MBB: Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference

[ausid]

Final from UIC (Exhibition)

UIC - 85
Aurora - 56

Aurora will host Millikin on Saturday at 5:00  in Thornton Gymnasium

[Greek Tragedy]

I don't like rotating divisions either.  Having those Challenge games remind me of high school sports now, like soccer.  At the end of the regular season, in the Wisconsin Valley Conference, the top three teams play each other once, and then the middle three teams and the last three teams do the same. 

[hickory_cornhusker]

I think the Conference should be split into divisions but the divisions should be constant. Not changing every two years.

Here's my idea after Ralph suggested three divisions:

North - Marian, Lakeland, Concordia-WI, MBBC
Central - WLC, MSOE, Edgewood, Rockford, Alverno (Women's Only)
South - Aurora, Benedictine, Concordia-IL, Dominican

16 game schedule. the teams in your division twice (6 games), all of the other teams once (8 games), and one team from each of the other divisions twice (2 games) (example: Marian (North) would play WLC (Central) and Aurora (South) twice, these opponents would rotate on a yearly basis.) Division Champs get the top three spots in the conference tourney final five spots go to the best records regardless of division.

[Just Bill]

I don't like 2 or 3 divisions.  Just play them all together.  It works in a large league like the Big Ten it should work here.

In fact, I would use the Big Ten as a model.  Have 2 "traditional rivals" that you always play twice and then play the rest either once or twice on a rotating basis to give yourself a 16 or 18 game season.

[AndOne]

I think the Conference should be split into divisions but the divisions should be constant. Not changing every two years.

Here's my idea after Ralph suggested three divisions:

North - Marian, Lakeland, Concordia-WI, MBBC
Central - WLC, MSOE, Edgewood, Rockford, Alverno (Women's Only)
South - Aurora, Benedictine, Concordia-IL, Dominican

16 game schedule. the teams in your division twice (6 games), all of the other teams once (8 games), and one team from each of the other divisions twice (2 games) (example: Marian (North) would play WLC (Central) and Aurora (South) twice, these opponents would rotate on a yearly basis.) Division Champs get the top three spots in the conference tourney final five spots go to the best records regardless of division.

How about 3 divisions with 25 games as follows:
Play the teams in your division twice-------------6 games
Play the other 2 division teams once-------------8 games
Play 11 other teams outside the conference----11 games

The 11 games could consist of of 2 games each in both an opening season tourney and a December tourney, and 7 other games. 

Would that work?

[Gregory Sager]

I think the Conference should be split into divisions but the divisions should be constant. Not changing every two years.

Here's my idea after Ralph suggested three divisions:

North - Marian, Lakeland, Concordia-WI, MBBC
Central - WLC, MSOE, Edgewood, Rockford, Alverno (Women's Only)
South - Aurora, Benedictine, Concordia-IL, Dominican

16 game schedule. the teams in your division twice (6 games), all of the other teams once (8 games), and one team from each of the other divisions twice (2 games) (example: Marian (North) would play WLC (Central) and Aurora (South) twice, these opponents would rotate on a yearly basis.) Division Champs get the top three spots in the conference tourney final five spots go to the best records regardless of division.

How about 3 divisions with 25 games as follows:
Play the teams in your division twice-------------6 games
Play the other 2 division teams once-------------8 games
Play 11 other teams outside the conference----11 games

The 11 games could consist of of 2 games each in both an opening season tourney and a December tourney, and 7 other games. 

Would that work?

The non-conference tourneys needn't be prescribed, since a program can fit in its non-conference games any way that it likes -- two tourneys and seven solos, one tourney and nine solos, no tourneys and eleven solos, whatever.

The conference schedule that you outlined, though, is perfect. It has what should be the primary ingredient in any conference schedule, which is balance. None of this "play x number of games against each divisional foe, y number of games against each non-divisional foe, and then an extra game against this team and an extra game against that team" nonsense. That sort of unbalanced schedule, in which some teams play extra games against good teams outside of the standard format while others play extra games against mediocre or bad teams outside of the standard format, is inherently unfair. Keeping the standard format intact -- double round-robin within the division, single round-robin interdivisionally, no extra games -- is the only fair way to go.

If there absolutely has to be an extra game, then the late-season matchup game that the NAthCon is going to use this year is probably the fairest. At least it pairs up the teams that are on the same level in the two divisions, so nobody can cry foul about one team having a scheduling advantage over another.

Of course, this doesn't work for the women's side of things, since Alverno creates an odd number of teams.

[Pioneer Hoops Fan]

Who makes the Conference Tourney then?

Everyone?

Top 6 automatically qualify, bottom two out, two play-in games to make a field of 8?

