MBB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

I think North Central's schedule is certainly tough, though Augustana's is nothing to sneeze at. They include:

- vs. UW-Lacrosse tonight
- at ORV UW-Whitewater (12/2)*
- vs. #9 UW-Stevens Point (12/5)*
- at ORV Wash U (12/12)*
- West Coast swing to play Puget Sound, Lewis and Clark, and George Fox
- at UW-Oshkosh (picked third in WIAC 12/29)
* - three teams have combined to win six of the last eight national championships

CCIW teams certainly are challenging themselves this season.

[Titan Q]

IWU's non-conference schedule is strong as well.  Here is how I rank the 11 opponents at this point...

1. Ohio Wesleyan (#13), 22-6/16-2 NCAC/picked 1st in NCAC
2. Chicago (#17), 16-9/8-6 UAA; picked ? in UAA
3. Washington U. (ORV), 20-6/9-5 UAA; picked ? in UAA
4. Texas Lutheran, 18-10/11-3 SCAC; picked 2nd in SCAC
5. Rose-Hulman*, 14-10/10-7 HCAC; picked 2nd in HCAC
6. Benedictine, 18-9/15-5 NACC; picked 2nd in NACC
7. Southwestern, 15-11/8-6 SCAC; picked 5th in SCAC
8. Milwaukee School of Engineering, 13-13/10-10 NACC; picked 4th in NACC
9. Loras, 10-15/5-9 IIAC; picked ? in IIAC
10. Wilmington, 11-14, 8-10 OAC; picked 8th in OAC
11. Greenville, 13-12/10-8 SLIAC; picked 5th in SLIAC

*this matchup assumes IWU beats Wilmington and Rose-Hulman beats Fontbonne


I believe the Benedictine team the Titans open with is the 6th best team on IWU's non-conference schedule...and it sounds like BU is very strong.

[AndOne]

IWU's non-conference schedule is strong as well.  Here is how I rank the 11 opponents at this point...

1. Ohio Wesleyan (#13), 22-6/16-2 NCAC/picked 1st in NCAC
2. Chicago (#17), 16-9/8-6 UAA; picked ? in UAA
3. Washington U. (ORV), 20-6/9-5 UAA; picked ? in UAA
4. Texas Lutheran, 18-10/11-3 SCAC; picked 2nd in SCAC
5. Rose-Hulman*, 14-10/10-7 HCAC; picked 2nd in HCAC
6. Benedictine, 18-9/15-5 NACC; picked 2nd in NACC
7. Southwestern, 15-11/8-6 SCAC; picked 5th in SCAC
8. Milwaukee School of Engineering, 13-13/10-10 NACC; picked 4th in NACC
9. Loras, 10-15/5-9 IIAC; picked ? in IIAC
10. Wilmington, 11-14, 8-10 OAC; picked 8th in OAC
11. Greenville, 13-12/10-8 SLIAC; picked 5th in SLIAC

*this matchup assumes IWU beats Wilmington and Rose-Hulman beats Fontbonne


I believe the Benedictine team the Titans open with is the 6th best team on IWU's non-conference schedule...and it sounds like BU is very strong.

I think Benedictine might be a little tougher than at least a couple of teams ranked higher in the TQ Rankings. The Bene Boys chief deficiency appears to be in the middle where they graduated a prime player in Tim McGinty. You would think that position would naturally be assumed by 6'9" former Carthage, former Benedictine, former D2 St. Leo, again current BU player, maybe a bird will nest in his Joakim Noah lookalike hairdo, very good D3 player, and future NBA player Luke Johnson. I think that if this situation materializes, BU will be an even stronger team this season. BU needs Mr. Johnson to provide interior scoring and defense/rebounding more than they do another outside shooter. However, on his long and winding road to future NBA employment, Johnson has demonstrated as much of an affinity to bomb from three point land as he has to establish residence in the post. Perhaps more of his time will be spent in that vicinity this season as BU has at least 2 fine distance shooters in John Dodson, and especially Mike Blaszczyk who has scored 683 points in his first two years. They also have a good, very versatile player in Tahron Harvey who, upon initial viewing does not appear to have a typical basketball type profile, but who gets the job done in several different ways. He is a good mid range and long 2 shooter who might lead D3 in making baskets from awkward looking, off balance positions. His shooting form often resembles a twisted Gumby like character, but he scores his points. He can also use his strength and deceiving quickness to outmuscle and get by smaller defenders to drive and get to the basket. Forward Adam Reynolds is nice inside scorer and good rebounder who is comparable to IWU's Alec Bausch.
I think the primary assets that tip the scale in the Green Team's favor are the combined interior strength of T. Seibring-Marietti-Coyle/Bausch, and overall team depth.

