MBB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[4samuy]

The Titans play against "The System" tomorrow afternoon.  Rhodes (3-1) won 141-107 today vs Howard Payne.  They are averaging 127.8 per game.

IWU last faced the Grinnell System early in the non-conference in 2015-16, when the defeated Greenville 150-117. http://www.iwusports.com/boxscore.aspx?id=3474&path=

Buckle up.

The way IWU is scoring the ball early on, I don't see Rhodes and "the system" giving them a challenge.

[Titan Q]

System teams generally have 5 goals:

* Take 100 shots
* Shoot 50+ 3-pointers
* Rebound 1/3 of offensive misses
* Force 32 turnovers
* Take 30 more shots than the opponent

http://www.d3hoops.com/columns/around-the-nation/2016-17/system-here-to-stay

http://www.d3hoops.com/columns/around-the-nation/2003-04/grinnell-system-begins-to-take-hold

To me, the key to breaking The System is taking care of the ball and limiting turnovers to, say, 22 or fewer.  Tomorrow, IWU's most important players will be the ball-handlers - Nick Coleman, Brady Rose, and Grant Wolfe. And I suspect PG Derrick Streety will get called on as well.  If those guys limit turnovers, then it's just a matter of a couple passes before a wide-open layup.

It's a given that some of the 3/4/5 guys will turn it over.  System teams do a good job of forcing the ball into guys who aren't used to having to handle it under pressure.  That's why the role of the PG is so important - great ball-handling minimizes those awkward situations for non-ball-handlers.

In System games, the majority of points are scored by the 3/4/5 guys.  IWU has a bunch of big, mobile, athletic players at those spots, so it will be fun watching those guys run the floor and get easy baskets.

The other advantage IWU has is depth.  System teams wear out teams with 8-man rotations.  The Titans are playing 11 in the varsity rotation right now.  Tomorrow they can easily add PG Streety and F Doug Wallen - in different ways, both fit this type of game nicely.  It's a big advantage to have fresh guys on the floor against The System.

Should be fun to watch...unfortunately for $8.

[all blues]

The Big Blue bubble has burst, the Blue losing to UW-Platteville 74-60.  Millikin stayed even early, but faltered to a 4-point deficit at the half, and eventually a 14-point loss.  The team looked mentally and physically tired; understandable, as the sign on the balcony at one end of the court said "WELCOME TO 6,035 FEET".  UW-Platteville seemed to have a lot more energy, and a little research revealed why...they came out several days earlier to play host Colorado College straight up, then stuck around for the tourney, and so were way better acclimated.  CCIW life will be interesting.  Millikin is playing a much more aggressive offense than previously, and working on tightening up their man-to-man defense; however, they did play the last 10 minutes vs Webster in a 3-2 zone.  My wife will tell you she's hearing a lot more "Wow!" and a lot less "Aaugh!" issuing forth from the computer room.

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

Q, it seems we've moved to System Generation II the way everyone is playing it these days.  Even Grinnell isn't running it the way they used to (perhaps because Vinny Curta can score 50 every night on layups and FTs), but Rhodes focuses mostly on possession disparity - they pretty much just want to get offensive rebounds and turnover the guards.  The defense isn't as sold out as the old GC; they'll get back if you get the ball to halfcourt - still some easy layups, but not as easy.  Their offense is where it's quite different; they're going to take more time to get an open three than just firing the first one that won't get blocked.

I've found it fascinating to see how different schools are running it differently.  Oddly, UNE, up in Maine, seems to have adopted the traditional System or something very close to it.  They're taking threes for 80% of their FG attempts this year.

[lmitzel]

System teams generally have 5 goals:

* Take 100 shots
* Shoot 50+ 3-pointers
* Rebound 1/3 of offensive misses
* Force 32 turnovers
* Take 30 more shots than the opponent

http://www.d3hoops.com/columns/around-the-nation/2016-17/system-here-to-stay

http://www.d3hoops.com/columns/around-the-nation/2003-04/grinnell-system-begins-to-take-hold

To me, the key to breaking The System is taking care of the ball and limiting turnovers to, say, 22 or fewer.  Tomorrow, IWU's most important players will be the ball-handlers - Nick Coleman, Brady Rose, and Grant Wolfe. And I suspect PG Derrick Streety will get called on as well.  If those guys limit turnovers, then it's just a matter of a couple passes before a wide-open layup.

