MBB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[Gregory Sager]

Final from the Griz:

Aurora 105
Millikin 93

T.J. Sims had 39 points on 11-24 shooting, but the Big Blue never got the AU lead below double digits in the second half.

Aurora is very good. The jackrabbit Spartans shot 62% from the field, in large part due to easy fast-break baskets. But they're good in the halfcourt, too; nobody runs a better five-out motion than does James Lancaster's Spartans.

Fun game to watch, in spite of the incessant complaining from broadcasters Scott Busboom and Kevin Hale about the frequency of the whistles. (There were 59 fouls in the game.) Hey, guys, this is what the NCAA wants, so get used to it. A large portion of the fouls were offensive, as the refs ran an in-game clinic on what constitutes an illegal screen.

[AndOne]

Wheaton goes down to BenU, 76-61.

I would have to say this went fairly according to script with few surprises on the stat sheet.   Coach Schauer certainly has some talent but it's all at the 1-2-3 positions with the exception of Michael Berg who is a 3/4 playing 5.  Therefore there's little defensive answer for a team with any size and bulk.  Luke Johnson, Tim Reamer and Adam Reynolds pretty much had their way down on the block.  I thought Berg did a decent job on Johnson but the others were being defended by a wing player like Murad Dillard, Trae Masten or Ricky Samuelson.  Wheaton was -15 in rebounding, 43-28, and I'm pretty sure points in the paint was very lopsided the Eagles way. 

Offensively the Thunder basically run a 3 or 4 guard offense.  Berg still does post up some and while I think he's better than last year, it's still not his most effective area of comfort.  Dillard could be quite a handful down low if he can develop his skills just a bit more.  Otherwise, everything else is from the perimeter.  They have weapons- Masten can simply fill it up from the 3 point arc, Samuelson is a good outside shooter, Teuscher also.  But you are relying on your team to shoot 48-50% or higher from the field in order to have a chance at winning and that is a tall order night in and night out. 

Tahron Harvey had a nice game for BenU while Blasczcyk was just cold all night.  They come at you with a very balanced attack.  Based on last night's game, they are entirely legit to be among the NACC favorites and perhaps deserving of some ORV, but I don't see them beating EC next week.

The truth is that instead of 15, BenU could have won this game by 20-25 had they not spent as much time as they did displaying  a high degree of ineptitude from beyond the arc. The hosts were a sickly 3 of 22 (13.6%) from behind the arc. Mike Blaszczyk, often the most consistent long distance threat for BU, had a particularly disasterous night, going 1 for 7 from distance. Tahron Harvey, who probably was BU's top player last night was 1 for 5. On his way to the NBA, HWSNBN'ed also went 1 for 5 with one attempt finding only the backboard about a foot wide of the rim, and another barely touching iron. Had BU spent more time working the ball inside where they dominated, there isn't much doubt that they would have prevailed by an even wider margin. When he ventured inside, LJ was highly efficient, banking lay ups, short jumpers, and a couple of what appeared to be baby hooks. Likewise Adam Reynolds had his way inside to the point of seeming to carry the Eagles for a period, and sub Tim Reamer was unstoppable going a perfect 3 for 3 inside and 4 for 4 from the line on the occasions he was hacked down low. Wheaton appears to not have much inside presence at all either on the offensive or, especially, on the defensive end of the floor. As GoPerry pointed out, they are very much of a perimeter oriented outfit. It appears they will have difficulty winning unless they can hit at least 50% of their shots, especially on nights when they are out rebounded by 15, and convert only 46.7% from the line as they did last evening. I think Coach Schauer is still experimenting with his rotation, and searching for his most efficient lineup, starters and subs alike. He appears to have the real deal in Murad Dillard, a 6'4" G/F. Dillard has a nice combination of strength and quickness. He looks to be more of a scorer than shooter, and exhibits a definite tendency to think drive inside first rather than settle for the outside shot, even though he appears more than competent from outside.

[izzy stradlin]

Wheaton goes down to BenU, 76-61.

I would have to say this went fairly according to script with few surprises on the stat sheet.   Coach Schauer certainly has some talent but it's all at the 1-2-3 positions with the exception of Michael Berg who is a 3/4 playing 5.  Therefore there's little defensive answer for a team with any size and bulk.  Luke Johnson, Tim Reamer and Adam Reynolds pretty much had their way down on the block.  I thought Berg did a decent job on Johnson but the others were being defended by a wing player like Murad Dillard, Trae Masten or Ricky Samuelson.  Wheaton was -15 in rebounding, 43-28, and I'm pretty sure points in the paint was very lopsided the Eagles way. 

