MBB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[Gregory Sager]

Here's my question for the day: Having just taken part in the 2017 Viking Hall of Fame ceremony this past weekend (yeah, it was a couple of months late, but it had to be moved back because it had originally been scheduled for the December weekend that the NPU men's soccer team was in the Final Four in North Carolina), it's got me to wondering ...

Why doesn't the CCIW have a Hall of Fame?

The SLIAC has one, and that league honors its new inductees as part of the annual SLIAC sports banquet in May. The SLIAC hasn't even been around for three decades yet; the CCIW charter was signed while Hiroshima was still radioactive and Sid Luckman was quarterbacking the Bears. Some might want to argue that this league's long and high-achieving history really ought to be honored properly with a CCIW Hall of Fame. Others might disagree.

Thoughts?

[mwunder]

Here's my question for the day: Having just taken part in the 2017 Viking Hall of Fame ceremony this past weekend (yeah, it was a couple of months late, but it had to be moved back because it had originally been scheduled for the December weekend that the NPU men's soccer team was in the Final Four in North Carolina), it's got me to wondering ...

Why doesn't the CCIW have a Hall of Fame?

The SLIAC has one, and that league honors its new inductees as part of the annual SLIAC sports banquet in May. The SLIAC hasn't even been around for three decades yet; the CCIW charter was signed while Hiroshima was still radioactive and Sid Luckman was quarterbacking the Bears. Some might want to argue that this league's long and high-achieving history really ought to be honored properly with a CCIW Hall of Fame. Others might disagree.

Thoughts?

There's only one team in the CCIW right?  IWU has their own hall of fame...it would be redundant.

[lmitzel]

Here's my question for the day: Having just taken part in the 2017 Viking Hall of Fame ceremony this past weekend (yeah, it was a couple of months late, but it had to be moved back because it had originally been scheduled for the December weekend that the NPU men's soccer team was in the Final Four in North Carolina), it's got me to wondering ...

Why doesn't the CCIW have a Hall of Fame?

The SLIAC has one, and that league honors its new inductees as part of the annual SLIAC sports banquet in May. The SLIAC hasn't even been around for three decades yet; the CCIW charter was signed while Hiroshima was still radioactive and Sid Luckman was quarterbacking the Bears. Some might want to argue that this league's long and high-achieving history really ought to be honored properly with a CCIW Hall of Fame. Others might disagree.

Thoughts?

There's only one team in the CCIW right?  IWU has their own hall of fame...it would be redundant.

inb4 Congratulations to Illinois Wesleyan

In all seriousness though, I'd be for the idea of a CCIW Hall of Fame. There's been enough success around the conference to justify it.

My proposal for the site: the trophy case where all of North Central's cross country championships are displayed.

[WUPHF]

Why doesn't the CCIW have a Hall of Fame?

You should start a CCIW Hall of Fame.

[Gregory Sager]

Here's my question for the day: Having just taken part in the 2017 Viking Hall of Fame ceremony this past weekend (yeah, it was a couple of months late, but it had to be moved back because it had originally been scheduled for the December weekend that the NPU men's soccer team was in the Final Four in North Carolina), it's got me to wondering ...

Why doesn't the CCIW have a Hall of Fame?

The SLIAC has one, and that league honors its new inductees as part of the annual SLIAC sports banquet in May. The SLIAC hasn't even been around for three decades yet; the CCIW charter was signed while Hiroshima was still radioactive and Sid Luckman was quarterbacking the Bears. Some might want to argue that this league's long and high-achieving history really ought to be honored properly with a CCIW Hall of Fame. Others might disagree.

Thoughts?

There's only one team in the CCIW right?  IWU has their own hall of fame...it would be redundant.

inb4 Congratulations to Illinois Wesleyan

In all seriousness though, I'd be for the idea of a CCIW Hall of Fame. There's been enough success around the conference to justify it.

My proposal for the site: the trophy case where all of North Central's cross country championships are displayed.

The heck with NCC's trophy case. Why not just put the CCIW HOF in Al Carius's living room and skip the middleman?

Why doesn't the CCIW have a Hall of Fame?

You should start a CCIW Hall of Fame.

I'm not looking to tangle with the nine presidents and the dynamic duo on Brainard Avenue in Naperville (commish Chris Martin and assistant commish / SID Mike Krizamn). I step on enough toes as it is.

