MBB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[iwu70]

Aston Francis -- a pretty amazing personal accolades run.

It is amazing about Augie -- team play and system vs. an outstanding individual or star.   Surprised Brady Rose or Bryan Crabtree didn't with POW 4 or more times.  . . . Kory Coon?   Or is it Cory Koon?    

Greg, we have to admit, beyond Augie, the CCIW teams aren't really burning it up this season. . . will we have more than one team in the D3 tournament, assuming Augie wins the AQ?

IWU'70

[Greek Tragedy]

Most self-serving quote under signature
"You don't always have to win every game. You just have to win the right ones. 😏 (AndOne)"

Best quote under signature that warns of above quote 

"Talent is God-given. Be humble. Fame is man-given. Be grateful. Conceit is self-given. Be careful.." -- John Wooden

I think those who frequent these boards, especially the Top 25 board, will agree mine is the best. 

[Gregory Sager]

Surprised Brady Rose or Bryan Crabtree didn't with POW 4 or more times.  . . . Kory Coon?   Or is it Cory Koon?    

Ahem ...

Moving right along ...

It probably won't come as a shock to anyone that Aston Francis was named POTW today for the sixth time this season. The CCIW online archives don't go back to the last century, but since Y2K he's now won the most POTWs in one season, eclipsing the previous record of five set by his fellow Wheatie Joel Kolmodin back in 2002-03 (an era when the league was much more promiscuous in handing out the award, frequently sharing it among two or even three players).

Dating back to that season, here's the leaderboard for most POTWs won:

(Brady Rose, incidentally, has won it three times, with all three instances occurring last season.)

Greg, we have to admit, beyond Augie, the CCIW teams aren't really burning it up this season

Oh, I absolutely agree with that. But the point is that the pollsters have not neglected the CCIW as a whole. Only the NESCAC has more (or even as many) teams that are currently receiving votes as the CCIW has.

. . . will we have more than one team in the D3 tournament, assuming Augie wins the AQ?

That's a question best asked of our numbers-crunchers Drew and Matt (fantastic50 and KnightSlappy) on the Pool C board.

Most self-serving quote under signature
"You don't always have to win every game. You just have to win the right ones. 😏 (AndOne)"

Best quote under signature that warns of above quote 

"Talent is God-given. Be humble. Fame is man-given. Be grateful. Conceit is self-given. Be careful.." -- John Wooden

I think those who frequent these boards, especially the Top 25 board, will agree mine is the best. 

Are you seriopus, Tom?

[wheels81]

Most self-serving quote under signature
"You don't always have to win every game. You just have to win the right ones. 😏 (AndOne)"

Best quote under signature that warns of above quote 

"Talent is God-given. Be humble. Fame is man-given. Be grateful. Conceit is self-given. Be careful.." -- John Wooden

1. That's just something I've always said so I thought it would be appropriate in a forum devoted to a discussion of athletic competition. It's not knocking anyone or anything. Besides, it's true. Ask any coach.

2. The quote has been there for at least 5 years. If it really bothered you, why did it take you this long to file a complaint? Perhaps you're just not very observant?

You know Wheels, you've been on my case for years. Long ago I must have said something that put a really large burr up your arse. Evidently, you haven't been able to remove it yourself. Accordingly, I'd recommend two things. First, see a doctor. Secondly, get over it.

Yeah I guess I didn't see it until you highlighted in red.  or maybe I saw it because I was bored with your post :-)


I think there should be a limit on quotes to one.  You are all over the highway with 4.  Quantity doesn't make quality.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C6cxNR9ML8k

[Gregory Sager]

Massey sez:

Augustana 78, Wheaton 72 (AC 72%, WC 28%)
North Central 74, Carthage 64 (NCC 83%, CC 17%)
Illinois Wesleyan 84, Elmhurst 79 (IWU 66%, EC 34%)
Millikin 75, North Park 68 (MU 73%, NPU 27%)

[Titan Q]

Illinois Wesleyan (10-6, 3-4) at Elmhurst (9-7, 4-3), 7pm...

