MBB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[Titan Q]

Just back from my work trip to Las Vegas.  I checked the board from my cell phone right after landing in Peoria and was disappointed to hear that Augustana had lost.  Congrats to the Vikings on a great season.

As we have discussed since early on, this was kind of a transition year in the CCIW and one that was hard to evaluate.  Last year the league had four very legitimate "Final Four caliber" teams in regular season champion Augustana, conference tourney champ North Central, Elmhurst, and tourney 4-seed IWU, which came within a basket of playing for the national title.  Four All-Americans graduated from the CCIW conference tournament teams -- IWU's Adam Dauksas and Keelan Amelianovich, Chris Martin from Elmhurst, and M.O.P. Rick Harrigan (Augie). 

Early on, a couple things became apparent:

1) The 2006-07 CCIW probably did not have a single team as good as any of the top 4 last year, and

2) There was more parity in the league than anytime in recent memory.  #8 Millikin won at #2 Elmhurst...#7 IWU played two barn-burners vs #1 Augustana...#6 North Park swept preseason favorite North Central...#5 Carthage and #4 Wheaton were ranked in the D3hoops.com poll most of the year...etc.


The simple fact is that while the CCIW had a couple teams good enough to make a deep tournament run this year, the league's lone tourney rep. Augustana just was not a powerhouse.  The 2006-07 Vikings separated from the CCIW field by making big plays down the stretch in several games, but they just weren't a team that took the floor with so much more talent than the other team that even on a down night could win easily.  Last year when IWU faced Carroll, the Titans were just simply so much better that they weren't going to lose.  This year's Augie team won with great defense, hustle, big plays, etc, but they weren't by any stretch as talented as those 4 CCIW teams last year. 

As I have said on Hoopsville several times this year, the CCIW was the best conference in Division III in 2006-07 because of the parity and talent level 1-8....but the league just didn't have one powerhouse team.  I feel strongly that Augustana and Elmhurst were both good enough to win 4 games and get to Salem with the parity out there this year, but unfortunately they were both susceptible to off nights too -- Elmhurst lost to #8 Millikin at home (a loss that probably kept them out of the NCAA field) and Augustana, of course, fell at home in Round 1 of the NCAA tournament.

This was a great year to follow the CCIW -- I'm sorry it is over so soon.

[Gregory Sager]

I pretty much agree with everything Bob had to say, as that's the conclusion that I had drawn as well about the 2006-07 CCIW season, and Augustana in particular. I would only add that it takes two to tango, so perhaps CCIW fans should step back from merely playing the blame game where Augie is concerned and instead give some credit to Carroll. It's harder for those of us who were around the league when Carroll was a member (and a distinctly poor men's basketball program by CCIW standards) to conceive of this, but the Pioneers are a serious presence in the Midwest Region now. I've commented several times over the past couple of seasons about how impressed I am with the job that Dave Schultz is doing up in Waukesha. The Pioneers deserve both our congratulations and our respect.

This is certainly not the result that people were expecting, either inside or outside the CCIW, and that's because it doesn't happen very often. The CCIW hasn't gone one-and-out since Carthage lost in the second round at home in 2000 to eventual national runner-up UW-Eau Claire after the Redmen had drawn an opening-round bye. And the CCIW hasn't bowed out in the first round since Ripon knocked off Illinois Wesleyan in 1999. Only three times prior to tonight, in 2000, 1999, and 1991 (when Illinois Wesleyan also fell in the first round to Ripon) has the CCIW exited the tourney without winning a single game. It should be noted, however, that in 1984 and 1989 the only teams that the CCIW beat in the tourney were fellow members of the league; in '84 North Central beat Illinois Wesleyan in the Midwest regional consolation game, and in '89 North Central beat Millikin in the regional semis.

Congrats to Augie on a successful season.

[titanhammer]

Greg, thanks for bringing up that 1991 season when we traveled in the first round after going 15 - 1 in the CCIW.

[titanhammer]

Congrats to Augie on a good season.

[Gregory Sager]

Greg, thanks for bringing up that 1991 season when we traveled in the first round after going 15 - 1 in the CCIW.

Wow, you traveled for that game? That's harsh, Mike.

I'm guessing that we can count you among the ranks of people who don't look very fondly upon the D3 selection committee.

[RiponRed34]

Mike/Greg -

I don't mean to be rude, but from the outcome of the game, maybe there was a reason IWU traveled?  God forbid MWC's best is better then the CCIW's.

We were 2-0 vs Augie when I played (both a game at home and away)!

