MBB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[iwumichigander]

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.

broadcasters were decent.  Buffering a little disappointing for these games.  Cutting off two consecutive broadcaster before the game was over --- amateur!

In my experience being on this crew last year and talking with the webstreamers... cutting off the broadcasters before the broadcast is over not the crew there or the broadcasters... that is something that is happening back at home base. I know this was brought up last year and it didn't happen. Last year, they cut us off almost immediately after the title and no one even got a chance to see the trophy (they at least solved this on the women's side, I think, this year). Not one person on the entire broadcast group doing the game knew Turner had done this.

Thanks DMac but Turner should know better

[AndOne]

Lull in the activities here in Salem following today's shoot-a-round and lunch.
Following article about last night's Cardinals win over NESCAC member Middlebury from the Roanoke, VA Times:(Couldn't link it)

North Central gets by Middlebury
By Mark Berman

The Cardinals pick up the slack for light-scoring All-American Derek Raridon as Vince Kmiec scores 31 points against the Panthers.

Friday, March 22, 2013

North Central's All-American player had just nine points Friday night.
His team still won.
North Central (Ill.) advanced to the NCAA Division III semifinals for the first time with a 77-65 win over Middlebury (Vt.) at the Salem Civic Center.
"We ran into sort of a buzz saw of a team," Middlebury coach Jeff Brown said.
North Central (28-3), which led the entire second half, will play Amherst (Mass.) in a semifinal at 8:30 tonight.
The Cardinals did not need a big game from swingman Derek Raridon, who was named a first-team Division III All-American this week by the National Association of Basketball Coaches.
"That's the sign of a good team," said his father, North Central Coach Todd Raridon. "That's happened before. It's not like we've relied on Derek to score every game for us.
"It's not just a one-man team."
Derek Raridon entered the game averaging 14.6 points but was just 4 of 10 from the field Friday.

Swingman Vince Kmiec had 31 points for North Central, however. Forward Landon Gamble added 19 points.
Kmiec "had a tremendous game," Brown said. "We were so concerned about Raridon and Gamble that maybe we lost a little bit of focus defensively."
Kmiec, who entered the game averaging 10.4 points, was 10 of 15 from the field. He was 4 of 7 from 3-point range.
"Every game it seems like the other team's defensive focus is on our inside presence, and it was no different today," Kmiec said.
"He really kind of put North Central on his back," Brown said.

North Central guard Pat Rourke, who entered the game averaging just 3.2 points, added 10 points and two 3-pointers.
"We really thought at times we could double on Gamble and try to get the ball out of his hands," Brown said. "The four or five times that we tried it, their execution was great. They found the open player. Rourke was able to stick a couple 3-point shots."

The Cardinals were ranked No. 3 in the final D3hoops.com Division III Top 25 poll of the regular season, with Middlebury ranked No. 7.

Middlebury (25-4), which reached the semifinals two years ago, was one of three teams from the New England Small College Athletic Conference to make the Elite Eight this year, along with Amherst and Williams. Amherst was the only member of the trio to win Friday. North Central shot 50 percent from the field in the first half and led 40-37 at halftime.
Leading 44-43 with 16:52 to go, North Central went on a 16-2 run to build a 60-45 cushion with 11:12 remaining. The Cardinals sank four 3-pointers in the run, including two by Kmiec.

Joey Kizel had 16 points for the Panthers, who shot just 35.5 percent from the field in the second half.

North Central outrebounded the Panthers 39-30.

"We ran into sort of a buzz saw of a team Middlebury coach Jeff Brown said." Yep, they did. 

Tough one coming up tonight against Amherst. Judging from watching their game vs Cabrini last night, the Cardinals will need to shut of the dribble drive/penetration of Amhurst's Workman and Toomey, and win the battle on the boards, with soecial attention to Amherst's Williamson.

Who'll step up for the Cards tonight? Not sure we can count on a continuation of the "Vinsanity" show. 

[devildog29]

The CCIW has had a team in the Final 4 the last two seasons...and neither was the regular season conference champion.

Only one of the last five CCIW teams to make the Final Four was a conference champion (Carthage, '02).

