MBB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[Pat Coleman]

Bob - you are right. As long as teams have 18 of their games in region... all of the games will count.

So as long as a CCIW team plays 4 or more of 11 non-conference games against "in-region" teams (in the region itself, within 200 miles, or in the same administrative region), then all other D3 games will count.  Using IWU this year as an example, in the future the games vs Tufts, Hope, and Mississippi College would have counted.

If this is the case, I don't think losing HCAC teams from the CCIW's region is a big deal at all.  Finding 4 in-region teams is a piece of cake. IWU can schedule, say, Wash U, Chicago, Illinois College, and UW-Whitewater...and then not worry about where the other D3 opponents are geographically.

I will still push for adjacent states. I still think it's necessary, even with the rules changing next year.

[DMJSports]

Here is an interesting look at how individuals impact a team's performance.  The following analysis is not based on individual stats, but compares team performance with individual players in and out of the lineup.  This is an objective analysis using actual data from every game played by College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin teams this season.  Based on this comprehensive analysis, the following players are making the most positive impact on their respective team:

Augustana: BRANDON KUNZ in the game correlates to increasing Augustana scoring rate by 3.1ppg and decreasing opponents scoring rate by 7.3ppg - a net gain of 10.5ppg compared to when KUNZ is on the bench.  TAYVIAN JOHNSON (8.6ppg), BRANDON THOMPSON (7.8ppg) and BEN RYAN (6.6ppg) also make a strong positive impact.

Carthage: REESE HERTH court presence correlates to increasing Carthage scoring rate by 13.4ppg and reducing opponents scoring rate by 3.4ppg - a net gain of 16.8ppg compared to when HERTH is on the bench.  MARLON SENIOR (8.5ppg), TYLER PIERCE (5.9ppg) and DONTE LOGAN (5.1ppg) also make a strong positive impact.

Elmhurst: BRYANT ACKERMAN in the game correlates to increasing Elmhurst scoring rate by 12.3ppg and reducing opponents scoring rate by 5.5ppg - a net gain of 17.8ppg compared to when ACKERMAN is off the floor.  KYLE WUEST (12.3ppg), KENNY PAYONK (11.0ppg) and NICK SANFORD (6.4ppg) also make a strong positive impact.

Illinois Wesleyan: PAT SODEMANN on the floor correlates to increasing Illinois Wesleyan scoring rate by 11.7ppg and increasing opponents scoring rate by 1.0ppg - a net gain of 10.7ppg compared to when SODEMANN is off the court.  ANDREW ZIEMNIK (6.8ppg), MICHAEL MAYBERGER (6.5ppg) and KEVIN REED (6.4ppg) also make a strong positive impact.

Millikin: ELIJAH KINMON in the lineup correlates to increasing Millikin scoring rate by 9.1ppg and decreasing opponents scoring rate by 2.9ppg - a net gain of 12.0ppg compared to when KINMON is off the floor.  RODNEY CLARK (7.7ppg) also makes a strong positive impact.

North Central (Ill.): AARON TIKNIS game presence correlates to increasing North Central (Ill.) scoring rate by 8.4ppg and decreasing opponents scoring rate by 0.9ppg - a net gain of 9.3ppg compared to when TIKNIS is off the floor.

North Park: MARK HOLMES court presence correlates to increasing North Park scoring rate by 10.9ppg and decreasing opponents scoring rate by 0.7ppg - a net gain of 11.6ppg compared to when HOLMES is out of the lineup.  ZACH CASSITA (8.2ppg) also makes a strong positive impact.

Wheaton (Ill.): TYLER PETERS on the court correlates to improving Wheaton (Ill.) scoring rate by 9.7ppg and decreasing opponents scoring rate by 6.4ppg - a net gain of 16.2ppg compared to when PETERS is off the court.  NATHAN HAYNES (9.1ppg) and PETER SMITH (5.2ppg) also make a strong positive impact.


On the lighter side, focusing on secondary goals (team stats other than the primary objective - outscoring opponents).  Following are players making the most positive impact in these areas:

Team scoring: REESE HERTH floor presence correlates to Carthage improving its scoring rate by 13.4 ppg compared to when HERTH is off the floor.  BRYANT ACKERMAN-Elmhurst (12.3) also makes a strong positive impact.

Opponent scoring: KENNY PAYONK in the lineup correlates to Elmhurst reducing opposition scoring rate by 10.2 ppg compared to when PAYONK is off the floor.

Team field goal percentage: MARK HOLMES on the court correlates to North Park improving its field goal percentage rate by 7.7 percentage points compared to when HOLMES is out of the lineup.  ELIJAH KINMON-Millikin (7.0) also makes a strong positive impact.