Offensively the Thunder basically run a 3 or 4 guard offense.  Berg still does post up some and while I think he's better than last year, it's still not his most effective area of comfort.  Dillard could be quite a handful down low if he can develop his skills just a bit more.  Otherwise, everything else is from the perimeter.  They have weapons- Masten can simply fill it up from the 3 point arc, Samuelson is a good outside shooter, Teuscher also.  But you are relying on your team to shoot 48-50% or higher from the field in order to have a chance at winning and that is a tall order night in and night out. 

Tahron Harvey had a nice game for BenU while Blasczcyk was just cold all night.  They come at you with a very balanced attack.  Based on last night's game, they are entirely legit to be among the NACC favorites and perhaps deserving of some ORV, but I don't see them beating EC next week.

Wheaton appears to not have much inside presence at all either on the offensive or, especially, on the defensive end of the floor.

I feel like this is something we have been saying for the last 5+years.   

Compared to Bill Harris front-courts such as:

Frank-Senik-Seneff
Hamann-Moo-Collins
Kolmodin-Landry-Steven 
Wiele-Carwell-McCrary

(I had forgotten how strong Wheaton used to be down low)

Wheaton hasn't had anything remotely resembling these since 2009.   For whatever reason, Mike Schauer simply hasn't been able to recruit big-men like his predecessor.   

[GoPerry]

Wheaton goes down to BenU, 76-61.

I would have to say this went fairly according to script with few surprises on the stat sheet.   Coach Schauer certainly has some talent but it's all at the 1-2-3 positions with the exception of Michael Berg who is a 3/4 playing 5.  Therefore there's little defensive answer for a team with any size and bulk.  Luke Johnson, Tim Reamer and Adam Reynolds pretty much had their way down on the block.  I thought Berg did a decent job on Johnson but the others were being defended by a wing player like Murad Dillard, Trae Masten or Ricky Samuelson.  Wheaton was -15 in rebounding, 43-28, and I'm pretty sure points in the paint was very lopsided the Eagles way. 

Offensively the Thunder basically run a 3 or 4 guard offense.  Berg still does post up some and while I think he's better than last year, it's still not his most effective area of comfort.  Dillard could be quite a handful down low if he can develop his skills just a bit more.  Otherwise, everything else is from the perimeter.  They have weapons- Masten can simply fill it up from the 3 point arc, Samuelson is a good outside shooter, Teuscher also.  But you are relying on your team to shoot 48-50% or higher from the field in order to have a chance at winning and that is a tall order night in and night out. 

Tahron Harvey had a nice game for BenU while Blasczcyk was just cold all night.  They come at you with a very balanced attack.  Based on last night's game, they are entirely legit to be among the NACC favorites and perhaps deserving of some ORV, but I don't see them beating EC next week.

Wheaton appears to not have much inside presence at all either on the offensive or, especially, on the defensive end of the floor.

I feel like this is something we have been saying for the last 5+years.   

Compared to Bill Harris front-courts such as:

Frank-Senik-Seneff
Hamann-Moo-Collins
Kolmodin-Landry-Steven 
Wiele-Carwell-McCrary

(I had forgotten how strong Wheaton used to be down low)

Wheaton hasn't had anything remotely resembling these since 2009.   For whatever reason, Mike Schauer simply hasn't been able to recruit big-men like his predecessor.

There's some truth to this.  Nate Haynes in his junior and senior years developed into a very solid inside presence.  And Tyler Peters was as good a post up guard as you'll see which was a big part of his game.  But even then, the Thunder were hardly deep at the 4-5 spots.  It's fair to say WC recruiting has been challenged here and that's on the coach.

Having said that, such big men hardly grow on trees (as evidenced by the abundant commentary on guard-heavy recruiting classes).  There are plenty of 6'5" or 6'6"+ skilled recruits but increasingly they see themselves as shooting guards or Pippen-like forwards used to playing the perimeter, shooting 3s, and have little experience in the lane(and have no desire to go there or develop skills for the sake of more PT).  I'm wondering if this is largely a by-product of HS summer leagues and AAU type emphases where the style of play tends to be more free-flowing in style?  Or just as likely having ambition to play at the D1 level where at 6'6", they would be playing the 3 position.  I think we'd all agree that the classic back to the basket player is becoming somewhat of a lost art at all levels including Pro.

[robberki]

Yeah, we are seeing it at the high school level too, and when college coaches are there recruiting they are always asking about bigs. I feel like if you had a really good big man you're at a huge advantage these days, nobody has them anymore.

[AndOne]

GoPerry hit the nail on the head.
Not only a big man, but one that can play with his back to the basket.
With the possible exception being a referee who will loosely enforce the new points of emphasis, this is what D3 coaches hope to find under the X-Mas tree.

