 pts, 9 reb (7-7 FT)
* Pat Sodemann: 14 pts, 3 reb, 2 assists
* Victor Davis: 12 pts, 9 reb, 3 assists
* Kevin Reed: 8 pts, 10 reb

* Tyler Peters: 19 pts, 2 reb, 4 assists
* Brayden Teuscher: 18 pts, 4 reb
* Nathan Haynes: 12 pts, 10 reb
* Peter Smith: 10 pts, 10 reb

Even in video stream land I could tell how great the crowd and atmosphere was at the Shirk Center tonight.  2500 on hand and just a lot of electricity in the building.

IWU took command of this game in the final 8 minutes of the 1st half and never let Wheaton back in.  The Titans led by 9 at the break and scored the first 7 points of the 2nd half to go up 16. IWU's biggest lead was 64-43 with 11:50 to go.  Wheaton went on a nice 16-4 run to cut the deficit to 9 at the 4:04 mark, but the Titans closed it out from there.

Three pretty simple keys to this game in my opinion:

1) IWU is too physically strong for Wheaton to handle.  IWU out-rebounded the Thunder 46-31 and was just clearly the stronger, more physical basketball team. 

2) Wheaton is too perimeter-oriented - just not enough inside game.  When the 3's are falling (like in Rock Island), Wheaton can beat anyone in the country.  But the 3's aren't always going to be falling.  Tonight, on the road in front of a big crowd, Wheaton went just 5-22 from beyond the arc.  To contrast, IWU went a much more efficient 9-16 from 3.

3) IWU's depth was also a huge factor.  When the Titans pulled away at the end of the first half, it was with guys like Eric Dortch, Nick Anderson, Parker Musselman, and Mike Mayberger on the floor

I'm pretty sure Andrew Ziemnik secured a spot on the 1st Team all-CCIW tonight.  Another great night for the junior on both ends of the floor.  IWU's other forward, Victor Davis, also had a nice night.  IWU's starting forwards had 30 points and 18 rebounds.

Sophomore guard Pat Sodemann was very good tonight too.  He really brings a lot to the floor - poise, leadership, scoring ability, and tremendous FT shooting.  Sodemann is now 25-26 from the FT line in CCIW play.

Illinois Wesleyan is 10-0 in the CCIW for the first time since Jack Sikma was in uniform.

I'd add one other key - Free Throws - IWU made theirs 26-32 81.3% ; Wheaton did not 7-16 43.8% 
Awfully nice to see from the Titans whom have struggled from the FT line at times this season.

[Titan Q]

The Pantagraph article on the IWU/Wheaton game - http://www.pantagraph.com/sports/college/illinois-wesleyan/no-wesleyan-beats-no-wheaton-by-points/article_fc8dcd4e-6db7-11e2-b31e-0019bb2963f4.html

This is the first time IWU has been 10-0 in the CCIW since the 1976-77 team with Jack Sikma.

Scott Trost's Titans won 10 CCIW games in a row in 2003-04 after starting 2-2.

[D-3 watcher]

Great crowd at the Shirk last night. It's been a while since the house has been packed like that. Wasn't the nail biter like last weeks NCC - Wheaton battle, but it was great to see the Shirk full again.
Someone said 2,500, which like always could actually be 2,700 or 2,300. I believe that like most places, it's a guess.

[Titan Q]

+/- standings through Saturday, February 2
Illinois Wesleyan +5
North Central +2
Augustana +1
Wheaton +1
Carthage +0
Millikin -1
North Park -4
Elmhurst -4

Wednesday, February 6
North Park @ Illinois Wesleyan
Augustana @ Wheaton
Elmhurst @ Carthage
North Central @ Millikin

[Titan Q]

Through last night, Massey now has...

#4 IWU
#8 North Central
#19 Augustana
#20 Wheaton

IWU's national strength of schedule is now 4th.

http://www.masseyratings.com/rate.php?lg=cb&yr=2013&sub=11620


I believe Wheaton is quite a bit better than Augie actually.  I think we'll see things separate there in Massey during the final 4 games.

