MBB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[Titan Q]

http://www.d3hoops.com/top25/

Augie #5

Elmhurst #18

"Receiving votes" - Wheaton, Carthage

[Late nite]

A pre-season ranking the Vikes probably deserve with their returning group---Just a few questions that I have----

1.  Will they be able to overcome the loss of Wessels at the 1 spot?  Not only his leadership, but his on-the-ball defensive presence and his ability to easily handle pressure.  I would fully expect teams to pressure the Vikes to see if they can handle it.
   
2.  Will they be able to find replacements for Nate Swetalla and Brusveen from the 3 point area?  Delp is back, but who else will step up?  Augie is always perceived as a physical, defensive oriented group, but many have forgotten that last year they lead the CCIW in 3 point percentage.  The strength of the team last year was supposed to be their inside game and it was the perimeter game that carried them.  Hopefully, a consistent inside game will be there this season. 

We'll soon find out.     

[augiefan]

I think Augie's ranking is predicated on expected big time help from the two DI transfers and a hopefully healthy Rorer. I do agree that Wessels was the glue on last year's team and it's MVP. I personally believe Elmhurst has better returning talent than Augie going into the season.

I think the race will be closer than last year, and expect Augie will have more conference losses than last year. The nonconference schedule is also tougher than recent years. Maybe it will toughen them up better for a hoped for post season berth. Last year's early exit from the NCAAs was embarrassing to say the least for any CCIW champ.

In any event it's good to see the basketball season on the horizon. Good luck to all of the CCIW teams in the nonconference season. Hopefully, we can get 3 teams into the NCAA tourney this year.

[Jim Matson]

So why is Wheaton at #3 such a no-brainer?

[Titan Q]

IWU Green/White results:

Green (80*):

G Sean Johnson (6-1/175, Fr) - 5 pts
G Andrew Gilmore (6-3/185, Jr) - 5
G Kevin Bryant (6-2/200, Sr) - 21
F Josh Sutton (6-5/205, Fr) - 19
F Darius Gant (6-4/210, Sr) - 22

Bench:

Elias Washington, F (6-2/190, So) - 8
Chad Murphy, G (6-1/175, Fr) - 0

White (81*):

G Justin Anthony (5-11/170, So) - 5
G Jordan Morris (6-3/195, Jr) - 13
F Matt Schick (6-4/190, Fr) - 14
F Edmond O'Callaghan (6-7/210, Fr) - 18
C Brett Chamernik, (6-5/230, Jr) - 26

Bench:

Jason Bloom, F (6-5/200, Sr) - 2
Mike Salkeld, G (6-2/190, Fr) - 3
Michael Kempf, G (5-11/165, Fr) - 0



Players in street clothes were:

Robert Beauchamp, PG (6-1/195, Jr) - playing football
Sean Dwyer, PG (5-11/175, So) - foot
Duncan Lawson, F (6-8/225, Fr) - sprained ankle
Mitch Mallone, G (5-11/190, Fr) - ?
Brian Nussbaum, F (6-6/210, Sr) - concussion
Travis Rosenkranz, PG (6-0/175, Fr) - stress fracture in back
Dan Schouton, F (6-6/210, Fr) - shoulder surgery
Doug Sexauer, F (6-7/210, Fr) - elbow
Chris Stamas, G (6-2/180, Fr) - sprained ankle


* Shirk Center scoreboard incorrect for majority of 2nd half due to operator (Duncan Lawson) error.

[Titan Q]

Hard to gauge much from an intrasquad game, but the Titans looked OK tonight, considering how many key players were not in uniform.  There were about five legitimate starting candidates out with injury this evening.

A few thoughts...

* 6-5 freshman 3/4 Josh Sutton is going to be a very good player someday.  He is pretty raw, but I'm starting to think he's going to be in the varsity rotation this year.

* 6-5 center Brett Chamernik really worked hard in the off-season and has put on 15-20 pounds of muscle.  He is undersized at the 5, but he is very strong.  I think he will be an important player for the Titans this year, either as a starter or coming off the bench.

* IWU will struggle a little at the point until Rosenkranz and Dwyer are back.  Freshman Sean Johnson does OK at the 1, but he is not a 1...he is a shooting guard.  Johnson's time at the point in the early going will help him in the longrun though.

