MBB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[AndOne]

There are no easy road wins.  They barely escaped in Decatur and at Naperville, but this team finds a way to win.  They were down late in both of these contests and worked to get defensive stops and hit big shots.  This coaching staff took a CCIW conference crown with three players (Pelton, Washington, and Collins) who had one start between them last year.  They also worked a transfer into the mix in Brett Wessels,  then throw in Jordan Delp's season ending injury and I'd take any road win I could get with the group.

None the less Fox, Washington led them in scoring, Pelton hit probably the most important basket of the game, and Collins provides good interior D. As far as "A" transfer, all that transfer did last year was play DIVISION ONE basketball. A "transfer" the likes of many coaches would die for.

If they continue to play like they did Sat night, they should be glad the conference tourney is their house. They'll need the extra boost from the home fans. As far as the national tourney, which I feel they will make even if they don't win the CCIW tourney---before you call me crazy, ask Coach G exactly how far he thinks his team will go if they play like they did against NCC Sat evening. I'll bet he'd say something like "not very far."

[AndOne]

Well, I WAS there, and Augie just really didn't look like the #10 team in the country.
 

You may think they don't look like the #10 team in the country, but Augustana just went 11-3 in the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin.  I don't think there are 10 other teams in Division III that could have done that.

It aint a beauty contest.

True---Score one more point than the other guys and it doesn't matter how may cracks you put in the mirror!   

[REDMENFAN]

Great article in the racine journal times today about Steve and Bosko, and how their first season went together. The article is titled "perfect son." Here's the link

http://www.journaltimes.com/articles/2008/02/24/local_sports/doc47c0e87e69459452476183.txt

[REDMENFAN]

Here's the article in the kenosha news today about Carthage's last game in the PEC. Construction is already underway for what next year will be called Tarble Arena. 

http://ksn.kenoshanews.com/view_article.php?articleNum=2588540

[tjcummingsfan]

I know this'll make alot of people (Q) mad, but as a NP observer I have to point out what I saw...

Unfortunately, the Titans wasted an unbelievable individual performance.  On Senior Night, senior Darius Gant had 28 points and 21 rebounds and made every big basket for the Titans down the stretch in regulation.  North Park had no answer for him.  They tried to double and triple team Gant, but his quickness, strength, ability to camp out in the lane for 5-8 seconds at a time,and leaping ability still made him an impossible matchup.  I think Darius solidified his spot on the 1st Team All-CCIW.

Now, kudos to Darius for realizing the refs weren't counting to 3 and taking advantage of it, but there it is.

Seems to diminish the extraordinary effort of Mr. Gant. I am not buying this. 21 rebounds against a 4 guard lineup and a bunch of clanking 3's (making for long rebounds and weird angles an experienced rebounder would thrive on) are more reasonable explanations.

Were you there?

I didn't say he didn't have a good game, I said his ability to take advantage of the 3 second violation not being called was part of his good game.  As has been said in here many times before (esp. about Raymond and now Steve D.) one of the marks of a great player is learning what they can get away with without the refs seeing. 

[martin]

Well, I WAS there, and Augie just really didn't look like the #10 team in the country.
 

You may think they don't look like the #10 team in the country, but Augustana just went 11-3 in the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin.  I don't think there are 10 other teams in Division III that could have done that.

It aint a beauty contest.

I did not think that any CCIW team could go 11-3 in conference this year.  10-4 was looking pretty good to win the conference.  I think Augie's 11-3 looks pretty good.

Q - could the CCIW get three teams into the tournament with this scenario - Elmhurst wins the AQ, defeating Wheaton in the final.  Augie gets a Pool C bid.  I think Wheaton would be in the running for a Pool C.  Lot of good - but not great teams this year.  The difference between those in the tournament and those looking on will be very small.

[usee]

I know this'll make alot of people (Q) mad, but as a NP observer I have to point out what I saw...

Unfortunately, the Titans wasted an unbelievable individual performance.  On Senior Night, senior Darius Gant had 28 points and 21 rebounds and made every big basket for the Titans down the stretch in regulation.  North Park had no answer for him.  They tried to double and triple team Gant, but his quickness, strength, ability to camp out in the lane for 5-8 seconds at a time,and leaping ability still made him an impossible matchup.  I think Darius solidified his spot on the 1st Team All-CCIW.

Now, kudos to Darius for realizing the refs weren't counting to 3 and taking advantage of it, but there it is.

Seems to diminish the extraordinary effort of Mr. Gant. I am not buying this. 21 rebounds against a 4 guard lineup and a bunch of clanking 3's (making for long rebounds and weird angles an experienced rebounder would thrive on) are more reasonable explanations.

