MBB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[Titan Q]

Like many universities, IWU has decided to bump 1st semester timing up -- it will start 8/17 and end before Thanksgiving (w/ no Fall break).

It's impossible to know if that kind of schedule helps or hurts basketball season amidst the pandemic.  It seems like it could potentially help -- having a majority of the student body at home from Thanksgiving until after New Year's (while the basketball team stays on campus) seems like a good thing.

https://www.pantagraph.com/news/local/education/illinois-wesleyan-university-to-start-semester-early-end-before-thanksgiving/article_88bef699-0f38-518e-bbd9-e542f5eb2a72.html#tracking-source=home-trending

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

Like many universities, IWU has decided to bump 1st semester timing up -- it will start 8/17 and end before Thanksgiving (w/ no Fall break).

It's impossible to know if that kind of schedule helps or hurts basketball season amidst the pandemic.  It seems like it could potentially help -- having a majority of the student body at home from Thanksgiving until after New Year's (while the basketball team stays on campus) seems like a good thing.

https://www.pantagraph.com/news/local/education/illinois-wesleyan-university-to-start-semester-early-end-before-thanksgiving/article_88bef699-0f38-518e-bbd9-e542f5eb2a72.html#tracking-source=home-trending

Do you know for sure athletes will be allowed to stay on campus?  That's not a given at every school.

[Titan Q]

Like many universities, IWU has decided to bump 1st semester timing up -- it will start 8/17 and end before Thanksgiving (w/ no Fall break).

It's impossible to know if that kind of schedule helps or hurts basketball season amidst the pandemic.  It seems like it could potentially help -- having a majority of the student body at home from Thanksgiving until after New Year's (while the basketball team stays on campus) seems like a good thing.

https://www.pantagraph.com/news/local/education/illinois-wesleyan-university-to-start-semester-early-end-before-thanksgiving/article_88bef699-0f38-518e-bbd9-e542f5eb2a72.html#tracking-source=home-trending

Do you know for sure athletes will be allowed to stay on campus?  That's not a given at every school.

No, I do not.  I'm quite certain the university doesn't know that for sure either.  Too many things to still sort through regarding the 2020-21 school year, and all things athletics, for that to be defined.

I was just speaking hypothetically.  If there is a season ongoing at that point (Thanksgiving), seems like a positive if student-athletes are not around as many other people for a while -- especially other people in the age group new cases seem to be skewing towards (younger).

[Titan Q]

Augie will announce the new coach tomorrow.

It is 1 of the 2 Augie guys:
* Steve Schafer
* Jim Thomas

[Titan Q]

Augustana has hired Steve Schafer.  Will be announced tomorrow I think.

http://www.benuredhawks.com/staff.php?staffID=1

[WUPHF]

Not the hire I would have expected, but hey...

He did not turn Fontbonne around as the biography indicates, but that was not possible in four seasons.

[Titan Q]

Augustana has hired Steve Schafer.  Will be announced tomorrow I think.

http://www.benuredhawks.com/staff.php?staffID=1

https://athletics.augustana.edu/news/2020/6/24/steve-schafer-chosen-to-be-16th-head-mens-basketball-coach-in-augustana-history.aspx

[y_jack_lok]

Not the hire I would have expected, but hey...

He did not turn Fontbonne around as the biography indicates, but that was not possible in four seasons.

True, it wasn't a turnaround at Fontbonne. But it was three seasons, not four, and the bio says "helped rebuild". Is that the same as turnaround? Who knows? It is true that the W/L record improved each season (3-13, 6-10, 9-9). Anyway, wishing him well. Big shoes to fill.

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

Recruiting will be interesting.  Grey talked often about how many doors were open around the state, even still today, because of his Dad.  We'll have to see how well that translates.

[augiefan]

Schafer is kind of an underwhelming choice. I expected a more high profile hire given the history of the program. Of the 2 finalists I would have preferred Jim Thomas. Nevertheless I wish the new coach much success.

[AndOne]

I am not at all surprised at Augie's choice.

Yes, Thomas, of course, is an AC grad, and had a very good playing career for the western Vikings. With his 12 years at Downers North, he also knows the Chicagoland recruiting scene. However, he was the only one of the 4 finalists with zero college coaching experience

But Schafer is also an AC grad who has 10 years as a college assistant coach, and another 8 as a head coach. At his most recent stop at NAIA Benedictine-Arizona, he also served as the Athletic Director in addition to his BB Head Coach responsibilities. He is also familiar with the Chicagoland and CCIW territory as a result of his being an assistant at CCIW member NPU in Chicago (2004-2009), and at BenU in West suburban Lisle (2009-2011). He is a product of far west suburban Batavia HS.

The Augie AD was quoted as saying that "I'm always attracted to candidates with previous head coaching experience, particularly at the small-college level," and that "his recent experience in Arizona was appealing, having so many administrative responsibilities (as AD)............."

[AndOne]

🔔WEDDING BELLS🔔

Congrats to North Central Head Assistant Basketball Coach Vince Kmiec and his beautiful bride on their recent nuptials. Vince and his new better half, the charming and delightful former Miss Gina Fisher recently took their vows under less than ideal conditions imposed by the current Caronavirus pandemic. Rather than all those of us who were honored to be invited to the ceremony, the current social and governmental restrictions limited attendance to only the bride and groom's parents and siblings.
A fitting celebration, hopefully able to be attended by all those originally invited, is tentatively scheduled for late August.
Best wishes to the new couple. 🏀 🥍

[Greek Tragedy]

You could've protested the wedding and then everyone up to 100 people (or whatever the limit on protests is) would have been able to attend the wedding protest.

[Tko244227]

Congrats to Vince, a Sandburg alum who is North Centrals all time steals leader as well.

A few weeks back I posted a tweet that quoted the lack of black coaches in D3 and very few people chimed in because either none of you care or none of you see that as an issue or a problem that needs to be addressed. Titan Q asked from a coaches perspective what did I think should be done? I didn't and don't have all the answers but I do know the first and most important solution is to hire the most qualified candidate.  Far too often and I can speak from experience that black candidates are good enough to get an interview but not good enough to get hired. I was told a long time ago by my parents and I really didn't want to believe this but they told me that in order for a black guy to get a head coaching job especially at the D3 level that he had to not just be better than the competition but be twice or even three times as good. Clearly they were right.  There's not a person in this room that would see the resumes, accomplishments and successes of all four candidates and could definitively and confidently pick the resume of the guy that was hired.
This is in no way any disrespect to Augie or their administrators because they had the criteria that they used to select a coach and obviously I didn't meet it.  Also, I know both Jim and Steve and both a solid coaches for sure and I'm sure Steve will do a good job.
I just had to say something because no one in this room (and I'm clearly aware of the demographics of this room) was going to address this topic which to me is the elephant in not only this room but within college basketball, particularly at the D3 level.

[augie77]

Todd, I wish you the best in your career and believe you've done a great job in reviving the Illinois Tech program.  From a distance (my only context), your resume is super solid and on a par with the other finalists.  I believe you'd do a good job at Augustana.  In this recent hiring is there anything that should have put you head and shoulders above all the other candidates?  I note that Steve Schafer is both an Augie grad (not a requirement, but a good thing) as well as an athletic director.

Keep coaching and somethin will pop for you.  I just hope your future success doesn't come at the hands of Augustana.