* Kevin Bryant has worked as hard as anybody for 4 years and is going to fight his way into the rotation due to his ability to shoot the basketball.  I see him coming off the bench at the 2.

* Andrew Gilmore started and played about 10 minutes, which was the plan.  He looked great out there...the question is, how will those knees feel tomorrow?

* Freshman Matt Schick is just as advertised -- steady and solid.  Does a lot of things to help a team win.

* 6-7 freshman Edmond O'Callaghan isn't very polished, but he is going to be a good player...he can jump out of the gym.


If the Titans can get healthy, they'll be a very competitive team by CCIW time.  There is a lot of raw talent on this IWU squad.

[Mr. Ypsi]

Bob, two questions:

Should we be worried or excited that the leading scorer was a guy who averaged 1.5 ppg last season?

Did Duncan Lawson set a school record for tallest scoreboard operator?

[Titan Q]

Bob, two questions:

Should we be worried or excited that the leading scorer was a guy who averaged 1.5 ppg last season?

Did Duncan Lawson set a school record for tallest scoreboard operator?

Brett Chamernik averaged 19 pts and 10 rebounds per game at Class AA Benet Academy.  He was all-East Suburban Catholic, alongside some good players...

http://www.eastsuburbancc.com/ESCC_mbkb_all_con_04-05.pdf

He has potential...we'll see how it plays out.  He is really a strong kid.  Let's just say though that tonight he wasn't exactly guarded by Brent Ruch or Dain Swetalla.

Duncan Lawson on the scoreboard, Doug Sexauer on the shot clock...two pretty good CCIW recruits manning the table there.

[Titan Q]

Wheaton scrimmaged at Division II Lewis tonight.  Do we have a Thunder report, or do I have to go to the head coach of the Flyers?

[cardinalpride]

North Central scrimmaged University of Chicago tonight.  Does anyone have anything to report on this game.  Andone did you attend?

[AndOne]

Scrimmage tonight featured CCIW member North Central vs Univ. of Chicago at Chicago.  According to the D3Hoops Preseason Poll, Chicago is the nation's 35th ranked team, receiving 34 votes. Chicago does not field a JV team, and NCC did not bring their JV players

North Central, which has only been practicing for 1 1/2 weeks, started a lineup of:
1--Dean Prince--Jr
2--Reid Barringer--So
3--Mitch Raridon--Jr
4--Chris Drennan--Jr
5--Jeremy Williams--Transfer from Nebraska, Omaha

Probable #3 starter Matt Rogers, 3rd in overall scoring in the Northern Athletics Conference as a soph at Lakeland last year is nursing a sore knee. Also sitting out were athletic soph wing David Twyman and Jr transfer Dan Schacht who will see time at PG.

Without delving into too much detail, North Central played fairly well overall, and displayed more positives than negatives. I do not have the stats available to me, but I know NCC was led in scoring by Chris Drennan with 32. Reid Barringer shot very well before sustaining an ankle injury which the U of C training staff later described as a likely nasty sprain as opposed to a break. Raridon played a strong overall game while scoring about 12. Prince ran the offense well especially considering the limited practice time to date along with working many newcomers into the mix. Williams, still learning the offense, contributed mainly on the defensive end, and while not doing much scoring, he did a good job on the boards, countering the Maroons height and bulk advantages. Josh Corso made a very strong contribution in a backup role at the 5 spot. Forward Justin Johnson, the lone returning senior on this year's roster, outfought bigger defenders to grab several important boards that resulted in several 2nd chance points.

In the end, despite their opponents #35 preseason ranking, the Cardinals won the 1st half by 4, and battled to a 2nd half tie. NCC then dominated the "3rd half" winning by about 15. Strong contributions were made in the last 20 minutes by returning soph forward Alex Newlin, junior transfer Domimique King, soph Jhonny Knapczyk (football last yr), jr transfer Tyler Shrick, and freshmen Jamis Nelson, Brett Hulett, and Brian Evans.   

[Gregory Sager]

In the post-Peterson era, is this the first time that North Park finished above Carthage in the coaches' poll?

Yes.

Is posting @ Posting Up a skill or talent?

Neither. It's an affliction.

So why is Wheaton at #3 such a no-brainer?

Wheaton's #3 because of Wheaton's #24.

I'm sure that Wheaton's recent track record, and the high esteem in which Bill Harris is held by his CCIW peers -- particularly when it comes to getting the most out of whatever talent he has at hand -- enters into it as well.

