MBB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[iwu70]

"mute" or moot, what does it matter -- I was only speculating, just dream'in about the Titan men's rotation for next year, anyway! 

Down to business -- IWU vs. NPU at home Wednesday night -- for a share of the CCIW regular season championship. 

I take Greg's point and thorough documentation about Mssr. Henry and his scoring prowess.  It's still going to be very difficult to find a place for him on the All-CCIW first team. 

IWU70

[Titan Q]

Greg, what happened to Aaron Weaver?  I see he is no longer on the North Park roster.

[Gregory Sager]

He was kicked off the team prior to the Wheaton game last week. While it was never explicitly spelled out to me what it was for, my understanding is that it was for chronic tardiness. I know that on at least a couple of occasions he was late to pregame check-in in the locker room. He was given a lot of chances to change his ways, but it got to the point where even his teammates were complaining about it.

Tom Slyder did the right thing. As Matt Nadelhoffer at Millikin is also demonstrating, the proper way to rebuild a program isn't to simply get talented players to enroll at your school. It also involves establishing expectations and guidelines for your players, and then sticking to them.

Aaron is a terrific young man, personable and polite and a lot brighter than people give him credit. He comes from an impoverished and violent inner-city environment that I'm willing to bet none of us here on CCIW Chat can even come close to understanding, myself included. My guess is that when he was a kid nobody ever taught him things such as proper work habits, punctuality, or a sense of responsibility to a broader whole in which the broader whole comes before self. But that does not excuse his inability to follow team rules by being on time for practices and games.

I haven't checked in with anybody over at NPU yet to see how he's doing. Man, I sure hope that he sticks it out and gets that diploma, if not in May then next December. He's come too far to quit now -- and I know that he must be feeling pretty demoralized and despondent right now. As much as I agree with Tom that he did what he had to do as head coach, I feel for Aaron.

[Titan Q]

Illinois Wesleyan (20-3, 10-2) vs North Park (4-19, 1-11) - 7:00pm

(CCIW-only stats)

Illinois Wesleyan (20-3, 10-2)
G - Dylan Overstreet, 6-3/180 Jr (9.7 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 4.3 apg)
G - Pat Sodemann, 6-3/195 Jr (9.4 ppg, 1.9 rpg, 1.6 apg)
F - Mike Mayberger, 6-6/205 Sr (8.4 ppg, 3.0 rpg)
F - Andrew Ziemnik, 6-5/220 Sr (12.3 ppg, 6.0 rpg)
F - Victor Davis, 6-5/235 Sr (11.8 ppg, 7.0 rpg)

G - Jordan Nelson, 6-1/170 Jr (10.7 ppg)
F - Eric Dortch, 6-4/210 Sr (5.1 ppg, 2.9 rpg)
C - Mike Marietti, 6-8/245 So (4.1 ppg, 2.4 rpg)
G - Bryce Dolan, 6-0/160 So (4.0 ppg)
G - Brady Zimmer, 6-4/180 Sr (3.3 ppg)

North Park (4-19, 1-11)
G - Juwan Henry, 5-10/155, Fr (21.6 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 2.8 apg)
G - Garrett Gatz, 5-10/160 Jr (6.8 ppg, 1.2 rpg, 1.0 apg)
G - Jayquan Lee, 6-0/160 Fr (6.5 ppg, 2.2 rpg, 2.3 apg)
F - Joe Biko, 6-6/240 Fr (6.5 ppg, 3.5 rpg)
C - Nate Rummel, 6-7/245 Jr (3.8 ppg, 2.2 rpg)

F - Michael Hutchinson, 6-4/210 Sr (5.6 ppg, 4.7 rpg)
G - Ryan Hyrn, 5-11/175 So (5.1 ppg)
G - Reggie MgGee, 6-3/175 Jr (1.1 ppg)
F - Matt McNamara, 6-6/250 Fr (1.1 ppg)


Pantagraph - http://www.pantagraph.com/sports/college/basketball/men/iwu-men-eye-piece-of-cciw-crown/article_035248d4-fba3-51ad-8445-223c3a5769f3.html

WJBC radio - http://client.stretchinternet.com/client/wjbc.portal#

Live video/stats - http://client.stretchinternet.com/client/iwu.portal#

[veterancciwfan]