Titans (10-6, 3-4)
G - Brady Rose, 6-3/185 Sr.  21.1 ppg, 2.2 rpg, 4.0 apg
G - Colin Bonnett, 6-4/190 Sr.  12.3 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 2.3 apg
G - Jason Gregoire, 6-4/205 Sr.  10.5 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 2.3 apg
F - Doug Wallen, 6-5/210 So. 7.8 ppg, 3.8 rpg
F - Danny Baker, 6-6/210 Sr.  2.4 ppg, 3.0 rpg

Bluejays (9-7, 4-3)
G - Jake Rhode, 5-10/165 So.  22.0 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 3.9 apg
G - Nick Perry, 5-11/175 So.  5.4 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 3.2 apg
G - Derek Dotlich, 6-3/220 Jr.  11.4 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 1.4 apg
F - Jeremy Ireland, 6-7/225 Sr.  13.1 ppg, 6.5 rpg
F - Pavlos Marakis, 6-7/230 Sr.  4.2 ppg, 5.5 rpg


Pantagraph - https://www.pantagraph.com/sports/college/basketball/men/rose-rhode-square-off-in-elmhurst/article_19a8db24-7114-55f7-be28-fc2b5b774fe5.html

Video - https://livestream.com/elmhurstcollege/basketballmens

Stats - https://elmhurstbluejays.com/sidearmstats/mbball/summary

[GoPerry]

Massey sez:

Augustana 78, Wheaton 72 (AC 72%, WC 28%)

No doubt Wheaton has an opportunity tonight for a big W.  But if a Thunder win is to be had, look for Francis to have an efficient game and at least 2 other players(Peters, Anthony, Adom, Spencer?) not wearing #1 in white to score 10-12 pts, keep Augie under 75 pts and stay within shouting distance of rebounding (dis)advantage.  That's all.

Wheaton performance at home this season has been very uneven. Oshkosh was great - Chicago and NCC (1st H) were embarrassingly awful.  However, these next 3 home games, AC-NPU-IWU, are a critical stretch for Wheaton.  Have to win 2 out of 3 minimum. Tonight would be a great start.

[Gregory Sager]

Massey sez:

Augustana 78, Wheaton 72 (AC 72%, WC 28%)

No doubt Wheaton has an opportunity tonight for a big W.  But if a Thunder win is to be had, look for Francis to have an efficient game and at least 2 other players(Peters, Anthony, Adom, Spencer?) not wearing #1 in white to score 10-12 pts, keep Augie under 75 pts and stay within shouting distance of rebounding (dis)advantage.  That's all.

There will be two teams on the floor in King Arena tonight, not one, and the team that you barely mentioned in your post happens to be ranked second in the nation. So if a Thunder win is to be had, how Augustana plays will have a lot to do with it, too.

Even an average performance by the Greymen will probably be enough to beat Wheaton, regardless of how the hosts perform. The Sonic Atmospheric Disturbance would have to play close-to-perfect ball for forty minutes to beat an average Augie evening. If Augie is subpar, Wheaton has a puncher's chance to pull off the upset, provided that the team in white and orange can do the things that you mentioned. But if Augie is down to where it was on Saturday, with only two players contributing on offense and the rebounding effort finishing in the minus category, then an upset becomes a very real possibility. Wheaton is much more capable of pulling it off than Carthage was, and Carthage was nine-tenths of a second away from winning Saturday's game at Carver.

Then again, when's the last time that a Grey Giovanine Augie team played two consecutive games that poorly, let alone this particular Grey Giovanine Augie team?

The nature of Augustana basketball plays a lot into this. By favoring a halfcourt-oriented defense-first philosophy that also includes using a deep rotation, Grey Giovanine constructs teams that are almost never out of ballgames, because good defense shows up every night whether that team's shooting is on or off. But a halfcourt-oriented defense-first philosophy that also uses a deep rotation also means that it can be harder to put good teams away, both because of fewer possessions per game and because the offensive dynamism on the floor at any given moment isn't exceptional. For a program that's almost always been among the top teams in the nation in recent years, Augustana doesn't tend to blow out a lot of opponents. Hanging around deep into a ballgame is always a possibility against Augie if you play hard enough, shoot well enough, and can limit your mistakes. The question is whether or not you'll have enough left in the tank to get that final kick to the finish line in an Augie game. Very few teams do; Augie almost always does.

