MBB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[AndOne]

I think Aurora will have a very good chance. Would not be surprised at all!

[Jim Matson]

I think Chicago will be in.  They looked good against Wheaton.

[petemcb]

I think Chicago will be in.  They looked good against Wheaton.

So Northwestern must have a decent chance with their in-region win 

[AndOne]

Somehow, someway, Bluffton (11-1)? 
They lost to North Central, but thats their only loss so far!

[veterancciwfan]

Will this be the first time a CCIW champ has suffered 4 league losses since IWU and Augie tied as champs with 12-4 records in the 1970/71 season? It easily could have happened last year as Augie, 11-3, had many nail-biting cliffhanger wins. My guess is that there is at least a 50% chance of that happening. But this league is so unpredictable than anything would not surprise me. After watching IWU obiterate quality teams in the nonconf. season last year and then go 9-5 in the league (and could have gone 4-10), nothing that hapens in the CCIW this year will shock me. I still like NCC because of its talent and Raridon.

[sac]

Titan Q------I couldn't help but notice that not only did IWU shoot over 70% for the game vs Albion , but they did so in BOTH halves.

I've never heard of such a thing..........but especially not against a program with such a strong defensive resume as Albion.

Now granted, I've been told by other observors that this years Albion squad doesn't play a shadow of a shadow of how Albion typically plays defense, but still that is one serious accomplishment.

Albion Defensive shooting %
2007........48.3
2006........41.5
2005........41.1
2004........41.5
2003........42.6



Scoring
2007........73.4
2006........64.5
2005........67.6
2004........64.5
2003........62.4

Typically Albion is 2nd or leading the MIAA in these two categories...........right now they are last and 5th respectively.

[Gregory Sager]

I'm a NWU alum and former player, so I'm a little familiar with the history. When you say you are not taking anything away from Raridon, but in the same breath say he built on what Schmutte started, it just strikes me as taking something away from what Raridon did. Maybe its just me. To carry it one step further, you could say Schmutte carried on what Irv Peterson (420 victories) started. However, I think that would be "taking something away" from what Jerry Schmutte (who was at Wesleyan when I was there) did.   

I don't really think that I'm taking anything at all away from Raridon's actual accomplishments by pointing out that Schmutte was a highly-successful coach as well. Raridon's record at Nebraska Wesleyan was outstanding, and everyone on CCIW Chat who closely follows D3 basketball at large was well aware when he came to North Central that the Cardinals had landed themselves an outstanding coach with a proven track record. In fact, when Raridon was hired by NCC, Rob Berki (who as a center for Doane prior to his transfer to NPU played against Raridon's Prairie Wolves twice a year) immediately predicted on CCIW Chat that Raridon would turn the lowly Cardinals into a CCIW contender within four years. As it turned out, it only took Raridon three years to get the Cards a CCIW tournament title and an NCAA berth.

What I think I am taking away from a bit is the implication that Raridon did something novel by recruiting small-town kids to come play and excel at a GPAC school that didn't give out basketball scholarships. Schmutte clearly did the same thing (unless Hastings, Doane, Midland Lutheran, etc., weren't giving out scholies back then). That doesn't lessen what Raridon accomplished at all; it simply means that it wasn't unique. As for Irv Peterson, I don't really know anything about Nebraska Wesleyan's basketball history prior to those mid-'80s teams. I would never make any judgments about Schmutte's career relative to his school's basketball history without knowing more about that history.

Were you a part of those mid-eighties teams for Nebraska Wesleyan, AO? If so, I gotta say that your teammate Dana Janssen was one heck of a basketball player.

[cardinalpride]

In fact, when Raridon was hired by NCC, Rob Berki (who as a center for Doane prior to his transfer to NPU played against Raridon's Prairie Wolves twice a year) immediately predicted on CCIW Chat that Raridon would turn the lowly Cardinals into a CCIW contender within four years. As it turned out, it only took Raridon three years to get the Cards a CCIW tournament title and an NCAA berth.

Greg, stop taking away from Raridon's accomplishment.  He guided the Cards to the CCIW tourney title and NCAA berth in only two years! 
I had to throw that in...

[Gregory Sager]

Nice catch, CP. I typed "three" because it's currently Raridon's third year.

Always good to get that first mistake of the New Year out of the way early.

[cardinalpride]

Nice catch, CP. I typed "three" because it's currently Raridon's third year.

Always good to get that first mistake of the New Year out of the way early.

I'd say!!

[AndOne]

Greg---

I was there a little before Janssen, but u r right about him. 

I also noticed the 3 yr time span you indicated for Raridon, rather than the 2 yrs it actually took, but Cardinalpride beat me to the correction!
Just a slight correction meant--NOT jump all over Greg as we ALL make those little mistakes from time to time--nobodys perfect. 

[AndOne]

RE: WHEATON

I understand Wheaton's outstanding guard, Kent Raymond, has not played the last couple of games.
Is this due to injury or illness?
With all the knowledge we have on here, I am wondering if anyone knows what the probability of his playing in Wheaton's next games on 1/2 & 1/6 is?

[wheatonfanaddict]

The results from the MRI showed bone contusion. He was on the bike the next day. Whether he will play soon or not has not been made public. We will all find out Saturday at 7. All I have to say is, look out CCIW he we come.

[True Basketball Fan]

When the new Top 25 poll comes out later today or tomorrow, there will most likely be 4 or 5 CCIW teams in there.  Here is the stunner:  IWU won't be one of them!  When was the last time there were that many CCIW teams ranked in the TOP 25 and IWU wasn't one of them?   

[Jim Matson]

I'm sure Wheaton won't use Raymond against Baruch tonight.  They managed to win their last two games without him and so I doubt they'll risk further injury against a weaker team.