MBB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

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AndOne

Quote from: Titan Q on May 13, 2013, 12:10:02 PM
Quote from: havej on May 13, 2013, 11:29:18 AM
NPU's building is just basically a high school gym.

That's an insult to high school gyms.

Now, now TQ.
Rivaling the best high school gyms, the "Crackerbox" does come complete with a stage at one end.   ;)

AndOne

Quote from: hopefan on May 13, 2013, 12:38:28 PM
Quote from: Titan Q on May 13, 2013, 12:10:02 PM
Quote from: havej on May 13, 2013, 11:29:18 AM
NPU's building is just basically a high school gym.

That's an insult to high school gyms.

OK.. given that one liner, which is a classic,  I HAVE to get up to Chicago land next season to see North Park!!!! ;) ;) ;)

Just remember not to take many friends with you, Hope. They won't fit!  ;)

NCF

Quote from: AndOne on May 13, 2013, 01:59:19 PM
Quote from: hopefan on May 13, 2013, 12:38:28 PM
Quote from: Titan Q on May 13, 2013, 12:10:02 PM
Quote from: havej on May 13, 2013, 11:29:18 AM
NPU's building is just basically a high school gym.

That's an insult to high school gyms.

OK.. given that one liner, which is a classic,  I HAVE to get up to Chicago land next season to see North Park!!!! ;) ;) ;)

Just remember not to take many friends with you, Hope.  ;D
Same can be said for the football "stadium" ;D ;D ;D ;D
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CCIW  MEN"S INDOOR TRACK CHAMPIONS: TOTAL DOMINATION SINCE 2001.
CCIW MEN'S OUTDOOR TRACK CHAMPIONS: 35
NATIONAL CHAMPIONS: INDOOR TRACK-'89,'10,'11,'12/OUTDOOR TRACK: '89,'94,'98,'00,'10,'11
2013 OAC post season pick-em tri-champion
2015 CCIW Pick-em co-champion

AndOne

Quote from: veterancciwfan on May 12, 2013, 08:41:41 PM
Regarding Merner upgrade: Long overdue. The balcony seating is still a big drawback. My assessment of CCIW basketball venues (before Merner upgrade):
Top 3 (take your pick): IWU, Wheaton, Carthage (IWU could use some chairback seats)
4) Augustana (close 4th)
5) Millikin
6 & 7) North Park and Elmhurst
8) North Central

Quote from: Pat Coleman on May 13, 2013, 09:14:08 AM
I haven't been in all of these gyms but I would definitely take North Central over North Park. There's something to be said for atmosphere.


First of all, with regard to the ranking of CCIW member school gyms, I think the Carthage gym is, by heads and tails, the Taj Mahal of CCIW facilities. I wouldn't doubt its one of the top 5 or so in the country. And, one of the gyms I've experienced is the very impressive Hope facility.

Wheaton and IWU are both very nice. However, I think the Shirk Center @ IWU is living, at least somewhat, on reputation, and has been slightly eclipsed by King Arena @ Wheaton. The atmosphere @ Wheaton just seems more alive. Perhaps its because half of the usual audience at games there is not composed of people even older than I am!  ;)
Also, some of the seats have backs on them. Accordingly, I'd give the 2nd place nod to North DuPage.

If you want to give Augie 4th place, for now, I won't argue. The recent renovations certainly helped. What is impressive to me about Augie is that once inside, the place just feels big---spacious and not crammed in.

Pat mentioned atmosphere. Based on that alone, North Central rates above Millikin with its giant curtain across one entire side of the gym. Elmhurst, a drab box with 1960s style bleachers certainly lacks any semblance of atmosphere, and the previously mentioned NPU Crackerbox has been said to compare to a high school facility.

JMHO. Other opinions will most certainly not concur.  :)

Gregory Sager

Quote from: Pat Coleman on May 13, 2013, 09:14:08 AM
I haven't been in all of these gyms but I would definitely take North Central over North Park. There's something to be said for atmosphere.

