MBB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[AndOne]

The Parker's approx 9 1/2 hour round trip bus ride to LaCrosse will be an especially pleasant experience. 
However, many teams are faced with this problem nowdays as it has become increasingly difficult, for a variety of reasons, for teams to complete their schedules.

Any word yet on any additional recruits that will be headed to NPU?

[Gregory Sager]

The Parker's approx 9 1/2 hour round trip bus ride to LaCrosse will be an especially pleasant experience. 

Alma's about the same distance. I've done that bus trip twice, with the football team two years ago and with the basketball team last year.

It is what it is. The guys all have smartphones, and if there's one thing that can be said for this generation of young people it's that they can use their smartphones to keep themselves endlessly occupied. At least I know that the basketball team won't subject me to an Adam Sandler film festival on the bus's overhead DVD player, which the football team did.

Last year Tom Slyder had the players get their legs going by running sprints on Alma's track after they got off the bus. (It didn't help, but that doesn't mean that it wasn't a good idea.)

However, many teams are faced with this problem nowdays as it has become increasingly difficult, for a variety of reasons, for teams to complete their schedules.

I don't know if Tom had difficulty putting together this schedule or not. I do know, for example, that he's wanted to get Manchester on the sked for awhile now, and he's finally been able to land that contract. (The Spartans probably won't be a pushover anymore, either; they return three starters, including last season's d3hoops.com Great Lakes Region FOY, and all four rotational reserves.) I'm certainly not complaining about this schedule. The time spent on the road will be good for the Vikes as a team, and I like that there's plenty of tough comp on that schedule.

Any word yet on any additional recruits that will be headed to NPU?

You'll find out when you find out.

[AndOne]

The Parker's approx 9 1/2 hour round trip bus ride to LaCrosse will be an especially pleasant experience. 

Alma's about the same distance. I've done that bus trip twice, with the football team two years ago and with the basketball team last year.

It is what it is. The guys all have smartphones, and if there's one thing that can be said for this generation of young people it's that they can use their smartphones to keep themselves endlessly occupied. At least I know that the basketball team won't subject me to an Adam Sandler film festival on the bus's overhead DVD player, which the football team did.

Yes, prior to or on a couple of bus trips I've asked some of the NCC guys what would happen if they either lost their cell phones or the phones malfunctioned for one reason or another and the responses included things like "I'd be lost," "oh God, no" and "boring." One guy's face just went into an immediate blank stare with no verbal reply as if he couldn't comprehend life without what often seems like an extra appendage with the young crowd. 

[AndOne]

Any word yet on any additional recruits that will be headed to NPU?

You'll find out when you find out.

And you can understand that I won't be holding my breath until that fateful announcement. 

[lmitzel]

The Parker's approx 9 1/2 hour round trip bus ride to LaCrosse will be an especially pleasant experience. 

Alma's about the same distance. I've done that bus trip twice, with the football team two years ago and with the basketball team last year.

It is what it is. The guys all have smartphones, and if there's one thing that can be said for this generation of young people it's that they can use their smartphones to keep themselves endlessly occupied. At least I know that the basketball team won't subject me to an Adam Sandler film festival on the bus's overhead DVD player, which the football team did.

Yes, prior to or on a couple of bus trips I've asked some of the NCC guys what would happen if they either lost their cell phones or the phones malfunctioned for one reason or another and the responses included things like "I'd be lost," "oh God, no" and "boring." One guy's face just went into an immediate blank stare with no verbal reply as if he couldn't comprehend life without what often seems like an extra appendage with the young crowd. 

BACK IN MY DAY ON LONG ROAD TRIPS WE HAD TO READ BOOKS, LISTEN TO CASSETTE TAPES, OR JUST LOOK OUT THE WINDOW AND WE LOOOOOOVED IT! [/oldguyrant] 

I would figure bus trips (at least outside of D-Term) would be a good time to get some homework done. I did that on a bus ride to and from Titan Land back in my WONC days, but I'm pretty sure my broadcast partner and I did that for all of 30 minutes before spending the rest of the time watching whatever movies Todd had cued up on there. Of course, I don't think either of us had a smartphone at the time, so that's a little different.

