MBB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[Koppenberg]

I don't know if any of y'all spend time on Reddit's /r/CollegeBasketball, but Elmhurst's trip to Rock Island featured in today's conversation. https://old.reddit.com/r/CollegeBasketball/comments/aj70fj/im_new_in_town_so_i_decided_to_check_out_2/  It's always nice to see the CCIW get some mention.

[Mr. Ypsi]

Another tough one for IWU.  It's been a very disappointing season.

Unless the Green Team wins 1st place 🥇 at the conference dance, it appears they'll be excluded from the national dance off. 🧨

Yeah, I would say it is all but official that the ONLY way IWU goes dancing this year is to win the conference tourney.  And even in the three seasons (2006, 2012, and 2014) they made the FF since the conference tourney began, they have NEVER won the conference tourney.

A season that began with such promise has degenerated into probable irrelevance.

[AndOne]

North Central sends the game at Millikin to OT on a 3 pointer by Aaron Jones with 1.8 seconds left, and wins the game 93-92 on a Mike Pollack 3 pointer as the buzzer ends the OT!

North Central 93
Millikin.         92

While there are still many curves ahead and, accordingly, several opportunities for a derailment, the little engine that could just keeps chugging ahead. Playing with 2 senior starters lost for the year before the mid point of the season, the Cardinals keep finding the proverbial next man up and, despite a clear lack of respect nationally to this point, just keep doing what they need to do.

* MR. Aaron Jones, 28 points on 10 of 14 shooting, including 7 of 10 from three. For good measure, 5 assists vs. 1 TO. Aaron hit the 3 pointer with 1.3 seconds left that sent the game to OT.

* Matt Cappelletti, 19 points on 8 of 12 shooting, incl 3 of 6 from deep plus 7 rebounds.
**CAPP also had the big block on Elijah Henry with 6 seconds left in OT to set the stage for Mike Pollack's dagger.

* Connor Raridon, 13 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists.

* Blaise Meredith also with 13 points on 5 of 8 shooting.

* Tommy Koth scored 9 points, hitting 4 of 8 shots.

* Mike Pollack had 11 points and hit 3/7 three pointers, including the game winner as the clock expired in OT!

* Millikin certainly made NCC earn it tonight.
* Calvin Fisher was fabulous, scoring 32 points on 10/13 shooting incl 6/7 on threes. He also had 6 rebounds.
* Zach Fisher, 18 points (7/11), with 4 assists.
* Elijah Henry had 15 points, and 5 assists.
* Jordan Cunningham just missed a double-double with 9 points, and a game high 11 boards.
* Jack Marinko off the bench with 10 points on 4/6 (2/3).

[iwu70]

Seems IWU has to scramble now to just make the CCIW tournament, let alone win it for the AQ. 

Yes, very disappointing year, esp. with the talent the Titans have, but just not executing, not putting it all together, even this late in the season.  IWU bigs are way too soft and unproductive, again missing many lay-ups and close-in shots, so when the perimeter shots aren't falling, there's little the Titans have to fall back on.  All season, the Titans have relied too much on perimeter offense, motion . . . and played rather poor defense.  On the other hand, no one seems to be stopping Francis, with a number of games now over 40.  Just some amazing offensive play.

Some great games last night.  I really thought EC was going to finally put a league loss on Augie, but just missed.  NCC continues to come through in the crunch.  AO, you are right -- they just keep getting it done, through all the adversity. 

Titans have to suck it up now and get as many wins as possible to stay within the top 6 for the CCIW post-season. 

'70

[AndOne]

70,

Just can't imagine the Weenies not being included in the conference tournament. The idea seems almost unfathomable. I think they'll pick up enough Ws prior to season's end to be included in the conference festivities. 🏀

[blue_jays]

The James Harden-esque tear that Aston Francis is on hearkens back to the days of Stevie D., although Francis is definitely more audacious in his scoring forays. Stevie D. always struck me as more methodical in his dissection in comparison to Francis' more unpredictable live wire.
It all has me re-evaluating where Francis ranks in terms of Wheaton's all-time greats. I didn't think I'd ever see a player better than Kent Raymond in the orange, and I still may not. But Francis is dam close, and if he had a full 4 years with the Thunder, could well have achieved it. Wheaton has had an enviable amount of great individuals come through in recent times (Raymond, Francis, McCrary, Peters, Panner, etc.) that any CCIW would be jealous of.
Where do we all think Francis fits in the Thunder's historical context? And in the CCIW's pantheon as well?

[Yogao]

I didn't get to see the Augie Elmhurst game last night. Looking at the box score I noticed Simon started in place of Benning, and Benning appears to not have played at all. Was there any mention on the broadcast if he was sick or something more serious?

[duckfan41]

I didn't get to see the Augie Elmhurst game last night. Looking at the box score I noticed Simon started in place of Benning, and Benning appears to not have played at all. Was there any mention on the broadcast if he was sick or something more serious?

I think someone noted earlier on the board that he was out with a shoulder contusion. We're getting to the point of the year where bumps and bruises will persist for everyone.

[Gregory Sager]

Seems IWU has to scramble now to just make the CCIW tournament, let alone win it for the AQ.

Waaaaaay overstated.

