MBB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[cardinalpride]

As I recall, NCC does not have any of those opponent W's in the Shirk

Understanding your optimism, the CCIW schedule does not favor NCC unless it can hold on in a 7 straight game road schedule including two non-conference games and Augie & Elmhurst drop one or two.  If NCC in the running come February, then the CCIW schedule much more favorable with 6 of 7 home games in the Hangar.  I think CCIW schedule, assuming all three teams equal,  favors Augie for a run at the two spot.

I think its a fair statement that Augie, Elmhurst, IWU and NCC are likely to be the top four finishers in the conference thus in the CCIW tournament.  It's a question as to where each falls out.

Of course, we'll find out if your prediction holds on Jan 4th  

First of all IWM, not only does NCC have a win at the Shirk, they did it during the Trost administration.  If I recall correctly NCC swept IWU during Benjy's first year 2001-02.  Look it up. 
Secondly,  The titans are not invincible.
Third, D3hoops nation will find out a lot about NCC on the 4th!

[albcard]

NCC's team didn't achieve much during the 2001-2002 season, but they DID sweep IWU. I think beating them at the SHIRK center was the highlight of that season. NCC delayed IWU's 100th win at the SHIRK.

We were down by 19 points during the second half and then somehow we managed to come back. Mike Kulbeda hit a 3 pointer to tie the game, we went to OT, manged to score 3 more points than IWU...and walked out of there as CHAMPIONS. We had just crushed a very good team in their own house. It felt GREAT! You should have been there to have seen the fan's faces. That was one of the best sports moments for me.

[Pat Coleman]

D3hoops nation will find out a lot about NCC on the 4th!

Hmm ... I read a post like this and I am reminded of Ferrum football fans. "You'll find out about Ferrum when we play Christopher Newport!" Indeed we did: Christopher Newport 44, Ferrum 7.

[cardinalpride]

NCC's team didn't achieve much during the 2001-2002 season, but they DID sweep IWU. I think beating them at the SHIRK center was the highlight of that season. NCC delayed IWU's 100th win at the SHIRK.

We were down by 19 points during the second half and then somehow we managed to come back. Mike Kulbeda hit a 3 pointer to tie the game, we went to OT, manged to score 3 more points than IWU...and walked out of there as CHAMPIONS. We had just crushed a very good team in their own house. It felt GREAT! You should have been there to have seen the fan's faces. That was one of the best sports moments for me.

Al B, Thanks for sharing that with us!  Al B do you believe in the upset this year?

[cardinalpride]

D3hoops nation will find out a lot about NCC on the 4th!

Hmm ... I read a post like this and I am reminded of Ferrum football fans. "You'll find out about Ferrum when we play Christopher Newport!" Indeed we did: Christopher Newport 44, Ferrum 7.

Pat, lucky for us this is not football and we're not playing Christopher Newport! 

[albcard]

Al B, Thanks for sharing that with us!  Al B do you believe in the upset this year?

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I think it will be very tough. I believe in the team, and I will be happy with a 1-13 CCIW record if that single win is at the SHIRK. At this point though, let's hope that we keep this good streak going and that we increase our level of play when conference starts. There are clearly some favorites this year, but anybody can win at any given night. I am a HUGE soccer fan (being European and all) and the reason why I enjoy CCIW Basketball (college basketball in general) so much, is the similar unpredictablilty of the games. I don't like to predict, I enjoy the results and the drama in the league, and I am REALLY HAPPY when NCC does well.

[Pat Coleman]

D3hoops nation will find out a lot about NCC on the 4th!

Hmm ... I read a post like this and I am reminded of Ferrum football fans. "You'll find out about Ferrum when we play Christopher Newport!" Indeed we did: Christopher Newport 44, Ferrum 7.

Pat, lucky for us this is not football and we're not playing Christopher Newport! 

Lucky? Hardly. Your football team had a far better chance of beating CNU than your men's basketball team has of winning in the Shirk Center.

[Pat Coleman]

... as long as IWU is the opponent, that is.

[cardinalpride]

D3hoops nation will find out a lot about NCC on the 4th!

Hmm ... I read a post like this and I am reminded of Ferrum football fans. "You'll find out about Ferrum when we play Christopher Newport!" Indeed we did: Christopher Newport 44, Ferrum 7.

Pat, lucky for us this is not football and we're not playing Christopher Newport! 

Lucky? Hardly. Your football team had a far better chance of beating CNU than your men's basketball team has of winning in the Shirk Center.

Another non believer.  I love it!

[maddog]

albcard "we went to OT, manged to score 3 more points than IWU...and walked out of there as CHAMPIONS. We had just crushed a very good team in their own house. It felt GREAT! You should have been there to have seen the fan's faces. "

I do remember that game and it was a nice win for NCC at the Shirk, they played well in the 2nd half. But I think to say that NCC "crushed a very good team in their own house." is a little off base, after all, it was a 3 point win in OT, not exactly a blowout.  That was Coach Trost first year at IWU and he and the team struggled to a 12-13 overall record and 6-8 in the CCIW, tied for 4th place. The Titans were hardly a " very good team " in 2001-2.