Were you there?

I didn't say he didn't have a good game, I said his ability to take advantage of the 3 second violation not being called was part of his good game.  As has been said in here many times before (esp. about Raymond and now Steve D.) one of the marks of a great player is learning what they can get away with without the refs seeing. 

I was not there. No one who was there has corroborated your story either. My point was your post seemed to not only diminish Gant's performance (one which several have agreed was exceptional) but alsot to suggest his accomplishment was earned in a less than legit manner. I didn't think that was fair. In addition, the balance you exhibit in this post was not there in your original post. And believe me, Q will admit it pains me to be sticking up for anything IWU.

[tjcummingsfan]

I know this'll make alot of people (Q) mad, but as a NP observer I have to point out what I saw...

Unfortunately, the Titans wasted an unbelievable individual performance.  On Senior Night, senior Darius Gant had 28 points and 21 rebounds and made every big basket for the Titans down the stretch in regulation.  North Park had no answer for him.  They tried to double and triple team Gant, but his quickness, strength, ability to camp out in the lane for 5-8 seconds at a time,and leaping ability still made him an impossible matchup.  I think Darius solidified his spot on the 1st Team All-CCIW.

Now, kudos to Darius for realizing the refs weren't counting to 3 and taking advantage of it, but there it is.

Seems to diminish the extraordinary effort of Mr. Gant. I am not buying this. 21 rebounds against a 4 guard lineup and a bunch of clanking 3's (making for long rebounds and weird angles an experienced rebounder would thrive on) are more reasonable explanations.

Were you there?

I didn't say he didn't have a good game, I said his ability to take advantage of the 3 second violation not being called was part of his good game.  As has been said in here many times before (esp. about Raymond and now Steve D.) one of the marks of a great player is learning what they can get away with without the refs seeing. 

I was not there. No one who was there has corroborated your story either. My point was your post seemed to not only diminish Gant's performance (one which several have agreed was exceptional) but alsot to suggest his accomplishment was earned in a less than legit manner. I didn't think that was fair. In addition, the balance you exhibit in this post was not there in your original post. And believe me, Q will admit it pains me to be sticking up for anything IWU.

There hasn't been anyone without green-tinted glasses who has posted either... I'm sorry I'm not credible enough for you.

[Gregory Sager]

North Park showed a lot of heart in a game that basically didn't mean a darn thing to them

On the contrary, Bob, this game meant quite a bit to NPU. The Vikings have been pointing to this game for four weeks now, and not just for one reason but for several.

First, there's the business of what happened at the end of the IWU @ NPU game on January 26. That left a very bitter taste in the mouths of everyone who follows or is connected with North Park basketball, and nobody more so than the players and coaches themselves. I heard quite a few conversations with Paul Brenegan, his staff, and his team regarding their desire to go into Bloomington and take some revenge for what they felt was a win over the Titans that had been stolen from them in Chicago.

Second, this was the final game in the careers of Jay Alexander, Jason Gordon, and Ed Whitaker. Just because it was Senior Night for the Titans quartet and not for them didn't meant that it was any less meaningful for the visiting trio of seniors. Putting on the uni for the last time is a very emotional thing, and I have no doubt that Jay, Jason, and Ed were as fired up for Saturday night's game as they could possibly be -- and, given the high esteem in which those three seniors are held by their teammates (I can't remember the last time NPU has had three seniors who were more respected by players, coaches, and fans alike as were Jay, Jason, and Ed), I'm sure that Nick Williams, Antonio Stevens, Dan Oziminski, Chris Brown, etc., wanted to do everything that they could to help those three go out on a winning note.

Lastly, there's the matter of season record. There is no doubt that this was a disappointing season for NPU. The expectations for the Park were higher than achieving the same mediocrity that they attained last season. Unfortunately, that mediocrity again raised its ugly head for North Park in 2007-08, in large part because the Vikings weren't able to close out a bunch of CCIW games that went right down to the wire (including the aforementioned IWU @ NPU contest). But a win on Saturday would've improved on last year's record. You may ask what the difference is between 13-12, 5-9 and 14-11, 6-8, especially since the Vikes knew that they were going to finish sixth again this year unless they beat the Titans while Millikin upset Carthage in Kenosha, the latter being a very unlikely outcome. The answer is that, while there's only a one-game improvement there, it's still a matter of pride. NPU was out to better last year's record, and I'm sure that that was a part of the motivation of the Vikings as well.

I see the tenacity exhibited by NPU last night as a clear indication that the Vikings had a lot to play for.

[usee]

There hasn't been anyone without green-tinted glasses who has posted either... I'm sorry I'm not credible enough for you.

