MBB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[Gregory Sager]

I'm real interested to see this week's regional rankings after Augustana and IWU suffered 2 losses each while Carthage went 2-0. I presume that IWU has to get that AQ to get in the NCAAs and that means winning tomorrow vs Augustana. And what about those Vikings? If they lose tomorrow and then lose in the CCIW tourney, are they out of the NCAAs? Are NPU's 2 wins enough to get them back in the rankings? Is the CCIW really looking at only one bid this year. If Carthage wins tomorrow and loses in the conference tourney, is that enough to get them in? There seems to be a WIAC logjam at the top of the rankings.

It's already a foregone conclusion that IWU's season is done after tomorrow since they've been eliminated from the Conf tourney picture.

I agree Wed's RR will be interesting to see which CCIW teams remain ranked.  In any case, it seems to me that there are no shoo-ins this year for a Pool C.  Most notable in the rankings data is the very mediocre SOS #s for everyone simply from everyone beating each other up and the historically sub-par non-con results.

Greek - Inquiring minds want to know!
GoPerry - Disagree with your foregone conclusion although admit Titans on or below bubble.  However, with a win Tuesday and by not being in the CCIW tournament (no more losses) the play out of the CCIW and WIAC tournaments could have surprising outcomes with a realignment of the final regional ranking which we will not see.  WashU won the UAA, WIAC and CCIW both have AQs so three off the board right away.  I think the  WIAC and CCIW will have conference tournament surprises.  Titans. W/L% will not be pretty but their SOS and vRRO could be surprising benefit as most of the losses could come from RRO teams.

Didn't mean to offend anyone.  My 'foregone conclusion' comment had more to do with the idea that IWU could still get the AQ which of course they cannot.

Having said that, how likely is it that IWU gets a Pool C with a .68 W/L%?  Pretty unlikely? Perhaps highly unlikely?

No offense taken by me.  .68 W/L% needs some help with some other criteria  in the form of carnage in conference tournaments and not just CCIW.

It seems to me that lack of carnage might be the proper tonic for the Titans in this situation. The more highly-ranked conference favorites that get knocked off in their respective tourneys, the fewer Pool C berths for everybody else -- and, thus, the more bubbles that get burst. And, while I'm no Matt Snyder, I think that IWU would be on the biggest bubble since Glinda the Good Witch of the North floated into Munchkinland.

  That win percentage you cited would mean IWU wins Tuesday over Augie, giving IWU a 17-8 vs D3, and no less than 5-2 vRRO right now (for this post I assume Augie does not get ranked).  Is that bubble territory - yes IMHO. 
This week's ranking will offer some hints.  For example, I looked at Knightslappy's rankings and were they to hold, four of eight teams move out of his rankings as as of  2/20 by virtue of winning AQs which could pull up to three more CCIW teams into the rankings for Pool C discussion without any consideration on my part about WIAC results.

But, again, that gets offset by sure-thing Pool A favorites getting knocked off in conference tourneys and grabbing Pool C berths instead. It seems to me again that, out of the 21 Pool C slots, the list gets narrower rather than larger as next weekend progresses.

On the other hand, a loss Tuesday to Augie by IWU likely dooms them along with other 9 loss teams as of 2/20 versus D3 that do or do not make their conference tournament particularly those with worse W/L% , weaker SOS and fewer vRRO and a losing vRRO result too boot.

Please don't get me wrong. As unlikely as I see Illinois Wesleyan's chance of being left out of the CCIW tourney and yet making the dance, if there is such a chance I want to foster it like a frontiersman blowing on a dying ember laid on a bed of twigs in the middle of a cold night. Any glimmer of hope that the Titans have on Tuesday evening will make them that much more zealous to hang an L on Grey Giovanine and his minions at Shirk, so I want to encourage that hope. Not only does NPU's shot at a co-championship and possible hosting privileges hang upon a Titans win tomorrow evening, but the Vikes could sure use that 2-0 boost to their vRRO by IWU getting into the final Central Region ranking.

