MBB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[AppletonRocks]

One more indication of why CCIW basketball is so good. Can you imagine another league where the 12-1 and best team in the country plays the 1-12 doormat and almost loses. My son, an Augie grad, was at the game and sent me repeated texts. Said Bernsten was unstoppable driving to basket, place was packed, Wheaton fans shouting the predictable 'overrated" at end of regulation and Bernsten almost won it with a "hail Mary" shot at the OT buzzer. Think I'll try to see last 5 min of regulation and OT on Wheaton's website. This was obviously a fantastic game. And more to follow Friday and Saturday in dreary Rock Island. Even my son agrees with that assessment.

Really surprised NBA teams don't play CCIW teams in the pre-season. 

[Mr. Ypsi]

One more indication of why CCIW basketball is so good. Can you imagine another league where the 12-1 and best team in the country plays the 1-12 doormat and almost loses. My son, an Augie grad, was at the game and sent me repeated texts. Said Bernsten was unstoppable driving to basket, place was packed, Wheaton fans shouting the predictable 'overrated" at end of regulation and Bernsten almost won it with a "hail Mary" shot at the OT buzzer. Think I'll try to see last 5 min of regulation and OT on Wheaton's website. This was obviously a fantastic game. And more to follow Friday and Saturday in dreary Rock Island. Even my son agrees with that assessment.

Really surprised NBA teams don't play CCIW teams in the pre-season. 

Well, MLB teams often play their first game or two against college teams, so why not?!

[Gregory Sager]

Chuck:



C'mon. You should know better.

[Mr. Ypsi]

A tid bit of CCIW history,
In the inaugural CCIW tournament in 2006 the seedings and pairings are identical to this years tournament. NCC defeated elmhurst and IWU defeated augie on its home court. The next night NCC defeated IWU in a knock down drag out to win the first ever CCIW tournament title.
Final score 51-49! Let's hope history can fully repeat itself!
If memory serves, there was chatter on this board about Chris Martin being more deserved of MOP than Rick Harrigan. Still can't believe that that elmhurst team didn't make it to the national tournament. Wow.
On a side note, Keelan Amelianovich and Adam dauksas, two former MOPs from IWU, we're not unanimous 1st teamers.

The CCIW was an incredible conference in 05/06. That was one of my years as a student broadcaster for Elmhurst. They were 17-9 overall and 9-5 in CCIW that season (2005/06). I can't quite remember the exact mood at the time, but I want to say that Elmhurst knew that had to win the CCIW tournament to get in the national tournament that season. There was much more disappointment after Elmhurst were left out of the national tournament in 2006/07 after going 20-5, beating Kent Raymond and Wheaton in first round of the CCIW Tournament before losing to Augustana in the final and finishing 21-6. It's too bad that Chris Martin never got to lead Elmhurst in a national tournament game, but that 2004/05 - 2008/09 era for Elmhurst was truly the first time in the history of the program that the Jays had consistently winning squads. Good times.

No kidding!  That was the year IWU entered conference play undefeated and unanimously #1 in the country, and eventually finished third at Salem.  Despite no significant injuries (that I recall, at least), they could only match NCC and Elmhurst in a three-way tie for 2nd at 9-5, and by tie-break were seeded fourth.  VERY tough league that year!!  (At 17-9, it was no shock that Elmhurst didn't get in, but I'm sure they were at least top 30 that season.)

[Mr. Ypsi]

Chuck:



C'mon. You should know better.

Yeah, I know better, but I had such a fun comeback, and he has shown such persistence that I doubt we will EVER starve him out.

[Gregory Sager]

Well, we'll never starve him out if people respond to him, which is the whole point.

Please, the next time that you think you have a "fun comeback" for one of his stupid one-liners ... think twice about hitting "POST", and then just send it to me as a PM. I promise to laugh, I swear.

[iwumichigander]

Thanks Gregory Sager for offering a response to my questions.  Much appreciated.

I agree with you that Ken Falkner wasn't a bad ref, and indeed probably was as good or better than most others.  The thing about his "air"...(not hair, which of course is a very nice coloring job)....but air,... is that he seemed to have bigger rabbit ears than many of the ref's.  It seems like he delighted in talking with coaches, players, and fans (at times) which slowed down the action.  To me, he carried himself as if "this is only a game" when in fact the players were out there fighting for their team to win. ...

because it is only a game   And, the really good officials and coaches find good ways to remind all of us.
"Rabbit ears" . Add read body language and lip reading to traits that make good officials because the better ones actually have terrific people skills.  They are just "tuned in" better than most.

