WBB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[theoneandonly]

I haven't yet seen either Elmhurst or North Central, so I couldn't give more than a guess about how IWU will do against those teams (we'll know more about Elmhurst in 24 hours).  I think Q's question about how they'll do against big, physical competition is a reasonable one.  What I can say is that the Titans have played a much tougher schedule than ever before, and they are not just playing to the level of their competition--they are playing hard every game.  Their pre-CCIW schedule included Wash U, Chicago, and St. Francis, all of whom are bigger and more physical than the Titans, and they're still undefeated.  They have a non-CCIW game scheduled in a couple of weeks against NAIA Division I Olivet Nazarene which should be an interesting challenge. 

In short, I agree that they have a reasonable chance at running the table, but there's still a long way to go.  One game, one possession, at a time.

Thanks Hoosier Titan.  I have the same concern as Q and you.  I'd like to see them run the table; however, a loss would not bother me as it is really tough to 'go all the way' without a loss.  Olivet Nazarene should be a good test for IWU and good prep for a NCAA tournament run.

I do think olivet will be a good test for IWU. Even  though ONU isint playing its best ball at the moment sitting at 13-6 they have been playing tough teams and as recently as 2007-2008 were the CACC champs and played in the NAIA national tourney. and if the McHie Arena is packed, it could be a tough place to play. we will see though, i think the IWU ladies will hold it down though and leave bourbonnais (olivet) with a W!

[Titan Q]

IWU 87
Elmhurst 50

http://www.iwu.edu/~iwunews/sports/live/Basketball/xlive.htm


Christina Solari had 13 pts, 8 reb, and 10 assists.

[Hoosier Titan]

It was a slow start for both teams at the Shirk Center.  More than two minutes elapsed before Elmhurst's Brittany Bobruk made a layup, and at the 15-minute mark the score was 9-2 in favor of IWU.  The Titans finally got on track with key contributions from Kylie Castans and Nikki Preston, in combination with the starters.  The halftime score was 46-22.

It was not a good game for Elmhurst.  They had a lot of trouble with the Titan press, and most of the players looked--pretty quickly--as though they'd rather be somewhere else, understandably.

The Titan effort was a joint one.  Claire Sheehan led the scoring with 16 points, and Christina Solari just missed a triple double with 13 points, 8 rebounds, and 10 assists. 

Regarding our earlier posts today--I saw no letup at all in intensity for the Titans.  They continue to look sharp and play hard.

[iwumichigander]

[  I'd like to see them run the table; however, a loss would not bother me as it is really tough to 'go all the way' without a loss.  Olivet Nazarene should be a good test for IWU and good prep for a NCAA tournament run.

Mia Smith is talking about keeping the team focused on being the hunter rather than the hunted, and I think that's a good way to look at it.  There's certainly been no taking anything or anybody for granted--that's how upsets happen.

I've heard some say that it might be better to lose a game before the NCAAs, and I don't agree with that. (I know that's not what you were saying, IWUmichigander).  While a loss wouldn't be a disaster, I don't see any advantage to it.  I think everyone understands and has learned from what happened last year and is working hard so that doesn't happen again.  That said, they still have to play the games, and there are a lot more to be played before tournament time.

Not taking anything away from the other CCIW teams, IWU needs to compete against themselves to get to a 'next level'.   What can we do even better?  Can we win with a the same or slightly higher scoring margin and the starters playing fewer minutes?

[Hoosier Titan]

Not taking anything away from the other CCIW teams, IWU needs to compete against themselves to get to a 'next level'.   What can we do even better?  Can we win with a the same or slightly higher scoring margin and the starters playing fewer minutes?

