MBB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[Gregory Sager]

I still don't put much stock in Massey at this point, but the picture is definitely coming into clearer focus. Here's where we sit with Ken's HAL 9000 coming into today's games:

    7. North Park
  18. Augustana
  19. Illinois Wesleyan
  22. North Central
  34. Wheaton
  53. Carroll
  85. Carthage
  96. Elmhurst
366. Millikin

Massey sez:

Wheaton 78, @ Alma 74 (WC 63%, Alma 37%)
(Robert Morris-Chicago @ North Central is not llisted)
@ North Park 83, Trine 72 (NPU 85%, Trine 15%)
@ Elmhurst 78, Buena Vista 76 (EC 54%, Buena Vista 46%)
Illinois Wesleyan 72, @ Washington MO 70 (IWU 54%, Wash U 46%)

[jaybird44]

This is indeed the Division III version of the "Braggin' Rights" game that Mizzou and the U. of Illinois play each year.

One note:  the women's game between Wash-U and Millikin originally slated for 5 pm has been postponed.  Men's game is on as scheduled.

[Gregory Sager]

Last year Trine absolutely thumped North Park in Angola to the tune of 78-60. But that was a very different Thunder team. Their main gun, senior center Jared Holmquist, was a d3hoops.com All-Region selection, and he ate up the Vikings to the tune of 33 and 11. This year's Thunder have good size, but with Holmquist gone they don't have a major inside offensive weapon that presents the kind of threat to NPU's Achilles heel in the low post that he represented.

Instead, the primary scorer that NPU will have to stop is senior guard Will Dixon (21.7 ppg). He's primarily a penetrator, although he does shoot 40% from downtown. He and sophomore Kyle Dodson (11.6 ppg), who, like Dixon, is practically automatic from the free-throw line, represent a really strong backcourt that will pose a challenge for the Vikings.

The Thunder haven't played a D3 foe in two and a half weeks (their last game was 11 days ago against an NCCAA outfit that's currently 0-17 this season). We'll see if the Thunder show up in the crackerbox this afternoon with any rust on them.

[sac]

Trine's just a little too green on the floor sometimes, pretty much 5 new players in their 9 man rotation.  They've played everyone close and I suspect they'll stay within range of the Vikings for most of the afternoon.  Trine has a couple good looking Fr. in Kamron Herrington and Langston Johnson, being Fr though you're never sure what you'll get.  I also like Soph Myles Copeland who's been the most consistent of the 3.   And that Fwd spot that Holmquist held down for four years is a bit of a revolving door.   The Thunder have started 9 different players with only Dixon and Cummings starting every game.

[AndOne]

d3Hoops has the Robert Morris @ NCC game as TBA, but game time is 3:00. Video is available.

[lmitzel]

d3Hoops has the Robert Morris @ NCC game as TBA, but game time is 3:00. Video is available.

The TBA start time there might explain a... subpar first half. Robert Morris up 34-33 at the break. Nick Chambers leads North Central with 9, seven apiece for Henry and Sorenson. Darius Randolph leads the Eagles with 11 points.

[GoPerry]

Wheaton 87
Alma 97

The Thunder ran into a red hot shooting Alma team this afternoon and went down 97-87.  I thought Wheaton played ok most of the game but had a 3-4 minute lapse of attention late in the contest - the worst time to do so.  So not their cleanest effort of the season by any means.  Even with the Scots shooting as well as they did, it was a pretty tight game until 6 mins left.  Alma came into the game shooting 39% from 3pt and ended up shooting 16/28 for 57% and 58% (33/57) overall.

Wheaton led 71-65 with about 7 mins left but Alma went on a 25-5 run thanks to making 6 of their next 7 shots with 4 treys.  In this stretch, the Thunder showed a little of their 'young-ness' by losing some defensive composure leading to easy baskets that allowed Alma to extend.

