MBB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[hopefan]

Yes Augie77, it will be a test. Wash U looked very good vs Hanover. The winner of Sunday's game merits top ten consideration. Look for the Hope sweatshirt and say hi

[Mr. Ypsi]

I love the d3hoops.com preseason poll, and they have a great record of ranking eventual high-ranking teams, but they do usually have at least one total dud.  #14 Alma is shaping up to be one of those teams this year, as they are now 1-3, including losing to perennial winless-contest nominee Finlandia.  So don't get carried away.

Is the above post being critical of............

A. the D3hoops pre-season poll?
B. Alma's team?
C. NCC for playing Alma ("Don't get carried away")?
D. Some combination of A, B, and C?
E. A, B, and C?

F. none of the above

As I stated, I greatly appreciate the d3hoops.com preseason poll, and it gets more right than wrong.  But just about every year it totally misfires on one or more teams.  Alma lost so much (included some that was NOT expected due to graduation) that a #14 ranking was almost certain to be wrong.  Not Alma's fault, but they are in full-scale rebuilding mode.  And they are far worse today than could have been expected when NCC scheduled them, so no fault lies with anyone.

(The "Don't get carried away" comment was in jest.  Some Augie posters thought it was a sign of their high status because they beat #14 Alma - this year that just ain't the case.)

I don't believe a single Augustana poster (augie fan or myself) perceived or commented that a win over the depleted Alma Scots was a sign of "high status".  Sunday's game with Washington U will be a test.

Just went back and checked the posts following the Augie/Alma game - my bad.   There was some discussion as to whether or not Augie was currently over-ranked - I conflated that discussion with the results of Augie/Alma.  I totally agree that the WashU game will be Augie's first real chance to show whether or not their current ranking is justified.

[Mr. Ypsi]

A heart-warming blurb from SI:

Mabel Ball, a lifelong Cubs fan, died 6 days after they won the World Series (undoubtedly with a smile on her face ).  She was 108, and has gotta be one of at most two or three Cubs fans to have been alive for two titles!

If she had died 6 days BEFORE they won, that would have been unspeakably cruel.

BTW, if the Cubs finally start making a habit of winning, PLEASE do not become like Red Sox fans, who are starting to rival Yankees fans as the most obnoxious baseball fans on the planet.

[iwumichigander]

A heart-warming blurb from SI:

Mabel Ball, a lifelong Cubs fan, died 6 days after they won the World Series (undoubtedly with a smile on her face ).  She was 108, and has gotta be one of at most two or three Cubs fans to have been alive for two titles!

If she had died 6 days BEFORE they won, that would have been unspeakably cruel.

BTW, if the Cubs finally start making a habit of winning, PLEASE do not become like Red Sox fans, who are starting to rival Yankees fans as the most obnoxious baseball fans on the planet.

hey, Mrs B and I take exception to that Red Sox comment. 

[iwumichigander]

MAC versus IWU thoughts - this was really no contest and IMO not the type of game you want prior to playing #8 Ohio Wesleyan .  You don't want to really see 17 of 39 threes that tied a school record for attempts and two shy of tying makes.  Everyone but the water boy saw PT and if he had changed into his uniform faster would have made it into the game.  it helps when you take a 24 lead into the locker room at the half.

According to my quick "calculations," 5 IWU roster members did not play at all. Were they just DNPCD, or do these guys not even dress for the games? 

IWU dressed 16 players for the MacMurray game.  All 16 got in the game.

Meaning 5 IWU players don't dress for games--which was all I was asking about. 🙄

what Q wrote.  My experience is we don't dress players with primarily JV roles just to dress them.  Besides, there are only so many guards that can play at one time!

[AndOne]

MAC versus IWU thoughts - this was really no contest and IMO not the type of game you want prior to playing #8 Ohio Wesleyan .  You don't want to really see 17 of 39 threes that tied a school record for attempts and two shy of tying makes.  Everyone but the water boy saw PT and if he had changed into his uniform faster would have made it into the game.  it helps when you take a 24 lead into the locker room at the half.

