MBB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[GoPerry]

Congrats to Wheaton's Nyameye Adom for his CCIW Player of the Week honor.  No doubt others had more gaudy stats last week but glad he's receiving this recognition for his play.  I wasn't sure if Wheaton would get any of these this season given their roster balance.  2-0 for the week and a significant road win likely had a lot to do with it.

Big game tonight for Wheaton in Grand Rapids vs a Calvin team that is probably better than their 3-4 record.  A third non-con loss would give them even less margin for error in the CCIW. 

Will anyone go 13-3 or 12-4 this season?

[Titan Q]

Will anyone go 13-3 or 12-4 this season?

I just can't see 13-3 at all. 

Maybe something like 2017-18?

2017-18
Augustana 12-4
IWU 12-4
North Central 11-5
Wheaton 8-6
Carthage 8-8
Carroll 8-8
Elmhurst 6-10
Millikin 4-12
North Park 1-5

Or even like 2016-17 when there was a 3-way tie for 1st at 11-5, w/ two 9-7, and two 8-8.

But I just don't see 11-3.   And that is why every non-conference result is critical -- if a good team is gonna lose 5 in the CCIW there just is not a lot of room for error.

[blue_jays]

Will anyone go 13-3 or 12-4 this season?

I just can't see 13-3 at all. 

Maybe something like 2017-18?

2017-18
Augustana 12-4
IWU 12-4
North Central 11-5
Wheaton 8-6
Carthage 8-8
Carroll 8-8
Elmhurst 6-10
Millikin 4-12
North Park 1-5

Or even like 2016-17 when there was a 3-way tie for 1st at 11-5, w/ two 9-7, and two 8-8.

But I just don't see 11-3.   And that is why every non-conference result is critical -- if a good team is gonna lose 5 in the CCIW there just is not a lot of room for error.

I concur, the depth and parity is pretty nutty, best I've seen in my time watching the conference. You could talk me into 6 teams winning the conference and I wouldn't be surprised at any of em.

[Titan Q]

Will anyone go 13-3 or 12-4 this season?

I just can't see 13-3 at all. 

Maybe something like 2017-18?

2017-18
Augustana 12-4
IWU 12-4
North Central 11-5
Wheaton 8-6
Carthage 8-8
Carroll 8-8
Elmhurst 6-10
Millikin 4-12
North Park 1-5

Or even like 2016-17 when there was a 3-way tie for 1st at 11-5, w/ two 9-7, and two 8-8.

But I just don't see 11-3.   And that is why every non-conference result is critical -- if a good team is gonna lose 5 in the CCIW there just is not a lot of room for error.

I concur, the depth and parity is pretty nutty, best I've seen in my time watching the conference. You could talk me into 6 teams winning the conference and I wouldn't be surprised at any of em.

I agree there are legitimately 6 teams that can win it.  I can't remember ever thinking that before.

[Gregory Sager]

And, while Carroll does not have the personnel to win the league, the Pioneers are definitely capable of knocking off any of the top six on a given night. Just ask Grey Giovanine about that.

The Pioneers aren't big, and they aren't particularly athletic, but they really play well together and they never slack off.

[kiko]

I think we will get someone at 13-3 or better.  Don't know who, as I agree with the underlying point that there is greater depth at the top of the conference than usual.  So it could be any of the teams Bob has spotlighted.  I also agree with the point that for the teams that don't separate themselves, this A>B>C>A dynamic will push some high-quality teams down the Pool C pecking order.

But it is early, and I suspect someone will start to gel a bit more than the others as the season progresses and teams coalesce in different ways.  No idea who that will be, however.

[GoPerry]

Wheaton over Calvin 76-67

Nyameye Adom      20 pts, 3 rebs, 6 asst
Tyson Cruickshank   17 pts, 4 rebs, 3 asst
Collin Uveges          11 pts, 3 rebs
Cade Alioth            7 pts, 15 rebs

Derrick DeVries      25 pts, 6 rebs
Thad Shymanski      22 pts

A good win by Wheaton on the road.  It was a pretty close game, tied at 54 with 12 mins left.  But the Thunder defense really shut the Knight's offense down from there on out where most of Calvin's remaining points came on Shymanski free throws.  Anajuwon Spencer(8 and 3) didn't fill the stat sheet but really played well guarding DeVries.  Freshman Andrew Williams (8pts) continues to give quality minutes off the bench.  Wasn't expecting to see Luke Anthony but he did get in for 2 minutes and collected his first rebound.

