MBB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[petemcb]

Kenoshamark, when you talk about how Carthage would benefit from a third viable option on offense, I recall a kid from the school I work at who should be (I think) a junior up at Carthage by now.  His name is Luke Majewski, and in high school as well as in the Des Plaines Prairie Lakes summer league, he could really light it up from the perimeter.  He was streaky, but it's tough to find a shooter who isn't.  I don't see any mention of him in your posts.  Is he in the picture at all for Bosko, or hopelessly buried? 

[titan2000]

I was amazed by all the promotional buses sent to Alex last year for the Round of 16 when IWU played (and won) here.  For example, free coffee at the Geritol bus, donuts from AARP, etc. 

We never see that kind of attention with other opponents. 

[kenoshamark]

petemcb,

Yes, Luke played last night as part of the second session when it was primarily freshmen or the reserves.  He does have a nice looking shot and he hit a couple jumpers, one being a trey.  My impression is he doesn't seem to be quite as mobile or quick as he would need to be to see extensive minutes.  He has good size and he played well during that session but I don't think he could get his shot off as easily against a quicker two guard than he was playing against last night. 

As far as varsity minutes, he is a shooter so Bosko might find the right time to use him but there are a couple of freshmen who appear to be good shooters as well so it might be tough to see much action.  Based on the rotation last night and with Bowens healthy, I think it would be hard for him to be in the top ten of the rotation.   But, things could change as there are plenty of practices left to find his role. 

[augiefan]

My point about IWU being fortunate to have the Trost era behind them has less to do with his above average coaching skills and more to do with his personality and character, developed in his formative years at UM. Bottom line is that Scott Trost is not a very good guy. IWU, a school with great integrity and great academics, has improved dramatically in the character department with their new head coach.

[petemcb]

Last call for Chicago-area D3 exhibitions tonight.  I'm aware of Carthage @ Aurora and U of C @ NCC.  Does anybody know if Elmhurst, Wheaton, or NPU have anything scheduled for tonight, or the start time for either of those two games?  Or maybe even Lake Forest?

[armywife]

Hey Augiefan, it's great to be back. Shaun is doing well, he's launched himself in life with the same discipline and dedication he showed on the basketball court. Maybe that's one of the things that makes D3 sports so important, the skills learned carry over to life in general. These guys are willing to work past the game and excell at life.

Armyhusband is doing well, we are finishing up our last year in Germany and then will head to Ft. Monroe, VA to finish up our army career. At this point Iraq is not in the future for us. The military life has been an amazing experience for us, I would not trade it for anything. I am looking forward to the next step, whatever that may be.

[cardinalpride]

I would assume it's because Trost didn't live up to the expectations set for him by the IWU fan base. Not that the aren't happy with conference titles, but IWU entered the last couple seasons as one of, if not THE, favorite by many people to win the national title. Heck, I seem to remember some people casually believing that IWU could beat Illinois. Certainly, Trost had as much talent as anyone in the country, but soime people fail to realize that winning national titles is as much about luck as it is about skill.
All that being said, it never seemed to me like Trost was the best in-game coach in the CCIW. He was a good recruiter, but there are other coaches I'd rather have on the bench.

I'd have to agree with Rob to a point.  It seems unfathomable to me that the IWU class of 2006 graduated without a single NCAA D3 title.  I know how hard it is to win and how much competition is out there, so I'm not begruding them anything.  They played hard and Trost coached hard, but at the same time I can see where his reputation at IWU won't be as glorious as it could have been, or as glorious as the supporters were planning for it to be.

Rob and Hoops, I understand both of your points.  However, It's very tough to coach against turnovers and bad performances from key players.  Example, during the final four, Trost all-american pt guard was 3-19 from the field, committed 7 turnovers, and didn't get to the foul line one time.  It's awfully hard to win a championship when your floor leader and arguably best player has more turnovers than points on the biggest stage of his college career.  IMHO, if you study IWU losses in big games, turnovers out weighed any of Trost in-game mishaps.

[kenoshamark]

petemcb,

The Carthage scrimmage against Aurora is next Friday, Nov. 10th at 6:30.

[ecdubb420]

What is in store for Elmhurst this season is a good question, but one thing that can be for sure for Augie, IWU and EC is that this is definately the year to be having questions about your team after losing All-American players.
This league is up for grabs, plain and simple.  Though the points about the NCC system are valid, they lost two tremendous guards, who did all the little things that make a good team great (make big shots, create turnovers, stay out of foul trouble and log serious minutes).  They may be a top 10 team, but i'll believe it when i see it. 
In regards to Wheaton, has anyone seen Raymond?  Is he in shape, does he have the passion for the game, has he lost a step, etc.  Immediately penciling him in for First Team All-CCIW is assuming that he will be the player he was two years ago.  I, like many believe he will be that player, but one has to remember leaving and picking the game right up where you left off is not as easy at it looks (and save the Martin references). 
Speaking of another player who is back in uniform, spot-starter Jay Brizzolara #43, who played for Elmhurst in 04-05 is back.  Last year Elmhurst was missing that spark plug off the bench who could get under peoples skin, grab a few boards and bang around the opponents big men.  He was a 6'3" player who acted like he was 6'8".  If EC can get him to give them 10 minutes a game, he could return to that player who took Simmons out of both games against EC that season (EC won both games), or who knows could play some SF if Strempf struggles.
Should be a great season, lets hope the CCIW tourney is in the suburbs this year.

[Titan Q]

IWU defeated NAIA St. Francis (Joliet) this evening 94-68, totalling the two 20-minute varsity periods played.  I was not there, but it sounds like the Titans played well.  Andrew Freeman had 16 points in the first half (not sure what he finished with)...Andrew Gilmore was 5-5 from beyond the arc...Darius Gant played well...and Zach Freeman finished with about 20 pts/10 rebounds. 

