MBB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[Mr. Ypsi]

Wheaton has two in San Antonio this weekend.  Don't know if these games matter for tournament consideration, but they sure matter for confidence heading into conference games.

All D3 games now matter for tournament consideration.

Thanks. 
It sure would be nice to return with two wins.

I believe the conference battle this year will be highly competitive.  Seems like more teams competing realistically for the top 4 than in the past few years?

That is my take on it.  I see little hope for Millikin or Carthage THIS season (though Millikin seems on the rise and Carthage still has Bosko - alas, not his son!), but I foresee a six-way race for the four spots (and one or both or the other two getting into the battle would surprise, but definitely not shock, me).

I'll go out on a limb and predict that the four will be (in alphabetical order): Augie, IWU, NCC, and Wheaton.  But almost no outcome would surprise me - we seem to have no super teams but also no real duds.  (And despite my saying no super teams, I'll make a further prediction: the Final Four will contain a CCIW team.  You all know which team I'd prefer, but I'm not going to stick my neck out THAT far. )

[Gregory Sager]

(And despite my saying no super teams, I'll make a further prediction: the Final Four will contain a CCIW team.  You all know which team I'd prefer, but I'm not going to stick my neck out THAT far. )

You're not even going to quote us odds, Chuck?

[Mr. Ypsi]

(And despite my saying no super teams, I'll make a further prediction: the Final Four will contain a CCIW team.  You all know which team I'd prefer, but I'm not going to stick my neck out THAT far. )

You're not even going to quote us odds, Chuck?

Now, Greg - I am no longer that wild and crazy guy!

(The combination of that incredible line-up and being ranked unanimously #1 in late 2005 went straight to my head.   You gotta let me live that down someday - I was a mere kid of 57! )

Besides, I really suspect the CCIW will have a FF team - but think Augie or NCC (or maybe even someone else) has just as good a chance as my Titans!

[veterancciwfan]

Slyder is obviously a good coach. The quality of coaching is one of the principal reasons that CCIW b'ball is consistently good. Now, I sound like Tim McCarver, Mr. Obvious.  Regarding IWU JVs: IWU scheduled 21  JV games this season and several will be cancelled.

[Gregory Sager]

Slyder is obviously a good coach. The quality of coaching is one of the principal reasons that CCIW b'ball is consistently good. Now, I sound like Tim McCarver, Mr. Obvious.

Actually, it's always worth repeating. Good head coaches are the key ingredient to the ongoing success of this league.

[Gregory Sager]

St. John's comes to Chicagoland this weekend for a pair of games against CCIW opponents. Tomorrow afternoon the Johnnies will be in Faganel taking on the Baines Boys, and on Saturday afternoon they'll pay a visit to the crackerbox to face NPU.

This will be an intriguing visitor to our neighborhood. St. John's teams are rarely outstanding, but always competent. This season the Johnnies are only 3-3 (a strikingly scanty number of games played by the weekend before Christmas), but they own a win over D2 St. Cloud State. Massey, which I'm still taking with a grain of salt at this point in the season, has the ol' Predict-O-Meter showing Elmhurst beating SJU by a score of 78-71 and North Park nipping SJU by a 76-75 margin.

I'm not taking the Johnnies lightly, and I'm holding out hope for some more tire-'em-out overtime fun from Faganel tomorrow afternoon.

[Gregory Sager]

Now, Greg - I am no longer that wild and crazy guy!

[Mr. Ypsi]

Greg, I just noticed that the NPU schedule on d3hoops.com has you hosting (Dec. 30) St. Mary's (Minn) at 5, then Indiana-Dabney at 8!  I assume at least one of those is incorrect, or you may have some players too tired to party on New Year's Eve!

EDIT: Nevermind!  Went to the NPU website and see that Indiana-Dabney is not there, but a game on Jan. 12 against Dayspring Bible (not on d3hoops.com schedule) is.  (See - sometimes I DO do my own research! )

[Gregory Sager]

Greg, I just noticed that the NPU schedule on d3hoops.com has you hosting (Dec. 30) St. Mary's (Minn) at 5, then Indiana-Dabney at 8!  I assume at least one of those is incorrect, or you may have some players too tired to party on New Year's Eve!

EDIT: Nevermind!  Went to the NPU website and see that Indiana-Dabney is not there, but a game on Jan. 12 against Dayspring Bible (not on d3hoops.com schedule) is.  (See - sometimes I DO do my own research! )

Starting off the New Year's resolutions a little early, eh?