70,

Just can't imagine the Weenies not being included in the conference tournament. The idea seems almost unfathomable. I think they'll pick up enough Ws prior to season's end to be included in the conference festivities. 🏀

This is not even an issue, really. The bottom of the CCIW is tissue-soft this season. Calling last night's CU @ NPU game really underlined that realization for me. Carroll and North Park are two bad teams playing out the string. Carthage has demonstrated all season long that the Red Men are good enough to hang around with the upper echelon, even right up until the final buzzer when they're on, but not good enough to beat them. There's only a one-game gap between sixth-place Millikin (4-6) and seventh-place Carroll (3-7) (although MU beat CU up at Van Male in December), but it might as well be the Grand Canyon in terms of competence.

The only question, really, is whether Illinois Wesleyan will finish fourth, fifth, or sixth. The Titans are a better team than Millikin, and they've already beaten the Blue in Decatur -- and I suspect that they'll beat them next Wednesday at Shirk, although that's no sure thing -- and they've already beaten Elmhurst at Faganel, so if I was a betting man I'd put the chips down on a fourth-place finish for IWU. That would be huge for the Greenies, since it would mean an opening-round home game. Of course, the downside is that even a home win would probably mean facing Grey Giovanine's fully-rested team in the semifinals at Carver three nights later.

Nobody who follows this league who doesn't have a closet full of green clothing would shed any tears if Illinois Wesleyan missed the CCIW tourney ... but it ain't gonna happen.

[Gregory Sager]

I didn't get to see the Augie Elmhurst game last night. Looking at the box score I noticed Simon started in place of Benning, and Benning appears to not have played at all. Was there any mention on the broadcast if he was sick or something more serious?

There was a post here last night that said that Brett Benning was suffering from a mild shoulder contusion, but that post has been taken down.

[Gregory Sager]

The James Harden-esque tear that Aston Francis is on hearkens back to the days of Stevie D., although Francis is definitely more audacious in his scoring forays. Stevie D. always struck me as more methodical in his dissection in comparison to Francis' more unpredictable live wire.
It all has me re-evaluating where Francis ranks in terms of Wheaton's all-time greats. I didn't think I'd ever see a player better than Kent Raymond in the orange, and I still may not. But Francis is dam close, and if he had a full 4 years with the Thunder, could well have achieved it. Wheaton has had an enviable amount of great individuals come through in recent times (Raymond, Francis, McCrary, Peters, Panner, etc.) that any CCIW would be jealous of.
Where do we all think Francis fits in the Thunder's historical context? And in the CCIW's pantheon as well?

Why are we talking about "the CCIW's pantheon" regarding a guy who isn't even good enough to be the league's MOP this season?

(Sorry, Bob, but I couldn't resist.)

[Gregory Sager]

https://twitter.com/kuff_sports/status/1088299870988001280

[augie77]

I didn't get to see the Augie Elmhurst game last night. Looking at the box score I noticed Simon started in place of Benning, and Benning appears to not have played at all. Was there any mention on the broadcast if he was sick or something more serious?

There was a post here last night that said that Brett Benning was suffering from a mild shoulder contusion, but that post has been taken down.

That was announced on the Augustana webcast.

[duckfan41]

The James Harden-esque tear that Aston Francis is on hearkens back to the days of Stevie D., although Francis is definitely more audacious in his scoring forays. Stevie D. always struck me as more methodical in his dissection in comparison to Francis' more unpredictable live wire.
It all has me re-evaluating where Francis ranks in terms of Wheaton's all-time greats. I didn't think I'd ever see a player better than Kent Raymond in the orange, and I still may not. But Francis is dam close, and if he had a full 4 years with the Thunder, could well have achieved it. Wheaton has had an enviable amount of great individuals come through in recent times (Raymond, Francis, McCrary, Peters, Panner, etc.) that any CCIW would be jealous of.
Where do we all think Francis fits in the Thunder's historical context? And in the CCIW's pantheon as well?

Why are we talking about "the CCIW's pantheon" regarding a guy who isn't even good enough to be the league's MOP this season?

(Sorry, Bob, but I couldn't resist.)

Ahh but you did go "there" today 😂

[blue_jays]

The James Harden-esque tear that Aston Francis is on hearkens back to the days of Stevie D., although Francis is definitely more audacious in his scoring forays. Stevie D. always struck me as more methodical in his dissection in comparison to Francis' more unpredictable live wire.
It all has me re-evaluating where Francis ranks in terms of Wheaton's all-time greats. I didn't think I'd ever see a player better than Kent Raymond in the orange, and I still may not. But Francis is dam close, and if he had a full 4 years with the Thunder, could well have achieved it. Wheaton has had an enviable amount of great individuals come through in recent times (Raymond, Francis, McCrary, Peters, Panner, etc.) that any CCIW would be jealous of.
Where do we all think Francis fits in the Thunder's historical context? And in the CCIW's pantheon as well?

Why are we talking about "the CCIW's pantheon" regarding a guy who isn't even good enough to be the league's MOP this season?

(Sorry, Bob, but I couldn't resist.)

Ahhhh ya got me, tried to slip him past anyway. Next on First Take: Is Aston Francis "actually" good?