[Mr. Ypsi]

Well, we'll never starve him out if people respond to him, which is the whole point.

Please, the next time that you think you have a "fun comeback" for one of his stupid one-liners ... think twice about hitting "POST", and then just send it to me as a PM. I promise to laugh, I swear.

I figure if we can't make him go away, occasionally have fun with him.

Besides, did it ever occur to you that he might be tame-able?  Haven't you ever wanted to have a pet troll?

(While I'm not coming up with any names, I think we may have posters today who once had a reputation almost like AR who have been 'civilized'.  Heck, I'm not sure that a dozen years ago I wasn't regarded as much above AR.  With some recent commentary, I still may not be.   I see posts of his on other boards that make me think he may yet 'grow up'.)

[voxelmhurst]

A tid bit of CCIW history,
In the inaugural CCIW tournament in 2006 the seedings and pairings are identical to this years tournament. NCC defeated elmhurst and IWU defeated augie on its home court. The next night NCC defeated IWU in a knock down drag out to win the first ever CCIW tournament title.
Final score 51-49! Let's hope history can fully repeat itself!
If memory serves, there was chatter on this board about Chris Martin being more deserved of MOP than Rick Harrigan. Still can't believe that that elmhurst team didn't make it to the national tournament. Wow.
On a side note, Keelan Amelianovich and Adam dauksas, two former MOPs from IWU, we're not unanimous 1st teamers.

The CCIW was an incredible conference in 05/06. That was one of my years as a student broadcaster for Elmhurst. They were 17-9 overall and 9-5 in CCIW that season (2005/06). I can't quite remember the exact mood at the time, but I want to say that Elmhurst knew that had to win the CCIW tournament to get in the national tournament that season. There was much more disappointment after Elmhurst were left out of the national tournament in 2006/07 after going 20-5, beating Kent Raymond and Wheaton in first round of the CCIW Tournament before losing to Augustana in the final and finishing 21-6. It's too bad that Chris Martin never got to lead Elmhurst in a national tournament game, but that 2004/05 - 2008/09 era for Elmhurst was truly the first time in the history of the program that the Jays had consistently winning squads. Good times.

No kidding!  That was the year IWU entered conference play undefeated and unanimously #1 in the country, and eventually finished third at Salem.  Despite no significant injuries (that I recall, at least), they could only match NCC and Elmhurst in a three-way tie for 2nd at 9-5, and by tie-break were seeded fourth.  VERY tough league that year!!  (At 17-9, it was no shock that Elmhurst didn't get in, but I'm sure they were at least top 30 that season.)

I just went through the schedule again. Elmhurst had 5 CCIW losses that year, and 4 of them were by 3 points or less, including a 1 point loss to Wesleyan, which is (to me, at least) the most bitter defeat in the history of Elmhurst men's basketball. That was the game Dauksas hit the 3 just inside half court to send the game into OT. It would have been Elmhurst's first win in Bloomington since the early 90s. The Elmhurst radio broadcast never aired because the student assigned to work the studio board in Elmhurst never bothered to show up. After the game, I stopped at the nearby Burger King for a value meal and the total came to $6.66. One of those nights...

[AndOne]

Based on history, it's hard to get worked up about silly outcomes of the All Conference Team.  It happens every year that someone is misplaced. 
I wonder how the coaches make their picks.  Do they ask for their assistants to make recommendations for consideration; do they refer to the Conference Stat sheets; do they just have their personal thoughts and preferences from watching two games during the season?
For Juwan Henry not to be selected to the 1st team, perhaps he had a not so good game against a certain team and that was enough to cause the coach not to name him 1st.?

Nope. That's not what happened. He was snubbed because of a fit of personal pique on the part of one of the head coaches, whom I will not name.

