MBB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[HAMBO]

Two friends of mine, former North Park soccer player Chris Sitowski and former North Park basketball player and assistant coach Mark Pytel, run a podcast called The Sit and Py Show that also airs as a video livestream on Facebook. They interview various Illinois sports legends -- high school, collegiate, and professional -- and they've just released their latest edition, which is an interview with one of the CCIW's all-time greatest players, 1983 CCIW Most Outstanding Player Wayne Dunning of Millikin. Better known as Stunning Wayne Dunning, he was one of the most dominant figures I've ever seen at the D3 level. He was so good that during my student days, back when the North Park student section was a pack of hundreds of rabid wolves, Dunning actually caused us to start spontaneously chanting, "Transfer here! Transfer here!", because he simply tore up an outstanding Vikings team practically all by himself.

The interview is by turns funny, informative, and inspirational, and I think that any and every CCIW fan can appreciate it. (It's worth watching just to get a laugh out of hearing how Illinois Wesleyan used to cheat back in the days when the Titans played in Fred Young Fieldhouse. ) You'll get a real appreciation not just for Stunning Wayne Dunning, the Big Blue superstar of the early '80s, but for Bishop Wayne Dunning, pastor of the Faith Fellowship Christian Church and a leader in the Decatur community in meeting material needs and providing services to the less fortunate. And I'm sure that you'll also get some of the flavor of what Sit and Py bring to the table in their sports podcasts.

https://www.facebook.com/chris.sitowski.5/videos/1085783405321228

Thank you for the reminder about Wayne Dunning and the life he lives.  He lived a life modeled after the John Wooden saying you list at the bottom of your postings.  When ever I have an opportunity to speak to young athletes, I always use that Wooden quote because it puts competition in the proper perspective. We competitors need humbling sometimes -- I know I do.  Greg, please keep reminders like that in front of us.

[Gregory Sager]

Illinois Wesleyan 73
North Park 49

Izaiah Sanders: 11 pts, 6 rebs
Gabe Johnson: 6 rebs

Matt Leritz: 19 pts
Ryan Sroka: 14 pts
Cory Noe: 12 pts (3-6 trey)
Cody Mitchell: 11 rebs

The Vikings gave a better effort tonight; they didn't look like they were sleepwalking through the game the way that they did for long stretches the last three times out, and they used a strong start to the second half to cut a 21-point deficit down to seven points before the Titans went on a big run and put the game away. But the bottom line is ... well, you can overthink basketball sometimes. The object of the game is to put the ball in the basket, and tonight's score (and the shooting percentages of the Vikings this season) tell you that the Park just doesn't do it nearly well enough to be successful. That's all there is to it, really. All of the effort in the world can't make up for empty possessions because you can't hit a jumper or a runner in the lane.

[Gregory Sager]

North Central holds off Millikin in the hangar, 61-55.

[lmitzel]

North Central holds off Millikin in the hangar, 61-55.

Good way to put it.

Millikin got out to an early 20-6 lead and actually led for almost 32 minutes of the game, but the Cardinals tightened up defensively, especially in the second half, and ground out a tough home win.

Matt Helwig: 25 pts, 13 reb
Ethan Helwig: 14 pts, 7 reb
Brian Johnson: 8 pts

Calvin Fisher: 22 pts, 6 reb
Demarcus Bond: 12 pts

NCC clinches a berth in the CCIW Tournament.

[kiko]

North Central holds off Millikin in the hangar, 61-55.

Good way to put it.

Millikin got out to an early 20-6 lead and actually led for almost 32 minutes of the game, but the Cardinals tightened up defensively, especially in the second half, and ground out a tough home win.

Matt Helwig: 25 pts, 13 reb
Ethan Helwig: 14 pts, 7 reb
Brian Johnson: 8 pts

Calvin Fisher: 22 pts, 6 reb
Demarcus Bond: 12 pts

NCC clinches a berth in the CCIW Tournament.

Millikin is a young team but they have some nice talent to build with.  Continuity has been a challenge in Decatur with the constant coaching ctl-alt-deletes in recent years, but if the Big Blue can turn its current group into a foundation, they will level up over the near term.  There were a higher-than-normal number of unforced errors on both sides this evening; North Central did a better job of adapting tonight in the second half, but a more experienced team would probably have been able to close out the Cardinals.

