MBB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[Dennis_Prikkel]

Thanks to all the posters on this site, I have thoroughly enjoyed reading your stuff this season.

So glad that North Park has returned to respectability after twenty years of wandering in the wilderness of futility and mediocrity. Let's hope that Coach Slyder can get them to the Promised Land of season long contention.

[Dennis_Prikkel]

Another serious question, of course you guys will call trolling:  Is it likely that only your tournament champ gets a bid?   

I think if elmhurst wins on Saturday at 21-4 they're in.  Angie is in already.  I think iwu has to win the tourney to get in.

[Gregory Sager]

Bryce Dolan has (deservedly) gotten the accolades for IWU in last night's game, but Mike Marietti has (undeservedly) been completely ignored.  He merely went 7 of 8 from the field - I was 'shocked' when he finally missed one, halfway thru the 2nd.

Marietti did a great job of finishing around the basket, for which he deserves kudos. But a 6'8, 245 center who only pulls down two rebounds in 25 minutes of playing time against drastically smaller opponents has something to answer for in that regard, too.

Valentine's Day dinner was not as satisfying as watching the second half of the Viking victory!

Don't let Patty hear you say that!

[Hoosier Titan]

Thanks, Greg, for your kind words earlier.  I'm sorry we didn't get to chat, but you were understandably busy!  Kudos to the Vikings, who earned that win.  As a Titan fan, I couldn't help hoping that the comeback would succeed, but it would have been cruel to the team that had been better throughout.

I'm not sure what to make of the way this season is coming to a close for the Titans--and it looks as though it's closing very quickly.  A few games ago they looked to have hit their stride but that seems not to have been the case. 

Both Greg and Titan Q have been very kind to iiwwuu, who seems to have joined in the last week and whose first two posts are highly critical of--one could say an attack on--Ron Rose.  The idea that a DIII coach--or ANY coach--could "hoard" players in the current higher education environment is absolutely absurd.  DIII players are not on athletic scholarships (and those are limited even at DI and DII).  All small colleges, including IWU, are finding it extremely difficult to cover the financial needs of their students and balance the books (and let's not even start on faculty compensation!).  Combine that with demanding admission requirements and the job of recruiting becomes even tougher.

It's always easy to blame the officials in a close game.  For the record, I thought last night's officials called a good game.  I was pretty much surrounded by very vocal Titan fans who clearly though otherwise and said so.   It's also easy to second-guess and even blame the coach.   But those are tough jobs, and I'm glad I don't have to stand up to the vocal criticism that officials and coaches do.  (Mine come at semester's end from the students!).

[Mr. Ypsi]

Chin up, Titan fans.  Knightslappy's latest projections (made after yesterday's games) still have IWU fairly safely above the bubble for a Pool C, thanks to an excellent SoS (which will rise even further after back-to-back games against Elmhurst, plus, hopefully, a game against Augie, NCC, or NPU).  If they finish 19-8, they should go in for sure; 18-8, 18-9 or 17-9 would be dicier.  But to avoid ulcers, let's just finish 20-7!

[AppletonRocks]

Another serious question, of course you guys will call trolling:  Is it likely that only your tournament champ gets a bid?   

I think if elmhurst wins on Saturday at 21-4 they're in.  Angie is in already.  I think iwu has to win the tourney to get in.

Makes sense.

[iwumichigander]

Chin up, Titan fans.  Knightslappy's latest projections (made after yesterday's games) still have IWU fairly safely above the bubble for a Pool C, thanks to an excellent SoS (which will rise even further after back-to-back games against Elmhurst, plus, hopefully, a game against Augie, NCC, or NPU).  If they finish 19-8, they should go in for sure; 18-8, 18-9 or 17-9 would be dicier.  But to avoid ulcers, let's just finish 20-7!

In most years, six losses is generally considered to be"on the bubble" in terms of Pool C - below the bubble with a low SOS and/or low vRRO.  This season that number might be seven.  I am not comfortable with saying eight.  If the "consensus" AQ teams lose their tournaments thus falling into Pool C territory, it will be likely very hard for a 7 loss team to make in IHMO.   

[badgerwarhawk]

Good luck Vikings

[Gregory Sager]

Thanks, BW!

[Mr. Ypsi]

Good luck Vikings

Thanks, BW!

Greg, how do you know he wasn't talkin' about Augie? 

(Of course, since they'll be playing Wheaton, maybe you'd thank him anyway!)

[Gregory Sager]

Good luck Vikings

Thanks, BW!

Greg, how do you know he wasn't talkin' about Augie? 

Because nobody wishes Augie good luck unless it's really, really necessary.

[iwu70]

Of course, I'll be cheering for Wheaton on Saturday night.   

Greg, good luck to YOUR Vikings on Saturday.  Some tough match-ups for your guys, but they surely proved they can win with speed and shooting over size and braun.  Really amazing how well they rebounded against IWU.  I bet some basic blocking out drills will be involved for Coach Rose and the Titans this week, before Senior night. 

My TITANS need a win bigtime -- actually two or three in a row now. 

IWU70

[Hardwood]

Congratulations to the Augustana Vikings on securing a share of the CCIW crown - more importantly, earning the right to host this years CCIW tourney!  Augustana still the only school to be in every CCIW tournament since it's inception in the 2005-06 season. 

[WUPHF]

I'm biased, so it's not my call, but this strikes me as the sort of win-against-the-odds team that a lot of outside fans could grow to like.

I have watched North Park play four games this season including the wins over North Central, Augustana and Illinois Wesleyan and as an outsider, it is true, I have grown to like them. 

The decision regarding whether or not to archive games for later public viewing is a judgment call for the programs that are able to offer the service; I know that Tom Slyder is reluctant to put most North Park games online after the fact, because it's in essence offering upcoming opponents more game film for them to look at.

I am surprised to hear that in 2015 Coach Slyder is concerned about his games being available online because streaming video is generally so easy to record. 

[kiko]

OK North Park faithful, I'll leave it up to you. 20 years of following these guys, 15 years of announcing. I take this year off, and the only game I attend they lose by 40.

Am I allowed to drive to Naperville on Saturday?

Furthermore, am I ever permitted to attend another game?

We'll be by to pick you up 'round 5p.