MBB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[iwu70]

Annual IWU Green/White scrimmage tomorrow at The Shirk -- 1 p.m.  According to quotes by Ron Rose, nothing at all is set for units one and two for IWU this season, as yet.  Should be a good chance tomorrow to see much of the new and returning talent in various settings, combinations, in a series of 10 minute segments.  I'm also hoping to wander a bit and see the inside of the new extension to The Shirk Center, set to open very soon now.  Shirk has been extended out to the east, also additional parking added further east, with the new footage for work out areas, locker rooms and storage areas, expanding the Shirk quite extensively.  Thanks to the Shirk Family again and to all the other donors and supporters for making this extension possible -- and for keeping The Shirk Center one of the finest in all of D3 sports nationally. 

GO TITANS!

IWU70

[Pat Coleman]

Could they install more lighting and high-speed internet along press row?

[iwu70]

Pat, you'd better ask Stew or new AD Mike Wagner about that.  New extension surely has some bright lights.

Perhaps they want to keep the visiting press people and scouts in the dark. 

'70

[Titan Q]

Q, what are your thoughts about the IWU starting 5, and IWU rotation this coming year? 

I'd say there is a lot to be settled before the Nov. 14 season opener, and even throughout the entire non-conference season.

Safe to say the starting 4/5 spots will be filled by the guys who finished 2014-15 there:
PF - Mike Marietti*, 6-8/225 Sr.
F/C - Trevor Seibring, 6-8/235, Jr.

6-6 senior Ryan Coyle and 6-6 junior Alec Bausch are the most likely post reserves.  Coyle, who had a really good non-conference season last year and then a really rough conference season, is an important player in this mix as I see it - I'm hoping he can bounce back and have a big year.  I think the Titans will be very good in the low post with this group.

Obviously the perimeter is where the questions are after the graduation of guards Dylan Overstreet, Pat Sodemann, and Jordan Nelson. Ron Rose has a lot of perimeter guys who can play multiple positions, so it seems there is a lot to sort out in terms of talent and desired style of play.  As I see it, the candidates in the mix at the 1/2/3 spots are:

* Joel Pennington (PG/SG), 6-0 Sr. - smart, solid guard who can play 1 or 2
* Bryce Dolan (PG/SG), 6-1 Sr. - great 3-point shooter, can play 1 or 2 but best at 2
* Brian Nelms (PG), 5-11 Sr. - pure PG, great perimeter defender, not a scorer
* Andy Stempel (G/F), 6-4 Jr. - smart, talented wing who can shoot it and take to the basket
* Spencer Seibring (PG/SG), 6-3 Jr. - great athlete, tremendous defender, an intriguing option
* Kevin Connelly*(G/F), 6-5 So. - big wing who can really shoot it
* Brady Rose (PG/SG), 6-2 So. - tremendous shooter from 3 and mid-range, good defender, can play both 1/2
* Mark Falatico (PG), 6-1 Fr. - talented freshman PG who can score
* Collin Bonnett (G/F), 6-3 Fr. - tough freshman G/F who has a chance to be a great player at some point

When the dust settles, I see 6 of these 9 guys in the rotation (assuming Ron Rose plays 10 as usual)...but I have no idea who will play where. There are all kinds of possible perimeter combinations with this group. Ron Rose recently told the Pantagraph, "I don't know if we'll have a single guy (play PG) or be more point guard by committee. We may not have a traditional point guard. We may just have guards."

6/6 combo forward Jaylen Beasley is an intriguing option somewhere in the rotation - really long and athletic kid who is a great rebounder.  He's put on weight/muscle since his freshman year but still very thin.  Someone to keep an eye on.

For what it's worth (and I'm not sure it's worth much), my best guess where things stand early in the practice season:
PG - Pennington
SG - Dolan
SF - Stempel
PF - Marietti*
C - Seibring

The 2015-16 Titans have a lot of talent and Ron Rose has a strong history of plugging new guys in and reloading (6 consecutive NCAA tournament appearances).  I'm excited to see how this all plays out - IWU has the pieces to be very good again.

* currently injured

[iwu70]

Thanks, Q.  Appreciate the views.  My only additional question would be about Streety?.  Does he have any chance?  He's quick, passes well, surely can get up and down the floor fast. 

Hope Marietti OK, not a long term injury.  Let's hope the injury bug stays away. 

I agree with you about Coyle.  Would be great to see him have a strong year throughout and play with greater intensity, strength and consistency.  I think Bausch may have a breakout, energizer bunny type of year.  We need 10 and 10 from those two. 

I share your views about Pennington and Dolan as the starters, though I think Bausch might start at the 3.  Do think Ron might use a 3 guard set up with Dolan, Pennington and Rose on the perimeter with Marietti and Seibring?

Time will tell.  I'm headed to the G/W game, segments in a few hours.  More impressions to follow.

IWU70

[iwu70]

Watched the G/W scrimmage just now.  Major impression is how deep this Titan team is -- so much talent, so many possible rotations and variations possible in the line up.  Early practice scrimmage so not all that sharp on shooting -- guys making treys were Seibring and Beasley, so go figure.  The top ten guys or so are pretty much the ones Q and others have mentioned.  Lots of experience there, so may just depend on what is needed at the time, who is hot, what kind of team you are facing as to what Rose puts out on the floor.  He has some many options.  Several of the guys seemed to have done the training work, look more muscled and fit -- Stempel, S. Seibring and a few others. Marietti in street clothes.  I thought Nelms and Malhke planned well.  Really too early to tell who will be the main scorers, what kind of team offensively this team will be after the loss of all the key perimeters players from last year's great trey shooting team.  Time will tell for a new identity to emerge, IMHO.  Hope they develop a very tough, even nasty defensive identity, with strong rebounding.  This team could be really really good -- but we all know what a murderer's row the CCIW season can be.

