MBB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

Pat Coleman · April 22, 2020, 10:38:37 AM

Quote from: Gregory Sager on April 21, 2020, 09:38:34 PM
Quote from: Pat Coleman on April 21, 2020, 08:26:32 PM
Football players, including an honorable mention all-conference player are leaving MOUNT UNION. I think it's fair to say this is an odd offseason.

True, although it's not every off-season that Mount Union changes head football coaches.

No doubt, but it's not like they handed it to some stranger to the program or the university.

Titan Q · April 22, 2020, 01:48:27 PM

Quote from: Titan Q on April 21, 2020, 03:46:30 PM
Quote from: Titan Q on April 04, 2020, 09:43:17 PM
Quote from: CardinalAlum on April 04, 2020, 09:39:17 PM
NCC?

NCC probably getting a transfer from another D3...not done yet though.

To North Central...

* Will Hrubes, 6-7 F (D3 Aurora U.; previously D2 Rockhurst) 13.4 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 113-258 FG (.438), 53-136 3-point (.390)

Honorable Mention All-NACC.

Will be a senior next year at NCC.

https://www.naccsports.org/sports/mbkb/2019-20/releases/20200303k47acx

https://athletics.aurora.edu/sports/mens-basketball/roster/will-hrubes/10642

https://rockhursthawks.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/will-hrubes/2131

The tweet from Will Hrubes today...

https://twitter.com/willhrubes/status/1253016563860606976?s=20

WUPHF · April 22, 2020, 02:49:04 PM

The Mount Union example is interesting.

I am not predicting a mass exodus or anything, but I do wonder if we will see more defections than usual. Maybe a few more students giving up on varsity athletics entirely.

Dave 'd-mac' McHugh · April 23, 2020, 01:49:45 PM

Let me preface my thoughts with this: Of the things I pay attention to in DIII, recruiting is at or very close to the bottom. The number of variables from start to playing (or not playing) are too numerous to count ... along with the fact some recruits have already maxed out their abilities while some, maybe no one paid attention to, who suddenly turn into studs (we can all point to those).

Transfers are in the middle somewhere. Some, like Williams' Duncan, are worth following and talking about and others we never hear about them again in any manner of speak. So, I try not to get sidetracked.

That all said, I got to thinking about transfers especially after Albright women lost their best player and All American to DII and something I read about in terms of schools, especially in DI and DII, being in jeopardy of closing their doors OR shutting down programs even temporarily (or even rumored to be in trouble). There very likely could be an influx of student-athletes looking to find a place that is stable. They want to play afterall and they aren't necessarily leaving a program, but trying to find a place where they can play and know the program will be stable. Most of this might be in sports that are not football or basketball because wrestling or field hockey needs to be shuttered for a few years until enrollment and numbers increase.

There also may still be some movement in basketball and football because student-athletes don't want to get too far down the road and suddenly a school has the door's shut on them ... and they have no where to go - it's took late to make a move.

I think all of that could be the most interesting aspect. Good players who would stay with a program and school in any "normal" circumstances suddenly looking to bolt for a place they know will be open in a year or two (even if that might be impossible to truly predict). The CCIW is going to be a bad example here, but I do wonder if conferences like the CCIW then at least temporarily get rid of their "transfers sit a year within conference" rule because of the uncertainty. That's a complete guess (and again, CCIW probably not the best example because I'm not sure if any of those schools are in "trouble"), but things that have been on my mind of late - especially after talking to Dan Dutcher in the podcast this week.
Something I thought about the other day, after Albright women lost their best player and All-American to DII, if there is any concern by a student-athlete

WUPHF · April 23, 2020, 02:17:29 PM

For what it is worth, I have long had an interest in the financial side of higher education, so I have been looking at the fundamentals of institutions in the region.

The CCIW schools all appear to be in a relatively good position to weather the storm if they can open for classes in the Fall.

I am not sure anyone knows what will happen if schools ask their students to enroll online for the Fall, but I am not optimistic about it.

Realistically, we could lose a WIAC school. I am certainly not saying it will happen but it is not out of the question without Fall classes.

It is interesting as schools that have a lot of resources are in some cases are bleeding money. Johns Hopkins comes to mind. A medical school and hospital can be a blessing and a curse.

y_jack_lok · April 23, 2020, 04:14:22 PM

^^^ Basic to this -- and obvious but heretofore not mentioned explicitily that I can find -- is how many students/athletes will be able to afford to return to school. With families impacted financially no doubt some will have to put education on hold. Will schools lower tuition and fees to minimize attrition? If so will they be able to stay afloat? At best there are likely to be measurable losses to faculty and staff. If students aren't in school, what will they do? Will there be jobs for them? We are in a downward spiral that it will take a while to recover from.