It's a given that some of the 3/4/5 guys will turn it over.  System teams do a good job of forcing the ball into guys who aren't used to having to handle it under pressure.  That's why the role of the PG is so important - great ball-handling minimizes those awkward situations for non-ball-handlers.

In System games, the majority of points are scored by the 3/4/5 guys.  IWU has a bunch of big, mobile, athletic players at those spots, so it will be fun watching those guys run the floor and get easy baskets.

The other advantage IWU has is depth.  System teams wear out teams with 8-man rotations.  The Titans are playing 11 in the varsity rotation right now.  Tomorrow they can easily add PG Streety and F Doug Wallen - in different ways, both fit this type of game nicely.  It's a big advantage to have fresh guys on the floor against The System.

Q, it seems we've moved to System Generation II the way everyone is playing it these days.  Even Grinnell isn't running it the way they used to (perhaps because Vinny Curta can score 50 every night on layups and FTs), but Rhodes focuses mostly on possession disparity - they pretty much just want to get offensive rebounds and turnover the guards.  The defense isn't as sold out as the old GC; they'll get back if you get the ball to halfcourt - still some easy layups, but not as easy.  Their offense is where it's quite different; they're going to take more time to get an open three than just firing the first one that won't get blocked.

I've found it fascinating to see how different schools are running it differently.  Oddly, UNE, up in Maine, seems to have adopted the traditional System or something very close to it.  They're taking threes for 80% of their FG attempts this year.

Having spent 5 years watching the North Central women do it, that seems to be the main goal. Given the tempo and the all out defensive onslaught in the backcourt, teams are going to turn it over. It's a given. But both Q and Ryan hit it on the head: take care of the ball and you'll be in good shape. Q also hit on probably the most important part: depth. A quick look at a Rhodes box score told me what I suspected would be the case: wholesale line changes every 45 seconds to a minute.

So that means the other key for the Titans will be to try and slow the pace a little bit, and I'm not talking necessarily in the on-court sense. You want to try and get rest in every dead ball situation possible. One of the best at this in my experience has been Titan women's coach Mia Smith. During many of the NCC wholesale line changes, she tried to slow things down by sending in two or three subs during every line change, but did it one player at a time forcing the officials to bring them in individually. It buys you an extra maybe 30 seconds to catch your breath, but I think it's a good anti-System strategy. The fact that the Titans can go 11 deep will help too.

Should be fun to watch...unfortunately for $8.

The lesson, as always: eff paywalls.

[Titan Q]

Illinois Wesleyan (4-0) @ Rhodes College (3-1), 3:00pm...

Illinois Wesleyan (4-0)
G - Nick Coleman, 6-2/185 Jr.  7.3 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 1.5 apg
G - Brady Rose, 6-3/185 Sr.  20.0 ppg, 2.0 rpg, 2.0 apg
G - Colin Bonnett, 6-4/190 Jr.  9.0 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 3.0 apg
F - Jaylen Beasley, 6-6/185 Sr.  7.3 ppg, 10.8 rpg
C - Alex O'Neill, 6-9/245 So. 8.3 ppg, 2.5 rpg

G - Zach Knobloch, 6-2/180 So.  16.0 ppg
F - Miles Curry, 6-6/205 So.  6.0 ppg, 5.5 rpg
G - Jason Gregoire, 6-4/205 Jr.  5.0 ppg
G - Grant Wolfe, 5-11/175 Fr.  4.0 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 4.8 apg
F - Danny Baker, 6-6/220 Jr.  3.8 ppg, 3.0 rpg
C - Tyler Burdine, 6-9/235 Sr.  1.5 ppg, 2.3 rpg