Opponent field goal percentage: MARLON SENIOR on the floor correlates to Carthage decreasing opposition field goal percentage rate by 6.4 percentage points compared to when SENIOR is on the bench.  RODNEY CLARK-Millikin (6.3), KENNY PAYONK-Elmhurst (6.3) also make a strong positive impact.

Team made field goals: TYLER PETERS game presence correlates to Wheaton (Ill.) improving its made field goals rate by 5.1 per game compared to when PETERS is off the floor.  NICK SANFORD-Elmhurst (4.8), ELIJAH KINMON-Millikin (4.7) also make a strong positive impact.

Opponent made field goals: RODNEY CLARK in the game correlates to Millikin decreasing opposition made field goals rate by 5.7 per game compared to when CLARK is out of the lineup.

Team offensive rebounds: ANDREW ZIEMNIK in the game correlates to Illinois Wesleyan improving its offensive rebounds rate by 3.3 per game compared to when ZIEMNIK is out of the lineup.

Opponent offensive rebounds: DANIELIUS JURGUTIS game presence correlates to Augustana reducing opposition offensive rebounds rate by 4.0 per game compared to when JURGUTIS is out of the lineup.

Team turnovers: PETER SMITH on the floor correlates to Wheaton (Ill.) decreasing its turnovers rate by 3.5 per game compared to when SMITH is on the bench.

Opponent turnovers: DONTE LOGAN floor presence correlates to Carthage improving opposition turnovers rate by 4.4 per game compared to when LOGAN is on the bench.

Team steals: BRANDON THOMPSON floor presence correlates to Augustana improving its steals rate by 2.5 per game compared to when THOMPSON is off the court.

Team assists: NICK SANFORD floor presence correlates to Elmhurst improving its assists rate by 4.1 per game compared to when SANFORD is off the court.  KEVIN REED-Illinois Wesleyan (3.7) also makes a strong positive impact.

Team defensive rebounds: TOMMY PILACKAS in the game correlates to Millikin increasing its defensive rebounds rate by 5.2 per game compared to when PILACKAS is on the bench.

[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!

Great point.  In the game @NCC, the first half was good and involved passing.  The second half was not good and involved a lot of dribble drives.  Hopefully they've gained the confidence to stay patient with the ball movement on offense instead of putting their heads down and charging to the hoop.

I think the WC problem/solution with regard to any passing problems can even be further refined. Specifically, problem number 1 is Wheaton's over-reliance on Peters' dribble drives. Passing seems not to be the first consideration with regard to the preferred choice of ball movement. All you have to do to understand this is look at the NCC/Wheaton film from their recent game at IWU. Problem 2, is even more specific to the passing game itself in that if you watch WC, I think you'll see a large percentage of their passes are inside out (off the dribble drive) rather than outside in. Granted this is somewhat due to their outside shooting ability. Thats fine when the shooters are hot. On nights when they're not, WC struggles,
Thats why I think its not just the passing game that needs improvement at WC, but, specifically, the interior passing game. Look to get the ball inside a little more. I think Haynes could do more if he got more touches. Another thing that would help is the development of another inside player who could work an inside passing game in tandem with Haynes. Would make the WC attack that much more dangerous by further development of an inside game to complement their already good outside capabilities. JMHO.

Yep, and they will need to address the passing game in order to improve.  I just hop they put more attention on it now during the playoffs so their not forcing the offense and getting into foul trouble.

[sac]

A pretty big deal for the CCIW....

http://www.d3sports.com/notables/2013/02/regional-realignment-coming

Losing the option to schedule HCAC teams as in-region hurts, I don't think many are within the 200 mile rule.

Being in the same region with the WIAC is going to make things very hard on the NathCon/SLIAC/MidWest.  Not many open spots to rank teams when the CCIW and WIAC usually have 3 rank-able teams at one time.

But with the 70% rule coming next year, isn't any type of regional alignment almost a non-factor in terms of in-region games?

I understand the 70% thing coming next probably doesn't make the impact of losing the HCAC that big of a deal.  But if you're in the HCAC you are probably going to try and schedule as many Great Lakes games as possible for the regional comparisons.


I'm not sure its been discussed much on here but with the Midwest and SLIAC conferences adding teams your 'easy' options to schedule teams is getting smaller.  A lot of the HCAC would have been 'easy' options because they were in your region.

[Pat Coleman]

As a heads-up for those who don't already know, the Bracket Challenge is out! Our friends at d3photography.com manage our official picks contests:

http://d3photography.com/bracket_challenge/

Playing for pride, which means student-athletes and department personnel can participate.

