MBB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[Gregory Sager]

3. Jack Merrithey's steady play and his being he primary director of the revived offense during the 2nd half. For good measure, Jack threw in 8 points, and had a team leading 4 steals.

I've been very impressed with the way that Merrithey has been playing lately. A number of us commented in the middle of the CCIW season how NCC was being handicapped at the point guard position by the inability of Brandon Williams to contribute anything at the offensive end. Since he became a rotation player seven games ago, Merrithey's averaged over seven points per game and is shooting over 50% (14-26) from the field. It's no wonder why he's become the team's primary point guard over the past three games.

[Mr. Ypsi]

I really need to use emoticons more I guess, because on occasion there are just too many fairly serious responses to things I assume will be identified quickly as a joke.

I certainly did not expect anyone to read that post about Mark Edwards and think it was serious!

     

Even the inclusion of emoticons is no guarantee that some readers will still not take a post as entirely serious.
There are some who seemingly can't take even 1 degree of criticism about their school, team, or coach.
I believe you have been guilty of this at times yourself, as have I, and almost everyone else.
I think the problem occurs with those who will take exception each and every time anything negative whatsoever is posted about their team----even if what is posted is true. 

Is it your intent to trash IWU fans in this post?

(here is the emoticon to show that I was not seriously suggesting you were) 

Definitely my intent to trash IWU fans, TitansIWU.
Thats why I included myself among those that are guilty of the offense I described.        

AHA!!  I always knew that AndOne was a secret Greenie!!

Deep, deep, deep, deep down.

[AndOne]

Mr-----

You're still a few "deeps" short. 
In fact that hole is sooooooooo deep, the bottom is unreachable. Thus it would be impossible to ever complete that particular journey.   

[A Lover of the Game]

I really need to use emoticons more I guess, because on occasion there are just too many fairly serious responses to things I assume will be identified quickly as a joke.

I certainly did not expect anyone to read that post about Mark Edwards and think it was serious!

     

I knew you were joking, which is why I responded the way I did.

[veterancciwfan]

My bad on the comment about St. Thomas and the "closest game." Mark Edwards is a class act. I really like the way IWU played the last 27 minutes Sat. against Transy. Victor Davis has a history of heating up once the tournament rolls around. And, if Brady Zimmer is close to 100% as he appeared on Mar. 2, I give the Titans a decent chance. Anything can happen. It's unfortunate that the 4-team pod format wasn't in play this year as IWU is a team that is built for back-to-back games. That was the original proposal submitted by the D3 Men's Basketball Committee which the Presidents Council turned down. I quote from the Aug. 13, 2012  News Release:

"The D3 Men's Basketball Committee had the first opportunity to suggest how best to mitigate the gap (time gap). Based on feedback from the D3 members of the National Basketball Coaches Assoc., the Committee at its June meeting proposed a week off between the selection date and the 1st and 2nd rounds, which would have maintained the pod structure D3 is accustomed to on the first weekend of play. That would have been followed by single games on Mar. 16, instead of the customary 4-team sectionals."

One of the good things about the 4-team pod structure is that 2 teams play on a neutral court in Round 1. That's much fairer than the home court advantage enjoyed by 32 teams last Sat. So now, there will be no neutral court games until 8 survivors arrive in Salem, with the exception of North Central vs. WI Whitewater. Yesterday's newspaper stuff, I realize.

I think North Central's odds of winning their Round 2 game were significantly lowered. I talked to several former IWU players and they were unanimous in stating that they disliked playing at Merner due to the open spaces behind the baskets. It's no coincidence that NCC's 3 losses were on the road. Plus, they played a sloppy game at Benedictine.

[kiko]

I really need to use emoticons more I guess, because on occasion there are just too many fairly serious responses to things I assume will be identified quickly as a joke.

I certainly did not expect anyone to read that post about Mark Edwards and think it was serious!

     

The 'bunch of softies' commentary was clearly in jest.  As to the rest -- well, the burden is on you to be explicit that this is sarcasm, not on the rest of us to read your mind. 

[AndOne]

3. Jack Merrithey's steady play and his being he primary director of the revived offense during the 2nd half. For good measure, Jack threw in 8 points, and had a team leading 4 steals.

I've been very impressed with the way that Merrithey has been playing lately. A number of us commented in the middle of the CCIW season how NCC was being handicapped at the point guard position by the inability of Brandon Williams to contribute anything at the offensive end. Since he became a rotation player seven games ago, Merrithey's averaged over seven points per game and is shooting over 50% (14-26) from the field. It's no wonder why he's become the team's primary point guard over the past three games.

Jack was recruited by NCC during the 2009-10 school year when he played the 2 guard position for Glenbard East in Lombard, and was one of the leading 3 point shooters in DuPage County. He ended up going elsewhere, but obviously had a less than totally fulfilling experience there. Subsequently, it was North Central's good fortune that he came back into the picture last summer, eventually enrolling and becoming a member of the basketball team.
Jack would not be one to brag, but in addition to his achievements on the basketball court during his HS career, he was the starting quarterback on the fb team and, I believe, a member of the golf team. His athleticism and versatility is evidenced by the fact that he is helping man the PG position at the college level after playing the 2G position in HS.   

[Gregory Sager]

3. Jack Merrithey's steady play and his being he primary director of the revived offense during the 2nd half. For good measure, Jack threw in 8 points, and had a team leading 4 steals.

I've been very impressed with the way that Merrithey has been playing lately. A number of us commented in the middle of the CCIW season how NCC was being handicapped at the point guard position by the inability of Brandon Williams to contribute anything at the offensive end. Since he became a rotation player seven games ago, Merrithey's averaged over seven points per game and is shooting over 50% (14-26) from the field. It's no wonder why he's become the team's primary point guard over the past three games.