According to my quick "calculations," 5 IWU roster members did not play at all. Were they just DNPCD, or do these guys not even dress for the games? 

IWU dressed 16 players for the MacMurray game.  All 16 got in the game.

Meaning 5 IWU players don't dress for games--which was all I was asking about. 🙄

what Q wrote.  My experience is we don't dress players with primarily JV roles just to dress them.  Besides, there are only so many guards that can play at one time!

Yes, the H word! 

[Mr. Ypsi]

A heart-warming blurb from SI:

Mabel Ball, a lifelong Cubs fan, died 6 days after they won the World Series (undoubtedly with a smile on her face ).  She was 108, and has gotta be one of at most two or three Cubs fans to have been alive for two titles!

If she had died 6 days BEFORE they won, that would have been unspeakably cruel.

BTW, if the Cubs finally start making a habit of winning, PLEASE do not become like Red Sox fans, who are starting to rival Yankees fans as the most obnoxious baseball fans on the planet.

hey, Mrs B and I take exception to that Red Sox comment.

I'll grant that not ALL Red Sox fans are obnoxious!   (I've even met the occasional inoffensive Yankee fan! )

[AndOne]

FINAL

North Central 88
Aurora          78h

NCC

Connor Raridon, 23 points, 9 assists
Erwin Henry, 19 points, 8 rebounds
Aiden Chang, 19 points
Alex Sorensen, 12 points, 10 rebounds
Sam Fehrle, 10 points, 7 rebounds

AURORA

Pat Kramp, 17 points, 5/6 3s
Jovonn Griffin, 16 points, 8 rebounds
Tyler Carlson, 14 points

Cardinals shot 54.2% overall and 38.9% on 3s
Aurora shot 49.2%, including 48.1% on 3s. 13 of 27 from distance kept them in the game.
NCC dominated the boards, as they should have, by a count of 43/23.
Cards went to the line 24 times and made 17. Aurora was 5/9.

This game was much closer than it should have been. The Cardinals' perimeter defense, and dribble drive defense were both abysmal to the point where I'm sure both drew the ire of the coaching staff.

[lmitzel]

FINAL

North Central 88
Aurora          78h

NCC

Connor Raridon, 23 points, 9 assists
Erwin Henry, 19 points, 8 rebounds
Aiden Chang, 19 points
Alex Sorensen, 12 points, 10 rebounds
Sam Fehrle, 10 points, 7 rebounds

AURORA

Pat Kramp, 17 points, 5/6 3s
Jovonn Griffin, 16 points, 8 rebounds
Tyler Carlson, 14 points

Cardinals shot 54.2% overall and 38.9% on 3s
Aurora shot 49.2%, including 48.1% on 3s. 13 of 27 from distance kept them in the game.
NCC dominated the boards, as they should have, by a count of 43/23.
Cards went to the line 24 times and made 17. Aurora was 5/9.

This game was much closer than it should have been. The Cardinals' perimeter defense, and dribble drive defense were both abysmal to the point where I'm sure both drew the ire of the coaching staff.

Coming into today they were at 41.9 percent so I knew they could shoot, but they really proved it. North Central did seem to have an answer every time they needed one, which is good, but I'm not sure they've hit full stride yet.

[Gregory Sager]

I love the d3hoops.com preseason poll, and they have a great record of ranking eventual high-ranking teams, but they do usually have at least one total dud.  #14 Alma is shaping up to be one of those teams this year, as they are now 1-3, including losing to perennial winless-contest nominee Finlandia.  So don't get carried away.

I didn't vote for them at all, given what they lost.  Not sure what others were thinking, but then again, that's why we have others, right?

Jason Beckman was the 3rd leading scorer last year, and was an underclassman. He's not on the roster this year. Was there any mention in your preseason release about him not returning?

Well, there was plenty of talk on the MIAA board about Beckman transferring out. The initial rumor was that he was going to a D1 or D2 as a walk-on, the later rumor -- and eventual truth -- was that he was switching to Hope. But it was well-established on the MIAA board as far back as last summer that he had left Alma; the Alma fans confirmed it.