[lmitzel]

Updated standings through last night's games:

x-	Illinois Wesleyan	10-2
x-	Wheaton	9-3
x-	Elmhurst	9-4
x-	North Central	9-4
	Millikin	7-5
	Augustana	5-8
	North Park	3-9
	Carthage	2-10
	Carroll	2-11

Four of six spots are claimed. That Millikin-Illinois Wesleyan game on Wednesday is a fairly big one; Titans clinch a top four spot (and at worst, hosting a play-in game) with a win, while the Big Blue lock up a tournament spot if they can pull off the road upset.

And then North Central, with a win at North Park plus a Millikin loss at the Griz, would guarantee themselves a top four spot (and me getting to do another CCIW Tournament game) as well. The Jays aren't quite there because they still have one more with the Big Blue next week, and Wheaton has a loss to Millikin on its resume that muddy the waters a little bit.

[iwu70]

Glad to see the Titans protect home court last night, going to 10-2 in the league.  They play @Millikin Wednesday, needing that one for sure, then Saturday afternoon hosting Wheaton at The Shirk.  Lots of basketball still to be played . . . now a four game season fore the CCIW regular season crown.  Titans in a good place so far.

Thanks for the summary, Greg.  I was not at the game, was down in Decatur for the disappointment of the Titan women at the Griz.  A flip-side of the game here at The Shirk, the Big Blue doing to the Titans what we did to them earlier.  More about the game on the "appropriate page." 

The Griz is awful . . .that Boise State floor, bad facilities, and lousy smell.  If there is a masking and social distancing mandate by MU and the CCIW, you would never know it last night.  At least 75% of the crowd maskless, having no intention at all in following the mandate.  Seems there is no notion of compliance and, the dreaded word, enforcement.  I totally appreciate the way NPU handles it now, with vaccines required, and good monitoring as you enter the gym.  Thank you NPU and the City of Chicago.   Of course, I was unhappy with the loss at the Griz, but one does expect decent facilities and a safe public health environment.  Neither of those things were present at Millikin last night.  As a senior citizen and as someone with some underlying health conditions (though totally vaccinated and boosted), I felt unsafe.  More maskless and likely unvaccinated people there than at any other large-scale event I have attended during the entire pandemic.  I think Millikin really needs to re-assess its practices . . . and surely find a big donor to replace the Griz.  In its own ugly way, it sure is a "home court advantage."  The Titan men better be very ready to play tomorrow night down there. 

I'm looking forward to attending the upcoming games at The Shirk, where masking wearing is better and social distancing more easily possible. 

IWU'70

[USee]

Updated through last nights action:

IWU (10-2) +4 (@Mill; v Whea; v NCC; @Augie)
Wheaton (9-3) +4 (v Carth; @IWU; v NPU; v Mill)
Elmhurst (9-4) +3  (v Augie; v Mill; @Carth)
NCC (9-4) +2  (@NPU; v Carr; @IWU)
Millikin (7-5) +1  (v IWU; v NPU; @Elm; @Wheat)
Augie (5-8) -2 (@Elm; @Carth; v IWU)
NPU (3-9) -4 (v NCC; @Mill; @Wheat; @Carr)
Carthage (2-10) -3  (@Wheat; v Augie; v Carr; v Elm)
Carroll (2-11) -5  (@NCC; @Carth; v NPU)

[kiko]

Around the league this evening:

Elmhurst 99, Augustana 72 at Faganel
Illinois Wesleyan 51, Millikin 49 in Decatur
North Park 62, North Central 58 in the Crackerbox
Wheaton 87, Carthage 71 at King Arena

Carroll was idle.  Or perhaps they again departed to join the MWC. 

Saturday's games:
Augustana at Carthage
Carroll at North Central
North Park at Millikin
Wheaton at Illinois Wesleyan
Elmhurst is idle

Among the highlights from the NPU-NCC game was Gregory reading a commercial for State Farm, complete with tagline, then smoothly segueing into an Illinois Wesleyan score update.

