MBB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[dansand]

And for all these years I thought it was just so ABBA could win the Eurovision Song Contest, the start of their infamous career.
http://www.eurovision.tv/english/611.htm (see 1974)

Like every Parker who has spent an inordinate amount of time with Swedes, ABBA is a guilty pleasure of mine. But the song's premise is faulty; Napoleon didn't surrender at Waterloo. He surrendered almost a month later, on board the British warship HMS Bellerophon anchored in the harbor at Rochefort -- hundreds of miles from Waterloo.

I don't know Greg, you know a little too much about that battle...kind of scary...

Hey, what can I say? I read a book about something, and most of it sticks with me.

I'm sure they would have called the song "Bellerophon" if they could have thought of anything to rhyme with it.

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

The major downfall of Waterpolo? Why, that would either be the Marquis de Grouchy's refusal to disengage his III and IV Corps from their skirmish with Von Thielmann's Prussian III Corps and to thereby heed his subordinate Count Gerard's entreaties to "march towards the sound of the guns" in support of Napoleon, or Napoleon's lazy refusal to issue timely orders to de Grouchy to do exactly that.

Or it could be that the Duke of Wellington's time-tested tactic of employing a reverse slope defense, which he used for the Anglo-Allied right and center on the ridge of Mont Ste. Jean -- coupled with the rain-soaked terrain that impeded the French artillery -- once again bested arrogant French generals such as Ney and Soult who had failed to learn from all the whippings that the Duke had doled out to them in previous years on various battlefields in Spain and Portugal.

And that's why Napoleon met his major downfall at Waterpolo.

Or you could go back a few hours earlier to the dumb luck that the aimlessly wandering Prussian army just happened upon French troops, thereby giving away the position and forcing Napoleon into battle on less than ideal terrain.

[markerickson]

I don't recall Lenoir being a force for Evanston, though my attendance at E-Town home games, despite the high school being within walking distance of my home, were quite limited.  I do recall 6'4" senior Stacey Moragne shooting from the perimeter with success.  Stacey recently completed a stellar career at D2 UM-Lowell (AA 2x).  During Stacey's senior year, E-Town also suited Gordon Watt in a varsity uniform, I believe.  Watt earned a scholarship to Boston College, but he purportedly transferred to Purdue.  Lenoir could have been a junior at the time.

Regardless, NP will have a plethora of kids at least 6'5" in the upcoming campaign.  Chemistry, sharing time, and guard play will be critical...keys for any successful squad.

Hope springs eternal!       

[Gregory Sager]

Or you could go back a few hours earlier to the dumb luck that the aimlessly wandering Prussian army just happened upon French troops, thereby giving away the position and forcing Napoleon into battle on less than ideal terrain.

That's actually a popular myth about the battle. Napoleon, Bluecher, and the Duke of Wellington all sought an engagement that day, for their own reasons. Napoleon wanted to hit the Prussians and then the Anglo-Allied army before they joined forces, pushing each enemy army backwards (and thus away from each other) along their supply lines. Bluecher wanted to fight as well, and rather than leading an "aimlessly wandering Prussian army" that "just happened upon French troops", he led a strongly reconnoitering and deliberately moving Prussian army that had already been engaged in battle with the French for two days prior to Waterloo (at the Battle of Ligny). His problem wasn't that he led an aimless army that had no idea where the French were; it was that he led an army that was spread out across almost 400 square miles of Belgian mud. And the Duke of Wellington scouted out his eventual defensive position on Mont Ste. Jean two days beforehand and put a very well-planned line into place by the eve of battle.

Nobody blundered into anybody at Waterloo. It was more a case of who could move more men more quickly into the right place at the right time under less-than-ideal transport conditions.

I don't recall Lenoir being a force for Evanston, though my attendance at E-Town home games, despite the high school being within walking distance of my home, were quite limited.  I do recall 6'4" senior Stacey Moragne shooting from the perimeter with success.  Stacey recently completed a stellar career at D2 UM-Lowell (AA 2x).  During Stacey's senior year, E-Town also suited Gordon Watt in a varsity uniform, I believe.  Watt earned a scholarship to Boston College, but he purportedly transferred to Purdue.  Lenoir could have been a junior at the time.

You may not have been following the Wildkits as closely at the time, Mark. Anthony Lenoir is older than both Stacey Moragne and Gordon Watt. Lenoir graduated from Evanston in 2001, a year earlier than Moragne and three years before Watt. Also, as I said a few days ago Lenoir was two or three inches shorter and a lot skinnier at Evanston than he will be as a senior at NPU, so you may not recognize him when you see him this winter at Vikings games.

[Gregory Sager]

I don't think that anyone's mentioned Millikin's schedule yet, but at least April and David will be happy to note that the Big Blue are taking their snowbird trip to SoCal this year. Tim Littrell's crew plays LaVerne at the home of the Leopards on Friday, December 29, and on the afternoon of New Year's Eve the Decaturites play West Coast Baptist in Lancaster, CA.

I also see that the most pointless home-and-away series in CCIW men's basketball, the annual shellacking contest featuring Millikin and Indiana-Northwest, continues for yet another year. This time IUN gets to host the blowout over in Gary. Every third-teamer on the Millikin roster must lick his chops at the thought of getting playing time in that game.

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

You weren't there.  I'm going with blundered; it's a better story.