If by "atmosphere" you mean a raucous, active crowd, you'll get no argument from me that it's a key ingredient of the sort of impression one takes away from visiting a gym for the first time. And it was certainly a listless and inactive crowd that you saw on your visit to NPU three years ago. But it's not really a reflection of the gym itself. When NPU has a good team -- which has sadly been a rare occurrence over the past two decades -- the crackerbox has an atmosphere that's second to none. And there have been plenty of seasons in which even good NCC teams haven't gotten much home support, and the airplane hangar feels like a huge black hole in terms of atmosphere.

And I'm certainly not going to defend the crackerbox against the insults that've been hurled against it in today's discussion, because they're all true. It is a gym more befitting a high school than a college or university, and it needs to be replaced. As one former member of the NPU Board of Trustees put it, North Park Gymnasium was obsolete from the moment it was built five and a half decades ago. It was built to serve as both a gymnasium and as an auditorium, and, as is the case with other edifices that were constructed with dual purposes in mind, it failed on both counts. It's inadequate as a gym, and inadequate as an auditorium -- as anyone who sat through Saturday's commencement ceremony, or who couldn't get a ticket to do so, will attest.

But it does have a great atmosphere when the Vikings are good and the student body is supporting the team, and it certainly provides a great home-court advantage in that instance. Every single Vikings player who was a part of the then-D3-record 62-game home winning streak back in the '80s will attest that the fan support and atmosphere of the crackerbox played a role in the streak.

Quote from: NCF on May 13, 2013, 02:39:13 PM
Quote from: AndOne on May 13, 2013, 01:59:19 PM
Quote from: hopefan on May 13, 2013, 12:38:28 PM
Quote from: Titan Q on May 13, 2013, 12:10:02 PM
Quote from: havej on May 13, 2013, 11:29:18 AM
NPU's building is just basically a high school gym.

That's an insult to high school gyms.

OK.. given that one liner, which is a classic,  I HAVE to get up to Chicago land next season to see North Park!!!! ;) ;) ;)

Just remember not to take many friends with you, Hope.  ;D
Same can be said for the football "stadium" ;D ;D ;D ;D

That's ridiculous, NCF. Hedstrand Field has a bigger seating capacity than does either Langhorst Field or Keller Field. And I have never seen a situation in which the opposing team brings so many fans to North Park for a football game that seats are at a premium. And that includes your vaunted Cardinals.
"To see what is in front of one's nose is a constant struggle." -- George Orwell

Dennis_Prikkel

The North Park gym has five national championship banners in men's basketball (that's three more than the rest of the league combined !!!).
I am determined to be wise, but this was beyond me.

havej

If Harper hadn't shown up out of nowhere, they'd have 2.

Gregory Sager

Quote from: havej on May 14, 2013, 02:06:04 PM
If Harper hadn't shown up out of nowhere, they'd have 2.

And if John Wooden hadn't shown up out of nowhere, UCLA would have one. So what's your point?
"To see what is in front of one's nose is a constant struggle." -- George Orwell

blue_jays

Quote from: havej on May 14, 2013, 02:06:04 PM
If Harper hadn't shown up out of nowhere, they'd have 2.
Super lame. You could say the same for any good player any school has ever had. If Kent Raymond hit his last 3-pointer, Wheaton would have won the national title in 2009. Even further, if your mother hadn't given birth to you, you wouldn't be around to leave a pointless post on this board.

AndOne

Just a suggestion Blue_Jays, but consider the possibility its best to leave others mothers out of discussions, least another poster might, in some way, offer an unflattering reference to your mom. An occurrence you likely wouldn't take kindly to.
If you want to slam another poster, I'd bet you're intelligent enough to do so without insulting his mom.

Pat Coleman

Quote from: Gregory Sager on May 13, 2013, 08:52:30 PM
Quote from: Pat Coleman on May 13, 2013, 09:14:08 AM
I haven't been in all of these gyms but I would definitely take North Central over North Park. There's something to be said for atmosphere.

