MBB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[AndOne]

with regards to the "committee" it should be remembered that in 2004 when the Joel Kolmodin led Thunder were left off the dance floor, Wheaton coach Bill Harris was on the committee. He resigned his post the day after selection Sunday that year.

And the replacement was Coach Tim Littrell, who, in my opinion, did a pretty good job advocating for the CCIW on that committee. I mean, just look at how the regional rankings have been all year (a crazy number of CCIW teams) and how many teams we've got into the tournament last year... 

So who's next? Can't imagine many people want that job?

What I wonder, considering the firing of Coach Littrell, is how many of this year's fine crop of Millikin freshmen wish they had gone to their 2nd choice. He had to be one of the main reasons, if not THE main reason many of the freshmen chose MU-----except for one of them who, I believe Mr. Sager told me earlier this season, picked MU because he liked the dorms!

[Pat Coleman]

Viking Mike-----

I don't really think the NCAA has it in for Augie. The CCIW------->Maybe 

If so, it's a recent phenomenon. The CCIW got three teams in last year.

At least two teams were deserving this year!  Coleman, you sure go out of your way defending the NCAA.  Are you a chair member or do you have blinders on?!

Neither. I'm just not biased.

[Gregory Sager]

Well, I'm Point Special, not Old School... 

You two certainly get confused for each other a lot, which is understandable. I mean, if you weren't a foot and a half taller than OS and of a different race, you two could be twins.

[cardinalpride]

Viking Mike-----

I don't really think the NCAA has it in for Augie. The CCIW------->Maybe 

If so, it's a recent phenomenon. The CCIW got three teams in last year.

At least two teams were deserving this year!  Coleman, you sure go out of your way defending the NCAA.  Are you a chair member or do you have blinders on?!

Neither. I'm just not biased.

Well, why do you choose to comment on jabs taken at the NCAA selection cmmittee?  Furthermore, if you are unbiased, why does/should anyone's opinion of the NCAA matter to you?

[Pat Coleman]

I choose to comment on a lot of things. Sorry if that bothers you. I seem to only have pointed out a fact. Is that offensive?

If you think I only back the committee, you haven't been reading the front page lately. Don't come straight to the message board -- it's a big site.

http://www.d3hoops.com/dailydose/2007/02/25/waiting-for-the-rules-to-change
http://www.d3hoops.com/dailydose/2007/02/22/pool-c-math-error-are-you-kidding/
http://www.d3hoops.com/news.php?item=926
http://www.d3hoops.com/news.php?item=927

[Gregory Sager]

with regards to the "committee" it should be remembered that in 2004 when the Joel Kolmodin led Thunder were left off the dance floor, Wheaton coach Bill Harris was on the committee. He resigned his post the day after selection Sunday that year.

And the replacement was Coach Tim Littrell, who, in my opinion, did a pretty good job advocating for the CCIW on that committee. I mean, just look at how the regional rankings have been all year (a crazy number of CCIW teams) and how many teams we've got into the tournament last year... 

So who's next? Can't imagine many people want that job?

What I wonder, considering the firing of Coach Littrell, is how many of this year's fine crop of Millikin freshmen wish they had gone to their 2nd choice. He had to be one of the main reasons, if not THE main reason many of the freshmen chose MU-----except for one of them who, I believe Mr. Sager told me earlier this season, picked MU because he liked the dorms!

The big question is how many members of that talented freshman class will return to Millikin as sophomores next season. Sometimes players get disenchanted with their school and transfer when their coach is fired ... no matter how amenable the living conditions on campus may happen to be.

[Gregory Sager]

Congrats to all members of the 2006-07 All-CCIW team, especially to NPU senior Anthony Lenoir!

[cciw watcher]

I have read many posts concerning the firing of Coach T. Littrell.  I thinks its very interesting A.D. Lori K. fired him after her women's team was soundly beaten in the conference tounrment by IWU on friday.  Mr. Littrell from what i have read had 18 years of service at Big Blue.  Ms. K in my opinion, may have had a manic monday if u get my point!     

[Gregory Sager]

I have read many posts concerning the firing of Coach T. Littrell.  I thinks its very interesting A.D. Lori K. fired him after her women's team was soundly beaten in the conference tounrment by IWU on friday.  Mr. Littrell from what i have read had 18 years of service at Big Blue.  Ms. K in my opinion, may have had a manic monday if u get my point!     

Lori Kerans owns a national championship ring, 11 CCIW championships in 20 years, and a career coaching record of 417-136 (.754). I'd say that she's eminently qualified to gauge the success of any basketball coach. And that "manic Monday" crack about her administrative management is totally unfair.

Tim Littrell's coaching record has already been posted on CCIW Chat. You don't need to look any further than it to find out why he is no longer the head men's basketball coach at Jimmy Millikin.

[Pat Coleman]

I have read many posts concerning the firing of Coach T. Littrell.  I thinks its very interesting A.D. Lori K. fired him after her women's team was soundly beaten in the conference tounrment by IWU on friday. 

At least she got her team INTO the conference tournament.

[joehakes]

It's funny to read people attack Pat Coleman as a possible embedded NCAA Board Member.  Pat gives a lot of good measured opinions about the process both pro and con.  He has a national view of DIII athletics and does his homework.

The selection process is much more involved than what people make it to be, as is the bracketing.  The short time frame to get people in and create a bracket with 1000 other factors coming into play makes it an inexact science.  Having been on 15 hour conference calls in another sport I know what the committee faces and it's not easy.

