MBB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[WUPHF]

To me it's more that in Phoenix the walls are close and also black.  It's like playing in a giant black box.

The Phoenix gym looks like it was built by a new version of the sport that involves lasers and trampolines and such.

That Oakland gym is pretty cool.

[Gregory Sager]

To me it's more that in Phoenix the walls are close and also black.  It's like playing in a giant black box.

This.

Why would any basketball player want to pretend that he's Dave Bowman entering the Monolith?

[AndOne]

Still some good, uncommitted talent sitting out there that hasn't yet secured landing spots for next season. The reason some have not yet made a choice is because either they, their parents, or both, are either wildly overestimating their talent level, or hoping against hope that a desired scholarship offer will magically fall out of the sky, and into their lap. While confidence is a good thing, its amazing how good some of these kids think they are without even having played a minute of college level basketball. Either thinking or being told, most often by their parents or AAU coaches, they're too good for D3, they fail to understand and/or admit that they aren't as good as guys like Connor Raridon, Brady Rose, Kienan Baltimore, Nolan Ebel, Jake Rhode, or, certainly, Aston Francis. Good players, yes. But not the stars they see themselves as, or that they're told they are. We'll see if reality sets in, and some additional talent finds its way into the CCIW or other D3 ranks. 🤗

[WUPHF]

Always a good idea to remember that our student-athletes come with a variety of experiences and backgrounds.

For example, if you have a relative that works at a college as say a basketball coach, you likely have advantages that others do not.

Navigating the recruitment, admissions and financial aid processes can be daunting, particularly for first-generation college students.

[matblake]

Oakland Univ. outside Detroit was the first school I remember going with the "blacktop" look 2 or 3 years ago.  Its gimmicky, but basketball is basketball.

It's called the O-rena.  But, it's actually a pretty good place to watch a game.  Just down the road is Calihan Hall at Detroit Mercy.  Also an underrated place to catch a game. https://detroittitans.com/sports/2008/11/11/GEN_1111084603.aspx?id=21

[AndOne]

Always a good idea to remember that our student-athletes come with a variety of experiences and backgrounds.

For example, if you have a relative that works at a college as say a basketball coach, you likely have advantages that others do not.

Navigating the recruitment, admissions and financial aid processes can be daunting, particularly for first-generation college students.

WUPHF,

There is no doubt student-athletes come with a variety of experiences and backgrounds. Or, that some of those backgrounds effectively require an athletic scholarship in order to matriculate.

However, neither whether or not a recruit has a relative that works as a college basketball coach nor whether he is a first-generation college student, has anything to do with the question of whether or not said recruit has the intellectual acuity and degree of realism to honestly and accurately assess the level of competition he is capable of playing at. THAT was the point of my post.

Relatives possibly working at a college, a family's financial wherewithal, or whether a student-athlete is first or whatever generation has absolutely nothing to do with the scenario I posted about. 🤗

[WUPHF]

Relatives possibly working at a college, a family's financial wherewithal, or whether a student-athlete is first or whatever generation has absolutely nothing to do with the scenario I posted about.

For this statement to be true, you have to know with certainty that the uncommitted players are uncommitted because, as you say: either they, their parents, or both, are either wildly overestimating their talent level, or hoping against hope that a desired scholarship offer will magically fall out of the sky, and into their lap.

This gives you an out because can simply say that this is the scenario you described though there is simply no way to know if to what extent this describes any players.

[bbfan44]

AndOne is likely describing a recruit who isn't quite ready to sign with the Cardinals.

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

Oakland Univ. outside Detroit was the first school I remember going with the "blacktop" look 2 or 3 years ago.  Its gimmicky, but basketball is basketball.

It's called the O-rena.  But, it's actually a pretty good place to watch a game.  Just down the road is Calihan Hall at Detroit Mercy.  Also an underrated place to catch a game. https://detroittitans.com/sports/2008/11/11/GEN_1111084603.aspx?id=21

The Orlando Magic used to call their place the Orena, which I always found hilarious, given the large spanish-speaking population in Florida.

https://www.spanishdict.com/translate/orina

[sac]

Oakland Univ. outside Detroit was the first school I remember going with the "blacktop" look 2 or 3 years ago.  Its gimmicky, but basketball is basketball.

It's called the O-rena.  But, it's actually a pretty good place to watch a game.  Just down the road is Calihan Hall at Detroit Mercy.  Also an underrated place to catch a game. https://detroittitans.com/sports/2008/11/11/GEN_1111084603.aspx?id=21

28 miles down the road.  Hope's played at both in exhibitions, very nice venues, more partial to Callihan because of its steep seating.   MHSAA quarterfinals at Callihan is on my basketball bucket list.