I forget how to insert a link properly, but here's the one to today's Pantagraph story.  It addresses your point.

http://www.pantagraph.com/articles/2009/01/28/usports/doc497fe672b13ac809868125.txt

[RogK]

I will compliment IWU by pointing out that when they defeated Elmhurst, they defeated a good team.
The game I attended saw Wheaton's Kathleen Fidelia pour in 17 of her team's 50 2nd half points, leading the Thunder to an 86-68 win at North Park. It had been tied at 54.
Fidelia can accelerate from a standstill as fast as anyone, and had plenty of late-game energy.
I was also impressed by the play of Wheaton's new freshman guard, Laura Karsten. I add "new" because she was playing soccer well into the basketball season. She has quick feet, no doubt a by-product of her soccer training. She also had no hesitation launching threes when open, making 3 of 5.
Wheaton and North Park each enjoyed solid contributions from numerous players.
NP's Hilary Kuhl, who doesn't have an OFF switch, clunked her head loudly on the floor for at least the second straight game. I think 4 out of 5 physicians would recommend that she stop doing that.
In other CCIW action, Carthage's defense again held an opponent under 30% shooting, this time upending Augie 64-38. Rosie Dorn and Shana Lieberman scored 13 apiece for the Lady Reds.
Millikin topped North Central 63-50. Four Big Blue persons scored in double figures, led by Julia Robert with 12 pts.

[iwumichigander]

Not taking anything away from the other CCIW teams, IWU needs to compete against themselves to get to a 'next level'.   What can we do even better?  Can we win with a the same or slightly higher scoring margin and the starters playing fewer minutes?

I forget how to insert a link properly, but here's the one to today's Pantagraph story.  It addresses your point.

http://www.pantagraph.com/articles/2009/01/28/usports/doc497fe672b13ac809868125.txt

Thanks HT!  It's terribly difficult to get teams to develop that 'killer instinct' to put an opponent away early.  Let's face it, the starters and the first two off the bench want to get minutes.

[RogK]

iwumichigander, I think you've just insulted IWU's best players quite a bit.
Your comment "It's terribly difficult to get teams to develop that 'killer instinct' to put an opponent away early.  Let's face it, the starters and the first two off the bench want to get minutes" suggests that IWU's first seven players are not doing their best, just to get Coach Smith to leave them in the game longer.
You wanna re-think that one?

[Mr. Ypsi]

The MIAC MBB board has also been engaged in the debate over whether an undefeated team should secretly hope for a loss to take the pressure off (St. Thomas is the last remaining undefeated men's team, and seems fairly likely to maintain that status throughout the regular season).

I personally don't buy the 'take the pressure off' argument (neither does Bob Knight, who coached the last D1 men's team to go undefeated) and am rooting for the Titans to go all the way undefeated.  But I sure wouldn't mind a couple of close calls to remind them that they are unbeaten, but not unbeatable!

[iwumichigander]

iwumichigander, I think you've just insulted IWU's best players quite a bit.
Your comment "It's terribly difficult to get teams to develop that 'killer instinct' to put an opponent away early.  Let's face it, the starters and the first two off the bench want to get minutes" suggests that IWU's first seven players are not doing their best, just to get Coach Smith to leave them in the game longer.
You wanna re-think that one?

No. 
And, my comments (although stated differently) are not any different than Coach Smith's in the referenced Pantagraph article:

Calling a timeout with 15:46 remaining in the second half, Illinois Wesleyan women's basketball coach Mia Smith chastised her team for "just trading baskets" Tuesday at Shirk Center. ... I said 'we're not pushing this lead. Your objective coming out of the locker room was to push the lead. Source: Pantagraph

I have measurements I use to judge 'NCAA Final Four capable teams'. One of them is: The top seven players have optimized their skills, and developed through outstanding coaching, a 'killer team instinct' which enables them to create, or seize, opportunities to close out games within the 30-35 minutes mark.  When a team reaches this plateau, the first 7 are more rested, the other 8 better tested and a 'championship mindset' developed, to enable the endurance required to make an NCAA tournament run.

