MBB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[iwu70]

Ypsi, Greg can't help himself.  And, he seems not to read our posts sometimes too.  Oh well . . .

We've all said IWU's Pool C chances are nil to below nil.  I would be stunned if they get in that way.  Of course, running the table fully and getting the AQ would be grand, though I've also posted that very unlikely given recent form.  I hope the TITANS catch fire, but don't see it.  This just hasn't been our year, with 4-5 games lost in the last 1-2 minutes, and just very little ability and focus to finish out games, even when leading by 10 or more in the second half.  Looking back, one can count many such games in the 8 losses.  Some real lost opportunities, and now likely finishing 17-8 at best.

Glad to have all the analytical work, all the numbers crunching of various scenarios, and appreciate all the work and speculation . . . but, I'm just willing to watch the games and see how it plays out on the hardwood. 

I still see Augie winning the AQ and perhaps NCC getting a Pool C bid.  Of course, would love a third CCIW team to somehow sneak in, but doubt it will happen this year.

My focus is more on the women at this point -- to see how far Wheaton and IWU can go in the D3 tournament this year.  Hopefully 2 or more games in . . .  hope we don't see Trine again!   

IWU '70

[Gregory Sager]

Ypsi, Greg can't help himself.  And, he seems not to read our posts sometimes too.  Oh well . . .

Would that were the case, Mark. Would that were the case.

The way I see it, I launched a successful pre-emptive strike by dampening any chance that you or Chuck would excitedly grasp at straws after Bob's post about Drew's tweet.

Women have priority in the first weekend in odd-numbered years.

Exactly. And since, as thunder38 pointed out, UW-Oshkosh is #1 in the initial Central Region ranking, it would appear to crowd out the male version of the Titans from hosting even if we don't take into consideration the fact that Nebraska Wesleyan and Augustana are also prime hosting candidates, and that St. Thomas is a likely alternative if someone falters. I would say that UWO's likelihood of hosting on the men's side is not great.

[Gregory Sager]

This is the standings and what's left on the docket:

Augustana*	13-1	21-2	MU	bye	@ CC
North Central	10-3	18-4	WC	@ CC	@ EC
Wheaton	9-5	16-7	@ NCC	MU	bye
Illinois Wesleyan	7-6	14-8	EC	NPU	@ CU
Elmhurst	7-6	12-10	@ IWU	CU	NCC
Carroll	6-8	10-13	bye	@ EC	IWU
Millikin	4-9	10-11	@ AC	@ WC	NPU
Carthage#	2-11	7-13	@ NPU	NCC	AC
North Park#	2-11	4-18	CC	@ IWU	@ MU

* Augustana owns the tiebreaker over North Central by virtue of having swept Illinois Wesleyan, which split with NCC. The only advantage(s) that NCC could have over AC is/are via Millikin (NCC sweep, AC split) and/or Carthage (NCC sweep, AC split), and, since neither the Big Blue nor the Red Men can finish ahead of Illinois Wesleyan, the IWU tiebreak is fixed. Therefore, Augustana has clinched the #1 seed and will host the tournament's semifinals and championship.

* North Central can finish no lower than the third seed, because it owns tiebreakers over Illinois Wesleyan and Elmhurst by virtue of having split with Augustana, which swept both IWU and EC. North Central currently owns the H2H tiebreaker over Wheaton. If NCC and WC end the season tied, and if WC defeats NCC tomorrow night, then NCC owns the tiebreaker by virtue of having split with Augustana, which swept WC. The only way that North Central can lose the opening-round bye and fall to the third seed is if the Cardinals lose all three remaining games while Wheaton wins its final two games.

* Wheaton can finish no lower than the third seed if it wins at least one more game, or if Illinois Wesleyan and Elmhurst each lose one more game, because it owns the tiebreakers over IWU and EC by virtue of having swept them both.

* With regard to the middle of the pack:
-- Illinois Wesleyan currently owns the H2H tiebreaker over Elmhurst;
-- Illinois Wesleyan owns the H2H tiebreaker over Millikin;
-- Elmhurst currently owns the H2H tiebreaker over Carroll;
-- Elmhurst owns the H2H tiebreaker over Millikin;
-- Carroll currently owns the H2H tiebreaker over Illinois Wesleyan; and
-- Carroll currently owns the tiebreaker over Millikin by virtue of having split with Wheaton, which beat MU in their first contest. If MU beats Wheaton, the tiebreaker most likely devolves to performance against Illinois Wesleyan, in which case CU retains the tiebreaker by having won at least once against IWU while IWU swept MU. If, however, it devolves to performance against Elmhurst, then the tiebreaker becomes contingent upon how Carroll fares at Faganel Hall on Wednesday. If the Pioneers win that game, then they own the EC tiebreak over Millikin. If the Pioneers lose that game, then the tiebreaker devolves to performance against Illinois Wesleyan -- which, again, CU owns. All of which goes to say that Carroll owns all of the ladder tiebreakers over Millikin if the Big Blue fail to defeat Augustana tomorrow night. In other words:

* If Millikin fails to defeat Augustana tomorrow night, Millikin is eliminated. If MU wins at Carver, then the Big Blue own the tiebreaker over Carroll.

