MBB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[Gregory Sager]

C'mon, Greg.  How can you resist posting on a night where Millikin's at the top of the standings, and a couple of nationally ranked teams are (temporarily) at the bottom?  This opportunity will not last.

Pete, twenty minutes ago I clicked onto this website for the first time in 2 1/2 weeks. I have not been lurking. I have been completely absent. After I posted my brief but anguished jeremiad in the wake of NPU's disaster against Westmo I left this site and did not return to read any responses to it. I knew that I was going to take an extended sabbatical -- not just from D3hoops.com but from the NPU program and basketball entirely. It was the right thing to do. I enjoyed the holidays, lowered my stress level considerably (although the performance to date of the Cubs in the hot stove league didn't help matters  ), and came back to the crackerbox tonight for the first time since the December 17 debacle with a much better attitude and perspective.

I have no comments to make at the moment about Millikin's upset of Elmhurst or North Central's upset of IW. I've been out of touch for awhile, and I'd just like to digest it all for a bit.

It looks as though my timing was impeccable. Since CCIW Chat's prodigal daughter has returned, how could I continue to stay away as well? 

[Mr. Ypsi]

Greg,

Welcome Back!

If you've been reading during your absence (as I suspect you have), you are well aware that you've been missed.

[Well, OK, it looks like you were NOT even reading.]

Once you digest, IMO Millikin over Elmhurst was actually a BIGGER upset than NCC over IWU - comments??

[Gregory Sager]

Greg,

Welcome Back!

If you've been reading during your absence (as I suspect you have), you are well aware that you've been missed.

As I said, Chuck, I haven't been lurking. I've been away completely, and I have yet to go back and read anything that had been posted before this evening. But thanks for the sentiment. It's much appreciated. I badly needed the time away, but it's good to be back among friends.

[Mr. Ypsi]

Greg, I seem to have edited my post at the same time you did your last!

Prior to tonight, I would have placed NCC 4th, Elmhurst 2nd or 3rd (probably 3rd), and Millikin 6th or 7th.  Therefore, Millikin's win was AT LEAST as surprising to me as IWU's loss.  Comments?

[dirtyboy]

I truly believe that NC is just as balanced as IWU, as seen tonight. This game was not an upset, the better team won.  NC, in my mind, has one of the best big men in the country in Simmons.  He's the real deal.  No upset here, just two great teams playing their hearts out, and NC prevailed.  IWU has to play Carthage in Kenosha and that will not be a piece of cake, regardless of Carthages' 4-7 record.  Remember, they have played the third toughest schedule in D3 ball, and could easily have been 10-1 or 9-2.  Saturday will come down to them finishing off the game, something they are not doing enough of.  IWU will be VERY VERY tough to beat, though.  They'll be hungry after losing at home.  It'll be a good one, also.

[Gregory Sager]

Chuck, the funny thing is that I haven't seen the Cardinals yet this season. I usually see them at least once or twice prior to New Year's Day. It just didn't work out for me in terms of the schedule this season. On the other hand, I've seen Elmhurst play so many times now that I've got the rotating ads on the facing of the Faganel Hall scorer's table memorized.

I'm tempted to agree with you that Millikin upsetting Elmhurst at Faganel is as big of a surprise as North Central upsetting Wesleyan at Shirk. But I'll hold off on drawing that conclusion for two reasons: 1) I know next to nothing about this year's Millikin team, except that they're very young; and 2) while I have the utmost respect for Elmhurst's 2005-06 talent level, I've seen more than enough Bluejays basketball this year to convince me that they are much too inconsistent. They go into extended stretches in which nothing works on offense (especially when Martin's out of the game), and they show a tendency for mental lapses on the defensive end that're very uncharacteristic of Mark Scherer teams. It's the sort of inconsistency that you shouldn't see in a team as senior-dominated as Elmhurst, and barring some sort of drastic wake-up call (which this home loss to Jimmy Millikin may very well prove to be) I just don't see the 'jays finishing any better than third. Maybe even fourth.