[titanhammer]

We were 15 - 1 in the CCIW, but 18 - 8 overall.  One of those losses was a make-up game loss to DePauw on the Thursday before we rapped up the CCIW season with a 101-71 win over Millikin.  By the current standards, I think our "in-region" record was very good, but had losses to non-D3 opponents.

RiponRed, what I remember from that very close game:  Steve Kuehl was called for a foul every time he came within 2 feet of Ripon's star, while they clobbered Caldwell all over the court.  I can't remember what mark Kuehl fouled out at.

This is not meant as disrespect to Ripon...you would just expect a 15 - 1 CCIW team to get a first round home game.

[titanhammer]

We were 2-0 vs Augie when I played (both a game at home and away)!

What year?

[Gregory Sager]

Mike/Greg -

I don't mean to be rude, but from the outcome of the game, maybe there was a reason IWU traveled?  God forbid MWC's best is better then the CCIW's.

It happens, but not very often. I didn't remember Wesleyan traveling to Ripon that year, and I can't recall any other instance in which the MWC champ hosted the CCIW champ in the tournament. I can, however, think of plenty of times in which the reverse was true.

We were 15 - 1 in the CCIW, but 18 - 8 overall.

You were 18-9 according to the Wesleyan website. It's nice to know I'm in good company as far as memory slippage is concerned.

[titanhammer]

I was talking about our record going into the playoffs...don't correct the Hammer!

[Gregory Sager]

Well played.

[titanhammer]

Does this mean your making the trip to Bloomington for some popcorn and video of me blocking out Horner?

[titanhammer]

The two teams that lost to CCIW teams during the regular season, also lost tonight:  Loras (North Park) and Rivier (Wheaton).

[Gregory Sager]

Does this mean your making the trip to Bloomington for some popcorn and video of me blocking out Horner?

Marc doesn't much care to be remembered for his games against Illinois Wesleyan. He had a great career at the Park, and he may have been the only center in all of D3 who ever got the best of Calvin's All-American big man Steve Honderd, but those of us who saw Marc play will testify that he was allergic to green.

On the other hand, his former teammate Rob Bady, who had a decent but not spectacular career as a PG for the Vikings, played most of the best games of his career against the Titans. I can still remember him practically putting the entire NPC team on his diminutive back and carrying them to victory in Fred Young Fieldhouse back in 1990.

[Dennis_Prikkel]

Just back from my work trip to Las Vegas.  I checked the board from my cell phone right after landing in Peoria and was disappointed to hear that Augustana had lost.  Congrats to the Vikings on a great season.

As we have discussed since early on, this was kind of a transition year in the CCIW and one that was hard to evaluate.  Last year the league had four very legitimate "Final Four caliber" teams in regular season champion Augustana, conference tourney champ North Central, Elmhurst, and tourney 4-seed IWU, which came within a basket of playing for the national title.  Four All-Americans graduated from the CCIW conference tournament teams -- IWU's Adam Dauksas and Keelan Amelianovich, Chris Martin from Elmhurst, and M.O.P. Rick Harrigan (Augie). 

Early on, a couple things became apparent:

1) The 2006-07 CCIW probably did not have a single team as good as any of the top 4 last year, and

2) There was more parity in the league than anytime in recent memory.  #8 Millikin won at #2 Elmhurst...#7 IWU played two barn-burners vs #1 Augustana...#6 North Park swept preseason favorite North Central...#5 Carthage and #4 Wheaton were ranked in the D3hoops.com poll most of the year...etc.


The simple fact is that while the CCIW had a couple teams good enough to make a deep tournament run this year, the league's lone tourney rep. Augustana just was not a powerhouse.  The 2006-07 Vikings separated from the CCIW field by making big plays down the stretch in several games, but they just weren't a team that took the floor with so much more talent than the other team that even on a down night could win easily.  Last year when IWU faced Carroll, the Titans were just simply so much better that they weren't going to lose.  This year's Augie team won with great defense, hustle, big plays, etc, but they weren't by any stretch as talented as those 4 CCIW teams last year. 

As I have said on Hoopsville several times this year, the CCIW was the best conference in Division III in 2006-07 because of the parity and talent level 1-8....but the league just didn't have one powerhouse team.  I feel strongly that Augustana and Elmhurst were both good enough to win 4 games and get to Salem with the parity out there this year, but unfortunately they were both susceptible to off nights too -- Elmhurst lost to #8 Millikin at home (a loss that probably kept them out of the NCAA field) and Augustana, of course, fell at home in Round 1 of the NCAA tournament.

This was a great year to follow the CCIW -- I'm sorry it is over so soon.

Q - the best evaluation of the 2006-07 CCIW men's basketball season anyone could write - I agree with you 100%

MW 70:3