I caught the North Central @ Chicago scrimmage this evening down in the Ratner Center on the South Side. I'm looking forward to a more detailed analysis from AndOne, since it's his team and not mine and he's had more chances to see the Cards this summer and fall.

It was a distinctly odd scrimmage to watch, with so many new faces on one side (NCC) and a radically different look on the other side (U of C). The Cards won the first half, 31-29, the second half finished in a 32-32 tie, and NCC won the scrub half (it wasn't really a JV half, since Chicago doesn't have a JV team) by about twenty.

Dean Prince looked very improved. I thought that Jake Pancratz would eat him alive, but Prince held his own against his much more heralded (and much more experienced) Maroons counterpart at the point. Chris Drennan did most of the shooting, and looked at ease being the focal point. Mitch Raridon made a couple of nice treys. Josh Corso looks like he could be a very useful role player off the bench down low. I wasn't wowed by the new transfer forward, Jeremy Williams. The Cards looked fairly decent, I thought, for a team that's still being knit together and has only a couple of weeks of practice under its belt. They had a hard time stopping all of Chicago's bigs underneath the basket, though.

The Cards are not without injury problems of their own. Matt Rogers, whom both AO and I agree will likely be NCC's leading scorer this season, was in street clothes. He's out indefinitely with a strained knee. Sophomore swingman David Twyman was also out with an injury, but he's expected back this weekend. And Reid Barringer, who's undoubtedly penciled in as Todd Raridon's primary outside threat, went down with what looks like a nasty ankle sprain a couple of minutes into the scrimmage.

Tomorrow I'm going to check out the NPU @ Dominican scrimmage. I'm getting an early jump on my scouting this season.

[cardinalpride]

but I know NCC was led in scoring by Chris Drennan with 32.

Wow Mr. Drennan really stepped up in the scrimmage.  Did the maroons preseason all american play?  I believe his name is Nate H. (can't pronounce his last name)  Thanks for the report Andone!

[Gregory Sager]

but I know NCC was led in scoring by Chris Drennan with 32.

Wow Mr. Drennan really stepped up in the scrimmage.  Did the maroons preseason all american play?  I believe his name is Nate H. (can't pronounce his last name)  Thanks for the report Andone!

Nate Hainje (HANE-jee). Yes, he played and was Chicago's leading scorer. It's hard to miss him; he's sporting a fauxhawk this season and was his usual eccentric and self-aggrandizing self on the court.

AO, looks like we were simulposting!

[cardinalpride]

I caught the North Central @ Chicago scrimmage this evening down in the Ratner Center on the South Side. I'm looking forward to a more detailed analysis from AndOne, since it's his team and not mine and he's had more chances to see the Cards this summer and fall.

It was a distinctly odd scrimmage to watch, with so many new faces on one side (NCC) and a radically different look on the other side (U of C). The Cards won the first half, 31-29, the second half finished in a 32-32 tie, and NCC won the scrub half (it wasn't really a JV half, since Chicago doesn't have a JV team) by about twenty.

Dean Prince looked very improved. I thought that Jake Pancratz would eat him alive, but Prince held his own against his much more heralded (and much more experienced) Maroons counterpart at the point. Chris Drennan did most of the shooting, and looked at ease being the focal point. Mitch Raridon made a couple of nice treys. Josh Corso looks like he could be a very useful role player off the bench down low. I wasn't wowed by the new transfer forward, Jeremy Williams. The Cards looked fairly decent, I thought, for a team that's still being knit together and has only a couple of weeks of practice under its belt. They had a hard time stopping all of Chicago's bigs underneath the basket, though.

The Cards are not without injury problems of their own. Matt Rogers, whom both AO and I agree will likely be NCC's leading scorer this season, was in street clothes. He's out indefinitely with a strained knee. Sophomore swingman David Twyman was also out with an injury, but he's expected back this weekend. And Reid Barringer, who's undoubtedly penciled in as Todd Raridon's primary outside threat, went down with what looks like a nasty ankle sprain a couple of minutes into the scrimmage.

Tomorrow I'm going to check out the NPU @ Dominican scrimmage. I'm getting an early jump on my scouting this season.

If the new look Cards held their own with Matt Rodgers in street clothes, thats definately a positive sign for the cardinal and white this year!!!  Thanks for the update Mr. Sager!!!