A hot-early-but-cold-late Aston Francis led all scorers with 23 pts, 6 asts followed by Ricky Samuelson with 20pts, 6/13 3pt.  Luke Peters added 15 with 12 rebs, 4 asts.  Jay Spencer continues to impress off the bench with 12 pts, 3 rebs.  Kobe Eichelberger did not score and seemed to disappear for most of the game, likely due to the Scots playing predominantly a 2-3 zone most of the game.  Frosh FB player Spencer Peterson finally got onto the floor and will add needed size down low.

Off for some home time before heading to . . . Vegas?

[4samuy]

Robert Morris.  77
NCC.  70

Game wasn't that close.  RM was up 18 with about 5 minutes left.

[mr_b]

North Park coasts to an 81-62 victory over Trine.  The Vikings led by as many as 30 points in the second half.  Jordan Robinson led the scoring with 26 points, while Juwan Henry had 14 and Darius Brown 13.  I think every North Park player saw some significant minutes.

[Gregory Sager]

North Park 81
Trine 62

Jordan Robinson: 26 pts, 6 rebs
Juwan Henry: 14 pts, 5 stls, 4:1 a:to
Darius Brown: 13 pts
T.J. Cobbs: 3 stls, 4:0 a:to
Colin Lake: 5:1 a:to

Smooth, efficient, well-played game by the Vikings today, as they sped out to a 30-point lead with just under eight minutes remaining and afforded Tom Slyder the opportunity to play all 18 players who suited up. The Vikings had 19 assists as a team to only nine turnovers, while Trine coughed up the ball 21 times. Will Dixon was held to 14 points on 4-15 shooting, as T.J. Cobbs just smothered him defensively.

[Gregory Sager]

Final from Faganel:

Buena Vista 84
Elmhurst 66

[4samuy]

Credit to Slyder for surrounding his two all-Americans with players who can contribute in a variety of ways and giving them the opportunity to perform.  I don't have the specific stats from last year but I would be surprised if they won many games with Juwan Henry scoring just 14 points.

[Gregory Sager]

True. And it's not as though Henry was forcing shots and missing them, either; Juwan only took twelve shots all day, and that's a fairly low total for him. He can distribute, too, and he spent much of the game doing just that. He also played terrific defense on Kyle Dodson, alternating onto Dixon when Cobbs was out of the game. He's now second in the league in steals.

[Gregory Sager]

Wheaton 87
Alma 97

The Thunder ran into a red hot shooting Alma team this afternoon and went down 97-87.  I thought Wheaton played ok most of the game but had a 3-4 minute lapse of attention late in the contest - the worst time to do so.  So not their cleanest effort of the season by any means.  Even with the Scots shooting as well as they did, it was a pretty tight game until 6 mins left.  Alma came into the game shooting 39% from 3pt and ended up shooting 16/28 for 57% and 58% (33/57) overall.

Wheaton led 71-65 with about 7 mins left but Alma went on a 25-5 run thanks to making 6 of their next 7 shots with 4 treys.  In this stretch, the Thunder showed a little of their 'young-ness' by losing some defensive composure leading to easy baskets that allowed Alma to extend.

A hot-early-but-cold-late Aston Francis led all scorers with 23 pts, 6 asts followed by Ricky Samuelson with 20pts, 6/13 3pt.  Luke Peters added 15 with 12 rebs, 4 asts.  Jay Spencer continues to impress off the bench with 12 pts, 3 rebs.  Kobe Eichelberger did not score and seemed to disappear for most of the game, likely due to the Scots playing predominantly a 2-3 zone most of the game.  Frosh FB player Spencer Peterson finally got onto the floor and will add needed size down low.

As I said before, give Alma's freshmen a bit more floor time, and good things will start to happen for the Scots. Three of Alma's plebes scored in double figures today against Wheaton. If I was an MIAA coach, I would not take the Scots lightly, 2-5 record or no 2-5 record. That freshman class of theirs is solid.

Off for some home time before heading to . . . Vegas?

Wheaton in Vegas ... a million jokes spring to mind, and I don't know which one to pick.

[iwu70]

Great game at Wash U.  IWU up at the half, 50-40, with the game surely at an IWU type of pace.  IWU shooting 69%, Wash U almost as good.  Very quick pace.  Difference so far is the IWU trey shooting.

'70