MBB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[Naperick]

I would like to wish a very Happy Birthday to our very own, Titan Q! Thanks for all of your hard work and support for D3 athletics, especially the CCIW.

Happy Birthday, Q!

[AndOne]

CBSSports.com article on the Grinnell situation:

www.cbssports.com/general/writer/gregg-doyel/24249089/not-easy-for-grinnell-gunner-to-score-100plus-till-coach-makes-it-so

Not easy for Grinnell gunner to score 100 plus, til coach makes it so.

Arseneault sees what he sees and does what he does, dipping down into the NCCAA or Christian Scientist ranks for games -- and when he has a severely outclassed foe, he unleashes Jack Taylor for maximum search engine optimization.

You'd like to think Jack Taylor is embarrassed about what Arseneault keeps asking him to do, but who knows?

This is a circus and Arseneault is the ringmaster

[Titan Q]

Final from Dubuque, IA...

Loras 74
Wheaton 73


Wow.

[Titan Q]

Final from Platteville, WI...

UW-Platteville 67
Augustana 57

[izzy stradlin]

Final from Dubuque, IA...

Loras 74
Wheaton 73


Wow.

Wow is right.   I watched and would give analysis but the video feed was horrible and I could hardly tell what I was watching.  I missed many possessions because the camera didn't pan over (including Wheaton's final shot to win).

[iwu70]

NPU lost tonight too.  Surprised to see Wheaton lose at Loras.  IWU has them on Saturday night.  I thought Augie would beat UW-Plattville.  So much for my predictions for tonight!

'70

[Titan Q]

Here is the Wheaton/Loras box...

http://www.duhawks.com/stats/2013-14/Basketball%20M/g02-whea.htm


* Wheaton got points from one player off the bench - guard Michael Kvam (9 pts).

* Starting PF Michael Berg had 2 points and 2 rebounds in 24 minutes.


Loras lost at home to Rockford a few days ago.

[Titan Q]

Platteville/Augie boxscore - http://athletics.uwplatt.edu/sports/mbkb/2013-14/Stats/uwpmbb03.htm

[AndOne]

Here is the Wheaton/Loras box...

http://www.duhawks.com/stats/2013-14/Basketball%20M/g02-whea.htm


* Wheaton got points from one player off the bench - guard Michael Kvam (9 pts).

* Starting PF Michael Berg had 2 points and 2 rebounds in 24 minutes.


Loras lost at home to Rockford a few days ago.

The fact Loras lost to Rockford at home makes their win over the Wheaties even that much more remarkable.
According to the play by play, Tyler Peters turned the ball over with 35 seconds left and Wheaton up by 1. Nate Haynes then committed a foul with 8 seconds left. Loras' Nathaniel Smith converted both shots for the 74-73 win. Tyler Peter then missed a layup at the buzzer.

The jury is still out---way out---on Berg.

[iwu70]

Looks like Wheaton got caught in the first game of a foul fest -- 5 WC players had 4 fouls.  Loras shot lots of FTs.

'70

[iwu70]

Looks like Augie got blitzed in the first half, being down 12 at the intermission.  Surprisingly, they got out-rebounded too, by 10.

Not a good night for the CCIW.

IWU'70

[izzy stradlin]

Here is the Wheaton/Loras box...

http://www.duhawks.com/stats/2013-14/Basketball%20M/g02-whea.htm


* Wheaton got points from one player off the bench - guard Michael Kvam (9 pts).

* Starting PF Michael Berg had 2 points and 2 rebounds in 24 minutes.


Loras lost at home to Rockford a few days ago.

The fact Loras lost to Rockford at home makes their win over the Wheaties even that much more remarkable.
According to the play by play, Tyler Peters turned the ball over with 35 seconds left and Wheaton up by 1. Nate Haynes then committed a foul with 8 seconds left. Loras' Nathaniel Smith converted both shots for the 74-73 win. Tyler Peter then missed a layup at the buzzer.

The jury is still out---way out---on Berg.

Boxscore looks similar to games from last year.     45 pts from Peters and Teuscher but 9 TO's for Peters.   Not much else remarkable from the rest of the roster.   Berg and Joel Smith combined for 2 pts and 3 rebounds in 29 minutes. 