Subjectively, just from my observations, I think the CCIW's top four stack up...

#1 Illinois Wesleyan
#2 North Central
#3 Wheaton
#4 Augustana

I think IWU is a little bit better than NCC...and NCC just a little better than Wheaton...and Augie a pretty clear #4 in that group.

[bopol]

Carthage playing without Marlon Senior this evening?  Anyone know why?

Article on Carthage website said ankle injury.  Nothing else.

Could have used him scrapping in the paint for rebounds. 

[mwunder]

I think the Titans are the most talented and complete team in the CCIW from top the bottom.

DUH...they're 10-0 in conference play and three games ahead of anyone else in the conference.  Not a big leap here.

[sac]

I think the Titans are the most talented and complete team in the CCIW from top the bottom.

DUH...they're 10-0 in conference play and three games ahead of anyone else in the conference.  Not a big leap here.

also games with Millikin and North Park remaining.

[izzy stradlin]

For reasons Titan Q alluded to, I feel like Wheaton is really still a year away from being CCIW-title caliber:

The way the game is officiated today, you have to be able to control the paint physically with defense and rebounding. 

Looking at front-courts of the best Wheaton teams in the last 15 years:

5. Andy Wiele
4. Jake Carwell
3. Tim McCrary

5. Joel Kolmodin
4. Will Landry
3. Martin Trimiew/Jonathan Steven

5. Luke Moo
4. Rob Hamamn
3. Michael Collins

I didn't take the time to look up height and weight of these trios but anyone familiar with the CCIW knows they aren't close to the 6-6, 6-6, 6-6 and 190, 200, 215 lbs that Wheaton starts at the 3-5 this year.   

Right now Wheaton has Nate Haynes, who is really good down low, and probably the 2 best guards in the conference.  Other than that, the physicality just isn't there yet. Michael Berg and Joel Smith both have really good upside as CCIW players, which is why I'm optimistic for the future.  You often see the most growth for bigs between year one and two.   

[Titan Q]

We will get our first regional rankings this Wednesday 2/6 (with games through Tuesday 2/5 included).  None of the teams in the Midwest mix play until Wednesday evening, so the in-region records you see below are the ones the Midwest Regional Advisory Committee will be using.

Here is my final projection of the ranking this week...

Midwest Region ranking projection (through Sunday, February 3)
1.      Ill. Wesleyan  .833 (15-3)/.515
2.      North Central  .842 (16-3)/.541
3.      Rose-Hulman  .900 (18-2)/.460
4.      Washington U  .789 (15-4)/.574
5.      Transylvania  .789 (15-4)/.577
6.      Wheaton  .737 (14-5)/.537
7.      Augustana  .750 (15-5)/.571
8.      Grinnell  .824 (14-3)/.482
-----
9.      St. Norbert  .789 (15-4)/.499

Notes
* My criteria includes 1) in-region winning %, 2) in-region SOS, and 3) in-region head-to-head.

* My SOS data is coming from KnightSlappy's regional ranking work on his blog.  These numbers are through 1/27, so the SOS figures are two games old in most cases.  I will update this when KnightSlappy does his next update.  Two games can make a significant difference. http://tomaroonandgold.blogspot.com/p/2010-2011-d3-mens-regional-rankings.html

* In-region head-to-head results considered:
  - Illinois Wesleyan - wins @ Wheaton, vs Augustana, vs NCC, @ Augustana, vs Wheaton...loss @ Wash U
  - North Central - wins vs Wheaton, vs Augustana...losses @ IWU, @ Wheaton
  - Transylvania - win @ Rose-Hulman...loss vs Rose-Hulman
  - Rose-Hulman - win @ Transylvania...loss vs Transylvania
  - Wash U - win vs IWU...loss @ Wheaton
  - Wheaton - wins @ Augustana, vs NCC, vs Wash U...losses @ NCC, vs IWU, @ IWU
  - Augustana - win @ St. Norbert...losses @NCC, @IWU, vs Wheaton, vs IWU
  - Grinnell - win @ St. Norbert
  - St. Norbert - no wins...losses vs Augustana, vs Grinnell

* Since there are no actual regional rankings yet, I have not factored in in-region results vs teams who will be ranked in other regions.  For example, Transylvania's win over Wooster (Great Lakes), Augustana's loss at UW-Stevens Point (West), Wash U's results vs UAA teams ranked in other regions, etc.

