MBB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[iwu70]

Congrats to the Titans.  Great win over the WIAC champion.  Congrats to Augie too for making it a great night for CCIW.  Let's keep it going and have a special CCIW match-up again in the round of 8.  

[maddog]

A very impressive night for the CCIW, congratulations to IWU and Augie on beating the WIAC schools. I think we'll be at Augie next weekend for the sectional. I beleive the they said te Lawrence gym only seats 1000 amd Augie goes over 2500. Huge game from Adam tonight for the Titans with good help from Keelan.

[dansand]

Wow! A totally different Augie team tonight. They got off to a slow start but they really set the tone by going at the big guy early on. He swatted a couple in the first three minutes, but didn't block another until knocking down a Jordan Delp runner late in the game.

Dain and Jay both went to the basket hard all night and it really paid off. In the first meeting Augie shot 30.4% inside the arc. Tonight it was 57.1% and, amazingly 81.8% in the second half. Overall they hit 71.4% in the second half including 60% from 3-point range. They also hit 21-of-23 free throws in the game.

Not only did they get another great effort from Delp (9 points, 1 TO and 2 steals in 31 minutes), but Dan Rukavina (4 boards) gave them nine big minutes against the Stout's big guys. Wessels gave it a go for a couple minutes in the first half, but was obviously off his game. Really just a great team effort. Harrigan looks like he's got the mojo back. Nate with a couple big 2nd half threes. Brusveen just keeps hitting big shot after big shot. He had 11 more off the bench tonight (3-5 on threes).

Defensively, I thought they did a good job being active in the passing lanes. Jay did a great job trapping on the perimeter and although Stout shot 53%, I think they made a lot of very tough shots against pretty good Viking defense. For Stout, Jake Nonemacher had a good game offensively and Terry Farmer was very impressive with his mid-range game.

Also, it sounds like a very impressive win for the Titans tonight. Sounds like their first half was similar to Augie's second. Congratulations and I guess we'll see both teams in Appleton (?) next weekend.

[iwu70]

Please please put the Sectional at Carver or The Shirk. 

[augievike93]

Please please put the Sectional at Carver or The Shirk. 

It gets announced tomorrow at some point.  Augie's AD said that they will put it up on their website as soon as they know.

[mab]

Lawrence has about as inappropriate a facility to host as it gets – old, small and no parking, but Illinois Wesleyan fans, remember a few years ago when your team and UW-Oshkosh had to travel to Randolph Macon?  That was a tiny gym as well, but the NCAA chose to have the #1 team in the country host rather than have it at the beautiful facilities at IW or UWO.  The fact that nearby Hampden-Sydney was also in that sectional helped with that decision.  This will be a tough call for the NCAA.  Lawrence deserves it based on ranking, but will they go for the bigger attendance and slightly less traveling?

[iwu70]

Mab, I remember that game at Randolph Macon.  I drove down from NYC.  The gym was only slightly better than my high school gym at Monticello High School.  Surely by seeding alone, Lawrence deserves to host, but let's please play in a facility that allows more fans to attend.  Hopefully, the other criteria about size and revenue will come into play this time.  Of course, I vote for The Shirk, though Carver will do for size of crowd too.  Puget or Oxy are flying in from the West.

[sac]

Last year the NCAA opted for the higher seed and sent John Carroll, Miss College and Calvin to Albion Michigan.

An old, small gym with no parking.

[augievike93]

Dansand,
  I think that you have been in the QC's for a while, did you recognize one of UW Stout's assitants.  At 7'2" Kipp Christiansen shouldn't have been difficult to miss.  I knew I recognized him from somewhere.  I checked out the Stout website and found out that he had played for the Quad City Thunder of the CBA back in 2001.

  Tonights game was really quite remarkable for the Vikes.  To give up the first 8 points of the game, to shoot something like 37%, and to have given up 10 turnovers by half -- and go into the locker room tied!  Wow.  Then when Augie opened up the second half with such a strong start I was quite encouraged.  I thought that the ref's were pretty consistant as far as calling things equally between the two teams, however I thought that they were much more liberal with play in the second half.  A much more physical game after the intermission.  I hope that next weekend will be at Carver, but I have a feeling that they will have a long cold trip up north to Appleton.  I won't be able to make that trip, but whoever does can make a stop at Lombardi's Steakhouse and see the trophy! 

[Stat]

Great news, came in late, and read the "updates"  from the start.

Two moving on!

[dansand]

Dansand,
  I think that you have been in the QC's for a while, did you recognize one of UW Stout's assitants.  At 7'2" Kipp Christiansen shouldn't have been difficult to miss.  I knew I recognized him from somewhere.  I checked out the Stout website and found out that he had played for the Quad City Thunder of the CBA back in 2001.
 

I saw the giant assistant coach, but I had no idea it was Kipp Christianson. Christianson only played 14 games (211 minutes) during the 2000-01 season, which was the Thunder's last year. I'm not sure, but I don't think I ever saw him play. If I'm not mistaken, I think he played at D3 St. John's (MN).

On a different subject, I'd be interested to get Q's take on how Augie matches up with Puget Sound. I know they press a lot and like to get up and down the court. Given that fact, maybe Wessels illness this weekend might end up being something of a blessing (assuming he's 100% by next weekend). They'll probably need to spread the minutes around amongst the point guards against the Loggers, so the court time that Delp saw last night and tonight could be very valuable.

[augievike93]

Dan,
  Yes you are correct that Christianson played for St. John's (MN).  I never saw him play either, but I sure reconized the face from the local sportscasts and the papers.  One thing is for sure, come tourney time you need everyone to step up, so to see that from Delp and Rukavina tonight is huge.  You never know when someone might get injured or get in foul trouble and you need extra people to come in and suck up some minutes while the starters are on the bench.

[iwu70]

Wheaton women to round of 16 too.  Keep it going ladies.

[Greek Tragedy]

Wow...what a performance by the Titans tonight.  They were in a zone and if they play like that the rest of the tourney, there is no reason why they won't lift the Walnut and Bronze.  Dauksas is a stud...great shooting tonight.

Whitewater misses 11 of 25 FTs.  Ouch.  Whitewater student section was horrible, resulting in name calling pretty much the whole 2nd half...pretty childish.  Oh well.

Good luck to the CCIW, since you guys knocked out the WIAC!   

[iwu70]

Keelan sets a single season record for 3s tonight.  (beating his own record). He's only 5 away from the all-time career record set by Koon.  Needs four more games!    Adam played the game of his career tonight.  Let's keep it going Titans.  Everyone contributes, everyone plays tough D.  Let's hope the games upcoming are at The Shirk.