Given all that, I've still gotta go with North Central beating Wesleyan being the bigger surprise of the night. Sorry, Dirtyboy, but it was an upset. Illinois Wesleyan was 10-0, the near-unanimous #1 team in the nation dating back to preseason, the unanimous pick to win the CCIW among the league's seven other coaches besides Trost, and was clearly the favorite entering tonight's game in Bloomington -- just as they will be the favorite in every CCIW game that they play this season (although narrowly so when they visit Rock Island and Elmhurst). Congrats are certainly due the Cards on a huge win, but don't lose perspective -- I very strongly doubt that the Cardinals are better than, or just as balanced as, Wesleyan. This was an upset. A great team lost at home, and that's just something that happens from time to time. North Central? As I said, I haven't seen them since last season (although they're playing essentially the same cast of characters as the 2004-05 squad). But while I acknowledge that, and give them due respect for a red-letter win tonight, I need to be further convinced that the Cards are in the "great team" category as well rather than the "very good team" one.

I think it'd behoove us all to heed Rob Berki's words about Todd Raridon. Give him the time and the administrative support, and he can duplicate what Bill Warden did with the Cardinals program in the eighties.

[cardinalpride]

Here is the boxscore of the IWU/NCC game...

http://www.iwu.edu/~iwunews/sports/mbb2006/miwu11.htm

North Central just outplayed IWU in every facet this evening.  After IWU jumped out to a 24-14 lead at the 11:05 mark of the 1st half, it was all Cardinals the rest of the way.  NCC finished the 1st on a 20-6 run and opened the 2nd with a 12-4 run.  They had control of this game the final 29 minutes.

I did not see this as a case of IWU being flat or getting out-hustled...I just saw two very even teams with one of them executing better on both ends of the floor.  And one team that had a player who couldn't be stopped -- Anthony Simmons was just a ton.  29 points and 10 rebounds.  I do not think Illinois Wesleyan played well tonight - don't get me wrong - but I think the reason they played poorly had everything to do with North Central.

As I posted yesterday, on paper it looked like there were a lot of reasons to take (then) 9-0 North Central seriously.  I got accused of playing "Lou Holtz" when I made those statements.  I think NCC probably has everyones' attention now.  This is a very balanced team - great post player in Simmons who can also step out and make the 3, solid guards, a really good slasher in Dan Walton, and some good role players.

NCC is talented enough and well-coached enough to win the CCIW title this season.

TQ, thanks for giving an objective opinion on tonights game!  Statistically, the teams looked pretty even coming into tonights game.  Because of the differences in schedules, that factor was overlooked by many.   I also believe, in watching the game, the difference between the two teams a year ago outside of the talent level was IWU's size, strength, and depth inside.  That was not the case this year.  NCC looked stronger and in better shape than a year ago!  NCC only played 6 players 20+ minutes and 7 players total against a 10 man rotation from IWU.  That was very impressive especially due to the pace of the game.  NCC did not try to slow the game down at all.  They pushed the ball right back at IWU.  As a matter of fact, IWU appeared to try and slow Adam Teising down by picking him up 3/4-full court.  Also, that may have been because they were behind.  Another difference in the game was NCC featured the most dominate player on the floor tonight.  Simmons was awesome!  IWU didn't have an answer for him and believe me many defenders took their turn guarding him.  Posting a double/double of 29 & 10, he scored from everywhere on the court(inside, mid-range, and beyond the arc).  There's no telling what he could have done if not plagued by foul trouble in the first half.  He scored 22 of the 40pts NCC got in the 2nd half.  Simply magnificent!  Nevertheless, the stats on this game were basically even across the board with the exception of NCC's inability to make free throws consistently.  If NCC makes their fT's they could have walked out of the Shirk with a 10-12 pt victory. 

Final thoughts, The last team to beat NCC was IWU at NCC last season.  Final score 73-70.  NCC believed they could play with the Titans after that game.  They used that same confidence and momentum to beat them tonight.  All in all, this win proves to the entire D3 nation that NCC can compete with any team anywhere this year.  Now, they can't follow this effort up by going to Aurora and tanking it. 

Great win for the Cards!  Just hold it together this year!!  To all you non believers, I love to say "I told you so".  So, "I told you so."   

[Gregory Sager]

All in all, this win proves to the entire D3 nation that NCC can compete with any team anywhere this year.