If by "atmosphere" you mean a raucous, active crowd, you'll get no argument from me that it's a key ingredient of the sort of impression one takes away from visiting a gym for the first time. And it was certainly a listless and inactive crowd that you saw on your visit to NPU three years ago. But it's not really a reflection of the gym itself. When NPU has a good team -- which has sadly been a rare occurrence over the past two decades -- the crackerbox has an atmosphere that's second to none. And there have been plenty of seasons in which even good NCC teams haven't gotten much home support, and the airplane hangar feels like a huge black hole in terms of atmosphere.

Perhaps "character" was a better way to describe what I meant.
Publisher. Questions? Check our FAQ for D3f, D3h.
Quote from: old 40 on September 25, 2007, 08:23:57 PMLet's discuss (sports) in a positive way, sometimes kidding each other with no disrespect.

Pat Coleman

Quote from: blue_jays on May 14, 2013, 06:23:15 PM
Even further, if your mother ...

I agree with AndOne on this: Out of bounds, sir.
Publisher. Questions? Check our FAQ for D3f, D3h.
Quote from: old 40 on September 25, 2007, 08:23:57 PMLet's discuss (sports) in a positive way, sometimes kidding each other with no disrespect.

newCCIWfan

Quote from: Pat Coleman on May 14, 2013, 10:41:06 PM
Quote from: blue_jays on May 14, 2013, 06:23:15 PM
Even further, if your mother ...

I agree with AndOne on this: Out of bounds, sir.

While lacking in a punch line, is that the closest that a sports forum frequented by (and this is just a guess) a more mature audience will ever come to a "your mama" joke?

AndOne

Attended the annual North Central basketball Awards Banquet at one of Naperville's classiest establishments this past Saturday. It was indeed a fitting celebration of the most successful season that the Cardinals have ever had, and which resulted in them going to the Final Four, finishing 28-4, and being ranked 3rd in the nation in the final D3Hoops poll. They went a perfect 16-0 at home.

While the Cardinals fell 2 games short of their ultimate goal, I hope the guys realize and carry with them a tremendous sense of pride in what they did accomplish over the course of the season. In their national semifinal game they held the eventual national champion 30 points under their season average. Unfortunately, that same particular evening saw them leave a major portion of their collective shooting eye in the locker room. Nevertheless, the season was wildly successful, and every player on the team should rightfully feel very proud of a truly marvelous achievement.

Among the awards handed out were the scholarship award and top defender award, both won by Vince Kmiec, and the team MVP award which was won by Derek Raridon. The latter two awards were voted on by the players. Vince (3rd team), Derek (1st team), Aaron Tiknis (3rd team), and Landon Gamble (1st team), received their all-conference awards, and Landon and Derek received plaques from the NABC in recognition of their All-Region and All-American selections. 

Thanks, to all the Cardinals players and coaches, for a great ride.  ;D

havej

Per my earlier comments regarding NPU and Mike Harper, I was just attempting to knock the previous poster down from his horse a bit regarding the five nat'l titles !!!! 

Harper's situation was so unique that it has to be a one in a million story on the D3 level.  He came out of one of the Quigley High Schools - not sure if he even was recruited by Coach Mac or not.  Our coach had no idea who he was coming out of high school.  He came in to NP at about 6'5" and had such an aggressive growth spurt his freshman year that he suffered physically and had to miss games.  We started hearing about him that year and were looking forward to seeing him play against our JV team but he didn't make the trip to our gym due to fainting spells.

Anyhow, the rest is history.  He sprouted to an incredibly athletic 6'11" and dominated the league for three years.  He
had a non-stop motor and was a rim protector like no one we'd played against.  He developed a game on the low box to compliment his defensive and rebounding dominance.  And I'm sure all of you know, he played in the league for 2 years for the Blazers.

Bottom line, an extraordinary story enabled the Vikings to capture 3 of their 5.