You weren't wearing green-tinted glasses but don't kid yourself, your glasses were definately tinted. I have no dog in this fight. truth be known I was an NPU fan in this game due to the now second place finish for my home boy team formerly known as Crusaders. I was merely pointing out your tint from my perspective. Your credibility was never in question.

[AndOne]

iwumichigander,

Boy, you are right, with the overall outcome of the game having no consequences on the tourney, how could those three seniors not get a few minutes on the floor?  I like your term "inexcusable".   I never recall a time when Bosko didn't give at least a brief appearance for all his seniors and certainly in a situation like last night, what would have been the problem?

That game could have been for a share of the CCIW championship (if Augie lost at NCC, which they almost did), which is a huge deal.  It is a very tough decision to make to throw 3 guys in there who haven't played all conference season long in a game you have to treat as a "must win" at the time. (It turned out to mean nothing since Augie won.)

As bad as everyone was playing except Gant, maybe it would have been a good idea to throw Brian Nussbaum, Kevin Bryant, and Jason Bloom in there, but the guys on the floor got the Titans to this position.  It is awfully hard to decide to go against them in a game you are losing.  (It's not like throwing those seniors in up 40 vs Millikin.)  What if you put those guys in with IWU down 2 and 10:00 to play, the game finishes the same (North Park winning) and NCC beats Augie -- now people say, "How could they put three guys who haven't played all season long in a game for the share of the title!?"  I'm not sure it is fair to Nussbaum, Bryant, and Bloom to pin that on them in their final game either.

It was a terribly difficult decision for Ron Rose.  Believe me, if there was one person in the gym last night (outside of senior parents and family members) that wanted to get Brian Nussbaum, Kevin Bryant, and Jason Bloom in the game, it was Ron Rose.  I can't tell you how many times this year I have heard Ron and the staff talk about what those 3 have meant to the team. It was just a tough situation the way it turned out (the game being a nail biter the entire way) and one in which the head coach is going to get second guessed no matter what he decides.

Quite a bit of discussion regarding playing seniors on "their night."

While the game had no consequence as far as conference standing or making the tourney, NCC Coach Todd Raridon did a classy thing not only playing, but starting seniors Jeremy Williams and Justin Johnson. Williams, NCC's starting center, was injured and lost for the season with a torn MCL in the 2nd conference game against Wheaton, and his "start" was largely ceremonial. After the opening tip, the refs called an official time out to allow Jeremy to be substituted for and to leave the game to the tune of the fans applause and his teammates high fives, backslaps, and hugs. I'm sure Coach G from Augie was in on this and kudos to him for the kind gesture of sportsmanship.

Justin Johnson was a four year member of the Cardinal program who not only never was a starter, but who saw very little court time during his four year career. Despite his regularly occupying a seat near the end of the bench he always maintained an upbeat attitude and often led the cheers for his teammates, usually being the first one to great and applaud/high five a teammate being removed from the game. In practice, he would not only call out a team member who made a mistake or didn't know when he was supposed to be on a play, but show him just where he should be positioned. He was also the first to lead cheers for a job well done whether it be during practice or in a game. Justin always put the team first and never complained.
It would have been easy for Justin to quit anywhere along the line, and I'm sure many players functioning under the same circumstances have indeed done just that. Instead, he epitomized the essence of the DIII player, sticking it out for the value he received from being a member of a team, and playing for the love of the game, and because it was fun. In his final game, Justin saw a well-earned 16 minutes of court time and scored 5 points including a big 3 pointer at an important juncture in the game.

Talking about what a player or players mean to a team is great. However, I'd like to think that actions speak louder than words. Accordingly, it seems like Wesleyan's "other" 3 seniors probably had earned the right to be recognized on their special night even if it only involved being introduced in the starting lineup and playing the first minute or so as a thank you for 4 years of time, dedication, and sweat.   
This appears especially true considering a 7 for 49 performance from the other Titans beside Mr. Gant that saw action.   

[Gregory Sager]

Great article in the racine journal times today about Steve and Bosko, and how their first season went together. The article is titled "perfect son." Here's the link

http://www.journaltimes.com/articles/2008/02/24/local_sports/doc47c0e87e69459452476183.txt

That was a great article. Thanks for linking that.

