MBB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[Titan Q]

I think the final spot as well as the 2nd team spots are up for grabs and will depend on how teams fare the next 8 days. If IWU wins out I could easily see Sexauer or another Titan getting the 1st team nod. If Augie makes a run it wouldn't surprise me to see Wessels or someone on there. If Wheaton continues to dominate I think you will see Wiele.

I really can't imagine a 10-4 Augie team with no 1st team all CCIW-player. Whatever the final result I think the final 1st team spot will come from one of the 4 tournament teams this year.

I agree.  I think it will ultimately come down to 4 players - Brett Wessels, Andy Wiele, Ryan Burks, Doug Sexauer (longshot - only if IWU's wins out) - and how each plays, and how their teams fare, in the next week.

[cardinalfanrochelle]

Titan Q,
            You list 4 players that could be first team, if Wiele is on there why not Rogers ? His numbers are right up there with Wiele but he is shooting better .525 FG and ppg 14.3

[AndOne]

RE: IWU winning out.

While it doesn't appear likely, stranger things have happened. At least they can play knowing what they have to do and that they somewhat control their own destiny. It happend last year for NCC if I recall.

While I obviously don't want to see a loss tonight at the Shirk, as I have said, IWU is the one team left on the schedule that I am most worried about. They have a talented backcourt and 2 skilled big guys. In many ways they are a younger version of this Wheaton team. They have to decide to play defense. I have thought this Titan team will wake up one day late this season and put togther a string of games to show how they have matured. I hope it starts on Wednesday.

USee---

Actually it was 2 years ago that North Central won out over their last four games. They were 4-6, and beat Carthage, Augie, Elmhurst, and Wesleyan to finish 8-6 and qualify for the CCIW tourney at Augie.

After being picked to finish 6th in the coaches poll this season, the Cardinals are right in the thick of the fight for a conference tourney berth following a must win defeat of Carthage Wed night.

[Titan Q]

Titan Q,
            You list 4 players that could be first team, if Wiele is on there why not Rogers ? His numbers are right up there with Wiele but he is shooting better .525 FG and ppg 14.3

Because Wiele's team is currently alone in first...and the standings have a big impact on the All-CCIW teams.

Rogers is definitely a candidate if NCC wins it, but I think Wheaton has a better chance to finish higher between the two.

[cardinalfanrochelle]

To all people who post here,
                                             Today is the 1st anniversary of the shootings at NIU, if you could pass that on and pray for or just a moment of silence to remember those who are still hurting. It still bothers me to think it could happen again or at any one of our CCIW schools.


                                                                                         Thank you.

[AndOne]

Titan Q,
            You list 4 players that could be first team, if Wiele is on there why not Rogers ? His numbers are right up there with Wiele but he is shooting better .525 FG and ppg 14.3

Cardinalfan----

I think some people will hold against Matt the fact that he has not started a majority of the Cardinals games this season. Those short-sighted folks may take the attitude of "how can someone be all conference first team when he doesn't even start." For such minded people, I would point out that Matt ranks 6th in scoring, tied for 18th in rebounding, 12th in FG percentage, and 13th in FT percentage. The fact of the matter is that Matt is certainly a "starter" in terms of ability, but that NCC Coach Raridon chooses to play Matt in the role of 6th man in order to bolster bench scoring and provide continued scoring/rebounding/high percentage shooting when one of the players who does actually start needs a break for whatever reason.
While Matt may not been seen by those that do the voting as a first team all-conference player, to even suggest he will not be a member of the all-conference team would be both laughable and a travesty.    

[AndOne]

With one week to go, it looks to me like there is one spot still to be determined on the All-CCIW 1st Team and several 2nd and 3rd Team spots to sort out...

(CCIW-only stats)

1st Team Locks
Steve Djurickovic (Carthage, 6-3 So.) - 26.0 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 6.3 apg, 2.7 A:TO
Kent Raymond (Wheaton, 6-3 Sr.) - 24.6 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 2.5 apg, 1.3 A:TO
Brent Ruch (Elmhurst, 6-9 Sr.) - 18.6 ppg, 8.1 rpg, .635 FG
Chris Drennan (North Central, 6-5 Sr.) - 17.2 ppg, 5.8 rpg, .538 FG


Other All-CCIW candidates, sorted by conference points per game:

