MBB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[Titan Q]

Big Midwest Region game tonight in St. Louis - #24 Wheaton (7-3) @ #9 Wash U (7-2).  Definitely a lot on the line in terms of the selection/seeding process.  I'm sure both teams feel like this one is significant.

These are two very different teams, but I think they're very evenly matched overall.  Wheaton will have to find a way to rebound vs the Bears and deal with all of their size.

I'm interested to see what Wheaton's rotation looks like in this final game before CCIW play begins.

Massey says: Wash U 71 Wheaton 68.

[hopefan]

Wash U.... EXTREMELY limited after the first five...

[kiko]

I enjoy everyone's banter on the Pointers and also find it amusing.

Did anyone say Point was unbeatable?  If anyone knows, its Point fans that would be the first to tell you we don't have much of an inside game, both offensively and defensively. Individual vs individual, I'm sure there are a lot of teams better than Point. Athletically and individually, conference foe Whitewater is better. But, we have beaten them 7 or 8 times in a row, I think. We know Point is beatable, even those championship years with Kalsow and Bennett we lost games!

I'm reading a lot of ifs, ands and buts about NCC's loss to Point. Of course if they made this or didn't do that...

I think everyone is repeating what everyone already knows. LOL 

I have no doubt Point will not go unbeaten this year, I just hope they end the year on a 6-game winning streak! 

If you're reading that the Cardinals would have won that game if only they (fill in the blank) differently, then you're perhaps reading it different than intended, at least from my post.

The Cardinals had every opportunity to win that game, but missed a bunch of open looks late and didn't get it done -- period.

The broader point, though, relates to what Q noted above.  The Cardinals are a flawed team that is probably 50-50 to make the conference tournament this year.  They weren't particularly playing over their heads, and yet took Point to the wire by exploiting really soft interior play.  And Tillema was everything you'd expect him to be in the victory.

So the reaction you're seeing is to the idea that Point is unlikely to lose in the tourney, barring an injury to their go-to guy.  Point is a great team, but they were fortunate to beat a middling CCIW team with him healthy and leading the charge -- I don't know how you can ladder to this conclusion under the circumstances.

[WUPHF]

Wash U.... EXTREMELY limited after the first five...

David Fatoki is not Ben Hoener, but I would say that you got to give the team six or change the CAPS LOCK to maybe  italics.

Otherwise, welcome back Brayden!

[Greek Tragedy]

Did anyone say Point was unbeatable? 

Some of the comments above are related to this opinion...

I don't see anyone, IWU or others, beating them in the NCAA tourney unless Tillema is injured.

Fair enough Bob. I either missed or forgot that post. 

[Greek Tragedy]

A win is a win and it was on the road after back to back games, a flight home and then a bus trip south of the border. Point was primed for a letdown. 3 games in 4 days can take a toll on you. On the other hand, NCC was well rested after a 10 day layoff.

[AppletonRocks]

Did anyone say Point was unbeatable? 

Some of the comments above are related to this opinion...

I don't see anyone, IWU or others, beating them in the NCAA tourney unless Tillema is injured.

Fair enough Bob. I either missed or forgot that post. 

I said in the tournament.  They could lose 3 or 4 games in the WIAC.   

[sac]

Washington 84 Wheaton 80

http://d3hoops.com/seasons/men/2013-14/box_scores/20140102_bgqv.xml

[iwu70]

IWU pulls away from Franklin in the second half at The Shirk, winning 83-67.

IWU scoring:  16, 12, 12, 12, 10, 8 (Davis fouling out on a strange call with 12 + minutes to go), 5, 3, 3, 2.  You get the picture.  A great team effort and win.  IWU's depth (even with Zimmer sitting, Davis fouling out very early) on full display.  Dortch and Mayberger both with excellent games -- Zman the top scorer with the 16.

Nice to be 10-1 in the pre-CCIW portion.  Good numbers to carry into the conference race.  Augie also 10-1.

From all the banter and chat back and forth about Point and NCC and what this game tells us, seems to me it tells us clearly, obviously Tillema is a great player, but that Point is really not as good as the #1 ranking would indicate.  IMHO.

Yes, look forward to the Wash U-Wheaton result.

IWU70

[iwu70]

Wash U held Tyler Peters to 15 points.  Both teams shot it well, so a pretty high-quality game, it would appear, with Wash U taking the 4 point win at home.  About what I expected.  Massey was pretty close -- just a bit of a higher scoring game than they predicted.  A big loss for WC come selection Sunday time in late February, early March.

IWU70

[WUPHF]

Washington 84 Wheaton 80

Thanks to Wheaton for a great game; the best game we have seen all season in the Field House by far.  Back and forth and back and forth until five straight free throws from Alan Aboona broke a tie for good.  Wow!

Comparable field goal percentages though WUSTL was +6 in rebounds.  Klimek and Peters both finished with four fouls in 31 minutes, though foul trouble kept Peters on the bench for key stretches, while Klimek did not pick up three and four until later in the game.  Matt Palucki had a great game as well, though nothing like Caleb DeMoss who went 6 for 7 from beyond the arc and 20 points overall.

[toooldtohoop]

Tough loss for the Thunder!

Congrats to the Bears and especially Klimek.  Edwards did a masterful coaching job getting him the ball often and strategically.  The Thunder could never figure it out.

On to conference games, and it will not get any easier.  Millikin will be a challenging opener!

[Titan Q]

Andrew Ziemnik with double doubles in IWU's last 3 games:

vs Wilmington: 17 & 12
vs Hope: 21 & 11
vs Franklin: 16 & 12

[Titan Q]

From all the banter and chat back and forth about Point and NCC and what this game tells us, seems to me it tells us clearly, obviously Tillema is a great player, but that Point is really not as good as the #1 ranking would indicate.  IMHO.

I sure didn't hear anyone say that.  And having watched UW-Stevens Point play 5 times year, I certainly wouldn't agree.  The Pointers are very much a #1-caliber team.

[veterancciwfan]

Salem and its Chamber of Commerce would like to see WSP and IWU in the Final Four. That's what I meant. I have never had much faith that the D3 tournament decisions are fair and balanced (especially in regards to giving Midwest D3 teams, the power in D3, an equal chance to advance to the Final 4). Will there ever be 3 CCIW or 3 WIAC teams in the final 8 like the NESCAC had last year? I Doubt it.