MBB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[Titan Q]

IWU 81
Wheaton 78

http://www.pantagraph.com/articles/2008/03/01/usports/doc47c8e1c4c8f07616043593.txt

http://centralillinoisproud.com/media_player.php?media_id=7441

http://www.iwu.edu/~iwunews/sports/mbb2008/08CCIW01.HTM

http://www.wjbc.com/wire2/podsports/00855_Titans-Postgame-WEB_230503.htm


The Titans showed a lot of character last night, bouncing back from one of the worst shooting performances in school history (4-32 from 3 vs North Park) to defeat a very good Wheaton team.  After the miserable performance at the Shirk Center last Saturday, the Titans shot 55% from the field, including 43% from 3.

Also impressive was the fact they did it with their 1st Team All-CCIW performer on the bench half of the game.  Darius Gant picked up his first foul at the 19:39 mark and his second at 18:37.  He went to the bench and only played 3 minutes in the 1st half and 15 in the game.  Darius was basically a non-factor in the game -- he did not make a field goal (0-2 FG, 6 pts, 4 reb). Without Gant, the Titans battled back from down 7 at 11:17 of the 1st half, to up 3 at the break.  Sean Johnson was the key man in the opening half, as the freshman scored 13 points on 5-8 shooting.  (Again, great to see after the shooting night he had vs NPU.)  Freshman Doug Sexauer added 7 points in the 1st and Jordan Morris 6 on 2-2 from beyond the arc.

In the 2nd half, freshman point-guard Travis Rosenkranz was terrific.  Rosenkranz scored 18 points after halftime on 7 of 10 from the field.  Travis finished with 20 pts, 4 assists, and 3 rebounds.  It was the best collegiate game for Rosenkranz...in a game with a lot on the line.

Freshman Duncan Lawson was forced into his most varsity P.T. of the season due to the foul trouble to Gant and Sexauer (also in trouble the whole game).  He played 15 minutes and played well on both ends of the floor.  At 6-8/225, Duncan was able to guard 6-8/230 Andy Wiele and make him work hard in the low post.  Lawson finished with 4 important points and 4 rebounds.

Freshman Matt Schick was also big for the Titans.  Schick was thrown into the game cold off the bench late and knocked down 5-6 free throws in the final :44 to secure the win.  The FT's were all huge as Kent Raymond refused to go away, knocking down 3 3-pointers in the final :41 to keep it a one possession game.

Brett Chamernik had his usual game - 12 pts, 5 rebounds.  He's really had a solid junior season.

Wheaton got a monster performance out of Kent Raymond - 34 points.  I hate to say it since he scored 34, but I actually thought IWU did a pretty good job on him.  Raymond missed 15 shots from the field (10-25 FG, 5-14 3-pt).  He's just an unbelievable player at this level.  If that was his final collegiate game, it was one heck of a career.

IWU's freshmen scored 52 points last night in the conference tournament semifinal.  The Titans have a wonderful young group to build around moving forward.

[Titan Q]

Regarding the league's Pool C chances, it think they're very slim.  I think the only team that will be discussed by the committee tomorrow is Illinois Wesleyan (if they lose tonight), and I don't think the Titans have a great shot.  On the bubble at best, IWU is hurt by Wooster's home loss in the NCAC tournament yesterday and Occidental's loss to Claremont-Mudd-Scripps in the SCIAC (two teams IWU played).  Oxy being on the bubble hurts especially since if it were to come down to IWU and the Tigers somehow, Oxy won the head-to-head game in December.  A few more upsets are sure to follow today, taking away Pool C bids from the bubble teams.

I do think IWU will be the second highest rated Pool C candidate in the Midwest Region, behind the Wash U/Chicago loser (they play today).  The regional rankings released Wednesday had:

Midwest Region
1. Augustana  20-5  19-5 .575 .555
2. Washington U.  19-5  16-4 .647 .565
3. Lawrence  20-2  18-2 .555 .515
4. Wheaton (Ill.)  19-6  15-6 .577 .549
5. Chicago  17-7  16-7 .605 .568
6. Elmhurst  18-7  17-7 .505 .537
7. Aurora  20-5  18-5 .465 .496
8. Webster  19-5  17-5 .492 .481

IWU fell out of the #5 spot after the loss to North Park, but I think will reappear as about #6, behind Augustana, Wash U, Lawrence, Chicago, and Aurora.  Notes...