[havej]

DMJ - thanks for producing the CCIW #s similar to the WIAC.  How does Derek Raridon from NCC amd Dylan Overstreet from IWU score in this system?

[DMJSports]

Hello havej,

Derek Raridon on the court correlates to NCC improving its scoring by 6.3ppg, but the opposition also increases scoring at a rate of 4.1ppg - a net of 2.2ppg compared to when Raridon is on the bench.

Dylan Overstreet's presence correlates to IWU improving its scoring by 2.9ppg but they also give up 3.7ppg more than when Overstreet is off the floor.

[havej]

DMJ - thanks again, supports my earlier MOP pick.

[Gregory Sager]

A pretty big deal for the CCIW....

http://www.d3sports.com/notables/2013/02/regional-realignment-coming

Losing the option to schedule HCAC teams as in-region hurts, I don't think many are within the 200 mile rule.

It actually doesn't hurt that much. First of all, as has already been discussed, the rules changes are lessening the importance of in-region games. Second, the CCIW and the HCAC don't play a huge amount of crossover contests when compared to, say, the CCIW and the NAthCon. The HCAC is well represented in Indiana, sure, but it's more represented in eastern and southern Indiana than in areas of the Hoosier State that are travel-convenient for the bulk of CCIW schools. You hinted at this with your comment about the 200-mile rule. In fact, because it's a league that basically straddles the Ohio/Indiana border, it makes perfect sense for the HCAC to be regionally aligned with the NCAC, which has a similar Ohio/Indiana orientation.

Being in the same region with the WIAC is going to make things very hard on the NathCon/SLIAC/MidWest.  Not many open spots to rank teams when the CCIW and WIAC usually have 3 rank-able teams at one time.

Being in the same region as the WIAC won't be a cakewalk for the CCIW, either. We've gotten used to being the alpha male in the Midwest pack. Now we're going to be snarling and baring teeth at a rival alpha male as part of the Central pack. This could be a blow to the CCIW's current advantages in regional rankings and seedings.

Bob - you are right. As long as teams have 18 of their games in region... all of the games will count.

So as long as a CCIW team plays 4 or more of 11 non-conference games against "in-region" teams (in the region itself, within 200 miles, or in the same administrative region), then all other D3 games will count.  Using IWU this year as an example, in the future the games vs Tufts, Hope, and Mississippi College would have counted.

If this is the case, I don't think losing HCAC teams from the CCIW's region is a big deal at all.  Finding 4 in-region teams is a piece of cake. IWU can schedule, say, Wash U, Chicago, Illinois College, and UW-Whitewater...and then not worry about where the other D3 opponents are geographically.

I will still push for adjacent states. I still think it's necessary, even with the rules changing next year.

I agree. Rules changes or not, it's still going to be a struggle for the MIAA schools (except Trine) to find in-region non-conference contests that don't require four or five hours' worth of one-way travel.

I understand the 70% thing coming next probably doesn't make the impact of losing the HCAC that big of a deal.  But if you're in the HCAC you are probably going to try and schedule as many Great Lakes games as possible for the regional comparisons.

... which means that realignment is a plus for the HCAC, because, as I pointed out, the NCAC and the OAC are better set up for HCAC travel.

The move of the WIAC into the region that contains the CCIW, MWC, NAthC, and SLIAC isn't really advantageous for the CCIW in terms of travel, because Wisconsin's a big, big state, and the WIAC is not really oriented in terms of the state's population centers (i.e., southeastern Wisconsin). And from the CCIW's point of view, the only school that's convenient travelwise to Chicagoland is UW-Whitewater. But the MWC extends far enough north into Wisconsin that it'll make things easier for the WIAC schools, even though the WIAC is more oriented to the western part of the state and the MWC is more oriented to the eastern part.

I'm not sure its been discussed much on here but with the Midwest and SLIAC conferences adding teams your 'easy' options to schedule teams is getting smaller.  A lot of the HCAC would have been 'easy' options because they were in your region.

Except that they weren't easy options, due to distance. What's the use in having Hanover or Transylvania or Mt. St. Joe in your region when those schools are a half-a-day's drive away?

A bigger problem for the CCIW than the loss of the HCAC as a regional partner and the expansion of the SLIAC and the MWC is the fact that the NAthC is now going to move from two divisions to one, with a corresponding shift in scheduling from single round-robin across divisions and a double round-robin within divisions to a universal double round-robin. That's going to gobble up a lot of potential non-conference opportunities for the CCIW. In particular, Aurora, Benedictine, Concordia IL, and Dominican are staples in just about every sport for the CCIW in terms of non-conference foes, and have been so since time immemorial. It's now going to be much harder for a CCIW coach to pick up the phone and call Keith Bunkenburg at BU, James Lancaster at AU, Tyler Jones at CUC, or Mark White at DU to set up a two-year series.