[GoPerry]

Wheaton over Carthage 87-71.

The Thunder started slow but were pretty much in control the entire second half.

Adom with 27 pts, 6 rebs. Cruickshank 17 and 9.  Alioth 19 and 13.  When those three are doing that they're a tough team to beat.  Seeing Andrew Williams get back on the floor for his first action this season was a very welcome sight.  Whatever his injury it did not affect his hustle scoring 2 and grabbing 4 boards, 2 on the offense, in only 9 minutes of play.

Bulatovic with 24 pts and 7 rebs while Johnson added 15 pts and Cook 11.

[Gregory Sager]

Around the league this evening:

Elmhurst 99, Augustana 72 at Faganel
Illinois Wesleyan 51, Millikin 49 in Decatur
North Park 62, North Central 58 in the Crackerbox
Wheaton 87, Carthage 71 at King Arena

Carroll was idle.  Or perhaps they again departed to join the MWC. 

Saturday's games:
Augustana at Carthage
Carroll at North Central
North Park at Millikin
Wheaton at Illinois Wesleyan
Elmhurst is idle

Among the highlights from the NPU-NCC game was Gregory reading a commercial for State Farm, complete with tagline, then smoothly segueing into an Illinois Wesleyan score update.

I tell myself it's OK that North Park has Mark Mackey's State Farm agency as a sponsor, 'cause Mark went to Loras rather than Insurance U.

[Gregory Sager]

North Park 62
North Central 58

Michael Osborne: 24 pts, 7 rebs, 6:0 a:to
Jalen Boyd: 17 pts (7-7 FT), 9 rebs
Gabe Johnson: 6 rebs

Matt Helwig: 21 pts (4-7 trey), 11 rebs
Terrance Moncrief: 13 pts (4-4 trey)
Ethan Helwig: 6:3 a:to

As I said on the air tonight, so much of basketball is psychological. When a team near the bottom of the standings, whom you beat by 31 points just nine days ago, is hanging around with you late in the game, and you can't shake them in spite of the fact that you're shooting well over 50% from downtown, it's gotta get in your head. And it appeared that it definitely did get in the heads of the Cardinals late in the game.

With three and a half minutes to go and NCC up by three, Matt Helwig, the league's best free-throw shooter at 91% coming into the game and the author of a 5-5 performance at the line up to that point, ganked a pair of throws that would've put the Cards up by two possessions. A couple of minutes later, after a foul was called against him at the west end of the floor, Blaise Meredith walked down to the other end to within fifteen feet of his bench and started shouting at NCC's assistant coaches. So Todd Raridon took him out -- and then put him back in shortly thereafter, causing the Cardinals fans sitting behind the team bench to start yelling at Raridon for letting Meredith back in the game despite his insolent behavior. Then Helwig fouled out of the game with 1:23 left and NCC up by two. You could sense the gears grinding between the ears of the Cardinals. What in the world was happening? Isn't this the North Park team we crushed last week, the North Park team that everybody's been stomping in recent weeks?

Psychology. You hang around, you play really tough defense even though the other team is hitting every trey it tries while you can't make any yourself at the other end, you work the boards, you're opportunistic enough to pile up a bunch of fast-break points -- and you put yourselves in a position to win a game that nobody but yourselves really thought you had in you. Just great, great lunchpail basketball tonight by NPU, sparked by genuinely outstanding games by Michael Osborne and Jalen Boyd. And the win even came with an extra degree of difficulty, as Izaiah Sanders and Gabe Johnson fouled out well in advance of the Cardinals losing Helwig.

This doesn't make up for the crushing collapse of the past five weeks, but it's something. And it may not even end up being too little, too late, either -- Augie's only a half-game ahead of NPU in the fight for the sixth and final playoff spot.

[iwu70]

Must have been a real defensive tussle, low-scoring scrap on the blue/gray floor in that sweet smelling Griz tonight.  The Titans escaping with the road win 51-49.   A close call it would appear.  I thought it would be a very tough one, and so it appears.

For MU:
Hampton 13
Fisher 12 and 7
Bond 11

For IWU:

Leritz 21 and 9, 3 treys
Sroka 10
Yoder 7 with 8 rebounds

IWU now hosts Wheaton in a key game at The Shirk, that horrible venue, 4 p.m. Saturday, after the women's game at 2 p.m.   