Indiana Dabney was a last-minute replacement game. Dayspring Bible was a truly-last-minute replacement game for the last-minute replacement game. It's easy to see how that game contract was hurriedly put together at the eleventh hour this fall -- the Dayspring Bible game takes place on a Monday following a trip to Augie two days before and prior to a trip to Wheaton two days after. There's no way in the world that Tom Slyder would've scheduled that game for that date and that opponent if he'd had any other option.

[AppletonRocks]

What are the Vegas odds for a WIAC Final 4 team?  A CCIW team?  A champion from either league? 

[Mr. Ypsi]

Greg, my New Year's resolution several years ago was to never make New Year's resolutions again.  I'm finally keeping one!

[GoPerry]

Wheaton has two in San Antonio this weekend.  Don't know if these games matter for tournament consideration, but they sure matter for confidence heading into conference games.

All D3 games now matter for tournament consideration.

Thanks. 
It sure would be nice to return with two wins.

I believe the conference battle this year will be highly competitive.  Seems like more teams competing realistically for the top 4 than in the past few years?

I think these are 2 must wins for a 5-3 Wheaton squad if they hope to make the post-season.  When one considers how tough the CCIW will be this year(and every year), entering league play with already 4 (or 5) losses will make their Pool C chances much longer. 

They should be favored in both games although 0-8 Trinity 2 weeks ago actually led WashU on the road with 1:30 to go only to lose by 2 at the end.  And 2-5 Tex Lutheran basically playing a home game should not be taken lightly either.

A Thunder mini-reunion of sorts with Anderson H Coach Owen Handy as the Ravens are also participating in the Trinity Invitational.

[WUPHF]

They should be favored in both games although 0-8 Trinity 2 weeks ago actually led WashU on the road with 1:30 to go only to lose by 2 at the end.  And 2-5 Tex Lutheran basically playing a home game should not be taken lightly either.

Trinity also led No. 7 Emory for stretches before eventually falling by nine.  If those two games were indicative at all of the quality of the team, Trinity may be one of the best 0-9 teams of all time.

[markerickson]

I wish I could attend the game against St. Johns, but I have to pick up my kid from college.  I quickly looked at the opponent's roster, and they have some tall players.  Hopefully, North Park will press often.  Then again, maybe 5'7" Lake can stand in front of the trees and cause some sort of disruption.   

[AndOne]

Final from Lisle:

North Central 65
Benedictine 64


BU took a 1-point lead with about 0:20 to play on two FTs.  On the following possession, NCC's Jayme Moten hit what would end up being the game winner - a tough jumpshot in the middle of the lane that was well defended.  BU got a great look in the paint to win it but missed.

With a huge assist by Jayme Moten, this was truly the 'Battle Of Chicago/Maple Avenue staring Charlie Rosenberg.'
After venturing 3 miles east on Chicago/Maple Ave., North Central captured the Bill Warden/Tony LaScala trophy for the 4th consecutive year by a scant 1 point.
During the battle, Sir Charles employed an impressive combination of power and quickness in a variety of moves to post game highs in both points (25), and rebounds (9). For added measure, he threw in a couple of assists, a block, and 3 steals. Included in his repertoire were a deep corner three, several mid-range jumpers including a turnaround banked (purposely) jumper from the mid point of the right side of the lane, drives both along the baseline, and down the lane, and steals of 2 in-bounds passes. Rosenberg's performance prompted the BU announcers to say he is playing at an All-American level.

NCC took a 6 point lead to the locker room at the half, and increased that to 10 with 15:23 remaining in the 2nd. BU steadily chipped away at this deficit until they eventually took a one point lead at the 7:47 mark. The Cardinals rallied and led by 4 with 90 seconds left when Rosenberg made one of his in-bounds steals and fed Jack Burchett under the basket. BU's Kevin Rollins then finished on a tough layup and, after being belted by Burchett who fouled out on the play, added the and one to reduce the Redbirds lead to just one with 1:10 still left. After a NCC turnover and a missed jumper by BU's John Dodson, he rebounded his own miss, and BU called time with 25 seconds left. Upon the resumption of play, 18 seconds remained when Rosenberg committed his 5th foul against BU's Adam Reynolds who converted both ends of a one-and-one to put the Eagles back up by one, setting the stage for Moten's heroics. Taking the in-bounds pass down the left side, Jayme cut right at about the mid court line. Shortly thereafter he avoided a defender, and continued right until he approached the right elbow. Going up, Moton appeared to be bumped slightly thus causing him to be spun a little to his right while in the air. He lofted a soft shot up which rolled in off the left side of the rim providing the slim margin of victory after a driving layup by BU's Dodson rolled off the right side of the rim as time expired.