MBB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

Exactly... a game on November 13 means just as much as February 20.

[Mr. Ypsi]

Exactly... a game on November 13 means just as much as February 20.

That's a fact.  But I'm always up for an argument as to whether or not it SHOULD be a fact!  Just as I'm always prepared to argue about whether or not losses by a team during the absence of a key player (or players) should be discounted somewhat IF the team shows themselves to be elite once the player(s) return.

[markerickson]

I've seen NPU has a very strong strength of schedule.  In this connection, tonight I checked the top 25 and was surprised to see that the U of Dubuque was not present.  Said team was very impressive in its 17 point road win versus NPU.  UD has losses to Coe, Central, and Illinois College (huh?) - none of whom are ranked or even garnered votes.

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

Exactly... a game on November 13 means just as much as February 20.

That's a fact.  But I'm always up for an argument as to whether or not it SHOULD be a fact!  Just as I'm always prepared to argue about whether or not losses by a team during the absence of a key player (or players) should be discounted somewhat IF the team shows themselves to be elite once the player(s) return.

That kind of thing would open up a Pandora's Box for any committee. It is hard enough to know what they have to know and do what they have to do... now you start adding in added stuff like injuries and knowing these teams as well as those team's coaches and we enter a horrific scenario. This isn't Division I men's and women's basketball. This is like the rest of the NCAA who all pretty much have the exact same criteria across all sports in all divisions.

I will say, that most committee members will tell you they will try and consider a lot of elements that "results" versus ... allows them to. But there also has to be a limit of how much they can truly pour over teams.

[Mr. Ypsi]

Agreed.  I just think that IDEALLY pool C would consist of the best available teams as of the start of the tourney.  How one could possibly write that into criteria I have no idea.  But some teams are VASTLY different in February than they were in November, or than they were at some injury-riddled points of the season.

I particularly recall two tourney scenarios I saw.  2012, first round in Holland, UWSP with their AA (Ty Tillema) in street clothes was simply not a tourney worthy team (as a Titan fan, I never had the least doubt as to the outcome).  (The next night I witnessed the greatest game I think I have ever seen in person, as IWU defeated #1 Hope in double OT - both teams deserved to be in Salem.)  2014, Williams was badly beaten 3 times already by Amherst, as Mike Mayer was injured (or not fully recovered) and Duncan Robinson was a freshman developing into a player Michigan would happily give a scholarship to after the season; in Salem they absolutely ran Amherst out of the building.

I have no clue how such scenarios could be written into criteria without going back to the 'smoke-filled rooms'.

[Titan Q]

Illinois Wesleyan (11-11, 5-6) at #1-Augustana (21-1, 10-1), 7:00pm...

Illinois Wesleyan (11-11, 5-6)
G - Joel Pennington, 6-0/180 Sr.  (9.5 ppg, 2.0 rpg, 2.8 apg)
G - Bryce Dolan, 6-1/165 Sr.  (13.4 ppg, 2.1 rpg, 3.4 apg)
G - Colin Bonnett, 6-3/195 Fr.  (5.5 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 1.2 apg)
F - Ryan Coyle, 6-6/210 Sr.  (8.0 ppg, 5.4 rpg)
F - Trevor Seibring, 6-8/235 Jr.  (15.3 ppg, 6.3 rpg, .608 FG)

#3-Augustana (21-1, 10-1)
G - Hunter Hill, 5-9/165 Sr.   (15.0 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 2.6 apg)
G - Jawan Straughter, 6-0/186 Sr.  (6.1 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 2.7 apg)
G - Griffin Pils, 6-4/216 Sr.  (7.0 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 2.4 apg)
F - Ben Ryan, 6-5/216 Sr.  (14.5 ppg, 7.5 rpg)
F - Brandon Motzel, 6-7/210 Sr.  (8.5 ppg, 6.4 rpg, .654 FG)


Pantagraph - http://www.pantagraph.com/sports/college/basketball/men/career-over-for-iwu-senior-marietti/article_d80cd126-a786-54db-a103-73df2ed62036.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/

[tomt4525]

Agreed.  I just think that IDEALLY pool C would consist of the best available teams as of the start of the tourney.  How one could possibly write that into criteria I have no idea.  But some teams are VASTLY different in February than they were in November, or than they were at some injury-riddled points of the season.

I particularly recall two tourney scenarios I saw. 2012, first round in Holland, UWSP with their AA (Ty Tillema) in street clothes was simply not a tourney worthy team (as a Titan fan, I never had the least doubt as to the outcome).  (The next night I witnessed the greatest game I think I have ever seen in person, as IWU defeated #1 Hope in double OT - both teams deserved to be in Salem.)  2014, Williams was badly beaten 3 times already by Amherst, as Mike Mayer was injured (or not fully recovered) and Duncan Robinson was a freshman developing into a player Michigan would happily give a scholarship to after the season; in Salem they absolutely ran Amherst out of the building.

I have no clue how such scenarios could be written into criteria without going back to the 'smoke-filled rooms'.

Wow....really strong statement considering it was only an 8 point game and at no point was IWU pulling away for an easy victory.  Point hung around the entire time, still an extremely talented and tourney worthy team without Tillema.

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

Regional Rankings: http://www.d3blogs.com/d3hoops/2016/02/10/first-2016-regional-rankings-released-today/

[Gregory Sager]

Current Massey (SoS in parentheses):

    2. Augustana (3)
    5. Elmhurst (9)
  10. North Central (1)
  28. North Park (4)
  69. Illinois Wesleyan (8)
145. Millikin (15)
166. Carthage (14)
211. Wheaton (6)

Massey sez:

@ Millikin 66, Wheaton 65 (MU 53% favorite)
Elmhurst 85, @ North Park 78 (EC 73% favorite)
North Central 79, @ Carthage 64 (NCC 92% favorite)
@ Augustana 80, Illinois Wesleyan 64 (AC 94% favorite)

[augie77]

With Benedictine and Augustana ranked number one and two in the regional rankings (as well as in the D3Hoops.com poll and Massey), what are the implications for post season matchups?  Let's say both teams win out (this will be a far more difficult task for Augie).  Will one or both of them receive byes in the national tournament?  In an ideal world they wouldn't meet until Salem, but realistically what could we expect from such a scenario?

If both teams win out over the next three weeks, is there any chance of Augustana moving ahead of Benedictine in the regional rankings?

[WUPHF]

In an ideal world they wouldn't meet until Salem, but realistically what could we expect from such a scenario?

Or we get another Bracket of Death! Hopefully not.

[GoPerry]

In an ideal world they wouldn't meet until Salem, but realistically what could we expect from such a scenario?

Or we get another Bracket of Death! Hopefully not.

Last year, I thought the committee did a pretty decent job in spreading out strong teams in the Central.  Augie and Whitewater were in the same bracket but St Thomas and Stevens Point were in the diagonal bracket from them (thus the Augie/UWSP final).  Doesn't mean they'll split Augie and BenU specifically but probably no 2009 Bracket of Death repeat.

[Augie6]

Augie beats IWU, 76-60.  Augie had a 13 point lead at the half, but IWU kept it close for the first 10 minutes of the second half, getting the lead down to 9.  Augie pulled away the last 10 minutes of the game, leading by as much as 21.  Balanced attack for Augie with 5 players in double figures.

[Titan Q]

Augustana 76
IWU 60


Augie controlled this one from start to finish.

[Gregory Sager]

Elmhurst 89
North Park 84

The Bluejays made their free throws in crunch time, and the Vikings didn't.