WBB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[RogK]

Sounds like North Park has an exciting infusion of talent for the upcoming season, Greg.
Mr Ypsi, there is a chance of IWU going 14-0, but they would have to be BETTER than last year's team to do so. Expect Carthage to be very tough and deep. Incidentally, they were 24-5 last year, not 19-9. Imbibing a little too much Green River, Mr Ypsi?
Several other CCIW teams will be able to put up a very good fight against the Titans, maybe even up-ending them in a game.

[Mr. Ypsi]

Sounds like North Park has an exciting infusion of talent for the upcoming season, Greg.
Mr Ypsi, there is a chance of IWU going 14-0, but they would have to be BETTER than last year's team to do so. Expect Carthage to be very tough and deep. Incidentally, they were 24-5 last year, not 19-9. Imbibing a little too much Green River, Mr Ypsi?
Several other CCIW teams will be able to put up a very good fight against the Titans, maybe even up-ending them in a game.

The 19-9 (and 27-1) were the conference records for the last two years combined.

And, being more realistic, I'd be happy with a 12-2 mark, but I'll stick my neck out with the bolder '13 or 14 wins'.

[Gregory Sager]

Imbibing a little too much Green River, Mr Ypsi?

Imbibing it? He bathes in it, Rog.

[RogK]

Now we have some good unproductive banter !!
Greg, you lean toward drinking tranya, don't you?
Mr Ypsi, as I've stated before, I think IWU has the best style of play in the conference. And they have a talented, deep roster. But, it looks like Carthage and Millikin are heading into peak seasons, experience-wise and player-wise.
I think Wheaton and Elmhurst have the ingredients to do quite well. And I hope North Park, Augie and North Central will all be better than last year.
That said, IWU is at the top until somebody bests them.

[Gregory Sager]

Greg, you lean toward drinking tranya, don't you?

This is a personal first for me, as I've never been likened to Clint Howard before.

[RogK]

You have been known to eat a bowl of corbomite for breakfast now and then, haven't you?

[Gregory Sager]

No, but i have been mad enough to chew neutronium.

[RogK]

Ah ha, that explains your third eye.

[RogK]

North Central, Wheaton and Elmhurst now have new rosters posted.
Elmhurst has 18 players, 6 of them new.
Wheaton has 13, 5 new.
North Central has 18, 10 new (including several transfers). Wow.
Maybe all eight teams will be good this year?

[Mr. Ypsi]

Preseason Top 25 is up.  IWU is 3rd, Carthage 9th; no one else received any votes.

Since IWU is 4th and Carthage 5th in the men's poll, it could be a fun winter in Kenosha and Bloomington!

[RogK]

That's interesting, Mr Ypsi.
IWU and Carthage are each rated above the teams (UW-SP, George Fox) that knocked them out of the NCAA tournament last season.
I'm not sure that I like preseason polls anyway. You should have to play first.
Hopefully more than two of our CCIW teams will do very well against non-conference opponents, to earn some national recognition. All teams will have to earn it.

[Titan Q]

Article on the Titans...

http://www.pantagraph.com/sports/college/basketball/women/article_13c40fec-e876-11df-9433-001cc4c03286.html


From that, it sounds like the starters will be:

G - Brittany Hasselbring, 5-7 Jr.
G - Hope Schulte, 5-10 Sr. (*1st team)
G - Olivia Lett, 6-0 Jr.
F - Nikki Preston, 5-10 Sr. (*2nd team)
C - Stacey Arlis, 5-11 Sr. (*3rd team)

Top Reserves: G Karen Solari, 5-8 Jr...PG Holly Harvey, 5-6 Sr.

* returning all-CCIW player


It looks like the Titans are positioned for another big year, with 3 returning all-conference players and Olivia Lett, a former mid-major Division I scholarship layer (Southern Illinois).  I won't be surprised if Lett leads the team in scoring this year.

#3 IWU opens at the DePauw tournament, Nov. 19 & 20, facing the host, 12th-ranked DePauw, and then the defending national champion, #7 Wash U.

[RogK]

Before DePauw, there's DePaul (Sunday afternoon).
Titan Q, you got me thinking about who will pick up the scoring load for the Titans, replacing what Christina did.
Lett is certainly a possibility to lead them, as you suggest.
My first inclination is to say that Hope Schulte is their best all-around player and could easily score more than she did last year.
Stacey Arlis may be the number 1 low post option now; she always shoots a high pct.
Nikki Preston can score from distance and in the lane.
A bunch of other Titans could average in double figures if they got enough minutes. But with IWU's depth, minutes are usually spread around, so no individual gets a large number of shot opportunities.

[Titan Q]

IWU @ DePaul today at 4:00pm...

http://www.depaulbluedemons.com/sports/w-baskbl/spec-rel/110610aaa.html


The press release mentions that there will be live video.

Last year the Blue Demons beat IWU by 44.

[Titan Q]

Final:

DePaul 72
IWU 57

- Olivia Lett: 16 pts, 4 reb
- Nikki Preston: 12 pts, 3 reb
- Melissa Gardner: 10 pts, 3 reb

After losing by 44 last year, the Titans held their own pretty well in this one.  IWU trailed by just 4, 34-30, at the half.

A couple impressive stats...

* The Titans outrebouded Division I DePaul 44-41...that rarely happens in these DI/D3 games.  Usually D3 teams get crushed on the boards.  

* IWU forced 18 turnovers...looks like their pressure defense gave even a DI team a little trouble.

The Titans turned it over 31 times (which is also what happens in these games to the D3)...DePaul had 28 more FGA than IWU.

Overall I have to believe this was encouraging for the Titans.