Football Titans to 7-0 today, and women's soccer to 20-1 on senior day and a share of the CCIW crown.  Keep it rolling TITANS!

IWU'70

[Titan Q]

I share your views about Pennington and Dolan as the starters, though I think Bausch might start at the 3.  Do think Ron might use a 3 guard set up with Dolan, Pennington and Rose on the perimeter with Marietti and Seibring?

Bausch is not in the mix to start at the 3.  He can play some 3 - and probably will in certain situations - but he's much more 4.  It's safe to say that the guys who are in the mix to start at and play the majority of minutes at the 3 are:
  * Andy Stempel (G/F), 6-4 Jr.
  * Jaylen Beasley (SF), 6-6 So.
  * Kevin Connelly (SF), 6-5 So.
  * Colin Bonnett (G/F), 6-3 Fr.

Stempel probably has the lead here...Bonnett seems to be a guy earning his way into the varsity rotation somewhere...Beasley might force his way in due to pure athleticism and upside...Connelly is out with a hand injury, which will probably set him behind the other three for now, but this is a guy they are very high on.  Competition will sort this out.

I believe IWU will be good at the 3 for 40 minutes whatever way this plays out.  These are talented options.

[iwu70]

Thanks, Q.  So many options, so little PT. 

Sounds like Coach Rose can do a lot of experimenting during the non-Conference games with all sorts of different options, then as usual settle on a clear 9-10 player rotation by early January.  Is this a good assumption?  Beasley did impress with length, rebounding and a nice touch from three.  I know Stempel can really shoot it as well, and Titans need to find their key trey options.  Dolan and Rose surely good three point shooters.

I enjoyed the G/W scrimmage, but just so many players to keep track of.  Hope they have a strong JV schedule so a lot of these other guys get in games and time to develop and play in game situations. 

IWU70

[Mr. Ypsi]

Thanks, Q.  So many options, so little PT. 

Sounds like Coach Rose can do a lot of experimenting during the non-Conference games with all sorts of different options, then as usual settle on a clear 9-10 player rotation by early January.  Is this a good assumption?  Beasley did impress with length, rebounding and a nice touch from three.  I know Stempel can really shoot it as well, and Titans need to find their key trey options.  Dolan and Rose surely good three point shooters.

I enjoyed the G/W scrimmage, but just so many players to keep track of. Hope they have a strong JV schedule so a lot of these other guys get in games and time to develop and play in game situations. 

IWU70

Yeah, another Keelan Amelianovich scenario sounds good to me!

[Pat Coleman]

Thanks, Q.  So many options, so little PT. 

Sounds like Coach Rose can do a lot of experimenting during the non-Conference games with all sorts of different options, then as usual settle on a clear 9-10 player rotation by early January.  Is this a good assumption?  Beasley did impress with length, rebounding and a nice touch from three.  I know Stempel can really shoot it as well, and Titans need to find their key trey options.  Dolan and Rose surely good three point shooters.

I enjoyed the G/W scrimmage, but just so many players to keep track of. Hope they have a strong JV schedule so a lot of these other guys get in games and time to develop and play in game situations. 

IWU70

Yeah, another Keelan Amelianovich scenario sounds good to me!

#facepalm

I knew when I read that post from iwu70 that Keelan's name would come up soon. We get it. JV in 2003, MOP in 2004.

[iwu70]

Sorry Pat, Ypsi can't help himself.  To paraphrase a long-distant VP debate, Bausch is no Amelianovich.   I'm just hoping for consistent rebounding and 10 points between Bausch and Coyle.  The rest will take care of itself. 

[Mr. Ypsi]

I have to bring up Keelan from time to time or I'll forget how to spell 'Amelianovich'!

[iwu70]

Ypsi, remembering Keelan surely a lovely Titan memory.  No doubt.  What a great shot and smooth motion on the jump shot from three.

G/W scrimmage was interesting -- just so much depth, so much talent.  Huge roster.  Ron Rose has a tough set of decisions figuring it all out, finding the right combinations and rotations, and hopefully keeping everyone happy about the PT situation.  Not easy.  Hope Marietti gets well soon. 

IWU70

[Gregory Sager]

Can we discuss another CCIW team? One that doesn't wear green. Please? Please?

I've seen part of one NPU practice thus far. But I need to see more of the Vikings within a structured context (as opposed to open gyms) before I really feel as though I have a handle on this team. By the end of the week I hope to be able to make some tentative early assessments.

[iwumichigander]

Can we discuss another CCIW team? One that doesn't wear green. Please? Please?

I've seen part of one NPU practice thus far. But I need to see more of the Vikings within a structured context (as opposed to open gyms) before I really feel as though I have a handle on this team. By the end of the week I hope to be able to make some tentative early assessments.

Gee, since you are going to wait until the end of the week --- those Titans look pretty awesome.  Q probably has more IWU thoughts,  you 70 does and Mr Ypsi always has words !  We might as well discuss the Titans some more