MBB: Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference

[Gregory Sager]

Thats why, when it was announced that he was going to Carthage there was a great deal of surprise and shock. Not only because it is a D3, but also, it was widely thought that if Johnson did pass up any/all of the D1 or D2 offers he was likely to get at least a few of, and attend a D3, that it would almost certainly be Wheaton, given his prepping at Wheaton Academy whose head coach is former Wheaton assistant Paul Ferguson.

"Widely thought"? Evidence, please. Aside from your assertion, I have never seen nor heard any scuttlebutt that Johnson was considering Wheaton College, or that Wheaton College was considering him. As I've said before, just because Wheaton Academy sends a lot of students to nearby Wheaton College and Ferg is a former WC assistant coach doesn't mean that: a) Wheaton College automatically gets dibs on any kid who comes out of WA, whether he wants to go there or not; or b) that Wheaton College simply accepts as a matter of course any WA kid who applies there. Not every WA grad is suited for Wheaton, either academically or spiritually.

The far more likely scenario is that Luke Johnson wasn't interested in Wheaton College, or that Wheaton College wasn't interested in him. Considering that he ended up at Carthage, a school whose campus values and typical student lifestyle are almost diametrically opposed to Wheaton's, it's likely that Wheaton College was never really in the picture for him. The fact that he's transferred to Benedictine, another school that in no way, shape, or form resembles Wheaton College (although it does not have the party-school reputation of Carthage) supports this.

[RFMichigan]

"Benedictine -- the gateway to the NBA"

Maybe Mr. Johnson saw some old Chicago Bulls tapes from the 70's and figured, "Benedictine = NAC = Aurora (admittedly present day NAC) = Mickey Johnson = NBA. Math!"

[ExBBaller40]

Here is my weekend analysis blog that features NAC games Aurora-CUW and MSOE-Rockford, as well as games from the WIAC and NathCon http://diiihoopsblog.blogspot.com/2013/01/weekend-analysis-6-sorry-it-took-so-long.html

[Just Bill]

"Benedictine -- the gateway to the NBA"

Every time I see this I always think about that Deadspin article that was about Benedictine's athletic video.

Jump over a mountain? Check.
Destroy the moon with a baseball? Check.
Explode a Chinese pagoda with a volleyball induced mushroom cloud? Check.

Sit back and relive the insanity once again: http://deadspin.com/5879065/whatever-youre-doing-with-your-life-its-not-as-awesome-as-the-athletes-in-this-recruiting-video

[Captain_Joe08]

"Benedictine -- the gateway to the NBA"

Every time I see this I always think about that Deadspin article that was about Benedictine's athletic video.

Jump over a mountain? Check.
Destroy the moon with a baseball? Check.
Explode a Chinese pagoda with a volleyball induced mushroom cloud? Check.

Sit back and relive the insanity once again: http://deadspin.com/5879065/whatever-youre-doing-with-your-life-its-not-as-awesome-as-the-athletes-in-this-recruiting-video

Ironically that video is not the first cringe-worthy thing I watched today....

[ExBBaller40]

Biggest NAC week of the year. Three games for (most) every team this week starting tonight. Time to get hot or get out.

Games that I'm looking forward to taking a look at this week:

Marian-CUW
MSOE-Lakeland
AU-BU
AU-Marian

[ExBBaller40]

Here is my midweek blog with stuff from the NathCon, WIAC and MWC http://diiihoopsblog.blogspot.com/2013/01/midweek-blog-8-its-wild-its-wacky-its.html

[petemcb]

Is anybody on the board right now who can tell me whether it's possible to watch the AU @ BU game can be watched on an iPad?  I've found the link but am not getting the broadcast.

[petemcb]

Got it figured out.  Man, Luke Johnson, although clearly still getting familiar with the Eagles offense, is starting to find his way.  Pleasant surprise to see him occupying the paint at both ends of the floor for Benedictine - more than I ever saw him doing so for Carthage.  If he starts to play inside as well as out, he will be a major addition for Benedictine.  Saw both he and 6' 8" McGinty playing well together for a stretch.  So far, Benedictine is hanging tough with Aurora through halftime. 

[ExBBaller40]

Wow...big win for MSOE against Lakeland tonight 75-70...Raiders keeping close in the North division, now only a game back in the standings.

[petemcb]

Wow!  That was the first time I've watched the Benedictine broadcast online but certainly not the first D3 broadcast I've watched online.  That was very impressive - good camera work, with more than one camera in play, good broadcasting, and really good graphics including the score and clock showing the entire broadcast.  Even the credits at the end were slick.  Does anyone know if that's entirely an in-house operation and, if so, is that a major that's offered at Benedictine?  I was really impressed.

[Just Bill]

Wow!  That was the first time I've watched the Benedictine broadcast online but certainly not the first D3 broadcast I've watched online.  That was very impressive - good camera work, with more than one camera in play, good broadcasting, and really good graphics including the score and clock showing the entire broadcast.  Even the credits at the end were slick.  Does anyone know if that's entirely an in-house operation and, if so, is that a major that's offered at Benedictine?  I was really impressed.

Most of their broadcasts are single camera with score graphics and an announcer. They sometimes hire out a company to produce broadcasts for "big" games. I imagine that's what you saw tonight.

[Gregory Sager]

It would make sense, seeing as how Aurora is BU's big rival and is therefore the team most likely to draw the biggest viewership for a Benedictine home game.

[ExBBaller40]

It would make sense, seeing as how Aurora is BU's big rival and is therefore the team most likely to draw the biggest viewership for a Benedictine home game.

They at least had one...I know I was watching 

[Captain_Joe08]

Rockford has been sinking like a stone in the South Division over the last few weeks. Lost their last five conference games and seven straight overall after losing to Concordia Chicago tonight.