WBB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

Started by wheatonc, March 03, 2005, 06:18:19 PM

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Gregory Sager

Quote from: GoPerry on October 23, 2018, 12:40:26 PM
Thanks for the insights into the voting Gordan.  Looks like a pretty solid evaluation method to me.  Titans #12 sounds right then.

Now, do you or Ryan think they'll run the table in the CCIW?  :P ::)  (NOT expecting an answer)

You know darned well you're going to get one ... and it won't be from Ryan or Gordon. ;)
"To see what is in front of one's nose is a constant struggle." -- George Orwell

iwu70

Well, to satisfy Greg's surmising, I'll just remind that the TITANS last year were 17-1 vs. CCIW opponents.  I think that's the closest we've had to "running the table" in some years, but I'm sure others will remind if I'm wrong.  Of course, you'd expect Ypsi and myself to be in the camp that hoped for 18-0, however difficult or unlikely we all knew that would be. 

Gordan, thanks for your explanation of your voting strategy and philosophy.  Seems #12 for IWU is not so shocking.  Time will tell, of course.

IWU'70

Mr. Ypsi

Quote from: iwu70 on October 23, 2018, 05:12:46 PM
Well, to satisfy Greg's surmising, I'll just remind that the TITANS last year were 17-1 vs. CCIW opponents.  I think that's the closest we've had to "running the table" in some years, but I'm sure others will remind if I'm wrong.  Of course, you'd expect Ypsi and myself to be in the camp that hoped for 18-0, however difficult or unlikely we all knew that would be. 

Gordan, thanks for your explanation of your voting strategy and philosophy.  Seems #12 for IWU is not so shocking.  Time will tell, of course.

IWU'70

Yeah, I would never PREDICT that any team will run the table in the CCIW, but geez, we haven't done it since 2009!  A decade is plenty long enough to wait for deja vu! :o ;D

iwu70

Hey Ypsi, how 'ya doing?   Hope all goes well in Michiganland.

Nice fall here on campus, with football and a great volleyball run.  Looking forward to the IWU basketball editions -- men and women -- though I'll enjoy most of the season again from the Far Side.  Back to Hong Kong by early December, so only seeing a few early games at The Shirk before decamping for Asia and CUHK yet again. 

Looks a very promising season for both teams.  Augie (men) and Wheaton (women) seemingly the biggest challenges.  Plenty plenty of great basketball upcoming.

Hope you and all the family are well.  Remember, our 50th reunion in two years!

'70

Mr. Ypsi

Quote from: iwu70 on October 23, 2018, 09:47:25 PM
Hey Ypsi, how 'ya doing?   Hope all goes well in Michiganland.

Nice fall here on campus, with football and a great volleyball run.  Looking forward to the IWU basketball editions -- men and women -- though I'll enjoy most of the season again from the Far Side.  Back to Hong Kong by early December, so only seeing a few early games at The Shirk before decamping for Asia and CUHK yet again. 

Looks a very promising season for both teams.  Augie (men) and Wheaton (women) seemingly the biggest challenges.  Plenty plenty of great basketball upcoming.

Hope you and all the family are well.  Remember, our 50th reunion in two years!

'70

Fourth grandchild (second grandson) due probably on Friday.  (DIL going in early that morning to have labor induced.)  Then I can finally call him by name (son and DIL insist they haven't decided, but I think they're just being coy).

Second son doing well (the one I used to joke I had a defense attorney on speed dial - he matured! :)) and finishes his masters in biology in the spring.  He's been pretty close to marriage twice, but both girls got 'cold feet' (one very understandably: her dad cheated, they got divorced, they remarried, her dad cheated again, they divorced again, I fully understand her 'commitment issues'; don't know the backstory on the second one). 

So, four grandkids from one son, no near-term prospects from the other.  In this overpopulated world, four grandkids is probably enough anyway, so I ain't complaining!

Been cooler than normal in MI, but mostly typical.

My health is not what it once was, but I'll certainly be at #50 if I can! ;)


RogK

Elmhurst has a vast new roster :
https://elmhurstbluejays.com/roster.aspx?roster=255&path=wbball
Opposing coaches could be busy for a while, researching the many newcomers from distant states.

iwu70

#6831
Yes, that's some EC roster.  Hope they have a JV schedule lined up for them this year.   IWU only has 14 on their roster at present.

Ypsi Gramps, congrats on the grand kids!  Way to go.  Hope your health holds up and you can make our 50th.  I'm sure it will be a grand reunion and party in October, 2020.  I'm working on my health now too, generally quite OK, but one does notice the slowdown, the stiffness, when one hits 70!  My son, now 33, and running his own company in the renewable energy sphere in LA, is a nutritional Nazi, so has me on the keto diet now.  I'm in the no sugar, no carbs phase for some months, trying to knock off part of the broad base on which I've been working.  I could come down 20-30 and it would be of great help to the heart and joints, especially my poor many-miles feet.  Looking to get to 195 if possible.   My son, not married as yet, so no grand kids on the immediate horizon.  He's so busy with work that he seems to have little time for a serious relationship.  A driven, high-achieving person.  Time will tell.

Looking forward to the IWU basketball editions upcoming.  Several good football games to go, then we all go inside.

When the snow flies, I fly back to Hong Kong  . . . as usual.

Best to all the chatsters for the new season.

IWU'70


duckfan41

Preseason Conference Poll is out:
1. Wheaton (8)
2. IWU (1)
3. Carthage
4. Augustana
5. Elmhurst
6. Carroll
7. North Central
8. Millikin
9. North Park

IWU deserves preseason Top 25 after last year, but to have Wheaton essentially be the unanimous preseason favorite to take the Conference Crown is interesting!