[blue_jays]

Massey sez:

Augustana 78, Wheaton 72 (AC 72%, WC 28%)

No doubt Wheaton has an opportunity tonight for a big W.  But if a Thunder win is to be had, look for Francis to have an efficient game and at least 2 other players(Peters, Anthony, Adom, Spencer?) not wearing #1 in white to score 10-12 pts, keep Augie under 75 pts and stay within shouting distance of rebounding (dis)advantage.  That's all.

There will be two teams on the floor in King Arena tonight, not one, and the team that you barely mentioned in your post happens to be ranked second in the nation. So if a Thunder win is to be had, how Augustana plays will have a lot to do with it, too.

Even an average performance by the Greymen will probably be enough to beat Wheaton, regardless of how the hosts perform. The Sonic Atmospheric Disturbance would have to play close-to-perfect ball for forty minutes to beat an average Augie evening. If Augie is subpar, Wheaton has a puncher's chance to pull off the upset, provided that the team in white and orange can do the things that you mentioned. But if Augie is down to where it was on Saturday, with only two players contributing on offense and the rebounding effort finishing in the minus category, then an upset becomes a very real possibility. Wheaton is much more capable of pulling it off than Carthage was, and Carthage was nine-tenths of a second away from winning Saturday's game at Carver.

Then again, when's the last time that a Grey Giovanine Augie team played two consecutive games that poorly, let alone this particular Grey Giovanine Augie team?

The nature of Augustana basketball plays a lot into this. By favoring a halfcourt-oriented defense-first philosophy that also includes using a deep rotation, Grey Giovanine constructs teams that are almost never out of ballgames, because good defense shows up every night whether that team's shooting is on or off. But a halfcourt-oriented defense-first philosophy that also uses a deep rotation also means that it can be harder to put good teams away, both because of fewer possessions per game and because the offensive dynamism on the floor at any given moment isn't exceptional. For a program that's almost always been among the top teams in the nation in recent years, Augustana doesn't tend to blow out a lot of opponents. Hanging around deep into a ballgame is always a possibility against Augie if you play hard enough, shoot well enough, and can limit your mistakes. The question is whether or not you'll have enough left in the tank to get that final kick to the finish line in an Augie game. Very few teams do; Augie almost always does.

Here's the thing tho: Wheaton plays Augie closer than just about anyone in the league. Since the 2015-16 season, Wheaton vs. Augie: L by 4, L by 2 in OT, L by 2, L by 2, W by 5, L by 2, L by 8.
Wheaton gets up for Augie, regardless of the talent gap (that 2015-16 season saw Wheaton put up one of its worst seasons ever at 5-20).

[AndOne]

Congrats to North Central's Connor Raridon who has been named to the Top 100 Watch List for the Bevo Francis Award. This award is presented annually to the player outside of NCAA Division I who has the finest overall individual season. The award is presented by Small College Basketball, a national publication covering basketball at the NCAA D2, NCAA D3, NAIA, USCAA, and NCCAA levels. The award is named after the late Clarence "Bevo" Francis who established new NCAA and NAIA records for points scored in a single game and season for Rio Grande College (now Univ. of Rio Grande) in Ohio during the 1952-53 and 1953-53 seasons.
The list will be narrowed to 50 on Feb. 15, and to 25 on March 15. The winner will be announced April 8, and presented with the award on May 11 at the National Awards Show in Kansas City.

Raridon currently ranks first in the CCIW and 24th among all D3 players in assists per game (5.50), while ranking fifth in points per game (17.3), fifth in rebounds per game (6.8), and also fifth in free-throw percentage (.850). He is North Central's career leader in assists for a single game (13, accomplished twice), season (187) and career (425 so far). On Dec 15, Raridon became the 27th 1,000 point scorer in NCC history. He currently ranks 19th with 1,123 points. He also currently ranks 6th in free throws made, and 15th in rebounds.

Of the Top 100 players on the Watch List, only 23 compete for Division III schools.
Raridon is one of four CCIW representatives. He is joined by Augustana's Nolan Ebel, IWU's Brady Rose, and Aston Francis of Wheaton.