Calvin's DeVries is listed at 6'5" but at 220lbs plays like about 6'8" and very skilled offensively.  Wheaton had little answer to his bulk in the first half (this is where you miss 230 lb Spencer Petersen).  He had a little tougher time in the second half with foul trouble but got to the foul line 13 times.

5 straight road games over 3 weeks for Wheaton.  Back home on Saturday vs NPU.

[AndOne]

CONGRATULATIONS

To North Central senior forward Matt Cappelletti who led the Cardinals in scoring in last night's 83-53 victory over neighboring Aurora. With 17 points, Matt increased his career scoring total to 1,007, and became the 28th 1,000 point scorer in North Central program history. 🏀

[GoPerry]

All D3 posters still claim Robinson as one of our own right?  Good article.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/duncan-robinson-heat-nba-williams-michigan-11576095466#comments_sector

[Gregory Sager]

Augustana beat MacMurray last night, 105-63.  Grey Giovanine got 16 players into the game, and Jack McDonald was the only one of them who saw a half's worth of minutes (he played 21, and led all scorers with 23 points). The Highlanders turned the ball over 22 times, 15 of them Augustana pilfers.

[wheels81]

Greg,
Have you ever thought about or asked to join the home broadcast team when your team plays away?  I think it would be cool for you to be color when you visit other schools.  Wheaton has stepped it up a bit in their PBP but sometimes their color is lacking.    You seem to know more about the other teams then sometimes their own people interesting.   This weekend would be a great opportunity to do both games in King Arena.  I know you usually work solo but I think it would be a lot of fun to listen.  Maybe Q will bring an extra chair to the booth for you in Bloomington? 

[Gregory Sager]

Nobody's ever asked me, but I'd certainly be willing to do it.

Bob's not a broadcaster anymore, though. He lives in Texas, and apparently IWU is not willing to cover his airfare to and from Bloomington for home games. His successors, Eric Stock and Joel Swanson, are a fine two-man broadcasting team in their own right, though.

As for Wheaton, it's always gonna be a mixed bag for as long as the school uses student broadcasters. The current Wheaton student PBP man, Abram Erickson (who also called Wheaton soccer matches), is pretty decent and represents a significant improvement over his immediate predecessors. One of the more recent Wheaton PBP guys seemed to only know one basketball term, "jab step", and he worked it in probably every other minute or so of a broadcast. He was like a terrier with a chew toy when it came to jab steps.

I get the whole "it's a school, and having student broadcasters is a learning opportunity" mindset, but if the quality suffers as a result it tends to reflect badly upon the school. And the thing is, Wheaton has an outstanding two-man team in-house already in Rusty Lindsey and Nate Frank. But ... no complaints from me for at least as long as Abram Erickson is on the job.

North Central, same thing. The WONC students who used to call Cardinals games were frequently a pain in the ears. Fortunately, Kevin Jackman, who now does PBP for multiple NCC sports, came along and got the permanent gig, as he is really good.

[Titan Q]

Bob's not a broadcaster anymore, though. He lives in Texas, and apparently IWU is not willing to cover his airfare to and from Bloomington for home games. His successors, Eric Stock and Joel Swanson, are a fine two-man broadcasting team in their own right, though.

Often Eric and Joel have me on at halftime from my home in Dallas via Skype.  Last Saturday I got bumped for the new IWU President -- I thought that was kinda weak.

[Gregory Sager]

Often Eric and Joel have me on at halftime from my home in Dallas via Skype.  Last Saturday I got bumped for the new IWU President -- I thought that was kinda weak.

Your clout-fu is not what it used to be, Grasshopper.

[lmitzel]

North Central, same thing. The WONC students who used to call Cardinals games were frequently a pain in the ears. Fortunately, Kevin Jackman, who now does PBP for multiple NCC sports, came along and got the permanent gig, as he is really good.

I'd like to think I wasn't that bad, considering I was one of those who took it as a learning opportunity. So, retroactive apologies for any annoyances caused between 2008 and 2011. Kevin was a freshman when I was a senior though, and I thought then he had a bright future, and I'm glad he's continued to do so well with all of NCC's sports he's called.

There was discussion at some point recently about alums coming back occasionally to help out, but that was pretty much immediately nixed by station management because of the whole learning opportunity thing, because they don't want to take those away from the actual students, which I get.

I'll just have to settle for yelling in the background I guess.