MBB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[cardinalfanrochelle]

Greg,
        What about Deacon Blues??? They have a name for the winners of the world and I want a name when I lose they call Alabama the crimson tide , call me Deacon Blues

[dansand]

Saturday the Vikes will try and avenge last year's loss to UW-LaCrosse. Road games at WIAC schools are always tough, even when you're not playing one of the league's elite teams.

I'm always wary of playing the comparative-scores game, but the fact that Elmhurst and Augustana are playing UWL only three days apart should be a little more indicative of where those two CCIW teams are relative to each other than you'd usually get from a common opponent.

I'm especially wary of comparing scores when Augie's involved. Case in point: Last year Wesleyan beats Millikin by 43...three days later Augie squeaks by the Big Blue by three...Four days after that, Augie beats IWU by 15...Go figure.

[Gregory Sager]

Saturday the Vikes will try and avenge last year's loss to UW-LaCrosse. Road games at WIAC schools are always tough, even when you're not playing one of the league's elite teams.

I'm always wary of playing the comparative-scores game, but the fact that Elmhurst and Augustana are playing UWL only three days apart should be a little more indicative of where those two CCIW teams are relative to each other than you'd usually get from a common opponent.

I'm especially wary of comparing scores when Augie's involved. Case in point: Last year Wesleyan beats Millikin by 43...three days later Augie squeaks by the Big Blue by three...Four days after that, Augie beats IWU by 15...Go figure.

That's a good point. Elmhurst and Augustana aren't very much alike in terms of personnel -- plus, Augie's style of play tends to lend itself to closer games. Still, the fact that the games are only three days apart should mean that UWL is a better common denominator than you'd usually get from a common opponent. I should've italicized the word little in my first post.

Greg,
        What about Deacon Blues??? They have a name for the winners of the world and I want a name when I lose they call Alabama the crimson tide , call me Deacon Blues

That's a great song to play if you're doing the pregame music for a Wake Forest game.

[Titan Q]

IWU (3-0) travels to Bourbonnais tonight for its annual game vs NAIA DI Olivet Nazarene (3-5).  The Tigers pasted IWU last year at the Shirk Center, 97-79.

IWU has faced some real powerhouse ONU teams over the years (teams that ended up winning the CCAC and making a deep NAIA tournament run), but I'm pretty sure this is not one of those.  The Tigers have plenty of talent, but they are also in the process of working several new players into their rotation.  If the Titans are the #13 team in NCAA Division III, they should win this road game.

Olivet Nazarene, as always, has good size.  They start

G Antonio Marshall (5-9/165, Fr.) - 10.5 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 5.7 apg
G Rashad Mitchell (6-2/200, Jr.) - 12.1 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 1.8 apg
F Kris Irish (6-6/200, Jr.) - 7.9 ppg, 2.8 rpg
F Tyler Wallenfang (6-7/220, Jr.)- 17.5 ppg, 6.1 rpg
C Tyler Baldwin (6-8/265, Jr.) - 5.9 ppg, 4.9 rpg

I assume IWU will go with:

G Travis Rosenkranz (6-0/175, So.) - 12.3 ppg, 2.0 rpg, 3.3 apg
G Sean Johnson (6-1/185, So.) - 12.0 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 4.0 apg
F John Koschnitzky (6-6/195, Fr.) - 10.0 ppg, 4.0 rpg
F Doug Sexauer (6-7/225, So.) - 14.0 ppg, 7.3 rpg
C Ed O'Callaghan (6/6/200, So.)  9.0 ppg, 7.0 rpg

Three of the starters tonight are from Washington H.S., near Peoria - IWU's Johnson and ONU's Wallenfang and Irish.

ONU has five losses, but it looks like most were to strong programs - Indiana Institute of Technology (NAIA 2 #8), U. of Sioux Falls, Illinois-Springfield (NAIA D1 #21), Northern Kentucky (NCAA D2 #5), and Huntington, In. (NAIA 2 RV).

I've always liked the IWU/Olivet Nazarene matchup because the Tigers usually look just like a good CCIW team.  Should be a good test, but again, I feel like the Titans should win if they're where they want to be right now.

[usee]

Q,

it's a bit early but I am thinking IWU has the right stuff to beat WashU later this week. What will it take to win in St Louis?

[petemcb]

Q,

it's a bit early but I am thinking IWU has the right stuff to beat WashU later this week. What will it take to win in St Louis?

Keelan, Adam and Zach would be a good start.

[mactitan]

I'd rather have Brent, Brian, and Korey.

[mactitan]

So, I know its early.  I know the rankings don't mean a lot, but when I look at the Top 25 and see CCIW teams at No. 3, 4, 9 and 16, I get a little giddy.

Is this the year CCIW will finally break through and win a national championship?  There have been a lot of good teams in this conference since 1997, and I still can't believe that Wiertel and McDaniel never won a title at Carthage, and that Keelan and Dauksas never won one for IWU.  But it feels like this league is as strong as it has been in a long time.

Any thoughts?

[cardinalpride]

Congratulations to Reid Barringer for being named CCIW player of the week!


http://www.cciw.org/winter_bball_m/pow08_3.php

[Mr. Ypsi]

mactitan,

Even better - the CCIW is at 3, 4, 8, 13!

[iwu70]

IWU Women at #5 is all good, too.

[iwu70]

Wash U game should be a great opportunity, a great test for the young Titans.

From my era, how about Fred, Sheldon, and Tommy . . . to take on Wash U?

Some really great Titan teams over the years.

Best to all Chatsters for the upcoming holidays -- and the Year of the Ox to follow in late January.  I'm looking forward to being on campus for several games in late January . . . and to celebrating my Mother's 90th birthday at IWU on the 28th.

[Stat]

Sage & Q

If you would bring me up to date and prognosticate upcoming season, ie: top condenters, mvps ( other than Stevie of course, still remember dunking the squirt in the pool) would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Stat

[Titan Q]

Sage & Q

If you would bring me up to date and prognosticate upcoming season, ie: top condenters, mvps ( other than Stevie of course, still remember dunking the squirt in the pool) would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Stat

A few links, Stat...

http://www.cciw.org/winter_bball_m/200809mbbpoll.php

http://www.cciw.org/winter_bball_m/07_08_MBBallconf.htm

http://www.d3hoops.com/top25/

[Mr. Ypsi]

Wash U game should be a great opportunity, a great test for the young Titans.

From my era, how about Fred, Sheldon, and Tommy . . . to take on Wash U?

Some really great Titan teams over the years.

Best to all Chatsters for the upcoming holidays -- and the Year of the Ox to follow in late January.  I'm looking forward to being on campus for several games in late January . . . and to celebrating my Mother's 90th birthday at IWU on the 28th.

Mark, I doubt there are more than 5 of us on CCIW Chat who have any idea who you're talking about!  

For the rest, Fred (Evans) played only his senior year, but out-rebounded Elmore Smith (7'1" first-round NBA draft pick) in the NAIA tourney; Sheldon (Thomson) was a dominant center in the years before Fred, despite being all of 6'2"; Tommy (Gramkow) will forever live in the hearts of Titans for the game-winning shot in the last game Illinois State ever played IWU.  Toss in Steve Laub at the point (a senior when Mark and I were freshmen, and according to Dennis Prikkel the gamest SOB ever to play in the CCIW, whatever his innate talents may have lacked), and I think we've got a walnut-and-bronze candidate.

My congratulations to your mom - my dad turned 90 on Nov. 1 and my mom hit 91 on Nov. 8 - I have every expectation of attending their 70th anniversary in 2.5 years.