[Titan Q]

My point about IWU being fortunate to have the Trost era behind them has less to do with his above average coaching skills and more to do with his personality and character, developed in his formative years at UM. Bottom line is that Scott Trost is not a very good guy. IWU, a school with great integrity and great academics, has improved dramatically in the character department with their new head coach.

I do not want to get in the middle of a debate about Scott Trost's X's and O's, in-game coaching, etc...it's not worth it.  He's not a CCIW head coach anymore.

I do take exception to the statement "Scott Trost is not a very good guy."  That is completely unfair, and inaccurate.  Scott is a hard guy to get to know and I am quite sure he comes across in some unflattering light on the sidelines, but anyone who knows him well would tell you he is a very good guy.  Just watch him spend time with some of the little kids who hang around the Shirk Center, following the Titans...it's all you'd need to see.  I don't want to get too deep into this because Scott is a friend of mine and I am biased, but I just don't think that is a fair statement at all...especially from someone I am guessing has never even met him.

I posted here a while back that the moment I decided Grey Giovanine must be a good guy - despite the way he can come across on the sideline - is the moment I realized how much his players like him.  It seems like the Augie players would run through a brick wall for Giovanine.  Well, talk to guys like John Camardella, Adam Dauksas, Keelan Amelianovich, and Cory Jones...who Trost still speaks with regularly.  I guarantee you'll have a different impression of Scott Trost than you do now.

[Titan Q]

Regarding IWU's Class of 2006 not winning a national title (and I will make this brief and then let it die)...

As alluded to above, a whole lot more than good coaching has to happen for a team to win a national championship.  At some point it just simply comes down to the way the ball bounces and the way the guys on the floor play.  I think of IWU's national title (1997) -- had Bryan Crabtree not made a 15 foot jumpshot from the baseline, behind the backboard, in Round 2 vs Rose Hulman, that never comes to be.  And what bounces/breaks/shots made can UW-Stevens Point think back on in that back-and-forth 2004 Elite 8 overtime win vs Lawrence...or Williams, in their 2003 national title win vs Gustavus Adolphus, after trailing most of the game.

There have been a lot of great teams I can think of that didn't cut down the nets in Salem...the Carthage nucleus of Wiertel/Garnes/McDaniel didn't do it.  Wooster and Wittenberg have tremendous talent every year it seems.  Hope, despite all those MIAA titles, hasn't won one.  Steve Alford's unbelievable Manchester team lost in Salem.

Last year IWU lost by one basket to the national champions.  The Titans led the national semifinal game for about 34 minutes.  A great player, Ton Ton Balenga, made 2 great shots -- something he did to get his team to Salem vs Lincoln, and the same thing he did to beat Wittenberg in the national title game.  IWU missed a couple key shots in the final minute and Virginia Wesleyan made a couple.  That is just the way the ball bounces.

Scott Trost's most frequent quote after a Titan win was, "Players make plays."  I can't think of anything more accurate.

[petemcb]

petemcb,

The Carthage scrimmage against Aurora is next Friday, Nov. 10th at 6:30.

Then that makes me feel better about the hour and a half I spent in traffic on 355/53/88 to get from Arlington Heights to North Central for their game!

Two observations:

1)  I saw only one guard who looked like he'd be comfortable playing a CCIW season this year:  number 22.  Sorry, no programs were available. Maybe one of the NCC fans can identify him.  He was quick, picking up several steals with his quickness and good anticipation on some of the passes U of C floated out there.  He appears to be unselfish and content to play hard on the defensive end and unselfishly on the offensive end.  He kept his mouth shut, didn't mope, and looked like a nice guard for the vaunted front line to work with.

2)  Speaking of that vaunted front line, I wondered this before, and I still find myself wondering whether they are significantly better than Elmhurst's front line.  Krumtinger is a nice complementary player,  Simmons is the great all-round player we know him to be, and I've liked Walton for his entire career, but, at least last night, he seemed to have incorporated an unnecessary fadeaway that rimmed out a lot more often than in, as opposed to how I remember him going hard to the basket with a nice assortment of down-low moves.

Last night, I didn't see one other guard who looked like a contributor, much less a difference-maker at the CCIW level.  This summer, at the Prairie Lakes league in Des Plaines, I saw a couple of impressive games out of North Central's roughly 5'9" or 5'10" sweet-shooting freshman, but he got almost no time last night, particularly in the first two 20 minute periods that featured most of the anticipated players for this season.  Other than a brief cameo in the second period, he only got  time in the JV/third period.  That was disappointing.

[und63]

We saw the IWU scrimmage last night.  The Shirk will rock this year with excitement, even from the Geritol crowd.  There will be many pleasant surprises for all the "green" faithful and many unpleasant moments for the coaches who placed the Titans 5th in the CCIW race.
Granted, the opposition was nowhere near the CCIW caliber to be faced, but as a team I have never seen the movement, positioning, shooting ability and court awareness displayed by every player....in particular the sophomore-freshmen guard tandem I predict will be starting many games once the season starts.

[petemcb]

We saw the IWU scrimmage last night.  The Shirk will rock this year with excitement, even from the Geritol crowd.  There will be many pleasant surprises for all the "green" faithful and many unpleasant moments for the coaches who placed the Titans 5th in the CCIW race.
Granted, the opposition was nowhere near the CCIW caliber to be faced, but as a team I have never seen the movement, positioning, shooting ability and court awareness displayed by every player....in particular the sophomore-freshmen guard tandem I predict will be starting many games once the season starts.

Whoa, that's a lot of kool-aid for this early in the morning!