MBB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[Mr. Ypsi]

I'd imagine there is some sentiment in this room for a re-vote on the all-CCIW team.  Jayme Moten led all scorers tonight with 28 points!

[augiefan]

Augie wins. Strange game. Sluggish offense by both teams in the first half and an offensive free for all in the second half led by Mouten and Hill. Looks like it will just be Augie and IWU in the NCAAs based on tonight's results. Tomorrow should be a good tuneup for both teams heading into the big tourney.

[Gregory Sager]

With ten and a half minutes to go it was definitely a closely-played grinder of a game, as Augie led by a score of 41-39. But then Hunter Hill took over. He scored 24 points and pulled down five boards from that point onward, essentially putting his team on his back and in so doing got them enough separation to keep NCC from getting any closer than four points down the stretch, despite a very slick shooting night from Jayme Moten (28 pts, 8-12 trey). Hill finished with 27 and 7 to lead Augie in both categories.

In spite of the fact that the Cardinals packed in the defense most of the game, Augie still got to the line 30 times, knocking down 23 of those shots for a 77% average. That, and the fact that Augie only gave up six turnovers all night, were ultimately the keys to the game, if you're of the mind that Hill and Moten canceled each other out. (I actually think that Hill played a more complete game than did Moten, although the latter's effort was certainly nothing to sniff at.)

Charlie Rosenberg had a nice night for NCC (17 and 6), but Jack Burchett was AWOL. The Doggies got a good effort offensively from an unexpected quarter, as Jawon Straughter had 13 pts. Nic Hoepfner had 13 as well, and Tayvian Johnson had 10.

[AppletonRocks]

When Oshkosh wins Saturday, the best D-3 conference will have three teams in.  As it should be. 

[kiko]

With ten and a half minutes to go it was definitely a closely-played grinder of a game, as Augie led by a score of 41-39. But then Hunter Hill took over. He scored 24 points and pulled down five boards from that point onward, essentially putting his team on his back and in so doing got them enough separation to keep NCC from getting any closer than four points down the stretch, despite a very slick shooting night from Jayme Moten (28 pts, 8-12 trey). Hill finished with 27 and 7 to lead Augie in both categories.

In spite of the fact that the Cardinals packed in the defense most of the game, Augie still got to the line 30 times, knocking down 23 of those shots for a 77% average. That, and the fact that Augie only gave up six turnovers all night, were ultimately the keys to the game, if you're of the mind that Hill and Moten canceled each other out. (I actually think that Hill played a more complete game than did Moten, although the latter's effort was certainly nothing to sniff at.)

Charlie Rosenberg had a nice night for NCC (17 and 6), but Jack Burchett was AWOL. The Doggies got a good effort offensively from an unexpected quarter, as Jawon Straughter had 13 pts. Nic Hoepfner had 13 as well, and Tayvian Johnson had 10.

Burchett was one part AWOL and two parts in foul trouble for essentially all of the second half.  And that was a bad sign -- he has been the straw that stirs the Cardinals' drink all season long, and generally speaking, when he has struggled or had an off night, the Cards have had their lesser efforts.

(That may sound like a negative -- it's actually a huge complement to how much he means to the team this year.)

And notice that that's "means" and not "meant".  While the odds that the Sons of Warden will extend their season are longer than I'd prefer, and the fat lady is doing arias backstage, she hasn't taken the stage quite yet.

[iwu70]

kiko,surely you jest.

I do hope EC gets a bid.  They've had a great season and John Baines has done a superb job.  He learned from the master.

The championship game tomorrow will be an excellent tune-up for the dance, hopefully a better game than the blow-out at The Shirk recently.  IWU did win at Carver early in the CCIW season.

'70

[bbfan44]

kiko....I think there were several games this year that both  Burchett and Rosenberg were missing in action due to being hampered by ref's who didn't appreciate their strong style of play.  It's a pity, but it happened.  Didn't see tonights game, so can't comment on it.

ypsi....It was a surprise that Moten was not selected to the all CCIW team.

Perhaps the folks doing the voting need to spend a bit more time reflecting on the method of selection they employ.
And, wouldn't it  be nice if the fans could vote for the all Conference team much like fans vote for NBA and MLB All Star teams !