[kiko]

Here's my question for the day: Having just taken part in the 2017 Viking Hall of Fame ceremony this past weekend (yeah, it was a couple of months late, but it had to be moved back because it had originally been scheduled for the December weekend that the NPU men's soccer team was in the Final Four in North Carolina), it's got me to wondering ...

Why doesn't the CCIW have a Hall of Fame?

The SLIAC has one, and that league honors its new inductees as part of the annual SLIAC sports banquet in May. The SLIAC hasn't even been around for three decades yet; the CCIW charter was signed while Hiroshima was still radioactive and Sid Luckman was quarterbacking the Bears. Some might want to argue that this league's long and high-achieving history really ought to be honored properly with a CCIW Hall of Fame. Others might disagree.

Thoughts?

There's only one team in the CCIW right?  IWU has their own hall of fame...it would be redundant.

inb4 Congratulations to Illinois Wesleyan

In all seriousness though, I'd be for the idea of a CCIW Hall of Fame. There's been enough success around the conference to justify it.

My proposal for the site: the trophy case where all of North Central's cross country championships are displayed.

The heck with NCC's trophy case. Why not just put the CCIW HOF in Al Carius's living room and skip the middleman?

Why doesn't the CCIW have a Hall of Fame?

You should start a CCIW Hall of Fame.

I'm not looking to tangle with the nine presidents and the dynamic duo on Brainard Avenue in Naperville (commish Chris Martin and assistant commish / SID Mike Krizamn). I step on enough toes as it is.

I think a conference HOF is a great idea.  And it leads me to a two-part question.  Whenever something like this is started, there is some prestige to being selected as part of the inaugural class.  (Not that I know this from personal experience, of course...)

So: across all sports, who are your five inaugural class members?  And, if you limit it to men's basketball, who would your five be?

[sac]

Only if the Hall of Fame is located in Manito, Illinois.

[iwu70]

Sac, great idea!   

'70

[NCF]

Here's my question for the day: Having just taken part in the 2017 Viking Hall of Fame ceremony this past weekend (yeah, it was a couple of months late, but it had to be moved back because it had originally been scheduled for the December weekend that the NPU men's soccer team was in the Final Four in North Carolina), it's got me to wondering ...

Why doesn't the CCIW have a Hall of Fame?

The SLIAC has one, and that league honors its new inductees as part of the annual SLIAC sports banquet in May. The SLIAC hasn't even been around for three decades yet; the CCIW charter was signed while Hiroshima was still radioactive and Sid Luckman was quarterbacking the Bears. Some might want to argue that this league's long and high-achieving history really ought to be honored properly with a CCIW Hall of Fame. Others might disagree.

Thoughts?

There's only one team in the CCIW right?  IWU has their own hall of fame...it would be redundant.

inb4 Congratulations to Illinois Wesleyan

In all seriousness though, I'd be for the idea of a CCIW Hall of Fame. There's been enough success around the conference to justify it.

My proposal for the site: the trophy case where all of North Central's cross country championships are displayed.

The heck with NCC's trophy case. Why not just put the CCIW HOF in Al Carius's living room and skip the middleman?

Why doesn't the CCIW have a Hall of Fame?

You should start a CCIW Hall of Fame.

I'm not looking to tangle with the nine presidents and the dynamic duo on Brainard Avenue in Naperville (commish Chris Martin and assistant commish / SID Mike Krizamn). I step on enough toes as it is.

You've got that right! Not only a amazing coach and motivator, he's one of the nicest people I met at North Central.

[Gregory Sager]

I think a conference HOF is a great idea.  And it leads me to a two-part question.  Whenever something like this is started, there is some prestige to being selected as part of the inaugural class.  (Not that I know this from personal experience, of course...)

So: across all sports, who are your five inaugural class members?  And, if you limit it to men's basketball, who would your five be?

Good questions.

This would be my inaugural five:

Dennis Bridges (Illinois Wesleyan men's basketball head coach, athletic director)
Al Carius (North Central men's cross-country and track & field head coach)
Dan McCarrell (North Park men's basketball head coach, athletic director)
Lee Pfund (Wheaton men's basketball and baseball head coach)
Bob Reade (Augustana football head coach)

In a situation in which you have such a restricted number of inaugural inductees, I think that you have to start with coaches rather than athletes.