This brings up an interesting question: Do d3hoops.com pollsters check out the various boards to get possible scoops on the teams that they're considering for their ballots?

That may have effected the voters if they didn't know he wasn't coming back.

If you simply look at last year's stats and roster, they return 6 of their top 8 who played in every game and all played more than 16 minutes a game. They lose their top 2, but that's just 26.7 of their 80.7 points.

... except that, as realist noted, one of those top eight, Doug Bradfield, was lost for the year in preseason to an injury, while another one of the top eight, Kevin Gamble, has also been out due to a preseason injury and has yet to play. So, in fact, only three of last year's top eight Scots have suited up for Alma this season.

One can't blame the pollsters for knowing that Bradfield and Gamble were out, as that was not announced on the MIAA board until the season began.

Alma has a couple of promising freshmen, and when Gamble comes back I think that the Scots will be alright. They're not the toxic waste dump that they're being made out to be here. Fourteenth in the nation? No way, at least not right now. But I bet that they'll be in the thick of the MIAA race this season.

[gordonmann]

Before voters cast their ballot, I contact a list of about 50 something teams and request information on which players are returning. I personally added the note that Beckman had transferred. So, yes, our voters knew he wasn't there, or at least had the opportunity to know it. Gamble and Bradfield were both listed in the information Alma provided.

[Gregory Sager]

The CCIW is now 22-9 (.710).

Saturday's games
Carroll (3-0) @ Chicago (2-1)
Northland (1-2) @ Carthage (2-1)
Illinois Wesleyan (4-0) @ Ohio Wesleyan (2-1)
Adrian (2-1) @ North Park (2-0)

[Titan Q]

Illinois Wesleyan (4-0) at #8-Ohio Wesleyan (2-1), 3:00pm ET/2:00pm CT...

Illinois Wesleyan (4-0)
G - Brady Rose, 6-3 Jr.   13.0 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 4.0 apg
G - Colin Bonnett, 6-4 So.   12.3 ppg, 1.8 rpg, 2.0 apg
G - Andy Stempel, 6-4 Sr.   13.8 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 3.3 apg
F - Jaylen Beasley, 6-6 Jr.   7.3 ppg, 7.5 rpg
F - Trevor Seibring, 6-8 Sr.   12.0 ppg, 7.0 rpg

F - Alec Bausch, 6-6 Sr.   10.5 ppg, 5.5 rpg

#8-Ohio Wesleyan (2-1)
G - Nate Axelrod, 5-7 Jr.   19.3 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 4.3 apg
G - Will Orr, 6-0 Jr.   13.7 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 0.7 apg
G - Seth Clark, 6-3 Jr.   14.0 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 1.7 apg
F - Ben Simpson, 6-4 Sr.  19.0 ppg, 9.3 rpg
F - Grant Gossard, 6-8 Fr.   7.7 ppg, 5.0 rpg

F - Erick Bryant, 6-3 Sr.  5.0 ppg


Pantagraph - http://www.pantagraph.com/sports/college/basketball/men/iwu-hits-road-to-face-no-ohio-wesleyan/article_2bd33ad5-829a-5091-8d23-d6c7ef369fc7.html

Video - https://www.owu.edu/about/follow-owu/stream-owu/athletics/november-26-2016-mens-basketball-vs-illinois-wesleyan/

WJBC Radio - https://portal.stretchinternet.com/wjbc/

[4samuy]

Halftime at the Ratner Center in Hyde Park,in an entertaining game:

Chicago 41
Carroll 37

For those who may have finished your wild-o-meter votes for coaches in the CCIW, we've got another contender who just joined the conference.

[WUPHF]

Halftime at the Ratner Center in Hyde Park,in an entertaining game:

Chicago 41
Carroll 37

For those who may have finished your wild-o-meter votes for coaches in the CCIW, we've got another contender who just joined the conference.

It may be a coincidence but I think 10-12 people joined the live stream since you posted this...