MBB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[joehakes]

Regarding a topic which, between the CCIW football and basketball boards, we have seen quite a bit of discussion about recently..............

Heard from a friend who is both a graduate of, and former athlete at, frequent CCIW opponent Benedictine, that the BU Board will soon meet to discuss/decide on moving forward with the process of formally moving from D3 to D2.
If BU decides to move, I wonder how long the process takes. Could force several CCIW teams to begin finding another non-conference opponent. Especially for teams like NCC who plays BU in basketball each year. Not looking forward to giving up that nice quick 2.9 mile trip up Chicago/Maple Ave. 

You could also have just read what I posted on the soccer boards ... or the NACC basketball board. LOL

Yes, Benedictine Board is meeting this week and on the agenda is whether to file paperwork to transition to DII. Any school interested has to complete the paperwork by early January if they want to start the process the next academic year. Then DII/NCAA has to accept or decline the application. If accepted, the process is exactly the same as any program coming to DIII. It starts a four-year process and each year means something else. Screw one of those years up and you repeat the year.

From what I have been told, no one is sure what the Board is thinking. They have not given any hints as to which direction they are leaning. I think there are many within the department who do not want to leave DIII - but that is just my gut talking. Some have told me the president wants a feather in his cap. Others said that there are alums willing to help foot the significant additional to the athletic budget (including making sure facilities are up to snuff).

Several DIIIs have done this in our history. Some have failed miserably and come back to the fold. Others have just flat out disappeared.

Actually the process is a bit different for membership in DII as opposed to DIII.  The DIII process is one year of Exploratory Membership followed by four years of Provisional Membership. The DII process is two years of Candidacy status followed by at least one year of Provisional Membership.  The institution has to demonstrate that they are ready to become full DII members at that point, or the Provisional status is prolonged.  This would have to do with funding, athletically related financial aid, possibly facilities, etc.

Another key difference is that an incoming DII aspirant has to be sponsored by a DII member institution or conference. In this case, it seems like the GLVC would be that sponsor.  It would make sense that a sponsoring conference would be part of that decision to assess the new member's readiness after Year One of the Provisional status.  Schools leaving DIII for a scholarship division are out as DIII members once they award athletically related financial aid, which can put them in limbo for a while.  A schedule made up of DII's, NAIA members and DIII's who would still compete with them would need to be put together for a while.

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

Thanks for the update. Very helpful. I knew it wasn't perfectly the same.

Per member conferences assisting, I find that interesting because I am not sure if all DIIIs had that help while moving up, but I honestly disconnect once they start the process. I have enough trouble focusing on the DIIIs. Adding in the DII life would be ... yeah.

I do believe I have heard the GLVC would be the interested party here. That has come up several times in conversations.

[WUPHF]

I would bet a lot of money on the decision by the board of trustees being entirely contingent on membership to the GLVC.

No other conference in Division II offers the combination of institutional prestige and geographical footprint (travel, exposure to the St. Louis, Indianapolis markets).  The GLVC is often the best athletic conference in Division II.  And, the GLVC offers something that the other regionally situated Division II conferences do not: other Catholic institutions.

Hard to imagine that the GMAC or MIAA would ever even enter the internal discussions.

The GLIAC is the only other option after the GLVC and they do offer Lacrosse.  The GLIAC is adding Wisconsin-Parkside so they will have the odd number of teams while the GLVC will have an even number.  I did not realize that Wisconsin-Parkside was leaving.

[Gregory Sager]

From what I have been told, no one is sure what the Board is thinking. They have not given any hints as to which direction they are leaning. I think there are many within the department who do not want to leave DIII - but that is just my gut talking. Some have told me the president wants a feather in his cap. Others said that there are alums willing to help foot the significant additional to the athletic budget (including making sure facilities are up to snuff).

I don't know if you've ever been to Benedictine, D-Mac, but the Bennies have outstanding athletic facilities. They were upgraded not too many years ago with the assistance of the village of Lisle, which certainly was a handy partner to have.

The GLIAC is the only other option after the GLVC and they do offer Lacrosse.  The GLIAC is adding Wisconsin-Parkside so they will have the odd number of teams while the GLVC will have an even number.  I did not realize that Wisconsin-Parkside was leaving.