The article mentions that there have been five players in league history who've made the All-CCIW first team all four seasons that they played. Given the fact that Steve Djurickovic is a shoo-in to make first team this season as a freshman, and someone is no doubt going to ask at some point who else has breathed this same rarefied air, here's a list of those five four-time All-CCIW first-teamers:

Bud Schaeffer, Wheaton (1946-47 thru 1949-50)
Bill Warden, North Central (1951-52 thru 1954-55)
Jesse Price, Millikin (1965-66 thru 1968-69)
Jason Wiertel, Carthage (1998-99 thru 2001-02)
Rob Garnes, Carthage (1999-00 thru 2002-03)

The CCIW's Most Outstanding Player award wasn't inaugurated until the 1967-68 season, so Schaeffer and Warden never had the chance to win it and Price didn't have the chance to win it as an underclassman. He did win the first two MOPs handed out by the league, in 1967-68 and 1968-69. Wiertel shared the MOP as a sophomore with Illinois Wesleyan's Korey Coon in 1999-00.

In addition to those five, the following trio also made the All-CCIW first team as freshmen:

Marv Johnson, Wheaton (1947-48)
Alonzo Alexander, North Central (1989-90)
Kevin Skillett, Augustana (1990-91)

The players who have been four-time members of the All-CCIW team are:

Bud Schaeffer, Wheaton (1946-47 thru 1949-50)
Marv Johnson, Wheaton (1947-48 thru 1950-51)
Scott Steagall, Millikin (1947-48 thru 1950-51)
John Luttrell, Millikin (1949-50 thru 1952-53)
Norm Pott, Wheaton (1950-51 thru 1953-54)
Bill Warden, North Central (1951-52 thru 1954-55)
Roger Lotchin, Millikin (1953-54 thru 1956-57)
Irie Grant, Carroll (1961-62 thru 1964-65)
Jesse Price, Millikin (1965-66 thru 1968-69)**
Jack Sikma, Illinois Wesleyan (1973-74 thru 1976-77)***
Modzel Greer, North Park (1976-77 thru 1979-80)
Greg Yess, Illinois Wesleyan (1978-79 thru 1981-82)*
Blaise Bugajski, Illinois Wesleyan (1979-80, 1981-82 thru 1983-84)*
Brian Horst, Millikin (1985-86 thru 1988-89)
Wesley Pitts, Wheaton (1993-94 thru 1996-97)*
Korey Coon, Illinois Wesleyan (1996-97 thru 1999-00)**
Jason Wiertel, Carthage (1998-99 thru 2001-02)*
Rob Garnes, Carthage (1999-00 thru 2002-03)
Antoine McDaniel, Carthage (1999-00 thru 2002-03)*
Luke Kasten, Illinois Wesleyan (1999-00 thru 2002-03)
Chris Martin, Elmhurst (2001-02, 2003-04 thru 2005-06)
Zach Freeman, Illinois Wesleyan (2003-04 thru 2006-07)

* CCIW MOP awards won

[Gregory Sager]

Talking about what a player or players mean to a team is great. However, I'd like to think that actions speak louder than words. Accordingly, it seems like Wesleyan's "other" 3 seniors probably had earned the right to be recognized on their special night even if it only involved being introduced in the starting lineup and playing the first minute or so as a thank you for 4 years of time, dedication, and sweat. 

I suppose that this is my position, too. I'm not second-guessing Ron Rose's tactics, because Bob's point about the importance of the game is valid. But the typical basketball game has a stoppage of play within the first couple of minutes. In fact, the first stoppage of play on Saturday night (according to the livestats PBP) was a rebound of a Jason Gordon missed trey that went out of bounds at 19:31. Why not start Bryant, Nussbaum, and Bloom and send the three regular starters over to the scorer's table right after the ref tosses up the opening tipoff? I doubt that North Park could've built up any sort of a substantial lead in that brief interval.

[Gregory Sager]

I don't think anyone in here expects Ron Rose to play those guys for a whole half, or even a full 5 minutes, but, knowing the kind of heart a guy like Brian Nussbaum has poured into this team for 4 years, you want to tell me he doesn't deserve to take off his warm-ups on SENIOR NIGHT

Man, I sure am glad that your Homewood-Flossmoor homeboy is graduating from Wesleyan. Now you can get your NPU partisan priorities back in order.

[tjcummingsfan]

Oh I don't think there was any question where my priorities lay last night, I was my usual self. 

It was easy, considering Nuss didn't see the court, I wasn't torn at all (maybe even fueled me a bit more).

There hasn't been anyone without green-tinted glasses who has posted either... I'm sorry I'm not credible enough for you.

You weren't wearing green-tinted glasses but don't kid yourself, your glasses were definately tinted. I have no dog in this fight. truth be known I was an NPU fan in this game due to the now second place finish for my home boy team formerly known as Crusaders. I was merely pointing out your tint from my perspective. Your credibility was never in question.

Oh absolutely I was wearing blue and yellow glasses, but I definitely felt like that was an observation that needed to be mentioned, and it certainly wasn't coming from any else who was there.