[kiko]

kiko,surely you jest.

I do hope EC gets a bid.  They've had a great season and John Baines has done a superb job.  He learned from the master.

The championship game tomorrow will be an excellent tune-up for the dance, hopefully a better game than the blow-out at The Shirk recently.  IWU did win at Carver early in the CCIW season.

'70

No dude, I don't jest.  I certainly am eyes-wide-open to the fact that the Cardinals' season likely won't be extended beyond tonight.  But that will be announced on Monday, and stranger things have happened.  Until the field is announced, present tense is appropriate.

You spend an inordinate amount of brainpower worrying about next year's Titan rotation when there is a lot of this year still to be played.  That's your choice, but from my perspective, there will be plenty of time for that after the uniforms are turned in.

[veterancciwfan]

Trevor Seibring's best game of his short career. IWU played very well in 2nd half, making 1st 5 shots and scoring 45. Charlie Rosenberg was spectacular for NCC. I don't think I've seen anyone play harder on both ends of the court for over 34 min. (haven't seen the box). He created offense time after time by making a move to basket and then passing for a wide open 3 or a layup. His passing was superb and he was a beast on the boards. . Hunter Hill did his Whitewater game impression in the last 12 minutes of 2nd half as Greg said. If you play him loose, he launches a 3 that hits NBN. If you play him tight, he drives around you with a quick first step and makes nearly impossible 2 feet long layups, mainly on left side, which hit the glass perfectly, even when heavily guarded and with hands in his face. Amazing performance. No wonder he was MOP as he saves his best for the vitally important games. Have no idea which IWU player will try to guard him Saturday. But Augie was pushed to the limit Friday and fatigue may be an issue for them Saturday. Augie's reserves were not very impressive Friday.

[Titan Q]

Illinois Wesleyan (19-7, 10-4) @ Augustana (22-4, 11-3), 7:00pm...

(conference only stats)

#24-Illinois Wesleyan (19-7, 10-4)
G - Dylan Overstreet, 6-3/180 Sr. (11.9 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 4.2 apg)
G - Bryce Dolan, 6-0/165 Jr. (7.0 ppg, 1.8 rpg, 2.2 apg)
G - Pat Sodemann, 6-3/195 Sr. (9.5 ppg, 2.6 rpg)
F - Mike Marietti, 6-8/245 Jr. (8.4 ppg, 4.3 rpg)
C - Trevor Seibring, 6-8/235 So. (7.5 ppg, 5.3 rpg)

G - Jordan Nelson, 6-1/170 Sr. (12.7 ppg)
F - Ryan Coyle, 6-6/208 Jr. (5.7 ppg, 4.1 rpg)
F - Alec Bausch, 6-6/210 So. (4.9 ppg, 5.0 rpg)
G - Brady Rose, 6-2/170 Fr. (4.6 ppg)
G - Joel Pennington, 6-0/175 Jr. (4.4 ppg)

Augustana (22-4, 11-3)
G - Hunter Hill, 5-9/163 Jr. (13.9 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 2.6 apg)
G - Jawan Straughter, 6-1/175 Jr. (6.3 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 2.1 apg)
G - Griffin Pils, 6-4/213 Jr. (8.5 ppg, 3.6 rpg)
F - Tayvian Johnson, 6-6/201 Jr. (7.1 ppg, 4.3 rpg)
F - Ben Ryan, 6-5/209 Jr. (11.1 ppg, 6.8 rpg)

F - Nic Hoepfner, 6-6/200 Sr. (9.0 ppg, 4.2 rpg)
F - Brandon Motzel, 6-7/207 Jr. (7.5 ppg, 5.4 rpg)
G - Danielius Jurgutis, 6-0/197 Sr. (6.1 ppg)
G - Dylan Sortillo, 6-2/178 Fr. (4.6 ppg)
G - Mark Roth, 6-1/167 Sr. (1.9 ppg)


Pantagraph - http://www.pantagraph.com/sports/college/basketball/men/seibring-helps-lift-iwu-into-cciw-title-game/article_796a2078-8fd2-587b-94e0-33ecc1130a2e.html

QC Online - http://www.qconline.com/sports/college_sports/hill-s-second-half-exploits-lead-vikings-into-cciw-tourney/article_e746a37d-ea14-56ed-b661-29715748d121.html

