MBB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[Titan Q]

Unless the unknown Pauley proves adept at both point production and adequate defense, a 3 guard lineup featuring the names listed above isn't going to scare many upper division teams.

Pauley is actually listed on Augie's roster as a forward, not a guard.

Here is a HS video of Pauley - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wsLNTDYQl-w.

Article about his transfer to Augie - https://qconline.com/sports/college/augustana/former-geneseo-standout-pauley-joins-augie-hoops-program/article_3b7c5ec5-a564-5d56-8ece-ca82506c1384.html.

Mention in a recent article about Augie - https://qctimes.com/sports/basketball/college/plenty-of-changes-for-augie-men-but-expectations-remain-high/article_0f9fe618-d3ef-5e6e-bb24-ddd9d7c4f5ff.html.

Pauley was a star at Geneso HS and then a two-year starter at Black Hawk JC.  He averaged 13.9 ppg and 4.4 rpg last year...18.5 ppg, 5.9 rpg in conference play.

Watching that HS video, his skill set actually looks a lot like the guy he is replacing- Brett Benning (11.0 ppg, 4.2 rpg), who was also a transfer for Augie.  (Not as big as 6-6 Benning, but similar games.)

I've heard really good things about Pauley and that he has All-CCIW potential this year.

[Titan Q]

Interestingly, the two guys I just talked about seem to be really similar players in terms of skill set.

* Jacob Pauley (6-4 G/F Augustana) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wsLNTDYQl-w

* Pete Lambesis (6-4 G/F IWU) - https://www.hudl.com/video/3/8718668/58d60b8342102e35a85fbcf2

6-4, athletic, lefty wings who can shoot it and penetrate.

[AndOne]

Augie scrimmaged Lake Forest this past Wednesday.  The Vikings started:

G - Jack Jellen, 5-10/176 Jr.
G - Austin Elledge, 6-0/167 Sr.
G - Jacob Pauley, 6-4/178 Jr.
F - Pierson Wofford, 6-3/198 Sr.
C - Micah Martin, 6-11/242 Sr.

In the opener vs #2 UW-Oshkosh, it will be interesting to see if Augie goes small like this (with Wofford playing the 4), or if they slide Wofford to the 3 and start a more traditional post at the 4.

Do Augie fans think this will be AC's starting lineup this season?
Unless the unknown Pauley proves adept at both point production and adequate defense, a 3 guard lineup featuring the names listed above isn't going to scare many upper division teams.
Wofford is an All Conference player and Martin very well might be, especially if the Augie offense becomes more interior oriented this year than they have been the last few years when they had stellar guard and SF play. But the two of them can't do it all, and are going to need some help.

Guessing Coach G and staff aren't concerned about who they scare.  Just in winning.

Well, of course, that's their primary concern.
But, Pauley is still a largely unknown commodity. And, who is really going to be nervous about facing the combination of Jelen and Elledge?
Wouldn't you take IWU's starting guards over that combination?? Carthage's? Elmhurst's? Carroll's?

[Titan Q]

Carroll has three recent commits I've seen come across Twitter...

* Ryan Mendoza, 5-10 PG (Crystal Lake Central HS) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JOK-AQaH79s

* Tyler Miller, 6-2 G (Crystal Lake South HS) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=2&v=Ke8hbBICC6c

* Joshua Hudgens, 6-6 F (Burlington Central HS) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VDyXJ_7xQAk

[Titan Q]

Well, of course, that's their primary concern.
But, Pauley is still a largely unknown commodity. And, who is really going to be nervous about facing the combination of Jelen and Elledge?
Wouldn't you take IWU's starting guards over that combination?? Carthage's? Elmhurst's? Carroll's?

I guess I don't really understand what you're saying with the whole "nervous" thing.  I mean, who cares who is nervous.  In the 30+ years I've been following the CCIW I've seen a lot of players that didn't make anyone nervous help teams to CCIW titles.

Do I think Jack Jelen and Austin Elledge are 1st Team All-CCIW guys?  Probably not.

Do I think Jack Jelen and Austin Elledge are talented enough to be the starting backcourt on a CCIW championship team? Sure.

[AndOne]

OK, looks like we're going to play the Semantics game. Nervous, scared, apprehensive, something else—-which word would you prefer? I think you know that I meant I think there are better backcourts.
So, not sure why you chose to play semantics regarding my use of "nervous" as opposed to some other word choice rather than answering the questions I asked—which was not whether you think the Augie twosome are talented enough to be the starters on a CCIW championship team. But that's OK. More important things to worry about.

[augie77]

Augustana's back court will be nothing special.  Very pedestrian.  Opponents won't need to bring their A games when playing the Rock Island Vikings.   

[AndOne]

The Vikings that sail the Mississippi have one of the top players in the entire CCIW in Pierson Wofford. Micah Martin should be 2nd team All-Conference if not first team. It's likely that AC will be a more inside orientated team this season than in recent years. This will bolster Martin's visibility, and production. The trick will be to find a good 3 man. Maybe Pauley is truly the answer. The possibility certainly exists. He wouldn't be at Augie if he didn't have some skills. But you can't say that he will definitely be the answer based on some high school or JUCO films which are doctored to only show good plays rather than bodies of work for entire games. And, I'm sorry, but I really don't think a backcourt combination of Jelen/Elledge compares that favorably to the probable guard combos of some of the other conference teams. It wouldn't be surprising to me to see frosh Jack McDonald become a starter. Could I be wrong about the above? Sure. About all of it in fact. But based on experience and what I've see that's just my opinion at this time.
If you think differently great. Tell us what you think and why. Isn't that the idea here?
Lastly, with deference to my esteemed comrade Augie77, I think you better always bring your "A" game when you oppose the Western Vikings. Otherwise their playing and coaching talent will surely add another ☑️ in your loss column. 