WUPHF · April 23, 2020, 05:15:33 PM

+1 This point cannot be overstated.

Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan) · April 23, 2020, 05:58:58 PM

I wouldn't be surprised if there are 20% fewer colleges in the US this time next year. Even if campuses open, most protections have a 15-20% enrollment drop at most institutions. Many schools won't be able to survive that even one year. The elite selective schools won't feel it because they always have waiting lists to draw from, but there will be fiscal pressures everywhere and it might just be education's turn to get market corrected during this recession. A lot of things will look different in 2021.

WUPHF · April 23, 2020, 06:10:08 PM

Quote from: Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan) on April 23, 2020, 05:58:58 PM
The elite selective schools won't feel it because they always have waiting lists to draw from, but there will be fiscal pressures everywhere and it might just be education's turn to get market corrected during this recession.

The elites will all be open for business, but they are going to have their own struggles that could easily reverberate over to varsity athletics. These elite research institutions are bleeding money. And they all have cash cow programs that will experience a decline in enrollment. Particularly those that rely heavily on international student enrollment.

Titan Q · April 23, 2020, 07:33:31 PM

On IWU's recruiting class to date...

https://www.pantagraph.com/sports/college/illinois-wesleyan/illinois-wesleyan-basketball-coach-ron-rose-thrilled-with-six-player-recruiting-class/article_f269b7b1-fd10-541a-8a9d-44e92210275c.html?utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter_Pantagraph

Titan Q · April 23, 2020, 08:05:26 PM

Ron Rose and the Titans have landed Pryce Punkay, a 6-3 G from Champaign Central. As a Sr averaged 17.7 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 2.6 apg and made an incredible 117 3-pointers.

Punkay was named 1st Team All-Big 12, 1st Team News-Gazette All-Area, and IBCA 3A All-State.

Big-time shooter heading to IWU. Heavily recruited kid.

https://www.news-gazette.com/sports/prep-sports/boys-basketball/the-2020-news-gazette-all-area-boys-basketball-team-meet-the-first-team/article_6afccd06-d1ea-5b36-832e-71819a6002ba.html

https://app.box.com/s/nn3qr0xs0etleh9khuz0446uqupvi0n5

https://www.hudl.com/video/3/8717000/5e6efad4bd758f11a8a26417

Titan Q · April 23, 2020, 10:10:01 PM

Ultimate Titan Fan · April 23, 2020, 10:44:34 PM

Quote from: Titan Q on April 23, 2020, 08:05:26 PM
Ron Rose and the Titans have landed Pryce Punkay, a 6-3 G from Champaign Central. As a Sr averaged 17.7 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 2.6 apg and made an incredible 117 3-pointers.

Punkay was named 1st Team All-Big 12, 1st Team News-Gazette All-Area, and IBCA 3A All-State.

Big-time shooter heading to IWU. Heavily recruited kid.

A tall 3 point specialist? Thank you sir, may I have another. Per the article, he was pursuing the state 3 pt record before an injury.

iwu70 · April 23, 2020, 11:32:30 PM

Mr. Punkay -- Wow, 117! Some kind of shooter . . . welcome to The Shirk.

'70

Titan Q · April 24, 2020, 10:18:22 AM

Quote from: Ultimate Titan Fan on April 23, 2020, 10:44:34 PM
Quote from: Titan Q on April 23, 2020, 08:05:26 PM
Ron Rose and the Titans have landed Pryce Punkay, a 6-3 G from Champaign Central. As a Sr averaged 17.7 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 2.6 apg and made an incredible 117 3-pointers.

Punkay was named 1st Team All-Big 12, 1st Team News-Gazette All-Area, and IBCA 3A All-State.

Big-time shooter heading to IWU. Heavily recruited kid.

A tall 3 point specialist? Thank you sir, may I have another. Per the article, he was pursuing the state 3 pt record before an injury.

Punkay is a great shooter - made 117 3's in 30 games (missed 2 with injury). For context, 3.9 3s made per game would rank 3rd nationally in NCAA D1 this past year; 1st in D2; and 10th in D3. Obviously no HS stats to compare that to, but it just gives an idea of how many that really is.

He complements IWU's other perimeter recruits (Taueg, Heaton, Sroka) nicely because he's a very different player than each of them. He is a pure shooter - whether off the dribble, curling around a screen, or just catch and shoot. Taueg is a quick, athletic, defensive specialist that can also score in a lot of ways; Sroka is a big, physical, skilled SG who can do a little bit of everything; Heaton is a strong, athletic slasher who really gets to the basket.

Really impressive perimeter group coming in. I believe it is fair to say 6-5 SG Ryan Sroka and 6-5 G/F Connor Heaton are the top two.