* Wheaton has no chance to get in before IWU since IWU went 3-0 vs the Thunder.  The "head-to-head" criterion will kill Wheaton vs IWU.  Wheaton had a very good shot of getting in before the CCIW tournament.  Now, I think they have no chance.  If IWU is on the bubble, then Wheaton can't even see the bubble.

* IWU will be ranked ahead of Elmhurst in the final ranking (which we won't see) tomorrow.  IWU's strength of schedule should be enough to bump them back ahead of Elmhurst, which is where the Titans were before this week.


I think the Titans will come up about 2 regional wins short of a Pool C bid if they lose tonight.  Do I think IWU is one of the best 17 Pool C candidates?  Absolutely.  But based on the way the system works, they have a big problem on their resume (8 regional losses now, 9 if they lose tonight).  Note, IWU has a terrific strength of schedule and the Titans do have 5 wins over teams currently ranked (3 over Wheaton, 1 over Elmhurst, 1 over Webster)...so that helps, as long as those teams stay ranked.  Webster will probably fall out though, and Elmhurst could too.

"Must win" tonight in Rock Island for the Titans if they want to play in the NCAA tournament. 

Augustana would be a lock Pool C with a loss.

[und63]

Congrats to IWU and AUG on their wins today.

I feel bad for Wheaton & Elmhurst.  Both are among the best 58 D3 teams in the nation.

The entire Titan Nation of Green & White will be in RI tonight to see IWU qualify to go on in the D3 tournament!  If Wheaton & Elmhurst are among the best 59 D3 teams, then the young Titans are even higher on the list being 4 W and 1 L against them in 2008.

GO TITANS!!!!!!

[Gregory Sager]

I don't think that Illinois Wesleyan has any prayer whatsoever of getting a Pool C bid. With a loss tonight, the .625 regional winning percentage of the Titans will be a good 100 points lower than any of the other bubble teams, and that's far too great of a gap to overcome. Also, as Bob said, Webster will most likely fall out of the rankings, which would bring IWU's record versus regionally-ranked opponents to 4-7 following a third loss to Augustana (0-3 vs. Augie, 0-1 vs. Wash U, 0-1 vs. Chicago, 3-0 vs. Wheaton, 1-1 vs. Elmhurst, 0-1 vs. Occidental). In other words, that's not a criterion that works in IWU's favor to help ameliorate the huge shortfall in the regional-winning-percentage criterion. Bob's also outlined the problem that Occidental's joining the Pool C throng creates for the Titans.

The one thing that the Titans have going for them is their strength of schedule (OWP and OOWP, in whatever formula they're added together). That's not nearly enough to offset their shortcomings in the other four criteria, particularly the regional winning percentage criterion.

They're in win-or-stay-home territory, and like Wheaton and Elmhurst they were in win-or-stay-home territory when the conference tournament began.

[Greek Tragedy]

As Bob and I have been saying over the past couple of days, if it happens it'll be a crime that the CCIW has perpetrated upon itself. How can you blame the D3 selection committee if you put your four top teams in a gym over a weekend and turn them into a circular firing squad?

Greg, we've both stated that we don't disagree, so I guess we'll just have to agree to diagree!

If you guys don't disagree, doesn't that mean you agree?

I think the only fans happy that they have a tourney are teams like Ill. Wes.  Prior to the tourney, they had no shot.  If they win the tourney, they are in.  There's always two sides to the coin and obviously those teams that look good going into it are all up in arms.  Over in the WIAC, #7 Eau Claire beat Platteville and #5 Superior beat Oshkosh and #6 La Crosse took Point into OT before losing.  Superior then took Whitewater into OT before losing in the semis.  Point pounded EC in the other semi, but just think, #5 Superior could've been hosting the WIAC championship game for the right to get that Pool A bid (if EC beat Point).  I don't think they are complaining.

