MBB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[Gregory Sager]

That's bad news indeed.  I agree that Genco is a really good one first off the bench.  But beyond that, does Baines confidence in his bench at critical moments go much further than one guy?  That would seem to be a precarious situation for such an otherwise high level team. 

Since conference play started up again this month, Elmhurst has played three close games -- the double-overtime win @ Carroll, the four-point win @ Carthage, and the seven-point win @ Wheaton. One other game, the nine-point home win over Augustana, featured a Bluejays lead that swung between six and eleven points over the last three minutes of the game -- and Baines subbed in 6'6, 215 freshman Jonathan Zapinski for a stretch during that final three minutes. In the epic 50-minute battle in Waukesha, he essentially used only six players (Rhode, Perry, Dotlich, Militello, Thomas, and Genco -- a healthy Hooker stayed planted on the bench throughout) throughout the entire second half and both overtimes. In the win at Carthage he used 6'9, 210 junior Ebrahim Jobe within the final four minutes when the lead was only one possession; that may have been an atypical instance, though, given Carthage's humongous length underneath the basket. And against Wheaton, he sent in 6'4, 175 senior swingman Brad Hubly with 2:10 to go and the 'jays up by 11, but kept him in throughout Wheaton's late run that got WC to within five with 1:06 to go. He didn't bench Hubly until there were only seven seconds left, during a Wheaton timeout with the margin sitting at five again.

In other words, I'm not sure that a conclusion can be drawn here. My best guess is that John Baines is playing it by ear with regard to his close-game substitution patterns, probably basing them upon specific matchups.

I spoke to Wes Hooker prior to the game against Wesleyan. He said he should return from his injury around CCIW tournament time.

That's five weeks from now; in other words, right in the middle of the "four to six weeks" cited on Elmhurst's Wednesday broadcast.

[Viking Mike]

AUGIE WINS .... 69-65 at Carroll in a game of runs.  Vikings now 12-6, (6-3)

[Gregory Sager]

Elmhurst 98
North Park 73

Toby Marek: 20 pts (3-3 trey)
Izaiah Sanders: 12 pts, 4:2 a:to
Alex Flute: 11 pts

Jake Rhode: 41 pts (11-15 FG, 5-6 trey, 14-15 FT)
Derek Dotlich: 16 pts, 7 rebs
Lavon Thomas: 12 pts, 6 rebs, 4:1 a:to
Dominic Genco: 11 pts, 6 rebs, 4:1 a:to
Jay Militello: 7 rebs
Ebrahim Jobe: 3 blks

Well, at least NPU beat the Massey spread.

I think that the MOP race is going to come down to Rhode and Raridon ... and Rhode certainly helped his case today.

[Greek Tragedy]

Apparently that Elmhurst game isn't starting in 3 minutes?

[petemcb]

Is anyone else having trouble finding the video for the Carthage/Wheaton game?

[Gregory Sager]

Nope. No problem getting the WC @ CC stream on my computer.

Cook is still out for Carthage. Zach Fisher is not in uniform tonight for Millikin. That's 16.3 ppg that I have a hard time imagining MU will be able to replace.

[petemcb]

Nope. No problem getting the WC @ CC stream on my computer.

Cook is still out for Carthage. Zach Fisher is not in uniform tonight for Millikin. That's 16.3 ppg that I have a hard time imagining MU will be able to replace.

Just found the right option.....in time to hear that Cook has the ol' "lower body injury".

[Gregory Sager]

Nope. No problem getting the WC @ CC stream on my computer.

Cook is still out for Carthage. Zach Fisher is not in uniform tonight for Millikin. That's 16.3 ppg that I have a hard time imagining MU will be able to replace.

Just found the right option.....in time to hear that Cook has the ol' "lower body injury".

He's obviously been playing too much hockey.

[Gregory Sager]

Wheaton 67
Carthage 65

Nyameye Adom hit a stepback fifteen-footer with one second left to secure the road win for the Sonic Atmospheric Disturbance.

[Gregory Sager]

North Central 90
Millikin 55

[Gregory Sager]

Cook is still out for Carthage.

On John Weiser's postgame show, Stevie D. said that Cook is expected back on Wednesday against Carroll.

[kiko]

Apparently that Elmhurst game isn't starting in 3 minutes?

If it makes you feel better, it has become an annual tradition for me to tune in to the North Central-Elmhurst game at Faganel three hours after tipoff.  I've done it three years running now as EC starts their Saturday home games at 4p.  No idea why the game at the Crackerbox had an early tipoff.

[Gregory Sager]

It'd been listed on the schedule as a 4 pm tipoff for at least a week now, if not longer.

I'm not 100% sure, but I suspect that Elmhurst wanted to play an afternoon doubleheader, as has become their tradition, and NPU acceded to the request. I've never quite understood Elmhurst's penchant for wanting to play Saturday afternoon games. Perhaps one of our EC posters can clue us in on that.

[kiko]

It'd been listed on the schedule as a 4 pm tipoff for at least a week now, if not longer.

I'm not 100% sure, but I suspect that Elmhurst wanted to play an afternoon doubleheader, as has become their tradition, and NPU acceded to the request. I've never quite understood Elmhurst's penchant for wanting to play Saturday afternoon games. Perhaps one of our EC posters can clue us in on that.

Oh, I'm sure it's accurately listed on the schedule.  I just always assume a 7p tipoff for games that aren't tournaments or during winter break, and I always forget that the Jays march to a different beat.  But unlike for football, where you could see day or night games depending on the time of year and whatnot, I typically don't bother to check tipoff times for basketball.

[iwu70]

My (clearly illegal) vote for MOP goes to Rhode . . . for what it is worth. 

'70