MBB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[AndOne]

Final D3Hoops poll out.

After making the Final Four and, I believe, holding national champ Amherst to its lowest point total of the year in the semifinals, North Central finishes the best season in Cardinal history at 28-4, and ranked 3rd in the country.

Fellow CCIW members Wesleyan and Wheaton finish 9th and 24th respectively.

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

[Mr. Ypsi]

I guess there were just too many voters who think a second place finish is automatically #2 in the poll.  IMO, it should have been NCC #2, UMHB #3.  NCC's overall season was much superior, they each beat some outstanding teams in the tourney, and each lost ONLY to Amherst, with UMHB's loss by more than twice as much as the Cards'.

Oh well, congratulations on #3 (even if I think it should've been #2 )!

[Naperick]

Yep!  Cardinals should have been second.

[Naperick]

I think IWU, Wheaton, and Whitewater are better than their final rankings, too.

[unanimous22]

Agree, MHB is NOT the 2nd best team in the country.

[kiko]

I guess there were just too many voters who think a second place finish is automatically #2 in the poll.  IMO, it should have been NCC #2, UMHB #3.  NCC's overall season was much superior, they each beat some outstanding teams in the tourney, and each lost ONLY to Amherst, with UMHB's loss by more than twice as much as the Cards'.

Oh well, congratulations on #3 (even if I think it should've been #2 )!

My loyalties on this board are well-known, but if we're using this logic, I still place the Sons of Warden third, and slot the Tommies ahead of them.  They did lose to Mary Hardin Baylor but I would judge their season superior to all but Amherst's based on the full body of work.  So I have no issue with the third place ranking.

Congrats to the Cardinals on a stellar season, and to seniors Derek Raridon and Aaron Tiknis for outstanding careers.

Prior to this season, I would have said the three most important players in the program's history are Bill Warden (as a player), Tony Jordan, and Robert Brown.  All helped pull the program to a higher level over the course of their careers.  I'll add Derek Raridon's name to that list based on the Cardinals' progress over the past four years.  Just don't ask me to rank them. 

The task now:  transform what was an outstanding season into an outstanding beginning for the returning players and coaches.

[Mr. Ypsi]

kiko, the early returns on the posters poll may go your way.  So far, Tommies #2, NCC #3, UMHB #4.

Because of the h-to-h, I'm personally sticking with 2. NCC. 3. UNHB, 4. St. Thomas.

[AndOne]

St. Thomas

Record of conference opponents-----------120-136
Record of non-conference opponents-------87-49
Record of opponents in tournament--------122-29
Opponents total records---------------------329-214

North Central

Record of conference opponents-----------95-89
Record of non-conference opponents----159-126
Record of opponents in tournament------123-23
Opponents total records-------------------376-238

St. Thomas opponents won 60.6% of their games. North Central opponents won 61.2% of their games.

Other teams in the MIAC had a combined record of of 16 games under .500 while others in the CCIW were 6 games over.
Not sure of the placement of St Thomas' non-conf opponents at the time they played, but NCC played #7 Hope, and #10 Ramapo in non-conf games. During the conference portion of the season NCC played teams ranked #8, #17, #16, #25, and #3. In the conference tourney they played #20. And in the tournament they played #5, #10, #7, and the #2 team which went on to win the national championship. 

(As with the D3Hoops poll voters) I'm not sure how the above equates with the placement of St. Thomas above North Central.
Body of work.   

[Titan Q]

North Central recruit...

http://www.sj-r.com/sports/x1037533897/Prep-scoops-Boys-basketball-Plains-Gustafson-picks-North-Central

[Gregory Sager]

Sounds like 6'5 Downer Grove South forward Scott McNellis has chosen Carthage.

[AndOne]

North Central recruit...

http://www.sj-r.com/sports/x1037533897/Prep-scoops-Boys-basketball-Plains-Gustafson-picks-North-Central

Alex Gustafson, a senior forward from Pleasant Plains High School, has committed to play for North Central College in Naperville.

The 6-foot-6 Gustafson led Plains in rebounding (7.2 per game) and was No. 2 in scoring (13.4 per game) as he helped the Cardinals to a 28-2 record. He also shot 63 percent from the field.
IBCA 4th team All-State.

Already a CARDINAL even before arriving in Naperville.   

[kiko]

St. Thomas

Record of conference opponents-----------120-136
Record of non-conference opponents-------87-49
Record of opponents in tournament--------122-29
Opponents total records---------------------329-214

North Central

Record of conference opponents-----------95-89
Record of non-conference opponents----159-126
Record of opponents in tournament------123-23
Opponents total records-------------------376-238

St. Thomas opponents won 60.6% of their games. North Central opponents won 61.2% of their games.

Other teams in the MIAC had a combined record of of 16 games under .500 while others in the CCIW were 6 games over.
Not sure of the placement of St Thomas' non-conf opponents at the time they played, but NCC played #7 Hope, and #10 Ramapo in non-conf games. During the conference portion of the season NCC played teams ranked #8, #17, #16, #25, and #3. In the conference tourney they played #20. And in the tournament they played #5, #10, #7, and the #2 team which went on to win the national championship. 

(As with the D3Hoops poll voters) I'm not sure how the above equates with the placement of St. Thomas above North Central.
Body of work. 

The extent to which teams were over- or under-rated during mid-season polls is pretty much irrelevant IMO.  The OWP you mention is essentially a push.  And conference opponents' winning percentage says as much about their strength of schedule as it does their overall acumen.

It's qualitative.  My opinion differs from yours.  Life goes on.

[Mr. Ypsi]

Based on both total accomplishments and on tourney results, I'm quite comfortable saying NCC is #2.  Whether #3 should be UMHB or St. Thomas is dicier.  UST certainly had the better overall record, but UMHB won when it counted most.  I'm agnostic as to their placement (though, having to choose for my PP ballot, I went with h-to-h).  But NCC had an overall season at least equal to UST's, and lost only to #1 Amherst (by 8), while UST lost to UMHB who lost to Amherst (by 17).

But I seem to have been outvoted in the Posters' Poll.  Barring a run tomorrow (I'll post results tomorrow evening), it will be 1. Amherst, 2. UST, 3. NCC, 4. UMHB.

[ICUI4CU]

Per Twitter, PG Austin Amann has committed to Illinois Wesleyan.

https://twitter.com/Coach_Victor33

So far, to the public knowledge, Wesleyan now has landed two recruits:

CG Jordan Turner (Woodstock High School)
PG Austin Amann (Elk Grove High School)

[Titan Q]

Per Twitter, PG Austin Amann has committed to Illinois Wesleyan.

https://twitter.com/Coach_Victor33

So far, to the public knowledge, Wesleyan now has landed two recruits:

CG Jordan Turner (Woodstock High School)
PG Austin Amann (Elk Grove High School)

http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20130307/sports/703079887/print/

Austin Amann   Elk Grove

The backbone of the Elk Grove program the last two seasons, Amann put the finishing touches on an outstanding career that he ended as the school's all-time leading scorer, all-time assists leader and second all-time in rebounds. This year he averaged 18.9 points, 6.6 rebounds and drained 48 3's. "The thing I was most impressed about with Austin was his all-around play," said coach Anthony Furman. "It wasn't just scoring. He did a little bit of everything. Whatever we asked him to do, he did, and did it without consequence."