MBB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[Naperick]

I watched the final minute of regulation from last night's game three or four times today, and I'm as frustrated now as I was agonized yesterday. Yeah, I can hear the "get a life, Greg" replies already -- believe me, I hear that a lot where NPU basketball is concerned -- but that final thirty seconds was ulcer-inducing.

First of all, I should make it plain that Juwan Henry shouldn't be the scapegoat for the loss. Yeah, he missed the front end of a one-and-one with 28 seconds left that would've put the Vikings up by three, with a chance to then go up by four. But the reason why he was at the line in the first place was because he had rebounded a missed Colin Lake trey attempt from the corner in front of the North Park bench -- a trey attempt that hit both insides of the rim and then flew out. If that ball stays down, NPU leads by five with a half-minute left. That's basketball, folks.

More importantly, Juwan Henry had thirty freakin' points and eight rebounds in that game. The scoring numbers that he's putting up this season -- 23.3 ppg overall and 24.7 ppg in CCIW play, the latter of which is five points higher than second-place Jordan Robinson -- are ridiculous. They're in Stevie D. territory. A good argument could be made that Juwan's this year's MOP, and without him North Park is an eighth-place team that loses the game at Faganel before it even gets off the bus. So I'm not blaming him, and nobody else should, either.

My frustration stems more from how regulation ended. After Erik Crittenden tied the game at 79-79 with a ten-foot jumper from the baseline with eight seconds to go (a magnificent clutch fadeaway that he hit against picture-perfect defense from Darius Brown), Lake took the quick inbound pass. He worked his way up the floor and moved right, using a stinging screen from Brown that put Kyle Wuest in dreamland for about a minute afterward, and was knocked to the floor by Crittenden as he attempted what would've been the game-winning layup with one second left. It was a no-doubter of a call -- one CCIW ref who was sitting in the stands later told Tom Slyder that it was clearly a foul -- but Tom O'Neill, who was standing right there on the baseline when Lake was sent flying, refused to blow his whistle. I'm going to be called biased for bringing this up, but I'd also like to point out that there have been several other times in the past when I've said on d3boards.com that a good official is one who calls the game the same way with one second left as he does with ten minutes left. Swallowing the whistle at the end of a game is a terrible way to do your job. Anybody who argues that swallowing the whistle "lets the players decide the game" is missing the point that it lets the players decide the game by getting away with stuff that they otherwise couldn't, like knocking an opposing player to the floor when he's going in for a layup. It was a good, hard foul by Crittenden that kept Lake from getting any reasonable chance at making the layup -- and it should've been called as such, with Lake going to the line for two. But it wasn't.

Woulda, coulda, shoulda, though. NPU was only in that position because key shots didn't fall earlier in that final half-minute.

Thisclose. Thisclose. 

Greg,

I made it to Elmhurst for the 2nd half of last night's EC-NPU game.  I agree that Lake was fouled on his last second shot attempt.  I also thought the 'Jays got a few breaks in the last 5 minutes of the game.  I'll take the win but I do understand your frustration.

I was amazed at the 1-2 punch the Vikings have in Henry & Robinson.  They get my vote for CCIW MOP after 3 weeks of games.  I'd split my vote.  I can't pick one.  I have only seen them play twice this season but I have a hard time believing anyone else has played better.  But a lot could change in the next 4 to 5 weeks.

The rematch on February 10th should be a good one.

[toooldtohoop]

I watched the final minute of regulation from last night's game three or four times today, and I'm as frustrated now as I was agonized yesterday. Yeah, I can hear the "get a life, Greg" replies already -- believe me, I hear that a lot where NPU basketball is concerned -- but that final thirty seconds was ulcer-inducing.

First of all, I should make it plain that Juwan Henry shouldn't be the scapegoat for the loss. Yeah, he missed the front end of a one-and-one with 28 seconds left that would've put the Vikings up by three, with a chance to then go up by four. But the reason why he was at the line in the first place was because he had rebounded a missed Colin Lake trey attempt from the corner in front of the North Park bench -- a trey attempt that hit both insides of the rim and then flew out. If that ball stays down, NPU leads by five with a half-minute left. That's basketball, folks.

More importantly, Juwan Henry had thirty freakin' points and eight rebounds in that game. The scoring numbers that he's putting up this season -- 23.3 ppg overall and 24.7 ppg in CCIW play, the latter of which is five points higher than second-place Jordan Robinson -- are ridiculous. They're in Stevie D. territory. A good argument could be made that Juwan's this year's MOP, and without him North Park is an eighth-place team that loses the game at Faganel before it even gets off the bus. So I'm not blaming him, and nobody else should, either.