[AndOne]

Massey sez:

North Central 74, Carthage 64 (NCC 83%, CC 17%)

NCC may be 10 point favorites, but they better not get to complacent. They have to contend with Kienan Baltimore who ranks 4th in the conference in scoring at 20.1 PPG, and Jordan Kedrowski who ranks 8th at 16.9 PPG, as well as Sean Johnson who ranks 5th in rebounding with 6.9 RPG, and adds 9.6 PPG.

[Mr. Ypsi]

Congrats to North Central's Connor Raridon who has been named to the Top 100 Watch List for the Bevo Francis Award. This award is presented annually to the player outside of NCAA Division I who has the finest overall individual season. The award is presented by Small College Basketball, a national publication covering basketball at the NCAA D2, NCAA D3, NAIA, USCAA, and NCCAA levels. The award is named after the late Clarence "Bevo" Francis who established new NCAA and NAIA records for points scored in a single game and season for Rio Grande College (now Univ. of Rio Grande) in Ohio during the 1952-53 and 1953-53 seasons.
The list will be narrowed to 50 on Feb. 15, and to 25 on March 15. The winner will be announced April 8, and presented with the award on May 11 at the National Awards Show in Kansas City.

Raridon currently ranks first in the CCIW and 24th among all D3 players in assists per game (5.50), while ranking fifth in points per game (17.3), fifth in rebounds per game (6.8), and also fifth in free-throw percentage (.850). He is North Central's career leader in assists for a single game (13, accomplished twice), season (187) and career (425 so far). On Dec 15, Raridon became the 27th 1,000 point scorer in NCC history. He currently ranks 19th with 1,123 points. He also currently ranks 6th in free throws made, and 15th in rebounds.

Of the Top 100 players on the Watch List, only 23 compete for Division III schools.
Raridon is one of four CCIW representatives. He is joined by Augustana's Nolan Ebel, IWU's Brady Rose, and Aston Francis of Wheaton.

Quite a coup for the CCIW!  Players from over 1,100 schools are eligible, yet of the 100 named to the watch list, fully 4% are CCIW players!

[Mr. Ypsi]

Moving right along ...

It probably won't come as a shock to anyone that Aston Francis was named POTW today for the sixth time this season. The CCIW online archives don't go back to the last century, but since Y2K he's now won the most POTWs in one season, eclipsing the previous record of five set by his fellow Wheatie Joel Kolmodin back in 2002-03 (an era when the league was much more promiscuous in handing out the award, frequently sharing it among two or even three players).

Dating back to that season, here's the leaderboard for most POTWs won:

Steve Djurickovic, CC	14
Aston Francis, WC	13
Kent Raymond, WC	11
Juwan Henry, NPU	8
Joel Kolmodin, WC	8
Tim McCrary, WC	7
Chris Martin, EC	6
Brent Ruch, EC	6
Jordan Robinson, NPU	5
Keelan Amelianovich, IWU	4
Ryan Burks, EC	4
Landon Gamble, NCC	4
Jon Nielson, WC	4
Theo Powell, CC	4
Kyle Wuest, EC	4
Andrew Ziemnik, IWU	4

Conspicuous by their absence are any Augustana players. Of course, that's because the deep rotation and the defensive-oriented style of play favored by Grey Giovanine aren't conducive to winning awards that are based upon statistical prowess. In fact, current Augie senior stars Chrishawn Orange and Nolan Ebel have nary a POTW between them over the course of their careers. The last Augie player to win POTW was Hunter Hill all the way back on December 15, 2014.

Also conspicuous by their absence (at least to me) are two players I would have thought would be near the top of the list: Adam Dauksas and Zach Freeman.

[Gregory Sager]

Millikin 71
North Park 58

Izaiah Sanders: 16 pts
Matt Szuba: 10 rebs, 4 blks
Toby Marek: 5:0 a:to
Jake Ellis: 4:2 a:to, 3 stls

Zach Fisher: 20 pts
Elijah Henry: 14 pts, 15 rebs, 3 blks
Calvin Fisher: 12 pts, 3:0 a:to

[augiefan]

Augie 77 Wheaton 73 Final.