MBB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[Viking Mike]

TITAN Q...

I would like to think that Augie's win over Washington last weekend will come up big at the end of the year, but I think back to last year when the CCIW champion Vikings were the No. 1 ranked team in the region (22-5) in the last poll of the year and were overlooked by the NCAA for hosting a 4 team regional.  In fact , Wash U and Aurora, 2 teams below Augie, were chosen in favor of the Vikes. (And Augie had beaten Wash U. to boot)  Augie instead got one home against a HOT Carroll team (who they coincidently lost to) and was then expected to play at #6 St Thomas.  I was shocked, as was Coach Giovanne and the team.  What good are these parameters (QOW index/head to head/etc) if the NCAA doesn't use them?

[AndOne]

TITAN Q...

I would like to think that Augie's win over Washington last weekend will come up big at the end of the year, but I think back to last year when the CCIW champion Vikings were the No. 1 ranked team in the region (22-5) in the last poll of the year and were overlooked by the NCAA for hosting a 4 team regional.  In fact , Wash U and Aurora, 2 teams below Augie, were chosen in favor of the Vikes. (And Augie had beaten Wash U. to boot)  Augie instead got one home against a HOT Carroll team (who they coincidently lost to) and was then expected to play at #6 St Thomas.  I was shocked, as was Coach Giovanne and the team.  What good are these parameters (QOW index/head to head/etc) if the NCAA doesn't use them?

Viking Mike-----

You might think Augie got screwed last year, But, the fact is that playing at home in the first round of the playoffs, they should have beaten Carroll.

Furthermore, if they did get screwed last year, maybe that just evened things out from the 05-06 season. That year, Augie lost 3 out of their last 4 regular season games, including loosing to Millikin, and getting blown out of town by North Central in the final regular season game. However, as a reward for finishing first in the regular season, they got to host the inaugural CCIW Conference Tourney. But then,  they couldn't even win a game on their own home floor in the tourney, making 4 losses out of the last 5 games to end the season. For this stellar performance, they were rewarded with hosting the NCAA regional including opening against a team that had only won two more games that it lost the entire season. They won both of those home games, but lost the first away tournament game they played.

I understand that according to the placement rules in effect at the time, maybe Augie earned home court in the playoffs before they finished the regular season and the conference tourney so poorly. However, they also got to open at home again last year. Accordingly, I can't understand how you feel Augie ever got the shaft.

[Titan Q]

TITAN Q...

I would like to think that Augie's win over Washington last weekend will come up big at the end of the year, but I think back to last year when the CCIW champion Vikings were the No. 1 ranked team in the region (22-5) in the last poll of the year and were overlooked by the NCAA for hosting a 4 team regional.  In fact , Wash U and Aurora, 2 teams below Augie, were chosen in favor of the Vikes. (And Augie had beaten Wash U. to boot)  Augie instead got one home against a HOT Carroll team (who they coincidently lost to) and was then expected to play at #6 St Thomas.  I was shocked, as was Coach Giovanne and the team.  What good are these parameters (QOW index/head to head/etc) if the NCAA doesn't use them?

The tournament road in this part of the country is always going to be difficult - there are always a number of national powerhouses in the backyard. In the last decade I've watched IWU play on the road vs several very highly ranked teams before ever getting to Salem (vs Elmhurst on a neutral court in '01, then @ Chicago...@ Wash U in '03, then @ Randolph Macon...@ Hanover and @ Wooster in '04...@ Whitewater in '06, then @ Lawrence). 

Bottom line, in the tournament you have to be ready to go play anyone, anywhere - there is no way for Midwest teams to avoid playing Final Four-caliber teams pre-Salem.  Augie got a home game in Round 1 last year vs Carroll - that's a very fair draw. 

[sac]

I'll even add that I think most of the GL, MW and West teams will meet someone before the final 8 that is final four quality.

WashU v Stevens Point last spring in the Sweet 16 was a final four matchup.

[Titan Q]

I'll even add that I think most of the GL, MW and West teams will meet someone before the final 8 that is final four quality.

WashU v Stevens Point last spring in the Sweet 16 was a final four matchup.

Absolutely.  The Midwest, West, and Great Lakes are basically in the same position.

[Jim Matson]

HopeNut - Wheaton "signing up" for another 4 years isn't much change for them, nor is it for Hope or Calvin.  Wheaton seems to manage to play each program at least once every couple of years.  I think the games make a ton of sense both as traditional rivalries and as great opponents.  Add in regular games from Chicago and IIT, and you have the core of Wheaton's annual preconsked^TM.

[knarocky22]

AO,

You never back off of a chance to take a shot at Augie do you?  Viking Mike didn't once say that Augie got screwed last year.  He simply stated the facts and wondered why Wash U and Aurora, who were ranked lower in the region than Augie, were chosen to host a 4 team regional.  This has nothing to do with two years ago.  He also never said they shouldn't have beaten Carroll, or that they got "the shaft."

And I think losing to Wesleyan after beating them twice in 05-06 wasn't really surprising.  It's tough to beat a good team 3 times, especially a talented team that is beginning to hit its stride (as Wesleyan obviously did and made a run to the Final Four). 