It's as much a matter of the GLVC doing everything it could to push red-headed stepchild UW-Parkside out the door as anything, from what I've heard and read.

http://journaltimes.com/sports/college/uw-parkside-college-stunned-by-glvc-sanctions/article_09cb5560-6a75-512f-a715-4ff8239c6f2a.html

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

From what I have been told, no one is sure what the Board is thinking. They have not given any hints as to which direction they are leaning. I think there are many within the department who do not want to leave DIII - but that is just my gut talking. Some have told me the president wants a feather in his cap. Others said that there are alums willing to help foot the significant additional to the athletic budget (including making sure facilities are up to snuff).

I don't know if you've ever been to Benedictine, D-Mac, but the Bennies have outstanding athletic facilities. They were upgraded not too many years ago with the assistance of the village of Lisle, which certainly was a handy partner to have.

You might remember a sectional weekend two years ago?

Been there. They do have nice facilities. The comment was a basic one in the fact that I know DII has certain expectations and I wouldn't have a clue if Benedictine or any school is up to that bar. They could be. Doesn't mean I have the requirements memorized. LOL

[Titan Q]

Illinois Wesleyan (5-1, 0-1) at Wheaton (5-1, 1-0), 7pm...

Illinois Wesleyan (5-1, 0-1)
G - Nick Coleman, 6-2/185 Jr.  7.3 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 2.0 apg
G - Brady Rose, 6-3/185 Jr.  21.3 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 3.0 apg
G - Colin Bonnett, 6-4/190 Jr.  10.5 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 3.8 apg
F - Jaylen Beasley, 6-6/185 Sr.  8.2 ppg, 9.5 rpg
C - Alex O'Neill, 6-9/245 So. 10.2 ppg, 3.8 rpg

Wheaton (5-1, 1-0)
G - Luke Peters, 6-3/170 Jr.  5.8 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 4.3 apg
G - Aston Francis, 6-1/190 Jr.  24.7 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 4.8 apg
G - Ricky Samuelson, 6-3/185 Sr.   21.7 ppg, 3.3 rpg
F - Kobe Eichelberger, 6-5/200 Jr.  10.2 ppg, 5.2 rpg
F - Trevor Gunter, 6-6/195 Jr.  5.7 ppg, 4.3 rpg


Pantagraph - http://www.pantagraph.com/sports/college/basketball/men/iwu-seeks-better-defense-against-wheaton/article_5b4ea059-5337-50c5-9097-636d50d26aca.html

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

Video: https://livestream.com/wheatonthunder

Stats: http://www.sidearmstats.com/wheaton/mbball/

[GoPerry]

Massey ( yes, it's early ) has Illinois Wesleyan a 3 point favorite over a home Thunder team. 

This will be a big test for Wheaton.  Keys will be 1. Defense – containing an offense scoring lots of points, 2. not getting clobbered on the boards, and 3. staying out of foul trouble. 

3 out of 6 games this year Aston Francis has put up 25+ shots and I'm not sure why.  Interestingly, he did so only twice all of last season both against IWU.  He only went above 20 shots a handful of other times.  I'm not sure the best recipe will be for him to do it alone shooting 25-30 times this game.  Ricky Samuelson should be getting 10-12 shots at least and plenty of other capable scorers will need to contribute.  Luke Peters will have his defensive hands full with Brady Rose. 

Wheaton best be prepared for a highly motivated Titan team not wishing to start out 0-2 in the league. 

[USee]

Masey says Wheaton by 10 tonight over IWU!

[Gregory Sager]

Masey says Wheaton by 10 tonight over IWU!

Is that the discount-brand knockoff of Massey?

GoPerry is right that it's too early to really put any stock in Massey, but, since everybody's already bringing it up:

@ Augustana 78, North Central 72	(AC 71%, NCC 29%)
@ Carthage 77, North Park 69	(CC 77%, NPU 23%)
Elmhurst 70, @ Millikin 67	(EC 60%, MU 40%)
Illinois Wesleyan 79, @ Wheaton 76	(IWU 60%, WC 40%)

Carroll has the bye.