My frustration stems more from how regulation ended. After Erik Crittenden tied the game at 79-79 with a ten-foot jumper from the baseline with eight seconds to go (a magnificent clutch fadeaway that he hit against picture-perfect defense from Darius Brown), Lake took the quick inbound pass. He worked his way up the floor and moved right, using a stinging screen from Brown that put Kyle Wuest in dreamland for about a minute afterward, and was knocked to the floor by Crittenden as he attempted what would've been the game-winning layup with one second left. It was a no-doubter of a call -- one CCIW ref who was sitting in the stands later told Tom Slyder that it was clearly a foul -- but Tom O'Neill, who was standing right there on the baseline when Lake was sent flying, refused to blow his whistle. I'm going to be called biased for bringing this up, but I'd also like to point out that there have been several other times in the past when I've said on d3boards.com that a good official is one who calls the game the same way with one second left as he does with ten minutes left. Swallowing the whistle at the end of a game is a terrible way to do your job. Anybody who argues that swallowing the whistle "lets the players decide the game" is missing the point that it lets the players decide the game by getting away with stuff that they otherwise couldn't, like knocking an opposing player to the floor when he's going in for a layup. It was a good, hard foul by Crittenden that kept Lake from getting any reasonable chance at making the layup -- and it should've been called as such, with Lake going to the line for two. But it wasn't.

Woulda, coulda, shoulda, though. NPU was only in that position because key shots didn't fall earlier in that final half-minute.

Thisclose. Thisclose. 

Greg,

I made it to Elmhurst for the 2nd half of last night's EC-NPU game.  I agree that Lake was fouled on his last second shot attempt.  I also thought the 'Jays got a few breaks in the last 5 minutes of the game.  I'll take the win but I do understand your frustration.

I was amazed at the 1-2 punch the Vikings have in Henry & Robinson.  They get my vote for CCIW MOP after 3 weeks of games.  I'd split my vote.  I can't pick one.  I have only seen them play twice this season but I have a hard time believing anyone else has played better.  But a lot could change in the next 4 to 5 weeks.

The rematch on February 10th should be a good one.

Clearly, you have not seen the young Raridon play yet?

[Gregory Sager]

Get a life, Greg!   

LOL. I had my money on Chuck being the one to post that admonishment.

I was amazed at the 1-2 punch the Vikings have in Henry & Robinson.  They get my vote for CCIW MOP after 3 weeks of games.  I'd split my vote.  I can't pick one.

My worry is that they may cancel each other out when it comes time for end-of-season honors selection, especially if NPU doesn't finish well overall. Some people feel that individual honors should be apportioned based upon how well a team does or doesn't do as a whole.

The rematch on February 10th should be a good one.

Looking forward to it!

[Mr. Ypsi]

Get a life, Greg!   

LOL. I had my money on Chuck being the one to post that admonishment.

If you check the 'time online' stats, I lead by many months over even the guru himself.  I'm the LAST person who's ever gonna say 'get a life' to a fellow poster!

[iwumichigander]

Get a life, Greg!   

LOL. I had my money on Chuck being the one to post that admonishment.

If you check the 'time online' stats, I lead by many months over even the guru himself.  I'm the LAST person who's ever gonna say 'get a life' to a fellow poster!

Maybe we ought to share your stats with Mrs Ypsi? 

[Gregory Sager]

Get a life, Greg!   

LOL. I had my money on Chuck being the one to post that admonishment.

If you check the 'time online' stats, I lead by many months over even the guru himself.  I'm the LAST person who's ever gonna say 'get a life' to a fellow poster!

Yes, but this is the first time that you haven't also taken great pains to note that I have you soundly beaten on both word count and quotations. And I think we all know which of the two of us spends more time doing research for his posts.

Maybe we ought to share your stats with Mrs Ypsi? 

It would certainly make for an ideal blackmail situation, wouldn't it?

[Mr. Ypsi]

I have no idea where to place this post, so may as well do it on my 'home page'.  I'm reading a fabulous book by John Feinstein called Last Dance, essentially a history of the D1 Final Four.  A seemingly incongruous Bobby Knight story:  Mike Krzyzewski (the Duke coach) was his PG at Army for 4 years when he was the HC.  During Mike's junior year, his father suddenly died of a heart attack.  Coach Knight flew with Mike to his home and stayed for several days to assure that Mike, his older brother, and his mom were coping OK.  This was DURING the basketball season!   Somehow not the foul-mouthed, chair-throwing Bobby that was eventually run out of Inidana despite 3 national titles - he's a complex man! 

I was also reminded that this is the 50th anniversary of what is probably the most socially important championship game ever - when UTEP (then Texas Western), with 5 black starters upset heavily-favored, all-white Kentucky.  Adolph Rupp was a typical southern racist of the day, but he was even more a basketball coach who wanted to win - a couple of years later he integrated SEC basketball (probably no other coach in the deep South had the standing to get away with that).

[Mr. Ypsi]

Get a life, Greg!   

LOL. I had my money on Chuck being the one to post that admonishment.

If you check the 'time online' stats, I lead by many months over even the guru himself.  I'm the LAST person who's ever gonna say 'get a life' to a fellow poster!

Yes, but this is the first time that you haven't also taken great pains to note that I have you soundly beaten on both word count and quotations. And I think we all know which of the two of us spends more time doing research for his posts.

Maybe we ought to share your stats with Mrs Ypsi? 

It would certainly make for an ideal blackmail situation, wouldn't it?