Jack was recruited by NCC during the 2009-10 school year when he played the 2 guard position for Glenbard East in Lombard, and was one of the leading 3 point shooters in DuPage County. He ended up going elsewhere, but obviously had a less than totally fulfilling experience there. Subsequently, it was North Central's good fortune that he came back into the picture last summer, eventually enrolling and becoming a member of the basketball team.
Jack would not be one to brag, but in addition to his achievements on the basketball court during his HS career, he was the starting quarterback on the fb team and, I believe, a member of the golf team. His athleticism and versatility is evidenced by the fact that he is helping man the PG position at the college level after playing the 2G position in HS.

I would deem it more a matter of necessity than a matter of versatility. This is not a league that is kind to 5'8, 145 shooting guards.

[jaybird44]

Part of what I teach in my Written Communication for Business at Lindenwood is that one has to be very careful writing text in a kidding fashion, because the reader doesn't have the opportunity to see non-verbal cues as a way to understand the true intent of the writer.  And, if one doesn't know Q and Mark Edwards, it is too easy to assume that the "softies" remark was not meant in jest.

Given Q'a complementary stance toward Wash-U in the past, I was 95% sure that he wasn't serious.  Other readers may not have been that sure.  Hence, my response.

Let's just get to the game, which should be an epic one between two longtime respectful rivals.

[iwu70]

"Softies" or no, keep 'em laughing Q!   

Should be a great game on Saturday night in St. Louy.  Two top programs going at it for a Sweet Sixteen berth.

My question again, if IWU wins, and WW wins over NCC @Lisle, will the next round be @The Shirk?  Perhaps I missed the answer, so apologize in advance, for lazy posting. 

Sure wish I could be @Wash U this weekend. 

Lovely warm, sunny, clear-skied days here in HK, with the blue, pink and red azaleas gloriously in bloom all over the CUHK campus.  A lovely time of year (in HK) to be an innocent abroad, a Titan in exile.  (Yes, we even have snakes on campus here . . . and I don't mean university administrators!).

GO TITANS . . . hoping for a big travelling "Titan band" in St. Louis this weekend.

IWU70

[Titan Q]

My question again, if IWU wins, and WW wins over NCC @Lisle, will the next round be @The Shirk?  Perhaps I missed the answer, so apologize in advance, for lazy posting. 

IWU would have zero chance of hosting over NCC, and very little chance of hosting over UWW.  If the Titans win Saturday, they'll be back on the road for round 3.

[Titans4ever]

My very first post 
I have no idea if this will work, but here goes nothing.

IWU70
Sorry I have not learned to attach previous posts yet, but I have heard that the Titan Band will not be traveling to Wash U.  The reason is that there is no budget to take them.  I noticed the band looks smaller and found out that the NCAA will only allow a 25 member pep band during the playoffs.

I'm a band geek.

I have followed you all for the past 8-9 years and thought I would say something.
Time to slip back into oblivion.

[middhoops]

One cannot help but be impressed by this CCIW blog.  I am (don't hate me) a New England guy.  Worse yet, a NESCAC fan.  I came to your blog to see what goes on between the fans of teams in what most people know is the toughest D3 conference, top to bottom.
What I found was a first timer who fessed up to being a band geek.  One post, multiple positive Karma points.  Wow.
Hate to admit it, but the guys in my neighborhood may not have so generous.  I'd like to hope I would be.  You probably know that in stodgy New England we're not much on bands or cheerleaders or, well, non-vegan fare. 
Much as I hope our three remaining teams go as far as they can, it's impossible to root against people like you.
You maintain one very highly respectful and informational hoops blog.

[Gregory Sager]

Thanks for the kudos, middhoops. Please come back anytime and give us your two bits on what the teams in New England look like, the NESCAC in particular, as this is the time of year when every good D3 fan should be paying attention to what the tourney teams in other parts of the country have to offer. Of course, the NESCAC is always the circuit most likely to produce a Final Four team from that corner of the country, so any insight you might have into Middlebury, Amherst, and Williams will be especially helpful, particularly if one or more CCIW teams and one or more NESCAC teams make it to Salem for the round of eight.

[middhoops]

Thank you for the kind words and invitation, Mr. Sager.
If it's a simple assessment of the chances of the NESCAC teams you're interested in; that's easy.
Fear Amherst.  A lot.
Middlebury has been entertaining all year, but unfortunately their low SOS leaves them with no, and I am pained to admit this, but yup, NO quality wins unless you count Tufts and Curry.  They have a relatively easy path to Salem as they match up well against Cortland and Rochester but have huge holes offensively and can be knocked off by anyone.
Williams is a similar story.  They have a very talented scorer in 6-9 junior Michael Mayer.  Four other players are very dangerous and their coach is masterful at managing a game.  (You'll hate him for how he rides the refs, but it works...).  However, Williams is not deep, nor particularly athletic.  They can be beat by a good team.
Amherst (my least favorite of the teams, historically) is unique.  They have D1 athletes in Workman and Williamson.  Toomey was the NESCAC player of the year.  Kaasila is a 6-9, 260 beast who can't be guarded when he is determined to score.  The bench isn't deep but their top 7 will match anyone.
The Lord Jeffs (named for their founder, Lord Jeffrey Amherst) are the most athletic and physically toughest team I saw all year.  And I saw them eight times.

I've seen a few of your teams play.  Using IW as the example, I think they'd beat Middlebury, play even or slightly better than Williams, but have to play a huge game to match Amherst.  It's tough to guard a team that starts three players that can drain a three or put in on the floor and finish with elbow-high slams plus a physical monster and an all-america point guard.  You have to outscore them because they're just going to get their 80 or so points.

Anyone care to handicap your remaining teams so I can share it with the NESCAC faithful?