[RedMan1]

Carthage has East-West University tomorrow night for the home opener. Does anyone have any idea how good they are and/or where they are from?

[cardinalpride]

AO,

You never back off of a chance to take a shot at Augie do you?  Viking Mike didn't once say that Augie got screwed last year.  He simply stated the facts and wondered why Wash U and Aurora, who were ranked lower in the region than Augie, were chosen to host a 4 team regional.  This has nothing to do with two years ago.  He also never said they shouldn't have beaten Carroll, or that they got "the shaft."

And I think losing to Wesleyan after beating them twice in 05-06 wasn't really surprising.  It's tough to beat a good team 3 times, especially a talented team that is beginning to hit its stride (as Wesleyan obviously did and made a run to the Final Four). 

Knarocky,
I know AO is very capable of a response and he may have been taking a shot at Augie.  However, my question to you is...If Viking Mike didn't think Augie got the short end of the stick last year, why would he raise the issue? Mike?  Furthermore, he didn't have to say words such as "screwed" or "the shaft" for his statements to imply just that.

[cardinalpride]

Carthage has East-West University tomorrow night for the home opener. Does anyone have any idea how good they are and/or where they are from?

Redman,
East-West University is located in Chicago.  They play a helter skelter style that lacks discipline.  Their roster has quite a bit of turnover from year to year, but they are willing to play just about anybody.  North Central played them last year and won by a ton.  Unless this years roster has some upgrades, Carthage shouldn't have any problem with them this year.

[Gregory Sager]

Carthage has East-West University tomorrow night for the home opener. Does anyone have any idea how good they are and/or where they are from?

Dunno if you're familiar with Chicago, RedMan1, but East-West University occupies some very important real estate within the city. It's main building (the East Building) is located at 816 S. Michigan Avenue, and is part of the long line of imposing and architecturally significant buildings facing Grant Park that's officially known as the Historic Michigan Boulevard District, and informally referred to as "the wall" or "Boul Mich". EWU's other building is next door to it on Wabash Avenue, and is connected to the East Building by a third-floor bridge.

EWU is the only majority-minority private college in Illinois. It has about 1100 students, all of whom are commuters. The school's sports teams, the Phantoms, are not affiliated with any intercollegiate organization (NCAA, NAIA, USCAA, etc.). As Cardinalpride said, they have a "we'll play anyone, anywhere, anytime" attitude to scheduling similar to RMC-Springfield's that makes the Phantoms a useful schedule-filler. Most of EWU's opponents are local NAIA teams.

While the campus is located on some of the priciest real estate in the United States, the Phantoms (who have no home gym of their own) play their home games in a South Side neighborhood (Grand Crossing) that's considerably further down the real estate food chain. They play at the Kennedy-King College gym at 63rd & Halsted, so that's where the Red Men will go when they play the Phantoms on December 10 in the second leg of the home-and-home between Carthage and EWU this season.

EWU is currently 2-4, and all of the Phantoms' opponents to date have been NAIA-2 teams. The roster consists mostly of former Chicago Public League players, and as Cardinalpride said there's a lot of turnover on that roster from season to season. I've only seen the Phantoms play once (and it wasn't this year), but if that game was typical then I'd agree with Cardinalpride's assessment that they're basically a streetball team. I don't foresee the Red Men having a lot of trouble dispensing them.

[Gregory Sager]

If I recall correctly, it was announced last year (during the games at Carthage) that all four teams had signed on for another 4 years. 

No offense to Carthage and Wheaton as the games have been entertaining the last three years but I'd enjoy seeing a new line-up. I am sure Wheaton, Carthage and Calvin fans might also enjoy the opportunity to match up against someone different in the future, whoever that may be.

But I do appreciate the opportunity to play quality opponents each year so this is way better than the alternative.

The original plan for the CCIW/MIAA Classic was for North Park and Wheaton to be the CCIW's two representatives. However, the NPU women's coach (Jack Surridge) and the previous men's coach (Rees Johnson) declined the invitation, so Carthage was invited to take that slot and the Carthage men's and women's coaches (Bosko Djurickovic and Tim Bernero) accepted. I thought four years ago that Jack and Rees made a mistake by declining the opportunity for NPU to be a part of the CCIW/MIAA Classic, from both the men's and women's perspective, and I still feel that way.

[RedMan1]

Thanks for all the information about East-West University. It is good Carthage has, I guess you can say a "tune-up" game before they play Hope and Calvin. I would love to make the trip out there but I will be attending a wedding this weekend.

It was good to also see the Bulls finally get a win. 

[cardinalpride]

How good is Augustana?

Gottaluvhoops,
Very Good!  Just take a look at Augustana's record Since GG arrived in 1999:

http://www.augustana.edu/athletics/mbasketball/coach.php

It should be more of the same this year.

[AndOne]

Thanks for all the information about East-West University. It is good Carthage has, I guess you can say a "tune-up" game before they play Hope and Calvin. I would love to make the trip out there but I will be attending a wedding this weekend.

It was good to also see the Bulls finally get a win. 

Based on how East-West stacked up against North Central last season, the Carthage Red Men should be embarrassed if they don't chalk up two easy wins against the Phantoms. Chances should be good that every player who suits up for the Red Men those evenings sees some action.