Another common complaint from fans is that the current system doesn't take the perceived best 59 teams.  Well, as long as you have conference automatic bids, I don't think you'll get that.  There probably is a possibility that a conference winner in a weak conference may not be as good as the 2nd place team in a "power" conference. 

[augiefan]

Although I will never root against Augie, a win by IWU is not the worst thing in the world. I do believe the CCIW deserves two teams in the tournament, and an IWU win is the only way that is going to happen. 

A loss probably does not change Augie's seeding in the tourney that much, so long as they are in win or lose as most of us believe. They have also won so many nail biters this year, that perhaps a loss now when it does not end their season will prepare them for a run in the tournament. I sure wish Jordan Delp could be a part of that run.

This being said I expect Augie to win tonight, despite the fact that IWU will probably have more fans in attendance with Augie on Spring break.

[larry_u]

Lawrence beats Carroll 98-95 in OT so no MWC team stealing a bubble spot...

[Titan Q]

IWU @ Augustana, CCIW Tournament Championship, 7:30pm...


Live stats, Augustana.edu 

Augie webcast (Chris Ford, Dan Sand)

WJBC, Bloomington broadcast (Eric Stock, Bob Quillman)

[Titan Q]

Officials: Gene Rayford, Joe Curtis, Tom Flynn (alternate Fritz Larsen)

[knarocky22]

I missed the beginning of the broadcast.....Why isn't Swetalla starting?  Wrist?

[Mr. Ypsi]

I missed the beginning of the broadcast.....Why isn't Swetalla starting?  Wrist?

Q doesn't know on the WJBK broadcast - and has also wondered.  Maybe the Augie announcers know?

[knarocky22]

That's what I'm listening to.  They haven't said anything about it since the game started.  I know they said last night on the broadcast that he had his wrist taped after his dunk.

[knarocky22]

They just said it is his wrist.  He's dressed, but hasn't seen time yet.

[knarocky22]

Augie 71
IWU   60


Justin Bertrand   13 pts, 11 reb, 5-6 ft
Matt Pelton         11 pts, 8 ast, 0 TO, 0 TO for the CCIW tourny
Alex Washington  14 pts

Sean Johnson   15 pts, 3-7 3pt
Darius Gant      14 pts, 6 reb
Travis Rosenkranz 10 pts, 3-12 shooting


Great team effort by Augie tonight who played without Dain Swetalla, who I think would have played had it been the NCAA tournament.  Both teams struggled rebounding on the defensive end in the first half, but Augie was much better rebounding in the 2nd half.  Huge games by Justin Bertrand, Matt Pelton, and Alex Washington.  They really picked up the slack as Brett Wessels seemed to struggle a little bit tonight.

Unfortunately, this probably means that the CCIW will only get 1 team in the tournament.  Hopefully Augie can represent the league better than they did last year.

[Titan Q]

Augustana 71
IWU 60

http://www.augustana.edu/athletics/mbasketball/stats/2007-08/08mbb27.htm


Even with Dain Swetalla not playing, Augustana still just had too much size for the Titans.  All great teams have depth, and it is such a nice luxury when that depth is in the low post, which is exactly what Augie has.  Justin Betrand came off the bench and had a huge game - 13 pts and 11 rebounds (4-5 FG).  6-9 Dan Rukavina was serviceable in replacing 6-9 Swetalla in the starting lineup, finishing with 7 & 7.  With that size disparity, the Titans just have no consistent inside game vs Augustana, and that takes away the starting point of their offense. 

IWU competed hard and battled, as they always do.  I'm incredibly proud of this team and what they accomplished this year.  They are such as easy team to root for because the student-athletes are just all so hard-working and likeable.  It was a fun season of covering Titan basketball...and coming in, I thought it might be a real long one.

Finally, a mention of IWU head coach Ron Rose, who just did a fantastic job with his team this year.  Coach Rose went out and brought in some serious talent, blended it with the returning players, and developed this team as the season went on.  Their improvement from December to February was amazing.  IWU has a first class head coach in Ron Rose and he has a chance to do some great things at his alma mater.

Congrats to Augustana on the CCIW regular season and tournament title.  No question the Vikings are the best team in the league this year.  Good luck to Augie in the tournament - do us proud.