Live video - http://portal.stretchinternet.com/augustana/

Live stats - http://www.augustana.edu/athletics/mbasketball/xlive.htm

WJBC Radio - http://portal.stretchinternet.com/wjbc/

[Titan Q]

IWU 80
Elmhurst 67

http://www.iwusports.com/boxscore.aspx?id=2911&path=mbball

http://www.pantagraph.com/sports/college/basketball/men/seibring-helps-lift-iwu-into-cciw-title-game/article_796a2078-8fd2-587b-94e0-33ecc1130a2e.html

http://www.stationcaster.com/player_skinned.php?s=711&c=3911&f=4063383

* Trevor Seibring: 21 points, 4 rebounds (8-10 FG, 2-2 3-point)
* Dylan Overstreet: 11 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists
* Bryce Dolan: 12 points, 4 rebounds
* Brady Rose: 10 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists

Sophomore center Trevor Seibring really played well for the Titans last night.  He scored 21 points in the first 28 minutes of the game to help give IWU a comfortable 12-point lead.  He stepped out and made a 19-footer for IWU's first basket, and then made two 3-pointers during the game.  He was also really good in the low post - he was aggressive and just seemed to play with a lot of confidence.

Dylan Overstreet had a strong game for the Titans as well.  As usual, he managed the IWU offense really well and just contributed in a lot of ways. 

Really good win over an impressive Elmhurst team.  IWU would seem to be in very good Pool C shape now.

[Titan Q]

Knightslappy has updated his always terrific Pool C projections...

http://tomaroonandgold.blogspot.com/p/division-iii-mens-regional-rankings.html

My take...

* Augustana (.846/.580/6-2) would be an absolute lock.  Augie is currently positioned to be one of the highest seeds in the tournament, and to have the opportunity to play 4 homes before Salem.

* IWU (.731/.581/5-4) appears to be a lock.  Based on IWU's SOS and results vs regionally ranked - both the wins and total games played - it looks like the Titans are in very comfortable position.  (Knightslappy has IWU as the #4 Pool C candidate.)

* Elmhurst (.731/.552/4-4) will clearly be behind IWU in the final (super secret) Central region ranking, but the Bluejays still have a very solid chance here.  I'm thinking EC is somewhere in that Pool C #13 range right now (there are 19 Pool C's available).  Every year, I figure there will be about 5 major upsets that take Pool C spots away.  I think the Bluejays get in if there are not more than about that usual amount.  EC fans need to grind out conference tournament action across the nation today - makes for a pretty fun day actually (I've been there).  I think EC is very much in the Pool C picture.

* North Central (.667/.587/3-6) can't hit the table for evaluation until Elmhurst gets in.  So key #1 is obviously for EC to get selected...which probably won't be until the very end (spots 17-19).  If NCC is on the table for a couple rounds, the Cards will be an intriguing option relative to the other resumes they are being evaluated against.  NCC will be that low winning %/high SOS/high # of results vs regionally ranked type team that is on the board late every year.  We have seen these go both ways - Carthage was not selected last year, of course. It appears that the Cardinals are a big-time longshot...but if there are minimal upsets today and tomorrow, the chances increase quite a bit.

[Mr. Ypsi]

The Pantagraph article never mentioned it - anyone know why Jordan Nelson didn't play yesterday?  And whether or not he will play today?

[Titan Q]

The Pantagraph article never mentioned it - anyone know why Jordan Nelson didn't play yesterday?  And whether or not he will play today?

http://www.pantagraph.com/sports/college/basketball/men/nelson-accepts-reduced-role-with-titans/article_3342af9b-ac9c-5b28-b41e-5b86d2fd94b5.html

[Mr. Ypsi]

The Pantagraph article never mentioned it - anyone know why Jordan Nelson didn't play yesterday?  And whether or not he will play today?

http://www.pantagraph.com/sports/college/basketball/men/nelson-accepts-reduced-role-with-titans/article_3342af9b-ac9c-5b28-b41e-5b86d2fd94b5.html

Thanks, Q - I hadn't seen that article.  I wasn't surprised that Dolan replaced him as a starter, but was surprised that he disappeared from the rotation entirely.