WBB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[iwu70]

I'm sure the common wisdom is that the MOP is either Elyce Knudsen or Jayla Johnson . . . but, if you look at all the stats, I think a case can be made for Brooke Lansford as well . . .esp. if IWU wins out and shares the conference regular season crown with MU.  She's right up there in scoring, top three-point maker in the league, the top A:TO ratio, leading in assists, etc.   If I were a voter, I'd probably vote for Jayla Johnson at present, but just saying that Lansford also has a strong case. 

'70

[RogK]

The best player on the best team should always be included among the top choices.
I'd think the three players you mentioned are the finalists and I too think Jayla is ahead by a slight margin.

[GoPerry]

Question for GoPerry (and the rest o' ya) :
since Annie Tate didn't play enough, whom does Coach Madsen nominate for 1st team all-CCIW?
Wheaton could end up 9-7, 8-8 or 7-9 and may get 1 or 2 players on all-conference.
If any teams deserve three players on all-CCIW, it's IWU and Millikin.
There are probably 24 or 25 players league-wide who seem to be reasonable candidates.

I strongly believe that Hannah Swider deserves All conf recognition and I'm pretty sure she'll get it.  I think there's a reasonable chance she will receive 1st team recognition also (although I haven't listed it out).  She's leading the Thunder in all the primary categories while being called on to do more for the team in ways she has not been used to.  She's also a senior, a previous All conf player (mentioned only because it might influence votes), and could be argued that she's one of the best 8 players in the league.  I don't think any team will get three players - doesn't feel like it is that sort of a season.

For Kerans MOP, it's a 2 lady race in my mind between Johnson and Knudsen.  Johnson is ahead of Knudsen statistically in most categories, some just barely.  The fact that Johnson is a senior might be a factor and the fact that the Big Blue are faring better as a team swings Knudsen's way.  So to me it's a toss up at this point with two games remaining – perhaps slight edge to Johnson.  Both are clearly deserving in my view.

Probably Lauren Huber for Newcomer.

[Gregory Sager]

Question for GoPerry (and the rest o' ya) :
since Annie Tate didn't play enough, whom does Coach Madsen nominate for 1st team all-CCIW?
Wheaton could end up 9-7, 8-8 or 7-9 and may get 1 or 2 players on all-conference.
If any teams deserve three players on all-CCIW, it's IWU and Millikin.
There are probably 24 or 25 players league-wide who seem to be reasonable candidates.

I strongly believe that Hannah Swider deserves All conf recognition and I'm pretty sure she'll get it.  I think there's a reasonable chance she will receive 1st team recognition also (although I haven't listed it out).  She's leading the Thunder in all the primary categories while being called on to do more for the team in ways she has not been used to.  She's also a senior, a previous All conf player (mentioned only because it might influence votes), and could be argued that she's one of the best 8 players in the league.  I don't think any team will get three players - doesn't feel like it is that sort of a season.

I agree. I'll be shocked if Swider isn't named to the first team. The possibility that she'll achieve it raises an interesting question: Has there ever been a brother/sister combination who've attained All-CCIW first team in their respective sports before, or would Mikey and Hannah Swider be the first?

For Kerans MOP, it's a 2 lady race in my mind between Johnson and Knudsen.

Agreed.

Johnson is ahead of Knudsen statistically in most categories, some just barely.  The fact that Johnson is a senior might be a factor and the fact that the Big Blue are faring better as a team swings Knudsen's way.  So to me it's a toss up at this point with two games remaining – perhaps slight edge to Johnson.  Both are clearly deserving in my view.

Can't argue with any of that, but, beyond the issue of Johnson being a senior and Knudsen being the best player on the (possible) champ or co-champ, I think that what pushes Jayla over the top is the fact that she is by light-years the most dominant player on any of the CCIW's first-division teams. Knudsen is the best player on a team loaded with top-notch players. Since Emily Czuhajewski will have played less than half of the CCIW schedule, that means that Jayla has had to keep her team afloat most of the way thru the CCIW season while surrounded by a cast that largely consists of developing or marginal players (although Esther Miller, who would win the CCIW's Most Improved Player award if there was such a thing, has a decent shot at being named to the All-CCIW second team) -- and the fact that Jayla leads the league in minutes played amplifies just how invaluable she is to the Vikings.

Incidentally, Jayla broke into North Park's top ten in career rebounds in NPU's last game. She is now in the top ten in every single counting stat in the record book, aside from three-pointers and assists, for a Vikings women's basketball program that is marking its 50th season in 2021-22. In other words, she's in the top ten in points, rebounds, field goals, free throws, steals, and blocks. (Of course, she fares very well in the rate stats as well.) When you consider the fact that she will end her career having only played the equivalent of three and a half seasons due to the 2020-21 season being truncated by Covid, the fact that she's so prominent in so many career counting stats is simply remarkable.

But, again, just as remarkable is the fact that we're talking about a mere sophomore being one of the two primary candidates for MOP. As I've said before, Elyce Knudsen has a serious shot at becoming the first-ever three-time MOP in CCIW women's basketball history.

[RogK]

Annika Richardson's 10.4 scoring average is a bit deceptive.
In 11 games before Christmas, she scored 23 pts for a 2.1 average.
Since then, she has scored 215 pts in 12 games, 17.9 per.

[GoPerry]

Annika Richardson's 10.4 scoring average is a bit deceptive.
In 11 games before Christmas, she scored 23 pts for a 2.1 average.
Since then, she has scored 215 pts in 12 games, 17.9 per.