[CCIWchamps]

Seriously though, here is a thought - what if D3hoops.com all the sudden went away?  Think of how much we've all come to rely on not just the information here, but the community and the relationships we've developed.  Consider how this site has absolutely transformed the way we follow Division III athletics over the course of the last 15 years or so.

I want to say that if D3B went down, the people on this board - all 2100 pages of it - would probably be the ones most affected by its absence! 

[kiko]

  - Rose-Hulman - win @ Transylvania...loss @ Transylvania

I don't think this will impact your rankings at all, but Rose-Hulman's loss to Transylvania was at home.

(And I wasn't checking your work; just thought it odd that they would play two road games against a conference foe and decided to check their schedule.)

I still would not be surprised if someone else -- likely Rose-Hulman -- sits at #2 ahead of North Central.  Not because the Cards aren't the second-best team, per say, but because that's how the vote/consensus from the committee shakes out.

[sac]

6.      Wheaton  .737 (14-5)/.537
7.      Augustana  .750 (15-5)/.571

Wed's Wheaton/Augustana match-up is huge for the Pool C game.  Seven in-region losses with a strong SOS is still in the picture.  Figuring both pick-up a loss in the CCIW tournament to be a Pool C candidate puts the loser of this game on the edge.  Beyond Wed. both still have difficult games with Wheaton/North Central and Augustana/Carthage.

With the right results and no upsets the CCIW could very well have a viable 4th candidate for Pool C selection.

[Titan Q]

  - Rose-Hulman - win @ Transylvania...loss @ Transylvania

I don't think this will impact your rankings at all, but Rose-Hulman's loss to Transylvania was at home.

(And I wasn't checking your work; just thought it odd that they would play two road games against a conference foe and decided to check their schedule.)

I still would not be surprised if someone else -- likely Rose-Hulman -- sits at #2 ahead of North Central.  Not because the Cards aren't the second-best team, per say, but because that's how the vote/consensus from the committee shakes out.

Thanks...just a typo.  Fixed now.

In my Midwest region projection, I felt confident about spots...

* #1 (IWU) -  due to the number of wins IWU has against the other ranked teams.  Five might be the most wins any team in the country currently has over other teams in their region.  I haven't looked at that, but five seems like a huge number.

* #7 (Augie) and #8 (Grinnell) - seems to me these are the bottom two right now, all things considered.

But spots 2-6 were extremely difficult.  Honestly, you could make a case for absolutely any order between North Central, Rose-Hulman, Wash U, Transylvania, and Wheaton.

In my projection, I'm the least comfortable with where I have Wheaton (#6).  With wins over NCC, Augustana, and Wash U, the Thunder could easily be slotted higher.

[AndOne]

[quote author=kiko link=topic=4592.msg1491831#msg1491831 date=1359924759]

  - Rose-Hulman - win @ Transylvania...loss @ Transylvania

I don't think this will impact your rankings at all, but Rose-Hulman's loss to Transylvania was at home.

(And I wasn't checking your work; just thought it odd that they would play two road games against a conference foe and decided to check their schedule.)

I still would not be surprised if someone else -- likely Rose-Hulman -- sits at #2 ahead of North Central.  Not because the Cards aren't the second-best team, per say, but because that's how the vote/consensus from the committee shakes out.
[/quote]

Kiko---

I'm confused. Could you please explain your thinking with regard to the portion of your post which I highlighted. Thanks much.