Doug Sexauer (IWU, 6-7 So.) - 14.6 ppg, 5.6 rpg, .584 FG
Roshawn Russell (North Park, 5-10 Fr.) - 14.6 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 3.2 apg, 1.4 A:TO
Matt Rogers (North Central, 6-5 Sr.) - 14.3 ppg, 3.7 rpg, .525 FG
Ryan Burks (Elmhurst, 6-4 Sr.) - 13.8 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 1.2 apg, 0.7 A:TO
Sean Fendley (Carthage, 6-1 Jr.) - 13.2 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 0.4 apg, 0.5 A:TO
Nick Williams (North Park, 6-5 Jr.) - 13.1 ppg, 7.5 rpg, .470 FG
Travis Rosenkranz (IWU, 6-0 So.) - 12.8 ppg, 1.8 rpg, 4.2 apg, 2.3 A:TO
Tunde Ogunleye (Millikin, 6-2 Sr.) - 12.5 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 1.4 apg, 0.6 A:TO
Andy Wiele (Wheaton, 6-8 Sr) - 12.3 ppg, 8.8 rpg, .436 FG
Ben Panner (Wheaton, 6-3 Jr.) - 12.2 ppg, 2.0 rpg, 1.7 apg, 0.8 A:TO
Sean Johnson (IWU, 6-1 So.) - 12.1 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 3.5 apg, 1.8 A:TO
Brett Wessels (Augustana, 6-3 Sr.) - 11.0 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 2.1 apg, 1.0 A:TO
Chris Childs (Elmhurst, 6-2 Jr.) - 10.7 ppg, 1.9 rpg, 3.0 apg, 2.2 A:TO
David Twyman (North Central, 6-3 Jr.) - 10.6 ppg, 3.7 rpg, .507 FG
John Koschnitzky (IWU, 6-6 Fr.) - 10.2 ppg, 4.9 rpg, .556 FG
Joscar Demby (Millikin, 6-7 Jr.) - 10.1 ppg, 5.1 rpg, .610 FG
Tim McCrary (Wheaton, 6-6 Fr.) - 9.9 ppg, 5.0 rpg, .600 FG
Reid Barringer (North Central, 6-0 Jr) - 9.9 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 0.9 apg, 1.1 A:TO
Alex Washinton (Augustana, 6-1 Sr.) - 8.8 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 1.5 apg, 0.9 A:TO
Chandlor Collins (Augustana, 6-7 Sr.) - 7.8 ppg, 9.3 rpg, .521 FG

TQ----

Nice work. However, i believe there is at least one omission fron your list which is based on conference only scoring. North Central's Mitch Raridon is currently averaging 10.6 ppg according to the stats as listed on the CCIW web site. That ranks him at 17th in league scoring, and ranks him above the last 6 players you listed.

Mitch certainly merits all-conference consideration as in addition to ranking 17th in conference scoring, he is (at 6'3") tied for 18th in total rebounding, 11th in assists, tied for 3rd in steals, 7th in 3 point shooting percentage, and tied for 8th in 3 pointers made. In addition he serves as a "coach on the floor" for the overachieving (according to pre-season polls) Cardinals. An apt description of Mitch would be that he is the glue that holds the team together. 

[USee]

"those that do the voting" are the coaches and I think they most often get it right. They are in a position to understand the importance of each player. Regardless, Mr. Rogers will have his chance to cement his spot a week from tonight against Wiele. Matt has had the upper hand in every contest against him so far. And we also get ot see if Raymond will make any difference against the Cardinals.  

It shouldn't be forgotten that Wiele leads the conference in rebounding and is up there with the leaders in points despite missing his first 2 conference games and taking the next 2-3 to get back into form. He averaged 31 minutes a game last season and he has only played 30+ minutes in 2 games this season. My knock on Wiele is he is really soft defensively. I don't know if he has any blocked shots in conference play and only a couple steals. But he is a beast on the boards and a scorer on the offensive end.

[USee]

I am really interested to see how IWU plays the Thunder this time around with Wiele healthy. In round 1 they put Dwyer on Raymond most of the time. Raymond responded by posting up the smaller Dwyer and the Titans used a big to sag when Carwell/Mcrary tried to drop the ball into the post. When Wheaton used a guard to put it in to Raymond, IWU would give weakside help with a big. With Wiele in the lineup they really can't afford to leave him to help on Raymond.

My guess is they will rotate to Raymond and leave Jahns/Panner/Plederer open for a kick out 3. If Wheaton will need to hit some of those to keep pace at the Shirk.

[Late nite]

I think the final spot as well as the 2nd team spots are up for grabs and will depend on how teams fare the next 8 days. If IWU wins out I could easily see Sexauer or another Titan getting the 1st team nod. If Augie makes a run it wouldn't surprise me to see Wessels or someone on there. If Wheaton continues to dominate I think you will see Wiele.

I really can't imagine a 10-4 Augie team with no 1st team all CCIW-player. Whatever the final result I think the final 1st team spot will come from one of the 4 tournament teams this year.

I agree.  I think it will ultimately come down to 4 players - Brett Wessels, Andy Wiele, Ryan Burks, Doug Sexauer (longshot - only if IWU's wins out) - and how each plays, and how their teams fare, in the next week.