Some folks will attack that last sentence as an excuse, but everyone who serves on these committees works very hard.  They cannot set the tournament around fans' work schedules or the drive from Chicago to Rock Island as an earlier poster suggested.

The process has been explained umpteen times on this board but I'll guarantee that someone in the next 48 hours on this board will ask why they don't have 64 teams and why there are so many AQ's. 

Get off Pat's back.  (Pat, can I be an All-American now? )

[Warren Thompson]

Get off Pat's back.  (Pat, can I be an All-American now? )

For what it's worth, Joe, I'd vote for ya ... if I could. 

[Ralph Turner]

It's funny to read people attack Pat Coleman as a possible embedded NCAA Board Member.  Pat gives a lot of good measured opinions about the process both pro and con.  He has a national view of DIII athletics and does his homework.

The selection process is much more involved than what people make it to be, as is the bracketing.  The short time frame to get people in and create a bracket with 1000 other factors coming into play makes it an inexact science.  Having been on 15 hour conference calls in another sport I know what the committee faces and it's not easy.

Some folks will attack that last sentence as an excuse, but everyone who serves on these committees works very hard.  They cannot set the tournament around fans' work schedules or the drive from Chicago to Rock Island as an earlier poster suggested.

The process has been explained umpteen times on this board but I'll guarantee that someone in the next 48 hours on this board will ask why they don't have 64 teams and why there are so many AQ's. 

Get off Pat's back.  (Pat, can I be an All-American now? )

I cannot make you an All-American, but +1 friend!

I am reviewing what it would take to get any of the next 6-10 teams into the tourney.  For my alma mater, we go in if we don't lose a 1-point game versus crosstown rival at HSU or at ETBU in December without our injured point guard.  It's that simple.  That simple victory raises McMurry's QOWI winning percentage and profile to

      Rank/QOWI/In-Reg. rank?team/W-L%/south Region W-L-Overall

from  54   9.583   9   McMurry   0.792 (19-5)   20-7

to      34t   9.914  5   McMurry    0.833 (20-4)  21-6  (tied with Oshkosh)


For Elmhurst, with a win over Simpson...

      Rank/QOWI/In-Reg. rank?team/W-L%/south Region W-L-Overall

from  57   9.478   5   Elmhurst   0.739 (17-6)   21-6

to     39    9.825   5   Elmhurst  0.783 (18-5)   20-7

You beat Simpson and you're in.  For us outsiders on the CCIW Board, we see braggadocio.  We are all susceptible to it.  We think the same thing about ASC Football.  (It's spring time.  It is now time for our second favorite sport, Spring Football!     )  Your domination in the Midwest Region should boost your profile across the nation.  You have good teams, but there is so little separation in the top levels, that it is hard to accept when a team falls just short.

I have stated elsewhere.  This was the season of the "perfect storm" for the CCIW and WIAC.  Oshkosh is in the tourney, if they can beat LaCrosse one measly time out of three.

[Mr. Ypsi]

Well, I'm Point Special, not Old School... 

You two certainly get confused for each other a lot, which is understandable. I mean, if you weren't a foot and a half taller than OS and of a different race, you two could be twins.

Hey, if Ahhnold and Danny DeVito can be twins, OS and PS should be a breeze!

[Dennis_Prikkel]

Greg-- In response to our discussion on Littrell,  I look at what Elmhurst did for Paul Krohn.  I played under Coach Krohn and we all know what a great guy he is.  For one reason or another, Coach Krohn wasn't getting tons of wins.  What did Elmhurst do?  Well, instead of just "dismissing" him, they promoted him to Athletic Director to keep him involved with EC Athletics.  Sure a change might have been in order at the HC slot, so they brought in Tom Journell for a chance at change.

I agree that this would've been a great idea in Littrell's case, as it would've rewarded his loyalty to his alma mater and long-time employer. But we can't be certain that there was a job available for him elsewhere at Millikin, either within the athletic department or somewhere else on campus. You can't always just create a job for somebody and thus retain his services, especially at a D3 school with a modest endowment where every departmental penny has to be watched.

Interestingly, the word over in the MWC room is that Beloit coach Cecil Youngblood has been given the sort of in-house move to a desk job that you spoke of with regard to Paul Krohn at Elmhurst. The MWC room is reporting that Youngblood (an Augustana alumnus, by the way) is no longer the Bucs' coach, but will now be working as an assistant dean and the head of some diversity program on the BC campus, or something like that. While at least one Beloit poster is implying that this is a job Youngblood sought and for which he is well suited, it may very well be that the move wasn't entirely his idea. That's total conjecture, of course, but it's plain that he hasn't worked out as the school's men's basketball coach. Beloit has been pretty dismal over the nine years that he's run the program.

It may be, GS (just speculating), that Youngblood was hired as a faculty member at Beloit (and not just as a basketball coach), in which case nine years would be long enough for him to have tenure and a guaranteed job on campus if he wants it.

Most coaches in the CCIW are now hired as just "contract" employees without the benefit of being on any kind of tenure track.  That certainly was NOT the case years ago, when many a CCIW coach would still be retained by their school in some capacity or another after leaving the coaching ranks (The list is tooooo long to mention, but it is very long - and it includes coaches in both football and basketball as well as the non-marquee sports.)

MW 70:3