[CCIWchamps]

The Phoenix games are at The PHHacility, which is where Elmhurst played Marietta and UW-La Crosse last year.  I believe one of the opponents there is Whitman.

The worst court I have ever seen.  Playing on that court, so far from home, over the holiday.  I'm not sure you can put any stock in those games at all.

I think this is a bit extreme. 

As far as the "so far from home, over the holiday" part...I mean a whole bunch of teams play far from home over the holiday every year.  So I'm not sure what that part has to do with anything here.

As far as the court itself, it's definitely really funky...but I mean, both teams play on it.  Is there some reason to believe one particular team would have an advantage...to the point you wouldn't put stock in the result of the game?

https://thephhacility.com

I watched at least two games played there last year where I'd also seen teams multiple times in other places.  Night and Day.  I'm not saying the winning team in Phoenix won't be the better team, but I wouldn't make judgments about either team based on what you see in those games.  It's just several degrees removed from a "typical" regular season basketball game.

Looks like a typical game to me.  Just on a floor that is a weird color.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cW76u9Pk7lI&t=800s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XRkOHfXO1t0

Isn't it possible the the reason for the teams you watched playing sub-par was because that just happens sometimes in a holiday road game...and has nothing to do with the floor colors?  It's not like they are playing with 9-foot rims and a court that is a different shape.

It very well could be - that's already a consideration - I've just seen too many teams thrown off with unusual floor designs to really trust it.  It's just an extra layer of unusual.  If it were an adversity a team might likely see in the tournament, that could tell you something, but this just feels like a gimmick and it didn't look to me that those teams were playing to form.

Can someone confirm that the playing surface here is wood, and not just that springy rubber coating over cement that you get in some middle-school gyms and park district facilities?

[Titan Q]

The Phoenix games are at The PHHacility, which is where Elmhurst played Marietta and UW-La Crosse last year.  I believe one of the opponents there is Whitman.

The worst court I have ever seen.  Playing on that court, so far from home, over the holiday.  I'm not sure you can put any stock in those games at all.

I think this is a bit extreme. 

As far as the "so far from home, over the holiday" part...I mean a whole bunch of teams play far from home over the holiday every year.  So I'm not sure what that part has to do with anything here.

As far as the court itself, it's definitely really funky...but I mean, both teams play on it.  Is there some reason to believe one particular team would have an advantage...to the point you wouldn't put stock in the result of the game?

https://thephhacility.com

I watched at least two games played there last year where I'd also seen teams multiple times in other places.  Night and Day.  I'm not saying the winning team in Phoenix won't be the better team, but I wouldn't make judgments about either team based on what you see in those games.  It's just several degrees removed from a "typical" regular season basketball game.

Looks like a typical game to me.  Just on a floor that is a weird color.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cW76u9Pk7lI&t=800s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XRkOHfXO1t0

Isn't it possible the the reason for the teams you watched playing sub-par was because that just happens sometimes in a holiday road game...and has nothing to do with the floor colors?  It's not like they are playing with 9-foot rims and a court that is a different shape.

It very well could be - that's already a consideration - I've just seen too many teams thrown off with unusual floor designs to really trust it.  It's just an extra layer of unusual.  If it were an adversity a team might likely see in the tournament, that could tell you something, but this just feels like a gimmick and it didn't look to me that those teams were playing to form.

Can someone confirm that the playing surface here is wood, and not just that springy rubber coating over cement that you get in some middle-school gyms and park district facilities?

Yes it is a normal wood floor that is stained.

https://twitter.com/ThePHHacility/status/992509085701451777

https://twitter.com/ThePHHacility/status/1005659323941380097

https://twitter.com/ThePHHacility/status/1007375341541707778

[AndOne]

NCC RECRUITS

Robert Piezker, a 6'7" C/F from Winneconne, WI HS will play basketball at North Central.

Arinze Egbuna, an All Conference Catholic League 6'5" SF from Mt. Carmel HS will be a member of the North Central basketball team.

8.7 PPG
7.6 RPG
1.7 APG
1.5 BPG
2 Point FG - 45%
3 Point FG - 50%
FTs ———— 72%

[AndOne]

Internal Strife? 

Future North Central Cardinals teammates will be on opposite sides in tomorrow's Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Class 3A-4A All-Star game in Pontiac when Brian Johnson (Glenbrook North) plays for the North team vs. Shea Cupples (Normal West), a member of the South squad. 🏀

[Titan Q]

IWU recruit Luke Yoder was named MVP of the IBCA 1A/2A all-star game.

https://www.pantagraph.com/sports/high-school/basketball/yoder-earns-north-mvp-in-ibca-all-star-victory/article_53433a42-197f-551a-a72c-19cb2ded40e6.html?utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter&utm_campaign=user-share