MBB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[Gotberg]

Potential Elmhurst/IWU recruit: 
http://illinoishsbasketball.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=668&Itemid=1

[augie22]

IBC = Illinois Benedicting U. (i figure you know it but just saying for the people who do not)

Just got word that Northern State had an in home visit with Tom Fitzpatrick and his family and that Tom is going to turn down the scholarship offer to attend the University of Illinois as a walk-on, not even a prefered walk-on.  Does this make sense to everyone else since his wasn't even an all area player with Wheaton North?  I am having a hard time grasping this decision from him and his family.  In my eyes if he went to a CCIW school he would probably be sitting until his soph or junior year because he is so skinny at 6'7.

[Gotberg]

Just got word that Northern State had an in home visit with Tom Fitzpatrick and his family and that Tom is going to turn down the scholarship offer to attend the University of Illinois as a walk-on, not even a prefered walk-on.  Does this make sense to everyone else since his wasn't even an all area player with Wheaton North?  I am having a hard time grasping this decision from him and his family.  In my eyes if he went to a CCIW school he would probably be sitting until his soph or junior year because he is so skinny at 6'7.

If I had to guess, he's choosing school over basketball.  If basketball works out, that's great.  If not, he's going to the school of his choice.

Reminds me of Brian Johnson who played at Illinois under Kruger. 

IIRC, his final choice was either to play basketball/study at IWU or go to his preferred college, Illinois, without a basketball scholarship and study engineering.  He chose Illinois and the basketball thing just worked itself out and was a bonus. 

[Gotberg]

This aligns fairly closely with what the NPU coaches told me about Benson when he committed to the Park back in mid-season. Benson's a 6'4, 220 kid who'll play power forward for the Vikings. He'll be on the NPU junior varsity next season. He's not an immediate varsity player, but the coaches think he has long-term potential.

Any other recruiting news on the NPU front that can be made public?

[Gregory Sager]

This aligns fairly closely with what the NPU coaches told me about Benson when he committed to the Park back in mid-season. Benson's a 6'4, 220 kid who'll play power forward for the Vikings. He'll be on the NPU junior varsity next season. He's not an immediate varsity player, but the coaches think he has long-term potential.

He sounds like a shorter Phil Schneidermeier.  Have the coaches drawn any comparisons like that?

Not really, because they'll play different positions for NPU. Benson doesn't have the size to play center in the CCIW. He'll have to be a forward, which means that he'll need to develop his floor skills a bit as well as improve his defense and his finishing ability around the basket.

IBC = Illinois Benedicting U. (i figure you know it but just saying for the people who do not)

You'd be surprised how many people didn't catch your reference, especially younger people who haven't been following local D3 hoops for over a dozen years, because Benedictine University changed its name from Illinois Benedictine College all the way back in 1996. It's "BU", not "IBC".

Wow, was 1996 really a dozen years ago?

And I'm with Dennis -- I'd like to know the identity of the school to which you've referred as "Indian". Is that Indian Hills Community College in Ottumwa, IA?

Any other recruiting news on the NPU front that can be made public?

Not yet. I think that most of North Park's freshmen recruit announcements will trickle in over April and May. NPU used to be one of the schools that made late freshman recruit announcements, most of them coming over the summer, but in recent years (for probably several reasons) that's become more of a spring event. One thing that I can tell you is that there may be more of an accent on transfers for the Park this recruiting cycle than in the previous seasons of the Brenegan regime. But that's not written in stone yet.

[Gregory Sager]

Potential Elmhurst/IWU recruit: 
http://illinoishsbasketball.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=668&Itemid=1

I'm really surprised that Loyola offered Rudnicki a preferred walk-on spot. He could be a very useful player at this level, but he's not D1 material at all.

[devildog29]

And I'm with Dennis -- I'd like to know the identity of the school to which you've referred as "Indian". Is that Indian Hills Community College in Ottumwa, IA?

Is that where Walter O'Reilly went to school?

[Dennis_Prikkel]

And I'm with Dennis -- I'd like to know the identity of the school to which you've referred as "Indian". Is that Indian Hills Community College in Ottumwa, IA?

Is that where Walter O'Reilly went to school?

No - that was the University of Southern North Dakota at Hoople.

DoS

[markerickson]

Illinois has an abundance of poor DI basketball programs:  Chicago State; WIU; NIU; EIU; UIC; and, Loyola.  DePaul is average, at best.  SIU and U of I are more powerful on the national scene.  I don't know what Bradley has done since their seven footer (O'Bryant?) left school early to earn millions w/o being able to make an NBA roster.

[Pat Coleman]

And I'm with Dennis -- I'd like to know the identity of the school to which you've referred as "Indian". Is that Indian Hills Community College in Ottumwa, IA?

Is that where Walter O'Reilly went to school?

No - that was the University of Southern North Dakota at Hoople.

DoS

I don't think too many people are going to get that reference pretty darn quickly.

[Dennis_Prikkel]

No - that was the University of Southern North Dakota at Hoople.

I don't think too many people are going to get that reference pretty darn quickly.

Oh, well, Bach to the drawing board.
OxyBob

That would be a +K (gold star) for vous.

DoS

[devildog29]

And I'm with Dennis -- I'd like to know the identity of the school to which you've referred as "Indian". Is that Indian Hills Community College in Ottumwa, IA?

Is that where Walter O'Reilly went to school?

No - that was the University of Southern North Dakota at Hoople.

DoS

I don't think too many people are going to get that reference pretty darn quickly.

I must admit, I did have to wikipedia that one. 

[Dennis_Prikkel]

Dick Vitale is elected to contributor's wing of the basketball hall of fame.

Long-time North Park fans might remember that one of the first games Dick Vitale ever did for ESPN (it might have been the first) was as color commentator for the 1980 Division 3 national championship game in Rock Island.

North Park was playing Upsala College of New Jersey for the national title - and North Park was set to join UCLA as the only two schools (still ever) to win three straight NCAA men's basketball titles.  North Park led nearly wire to wire in winning 83-76.

Vitale spent almost the entire game talking about the Upsala coach Tom Chapman, who was a close friend of his from their college days.

DoS

[markerickson]

Kansas v Memphis was a great game.  The element that curtailed further enjoyment was the fact that Billy Packer called the game.  The guy talks incessantly!

Who is more annoying, Packer or Vitale?

[Dennis_Prikkel]

Kansas v Memphis was a great game.  The element that curtailed further enjoyment was the fact that Billy Packer called the game.  The guy talks incessantly!

Who is more annoying, Packer or Vitale?

Most annoying -

Vitale - if its a Duke game
Packer - at all other times.

DoS

I thought the little white-haired referee was terribly biased against Memphis - he made some really ticky-tacky calls late in the game that put Kansas at the line shooting the one on one - after letting all hell break loose at other times.

It's not how many fouls they call - its when they call them (or don't).

DoS