Gregory Sager

Quote from: RogK on October 24, 2018, 04:45:24 AM
Elmhurst has a vast new roster :
https://elmhurstbluejays.com/roster.aspx?roster=255&path=wbball
Opposing coaches could be busy for a while, researching the many newcomers from distant states.

Wow, that is an interesting roster for Elmhurst. Not that the Bluejays have ever been as Chicagoland-centric in their various sports rosters as North Central has, but that's the most far-ranging and varied roster of any Elmhurst sports team that I've ever seen. It even puts the 'jays football program, which has had its fair share of warm-weather players at the skill positions over the past decade or so, to shame.
"To see what is in front of one's nose is a constant struggle." -- George Orwell

lmitzel

Quote from: duckfan41 on October 24, 2018, 12:10:10 PM
Preseason Conference Poll is out:
1. Wheaton (8)
2. IWU (1)
3. Carthage
4. Augustana
5. Elmhurst
6. Carroll
7. North Central
8. Millikin
9. North Park

IWU deserves preseason Top 25 after last year, but to have Wheaton essentially be the unanimous preseason favorite to take the Conference Crown is interesting!

I'm guessing they're going with the aforementioned logic of "Ehresman and McGraw are gone from Wesleyan, that takes them down a notch" in their votes. I think what interests me more is that Carthage was just a point back of IWU before things drop a bit to the next tier.

All in all... I don't think I can really disagree with much here. I would have figured Elmhurst might be a little closer to that pack at the bottom. I really think the top of the conference is the top of the conference, but pretty much anyone can make the conference tournament.

Quote from: RogK on October 24, 2018, 04:45:24 AM
Elmhurst has a vast new roster :
https://elmhurstbluejays.com/roster.aspx?roster=255&path=wbball
Opposing coaches could be busy for a while, researching the many newcomers from distant states.

Holy Moses.[/thombrennaman]
Official D-III Championship BeltTM Cartographer
2022 CCIW Football Pick 'Em Co-Champion
#THREEEEEEEEE

GoPerry

Quote from: lmitzel on October 24, 2018, 12:34:18 PM
Quote from: duckfan41 on October 24, 2018, 12:10:10 PM
Preseason Conference Poll is out:
1. Wheaton (8)
2. IWU (1)
3. Carthage
4. Augustana
5. Elmhurst
6. Carroll
7. North Central
8. Millikin
9. North Park

IWU deserves preseason Top 25 after last year, but to have Wheaton essentially be the unanimous preseason favorite to take the Conference Crown is interesting!

I'm guessing they're going with the aforementioned logic of "Ehresman and McGraw are gone from Wesleyan, that takes them down a notch" in their votes. I think what interests me more is that Carthage was just a point back of IWU before things drop a bit to the next tier.

All in all... I don't think I can really disagree with much here. I would have figured Elmhurst might be a little closer to that pack at the bottom. I really think the top of the conference is the top of the conference, but pretty much anyone can make the conference tournament.


IWU and WC were pretty close last year.  Losing Ehreshman/McGraw is probably a little more significant than Dansdill/Lawson so in that sense maybe slight edge to the Thunder with a Hannah Frazier/Devin Kyler led team.  I am a little surprised that every coach besides Kent Madsen came to that same conclusion.    Coaches also giving Carthage well deserved respect with all starters returning except Morgan Harris.  Lady Reds will be no pushover this year.


iwu70

Olivia Lett's first year as Head Coach at MU.  Should be interesting.

'70

duckfan41

Wheaton's Hannah Frazier tabbed as a Preseason All-American by D3Hoops. Honorable Mention, sure, but an All-American nonetheless and I would not be surprised if she is even more dominant this season than she was last season. She leads a very talented, tall, and athletic Wheaton squad that looks to make some noise this year. Should be fun!

Titan Q

Quote from: gordonmann on October 23, 2018, 11:46:42 AM
I had IWU 12th on my ballot as did 7 other voters. The Titans appeared on all 25 ballots and the median position was 12th.

In women's basketball, it's much easier to vote for programs and trust that they will reload  because they often do. Amherst lost two starters, including the Tournament MOP, returns about half of its scoring and rebounding and was still picked no lower than fifth on any ballot. Same goes for Bowdoin and Tufts who lost many starters and were slotted ahead of the Titans. There's a lot less churn at the top than there is on the men's side.

Also the Titans look pretty good in terms of the statistical comparison when you line them up against other Top 25 worthy teams.

* 3 starters back and 8 players who played more than 10 minutes
* 65% of team scoring returns and 76% of rebounding returns

Teams that returned a higher percentage in scoring and rebounding are either in front of IWU (Chicago, George Fox, St. Thomas) or come from conferences where the best teams aren't competitive nationally (GNAC, Centennial, SAA).

I do expect IWU to lose some games out of the gate because of their tough non-conference schedule, but the ranking tells you in part that voters trust that the best team in the CCIW will be one of the best 15 teams in the Country and IWU looks like the best bet to hold that distinction.

Thanks, Gordon.  It's always hard to sort out the preseason poll and your thinking makes sense.

I do think the CCIW coaches got it right in tabbing Wheaton as the favorite this year.  I just think IWU's losses in Ehresman and McGraw were the type where the Titans are kind of starting from a fresh slate this year, looking for a completely new identity.  So on the surface, it seems like #12 is too high in that kind of situation...but I have no grasp of the broader picture of the women's Top 25.

To be clear, I think IWU is loaded with talent.  The Titans have recruited very well the last two seasons and have freshmen and sophomores ready to step in and be good this year.  And certainly a lot of talent returning from the varsity mix last season.  Plus a proven coach who almost always has her team in contention.

I hope you end up being right about #12!