Rhodes (3-1)
G - Price Dalton, 6-0/185 Sr.  8.0 ppg, 1.8 rpg, 1.3 apg
G - Mitch Weatherford, 6-2/175 So.  9.3 ppg, 1.5 rpg, 4.3 apg
G - Jake Nestlehutt, 6-3/165 So.  5.0 ppg, 1.3 rpg
G - Owen Galvin, 6-3/185 So.  11.0 ppg, 3.3 rpg
F - Preston Giroux, 6-3/190 So. 4.8 ppg

G - Bryce Berry, 5-11/180 So.  19.0 ppg, 3.0 rpg
G - Anesu Nyawata, 5-10/175 Sr.  13.5 ppg, 4.0 rpg
G - Vaughn Samson, 6-3/180 Jr.  9.0 ppg, 2.0 apg
F - Ian Harrison, 6-9/220 Sr.  8.8 ppg, 2.5 rpg
F - Will McIntyre, 6-5/195 Jr.  8.7 ppg, 2.0 rpg
F - Daniel Darst, 6-6/215 Jr.  8.5 ppg, 3.0 rpg
G - Nick De Feria, 5-10/170 So. 6.3 ppg
G - Andrew Evans, 6-3/180 Fr.  6.0 ppg
G - Evan Roteman, 6-0/165 Fr.  4.8 ppg, 1.3 rpg
G - Kerry Love, 5-10/180 So.  3.3 ppg, 4.3 apg
G - Kendrick Ashby, 6-1/180 So.  3.0 ppg
G - D.J. Swift, 6-2/175 Fr. 1.8 ppg, 1.8 rpg



Pantagraph - http://www.pantagraph.com/sports/college/illinois-wesleyan/iwu-basketball-to-face-two-foes-in-memphis/article_70a41137-66b6-55f5-acd3-3c9f942dd9ff.html

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

Live Video $8/Stats - https://portal.stretchinternet.com/rhodes/

IWU season preview: http://www.iwuhoops.com/preview2017-18.html

[Titan Q]

I think the biggest advantage to The System is what's captured here:

Opposing coaches often feel differently. "One of the great advantages," says Rhodes men's coach, Mike DeGeorge, in his first season running the system, "is that opposing teams have to throw out everything they do in other games and play differently against you."
http://www.d3hoops.com/columns/around-the-nation/2016-17/system-here-to-stay

So like today, Ron Rose has to prepare his team to play a completely different style of basketball.  The System 100% dictates the style of play and tempo. The Titans will never run their normal offense today - the entire offensive side of the ball becomes a giant exercise in press break.

It even forces you to play different players.  I've mentioned that I'm pretty sure PG Derrick Streety (who has not been in IWU's rotation) will be needed.  On the flip side, I'm not sure what role SG Zach Knobloch (16 ppg) will/can play in a game like this.  He is a catch and shoot 3-point specialist - I'm not sure this game fits his skill set.

It's just a very different, strange kinda game when you face The System.

[Titan Q]

IWU 123
Rhodes 104

* Brady Rose: 24 pts, 3 reb, 6 assists
* Colin Bonnett: 22 pts, 3 reb, 5 assists
* Jaylen Beasley: 17 pts, 5 reb
* Danny Baker: 12 pts, 10 reb
* Alex O'Neill: 12 pts, 5 reb

Turnovers: IWU 17; Rhodes 17
Rebounds: IWU 50; Rhodes 35
FG: IWU 52%; Rhodes 45%
FGA: IWU 40; Rhodes 36
FT: IWU 35-45; Rhodes 25-32

http://www.iwusports.com/boxscore.aspx?id=5202&path=mbball

Rhodes definitely doesn't play the true Grinnell System - just a version of it.  The offensive side is way different - they don't chuck 3s up, but rather go hard to the basket quickly on almost every possession.

IWU's guards were fantastic on both sides of the floor. In Brady Rose and Colin Bonnett, the Titans have two really strong, athletic, tough guards. And I love freshman PG Grant Wolfe - a pure PG who is great with the ball in his hands.