[AndOne]

North Central is proud to announce that former two time CCIW All-Conference player, and 2014 NCC graduate Vince Kmiec has joined the Cardinal basketball coaching staff as a graduate assistant coach.

http://www.northcentralcardinals.com/coaches.aspx?rc=931&path=mbball

[Gregory Sager]

There's some truth to this.  Nate Haynes in his junior and senior years developed into a very solid inside presence.  And Tyler Peters was as good a post up guard as you'll see which was a big part of his game.  But even then, the Thunder were hardly deep at the 4-5 spots.

Wheaton has never been deep at the center and power forward spots, not even in the heyday of Bill Harris. Wheaton's never been like Augustana or Illinois Wesleyan, which could seemingly use 6'7 or 6'8 reserves as kindling if they so chose. The difference is that Wheaton always had quality at the big-man spots during the Harris era, even off the bench. Harris could run an Otten or a Fortosis or a Lettinga or a J.C. Williams out there for five minutes at a time and do just fine. That's not the case anymore.

It's fair to say WC recruiting has been challenged here and that's on the coach.

Well, yes and no. Wheaton doesn't exist in isolation. The decline in the number of classic big men that you yourself chronicled, and that Rob and Mark echoed, has hit most schools hard (mine included). You're absolutely right that players who are 6'5 to 6'7 are now encouraged to see themselves as wings rather than as bigs, and, as a result, they don't develop the necessary back-to-the-basket skills.

GoPerry hit the nail on the head.
Not only a big man, but one that can play with his back to the basket.
With the possible exception being a referee who will loosely enforce the new points of emphasis, this is what D3 coaches hope to find under the X-Mas tree.

As D-Mac has pointed out, Mark, it's the head coaches of D3 who specifically pushed for the new points of emphasis:

And coaches are behind this. Of course they are the ones on the rules committee(s) in the first place. I have talked to quite a few coaches both on Hoopsville and off, and they are telling me that they agree with the points of emphasis. Even they want to get the game back to a freer flowing one than the rugby style it has started to slide towards.

[The Thundertaker]

Wheaton goes down to BenU, 76-61.

I would have to say this went fairly according to script with few surprises on the stat sheet.   Coach Schauer certainly has some talent but it's all at the 1-2-3 positions with the exception of Michael Berg who is a 3/4 playing 5.  Therefore there's little defensive answer for a team with any size and bulk.  Luke Johnson, Tim Reamer and Adam Reynolds pretty much had their way down on the block.  I thought Berg did a decent job on Johnson but the others were being defended by a wing player like Murad Dillard, Trae Masten or Ricky Samuelson.  Wheaton was -15 in rebounding, 43-28, and I'm pretty sure points in the paint was very lopsided the Eagles way. 

Offensively the Thunder basically run a 3 or 4 guard offense.  Berg still does post up some and while I think he's better than last year, it's still not his most effective area of comfort.  Dillard could be quite a handful down low if he can develop his skills just a bit more.  Otherwise, everything else is from the perimeter.  They have weapons- Masten can simply fill it up from the 3 point arc, Samuelson is a good outside shooter, Teuscher also.  But you are relying on your team to shoot 48-50% or higher from the field in order to have a chance at winning and that is a tall order night in and night out. 

Tahron Harvey had a nice game for BenU while Blasczcyk was just cold all night.  They come at you with a very balanced attack.  Based on last night's game, they are entirely legit to be among the NACC favorites and perhaps deserving of some ORV, but I don't see them beating EC next week.

Wheaton appears to not have much inside presence at all either on the offensive or, especially, on the defensive end of the floor.

I feel like this is something we have been saying for the last 5+years.   

Compared to Bill Harris front-courts such as:

Frank-Senik-Seneff
Hamann-Moo-Collins
Kolmodin-Landry-Steven 
Wiele-Carwell-McCrary

(I had forgotten how strong Wheaton used to be down low)

Wheaton hasn't had anything remotely resembling these since 2009.   For whatever reason, Mike Schauer simply hasn't been able to recruit big-men like his predecessor.

Long time reader, first time poster here.  I think GoPerry is exactly right with one caveat. I've watched Wheaton basketball for decades and all those trios of big men listed have one thing in common: Nate Frank.  While Nate was involved with the Thunder program (as player and coach), Wheaton had some good big men recruits and players developing.  There's something to be said for having a post coach on staff who has experience and can teach the fundamentals, as well as command a room when he visits post player recruits.  I don't remember exact details on when Nate left the bench, but I believe it was after the Nate Haynes/Tyler Peters recruiting class.