I'm lighting a funeral candle tonight for the Big Blue . . .

Titans now with Wheaton at home, NCC at home and away at Augie to finish up the regular season.  14-2 is possible.  The big game is to protect home court vs. Wheaton this Saturday.

'70

[kiko]

Around the league this evening:

Elmhurst 99, Augustana 72 at Faganel
Illinois Wesleyan 51, Millikin 49 in Decatur
North Park 62, North Central 58 in the Crackerbox
Wheaton 87, Carthage 71 at King Arena

Carroll was idle.  Or perhaps they again departed to join the MWC. 

Saturday's games:
Augustana at Carthage
Carroll at North Central
North Park at Millikin
Wheaton at Illinois Wesleyan
Elmhurst is idle

Among the highlights from the NPU-NCC game was Gregory reading a commercial for State Farm, complete with tagline, then smoothly segueing into an Illinois Wesleyan score update.

I tell myself it's OK that North Park has Mark Mackey's State Farm agency as a sponsor, 'cause Mark went to Loras rather than Insurance U.

I just wonder if the mothership knows one of its agents has gone rogue.  It's akin to Charcoal Delights buying naming rights to King Arena.

[kiko]

North Park 62
North Central 58

Michael Osborne: 24 pts, 7 rebs, 6:0 a:to
Jalen Boyd: 17 pts (7-7 FT), 9 rebs
Gabe Johnson: 6 rebs

Matt Helwig: 21 pts (4-7 trey), 11 rebs
Terrance Moncrief: 13 pts (4-4 trey)
Ethan Helwig: 6:3 a:to

As I said on the air tonight, so much of basketball is psychological. When a team near the bottom of the standings, whom you beat by 31 points just nine days ago, is hanging around with you late in the game, and you can't shake them in spite of the fact that you're shooting well over 50% from downtown, it's gotta get in your head. And it appeared that it definitely did get in the heads of the Cardinals late in the game.

With three and a half minutes to go and NCC up by three, Matt Helwig, the league's best free-throw shooter at 91% coming into the game and the author of a 5-5 performance at the line up to that point, ganked a pair of throws that would've put the Cards up by two possessions. A couple of minutes later, after a foul was called against him at the west end of the floor, Blaise Meredith walked down to the other end to within fifteen feet of his bench and started shouting at NCC's assistant coaches. So Todd Raridon took him out -- and then put him back in shortly thereafter, causing the Cardinals fans sitting behind the team bench to start yelling at Raridon for letting Meredith back in the game despite his insolent behavior. Then Helwig fouled out of the game with 1:23 left and NCC up by two. You could sense the gears grinding between the ears of the Cardinals. What in the world was happening? Isn't this the North Park team we crushed last week, the North Park team that everybody's been stomping in recent weeks?

Psychology. You hang around, you play really tough defense even though the other team is hitting every trey it tries while you can't make any yourself at the other end, you work the boards, you're opportunistic enough to pile up a bunch of fast-break points -- and you put yourselves in a position to win a game that nobody but yourselves really thought you had in you. Just great, great lunchpail basketball tonight by NPU, sparked by genuinely outstanding games by Michael Osborne and Jalen Boyd. And the win even came with an extra degree of difficulty, as Izaiah Sanders and Gabe Johnson fouled out well in advance of the Cardinals losing Helwig.

This doesn't make up for the crushing collapse of the past five weeks, but it's something. And it may not even end up being too little, too late, either -- Augie's only a half-game ahead of NPU in the fight for the sixth and final playoff spot.

Two other notes from my POV:

North Park controlled the tempo throughout, which led to a much more plodding pace than what I suspect the Cardinals would prefer.  It was much more methodical than what we saw in the first meeting between these two teams.

North Central's interior passing was excellent (not surprising as this has typically been a hallmark of the Cardinals' offense since Todd Raridon pointed the moving van from Lincoln to Naperville), but the Cardinals missed an inordinate number of bunnies tonight in the second half.  Many were contested, but if you are shooting from three feet away, your percentage should be higher than what we saw.