Let's face it ... at this point, I'm willing to do almost anything over the next 30 hours or so if it will buttress IWU's fortunes. If anybody in the Chicago area has a copy of A Dunk Only Counts For Two Points, or whatever it's called, please loan it to me and I'll read it cover to cover. I promise to give it back! I'll gobble Beer Nuts by the bagful. I'll learn the Illinois Wesleyan fight song (it goes, "Hail, hail, we're the Titans / we're real good, and we all wear green / we're all gonna drink your children's blood / we get good grades, and we act real mean", right?), and I'll sing it at the top of my lungs in the crackerbox before I go on the air. I'll give Chuck license to use the terms "Jason Pankau" and '2010" all spring long in the baseball rooms without me badgering him to stop. I'll even discuss IWU opera divas, Chinese stuff as well, change my writing style, use lots of commas, break up my thoughts, surely use the word "surely" more often. Just say'in.

NPU'83

(P.S. You don't want to know what I'm also willing to do over the next 30 hours in support of Wheaton to get that win over Carthage. It's too shameful and degrading to discuss in public.)

[Gregory Sager]

Congrats to T.J. Cobbs upon being named CCIW POY. This is the first time that the NPU senior has ever won the award. He's the third Viking to win it this season.

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

Wherever I have been hired to oversee or train, I remind those students that college is to prepare them for their future especially in employment.

Wait, what did you say?

Sorry, someone just endorsed me on LinkedIn.

Mobile devices are a big problem and are only going to get worse as long as companies continue to program them to be addictive.

I would love to know how many coaches have had to implement a no device policy.  As coaches think about strength training programs, I do think there will be a need for focus training for athletes.

Ha... you are funny! I initially went back to reread what I wrote! Well done.

I have actually taken phones away from students when they show up to work. Only those like myself and others who are hired outside who have families can keep theirs for emergency reasons (and because they are a little more mature with them) or those who need them because of admin questions or streaming problems.

Remember that Rochester last year had a .681 WL% and an SOS of like .570... left home. I think this year is going to be a little different the way the committee is reading into the data (and not going very much past .060=4 games unlike last year), but that benchmark by Rochester I think needs to be seriously understood. Even .700 could be dangerous this year.

[Gregory Sager]

Since there's next to nothing going on today in terms of D3 games, and, therefore, Massey isn't going to change anything pertinent to the CCIW ...

Current Massey:

  16. Augustana
  27. Carthage
  33. North Park
  37. Illinois Wesleyan
  45. North Central
  94. Wheaton
103. Carroll
198. Elmhurst
319. Millikin

Massey sez:

@ North Park 82, Millikin 61 (NPU 97%, MU 3%)
@ Illinois Wesleyan 75, Augustana 73 (IWU 56%, AC 44%)
@ Carthage 80, Wheaton 75 (CC 69%, WC 31%)
Carroll 73, @ Elmhurst 71 (CU 55%, EC 45%)

[Mr. Ypsi]

Congrats to T.J. Cobbs upon being named CCIW POY. This is the first time that the NPU senior has ever won the award. He's the third Viking to win it this season.

WOW!  Three NPU players winning Player of the Year awards in a single season!  How is NPU not undefeated?!

To be serious, congratulations to T.J. on winning Player of the Week.

And despite your permission granted in your previous post, I promise not to OVERDO references to Pankau or 2010 this spring!

[Gregory Sager]

Congrats to T.J. Cobbs upon being named CCIW POY. This is the first time that the NPU senior has ever won the award. He's the third Viking to win it this season.

WOW!  Three NPU players winning Player of the Year awards in a single season!  How is NPU not undefeated?!

It's clearly a matter of the NPU coaches not getting sufficient advance video footage of their opponents due to bad camerawork.

To be serious, congratulations to T.J. on winning Player of the Week.

And despite your permission granted in your previous post, I promise not to OVERDO references to Pankau or 2010 this spring!

That's gracious of you, Chuck. But, remember, IWU has to win on Tuesday in order for my promise to take effect.

[Greek Tragedy]

Congrats to T.J. Cobbs upon being named CCIW POY. This is the first time that the NPU senior has ever won the award. He's the third Viking to win it this season.

WOW!  Three NPU players winning Player of the Year awards in a single season!  How is NPU not undefeated?!

To be serious, congratulations to T.J. on winning Player of the Week.

And despite your permission granted in your previous post, I promise not to OVERDO references to Pankau or 2010 this spring!