[Hoosier Titan]

The MIAC MBB board has also been engaged in the debate over whether an undefeated team should secretly hope for a loss to take the pressure off (St. Thomas is the last remaining undefeated men's team, and seems fairly likely to maintain that status throughout the regular season).

I personally don't buy the 'take the pressure off' argument (neither does Bob Knight, who coached the last D1 men's team to go undefeated) and am rooting for the Titans to go all the way undefeated.  But I sure wouldn't mind a couple of close calls to remind them that they are unbeaten, but not unbeatable!

Ypsi, you've mentioned one of my formative basketball experiences (I graduated from IU in '73 and was at the final game for that undefeated team in 75-76.)  That's the reason I've never bought the "take the pressure off" argument.  There's no pressure on teams that aren't in the hunt; there's always pressure on ones that are.  You want the pressure; what you have to do is learn to relax and play through it.  There were quite a few close calls during that undefeated season, and there have been a few for the Titans this year.   

One game at a time!

[Mr. Ypsi]

HT, I certainly remember that game, since I was still a UM grad student at the time (for those other than HT, who would certainly remember, IU defeated UM in the title game).  Since my GF at the time (definitely NOT my wife!) was a movie buff rather than a bball fan, I recall Elliot Gould sneaking in the score at the Oscar's!  [Note that March Madness has grown so much that the Oscar's have changed dates so as not to go head-to-head!]

IMO an undefeated national title is such a treat that the pressure is more on the other team to try to prevent it.

[Hoosier Titan]

IWUMichigander,

Have you seen this year's Titans play?  If not, you really should.  I think your criteria for Final Four readiness are pretty arbitrary.  Even so, the Titans more than meet them.  The game was effectively "put away" by about the 10 minute mark, when the lead reached 18.  There are more than seven players who are capable of taking the floor without dropping the level of play; depending on what is needed I'd say there are anywhere from 8 to 10 Titans in that category right now. 

I don't see any signs at all that players are trying to get more minutes any way other than by playing hard when they do get on the floor.  Right now the challenge is to keep up the level of play for a full 40 minutes, even when IWU is way ahead, while balancing the minutes so that the starters stay sharp and the non-starters get lots of game experience. 

If the Titans' lead had started falling significantly in the second half, I might agree that more "killer instinct" is needed.  But Mia Smith's exhortation to stop trading baskets came at 15:46 in the second half.  A quick reminder--and the lead shot from 23 into the 30's, where it remained.

[Old Hoosier Baller]

I attended the IWU-Elmhurst game at the Shirk Center this past Tuesday.  I know quite a bit about the IWU roster as the first seven or more are Chicago-area players.   My daughter has played AAU ball with at least two players on the roster.  The team is extremely well coached, and the various skill sets have been masterfully merged together by Coach Smith.  The Titans are a well-oiled machine that are definitely ready to make a run at the national championship this season.

With respect to the game itself, I do believe that the Bluejays can offer significantly more competition at the next game in Elmhurst as virtually the entire team was competing with either the flu or viral bronchitis.  In spite of the score, I thought the Jays competed as hard as they could on that given night.

[RogK]

Now that a fair amount of conference games have been played, I was looking at the conference-only stats on cciw.org.
The absence of Mallory Heydorn from the 3 point leaders was confusing.
She has hit 12 of 29 threes in CCIW play so far, so she would be between Lynnea Kvam and Lani Kasten in the PCT leaders and her 2.4 makes per game would tie her with Kvam.
An anonymous source (Mike Krizman, CCIW SID and assistant commissioner) informed me that the NCAA stats programs require a player to play in 75% of her team's games for inclusion in the leaders. Mallory has played in 5 of IWU's 7 conference games and 11 of 17 overall.
Assuming she plays Saturday, she'll meet the ¾ requirement for conference games, so hopefully the stats program lets her in. It would be unfair if the program still excluded her from conference-only stats because she missed 4 non-conference games. We'll see.
I don't know if any other players are currently affected by the ¾ rule.