This is a heck of a league if Derrick Raridon and Brent Ruch can't even make the top 15 of IWU Shirk CCIW opponents. I thought both were spectacular players. Raridon such a complete package and totally unselfish. And Ruch was a man playing against boys in many CCIW games. Just dominating and unguardable. Might be ugly at Shirk tomorrow (it's not midnight yet in the twin cities). Massey predicts the final score of 99-61, with or without Aaron Weaver. Interesting number: Cabrini, whose strength of schedule is lower than a snake, fell from #4 to #17 with its loss last week. Ouch-talk about a hard landing. Massey has two teams IWU beat at the Hope pre-Christmas tournament ranked in the top 26: Hope at #24 and Wilmington, OH at #26. I like the Massey formula because it is mathematically unbiased. Its predicted scores are usually very close as Bob has posted several times this season. I doubt if IWU will score 99 tomorrow however; Rose knows someday (you can always hope for better days, Greg) the roles might be reversed. I wish NPU would get much better and able to compete-that's a better scenario for all involved, especially the CCIW.

[Gregory Sager]

I wish NPU would get much better and able to compete-that's a better scenario for all involved, especially the CCIW.

Tom, Cordell, Kevin, and Ryan are working hard at it. I think that the first year was a feeling-out process for Tom and Cordell in terms of figuring out how to recruit both for NPU specifically and with regard to the CCIW in general. They struck gold with Juwan Henry. Now they need to fill out a team around him, because the cupboard was almost bare when they arrived a year ago last spring, and there's very little in the way of CCIW-caliber sophomores and juniors who're currently on the roster to build around for 2014-15. I will no doubt be accused of wearing blue-and-gold-tinted glasses by saying this, but I think that they have a bead on some really good players who can instantly help the team next year. I'm very optimistic about what the future holds for the program, even though the present is painful to endure.

[izzy stradlin]

Re:  CCIW scoring champ and All-conference.

The most important stat in basketball has to be winning percentage.  Of the major sports (basketball, football, baseball), star players in basketball have the greatest influence on winning games.  Baseball is way different--there I'd have no problem giving the MVP to a guy on the last place team if he has the best numbers and I'd go even further to ignore W-L for pitchers. 

Points per game has to be one of the most overrated stats in all of sports.  Obviously there are many facets to being a good basketball player and scoring is a big one.  The idea is that ppg is a measurement of scoring ability but in reality it is a bad one--with too many confounders.  Without going into it more, just think of Grinnell basketball.

If you want to just look at scoring ability, points per shot isn't perfect but it's way better than ppg.  There are a few ways to calculate this and I like counting FTs as 1/2 of a shot (you get 1/2 the points so this makes sense).

PPS for a few of the scoring guards in CCIW play:
Henry: 1.06
Kelly:  1.23
Teuscher: 1.28
Peters: 1.15

I definitely wouldn't put Henry on the 1st or 2nd team.  We'll see how smart the coaches are. Just to show I'm not biased, I'll agree that based on those numbers, Peters might be a little overrated as a scorer, simply because he doesn't shoot FTs well.   It is the entirety of his game that still makes him MOP, IMO. 

Again, stats like these don't tell the whole story of how good a basketball player is, but if we are going to make an argument for all-conference based on a statistic, it's should be one much better than points per game.

[Mr. Ypsi]

This is a heck of a league if Derrick Raridon and Brent Ruch can't even make the top 15 of IWU Shirk CCIW opponents. I thought both were spectacular players. Raridon such a complete package and totally unselfish. And Ruch was a man playing against boys in many CCIW games. Just dominating and unguardable. Might be ugly at Shirk tomorrow (it's not midnight yet in the twin cities). Massey predicts the final score of 99-61, with or without Aaron Weaver. Interesting number: Cabrini, whose strength of schedule is lower than a snake, fell from #4 to #17 with its loss last week. Ouch-talk about a hard landing. Massey has two teams IWU beat at the Hope pre-Christmas tournament ranked in the top 26: Hope at #24 and Wilmington, OH at #26. I like the Massey formula because it is mathematically unbiased. Its predicted scores are usually very close as Bob has posted several times this season. I doubt if IWU will score 99 tomorrow however; Rose knows someday (you can always hope for better days, Greg) the roles might be reversed. I wish NPU would get much better and able to compete-that's a better scenario for all involved, especially the CCIW.

Be careful what you wish for.  Never forget that North Park has FIVE national titles; the rest of us together have one.

Better to keep that dragon chained in the dungeon.  (Sorry, Greg - fear, not hatred! )

Ironically, the CCIW men are viewed as one of the very elite conferences, while the women get little respect.  The women have THREE teams with the walnut-and-bronze.  Go figure.