The funny thing is, Greg has done this before, hasn't he (when Robinson won it previously)?

You beat me to it, Chuck!

[Gregory Sager]

 

I'm pretty sure that I didn't mark the occasion of Robinson's winning his first POW by stating it here.

And I certainly didn't state that Robinson was the third Viking to win the award this season. Since he won it the second week it was awarded, that would've been a little difficult.

[AndOne]

What was Jordan Robinson's reaction when Cobbs was named Player of the Year? 

[Gregory Sager]

Oh, OK. Now I get it.

D'oh!

[Gregory Sager]

New poll is out:

http://www.d3hoops.com/top25/men/2016-17/week12

Augie drops from 23 to 24.

Nobody else from this league is on a Top 25 ballot.

[iwumichigander]

Greg - I did not write with enough clarity.  I am not rooting for Pool A favorites to get knocked off.  I do think there is room for movement for the teams ranked but nit Pool A favorites.

Should IWU win over Augie and our game gets done before yours I think Titans Nation would bring up your broadcast to hear you sing our fight song

I am sure 70 can provide links to our absolutely wonderful, terrific, outstanding , award winning School of Music to the words for the fight song and maybe a audio recording link as well.  A Dunk Only Counts Two Points has to be widely available in the Chicago area but you can still buy it on line at the bookstore which does Priory Ship .
Heck, we might be able to get the author to autograph the inside cover!

[Gregory Sager]

Greg - I did not write with enough clarity.  I am not rooting for Pool A favorites to get knocked off.  I do think there is room for movement for the teams ranked but nit Pool A favorites.

Should IWU win over Augie and our game gets done before yours I think Titans Nation would bring up your broadcast to hear you sing our fight song

I don't want to make my listeners' ears bleed, although I'd be more than happy to hand the mic to any IWU opera divas who happen to be in the crackerbox and are willing to sing the fight song.

Surely that would be enough, a good thing, a nice gesture on my part.

[Titan Q]

Illinois Wesleyan (16-8, 8-7) vs Augustana (18-6, 11-4), 7:00pm...

Illinois Wesleyan (16-8, 8-7)
G - Brady Rose, 6-3 Jr.   15.3 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 2.6 apg
G - Colin Bonnett, 6-4 So.   11.4 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 2.0 apg
G - Andy Stempel, 6-4 Sr.   12.0 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 2.8 apg
F - Alec Bausch, 6-6 Sr.   8.9 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 2.1 apg
F - Trevor Seibring, 6-8 Sr.   12.0 ppg, 5.7 rpg

G - Nick Coleman, 6-1 So.   7.5 ppg, 2.0 rpg, 2.2 apg

Augustana (18-6, 11-4)
G - Nolan Ebel, 6-1 So.   10.4 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 3.4 apg
G - Chrishawn Orange, 6-2 So.   13.6 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 1.8 apg
G - Dylan Sortillo, 6-3 Jr.   13.0 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 2.4 apg
F - Jacob Johnston, 6-5 Sr.   13.1 ppg, 3.0 rpg
C - Micah Martin, 6-10 Fr.   4.1 ppg, 3.7 rpg

G - Brett Benning, 6-6 So.   7.6 ppg, 3.1 rpg


Pantagraph - http://www.pantagraph.com/sports/college/basketball/men/from-toddler-to-titan-seibring-finds-home-at-iwu/article_b4fb08ae-4a22-5ae0-a0ef-cc45f1b8d7c9.html

Video/Live Stats - https://portal.stretchinternet.com/iwu/

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

Massey: IWU 75 Augustana 73  http://www.masseyratings.com/rate.php?s=cb2017&sub=11620

[iwumichigander]

Greg - I did not write with enough clarity.  I am not rooting for Pool A favorites to get knocked off.  I do think there is room for movement for the teams ranked but nit Pool A favorites.

Should IWU win over Augie and our game gets done before yours I think Titans Nation would bring up your broadcast to hear you sing our fight song

I don't want to make my listeners' ears bleed, although I'd be more than happy to hand the mic to any IWU opera divas who happen to be in the crackerbox and are willing to sing the fight song.

Surely that would be enough, a good thing, a nice gesture on my part.

I do not know if we can get Dawn Upshaw on short notice but we will try