This is not a politically correct list, obviously, since it consists of five white males who each coached a men's sport. But the fact of the matter is that any honest appraisal of CCIW coaching is going to focus upon white males, as there haven't exactly been many coaches of color in the CCIW ranks in any sport. Even CCIW men's basketball, which has had a large percentage of African-American players for many decades now, has only had two black head coaches, and the two of them only stuck around in this league for four years, combined.

The gender issue is more problematic, but, since the league was men-only for its first forty years, it's still male coaches that have dominated CCIW history. That's continued to a lesser degree into the era of women's sports in the CCIW (this league began sponsoring women's sports in 1986-87), as a lot of successful CCIW women's teams have been coached by men. In fact, over the course of the 23 years that the league has sponsored the sport, the CCIW women's soccer title has never been won by a team whose head coach was a woman, which league outsiders might think is kind of shocking. And about half of the softball and women's track & field titles have been won by teams whose head coach was a man, too.

My second class to get inaugurated would include Lori Kerans, who is stepping down from coaching the Millikin women's basketball program as of next week to become a Millikin administrator. Now that she'll no longer be an active coach, she's a no-brainer selection as the first female inductee; her Big Blue team won the D3 national title in 2005, culminating a career that also featured 11 CCIW titles and 14 D3 tourney appearances.

My second class would be:

Joe Bean (Wheaton men's soccer head coach)
Jack Horenberger (Illinois Wesleyan men's basketball and baseball head coach, athletic director)
Art Keller (Carthage football, men's basketball, and baseball head coach, athletic director)
Lori Kerans (Millikin women's basketball head coach, athletic director)
John Molitor (North Central men's swimming/diving athlete and head coach)

Men's basketball only? This would be my inaugural five:

Jim Borcherding (Augustana head coach)
Dennis Bridges (Illinois Wesleyan head coach)
Dan McCarrell (North Park head coach)
Lee Pfund (Wheaton head coach)
Bill Warden (North Central player and head coach)

Bosko Djurickovic goes in on the first ballot for which he is eligible for induction after he retires, regardless of whether we're talking CCIW HOF as a whole or just a CCIW MBBHOF. If Grey Giovanine isn't a first-ballot inductee as well, he'll be a second-ballot inductee.

[AndOne]

I think a conference HOF is a great idea.  And it leads me to a two-part question.  Whenever something like this is started, there is some prestige to being selected as part of the inaugural class.  (Not that I know this from personal experience, of course...)

So: across all sports, who are your five inaugural class members?  And, if you limit it to men's basketball, who would your five be?

Good questions.


Men's basketball only? This would be my inaugural five:

Jim Borcherding (Augustana head coach)
Dennis Bridges (Illinois Wesleyan head coach)
Dan McCarrell (North Park head coach)
Lee Pfund (Wheaton head coach)
Bill Warden (North Central player and head coach)

Bosko Djurickovic goes in on the first ballot for which he is eligible for induction after he retires, regardless of whether we're talking CCIW HOF as a whole or just a CCIW MBBHOF. If Grey Giovanine isn't a first-ballot inductee as well, he'll be a second-ballot inductee.

How about..........
IF Men's basketball only,...........
Rather than coaches, players. With an inaugural glass of seven (instead of five)

Those being the only seven players in CCIW history that made first team All-Conference all four years! 

1. Bud Schaeffer - Wheaton, 1947-1950
2. Bill Warden - North Central, 1952-1955
3. Jesse Price - Millikin, 1966-1969
4. Jason Wiertel - Carthage, 1999-2002
5. Rob Garnes - Carthage, 2000-2003
6. Steve Djurickovic - Carthage, 2008-2011
7. Landon Gamble - North Central, 2011-2014

[kenoshamark]

I think a conference HOF is a great idea.  And it leads me to a two-part question.  Whenever something like this is started, there is some prestige to being selected as part of the inaugural class.  (Not that I know this from personal experience, of course...)

So: across all sports, who are your five inaugural class members?  And, if you limit it to men's basketball, who would your five be?

Good questions.


Men's basketball only? This would be my inaugural five:

Jim Borcherding (Augustana head coach)
Dennis Bridges (Illinois Wesleyan head coach)
Dan McCarrell (North Park head coach)
Lee Pfund (Wheaton head coach)
Bill Warden (North Central player and head coach)

Bosko Djurickovic goes in on the first ballot for which he is eligible for induction after he retires, regardless of whether we're talking CCIW HOF as a whole or just a CCIW MBBHOF. If Grey Giovanine isn't a first-ballot inductee as well, he'll be a second-ballot inductee.