I guess that I hope the jury stays out on Berg.   I am more worried about them coming back with the verdict I don't want.

[AndOne]

Yikes, we already have NCC, Wheaton, and Augie with unexpected losses this season. 

[bopol]

CBSSports.com article on the Grinnell situation:

www.cbssports.com/general/writer/gregg-doyel/24249089/not-easy-for-grinnell-gunner-to-score-100plus-till-coach-makes-it-so

Not easy for Grinnell gunner to score 100 plus, til coach makes it so.

Arseneault sees what he sees and does what he does, dipping down into the NCCAA or Christian Scientist ranks for games -- and when he has a severely outclassed foe, he unleashes Jack Taylor for maximum search engine optimization.

You'd like to think Jack Taylor is embarrassed about what Arseneault keeps asking him to do, but who knows?

This is a circus and Arseneault is the ringmaster

Ok, does anyone else find the article unintentionally hilarious?

"If I'd known that's the way they played," Carson said, "I'm not sure I'd have said yes."

That's the AD from Crossroads... who seemed shocked to learn that Grinnell tries to score lots of points.  Like he never heard of Grinnell before...

And so, they see this go on, they are signed for a game the next year, and it doesn't occur to them that maybe they should come up with a plan to shut this down.  Like, you know, coach the team.  I coach frakking middle school girls soccer and I can take any dud of an athlete and get mileage out of her by draping her on the opposing team's best player.  It's really not hard.  Except at Crossroads.

"I talked to their coach beforehand," the younger Arseneault said. "He said they had a little bit of a limited roster."

Ok, then.  I usually reveal my weaknesses to opposing coachs, too.  Hey, coach, my left defender has stomach flu - just letting you know.

Grinnell pressed from the opening tap, and Arseneault stationed Taylor atop the press to defend the inbounds play and double-team the recipient of the entry pass

Yes, that's what they do.  You could pick that up by watching footage of any of their previous games from the last twenty years.  Any single one. 

"It was hard for us to guard him," A.J. Carson said. "They called ticky-tack fouls on him [Taylor went to the line 17 times], and we were shorthanded as it was. Last thing we'd want to do is finish the game with four players, knowing full well they'd probably press us with four."

Now, this is a prime example of poor coaching.  If they are calling ticky tack fouls, you go out there and Rosenburg the kid.  Nail him once really good.  That way, you know you deserved the foul that was called and he'll remember that.

David N. Arseneault said scheduling Crossroads was necessary because "Division III teams won't play us. We'll make hundreds of calls to fill a five-game non-conference schedule. A couple of years ago we played just four games because we couldn't fill it."

They really do avoid the CCIW now, don't they?  I remember watching them play Carthage about five years ago, but maybe it was more. 

At what point do you feel embarrassed about what you're doing to overmatched teams?

"At what point do I ..." David N. Arseneault's voice trailed off. "I'm not sure I understand your question."

And the article ends with Gregg Doyle showing how he is a gutsy reporter.  Yep, never saw a team in college basketball take advantage of another.  Not going to call out Duke or Michigan St.  Grinnell is the problem.

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

Wow... calling out a coach of a school of just hundreds... on an athletic budget of pennies... is bush league. Did it ever occur to you that in the world of Crossroads, knowing what that school does isn't a priority? In fact, they probably did know the system that school runs, but probably didn't know until last year that they like to take teams like Crossroads and use them mockingly in an attempt to break a record or get headlines... but once they did know that, which they did, they also realize they need the money so they still take the money that school paid them. By the way, when is the last time ANYONE heard of a Division III school paying another school to come play them that wasn't related to a tournament (i.e. to help offset hotel and transportation costs)? Division I schools pay other Division I's along with Division II and Division III schools to come to their arenas all the time - but do you see them use a lesser opponent in those cases to try and break records? In fact, most of the starters in those games are on the bench most of the game.

Blame the opposing coach... that takes some guts. It is about the student-athlete experience, even for a school that isn't in Division III... and that school decided to use that lack of experience and ability to humiliate them.