Greg,

I respect your not wanting to name the coach, but my guess is that it was Bosko.  This is based on the ending of the game when Henry launched the three to try and score 50 instead of dribbling it out.  I'm not looking for a response, but it seems like this could easily be the reason he chose not to select him.  What a shame if it was... it wouldn't surprise me either....but that's a story for another day.

kenoshamark---

Your guess as to the identity of the culprit is actually a fact. Book it. And your analysis of the reason why is also right on. Bosko was, and obviously continues to be, PO'ed at what he considers Henry's exhibition of disrespect. He had a chance to "punish" the offender who wronged him, his team, and his school, and he used it.
As all of us here seem to agree Juwan Henry deserved to be a unanimous 1st team selection. i, for one, am surprised that Greg would want to protect the offending party in this situation especially considering that the student-athlete who was wronged plays for his beloved Vikings. I was thinking you need not be a trained investigator to solve this particular case. Then I saw your post which confirmed it. Taking nothing away from your crime solving ability, i bet you figured it out pretty easily. 

[bbfan44]

Thanks Gregory Sager for offering a response to my questions.  Much appreciated.

I agree with you that Ken Falkner wasn't a bad ref, and indeed probably was as good or better than most others.  The thing about his "air"...(not hair, which of course is a very nice coloring job)....but air,... is that he seemed to have bigger rabbit ears than many of the ref's.  It seems like he delighted in talking with coaches, players, and fans (at times) which slowed down the action.  To me, he carried himself as if "this is only a game" when in fact the players were out there fighting for their team to win. ...

because it is only a game   And, the really good officials and coaches find good ways to remind all of us.
"Rabbit ears" . Add read body language and lip reading to traits that make good officials because the better ones actually have terrific people skills.  They are just "tuned in" better than most.

Gander...as far as I know they still keep score, and there are winners and losers, coaches get paid a lot of money, kids get grants to play, people pay to see games, grown men with money in their pockets take the time to follow blogs, etc.  So, while it is just a game....each game has purpose, and I would hate to think the ref is just out there earning his $70 bucks with little regard for the "importance" to the players.

[newCCIWfan]

Thanks Gregory Sager for offering a response to my questions.  Much appreciated.

I agree with you that Ken Falkner wasn't a bad ref, and indeed probably was as good or better than most others.  The thing about his "air"...(not hair, which of course is a very nice coloring job)....but air,... is that he seemed to have bigger rabbit ears than many of the ref's.  It seems like he delighted in talking with coaches, players, and fans (at times) which slowed down the action.  To me, he carried himself as if "this is only a game" when in fact the players were out there fighting for their team to win. ...

because it is only a game   And, the really good officials and coaches find good ways to remind all of us.
"Rabbit ears" . Add read body language and lip reading to traits that make good officials because the better ones actually have terrific people skills.  They are just "tuned in" better than most.

Gander...as far as I know they still keep score, and there are winners and losers, coaches get paid a lot of money, kids get grants to play, people pay to see games, grown men with money in their pockets take the time to follow blogs, etc.  So, while it is just a game....each game has purpose, and I would hate to think the ref is just out there earning his $70 bucks with little regard for the "importance" to the players.

Unfortunately, there are plenty of officials who are just earning a pay check. Every coach in every league can point to its share of those type of officials. It's sad, but I'm not sure it is avoidable ... Especially on Saturday games when EVERYONE in the country is playing.

Also --- D3 officials are making significantly more then $70 a game.

[newCCIWfan]

Also ... in other news ... not sure if it has made the rounds on here (if I missed it I apologize ... every time I revisit this site there are 5 new pages of CCIW chat to catch up on). But Hayden Monix (6-7) of Lowell High School has committed to play basketball at Illinois Wesleyan.

[toooldtohoop]

Also ... in other news ... not sure if it has made the rounds on here (if I missed it I apologize ... every time I revisit this site there are 5 new pages of CCIW chat to catch up on). But Hayden Monix (6-7) of Lowell High School has committed to play basketball at Illinois Wesleyan.

Some of those 5 pages may actually have included basketball chatting!
We are all glad to see that Coach Rose is not continuing the habit of hoarding guards.

[iwumichigander]

Well, we'll never starve him out if people respond to him, which is the whole point.

Please, the next time that you think you have a "fun comeback" for one of his stupid one-liners ... think twice about hitting "POST", and then just send it to me as a PM. I promise to laugh, I swear.

aw come one Greg, AppletonRocks is just a dissenter