In fact, of the last nine times that the CCIW has had multiple teams in the tourney, on six of those occasions a team other than the conference champion has gone deeper into the tourney than the champion. And another year ('05) both representatives got knocked out in the same round (the first, alas). Only twice has the champion been the last CCIW team standing.

This has long been one of my favorites for showing the depth (and cannibalism) of the CCIW.  In 1996, IWU was second in the conference, second in the nation.  (In 1997, they were first in both! )  In 2001, IWU was 3rd in the conference, 3rd in the nation.  In 2006, IWU was in a three-way tie for 2nd in the conference; finished 3rd in the nation.  In 2012, IWU was 3rd in the conference, a FF team (there is no longer a 3rd place game).

The sentiment doesn't change Chuck, but since I was a student at IWU and attended both Final Fours in the 90's, IWU was actually 3rd in the Nation in 1996.  We have only made the Championship game once, in 1997.  Since you're a stats guy, I'm positive that with N=1, we can confidently say that when IWU makes the Championship game, we can't lose.......

[Mr. Ypsi]

OOPS - I knew that, but typed second anyway.  'Brain farts' seem to be becoming more common in my mid-60s!

[devildog29]

I really just wanted to be able to say we are undefeated in National Title games.........

[jaybird44]

Good luck to the NCC Cardinals and the CCIW v. Amherst!  Bring the championship belt back to the Midwest!

[Mr. Ypsi]

NCC trailed 22-29 at the half, but is on a run: 8-0, to take a lead with 5 minutes gone in the second.

[Gregory Sager]

I know it's North Central vs. Amherst, but it feels like North Central versus Augustana.

[Gregory Sager]

OK, kiko, I take it back. These announcers have not done the proper homework. They're making all sorts of mistakes that a broadcast team  that's assigned to cover two days' worth of games by these two teams should never make.

The mere fact that they're not even pronouncing "Amherst" correctly is enough to be annoying.

[TitansIWU]

What a weird game, even weirder ending.

Raridon looked so tentative like he didn't want the ball.

He was pretty well defended, but from my armchair player standpoint, sure looked like he needed to find a way, and didn't.

Just didn't seem like himself.

[Gregory Sager]

Congrats on a great season, North Central, and to Derek Raridon and Aaron Tiknis on their great careers.

[CCIWchamps]

The stats for NCC look like Wheaton's when Wheaton played @ NCC: 28% shooting, 7% on 3's, and only 52% on FT's. 

[lefrakenstein]

Congrats on a well-fought game and a great season. As an Amherst fan, I can't help but feel sorry for NCC fans given how that game was officiated. The refs completely prevented either team from getting in the flow of the game. Anyway, much respect to the CCIW, you guys are a passionate bunch!

[iwu70]

I watched about 2/3s of the Amherst NCC game, before I had to go out, and that was UGLY.  Both teams looking tentative, no one really playing all that well, both teams, esp. NCC, shooting it very poorly.  Perhaps it was the defense, more likely the rim or backdrop, nerves? or the lack of flow, as some mentioned.  Lots of fouling, stopping, no real flow offensively at ALL.   If those teams played like Final Four teams, I guess I missed it . . . maybe Amherst put a small good spurt together at the end to win.  52-44 is not exactly an offensive clinic.  Guess one has to think that Amherst will now win the national title.  Was surprised with the MHB win over Tommies, too.  Guess I just don't know these teams very well.  Sure sad to see NCC go out on such a poor shooting night.  Only Gamble had a good night shooting the ball. 

Good season for NCC.  Congrats on CCIW tournament title and Final Four appearance, national semi-finalists!  Great careers by Raridon and Ticknis.  I have a feeling Raridon feels a bit like Dauksas felt on his Final Four performance, trip to Salem.  Tough loss.  Congrats to Amherst, but, frankly, they didn't impress in that game.

I hear six inches of snow in Blo/No today, so it seems IWU baseball, softball seasons have been slightly delayed.   Snowed out. 

Back to rugby!

IWU70

[Bucket]

Perhaps it was the defense, more likely the rim or backdrop, nerves? or the lack of flow, as some mentioned.  Lots of fouling, stopping, no real flow offensively at ALL.   

IWU70

The rim(s) and backdrop sure didn't hamper the Cardinals the night before! Sometimes teams just have horrid shooting nights, like Midd had the previous evening.