[Gregory Sager]

Any word yet on any additional recruits that will be headed to NPU?

You'll find out when you find out.

And you can understand that I won't be holding my breath until that fateful announcement. 

I'd never ask you to take such drastic measures, Mark.

[AppletonRocks]

North Park's men's basketball program hasn't taken snowbird trips of the traditional three-to-five-days-in-the-sun variety for many years now. Last season the Vikings bused to the Tennessee-Georgia border to play Covenant in a one-off contest, and to northwestern Ohio to participate in the Defiance tournament, but there were no extended trips beyond a couple of days. All of NPU's athletic programs are on tight budgets, and the athletic department's 2016-17 budget will be even tighter than usual.

As for the Vikings playing seven non-con road games and only two non-con home games, that's just a quirk of the schedule. Dubuque, Albion, and Illinois Tech were due to get the Vikings at home after NPU had hosted the front end of two-year contracts last season. Tom Slyder has established new two-year contracts with Chicago, Alma, and Trine that result in the Maroons, Scots, and Thunder hosting this season -- even though Alma and Trine hosted NPU last season -- with North Park hosting those three teams next season. And UWL is a new two-year contract that will operate with the same rotation as Chicago, Alma, and Trine.

Do these "contracts" pay big parts of the gate and also any ESPN coverage rights?  I hope so, they do in the WIAC.

[AndOne]

North Park's men's basketball program hasn't taken snowbird trips of the traditional three-to-five-days-in-the-sun variety for many years now.

North Central has been fortunate to enjoy snowbird trips on a regular basis over the last several years.
Since 2004-05 they have visited the following warm weather locales:

Myrtle Beach, SC
Daytona Beach, FL
Miami
Orlando 2X
LA 2X
Vegas 2X
Hawaii 2X
This season's destination is Ft. Lauderdale ☀️ 😎

[AppletonRocks]

The Parker's approx 9 1/2 hour round trip bus ride to LaCrosse will be an especially pleasant experience. 
However, many teams are faced with this problem nowdays as it has become increasingly difficult, for a variety of reasons, for teams to complete their schedules.

The ride home to North Park is faster, it's all downhill.     Maybe the CCIW teams should go a few days early and find out how you can get an excellent education at a WIAC school for less than the cost of a suburban house. 

[Gregory Sager]

NPU's non-con schedule has been corrected on the team's webpage:

Tue., Nov. 15	@ Chicago
Tue., Nov. 22	@ Dubuque
Sat., Nov. 26	ADRIAN
Wed., Nov. 30	ALMA
Sat., Dec. 17	TRINE
Wed., Dec. 21	@ Albion
Wed, Dec. 28	@ UW-LaCrosse
Fri., Dec. 30	MANCHESTER
Sat., Jan. 21	@ Illinois Tech

This makes much more sense with regard to Alma and Trine. While it's conceivable that a renewed two-year contract could result in one team hosting two years in a row, typically the alternating hosting pattern continues into the new contract. It's been that way with North Park and Trine for the three previous two-year contracts, with the game next December 17 marking the seventh consecutive season that the Vikings and Thunder have played each other.

[AndOne]

Congrats to North central senior KEVIN HONN on his recent selection to the NABC honors court for the 2nd time.

July 27, 2016 - North Central College men's basketball player Kevin Honn has been honored with a selection to the National Association of Basketball Coaches' (NABC) Honors Court for the second straight season in recognition of excellence in academics. The honorees for the 2015-2016 season were released Tuesday.

The Honors Court consists of varsity student-athletes who have maintained at least a 3.2 grade-point average after at least two years of study. More than 600 men's collegiate basketball players from over 200 institutions qualified for inclusion. Honn is among 315 NCAA Division III players from 80 institutions to be so honored.

Honn, a physical education major, recently completed a four-year playing career for the Cardinals, taking part in all 78 games the past three seasons. He started six games and ranked third on the team in scoring (10.5 points per game) and rebounding (5.2 per game) as a senior, scoring in double figures 15 times. He ranked sixth in the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) in field-goal percentage (.539) and put up 11.2 points per game in conference play.

