MBB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[Titan Q]

Everyone should take time to listen to the Hoopsville interview with national committee chair Mike DeWitt (head coach, Ohio Wesleyan) from earlier today...

http://www.d3hoops.com/hoopsville/archives/2012-13/feb25 - starts at 2:13:30


Great insight into the selection and bracketing process.

He calls the NCC/Wash U/IWU/Whitewater grouping the "bracket of death" and explains how they just struggled to avoid it.

Good stuff about Pool C picks too. 

[Titan Q]

I'm excited about the tournament.  As I've learned over the course of many years following IWU in the tournament, you can't avoid playing good teams.  It's a nasty road, but it will also be a lot of fun to watch.

[iwu70]

My congrats to all the All-CCIW team members.  Great job, wonderful play, amazing dedication to DIII basketball.   I think the coaches got it pretty much right.  Special congrats to Zman, Dylan Overstreet and Kevin Reed.  As many of you on this board know, I had faith in Overstreet early on and thought he could become an excellent PG for IWU.  Obviously, delighted I was right and congrats to Dylan on a wonderful season.  Zman is one of my favorites, like Eliud last year, so delighted too he's getting 1st team recognition.  A fun player to watch, with great basketball drive and instincts, even if not looking like a typical CCIW 1st teamer.  He got the job done for our Greenies.   And, finally, as again you guys and gals know, I thought Reed was a crucial part of the 13-1 season and was often under-appreciated, so very very pleased he got on and 2nd team no less. 

Congrats to Coach Rose and to Derek Raridon of NCC on their special honors.  Much deserved.  Q's instincts about MOP were, IMHO, correct.

Now, time to make some noise.  "Bracket of Death" looks so so tough.  Hate to see such matchups in round two, but there it is.  It is what it is . . . and has happened before, as Q rightly points out.  Looks hopefully like another trip to St. Louis for our Titans, assuming the Green and Wash U get through round one.  Mark Edwards, here we come yet again.  I think it will be a much more competitive game this time, compared to the meeting of IWU and Wash U earlier in the season. 

Hope all the CCIW teams make some noise and play well in the tournament.  Good luck to Wheaton and Carthage on the women's side, too.

Let the dancing begin.  Go TITANS!!!

IWU70 

[armywife]

Congratulations to IWU, Wheaton, and NC for their selection into the NCAA tournament. I'm disappointed that Augie couldn't pull off the win in the CCIW tournament to get in, but the Cardinals have played well all season long and they deserve the championship.  This is a definite out of conference question, but does anyone know why UMHB would get a bye over Concordia and a home game, since Concordia beat them in the final game of the ASC tournament? I guess I should outline my interest in UMHB. My daughter graduated from there; since we've retired from the military, we live about 3 miles from the university; my husband works there; and my son will be entering UMHB either this fall or next fall. So, we've become big Cru fans. I've been an occasional lurker on your board, but haven't followed too closely lately. I pray that you are all well.

[Mr. Ypsi]

Welcome back!

UMHB was 2-1 over Concordia, and had overall a better season-long resume - that apparently trumped the title-game loss in the conference tourney.  (And the bye was clearly to save a plane trip - by having 2 TX teams play each other with the winner playing the 3rd, only a flight in the 3rd round.)

Being a Titan fan, I was less happy how close Augie came to winning a spot than you are!   And the Titans are the conference champions; NCC won the tourney and therefore the AQ.

I'm straining to remember: I believe you had a nephew who was an Augie star (pretty sure on that part, but can't recall who)?

[Mr. Ypsi]

We do find ourselves in a Bracket of Death, but nothing like 2009 when IIRC 7 of d3hoops.com's top 8 were in the same quandrant!  WashU won that, then had a much easier time in the FF than in the sectional!  This time, let's avenge the loss and send them home (following which, we still would have presumably UWW or NCC).

NOT that I am overlooking Transy in round 1 - but as a fan I can look ahead all I want - I have confidence Ron and the guys are NOT overlooking them!

[bopol]

All-conference team is up.  Raridon MOP, Rose COY, Ryan Freshman of the year.  I think the choices are good ones.

http://www.cciw.org/sports/2013/2/25/MBB_0225134534.aspx?id=801&

As a Carthage fan, I'm glad that Thompson and Pierce were recognized.

Thompson played his butt off after the loss of Luke Johnson.  His CCIW play this year was the best I saw out of him in all 4 years.

Pierce was always a good passer and offensive shooter.  Again, he played hard in the CCIW play and was in better shape, which was needed because Carthage had no depth this year.

Good job guys.  It wasn't the best year for the team but I enjoyed watching both of you play for four years.