[AndOne]

It would appear that even though Henry will likely win the scoring title, it would be a stretch for a freshman player which such deficiencies in the emotional and mental aspects of his game (slamming balls down and shoving opposing players and getting ejected) to be awarded first team all-conference status, or even second team for that mater. I think 3rd team all-conference would be the highest possible level he might be able to achieve, and even that is no guarantee.

You say that as though you have firsthand knowledge of what criteria each of the coaches uses when selecting players for the All-CCIW team. Perhaps Todd Raridon has shared his thoughts with you on that score, but I don't think that he represents all of his peers in that regard.

Lets just say my curious nature as an investigator led me to make some phone calls under the guise of being a reporter for a local newspaper. Of course, some of the coaches may change their minds between now and the date on which the voting is done.        

[iwu70]

Congrats to Tyler Peters of Wheaton and Zman (yes, Andrew Ziemnik) of IWU for their Academic All-American honors.  They are the two CCIW men players designated this year as Academic All-Americans, nationally or regionally.

Four women from the CCIW won the honor, including Stephanie Kuzmanic of Carthage as the Academic All-American of the Year!, in D3.

Guess it shows who is the fairer and more academically accomplished sex, at least amongst CCIW D3 basketball players.  Full story on the CCIW site.

Congrats to all these fine student-athletes.

IWU70

[hodes50]

My all-Shirk Opposing CCIW Player Team (1994-95 through 2013-14)... 

M.O.S.O.P. = Kent Raymond, Wheaton '09

1st Team
PG – Steve Djurickovic, Carthage '11
G – Kent Raymond, Wheaton '09
G – Drew Carstens, Augustana '04
F – Jason Wiertel, Carthage '02
C – Joel Kolmodin, Wheaton '04

2nd Team
PG – Antoine McDaniel, Carthage '03
G – Ryan Knuppel, Elmhurst '01
F – Chris Martin, Elmhurst '06
F – Tim McCrary, Wheaton '12
C – Landon Gamble, North Central '14

3rd Team
PG – Tyler Peters, Wheaton '14
G – Wesley Pitts, Wheaton '97
F – Rob Hamann, Wheaton '99
F – Rob Garnes, Carthage '03
C – Luke Moo, Wheaton '00

4th Team
PG – Matt Nadlehoffer, Wheaton '97
G – Malcom Kelly, Carthage '14
G – Rick Harrigan, Augustana '06
F – Derek Raridon, North Central '13
C – Brent Ruch, Elmhurst '09

5th Team
PG – Drew Wessels, Augustana '07
G – Ben Panner, Wheaton '10
G - Rick Alspach, North Park '00
F – Daniel Walton, North Central '07
C – Eric Smith, Millikin '97



Totals by school:

Wheaton = 9
Carthage = 5
Augustana = 3
Elmhurst = 3
North Central = 3
Millikin = 1
North Park = 1

Q- I haven't posted in 8 years probably, but I had to say something about the list.  No Adam Provance from Millikin?  I remember him having the all-time Shirk scoring record for a while before Crabtree and Coon broke it!

[Titan Q]

Q- I haven't posted in 8 years probably, but I had to say something about the list.  No Adam Provance from Millikin?  I remember him having the all-time Shirk scoring record for a while before Crabtree and Coon broke it!

Hodes, I didn't like his high socks...couldn't get passed it.

[hodes50]

Actually, I think Crabtree and Provance had a classic Shirk battle in the same game, I believe it was the last CCIW game of the season in 1996, if memory serves.  Bryan had 40 and Adam had 36 or something.

[Titan Q]

Actually, I think Crabtree and Provance had a classic Shirk battle in the same game, I believe it was the last CCIW game of the season in 1996, if memory serves.  Bryan had 40 and Adam had 36 or something.

PS  Thought about putting you on my All-Titan Shirk team...but then I remembered Bosko called you a "plower."

[toooldtohoop]

Congrats to Tyler Peters of Wheaton and Zman (yes, Andrew Ziemnik) of IWU for their Academic All-American honors.  They are the two CCIW men players designated this year as Academic All-Americans, nationally or regionally.

Four women from the CCIW won the honor, including Stephanie Kuzmanic of Carthage as the Academic All-American of the Year!, in D3.

Guess it shows who is the fairer and more academically accomplished sex, at least amongst CCIW D3 basketball players.  Full story on the CCIW site.

Congrats to all these fine student-athletes.

IWU70

Just curious....how are the academic all-americans selected?