[Titan Q]

It wouldn't be surprising to me to see frosh Jack McDonald become a starter. C

I think that is a possibility for sure.  It sounds like McDonald is a future CCIW star PG.  Guessing they will bring him along as the backup PG and flip that switch if he make a case.

Even the most talented of guys have trouble stepping right into starting roles as a freshman...especially at PG. Thinking of Augie's last two PGs - both went on to be 1st Team All-CCIW guys - Hunter Hill and Nolan Ebel were both sparingly used reserves as FR.

IWU is in a good spot with potential future stud PG Luke Yoder (probably dead even as a recruit as McDonald) because he can back up Grant Wolfe for 2 years, and Wolfe is really good.  I don't think it'd be a great thing to have to throw Yoder into the starting lineup this season -- similarly I'll bet Augie's staff is comfortable playing McDonald off the bench.

[augie77]

I'm too far removed from the program to comment on the promise of specific players.  I do agree that Jack McDonald is very highly touted and waits in the wings if Jellen falters.

[Titan Q]

Sounds like Augie 6-8/235 freshman Daniel Carr, a really highly touted recruit/high potential player, is probably more a JV guy this year and then contributor the next 3.

The new big guy that will probably play a bunch this year is 6-6/202 sophomore F Justin Bottorff (transfer, D2 Quincy then John Wood CC).  Bottorff was a highly recruited HS player out of Quincy Notre Dame - in addition to D2 Quincy was also offered by D2 UMSL.  CCIW's were all over him.

Sounds like he's gonna be in Augie's rotation.

[Gregory Sager]

It wouldn't be surprising to me to see frosh Jack McDonald become a starter. C

I think that is a possibility for sure.  It sounds like McDonald is a future CCIW star PG.  Guessing they will bring him along as the backup PG and flip that switch if he make a case.

Even the most talented of guys have trouble stepping right into starting roles as a freshman...especially at PG. Thinking of Augie's last two PGs - both went on to be 1st Team All-CCIW guys - Hunter Hill and Nolan Ebel were both sparingly used reserves as FR.

IWU is in a good spot with potential future stud PG Luke Yoder (probably dead even as a recruit as McDonald) because he can back up Grant Wolfe for 2 years, and Wolfe is really good.  I don't think it'd be a great thing to have to throw Yoder into the starting lineup this season -- similarly I'll bet Augie's staff is comfortable playing McDonald off the bench.

In a league like this that tends to chew up freshmen PGs, you start one of them for one of two reasons:

1) He is so good upon arrival that he's already set to make his mark on the league while running your team (e.g., Jake Rhode in 2016-17); or
2) you have no experienced options at PG that are good enough to keep you from having to throw a freshman into the deep end of the pool before you've had much of a chance to teach him how to swim.

North Park is starting freshman Jacquan Binion at PG because of reason #2. I hope that in retrospect reason #1 will emerge regarding Jacquan Binion in any what-if discussion of NPU having had a decent returning PG.

It's reasonable to bring that up because, thus far in my very limited window of opportunity to see him play, he's impressed me. Actually, both of the Binion brothers look like they're going to become solid CCIW players and possible cornerstones of an NPU rebuild.

[Titan Q]

I have heard the #3- North Central vs Eureka scrimmage yesterday in Naperville was close.  Any scoop?

[BobbyO]

We will soon know more about how Coach G is going to run Augie this year.  Oshkosh game less than a week away.  From this Augie fan I would hope that they use their heights more.  Martin and Ferguson split the starts last year so we will wait to see what Coach G will due.  I would like to see both in the game at the same time.  Good reserves on the bench so the need to protect them from foul trouble is not as great as last year. During my time at Augustana we enjoyed height and used Lang and Hamming at the same time.  The game is faster so that may be  why they wouldn't.

The big question is the leader and the point guard.  Very hard to replace Orange and Ebel.  Wofford hopefully will step up and take over where Orange was.  Jelen just doesn't impress me.  Little shorter, pudgy and unwilling to take the open shots last year.  Many stupid fouls by Jelen in the past.  Elledge played great defense last year at Wheaton against Francis. I don't know if he can be the leader.

I haven't heard how Simon is doing since the injury in the sweet 16 game.  I thought that he may have been a starter this year.  So now we will watch and see if they can grow up quick.  6 in a row would be nice but it will not be easy.  North Central will be good but is Chang like Simon going to be like the old ones.  I doubt anyone will go undefeated in CCIW and perhaps 12 wins will maybe get you a share of number one.

[Titan Q]

From this Augie fan I would hope that they use their heights more.  Martin and Ferguson split the starts last year so we will wait to see what Coach G will due. 

Augustana has two enormous weapons in 6-11/242 Micah Martin and 6-9/227 Donovan Ferguson.  These guys look like Missouri Valley Conference low post guys.

Assuming Coach G platoons them and they split 40 minutes at the 5, what a huge advantage to have that kind of low post size in the game at all times.  It allows the Vikings to play things pretty straight up most of the time -- not a ton of doubling the post needed (perimeter guys can stay home contest shots).

I'm sure these two will be on the floor together some - in the right situations - but guessing in most games they will share the 40 minutes at the 5.