How about..........
IF Men's basketball only,...........
Rather than coaches, players. With an inaugural glass of six (instead of five)

Those being the only six players in CCIW history that made first team All-Conference all four years! 

1. Bud Schaeffer - Wheaton, 1947-1950
2. Bill Warden - North Central, 1952-1955
3. Jesse Price - Millikin, 1966-1969
4. Rob Garnes - Carthage, 2000-2003
5. Steve Djurickovic - Carthage, 2008-2011
6. Landon Gamble - North Central, 2011-2014

Mark,  Carthage has been fortunate to have three players that were four time first teamsters...Jason Wiertel was the other.   Going to be hard to leave Jack Sikma off the list as well.

(modified by GS for formatting)

[Titan Q]

How about..........
IF Men's basketball only,...........
Rather than coaches, players. With an inaugural glass of six (instead of five)

Those being the only six players in CCIW history that made first team All-Conference all four years! 

1. Bud Schaeffer - Wheaton, 1947-1950
2. Bill Warden - North Central, 1952-1955
3. Jesse Price - Millikin, 1966-1969
4. Rob Garnes - Carthage, 2000-2003
5. Steve Djurickovic - Carthage, 2008-2011
6. Landon Gamble - North Central, 2011-2014

Pretty sure a guy who was taken 8th overall in the NBA draft after his last CCIW season should be in?

https://www.basketball-reference.com/draft/NBA_1977.html

[AndOne]

I think a conference HOF is a great idea.  And it leads me to a two-part question.  Whenever something like this is started, there is some prestige to being selected as part of the inaugural class.  (Not that I know this from personal experience, of course...)

So: across all sports, who are your five inaugural class members?  And, if you limit it to men's basketball, who would your five be?

Good questions.


Men's basketball only? This would be my inaugural five:

Jim Borcherding (Augustana head coach)
Dennis Bridges (Illinois Wesleyan head coach)
Dan McCarrell (North Park head coach)
Lee Pfund (Wheaton head coach)
Bill Warden (North Central player and head coach)

Bosko Djurickovic goes in on the first ballot for which he is eligible for induction after he retires, regardless of whether we're talking CCIW HOF as a whole or just a CCIW MBBHOF. If Grey Giovanine isn't a first-ballot inductee as well, he'll be a second-ballot inductee.

How about..........
IF Men's basketball only,...........
Rather than coaches, players. With an inaugural glass of six (instead of five)

Those being the only six players in CCIW history that made first team All-Conference all four years! 

1. Bud Schaeffer - Wheaton, 1947-1950
2. Bill Warden - North Central, 1952-1955
3. Jesse Price - Millikin, 1966-1969
4. Rob Garnes - Carthage, 2000-2003
5. Steve Djurickovic - Carthage, 2008-2011
6. Landon Gamble - North Central, 2011-2014

Mark,  Carthage has been fortunate to have three players that were four time first teamsters...Jason Wiertel was the other.   Going to be hard to leave Jack Sikma off the list as well.

Yes sir. Missed that one in trying to quickly scan through 11 pages. Will add above.

[AndOne]

How about..........
IF Men's basketball only,...........
Rather than coaches, players. With an inaugural glass of seven (instead of five)

Those being the only seven players in CCIW history that made first team All-Conference all four years! 

1. Bud Schaeffer - Wheaton, 1947-1950
2. Bill Warden - North Central, 1952-1955
3. Jesse Price - Millikin, 1966-1969
4. Jason Wiertel - Carthage, 1999-2002
5. Rob Garnes - Carthage, 2000-2003
6. Steve Djurickovic - Carthage, 2008-2011
7. Landon Gamble - North Central, 2011-2014

Pretty sure a guy who was taken 8th overall in the NBA draft after his last CCIW season should be in?

https://www.basketball-reference.com/draft/NBA_1977.html

Jack Sikma would deserve recognition as much as anyone. The only reason I left him off of what would be my inaugural list was that he didn't have the unique distinction of being first team all-conference in the CCIW for four years. Not knowing his CCIW history, it's still pretty difficult to comprehend how an All Pro couldn't have been all-conference each year in college.

* My thinking was Sikma would be at the top of the list of my 2nd class.

* And, if there is any question of his not being included in the inaugural class, for any reason, keep in mind that he was inducted into the Small College Basketball Hall Of Fame as part of it's second class.