[AndOne]

Daily Herald article on upcoming 1st round national tourney games for NCC and Wheaton with an obvious error in the NCC portion. The author should be 

[Gregory Sager]

Why didn't you link to it, Mark?

Here it is.

Mark's right that there is a pretty glaring error within the first three paragraphs. I think I'll let everyone see if they can spot it, like one of those puzzle drawings in the comics section.

[Mr. Ypsi]

Yeah, I wish the tourney had gone more the way he says (though reverse the title game, too)!

[Gregory Sager]

Out of curiosity, does anyone know who all such teams are?  I'm pretty sure that Hope, Calvin, and Wheaton absolutely will not play on Sunday.  Messiah never schedules games for Sundays, but is willing to bend for make-ups or tournaments (so as not to inconvenience others, I would assume).  I would assume there are others, but these are the only ones I know about.

North Park teams will play on Sundays. I haven't heard of it being a bone of contention among Parkers for as long as I've been around, although there's plenty of people who would prefer that NPU not play games on Sundays.

I would imagine that the list of no-Sunday-athletics schools would include many of the D3 institutions on this list, besides the ones already named:

Baptist Bible
Bethel
Cairn
Covenant
Crown
Eastern Nazarene
Gordon
Greenville
Houghton
Lancaster Bible
LeTourneau
Maranatha Baptist
Northwestern
North Central (MN)

Except perhaps for Bethel (and don't know whether their policy is Wheaton's or Messiah's), I don't see anyone the NCAA is gonna have to worry about!  (Unless one or more of them is really good in a sport I don't follow.)

1. Things change, Chuck. Today's doormat might be tomorrow's powerhouse, and vice-versa. Don't assume that, just because these schools are mostly below the radar right now on the hardwood, they'll always be below the radar.

2. Yes, it's quite likely that there are sports in which these schools do well that you don't follow. Houghton, for instance, has been an NAIA power in the running  sports for a long time, and that strong tradition might carry over into D3 for the Highlanders.

[AndOne]

Why didn't you link to it, Mark?

Here it is.

Mark's right that there is a pretty glaring error within the first three paragraphs. I think I'll let everyone see if they can spot it, like one of those puzzle drawings in the comics section.

Holy c--p!
I can only hope it was when I answered a call from the boss telling me what train she was coming home on, and what time to be at the Naperville station. Just went back and hit "post."

I think anyone who looks will easily spot the error in the article. 

[Mr. Ypsi]

Out of curiosity, does anyone know who all such teams are?  I'm pretty sure that Hope, Calvin, and Wheaton absolutely will not play on Sunday.  Messiah never schedules games for Sundays, but is willing to bend for make-ups or tournaments (so as not to inconvenience others, I would assume).  I would assume there are others, but these are the only ones I know about.

North Park teams will play on Sundays. I haven't heard of it being a bone of contention among Parkers for as long as I've been around, although there's plenty of people who would prefer that NPU not play games on Sundays.

I would imagine that the list of no-Sunday-athletics schools would include many of the D3 institutions on this list, besides the ones already named:

Baptist Bible
Bethel
Cairn
Covenant
Crown
Eastern Nazarene
Gordon
Greenville
Houghton
Lancaster Bible
LeTourneau
Maranatha Baptist
Northwestern
North Central (MN)

Except perhaps for Bethel (and don't know whether their policy is Wheaton's or Messiah's), I don't see anyone the NCAA is gonna have to worry about!  (Unless one or more of them is really good in a sport I don't follow.)

1. Things change, Chuck. Today's doormat might be tomorrow's powerhouse, and vice-versa. Don't assume that, just because these schools are mostly below the radar right now on the hardwood, they'll always be below the radar.

2. Yes, it's quite likely that there are sports in which these schools do well that you don't follow. Houghton, for instance, has been an NAIA power in the running  sports for a long time, and that strong tradition might carry over into D3 for the Highlanders.

1. Yeah, I meant to type "...worry about any time soon", but somehow the last three words got left off.  Anyone with historical memory in the CCIW is certainly aware of that!  In women's hoops, IWU varied between bad and mediocre until 6 years ago when they suddenly went 66-4 over five years in the conference.  And, of course, the team that has won 5 of the conference's 6 national titles in men's hoops has of late fallen on hard times!

Actually, I do (somewhat) follow both CC and T&F, but do not follow it for NAIA, so didn't know about Houghton (but, then, I know so little about Houghton that I didn't even know it would be a candidate for this list ).