MBB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[augiefan]

On the eve of the conference season here are my predictions;

1. Elmhurst 12-2
2. Augie 9-5
3. Wheaton 9-5
4. NPU 7-7
5. IWU 6-8
6. Carthage 6-8
7. NCC 5-9
8. Millikin 2-12

Any other prognosticators out there?

[robberki]

before the season started I thought NPU would be somewhere in the 2-4 range in the final CCIW standings. I was thinking 4 was practically a lock and they could sneak as high as 2. Right now, I'm not so sure. There is a glaring weakness in the post (and if there's something I know, it's post weakness! ha!) that will be hard to hide in the rough and tumble CCIW. I'm not sure which way I'm leaning right now...

[Dennis_Prikkel]

before the season started I thought NPU would be somewhere in the 2-4 range in the final CCIW standings. I was thinking 4 was practically a lock and they could sneak as high as 2. Right now, I'm not so sure. There is a glaring weakness in the post (and if there's something I know, it's post weakness! ha!) that will be hard to hide in the rough and tumble CCIW. I'm not sure which way I'm leaning right now...

ettu Berki

[Dennis_Prikkel]

according to one Carthage College administrator I talked to here at the Lutheran Center this morning last night's Kenosha County tornado missed the north end of the campus by two blocks.  "We were lucky", he said.

[sac]

according to one Carthage College administrator I talked to here at the Lutheran Center this morning last night's Kenosha County tornado missed the north end of the campus by two blocks.  "We were lucky", he said.

If your into such things as radar imagry, the last 3 or 4 images at the bottom of this page show the tornado near Kenosha.

http://www.crh.noaa.gov/crnews/display_story.php?wfo=mkx&storyid=12112&source=0

The same storm produced tornado warnings across central lower Michigan, from Muskegon to Montcalm Counties and further east.  Pretty rare storm.

[kenoshamark]

Simply amazing there was no loss of life based on the pictures and news reports I've seen.   Here is a link as well (go to the related links in the right column to see more of the damage).   I know of a restaurant about a mile from campus that was completely destroyed, so yes, Carthage was very lucky not to have incured any major damage.

http://www.kenoshanews.com/article_comments/view_comments.php?articleNum=969698348

[OurHouse]

After the non-conference season, I really have no idea what to expect from IWU in CCIW play.  As I posted recently, I think the Titans will finish anywhere from 4th to 6th.  7th, where the coaches picked them in the preseason, is certainly a possibility (as is 8th for that matter), but I think they're better than that.

Basically, the Titans have lost to the best 5 teams they've played (Albion, Olivet Nazarene, Wash U, Chicago, and Occidental) and defeated the other six (Tri-State, Dominican, Webster, Illinois College, Hanover, and Claremont-Mudd-Scripps).  Four of the five losses were blowouts...all but the Wash U game, which came down to the final seconds.  Ironically, Wash U is the best team the Titans faced in the non-conference.  Kind of tells the tale of how inconsistent this team has been. Of the 6 wins, there certainly are none over Top 25/CCIW championship-caliber squads.

IWU's 8-man rotation right now is:

G Travis Rosenkranz (6-0/175, Fr) - 8.5 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 2.4 apg
G Sean Johnson (6-1/175, Fr) - 9.1 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 2.8 apg
G Jordan Morris (6-3/195, Jr) - 10.1 ppg, 3.3 rpg
F Darius Gant (6-4/210, Sr) - 13.4 ppg, 8.2 rpg
C Brett Chamernik (6-5/230, Jr) - 12.6 ppg, 4.2 rpg

F/C Doug Sexauer (6-7/210, Fr)
F Matt Schick (6-4/190, Fr)
PG Sean Dwyer (5-11/175, So)


Of the 8 guys who play, 4 are freshmen and 1 is a sophomore who missed all of last season with injury (Dwyer).  You just never know what you are going to get with this group from possession to possession.  I know some people find that frustrating...I think it's kind of fun.

As the starting freshmen guards go, so will go the Titans in CCIW play.  Travis Rosenkranz got off to a slow start after missing the entire practice season with injury, but showed glimpses in a couple games - 20 pts @ Illinois College, and 18 in the last game, @ CMS.  Travis turned it over too much and didn't shoot it very well in the non-conference, but I think he'll have a good CCIW season.  Sean Johnson is 18-46 (.341) from 3 and has 31 assists to 17 turnovers - pretty solid for a freshman.

Starting posts Gant and Chamernik are very undersized, but have been good overall.  They'll need to keep providing IWU with a low-post scoring threat.  6-7 Doug Sexauer looked great at times in the non-conference, and like a freshman others.  IWU really needs him to play well in the league.