Good point, Cardinalpride, and I should amend my earlier statement about Wesleyan being narrow favorites only when they play in Rock Island and Elmhurst to include Naperville as well. I still think that Wesleyan will most likely win that rematch in the airplane hangar on February 1, and I'm not quite ready to clamor for North Central to vault into the national Top Ten just yet -- although I'm as curious as anyone to see where Pat & Co. put the Cards next week, seeing as how they're currently unranked with five teams ahead of them in the Others Receiving Votes category -- but I'm with you on the idea that North Central can compete with anyone. They certainly proved that tonight.

[cardinalpride]

All in all, this win proves to the entire D3 nation that NCC can compete with any team anywhere this year.

Good point, Cardinalpride, and I should amend my earlier statement about Wesleyan being narrow favorites only when they play in Rock Island and Elmhurst to include Naperville as well. I still think that Wesleyan will most likely win that rematch in the airplane hangar on February 1, and I'm not quite ready to clamor for North Central to vault into the national Top Ten just yet -- although I'm as curious as anyone to see where Pat & Co. put the Cards next week, seeing as how they're currently unranked with five teams ahead of them in the Others Receiving Votes category -- but I'm with you on the idea that North Central can compete with anyone. They certainly proved that tonight.

Greg, good to have you back!    You're right!  Make no mistake about it.  IWU is still the favorite to win the league.  They're the 3 time defending champs.  They also have the most experienced players.  What we have to keep in mind is NCC really needed to win this game for a confidence booster.  They're on the road for the entire month of January.  By winning at the Shirk, they should have enough confidence to win at anyplace in the CCIW.  I look forward to watching this team play the rest of the season.  Bringing back memories of the good ole days of NCC BB!

[dansand]

Yawn...What an uneventful evening.

USC goes down...IWU & Elmhurst go down at home...and
SAGER's BACK!

Welcome back Greg & congats to NCC.

kudos to NCC!

VERY early prediction - IWU by 20+ in Naperville!  Payback is hell!

Augie and Elmhurst should be concerned - they may be playing for third!

Yspi,
Given the Cardinals performance, you might not need that wink.

[Gregory Sager]

Thanks, Dan. Good to be back.

I've just been perusing CCIW Chat's back pages in an attempt to get caught up, and I was reminded again that Cardinalpride declared all the way back on December 15 that his Crimson Avians would pull off the upset over Wesleyan on the Titans' home floor on January 4. Not only that, he reiterated this bold declaration on December 29, and basically spent the rest of the holidays defending himself in this room against scoffers left and right -- including a couple of his fellow Cardinals fans and our Grand Panjandrum himself, Pat Coleman.

(Not only that, but as a special bonus prediction he added that he was sure Texas would beat the University of Spoiled Children in the Rose Bowl.)

Cardinalpride deserves a huge round of applause from everyone who posts in this room, and I mean that sincerely. His Cards @ Titans prediction three weeks ago was positively Namath-like in terms of both audacity and accuracy. I tip my cap to you, sir!

[Titan Q]

Here is the Pantagraph's article...

http://www.pantagraph.com/articles/2006/01/05/sports/102900.txt

Regarding Todd Raridon's quote that, ""Everybody has knocked our schedule a little bit...," yes, absolutely that is in reference to comments on CCIW Chat.  I doubt anyone roaming the Cardinal athletic offices in Naperville is making those comments around Coach Raridon.  I read comments from coaches like that quite often, actually.  "Everybody says........" -- "everybody" is usually a CCIW Chat poster or two.

[Titan Q]

This IWU nucleus is in its 3rd season of playing together.  Their CCIW record is now 24-5.

Adam Dauksas has been a starter for 4 years.  His conference record is 35-8.

As a Titan fan I feel pretty good about this group of guys picking themselves off the mat.

[CardinalAlum]

cp,

Kudos to you on your prediction!!  What an exciting win for the Cardinals.  I hope this is a springboard for the program to get back to a prominent position in the conference.

[Stat]

Karma: -38
Posts: 229



   Re: CCIW Chat
« Reply #1845 on: Yesterday at 10:18:37 AM » 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In response to a bunch of earlier posts..........

Cardinal Fans,

You will not win at IWU tonight.  Yes, you are undefeated.  Yes, you have good, experience players.  You have not been tested by your cupcake schedule.  It will be a rude awakening again (happened last year) for NC, too bad it starts at the Shirk.          Well, the rudeness continues at Normal.