* Because Illinois Wesleyan and Elmhurst have each already swept the current seventh-place team (Millikin), the Titans and the Bluejays have both clinched tournament spots.

[hopefan]

Am I just missing it, or Do I NOT see the 2019 CCIW tourney info anywhere on the CCIW site... was looking to see dates, everything is 2018 tourney... 6 teams, right?   help me out guys...

[duckfan41]

Am I just missing it, or Do I NOT see the 2019 CCIW tourney info anywhere on the CCIW site... was looking to see dates, everything is 2018 tourney... 6 teams, right?   help me out guys...

Field is 6 teams now! Tournament begins in two weeks following the conclusion of conference play next week. My guess is there isn't any information yet because the host site is not (technically) set in stone yet?

[hopefan]

Am I just missing it, or Do I NOT see the 2019 CCIW tourney info anywhere on the CCIW site... was looking to see dates, everything is 2018 tourney... 6 teams, right?   help me out guys...

Field is 6 teams now! Tournament begins in two weeks following the conclusion of conference play next week. My guess is there isn't any information yet because the host site is not (technically) set in stone yet?

most conf have 3 vs 6, 4 vs 5 etc etc with dates so plans can be made....  gotta start on my conference brackets!!!

[duckfan41]

Am I just missing it, or Do I NOT see the 2019 CCIW tourney info anywhere on the CCIW site... was looking to see dates, everything is 2018 tourney... 6 teams, right?   help me out guys...

Field is 6 teams now! Tournament begins in two weeks following the conclusion of conference play next week. My guess is there isn't any information yet because the host site is not (technically) set in stone yet?

most conf have 3 vs 6, 4 vs 5 etc etc with dates so plans can be made....  gotta start on my conference brackets!!!

Understandable!!

[lmitzel]

Am I just missing it, or Do I NOT see the 2019 CCIW tourney info anywhere on the CCIW site... was looking to see dates, everything is 2018 tourney... 6 teams, right?   help me out guys...

Field is 6 teams now! Tournament begins in two weeks following the conclusion of conference play next week. My guess is there isn't any information yet because the host site is not (technically) set in stone yet?

most conf have 3 vs 6, 4 vs 5 etc etc with dates so plans can be made....  gotta start on my conference brackets!!!

Yeah, that's how the CCIW is doing theirs too. 6 @ 3 and 5 @ 4 on Tuesday the 20th, semis and finals @ Augie Friday the 22nd/Saturday the 23rd.

Like you said... gotta get to work on them brackets!

[Gregory Sager]

CCIW SID Mike Krizman always posts the league's tournament info shortly after the last pertinent regular-season scores are reported.

The host site for the semifinals and finals is set in stone already. We know for a fact that it will be held at the Carver P.E. Center in Rock Island. But we don't know the identity of the two host sites for the quarterfinals a week from Tuesday.

[AndOne]

I believe what we do know is that on Tuesday, the 19th (NOT 20th) the team that finishes 3rd will host the 6th place finisher, and the 4th place team will play host to #5. Then, on Friday, 2/22, Augie will play the lowest remaining seed (finisher), and the 2nd place team will play Tuesday's other winner, both games being in Rock Island. Then, Friday's winners will play for the CCIW Tournament championship and AQ bid on Saturday.

[Titan Q]

Illinois Wesleyan (14-8, 7-6) vs Elmhurst (12-10, 7-6), 7pm...