[sac]

From what I have been told, no one is sure what the Board is thinking. They have not given any hints as to which direction they are leaning. I think there are many within the department who do not want to leave DIII - but that is just my gut talking. Some have told me the president wants a feather in his cap. Others said that there are alums willing to help foot the significant additional to the athletic budget (including making sure facilities are up to snuff).

I don't know if you've ever been to Benedictine, D-Mac, but the Bennies have outstanding athletic facilities. They were upgraded not too many years ago with the assistance of the village of Lisle, which certainly was a handy partner to have.

You might remember a sectional weekend two years ago?

Been there. They do have nice facilities. The comment was a basic one in the fact that I know DII has certain expectations and I wouldn't have a clue if Benedictine or any school is up to that bar. They could be. Doesn't mean I have the requirements memorized. LOL

Davenport in Grand Rapids recently made the leap to D2 in the GLIAC.  I don't find their athletic facilities to be anything spectacular, just functional.  I'd rank them behind a few of our D3's in the MIAA in a few spots.   Its really whether the school can pay the bills.

[petemcb]

Masey says Wheaton by 10 tonight over IWU!

Is that the discount-brand knockoff of Massey?

GoPerry is right that it's too early to really put any stock in Massey, but, since everybody's already bringing it up:

@ Augustana 78, North Central 72	(AC 71%, NCC 29%)
@ Carthage 77, North Park 69	(CC 77%, NPU 23%)
Elmhurst 70, @ Millikin 67	(EC 60%, MU 40%)
Illinois Wesleyan 79, @ Wheaton 76	(IWU 60%, WC 40%)

Carroll has the bye.

Strictly based on what I saw this past weekend I'll take Millikin and the three points at home.  I'd also enjoy watching Baines and Scherer lock coaching horns.

[iwu70]

Great road win for IWU tonight at WC, winning on a Jalen Beasley trey almost as time expired, 82-79.  Closely contested game throughout.

Beasley, 13 and the game winner
Rose 26
O'Neil 11

For WC:

Francis 30

Titans move to 6 - 1, 1 and 1.

More tough games to come.  Glad to get out of King with a win.  Road wins in the CCIW hard to come by. 

IWU'70

[Titan Q]

IWU 82
Wheaton 79

http://www.iwusports.com/boxscore.aspx?id=5204&path=mbball

* Brady Rose: 26 pts, 4 reb, 5 assists
* Jaylen Beasley: 13 pts, 8 reb
* Alex O'Neill: 11 pts, 9 reb

* Aston Francis: 30 pts, 6 assists
* Ricky Samuelson: 17 pts, 5 reb

Rebounds: IWU 50 Wheaton 32
(IWU 19 offensive rebounds)

Huge road win for the Titans.  Boy does 1-1 feel a lot better than 0-2 would have.

Brady Rose is becoming an exceptional player - one of the star players in the CCIW.  He is really multi-dimensional on offense now - a deadly shooter from anywhere on the perimeter but also a really quick first step with the ball in his hands.

Nice to see Jaylen Beasley knock down the game-winner - one of the guys who is easy to root for.

Wheaton head coach Mike Schauer really called out Aston Francis publicly in the post-game show for lack of effort/intensity on the defensive end.

[all blues]

Defense went on holiday break early tonight as Elmhurst defeated Millikin 90-85.  Even?  Both teams had the same FGA and FTA; Millikin made 2 more FG, EU 2 more FT.  Rebounds and turnovers the same; Elmhurst favorable by one each.  The difference was 3s.  Millikin shot a bleah 4-17, Elmhurst a sizzling 11-20, including 4-5 to start the game.  Jake Rohde EU was 5-8, including one twisting in mid-air over and around 2 defenders, with an expiring shot clock.  Elijah Henry was 6-7, 0-0, 7-9 with a game-high 7 rebounds for Millikin.  Carroll, also defeated by Elmhurst, is next.

[Gregory Sager]

North Park's dismal evening in Kenosha at least had a silver lining, as Colin Lake joined NPU's Thousand Points Club tonight. His 14-point performance in an otherwise-forgettable game for the Vikings puts him at 1,013 for his career. Congrats, Colin!