[robertgoulet]

being a North Central alum and fan.....it pains me to do this (i feel like my being a cubs, bears, and bulls fan is leaking into my college sports.....NOOOOO!)....but until conference play starts and North Central locks up a few wins i'm gonna be a skeptic (which is what pains me, mainly because i'm friends with a couple of guys on the team and i WANT to believe). i got my hopes up last year AND the year prior when North Central went undefeated heading into conference play and then didn't really make much of an impact in the conference.....so.....until that day.....i will just hope that this is the year that we can take that step.

With friends like you RG, who needs enemies!  Another NCC non believer.  Tell me RG, did you and CardinalAlum have any faith in the football program this year?

CP - for the record, i had faith in the cardinal football program this year. i had faith in the cardinal football program last year......i had faith because i saw a marked improvement in the play of the team as well as the records over the past 5 seasons (wins went from 3 in 2001, to 6 in '02, 7 in '03 and '04, and 9 in '05). i had faith because of the teams the cards were returning in 04 and 05. the fact is that, while they made the playoffs, they still didnt make the step up to conference champs....so they still haven't made the final step, as far as their conference goes (maybe next year?). do i see North Central making strides in men's basketball? yes i do. do i think that they are eventually going to be consistently at the top half of the conference and maybe return to their early 90's ways? sure i do. do i think it's this year? i dont know.....because even though i see them taking care of business in the non-conference schedule, as they have done in the recent past, they haven't handled their business in the CCIW in the last 4 seasons (4 conf. wins in 01/02 and 02/03, 5 in 03/04 and 04/05......all of which placed them in the bottom half of the conference). will it take them finishing in the top 4 for me to start believing consistently? yes. until that happens, i will be a skeptic. i dont understand how being skeptical of an alma mater/a few friends' teams puts me in the same class as so-called "enemies." as larry the cable guy would say, "that's like wiping before you poop, it dont make sense."

[robertgoulet]

i got my hopes up last year AND the year prior when North Central went undefeated heading into conference play and then didn't really make much of an impact in the conference.....so.....until that day.....i will just hope that this is the year that we can take that step.

For the record NCC didn't go undefeated heading into CCIW play last year or the year prior.  7-3 in 03' and 10-1 in 04'!  I guess Cardinal Pride starts and ends with me here on D3hoops.  RG have you been to any games this year?

cp - i apologize for now knowing the cardinals non-conference record the the past 2 years. my point was that they came into conference play with very strong records and high expectations from fans, like myself. like i said, i'm sure some of my pessimism comes from my being a cubs/bears/bulls fan. can you blame me?

also, no i haven't been able to make it to a game this year. it's harder for me since i moved out of naperville last year. my roommate and i were going to become members of the tip-off club this season.....but the investment wasnt gonna be worth it to us since we wouldnt make it to as many games as we would hope. i plan on getting to the game at elmhurst and maybe a couple more.....hopefully.

[albcard]

albcard "we went to OT, manged to score 3 more points than IWU...and walked out of there as CHAMPIONS. We had just crushed a very good team in their own house. It felt GREAT! You should have been there to have seen the fan's faces. "

I do remember that game and it was a nice win for NCC at the Shirk, they played well in the 2nd half. But I think to say that NCC "crushed a very good team in their own house." is a little off base, after all, it was a 3 point win in OT, not exactly a blowout.  That was Coach Trost first year at IWU and he and the team struggled to a 12-13 overall record and 6-8 in the CCIW, tied for 4th place. The Titans were hardly a " very good team " in 2001-2.

I think I just liked to say "crushed a good team"    I said "crushed" to emphasize the facy that NNC won the game, not that we won by 20 or 30, and I said "a very good team" referring to IWU in general, not the team for that particular year (which by the way had an All American player in  Luke Kasten).  That game didn't make much of a difference in both teams' record or final placement in the conference. It was just a GREAT moral victory for NCC that year.

[CardinalAlum]

D3hoops nation will find out a lot about NCC on the 4th!

Hmm ... I read a post like this and I am reminded of Ferrum football fans. "You'll find out about Ferrum when we play Christopher Newport!" Indeed we did: Christopher Newport 44, Ferrum 7.

Pat, lucky for us this is not football and we're not playing Christopher Newport! 

cp,
Still wondering about that negative karma of yours? 

[tjcummingsfan]

Well put CA,


I will be flat out amazed if anyone beats IWU at their place this season.  I imagine they'll drop 1 or 2 conference games, maybe at Elmhurst, and Augie or NCC (I'd bet Augie if they're healthy, because NCC's gym is less than intimidating).  But I don't see anyone in the conference having the talent, and heart to beat the #1 team in the country infront of the sea of Green that undoubtedly fills the gym.  CP, I think you're just being unrealistic.  Optimism is one thing, but I think you're just being naive.  As a NP fan I have come to learn the difference.  I was admittedly overly optimistic about this season.