Titans (14-8, 7-6)
G - Brady Rose, 6-3/185 Sr.  21.3 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 3.7 apg
G - Colin Bonnett, 6-4/190 Sr.  11.8 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 2.5 apg
G - Jason Gregoire, 6-4/205 Sr.  9.9 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 2.5 apg
F - Doug Wallen, 6-5/210 So. 7.0 ppg, 4.4 rpg
F - Danny Baker, 6-6/210 Sr.  3.1 ppg, 3.4 rpg

Bluejays (12-10, 7-6)
G - Jake Rhode, 5-10/165 So.  20.8 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 4.3 apg
G - Nick Perry, 5-11/175 So.  5.2 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 3.5 apg
G - Derek Dotlich, 6-3/220 Jr.  11.7 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 1.3 apg
F - Jeremy Ireland, 6-7/225 Sr.  14.7 ppg, 6.8 rpg
F - Pavlos Marakis, 6-7/230 Sr.  4.5 ppg, 5.6 rpg


Pantagraph - https://www.pantagraph.com/sports/college/basketball/men/senior-night-a-big-night-for-titans/article_354f318d-e949-50a1-8dbd-1c709c3d3c0a.html

Video/Stats - https://portal.stretchinternet.com/iwu/

[Titan Q]

IWU senior Brady Rose has moved into 9th place on IWU's all-time scoring list, and 6th place on the 3-point FG list.  He is among an elite group of Titans on both lists.

All-time Scoring
1. 2272         Jack Sikma (107 games) - 1973-77
2. 2062         Blaise Bugajski (103 games) - 1979-80,81-84
3. 1871         Bryan Crabtree (114 games) - 1993-97
4. 1848         Luke Kasten (109 games) - 1999-03
5. 1833         Greg Yess (107 games) - 1978-82
6. 1782         Korey Coon (109 games) - 1996-00
7. 1688         Zach Freeman (107 games) - 2003-07
8. 1590         Keelan Amelianovich (104 games) - 2002-06
9. 1585         Brady Rose (101 games) - 2014-19
10. 1583         Sean Johnson (111 games) - 2007-11

All-time 3-point FG made
1. 264         Jordan Zimmer (107 games) - 2008-12
2. 252         Keelan Amelianovich (104 games) - 2002-06
3. 245         Korey Coon (109 games) - 1996-00
4. 238         Sean Johnson (111 games) - 2007-11
5. 235         Mark Edmundson (113 games) - 1986-90
6. 221         Brady Rose (101 games) - 2014-19
7. 208         Adam Dauksas (114 games) - 2002-06

[Titan Q]

Big game in Naperville tonight in terms of Pool C positioning.

* North Central: .818 WP, .523 SOS, 2-1 RRO
* Wheaton: .695 WP, .571 SOS, 1-4 RRO

1st Central Region Ranking
1. Augustana
2. UW-Oshkosh
3. North Central
4. Wheaton
5. UW-La Crosse
6. UW-Stevens Point
7. UW-Whitewater
8. Chicago

(Both teams lost after this ranking came out.)

I'd think if Wheaton loses, they're done as a realistic Pool C candidate.  The best WP the Thunder could finish with, as a Pool C, is .679.

If NCC loses, they move from the end of the bubble to the wrong side of the bubble.  But they'd still be very much in the bubble picture. With a loss tonight, NCC could finish with a .778 WP. That would probably put the Cardinals in the conversation for one of the final Pool C spots...but not better than that.

So a real big game.

[voxelmhurst]

Illinois Wesleyan (14-8, 7-6) vs Elmhurst (12-10, 7-6), 7pm...

Titans (14-8, 7-6)
G - Brady Rose, 6-3/185 Sr.  21.3 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 3.7 apg
G - Colin Bonnett, 6-4/190 Sr.  11.8 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 2.5 apg
G - Jason Gregoire, 6-4/205 Sr.  9.9 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 2.5 apg
F - Doug Wallen, 6-5/210 So. 7.0 ppg, 4.4 rpg
F - Danny Baker, 6-6/210 Sr.  3.1 ppg, 3.4 rpg

Bluejays (12-10, 7-6)
G - Jake Rhode, 5-10/165 So.  20.8 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 4.3 apg
G - Nick Perry, 5-11/175 So.  5.2 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 3.5 apg
G - Derek Dotlich, 6-3/220 Jr.  11.7 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 1.3 apg
F - Jeremy Ireland, 6-7/225 Sr.  14.7 ppg, 6.8 rpg
F - Pavlos Marakis, 6-7/230 Sr.  4.5 ppg, 5.6 rpg


Pantagraph - https://www.pantagraph.com/sports/college/basketball/men/senior-night-a-big-night-for-titans/article_354f318d-e949-50a1-8dbd-1c709c3d3c0a.html

Video/Stats - https://portal.stretchinternet.com/iwu/

Elmhurst must win tonight if they want any chance at the #4 seed and a home game in the CCIW tournament, whereas an IWU win would virtually seal up an a home game for the Titans in the first round of the postseason. As I said after Elmhurst's loss to Wheaton last Saturday, Bluejay fans have been waiting very patiently for the proverbial Big CCIW Win On The Road^TM, but it won't be any easier for them tonight.

[iwu70]

Brady Rose --what a great TITAN career.

'70