[iwu70]

AO, Marietti will not play in the first several IWU games this season.  Still recovering from a knee injury, surgery.  Post area mostly covered by Seibring, Coyle, Bausch and Mahlke.  Titans likely going at times with 3 guards -- as they have lots of good perimeter players again who can really shoot the three. 

Good luck to all as the season starts.

IWU'70

[AndOne]

Thanks 70. Wasn't sure when Marietti was returning.
Even with him missing, I think The Green is stronger overall inside. Seibring is good now and will get better.

[iwu70]

Yes, I think IWU has enough big horses in the post.  Will be very good to get Marietti back soon.   Seibring is getting much better . . . a ton when he gets the ball on the block, so good at positioning and using his body to hold and create space.  IWU perimeter guys are going to come into their own very quickly = Stempel, Pennington, Rose, perhaps others.  Of course, Dolan already there.  The guys on the varsity bench can play -- Nelms and esp. Beasley.  We'll see about the newbies and the several freshmen.  Should be a good year -- contending for the CCIW crown and, hopefully as usual, getting to 20 wins.  Time will tell.  So many good teams out there in pre-CCIW and CCIW play. 

I'll be at The Shirk tomorrow to see how the first game unfolds.

IWU'70

[Mr. Ypsi]

And just in case Marietti's return is delayed and Seibring regresses instead of advancing, we've always got the five guard offense!

[I hope no one brings out the 'beating a dead horse' - to me, the five guard meme never gets old! . And after all, we're stockpiling guards! ]

[Gregory Sager]

Here's what went on in Chuck's head prior to that last post:

[Mr. Ypsi]

Here's what went on in Chuck's head prior to that last post:

Well, at least it's not the dead horse!

[Gregory Sager]

The dead horse meme needs the dead horse.

[Gregory Sager]

Augustana 88
UW-LaCrosse 60

To nobody's surprise, Augie looked like it was in midseason form tonight.

Chris and Dan sounded like they were in midseason form, too.

[veterancciwfan]

Couldn't wait for tomorrow so attended IWU JV game vs. Black Hawk-East. IWU played a great 1st half, up 44-28. Lost 85-82. IWU has some some serious JV talent. Leading IWU scorer and best player on the floor was 6"1' Fr. point guard Mark Falotico from St. Viator. Has great point guard skills, can drive to rim, good shooter. Scored 23 and was the go to guy in crunch time at end. Others who played well were 6"4" Fr. Jason Gregoire from Cary-Grove (12 pts including 3 3s--a good athlete-reminds me of Mike Mayberger), 6'2' Fr. Nick Coleman from St. Patrick (12 pts on 4 3s), 5"10' Soph. Derrick Streety ( lightning quick point guard-11 pts), 6"6' Soph. John Carroll from Ottawa (10 pts.) Black Hawk had great athletes with huge front court (2  6'6" and 1  6'7") with players from GA, Houston (2), LA (state not city), FL & KS and well coached. 

[AndOne]

And just in case Marietti's return is delayed and Seibring regresses instead of advancing, we've always got the five guard offense!

[I hope no one brings out the 'beating a dead horse' - to me, the five guard meme never gets old! . And after all, we're stockpiling guards! ]

Ypsi,

Come on man, let's get the terminology right. As iiwwuu recently reminded us, IWU is hoarding guards, not stockpiling them!
Although, with "only" fourteen guards listed on the roster, the terms may indeed be interchangeable. 

[Mr. Ypsi]

And just in case Marietti's return is delayed and Seibring regresses instead of advancing, we've always got the five guard offense!

[I hope no one brings out the 'beating a dead horse' - to me, the five guard meme never gets old! . And after all, we're stockpiling guards! ]

Ypsi,

Come on man, let's get the terminology right. As iiwwuu recently reminded us, IWU is hoarding guards, not stockpiling them!
Although, with "only" fourteen guards listed on the roster, the terms may indeed be interchangeable. 

Sorry for the error in terminology!

[mwunder]

Freshman Jordan Kedrowski scores 27 in his college debut to lead Carthage to an 86-84 win in OT over Iowa Wesleyan last night at Tarble.  Mike Stevenson had 13 and 10.

Brock Butler has 18 and 10 for the IW.