Nah - she likes me staying out from underfoot.

[AndOne]

I was amazed at the 1-2 punch the Vikings have in Henry & Robinson.  They get my vote for CCIW MOP after 3 weeks of games.  I'd split my vote.  I can't pick one.

My worry is that they may cancel each other out when it comes time for end-of-season honors selection, especially if NPU doesn't finish well overall. Some people feel that individual honors should be apportioned based upon how well a team does or doesn't do as a whole.

Some people??
Some people = the conference coaches. The only people whose opinions really count.
Primary documentary evidence being several past all-conference team lists that are largely a function of where teams have finished as opposed to being comprised of individuals who were more deserving, but played on inferior teams and thus, were not recognized. 

[WUPHF]

A seemingly incongruous Bobby Knight story:  Mike Krzyzewski (the Duke coach) was his PG at Army for 4 years when he was the HC. 

You know your are on a Division III fan board when the name Mike Krzyzweski needs "the Duke coach" attached to it in parentheses.

Arguably, Loyola and their 1963 championship featured the most socially important game when they played Mississippi State in the semifinals.  Loyola started four African American players in that game. 

[WUPHF]

Oh, shoot, I forgot the smiley face emoticons.

[kiko]

[quote author=AndOne link=topic=4592.msg1725424#msg1725424
This was head coach Todd Raridon's 200th victory at NCC. With 5 more wins, he will become the Cardinals all time leader.

Hmmm..... although it feels a tad literal, perhaps when that torch passes I should evolve my occasional namecheck for the Cards from Sons of Warden to Sons of Raridon.

I'm not a North Central fan (nor do I play one on TV), but if you ask me, kiko, you should leave your alternate moniker for the Cards as is. Bill Warden is still North Central's all-time leading scorer, in spite of the fact that he began his NCC playing career back when Harry S. Truman was still in the White House, and he brought the program back from the dead when he took over as head coach in the early '80s -- and, believe me, NCC was so wretched before he returned to his alma mater that it rivaled Marc Smith-era Millikin for incompetence. To me, North Central men's basketball is in a significant sense always going to be Bill Warden's program.

Todd Raridon (who actually now has a total of 469 wins counting his 269 at Nebraska Wesleyan) would be the first person to tell you that Bill Warden is the KING of NCC basketball, BOTH from a playing and coaching perspective, and always will be. 

... and if he tried to tell me that, I would think to myself, "why is he telling me something I already know?"

C'mon guys, I am well aware of Bill Warden's place on the Mount Rushmore of Cardinal basketball.  There's a reason I don't refer to them as the Sons of Benjy Taylor...

[Mr. Ypsi]

A seemingly incongruous Bobby Knight story:  Mike Krzyzewski (the Duke coach) was his PG at Army for 4 years when he was the HC. 

You know your are on a Division III fan board when the name Mike Krzyzweski needs "the Duke coach" attached to it in parentheses.

Arguably, Loyola and their 1963 championship featured the most socially important game when they played Mississippi State in the semifinals.  Loyola started four African American players in that game.

Yeah 'the Duke coach' was a probably too subtle tweak at Greg who insists he totally ignores D1 basketball.

Was Mississippi State the team that snuck out in the middle of the night because the state wouldn't allow them to play against a team 'with niggers'?  If I'm remembering right, they may actually be more deserving of the 'most socially important' game.  Except it was Rupp losing that directly led to change.

[AndOne]

[quote author=AndOne link=topic=4592.msg1725424#msg1725424
This was head coach Todd Raridon's 200th victory at NCC. With 5 more wins, he will become the Cardinals all time leader.

Hmmm..... although it feels a tad literal, perhaps when that torch passes I should evolve my occasional namecheck for the Cards from Sons of Warden to Sons of Raridon.

I'm not a North Central fan (nor do I play one on TV), but if you ask me, kiko, you should leave your alternate moniker for the Cards as is. Bill Warden is still North Central's all-time leading scorer, in spite of the fact that he began his NCC playing career back when Harry S. Truman was still in the White House, and he brought the program back from the dead when he took over as head coach in the early '80s -- and, believe me, NCC was so wretched before he returned to his alma mater that it rivaled Marc Smith-era Millikin for incompetence. To me, North Central men's basketball is in a significant sense always going to be Bill Warden's program.

Todd Raridon (who actually now has a total of 469 wins counting his 269 at Nebraska Wesleyan) would be the first person to tell you that Bill Warden is the KING of NCC basketball, BOTH from a playing and coaching perspective, and always will be. 

... and if he tried to tell me that, I would think to myself, "why is he telling me something I already know?"

C'mon guys, I am well aware of Bill Warden's place on the Mount Rushmore of Cardinal basketball.  There's a reason I don't refer to them as the Sons of Benjy Taylor...

Ya, kiko. That's because, like me, you're crazy, but you're not insane. 
The Sons of Benjy Taylor--Oh God, help us! LOL. 

[79jaybird]

Benjy Taylor?   Wow that is blast from the past... is Yulander back on the court too?