I continue to be a big Matt Schick fan.  The freshman from Lincoln should get big minutes for the Titans in CCIW action.  Sean Dwyer is another guy the Titans will rely on for significant minutes in conference play.  He brings toughness and leadership to the floor.

Could be 8-6...could be 4-10.  I have no idea.  Bring it on though.

Until those guards can play defense in addition to putting up points, the jury is still out....In the CCIW, a guard needs to play intensity defense for 40 minutes or they will NOT win games regardless of the points scored - points scored is the ultimate to winning but intensity defense will create those points to provide for that "ultimate" win. Every minute of playing time will need to be an all out defensive effort and nothing less!!

Let the games begin -

jmho~

[April]

Vegas is Disneyland... Chuck E Cheese... all rolled into one. 

Oh really? So its safe to take my theoretical small children there?

It was 71 degrees and sunny yesterday at tip-off time of the IWU/CMS game in Claremont, CA.  I landed in Bloomington this evening and was met by a -15 wind chill.  Talk about a reality check.

Just FYI, I am writing this with the window open. That is all.

How in the world does Wheaton go to overtime with Rivier?  ......I don't think Wheaton has played a CCIW contender-caliber team since way back on Nov. 30 when they lost by 30 to Hope.  We'll see if it bites the Thunder early in league play.

I think they were playing to the fact that I dont get to see them play often, and they wanted to give me extra minutes. Or they were trying to kill me for staying away so long.

Fortunately they have been given April cookies now, and they should be fine for the conference season. I guess I will just have to come there for the conference tourney to give them a recharge.

On a more serious note, Wheaton just looked completely flat, tired even. My pet peeve is that we tend to start out the first game of the conference season that way too.... but I am sure Harris will have them whipped in no time.

Bring on the conference season!

PS. It is very reassuring to me to know that Greg still posts really, really long walls of text using big words. Its very important to my sense of security in the world.

P.P.S. Hi Brett!

[April]

Incidentally, thanks for all the well wishes, guys. I dont plan on posting a ton, but its nice to reconnect with some old faces.

^^I would edit this into my post, but I am not allowed to do that yet. 

[79jaybird]

Certainly some strange weather in northern IL and southern WI.  My Grandparents live in Silver Lake and the towns around that region look like a battlefield.  In Boone County (IL) the storm left a 15 mile destruction path and overturned a freight rail car in Harvard.  Then there were 2 tornadoes in southern WI hitting the town of Wheatland real bad.  I saw pictures of that this morning, and gosh!  How devastating.  Glad nobody was hurt, because everything is replaceable except a life.

Finally the CCIW season can commence.  I am looking forward to this season as I think it is wide open.  Certainly EC/AC are the "favorites", but Wheaton and 2-3 others could easily sneak in there.  Predictions?  Hmm, tough but here is what I think will happen.

1)Elmhurst/Augustana
2)Wheaton
3)North Park
4) North Central
5) Carthage
6) IWU
7) Millikin

But, as we all know anything/everything could happen.

[Titan Q]

1. Wheaton 11-3
2. Augie 10-4
3. Elmhurst 10-4
4. NCC 9-5
5. Carthage 8-6
6. North Park 7-7
7. IWU 6-8
8. Millikin 5-9

FYI, this doesn't add up to 56-56.

[tjcummingsfan]

1.  Wheaton
2.  North Park
3.  Elmhurst
4.  Augie
5.  Carthage
6.  IWU
7.  NCC
8. Millikin


I know its lofty.

[John Gleich]

Vegas is Disneyland... Chuck E Cheese... all rolled into one. 

Oh really? So its safe to take my theoretical small children there?

Theoretical children can be taken ANYWHERE... You usually don't hear a thing from them and they're really not as impressionable as one might think...!

[Gregory Sager]

Finally the CCIW season can commence.  I am looking forward to this season as I think it is wide open.  Certainly EC/AC are the "favorites", but Wheaton and 2-3 others could easily sneak in there.  Predictions?  Hmm, tough but here is what I think will happen.

1)Elmhurst/Augustana
2)Wheaton
3)North Park
4) North Central
5) Carthage
6) IWU
7) Millikin

But, as we all know anything/everything could happen.

Well, anything/everything except for what you predicted. If you predict a tie, then you have to skip the next number down. In other words, if Elmhurst and Augie share the title, then the rest of your scenario would have Wheaton finishing third, North Park finishing fourth, North Central finishing fifth, etc.

[wheatonfanaddict]

1. Wheaton 11-3
2. Elmhurst 10-4
3. Augie 9-5
4. NCC 7-7
5. North Park  6-8
6. IWU 6-8
7. Carthage 4-10
8. Millikin 3-11

amended with corrections