[markerickson]

If Moragne has used up his collegiate hoops eligibility and graduated from HS a year behind Lenoir, how does the latter still have left a year of eligibility?  Did he sit out between transfers or due to a medical reason?  I doubt he redshirted at a CC.

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

I know a guy named Mark Pytel, but he's 65 years old, so if he were a North Park alum he'd be in the class of approximately 1959, which is theoretically possible and would be supported by the fact that he's 5'8".

[markerickson]

Regarding Pytel, NPU should ask Bosko.  Regarding Mulkerin, NPU should ask Kevin Anderson, NPU Security Supervisor, for the number of Dan's dad who was a Chicago Police Captain.  Kevin currently works as a Chicago Police Detective.

[Gregory Sager]

If Moragne has used up his collegiate hoops eligibility and graduated from HS a year behind Lenoir, how does the latter still have left a year of eligibility?  Did he sit out between transfers or due to a medical reason?  I doubt he redshirted at a CC.

He sat out between transfers, and I think he also sat out a year before he started at Redlands.

As part of the dedication of their new PE center - and the dedication of the McCarrell & Djurickovic basketball courts - the school is looking for several former basketball alums that they have lost track of -

Michael & Myron Starks

Dan Mulkerin

Mark Pytel

Earl Dorsey

Any of you hoopsters have a lead - post it here and I'll send it on the Thron Krap U.

Thanks,
MW

Dorsey's way before my time. But wasn't he practicing law in L.A., or something like that? Last I heard, the Starks brothers were up in Minneapolis. That's secondhand info, though, as I haven't seen either one of them in over a decade. Mulkerin's still in the beverage distribution industry, and as always he remains the sort of dedicated professional who believes in testing the product himself during his off-hours. If anyone wants to find him I suggest that they try the third stool to the left of the taps at the Edison Park Inn off Northwest Highway.  Py, last I heard, was doing something in the insurance industry out in the northwest suburbs. Bosko undoubtedly has his number. Go ahead and ask him for it, Dennis; since NPU is naming a court in the new rec center after the Serbian Prince, the least he can do is thumb through his Rolodex for you. 

Seriously, though, one of the best things about the new Helwig Rec Center is the fact that the two basketball courts in it are going to be named the Dan McCarrell Court and the Bosko Djurickovic Court. Both men are long due this sort of honor from their alma mater: The Chief for being the one who put North Park on the map with the threepeat championships, and Bosko for perpetuating the dynasty. It's also a great way to bring full circle the let-bygones-be-bygones reconciliation of Bosko and his alma mater.

[markerickson]

If Greg's statements about Lenoir's age and decisions are correct, I don't think Lenoir is eligible per NCAA regs.

[True Basketball Fan]

I don't think that anyone's mentioned Millikin's schedule yet, but at least April and David will be happy to note that the Big Blue are taking their snowbird trip to SoCal this year. Tim Littrell's crew plays LaVerne at the home of the Leopards on Friday, December 29, and on the afternoon of New Year's Eve the Decaturites play West Coast Baptist in Lancaster, CA.

I also see that the most pointless home-and-away series in CCIW men's basketball, the annual shellacking contest featuring Millikin and Indiana-Northwest, continues for yet another year. This time IUN gets to host the blowout over in Gary. Every third-teamer on the Millikin roster must lick his chops at the thought of getting playing time in that game.

That sounds like a typical Millikin pre-season schedule.  However, I don't blame Littrell for scheduling those games, it's not like they've been burning up the nets these past few years.  It may be early, but how does Millikin's schedule stack up against other CCIW schedules, as far as the degree of cupcakeness.  That might be a nice poll for someone to start. 

[Titan Q]

IWU's 11 non-conference games are:

@ UW-Whitewater tournament (vs Clarke)

@ UW-Whitewater tournament (vs UW-Whitewater or Martin Luther)

vs Illinois College

@ DePauw tournament (vs Ohio Wesleyan) 

@ DePauw tournament (vs DePauw or Judson)

@ St. Xavier

@ Olivet Nazarene

vs Wash U

vs Chicago

@ Hanover

vs Albion


http://www2.iwu.edu/menssports/basketball/mbb_sked0607.shtml

[True Basketball Fan]

IWU's got a pretty decent non-conference schedule.  @Whitewater and @Hanover look to be the toughest, with the easy one being Illinois College, of course.  All of the other games are not overly difficult, but not easy either.  Their mental focus will definitely be tested several times throughout the early going.  Also, only 4 home games in November and December is odd (I know the return policy on those games).  A place like the Shirk should always have at least 13 home games, possibly more in postseason, instead of just 11.   

[Titan Q]

IWU's got a pretty decent non-conference schedule.  @Whitewater and @Hanover look to be the toughest, with the easy one being Illinois College, of course.  All of the other games are not overly difficult, but not easy either.  Their mental focus will definitely be tested several times throughout the early going.  Also, only 4 home games in November and December is odd (I know the return policy on those games).  A place like the Shirk should always have at least 13 home games, possibly more in postseason, instead of just 11.   

IWU played just 3 home non-conference games in 2005-06 (Olivet Nazarene, St. Xavier, Hanover).  There are some advantages of playing away from home in the early going, but I'd like to see at least 6 or 7 games at the Shirk Center each season before the start of league play.