[Titan Q]

An article about Ron Rose's coach of the year award, and IWU's all-conference players...

http://www.pantagraph.com/sports/college/basketball/men/titans-rose-named-cciw-coach-of-the-year/article_ca9901f0-7fa5-11e2-8a42-0019bb2963f4.html

[AndOne]

An article about Derek Raridon, the CCIW Most Outstanding Player, and North Central's four all-conference players.

http://www.northcentralcardinals.com/news/2013/2/25/MBB_0225134809.aspx

[AndOne]

New D3Hoops Poll out............

North Central-------3rd
Wesleyan----------10th
Wheaton-----------22nd

http://d3hoops.com/top25/men/2012-13/week13

[armywife]

Hey Mr. Ypsi, thanks for the reply. I think I was referring to the tournament championship not the CCIW. To be honest, I haven't checked to see who won that, so thanks for the update. As far as UMHB getting to host and getting a bye, I was thinking the same thing minus the plane trip. I'm not sure how that all works. I'm just thankful for another home game to go to.

My nephew was Shaun Clements; he played for Augie. He loved his time there and made some great friends that he still spends a lot of time with.

It will be fun to see how the CCIW teams do the tournament. I will be rooting for them; I don't have a clear favorite. I hope at one of them gets into the final four or takes it all. I don't think UMHB will go deep into the tournament from what I have seen so far. One of their best players is out with an injury and if he doesn't make it back for the tournament, they would be a true cinderella team if they made it to the final four. It will be fun to see how it all plays out.

[shepherd]

IMHO:  The one thing that Wheaton needs to work on to improve is their passing game.  Seem like it is pretty good in non conference play but when we hit the tough conference defenses it goes to the way side every year.  I believe the deliberate dribble penetration game has effected the rest of the game.  The team has begun dribbling into the defense or dribbling while open letting defenses catch up.

If Wheaton will concentrate on less dribbling and quick passes getting the ball around the horn quick with in and out passes they will see more open shots.  Lanes would begin to open up even from the sides for dribble penetration. 

Wheatons had a great year and when the passing game improves the team will take a big step in getting better.

Go Thunder!

[veterancciwfan]

If it wasn't for the NCAA moguls (who care not one iota about D2 And D3 and probably couldn't pass a multiple choice test if you listed 5 D3 and 5 D2 teams and asked them to select which teams were D3 or D2), the 4-team pod would be intact this year and the dreaded "bracket of death" could have been easily avoided in order to whittle the survivors to 16 after next weekend's action. And, it's useless to add that in order to insure the genuine STUDENT-athlete approach of D3 (unlike the pretend approach of D1), the tournament should end on St. Patrick's Day weekend rather than 3 weeks later on Sunday, Mar. 7. I hope Wheaton winds up in Atlanta and forces the NCAA decision makers to either switch the D3 title game to Saturday or declare that Wheaton must forfeit!

[Titan Q]

A look at Transylvania's key players...

G - Tate Cox, 6-1/185 Jr -  7.7 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 2.0 apg, 30-80 3-point (.375)
G - Barrett Meyer, 6-2/205 Sr - 14.5 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 1.2 apg, 70-159 3-point (.440)
F - Brandon Rash, 6-3/220 Sr - 14.5 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 2.9 apg, 76-136 FT (.559)
F - Ethan Spurlin, 6-4/215 Sr -  16.5 ppg, 7.6 rpg, 2.0 apg, 116-157 FT (.739)
F - Parker Stansberry, 6-6/195 Fr - 9.2 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 1.2 apg, 45-110 3-point (.409)

G/F - Taylor Botkin, 6-1/205 Sr -  3.3 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 1.5 apg
G - Trey Buettel, 6-1/200 Sr - 2.6 ppg
G - Nick Fudge, 5-9/170 Sr - 1.5 ppg, 1.0 apg

Roster - http://www.transysports.com/roster.aspx?path=mbball


I've watched Transylvania play online several times this year.  They are a very good team - very balanced in terms of inside/outside play, and guys who can get to the basket.  Brandon Rash is a stud - picture Eric Dortch's frame and athleticism, but add strong ball-handling and overall offensive skills.  He's incredibly athletic and gets into the lane, where he can make a 15-footer or get to the basket.  He can also post up a smaller defender.

IWU's big advantages in this matchup will be size and depth.  The Titans will be bigger, stronger, and more physical in the post, regardless of the combinations on the floor.   IWU is also a lot deeper team, easily playing 10 or 11 guys if needed.  Transy primarily plays a rotation of 8.

The Titans will have to play well to win this game.

[veterancciwfan]

IWU has to hope history doesn't repeat itself as the last time IWU hosted a tournament game, the result was a loss to Hanover in March 2005. Now IWU gets a chance to beat another team from the Heartland Conf. on Saturday at Shirk.