2015-2016: Played in all 27 of North Central's games, starting six. Ranked third on the team in scoring (10.5 points per game) and rebounding (5.2 rebounds per game) and ranked first on the team and sixth in the CCIW in field-goal percentage (.539) in 21.6 minutes per contest. Scored in double figures 15 times and averaged 15.3 points per game the last seven games of the season. Scored season-high 29 points, making 8 of 12 field goals and 9 of 10 free throws, in 84-74 win at North Park Feb. 20.

2014-2015: Played all 26 games, starting seven. Ranked fourth on the team in scoring (7.9 points per game) and third in rebounding (4.2 rpg). Scored in double figures seven times, putting up a season-high 21 points Jan. 28 against Millikin. Recorded a 16-point, 10-rebound double-double in a win at Carthage Jan. 21.

2013-2014: Played in all 25 games, starting 12. Averaged 18.6 minutes per game, putting up 5.4 points and 2.5 rebounds per contest. Scored in double figures four times, netting season-high 11 points on two occasions.

2012-2013: Played in six varsity games. Sank a three-pointer Feb. 16 against North Park. Also played on junior varsity.

[markerickson]

Why did Carroll leave their conference and why did the CCIW accept Carroll?

In terms of scheduling, e.g., basketball, I wonder if MU+IWU will get to travel to and compete against Carroll on days preceding a non-school day while other CCIW teams closer to Carroll get stuck with contests that are followed by a school day, thus requiring NPU, NCC, et. al. to return home late at night - more like early morning - as opposed to staying in a hotel.

[Gregory Sager]

Why did Carroll leave their conference and why did the CCIW accept Carroll?

The Carroll administration wanted a more competitive athletic environment, presumably because it makes the school more attractive to student-athletes and thus more competitive with WIAC schools in terms of recruiting and overall admissions. As for why the CCIW invited Carroll to join, that wasn't really covered in the official CCIW press release in April 2014, other than with some nice but essentially meaningless thoughts about Carroll being a former member. If you want a real answer to your question, Mark, I suspect that there's only eight individuals who are really prepared to answer it with any authority ... and I further suspect that the only one of the eight whom you'll have a chance to approach with that question is David Parkyn.

In terms of scheduling, e.g., basketball, I wonder if MU+IWU will get to travel to and compete against Carroll on days preceding a non-school day while other CCIW teams closer to Carroll get stuck with contests that are followed by a school day, thus requiring NPU, NCC, et. al. to return home late at night - more like early morning - as opposed to staying in a hotel.

Eight of the nine CCIW schools have already posted their 2016-17 schedules online already, Mark, with North Central being the only exception. In other words, this is one question that you can answer for yourself.

[Gregory Sager]

There's been a couple of changes among the primary assistant coaches in the league. North Park's Cordell Henry has left NPU to be closer to his fiancée in Tampa, so he's taken a job down in Florida as a basketball coach at the high-school level. Unfortunately, he was in a serious car accident on his way down there, so I extend to him thoughts and prayers for a quick recovery as well as good wishes on his new position. Head coach Tom Slyder is currently in the search process to hire his replacement at NPU.

North Central's got a new second chair as well. Mitch Raridon is no longer with the program, and he's been replaced by a name that's very familiar to CCIW followers: Steve Schweer, former NPU graduate assistant coach and former IWU player, has just been hired by North Central after serving for several years in numerous capacities (including assistant men's basketball coach) at Monmouth. Only six more schools to go now before Steve completes his circuit of the CCIW.

(Seriously, though, Steve's a good guy and I'm happy to see his career progressing nicely.)

[AndOne]

Why did Carroll leave their conference and why did the CCIW accept Carroll?

In terms of scheduling, e.g., basketball, I wonder if MU+IWU will get to travel to and compete against Carroll on days preceding a non-school day while other CCIW teams closer to Carroll get stuck with contests that are followed by a school day, thus requiring NPU, NCC, et. al. to return home late at night - more like early morning - as opposed to staying in a hotel.

For perhaps the most comprehensive explanation of Carroll's philosophy concerning their move to the CCIW, here is a video of Carroll AD  Joe Baker doing what I think is a nice job expounding on the subject.

http://www.cciw.org

* You may have to click on "Videos" and then "View full website" to bring it up.