MBB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[Titan Q]

I have IWU hosting either Maryville (Mo) or Wash U Thursday before heading to #1 Lawrence Saturday.

[Auball1]

This weekend, as I have worked my way through my list a "honey-dos" that have been neglected for months, I could not help but think that IWU might not make the NCAA tournament.  And I couldn't help but wonder why.  And why this year, after such an excellent pre-conference schedule, did the Titans struggle so much during the conference season.

When teams with such high expectations struggle, it is human nature to play the "Blame Game".  And while it is easy to point the finger at the coach, the entire blame for this season does not belong to Scott Trost.

Could he have called different plays at different times?  Yes.  Could he have substituted differently?  Yes.  However, Coach Trost is not the one on the floor trying to stop a particular player.  Coach Trost can not make his players make shots (even wide open ones).  

I am in no way saying that the players are to bare the blame.  It simply did not click for the Titans this year.  This happens sometimes.  Actually, together Coach Trost, his staff and the players did one heck of a job keeping everything together.  There were times when this season could have quickly turned disastrous.

If the Titans do not accomplish all that was expected this year, let's not burn Scott Trost in effigy.  Scott is a tremendous recruiter and, if "the fates" allow, will one day be considered one of the best, not only at IWU, but also in all of Division III.  

Two cents from a former Titan.

[augiefan]

Titan, who does your crystal ball have NCC and Augie playing the 1st weekend?

[Gregory Sager]

 No one outside the NCC faithful thought they could win the conference tournament.  They won it!

Not true. I have to give props to Brett Mathisen here. NPU's men's team went to King Arena on Friday evening to cheer on their female Vikings counterparts in the CCIW women's tournament, and I told Brett at that game that I felt sure Illinois Wesleyan would win the men's tournament. He disagreed. He said, "I think North Central's going to win it, and you can quote me on that on CCIW Chat."

Well, I didn't get around to posting it until after the fact, but Brett did indeed call it right. And he has witnesses.  

I know Coach G from Augie will win coach of the year, but if you all had a vote who would you vote for?  You all know where mine would go.  N C C!  N C C!  N C C!

1. Grey Giovanine
2. Bill Harris
3. Todd Raridon

And it's not that close, either. Raridon and North Central have had a great season, and deserve to be congratulated for winning the inaugural CCIW tourney. As you said last night, it's quite a feat for the Cards to have beaten Augustana, Elmhurst, and Illinois Wesleyan all within the space of eight days. But the COTY award rightly belongs to Grey Giovanine, because Augie's winning the conference title was too resounding an achievement to deny him otherwise.

[Titan Q]

Augiefan, I have Augustana hosting a 4-teamer Fri/Sat - I feel confident of that.  I haven't quite worked out the field though.  Maybe...

Augie vs Maryville (Mo)
Buena Vista vs Carleton


I see NCC heading east towards Hope.

[titanfan]

Good news so far for the Titans.  Mississippi College is blowing out Howard Payne in the first half.  I think they're up 15, though the radio stream is terrible, so I'm having trouble getting exact scores.

[cardinalpride]

 No one outside the NCC faithful thought they could win the conference tournament.  They won it!

Not true. I have to give props to Brett Mathisen here. NPU's men's team went to King Arena on Friday evening to cheer on their female Vikings counterparts in the CCIW women's tournament, and I told Brett at that game that I felt sure Illinois Wesleyan would win the men's tournament. He disagreed. He said, "I think North Central's going to win it, and you can quote me on that on CCIW Chat."

Well, I didn't get around to posting it until after the fact, but Brett did indeed call it right. And he has witnesses.  

I know Coach G from Augie will win coach of the year, but if you all had a vote who would you vote for?  You all know where mine would go.  N C C!  N C C!  N C C!

1. Grey Giovanine
2. Bill Harris
3. Todd Raridon

And it's not that close, either. Raridon and North Central have had a great season, and deserve to be congratulated for winning the inaugural CCIW tourney. As you said last night, it's quite a feat for the Cards to have beaten Augustana, Elmhurst, and Illinois Wesleyan all within the space of eight days. But the COTY award rightly belongs to Grey Giovanine, because Augie's winning the conference title was too resounding an achievement to deny him otherwise.

Well, I stand corrected.  Big props to Brett Mathisen from me also.  I certainly hope he will get some all conference consideration.  Now, I would agree Coach G deserves COTY, but we differ on Coach Harris being 2nd over Coach Raridon.  Bill Harris did a fine job with Wheaton this year.  However, NCC lost 4 games this year by a grand total of 13pts.  All four of those games NCC had a chance to win down the stretch with the final possesion to either tie or take the lead.  The Carthage loss is the only exception.  I know at this point it doesn't really matter.

[titanfan]

Howard Payne has cut it to 10 with 8:46 to go. 

MC 54
HP 44

Howard Payne has the ball.

[dansand]

Augiefan, I have Augustana hosting a 4-teamer Fri/Sat - I feel confident of that.  I haven't quite worked out the field though.  Maybe...

Augie vs Maryville (Mo)
Buena Vista vs Carleton


I see NCC heading east towards Hope.

Q,

I threw a bracket together today (I don't really know what I'm doing) using Pat's Pool C picks from the daily dose. I also have IWU matching up with Lawrence in the second round and have Augie hosting BV first then Carleton/UW-LaCrosse if they win. I have NCC matched up with Calvin in a different region. I'm basically throwing darts here, but that's what I ended up with.

[titanfan]

68-55 with 2:30 to play.  MC is in command.   Go Choctaws!

[titanfan]

Mississippi College wins 74-58.

This is big news for Titan fans; their Pool C chances are improved.  I sure hope 3 CCIW teams get in, and they get sent to different brackets.

[cciwrules]

Mississippi College wins 74-58.

This is big news for Titan fans; their Pool C chances are improved.  I sure hope 3 CCIW teams get in, and they get sent to different brackets.

It would be ridiculous if 3 CCIW teams didnt make the tourney,no one can tell me the CCIW doesnt have 3 of the best 59 teams in division 3 basketball

[Brick]

i haven't been able to post since the Augie vs IWU game on friday night, but I am shocked at how rude and nasty the IWU students were at the game.  I know several Elmhurst parents came up and told me that they thought the IWU students lacked quite a bit of class as well... They came in and shoved the elmhurst students out of their seats, and then proceeded to try and start fights with the Augie students all night.,...CLASSLESS

[Titan Q]

Pat's bracket...

http://www.d3hoops.com/salem/06/projected.htm

He has IWU hosting Wash U Thursday, with winner to Lawrence.  And he has Augie vs Maryville (Mo) playing the winner of UW-Whitewater/Carleton (all at Augie).  And North Central at a Hope regional playing Carroll, with winner facing Hope/Wisc Lutheran winner.

[Gregory Sager]

It would be ridiculous if 3 CCIW teams didnt make the tourney,no one can tell me the CCIW doesnt have 3 of the best 59 teams in division 3 basketball

As anyone who has followed the D3 tourney for awhile would tell you, cciwrules, getting the best 59 teams into the tourney is irrelevant. Participation (i.e., giving every qualified conference a chance to be represented) trumps on-court competence. It's really no different in D1, where all of the lower-tier conferences get to send their Coastal Carolinas, their Ionas, and their Arkansas-Little Rocks to the dance every year while some middle-of-the-pack team from a power conference such as the Big East, ACC, or Big Ten that's undoubtedly better than the rep from the Big Nothing Conference is forced to go to the NIT instead. It's just that the scenario is a bit more exaggerated in the D3 tourney, because there's fewer at-large slots in our dance.