MBB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[cardinalpride]

I'll say it then, Greg.  Dylan Howard sucked as a coach last year.  He rarely gave instruction when the ball was in play.  Instead, he just sat, mute.  Then it was reported on this board that Howard was rarely seen on the recruiting trail.  I can't speak to that except Greg told me NP's current top assistant coach brought in Cassita and the player who has a sensitive issue, not Howard.  Regarding the latter player, if the issue is so sensitive, why inform this board in the first place? 

I appreciated Brenegan's ability to recruit talent from Chicago's Catholic League, other private schools, and CPS schools like Morgan Park.  There was a lot of potential on his rosters that didn't fully develop over the years.  I hope Slyder can retain (repair?) relationships with those schools.  I hope he has also learned a lesson that CPS kids from non-magnet schools are true academic risks or headcases.  Go the Brenegan route.  All the best, Coach Slyder.

The kids I've watched for years at my local level are HS seniors now.  I coached some of them before they entered HS and my son has been a teammate at multiple levels.  I'd rather watch the HS Vikings on the hardcourt and mat as well as the #1 Gopher hockey team than NPU's current team.

Mark,
Do you really think its fair to label all non-magnet CPS students as academic risks or head cases? If so, then it's definitely fair to call your statement prejudice!

[Gregory Sager]

That's the biggest mismatch I think I've ever seen in 24 years following the CCIW.

To those citing bigger blowouts, again, I was referring to games I have personally witnessed.  In 24 years I have never seen a CCIW game with that big of a disparity in talent.

Obviously NPU was already really struggling...and then they decided to not play 3 regulars.  It was just a really strange game to watch.

Four regulars, not three (Holmes, Cassita, Benjamin, and Peterson). That's leading scorers #1, #2, and #4, and leading rebounders #1, #2, #3, and #4 ... for what it's worth, which isn't much.

I'll say it then, Greg.  Dylan Howard sucked as a coach last year.  He rarely gave instruction when the ball was in play.  Instead, he just sat, mute.

I have no idea why you're saying that, Mark. The one voice in the gym that I could hear above all others was Dylan's. In fact, it was startling, because after seven years of the very low-key Paul Brenegan, I wasn't used to hearing so much high-volume verbiage coming from the NPU bench. Are you sure that you knew which was which between Kevin Holmes and Dylan Howard?

Then it was reported on this board that Howard was rarely seen on the recruiting trail.

Take that with a grain of salt, Mark. When AndOne reported that here, what he was actually reporting was that he and the NCC coaches didn't see Dylan or his assistants in any of the west suburban high school gyms where they happened to be attending games. I know for a fact that Dylan and his staff were out there hustling on the recruiting trail, because: a) I saw the prospects coming into his office and into the gym to watch games, and I even met some of them; and b) Chris Edquist kept me pretty well apprised on who the NPU coaches were pursuing. Unfortunately, they had already lost out on several of the players that they were after at the time that Dylan resigned, and his resignation pretty much sounded the death knell upon their chances of getting any of the rest of them.

I can't speak to that except Greg told me NP's current top assistant coach brought in Cassita and the player who has a sensitive issue, not Howard.

The current staff brought in Zach Cassita, Aaron Weaver, Chris Benjamin, and the players who appeared at semester break (including Cameron Burnett, who is definitely a keeper). Ryan Hyrn came in beforehand, although I'm not sure if Dylan was still the head coach when he committed or if Ryan sent in his tuition deposit after Dylan had resigned and Chris had become the interim head coach.

Regarding the latter player, if the issue is so sensitive, why inform this board in the first place?

Because more than one poster had inquired about Weaver's whereabouts, and, given that he was averaging 14.9 ppg and 5.8 rpg, it wasn't as though nobody else would notice that Weaver was missing from the NPU lineup. 

I appreciated Brenegan's ability to recruit talent from Chicago's Catholic League, other private schools, and CPS schools like Morgan Park.  There was a lot of potential on his rosters that didn't fully develop over the years.  I hope Slyder can retain (repair?) relationships with those schools.  I hope he has also learned a lesson that CPS kids from non-magnet schools are true academic risks or headcases.  Go the Brenegan route.  All the best, Coach Slyder.

I don't think that all non-magnet CPS kids are academic risks or headcases. That's too sweeping a generalization. However, the risk level is certainly a lot higher for a non-magnet CPS kid than it is for some other high school kid. We all know how bad the situation is in the Chicago public school system. The "headcases" thing is unfair, because it implies some sort of character defect, and character defects certainly cut across socioeconomic lines. Kids in Chicago public schools are more likely to experience poverty, inadequate parenting, indifferent or overworked teachers, violence, gangs, poor nutrition, and any number of other societal and personal ills ... but "headcases" is, I think, an inappropriate label to stick on them.

All that said, Aaron Weaver doesn't really fit into that scenario that you're describing, for several reasons that I'll not get into here. But, yeah, your overall point that CCL schools, the top-academic-echelon CPS schools, and the inner-ring suburban schools are NPU's bread and butter when it comes to men's basketball recruiting is quite true. And it's been true for decades -- not just under Brenegan but under all of his predecessors dating back to Dan McCarrell.

The kids I've watched for years at my local level are HS seniors now.  I coached some of them before they entered HS and my son has been a teammate at multiple levels.  I'd rather watch the HS Vikings on the hardcourt and mat as well as the #1 Gopher hockey team than NPU's current team.

... and, as I said, I certainly can't blame you.