The Titans shot it poorly from beyond the arc - 8-27 (30%). It was surprising to me IWU got so many wide open 3-point looks vs The System. 

IWU has a very strong frontcourt group with 6-9 Alex O'Neill, 6-6 Jaylen Beasley, 6-6 Danny Baker, 6-6 Miles Curry, and 6-9 Tyler Burdine. The Titans are very big, strong, and athletic at the 4/5 spots.

The Titans are 5-0 and begin CCIW play Saturday 12/2 vs Carthage.

[Mr. Ypsi]

IWU moves to 5-0, downing Rhodes' version of The System 123-104.  I'll be very surprised if IWU doesn't pick up a few votes in this week's poll, though I would also be surprised if they immediately cracked the Top 25 itself.

[jaybird44]

Looking at Mr. Nester's list of How the Top 25 Fared, lots of ranked teams suffered losses this week.  Now might be the time for a Titan national ranking.

[AppletonRocks]

Thinking about driving down to North Park for the Oshkosh game this week. Several questions 1) Is it safe to park there and 2) Are the Parkers good enough to compete with the Titans?

[Mr. Ypsi]

Looking at Mr. Nester's list of How the Top 25 Fared, lots of ranked teams suffered losses this week.  Now might be the time for a Titan national ranking.

The men's "How They Fared" ALWAYS has lots of red ink.  CMS was 15th and went 0-4 - might be a record!  There will be some new teams in this week's top 25, but for IWU to jump all the way from zero points to ranked is highly unlikely.  Most of the five they beat are very decent teams, but none were ranked.  Jumping straight into the rankings from nowhere happens only when (in football) you beat someone like then #3 Whitewater; if 2-3 of the teams we beat had been highly ranked, then sure, but not when none were ranked.

I'll take it as a sign that women's basketball has TRULY arrived when the women's "How They Fared" has anywhere near as much red ink on a regular basis - most weeks there is very little red.

[markerickson]

Mr. Appleton:  Your first question is absolutely foolish and totally misguided  I suppose you could get squished by a semi-truck on the highway or collide with a tractor hauling hay as well.  I have no idea what your team brings to the table.  NP was able to beat U of C the other night, attempting only FIVE FTs the entire game.  U of C attempted only SIX.  I do not recall in 30+ years seeing numbers that low.

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

Looking at Mr. Nester's list of How the Top 25 Fared, lots of ranked teams suffered losses this week.  Now might be the time for a Titan national ranking.

The men's "How They Fared" ALWAYS has lots of red ink.  CMS was 15th and went 0-4 - might be a record!  There will be some new teams in this week's top 25, but for IWU to jump all the way from zero points to ranked is highly unlikely.  Most of the five they beat are very decent teams, but none were ranked.  Jumping straight into the rankings from nowhere happens only when (in football) you beat someone like then #3 Whitewater; if 2-3 of the teams we beat had been highly ranked, then sure, but not when none were ranked.

I'll take it as a sign that women's basketball has TRULY arrived when the women's "How They Fared" has anywhere near as much red ink on a regular basis - most weeks there is very little red.

I only know how I'm voting, Ypsi, but I would be surprised if IWU isn't in the Top 25 this week.  An undefeated CCIW team with name recognition?  With the rest of the country looking like a triage unit?  They're going from zero points to a decent amount on my ballot.  I'd rather not put anyone 6-10, but those spots have to be filled, so nearly everyone on my ballot will be overrated.

[4samuy]

Augustana    89
MacMurray   57

Nolan Ebel               19 pts
Chrishawn Orange.   17 pts
Donovan Ferguson.   12 pts   12 Rebs. (7 off) 4 Blks  (18 mins)
Brett Benning.          12 pts
Dylan Sortillo.            6 pts    7 asst


With Micah Martin coming off an illness and Pierson Wofford out with the injury, both Ferguson and Benning get their first starts of the year as Augustana rolls over MacMurray.  10 Augustana players played double digit minutes in the game as both teams went deep into their rosters.