MBB: Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference

[Gregory Sager]

The key word there is "scrimmage," Mark. Scrimmages can only tell us just so much.

[AndOne]

The key word there is "scrimmage," Mark. Scrimmages can only tell us just so much.

True--However, I believe Both Chicago and Concordia are pretty veteran clubs while a huge portion of the NCC roster is comprised of freshmen. Fairly impressive even though it was "only" a scrimmage. And, just emphasizes the top to near bottom strength of the CCIW as I believe Concordia was picked to win their division of the NathCom. Also, Chicago appeared in the "Others Receiving Votes" portion of the preseason Top 25.

[AndOne]

Wow, good opening night for the NathCon.

Wins over the IIAC (Edgewood d. Loras), the WIAC (CUW d. UW-La Crosse), the UAA (Dominican d. Chicago) and a strong showing against the CCIW (Benedictine plays #4 IWU tough).

The Edgewood win over Loras does not surprise me at all. Loras has no dominant bigs and their inside game is lacking. Pawelski did have a good game for Loras, but that is not his norm. 2 very good Loras freshmen, Richie Kemph, and Ricky Clopton who could contribute nicely at the varsity level have, for some reason, been put on the JV squad.

[Just Bill]

NathCon vs. other conferences (through 11/17)...

vs. UAA - 1-0
vs. IIAC - 1-0
vs. CCIW - 1-1
vs. WIAC - 1-1
vs. MWC - 0-1

vs. Non-D3 (USCAA) - 1-0
vs. Non-D3 (NAIA II) - 0-1

Not a bad start at all for the league. Two of the losses were to Top 10 teams (#4 IWU over BU and #10 SNC over Marian).

[RFMichigan]

Really a decent opening week for the NathCon.

CUC got down big early against a North Park team that has some veteran players to go along with top-tier aspirations in the CCIW (as well as some serious height), kept their composure, played a ton of guys until they found the right combinations, put on the press in the second half, and then came back to beat the Vikings.

For the second time in as many games, CUC outrebounded their vastly taller opponents. In fact, for about 10 minutes in the first half when North Park was threatening to run away from the Cougars, Tyler Jones had no one in the game over 6'3" and still managed to creep back into it.

I think that when CUC plays Dominican, the over and under should be about 182. 

[RFMichigan]

Wow, good opening night for the NathCon.

Wins over the IIAC (Edgewood d. Loras), the WIAC (CUW d. UW-La Crosse), the UAA (Dominican d. Chicago) and a strong showing against the CCIW (Benedictine plays #4 IWU tough).

The Edgewood win over Loras does not surprise me at all. Loras has no dominant bigs and their inside game is lacking. Pawelski did have a good game for Loras, but that is not his norm. 2 very good Loras freshmen, Richie Kemph, and Ricky Clopton who could contribute nicely at the varsity level have, for some reason, been put on the JV squad.

True that Edgewood is picked to win the NAthCon North, but Loras was picked to win the IIAC. That seems like a pretty good win to me unless the IIAC is not that strong.

[RFMichigan]

Okay, scratch that comment above about the IIAC not being that strong. CUC almost did an about face from their game vs. North Park as this time they were the ones who coughed up a double digit 2nd half lead and went into overtime against Coe who was picked to finish near the bottom of the IIAC. However Larrell Gary hit some clutch shots in overtime and the Cougars pulled one out.

[Just Bill]

Edgewood trying to hold on against North Central. 48-41 with 2:46 to go.

http://www.sidearmstats.com/ncc/mbball/index.htm

UPDATE: Another NathCon win over the CCIW.  Eagles hold NCC to 17 points in the second half and win 59-43. Faurote scores 18 to lead EC.

[Just Bill]

NathCon vs. other conferences (through 11/21)...

vs. SLIAC - 3-0
vs. UAA - 2-0
vs. SCIAC - 1-0
vs. IIAC - 4-2
vs. CCIW - 2-2
vs. MWC - 2-2
vs. WIAC - 1-2
vs. MIAC - 0-1

vs. Non-D3 (USCAA) - 1-0
vs. Non-D3 (NAIA I) - 0-1
vs. Non-D3 (NAIA II) - 0-2

Overall vs. D-III - 15-9 (.625)
Overall - 16-12 (.571)

[RFMichigan]

Games from 11/23: (sorry, no scores but some commentary)

MSOE over Beloit (MSOE at 3-0)

Lewis (dII) over Benedictine

Cornell over Dominican (Cornell scored the last 8 points of the game to break a late tie)

Aurora over North Central (I think Aurora is going to be a tough out again in the NAC. The close loss to IWU and the win over NCC shows me something. Although they had a blowout loss to Buena Vista, BV is picked highly in their conference. Any word on the Spartans in that game or the others?)

CUC over Lakeland in overtime (First conference game of the season. Lakeland hits a 3 at the regulation buzzer to send it into overtime, takes a five point lead in OT, but CUC comes back and wins on late free throws -at which both teams were atrocious: CUC  8-15 for 53%; LU 13-28 for 46%)

[WLCALUM83]

11/24:

Rockford over Knox by 4:

Regents' Malone had another big night scoring  Knox's cold shooting (11% from beyond the arc in 2nd half) was a contributing factor.

[Just Bill]

MSOE tops UW-Eau Claire 61-48. Raiders led by double digits for the final 7 minutes.

http://www.uwecblugolds.com/stats/mbkb/201011/11-04.htm

[RFMichigan]

I had a wierd case of deja vu while catching the CUC-CUW livestats on Saturday. With 12 minutes to go in the game, CUW was up by 3 at CUC. However I had to run out for a few minutes on a quick errand, so I tuned in the radio just in time to listen to the University of Michigan not score for a field goal for the first 10 minutes of the 2nd half of their game vs. UTEP. So when I get home I get back to the CUW-CUC game and, guess what? In eight  minutes of elapsed play, CUW increased their lead from three to 26.  (Of course, I had that same feeling regularly during football; up-and-down-the-field offense but pray for just a couple of stops on defense - although the Cougars were more adept on the "D" side of things that the Wolverines.

I know that the coaches picked CUC and Edgewood to win their respective divisions, but I wouldn't be surprised to see last year's winners, CUW and Aurora, repeat.

[Just Bill]

Close games all around tonight...

CUW 82, Marian 79 - Marian has a 3 at the buzzer blocked
Edgewood 63, Lakeland 61 - Cashton Craig hits a bucket with 1.3 seconds left to win
Rockford 79, Dominican 78 - Robert Malone hits layup with 5.9 seconds left for win
Aurora 68, MSOE 58 - Last unbeaten in the NAC falls

An old NIIC match...
CUC 74, Eureka 65 (OT) - CUC's 4th OT game this season

[Just Bill]

NathCon vs. other conferences (12/10/10)...

vs. SLIAC - 4-0
vs. UAA - 2-0
vs. SCIAC - 1-0
vs. CCIW - 4-4
vs. IIAC - 4-4
vs. MWC - 4-4
vs. WIAC - 3-4
vs. SCAC - 0-1
vs. MIAC - 0-2
vs. NCAA D-III - 22-19 (.536)

vs. NCAA II - 0-1
vs. NAIA II - 0-4
vs. USCAA - 1-0
vs. NCCAA - 2-1

vs. All - 25-25 (.500)

Better than average year in non-conference play, I'd say. Four wins over the CCIW (with three losses to IWU), three wins over the WIAC (with three losses by 0-7 WLC) and 2-0 against the UAA looks better than normal to me.