MBB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[Pat Coleman]

Helwig is an AA for sure. Problem is there are a lot of great players in D3 this year and some, not saying MH is one, will end up on 2nd or 3rd team that are 1st team worthy. I would watch the all Region teams to get an idea who will likely end up on the D3  AA list. I would also think the Regional POY candidates will likely be the list from which the 1st team is chosen. Since there are 10 Regions that's a lot of POY's to consider. The good news is not all regions are created equal so it's fair to think  a few regions could get a disproportionate share of the awards.

Generally you have to get to HM before you start seeing players who don't have a case for first team.  It's absolutely the hardest thing we do all year.

This is really well put. There are five first-teamers from 420 teams in Division III basketball. It's not just an elite group, it's the elite of the elite.

[Gregory Sager]

Tom Slyder is out as North Park's head coach. The search is now underway to find the tenth head coach in Vikings men's basketball history.

I have mixed feelings. I will always be grateful to Tom for restoring NPU to the top of the league, however briefly, and for assembling a truly exciting team in the middle of the last decade that featured three of the most accomplished players in North Park history in Juwan Henry, Colin Lake, and Jordan Robinson. I can't begin to express how much fun it was, both as a broadcaster and as a diehard Vikings fan, to call the home games for that team!

On the other hand, there was a big lapse in recruiting for several years in the middle of Tom's tenure that not only prevented NPU from sustaining the success he'd developed, but which actually relegated the program back to the bottom of the CCIW pile for multiple seasons -- a situation from which the program still hasn't entirely managed to dig its way out yet.

Tom's a good guy and an excellent X's and O's coach. He'll move on to another coaching job, and I wish him nothing but success in that and his other future endeavors.

[GoPerry]

Seems to me that Elmhurst and IWU have relatively favorable draws, pods, for the first weekend.  Wheaton a tougher road at Wash U.  IWU has been there, done that, many times in the past!   Let's hope all three teams play well and get to the Sweet 16.  Good luck to all the CCIW teams this weekend.

'70

I think Elmhurst has a favorable draw especially being at home.  IWU is home also but that potential 2nd round game vs UW- LaCrosse looms large.  Matt Snyder and Massey both rank UW-LaCrosse higher.   If the Titans get out of the pod they'll have earned it for sure.

Wheaton, besides being on the road, has a very tough draw.  If they can survive Hope on the neutral court, then they'll face a probable Wash U match with Jack Nolan back and seemingly healthy.  In many games this season, if Adom was a little off Cruickshank made up the slack and vice versa.  They picked each other up.  Adom, Cruickshank, or Alioth can't have any off nights if Wheaton is to advance.  I also believe losing Spencer Peterson to his NFL workouts is pretty significant.  Without that big body coming off the bench Alioth is under a lot of pressure to not get in foul trouble.

[Next Man Up]

Seems to me that Elmhurst and IWU have relatively favorable draws, pods, for the first weekend.  Wheaton a tougher road at Wash U.  IWU has been there, done that, many times in the past!   Let's hope all three teams play well and get to the Sweet 16.  Good luck to all the CCIW teams this weekend.

'70

I think Elmhurst has a favorable draw especially being at home.  IWU is home also but that potential 2nd round game vs UW- LaCrosse looms large.  Matt Snyder and Massey both rank UW-LaCrosse higher.   If the Titans get out of the pod they'll have earned it for sure.

Wheaton, besides being on the road, has a very tough draw.  If they can survive Hope on the neutral court, then they'll face a probable Wash U match with Jack Nolan back and seemingly healthy.  In many games this season, if Adom was a little off Cruickshank made up the slack and vice versa.  They picked each other up.  Adom, Cruickshank, or Alioth can't have any off nights if Wheaton is to advance.  I also believe losing Spencer Peterson to his NFL workouts is pretty significant.  Without that big body coming off the bench Alioth is under a lot of pressure to not get in foul trouble.

It just feels like Elmhurst is hot right now. I think they will win their pod.
IWU will not have much trouble in winning their first two at home.
And Wheaton will beat Hope, and have a 51%-49% chance vs WashU. 

[WUPHF]

Wheaton, besides being on the road, has a very tough draw.  If they can survive Hope on the neutral court, then they'll face a probable Wash U match with Jack Nolan back and seemingly healthy.  In many games this season, if Adom was a little off Cruickshank made up the slack and vice versa.  They picked each other up.  Adom, Cruickshank, or Alioth can't have any off nights if Wheaton is to advance.  I also believe losing Spencer Peterson to his NFL workouts is pretty significant.  Without that big body coming off the bench Alioth is under a lot of pressure to not get in foul trouble.

