MBB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[iwumichigander]

Illinois Wesleyan 80
Elmhurst 67

Congrats to the Titans!  I think they are in the D3 tourney now.

As for Elmhurst, they probably need some help and some luck.

I think you are correct on both points.  Upsets - say a UWW or SNC loss could tilt the picture.

[Mr. Ypsi]

IWU took a double-digit lead before the middle of the second half and were never seriously challenged after that. 

I missed half of the game.  Jordan Nelson didn't play - did they explain why in the broadcast?

Trevor Seibring scored 21 tonight - career high?  In iwu70's honor, Brandon Heyen finally got into the game, but his box score was all blanks.

While they probably won't turn in their uniforms yet just in case, does anyone think Elmhurst has any decent shot at a C?

After tonight I think the Titans are a lock for a C if necessary, but I'll be even more certain if they finally win the damn conference tournament!

[Naperick]

Illinois Wesleyan 80
Elmhurst 67

Congrats to the Titans!  I think they are in the D3 tourney now.

As for Elmhurst, they probably need some help and some luck.

I think you are correct on both points.  Upsets - say a UWW or SNC loss could tilt the picture.

I agree.  Even the CCIW tourney still has some "twists and turns" for Elmhurst.
The Bluejays probably need North Central to beat Augustana for the Cardinals
to stay in the central region's rankings.  An NCC loss probably drops the Cardinals
from the regional rankings and that would leave only 2 wins for Elmhurst over
regionally ranked opponents......Dubuque and IL Wesleyan.

I think they also need NCC to lose the title game to IWU.  Augustana is in. 
IWU is not a lock but probable.  An NCC tourney title puts the Cardinals in.
That would leave Elmhurst out.

To summarize, I want NCC to beat Augie tonight and lose to IWU tomorrow.

Am I crazy or does that make any sense?

[Naperick]

My apologies to all of the North Central fans for my previous post..............especially AndOne.

Just looking at this scenario through my "Bluejay" glasses.

[Gregory Sager]

The key to this game was the first nine minutes. Illinois Wesleyan started off a cold 2-13 from the field, but Elmhurst couldn't take advantage of it; the Bluejays never got their initial lead up bigger than 17-9 during those initial nine minutes. I think that a big part of that was the fact that Ron Rose quickly dispensed with his starting dual-center combo of Mike Marietti and Trevor Seibring and began using Alec Bausch or Ryan Coyle at power forward. That made the IWU defense much more mobile. Meanwhile, Elmhurst was making all of the hustle plays, but had a hard time getting the ball into the basket. Some of that was good IWU defense, and some of it was just EC shooters being snakebit. Both of those trends continued throughout the night, but the fact that Wesleyan was able to withstand its frigid offensive start and keep the Bluejays from running away to a big early lead was really what set the tone for the rest of the game. It was obvious that the Titans weren't going to keep shooting at that terrible pace forever.

[old baseliner]

Good Titan win tonight.  And One looks tense in pre-game.

[iwumichigander]

Illinois Wesleyan 80
Elmhurst 67

Congrats to the Titans!  I think they are in the D3 tourney now.

As for Elmhurst, they probably need some help and some luck.

I think you are correct on both points.  Upsets - say a UWW or SNC loss could tilt the picture.

I agree.  Even the CCIW tourney still has some "twists and turns" for Elmhurst.
The Bluejays probably need North Central to beat Augustana for the Cardinals
to stay in the central region's rankings.  An NCC loss probably drops the Cardinals
from the regional rankings and that would leave only 2 wins for Elmhurst over
regionally ranked opponents......Dubuque and IL Wesleyan.

I think they also need NCC to lose the title game to IWU.  Augustana is in. 
IWU is not a lock but probable.  An NCC tourney title puts the Cardinals in.
That would leave Elmhurst out.

To summarize, I want NCC to beat Augie tonight and lose to IWU tomorrow.

Am I crazy or does that make any sense?

if you want your Bluejays to have a chance I think you want NCC to lose tonight

[Naperick]

No matter what lies ahead for Elmhurst, it has been a great season!
It was nice to be nervous on games days this year.

This was their best season in 6 years and their 1st CCIW tourney in
6 years.

You never know what the offseason will bring but next season should
be just as good or better for the Bluejays.

Thanks to the entire program for a fun season!!!

[iwumichigander]

John Baines has done a terrific job with Elmhurst

[Naperick]

John Baines has done a terrific job with Elmhurst

Yes he has.  I was surprised he left St. Francis but I'm glad he did.  I hope he stays for a long time.  It seems like whenever Elmhurst gets a good coach in a sport, they don't stay.  I'm not looking for a tenure like Al Carius (NCC) or Dennie Bridges (IWU) or Fred Whiteside (AUG) or Paul Olsen (AUG) but 10-12 years would be nice.

[iwumichigander]

John Baines has done a terrific job with Elmhurst

Yes he has.  I was surprised he left St. Francis but I'm glad he did.  I hope he stays for a long time.  It seems like whenever Elmhurst gets a good coach in a sport, they don't stay.  I'm not looking for a tenure like Al Carius (NCC) or Dennie Bridges (IWU) or Fred Whiteside (AUG) or Paul Olsen (AUG) but 10-12 years would be nice.

i was not surprised he left St. Francis as I saw it as a stepping stone.  He likes Elmhurst.

[Naperick]

if you want your Bluejays to have a chance I think you want NCC to lose tonight
[/quote]

You may be right.

I may be overrating the Bluejays 2 wins over NCC.  A 2nd win by NCC over Augustana
could offset that.

Too bad we never get to see the final regional rankings.

[Naperick]

Does anyone think Elmhurst has any decent shot at a C?

I think they have a chance.  But they need the favorites to win their conference tourneys.
 
In 2008, Wheaton was 19-7 after a semifinals loss in the CCIW tourney and got a bid.  The Thunder advanced to the Elite 8 that year.
In 2012, Illinois Wesleyan was 19-7 after a semifinals loss in the CCIW tourney and got a bid.  The Titans advanced to the Final 4 that year.

I don't remember the regional records for those squads, along with their strength of schedule and wins over regionally ranked opponents.

Elmhurst is now 19-7.  Their strength of schedule is not so great and they only have 4 wins over regionally ranked opponents.  They could lose 2 of them if NCC falls out of the central rankings. 

My guess is the Bluejays have around a 35% chance of being selected for the D3 tourney on Monday.  But it's just a guess and all of the facts are not in.

Top seeded Penn St.-Behrend lost to a #4 seed in the Allegheny Mountain conference tourney.  Darn!
Top seeded St. Mary's (MD) has lost in their conference tourney.  Damn!
Top seeded Nichols lost to 8th seeded Univ. of New England in the Commonwealth Coast conference tourney.  (&*(#^&!

Go Whitewater!
Go East Texas Baptist!
Go Johns Hopkins!
Go Cabrini!

[iwu70]

Get to 78, win the game.  Greg has described the game well,IWU able to withstand a early evening cool shooting night, get back into the game.   The IWU bigs, esp. Seibring, played well tonight.

Tough for EC to get in, seems to me.  Likely only two now -- IWU and AC.

IWU70

[Gregory Sager]

Augustana 82
North Central 76