Oh, if Richardson had continued anywhere close to her level of play in the first 5 games she started, then she might be leading the Newcomer race notwithstanding her first 11 games.  But in the last 7 games she has cooled off quite a bit especially in overall efficiency.  It was to be expected and it's okay.  She has a ton of upside for the Thunder.

[iwu70]

Over the course of the entire season, I think Lauren Huber has the "newcomer" award pretty well wrapped up.  IMHO.

Regional rankings out -- several CCIW teams on the list.  Don't quite understand Carroll above IWU, though guess the Titans harmed by their early season woes, and number of losses.  I'm still of the view that the only way the Titans get into the post season, with that many losses, is to win the AQ, likely in a CCIW tournament Championship game, against Millikin.  The rubber match . . . we'll see in time.

IWU has a tough road game at NCC tonight and another at Augie on Saturday.  Gotta take care of business.  MU is very likely to win out. 

IWU'70

[Mr. Ypsi]

At the half in Naperville:  IWU 33, NCC 29.

[Gregory Sager]

North Park 57
Wheaton 43

Lauren Lee: 18 pts (3-3 trey), 8 rebs
Jayla Johnson: 16 pts, 9 rebs
Esther Miller: 12 pts, 8 rebs
Lauren McKnight: 4:0 a:to, 3 stls

Annika Richardson: 12 pts, 6 rebs
Ellie Cassel: 10 rebs
Caroline Sikkink: 10 rebs

North Park sweeps the regular-season series from Wheaton for the first time ever. That's been a long time coming, and it sure feels good to type that at long last. However, in all likelihood Wheaton will be back in the crackerbox next Tuesday for the #5 @ #4 quarterfinal.

The Vikings played lockdown defense tonight, holding WC to a .246 clip from the field and .222 from downtown. At the heart of it all were the two Laurens, Lee and McKnight, who seemed to tie up Wheaton ballhandlers all night to force the officials to stick two thumbs up. Esther Miller's D was vital to the cause as well, as she erased Hannah Swider (3-13 for 8 points) completely. Annika Richardson did get her points against Jayla Johnson, but Jayla forced the Wheaton frosh forward into 3-16 shooting from the field.

Most gratifying was NPU's 5-12 (.417) performance from downtown, which is by far the best that they've shot from range since Emily C. went down.

A good night to be a Viking ... but there's still unfinished business against Wheaton, most likely.

[lmitzel]

Cardinals had a chance down 2 with 8 seconds left, but IxChel Leeuwenburgh's fallaway missed long and a Mitrese Smith putback missed left.

IWU 65, NCC 63

Now I have to root for the team in green on Saturday. Excuse me while I spontaneously combust.

[Gregory Sager]

Cardinals had a chance down 2 with 8 seconds left, but IxChel Leeuwenburgh's fallaway missed long and a Mitrese Smith putback missed left.

IWU 65, NCC 63

Now I have to root for the team in green on Saturday. Excuse me while I spontaneously combust.

I can remember having to root for Wesleyan on occasion as well. I spent forever in the shower afterwards, and scrubbed and scrubbed, but I still felt dirty.

[iwu70]

Greg, get used to it.  The enemy of my enemy is my friend . . .   

IWU 65 NCC 63

Yes, IWU lucky to escape NCC with that road win . . . a tough one, with a strange outcome.  IWU losing the TO and the rebounding line and still winning the game.  And, not scoring 70.  Just a good night from trey, making 9.

For NCC:
Sutter 16 and 9
Leeuwenburgh 13 and 9
Stavropoulos 10
Kowalczyk 8

For IWU:
Huber 14
Lansford 12
Powers 12 and 9
Eck 9 2 steals, 2 more blocks
Heller 9
Bowen 8 rebounds

The Titans now 13-2 with one game to go, away at Augie on Saturday.

A tough, very good road win, no matter how you look at it.

IWU'70

[RogK]

Carroll 58-44 over Carthage.
CRL : Chloe Halverson 11 rebs, 3 steals; Allison Thompson 8 pts 9 rebs 3 blocks; Olivia Rangel 13 pts 3 assists; Brooke Foster 12 pts from 10 FG att (.600 eFG%); Kate Christian 10 pts 4 assists 3 stls.
CTG : Lauren Knight 13 pts; Kelsey Coshun 10 pts; Marianna Morrissey 5 assists.

[RogK]

Millikin 85-58 over Elmhurst.
MIL : Elyce Knudsen scores 21 in 23:00 and Jordan Hildebrand tallies 17 (8/8 2FG) in 21:00; Bailey Coffman 12 pts 6 reb 3 assists; Sophie Darden 10 pts 5 rebs in 15:00; Miranda Fox 5 assists. Ten Big Blue players get a steal.
ELM : Kate Matthews was the only Bluejay to score in double figures with 14 and also led them with 6 rebs.

[Gregory Sager]

Carroll 58-44 over Carthage.
CRL : Chloe Halverson 11 rebs, 3 steals; Allison Thompson 8 pts 9 rebs 3 blocks; Olivia Rangel 13 pts 3 assists; Brooke Foster 12 pts from 10 FG att (.600 eFG%); Kate Christian 10 pts 4 assists 3 stls.
CTG : Lauren Knight 13 pts; Kelsey Coshun 10 pts; Marianna Morrissey 5 assists.

Carthage is my pick for mystery team of the season. With the kind of defense that the Firebirds were playing against NPU and Wheaton, I had them pegged to be much more successful than they've turned out to be.