[iwu70]

Boy, Q, guess you should change your handle to "LazyPostingPolice."  I live in fear.



With Ypsi and I, just put it off to premature senility. (and show some respect for your memory impared elders!).

Back to serious basketball issues, any word on how long Zimmer might be out?  I can't get access to the Pgraph now, as it is behind a wall given my location here in China and more frequently behind a paywall, too, which I will not pay for such a tepid publication, so you'll will have to forgive my lack of knowledge from that ever-thinner paper, known to locals in B/N as the Daily Paragraph. 

Hope our Titans are able to make a good run at a perfect CCIW season.  I'm sure Tom Gramkow '70 and all the 1970 team (including Fred Evans and Sheldon Thompson) are pulling for them to put up such a stellar and historic mark.  Doesn't happen every day. 

All best to all CCIW chatster for the Year of the Snake, which begins tomorrow.  Hong Kong is emptying out, beginning to exhale for the holiday.  Many of my students have headed inland to see family in China's Provinces, or headed outward for beach time in Thailand or the Philippines.  Such is life on the periphery here for students of all kinds, from all over the region, all over the world.  I shall stay put and enjoy Hong Kong's charms as it calms and celebrates the Snake Year pushing out the Dragon Year.

Hope everyone has a happy, healthy and Prosperous New Year, with Chinese characteristics.

IWU70 (lazy on the Far Side).

[TitansIWU]

Does anyone know what time it is?


(the laziest post of all time)

[NCF]

Does anyone know what time it is?


(the laziest post of all time)

Time for you to get a watch

[Titan Q]

Boy, Q, guess you should change your handle to "LazyPostingPolice."  I live in fear.

I'm glad you recognize you are on the Lazy List, 70.  I'll be watching.

[Titan Q]

Does anyone know what time it is?


(the laziest post of all time)

Perfect illustration of lazy posting...thank you.

[John Gleich]

How about if I predict six?

If they DO it, you're a genius.  Otherwise you'll still get ragged on years later!

And notice I said 'cabonney'; Mr. Ypsi doesn't do crazy stuff like that, but some still think he is that ol' cabonney guy!  (Last year I didn't think IWU would even get into the tourney, then was certain they'd be out in round 2 - only AFTER they beat #1 Hope in Holland did the thought of Final Four even enter my mind.)

At least Mr. Ypsi has been to a game or two... IIRC, cabonney never did...

[Mr. Ypsi]

How about if I predict six?

If they DO it, you're a genius.  Otherwise you'll still get ragged on years later!

And notice I said 'cabonney'; Mr. Ypsi doesn't do crazy stuff like that, but some still think he is that ol' cabonney guy!  (Last year I didn't think IWU would even get into the tourney, then was certain they'd be out in round 2 - only AFTER they beat #1 Hope in Holland did the thought of Final Four even enter my mind.)

At least Mr. Ypsi has been to a game or two... IIRC, cabonney never did...

Actually, I was still cabonney when I broke my 37-year streak of non-attendance!  But, yeah, Mr. Ypsi has seen many more games than cabonney ever did.  (Counting all sports, I now attend 5-10 games a year; and while cabonney pretty much couldn't watch games on the internet, Mr. Y watches one or more games almost daily during basketball season.)

[Pat Coleman]

How about if I predict six?

If they DO it, you're a genius.  Otherwise you'll still get ragged on years later!

And notice I said 'cabonney'; Mr. Ypsi doesn't do crazy stuff like that, but some still think he is that ol' cabonney guy!  (Last year I didn't think IWU would even get into the tourney, then was certain they'd be out in round 2 - only AFTER they beat #1 Hope in Holland did the thought of Final Four even enter my mind.)

At least Mr. Ypsi has been to a game or two... IIRC, cabonney never did...

Actually, I was still cabonney when I broke my 37-year streak of non-attendance!  But, yeah, Mr. Ypsi has seen many more games than cabonney ever did.  (Counting all sports, I now attend 5-10 games a year; and while cabonney pretty much couldn't watch games on the internet, Mr. Y watches one or more games almost daily during basketball season.)

You've turned yourself into a reasonable D-III fan. Still occasionally prone to excessive optimism and straining comparisons but not too different than the average fan there.

[Mr. Ypsi]

Pat, I know you were never a fan of them, so maybe it is an intentional change, but the emoticon pictures haven't functioned for several days now.  Expecting me to communicate without them is like asking an Italian guy to communicate with his hands tied behind his back!

[Pat Coleman]

Pat, I know you were never a fan of them, so maybe it is an intentional change, but the emoticon pictures haven't functioned for several days now.  Expecting me to communicate without them is like asking an Italian guy to communicate with his hands tied behind his back!

Is that true? They work for me. What happens if you hit shift-refresh?

[John Gleich]

Pat, I know you were never a fan of them, so maybe it is an intentional change, but the emoticon pictures haven't functioned for several days now.  Expecting me to communicate without them is like asking an Italian guy to communicate with his hands tied behind his back!

Is that true? They work for me. What happens if you hit shift-refresh?

They all work for me... Except for the  and the  For some reason those aren't working.

[Pat Coleman]

Sad face is a known bug I need to fix -- basically the icon got deleted at some point.

[NCF]

Pat, I know you were never a fan of them, so maybe it is an intentional change, but the emoticon pictures haven't functioned for several days now.  Expecting me to communicate without them is like asking an Italian guy to communicate with his hands tied behind his back!

They don't work for me either.