Coach Schauer and staff are very equipped to recruit and develop post players.  You can observe that Wheaton is always disciplined and well-coached on both ends of the floor.  But there is something to be said for having an experienced, talented post coach who has played at this level to keep the post depth strong.

[iwu70]

Congrats to Ed Alsene on his much-deserved honour.  He and Stew have done a great job over many many years.

IWU70

[Gregory Sager]

Final from northeast Indiana:

Trine 78
North Park 60

Colin Lake: 18 pts (5-9 trey)
Jordan Robinson: 14 pts, 8 rebs
Juwan Henry: 10 pts

The Vikings really tanked tonight. It was a six-point game at 64-58 with under five minutes to go, and suddenly the Park just went kaput. The Thunder outscored NPU 14-2 from that point onward.

The Vikings again played poorly against the opposing big man, as Jared Holmquist -- an excellent player, but only a 6'4 C/PF, nevertheless -- ate up the visitors to the tune of 33 points and 11 rebounds. NPU was outrebounded by seven (35-28), but, unlike the Chicago game in which the Vikes more than made up for their nine-rebound deficit by piling up Maroons turnovers, NPU actually turned the ball over more times than did the hosts, 15-8.

This was an ugly loss, but the Vikings have two more tough games on the road coming up, so there's no room to feel sorry for themselves.

[TUAngola]

This was an ugly loss....

I didn't get to the NPU-Trine game tonight as I had a prior engagement, but I wouldn't go so far as saying this is an "ugly loss" for NPU.  Trine was picked to finish 2nd in the conference behind Hope College.  That is saying something as the MIAA has been ruled seemingly forever by Calvin and Hope.  Both Holmquist and Dixon for TU were 1st team all conference this year.  And Trine won tonight despite Dixon having a woeful 2 pt night on 1-10 shooting.  Holmquist is the epitome of a DIII player who has worked his butt off to be where he is today.  Not too many players outwork him.  He had to play the 5 last year and was always going up against 6'6 to 6'8 players but he is a guy who just wants it more.  Hopefully with the improvement of 6'8 post Cummings this can free him up to play the 4 spot for the Thunder.  Good luck to NPU the rest of the season.   

[Titan Q]

A local news piece on the IWU/Greenville game...

https://www.facebook.com/lee.hall.7798/videos/10208805853691907/

[Gregory Sager]

This was an ugly loss....

I didn't get to the NPU-Trine game tonight as I had a prior engagement, but I wouldn't go so far as saying this is an "ugly loss" for NPU.

I would, without hesitation. North Park won the game between these two teams last season, a game played with largely the same key personnel. A close loss on Trine's home floor last night would've been completely understandable under the circumstances, given that NPU's win at the crackerbox last season was close as well, but an 18-point loss -- especially an 18-point loss that was competitive up until crunch time -- is absolutely inexcusable.

To use the colorful phrase frequently employed in this room by former North Park SID Dennis Prikkel with regard to similar late-collapse NPU losses, the Vikings crapped down their collective leg.

  Trine was picked to finish 2nd in the conference behind Hope College.  That is saying something as the MIAA has been ruled seemingly forever by Calvin and Hope.  Both Holmquist and Dixon for TU were 1st team all conference this year.

I'm well aware of all four of those facts. This ain't my first rodeo, you know.

And Trine won tonight despite Dixon having a woeful 2 pt night on 1-10 shooting.

I can one-up you on that. Juwan Henry, a first-team All-CCIW pick last season and a preseason d3hoops.com All-American pick this season who put up 29 points in the season opener against Chicago, scored 10 points last night on 3-12 shooting. He did have six assists, but he turned the ball over four times ... and, unlike other posters who post game totals in here, I don't post the assists totals of players who don't finish the game with a 2:1 a:to ratio, no matter how many dimes they accumulate.

Holmquist is the epitome of a DIII player who has worked his butt off to be where he is today.  Not too many players outwork him.  He had to play the 5 last year and was always going up against 6'6 to 6'8 players but he is a guy who just wants it more.  Hopefully with the improvement of 6'8 post Cummings this can free him up to play the 4 spot for the Thunder.  Good luck to NPU the rest of the season.

Same to Trine. I have great respect for the Thunder in general, and for Holmquist in particular. But that loss was just plain terrible. There's no way that the Park should've walked out of the gym 18 points short on the scoreboard, especially given that they were right in the game until crunch time.

[Gregory Sager]

Millikin knocked off Westminster (MO) in the first round of the CCIW/SLIAC Challenge this afternoon in Greenville, 65-56.

Next up is Elmhurst versus the hosts. I can't think of a team better equipped to tear the System to shreds than the Bluejays.