MBB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[A Lover of the Game]

I hope NCC beats "Midd" by double digits. I became ill from reading the NESCAC board....."Your Honor, I strenuously object". +K for Sager for trying to storm that hill.

Agreed!

It's gotten tiresome and boring, honestly. Everyone thinks their own conference is best, and there's no point in trying to "convince" someone else that they are wrong. Regardless of how the game ends, it won't resolve any of that "debate".

My comment is in support of NCC (at this point) and wishing them well.  I'm not trying to convince anyone of which team and/or conference I think is best. 

[Gregory Sager]

Also hope Baines gets the EC job.  John is a good guy . . . and bleeds green under that exterior.

'70, if Baines were to become the next Elmhurst head coach, I can assure you that he will cease to "bleed green under that exterior" forthwith. Your loyalty as a coach always belongs to your players, your team, and your employer. In fact, if your alma mater becomes an opponent -- as Illinois Wesleyan would be for Baines if he changed his work address to Faganel Hall -- you tend to have an extra incentive to beat them, and you approach that game with a little more verve. That's been the case for every coach who's come around to play against his alma mater in every instance I've ever known. (However, I don't think Bosko takes much extra pleasure in beating NPU anymore, both because he's been gone from the corner of Foster & Kedzie for almost two decades now and because beating NPU is no longer anything but routine for Carthage.)

[toooldtohoop]

Yes, thumping Middlebury real good would be nice.

Always good when a team from the no conference tourney Ivies beats a major, big, highly seeded team in the DI dance.

Seems to me the Tommies have a pretty good chance of taking the Walnut and Bronze.   Perhaps Wheaton will be feeling a little bit better if they do. 

IWU70

The Tommies are most certainly a very good team, but IMHO the Cardinals are better when they are playing like they did against IWU.  I think NCC brings it home.
Bigger question perhaps is if they bring the Belt?

[markerickson]

OT (clipped from the Chronicle for Higher Education) 

School District Covets Land Owned by Christian College

A school district in the Chicago suburbs is eyeing a 15-acre parcel that belongs to Wheaton College, in Wheaton, Ill., for a new junior high school and has suggested that if the college won't agree to sell, the district's Board of Education might try to seize the property.

The Glen Ellyn District 41 newsletter, dated March 13, said that the board would decide at its April 8 meeting whether to make a formal offer on the parcel. "If unable to reach an agreement with the property owner, Wheaton College, the Board of Education may decide to pursue its legal right as a governmental body to purchase the property without the owner's consent through eminent domain," the article states.

Wheaton, an evangelical Christian liberal-arts college, said in a news release that it "strongly opposes" the district's course of action.

"As a private institution, Wheaton College does not have the government's power to acquire property through eminent domain," the release said. "Rather, with careful planning and foresight, the college may acquire strategic property only when neighboring owners are willing sellers."

Wheaton bought the property, which makes up its East Campus, 16 years ago, and the college has told the school district that the land is not for sale.

[USee]

I hope NCC beats "Midd" by double digits. I became ill from reading the NESCAC board....."Your Honor, I strenuously object". +K for Sager for trying to storm that hill.

Agreed!

It's gotten tiresome and boring, honestly. Everyone thinks their own conference is best, and there's no point in trying to "convince" someone else that they are wrong. Regardless of how the game ends, it won't resolve any of that "debate".

I found it neither tiresome nor boring. I also didn't see Sager trying to convince anyone whose conference is best, he was engaged in what ended up being a closed minded debate with someone who had no desire to acknowledge the veracity of his points, which were based predominantly in fact. It's pretty obvious the NESCAC had an easy road to the elite 8 vs the CCIW and that was in large part due to the geography of the D3 landscape. That's not a statement on the ability of any of the teams or the fairness of the system, it is a pretty obvious fact. There is a lot of opinion baked in the commentary around those circumstances, but they are what they are.

I really like a well argued debate on both sides and Sager regularly provides fodder on both sides of issues, irrespective of his warped rooting interests. I found the NESCAC board to be closed minded and defensive, all clothed with a healthy bit of arrogance. Thus the desire for a drubbing. In D3 basketball, it may not be perfect, but it does get settled on the floor.