I don't like the challenge idea either.  My wife coaches in a conference that has an Eastern Division and a Western Division.  Home games are alternated between Eastern and Western every year.  This year is the first where it is played after the first round of Division games, but they pit #1 East vs. #1 West.  The Eastern Division teams are by far better top to bottom than the Western.  So there really is only two good games, the middle games are not close, and the bottom two are pretty even.  Granted there is no conference tourney implications, but is sucks either way.

[Just Bill]

The layers of complexity multiply dramatically in the NAC because of Alverno.  In order to save money by having teams travel to Saturday doubleheaders together, the Men's and Women's schedules have to cooperate.  With the extra women's team it gets really hard to do that.

Crazier still, the women of course have a 7-team South division and a 6-team North division, but they have maintained the same "2 in your division and one outside" model.  So North Division teams are playing 17 (10 in, 7 out) conference games this year, while South Division teams are playing 18 (12 in, 6 out)conference games.

[AndOne]

I apologize if this has been asked/answered previously---

In reviewing Benedictine's roster, I don't see the name of Marcus Peters as a member of this year's squad. He was a frosh last season and played on BU's team in Deerfield this summer. If he is no longer playing, does anyone know why? Thanks.

[wizbegs1304]

Was just listening to Edgewood vs. Chicago game and following along with the Live Stats.  Seems like the Eagles have come ready to plas they were up 54-42 at half I believe.

[wizbegs1304]

13:23 remaining in second half

#22 Chicago - 54
Edgewood - 65

Obviously there's not much defense being played tonight...

Noticed Edgewood started a few freshman and a few have come off the bench to contibute. 

[wizbegs1304]

Edgewood with the upset of Chicago.  101-93. 

Five of Edgewood's top five scorers are freshman. 

A good start for the NAC, would be a really huge night if Wisconsin Lutheran can keep their lead over UW-Whitewater.

[Greek Tragedy]

Millikin beats Aurora 67-61.  I know that Aurora doesn't have Welton anymore, but how bad are they (or how good is Millikin)?  I saw that Millikin was picked last in the CCIW, but Aurora was picked first in their division in the NathCon.  That must not bold well for Aurora. 

[Gregory Sager]

Millikin beats Aurora 67-61.  I know that Aurora doesn't have Welton anymore, but how bad are they (or how good is Millikin)?  I saw that Millikin was picked last in the CCIW, but Aurora was picked first in their division in the NathCon.  That must not bold well for Aurora. 

I don't know if it bodes good or ill for Aurora, Tom. The Spartans are playing a bunch of newbies, and their best offensive weapon, Chad Trudo, is coming off of a season missed due to a knee injury. Millikin may not be all that and a bag of chips, but the Big Blue does have three starters returning: the two best offensive players from last season's team (guard Tunde Ogunleye and forward Joscar Demby) and the PG (Mark Patrick). Ogunleye and Demby led MU on Saturday with 15 and 13 points, respectively.

I picked Aurora in the CCIW pick'em (as did 17 of the other 19 participants), but I only took the Spartans because the game was played in Aurora. I figured it would be a close game (which it was), and if the game had been in Decatur I would've picked the Big Blue to win it.

13:23 remaining in second half

#22 Chicago - 54
Edgewood - 65

Obviously there's not much defense being played tonight...

Noticed Edgewood started a few freshman and a few have come off the bench to contibute. 

The only upperclassman who saw any appreciable time in that game was Ciche, and his contribution was not a substantial one. I was at the game, and I was very impressed by those Edgewood underclassmen, especially the PG (Schuster), the skinny and exciteable forward who came off of the bench (Faroute), and the 6'7 stringbean forward (Barczak). The Wisniewski kid is a really good shooter, and I love the way Nkemnji plays D on the perimeter. All that having been said, I'm stunned that the Eagles lost on Sunday to Kenyon, because I was not impressed at all by the Lords. (Of course, nothing in that tourney went according to form; I can't for the life of me figure out how IIT beat Chicago, either.) I suppose that one can chalk it up to the inconsistency of youth, as part of the problem with playing so many freshmen and sophomores is that a team is often hot one day and cold the next.

One thing's for sure ... if all of those kids stay at Edgewood, that's going to be the team to beat in the NAthCon in the early part of the next decade.

[John Gleich]

GS (and anyone else who saw this weekend's games in Chi-town),

How did Edgewood shoot so well for the game?  They shot 52% from 3... and 60% for the game.  Did Chicago just not defend, leaving Edgewood wide open, or were the Eagles just on fire?

To be honest, I was surprised to see the 52%... it will be interesting to see how the extended 3 pt line affects the percentages AND how many 3's are taken.  As I mentioned on the CCIW board, in the Buena Vista/UW Stout game, the teams combined for 63 (I think) 3's...  and only made 17 of 'em (one at half court at the buzzer to send to OT).  I mean, if you're going to keep jacking them and missing, then I'll let you shoot 'em!