Nolan is playing through the injury more or less.  He is not shooting or handling the ball as well as he did prior to the injury, but still, it is great to have him back.  The Bears had been struggling, but looked very good in the last two games against a Chicago team that had been surging.  Have to get by Cornell first.

[iwu70]

Good luck to Wheaton, Elmhurst and IWU tomorrow as the D3 Dance begins!

Make the CCIW proud.  Would love to see all three teams make the Sweet Sixteen!  Make further noise in the tournament.

'70

[Next Man Up]

Two years at Carroll has apparently been enough for 5'11" soph guard Ryan Mendoza who is transferring to Buena Vista of the ARC.
Mendoza averaged 21.0 minutes a game, and played in 22 of 25 games with 9 starts. He averaged 9.6 PPG on .397 shooting overall, including .435 from three, and .896 from the line.

[Gregory Sager]

Wheaton 71
Hope 69

The Sonic Atmospheric Disturbance stormed back from an eight-point deficit late in the game to win it on a pair of Cade Alioth FTs with three seconds left.

Instant classic.

[GoPerry]

Hope 69
Wheaton 71

What an unbelievable game and why you love this time of the year.

Fantastic game played by Hope.  Both Thomas and Dykhouse were unstoppable driving the lane and getting the entire Wheaton squad in foul trouble.  They will return next year and be a ton for any Dutch opponent to handle.

It was an Adom and Cruickshank show again.  Adom had a terrific first half and good overall.  Cruickshank had another tough shooting night from outside.  But he made up for it by breaking down the defense and driving the lane aggressively.  Alioth had a tougher night scoring but grabbed a ton of boards again.

Survive and advance.

[Next Man Up]

Wheaton 71
Hope 69

The Sonic Atmospheric Disturbance stormed back from an eight-point deficit late in the game to win it on a pair of Cade Alioth FTs with three seconds left.

Instant classic.

Alioth was where he needed to be when he needed to be there. Rebound. FTs.

[crusader_nation]

Hope 69
Wheaton 71

What an unbelievable game and why you love this time of the year.

Fantastic game played by Hope.  Both Thomas and Dykhouse were unstoppable driving the lane and getting the entire Wheaton squad in foul trouble.  They will return next year and be a ton for any Dutch opponent to handle.

It was an Adom and Cruickshank show again.  Adom had a terrific first half and good overall.  Cruickshank had another tough shooting night from outside.  But he made up for it by breaking down the defense and driving the lane aggressively.  Alioth had a tougher night scoring but grabbed a ton of boards again.

Survive and advance.

Credit to Tyson for putting the team on his back down the stretch when points were hard to come by. He attacked the basket and manufactured points. And then Adom and Alioth both came up big in the clutch hitting free throws.

A tremendous effort by Wheaton's stars that was needed against a tough Hope team.

[Gregory Sager]

Washington & Jefferson got a taste of what the CCIW is all about, as Elmhurst impeached the Presidents, 95-70, at Faganel this evening. Ocean Johnson had 22, Wesley Hooker had 20 and a 6:0 floor game, Lavon Thomas had 15 and 8, Dom "the Consigliere" Genco contribued 10 and a 4:0 a:to ratio, and Jake Rhode was content to play decoy, dishing out a 7:2 floor game and picking up three steals. Jonathan Zapinski and Bryce Drews had 8 and 7 boards, respectively.

Elmhurst will host Pomona-Pitzer tomorrow night. The SCIAC has never defeated the CCIW in a D3 tourney game, and I wouldn't count on that trend being reversed tomorrow night.

[Gregory Sager]

Illinois Wesleyan had no problem with overmatched Franklin, downing the Grizzlies, 73-55, at Shirk. Matt Leritz had 14 and 11, Cory Noe matched Leritz's 14, Cody Mitchell contributed 12 and 11, and Ryan Sroka added 10. The Titans will host UW-LaCrosse tomorrow night; UWL nipped Heidelberg earlier this evening in a high-scoring nailbiter.

[Gregory Sager]

Wheaton's opponent on Saturday, to no one's surprise, will be pod host Washington (MO), as the Bears took down Cornell tonight by a baker's dozen in the Wash U Field House.

[iwu70]

Titans looked good in tonight's easy win over Franklin.  Very good half-court defense, good rebounding.  By 6-8 minutes into the second half, IWU was up by twenty and cruised from there. . . 

UWLx will be another matter.  They play tough defense, have offensive sets like Wash U . . . a great match-up with IWU.  It will be a very tough, close game, IMHO. 

Great crowd, Titan band, lots of noise, great student section at The Shirk tonight -- a wonderful atmosphere for national tournament round one.  I hoping for even more tomorrow night -- 6:45 p.m.

One down, five to go.

IWU'70