[blue_jays]

I hope NCC beats "Midd" by double digits. I became ill from reading the NESCAC board....."Your Honor, I strenuously object". +K for Sager for trying to storm that hill.

Agreed!

It's gotten tiresome and boring, honestly. Everyone thinks their own conference is best, and there's no point in trying to "convince" someone else that they are wrong. Regardless of how the game ends, it won't resolve any of that "debate".

I found it neither tiresome nor boring. I also didn't see Sager trying to convince anyone whose conference is best, he was engaged in what ended up being a closed minded debate with someone who had no desire to acknowledge the veracity of his points, which were based predominantly in fact. It's pretty obvious the NESCAC had an easy road to the elite 8 vs the CCIW and that was in large part due to the geography of the D3 landscape. That's not a statement on the ability of any of the teams or the fairness of the system, it is a pretty obvious fact. There is a lot of opinion baked in the commentary around those circumstances, but they are what they are.

I really like a well argued debate on both sides and Sager regularly provides fodder on both sides of issues, irrespective of his warped rooting interests. I found the NESCAC board to be closed minded and defensive, all clothed with a healthy bit of arrogance. Thus the desire for a drubbing. In D3 basketball, it may not be perfect, but it does get settled on the floor.

I am fully convinced that the CCIW and WIAC are the best conferences and that if NESCAC teams played them with regularity (postseason or regular season), they would struggle. But I have long abandoned trying to convince others who don't agree since people are just gonna believe what they're gonna believe regardless. Butting heads against brick walls has no appeal to me personally.

[USee]

I agree completely with that! I just found it enjoyable to read the back and forth until the board groupies voted Sager off the island.

[Gregory Sager]

I really like a well argued debate on both sides and Sager regularly provides fodder on both sides of issues, irrespective of his warped rooting interests.

Thanks, USee. The best bouquets are always the ones that have a stalk of skunkweed in them.

[Titan Q]

Article about a HS senior who has verbally committed to IWU...

http://www.mchenrycountysports.com/articles/2013/03/21/eea4bde5717c4af4997f4bf7403e00e7/index.xml

http://www.mchenrycountysports.com/articles/2013/03/15/57d20aaa1ff845a7a07108d72fc29677/index.xml

http://www.csnchicago.com/preps/turner-sparks-woodstocks-turnaround

[Gregory Sager]

It pleases me to see that my boy Dan Hill (NPC '91) is not only still the all-time leading scorer at Woodstock High, over a quarter-century after he last suited up for the Blue Streaks, but that nobody else has even come close in all that time.

[USee]

I really like a well argued debate on both sides and Sager regularly provides fodder on both sides of issues, irrespective of his warped rooting interests.

Thanks, USee. The best bouquets are always the ones that have a stalk of skunkweed in them.

I didn't want people to think I am in COMPLETE agreement with your views!

[Mr. Ypsi]

At halftime, NCC 40, Midd 37.  Vince Kmiec on fire with 17 points.

[magicman]

Announcers just stated that North Central was from the Colonial States Athletic Conference. during the last time out.

North Central has opened up a double digit lead at 57-45 with 11:19 to play.

With 1:09 left to go during another time out the announcers once again referred to North Central from the Colonial States Athletic Conference. Must think he's doing the Cabrini game. Pretty sad these guys don't know one of the most improtant facts of the contest. Other than not knowing which conference the team is from it was all in all a pretty good broadcast.

[Gregory Sager]

They just did it again.

Guys, the Colonial States Athletic Conference is Cabrini's league. North Central's in a completely different time zone.

Despite that, this is a pretty good pair of broadcasters.

[Titan Q]

North Central 77
Middlebury 65

Vince Kmiec had a career night, finishing with 31 points.  Landon Gamble added 19 & 7.

This game was not close in the final 14 minutes or so.  NCC was bigger and stronger than Middlebury and was clearly the better team.

Congrats to NCC on their first Final 4 appearance.  Good luck tomorrow against Amherst, Cardinals!  I think NCC has a great chance to win that game.