Although it's all speculation on who the choices may turn out to be, Chandlor Collins has been the most valuable Vike from the Day 1---Probably not the pretty choice if Augie has a rep, but the most deserving

[petemcb]

Anybody who wants to swap scores tonight send me a personal message with your number.  As the season starts to draw to a close, every game seems to have intense implications.  I'll be up at Carthage for that game tonight, so anybody at the other games who's so inclined, get in touch.  What a great home stretch this is going to be.

[Titan Q]

Titan Q,
            You list 4 players that could be first team, if Wiele is on there why not Rogers ? His numbers are right up there with Wiele but he is shooting better .525 FG and ppg 14.3

Cardinalfan----

I think some people will hold against Matt the fact that he has not started a majority of the Cardinals games this season. Those short-sighted folks may take the attitude of "how can someone be all conference first team when he doesn't even start." For such minded people, I would point out that Matt ranks 6th in scoring, tied for 18th in rebounding, 12th in FG percentage, and 13th in FT percentage. The fact of the matter is that Matt is certainly a "starter" in terms of ability, but that NCC Coach Raridon chooses to play Matt in the role of 6th man in order to bolster bench scoring and provide continued scoring/rebounding/high percentage shooting when one of the players who does actually start needs a break for whatever reason.
While Matt may not been seen by those that do the voting as a first team all-conference player, to even suggest he will not be a member of the all-conference team would be both laughable and a travesty.    

I assume you are referring to Rogers' omission from the 2008 All-CCIW team...

1st
Raymond – 22.9 ppg, 3.4 apg
Djurickovic – 23.9 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 4.8 apg
Wessels - 15.9 ppg, 4.9 rpg
Ruch – 15.9 ppg, 8.4 ppg, .571 FG
Gant – 12.9 ppg, 11.1 rpg, .551 FG

2nd
Burks – 17.4 ppg, 6.6 rpg
Williams – 15.3 ppg, 5.7 rpg
Wiele – 14.6 ppg, 9.9 rpg, .559 FG
Swetalla – 10.0 ppg, 5.9 rpg, .481
Drennan – 17.3 ppg, 5.4 rpg, .533

3rd
Pelton – 7.3 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 2.8 apg
Panner – 13.7 ppg
Bowens – 14.9 ppg
Ogunleye – 15.3 ppg, 5.1 rpg
Johnson – 12.9 ppg

Matt Rogers – 16.9 ppg, .500 FG


Whether right or wrong in practice, he was the victim of a tough North Central season:

Augustana 11-3
Ill. Wesleyan 9-5
Wheaton 9-5
Elmhurst 8-6
Carthage 7-7
North Park 6-8
North Central 4-10
Millikin 2-12

Matt Pelton is the guy whose stats stick out the most above, but I'm sure the reasoning was that he did a lot of things to help Augustana win an outright CCIW title.  Stats definitely don't tell the whole story - Pelton certainly is one of those "intangible" guys.

Not saying I agree or disagree with the way the process works, but the fact is that the standings impact the voting significantly.  But either way, yes, Rogers belonged somewhere.

[Titan Q]

Here is the Pantagraph's preview of the IWU/Wheaton game, with a focus on senior Brett Chamernik...

http://www.pantagraph.com/articles/2009/02/14/usports/doc499606cd43794098217804.txt

Brett is a pre-med major who is considering taking part in the Teach for America program for 2 years before entering med school.  (Senior Andrew Gilmore has already been accepted into that program.)

One of my favorite Brett Chamernik memories is from Michigan last season.  After IWU won its opener at Albion, vs. Tri State, several us went out to dinner, etc..  We got back to the hotel at about midnight and Brett was all alone in the Holiday Inn Express breakfast room, studying some God-awful looking, enormous biology text book.  He asked Coach Rose for permission to break curfew...to study.

One of those Division III moments that stayed with me and something that helped me keep perspective.  These young men we all enjoy as athletes have a lot more going on in their lives than basketball. 

[Titan Q]

Three games today at the Shirk Center...

2:00pm - #1 IWU women vs Wheaton

5:15 - IWU JV vs Wheaton

7:30 - IWU vs Wheaton


Treat your Valentine to a Shirk Dog and enjoy some basketball!

[AndOne]

Titan Q,
            You list 4 players that could be first team, if Wiele is on there why not Rogers ? His numbers are right up there with Wiele but he is shooting better .525 FG and ppg 14.3

Cardinalfan----

I think some people will hold against Matt the fact that he has not started a majority of the Cardinals games this season. Those short-sighted folks may take the attitude of "how can someone be all conference first team when he doesn't even start." For such minded people, I would point out that Matt ranks 6th in scoring, tied for 18th in rebounding, 12th in FG percentage, and 13th in FT percentage. The fact of the matter is that Matt is certainly a "starter" in terms of ability, but that NCC Coach Raridon chooses to play Matt in the role of 6th man in order to bolster bench scoring and provide continued scoring/rebounding/high percentage shooting when one of the players who does actually start needs a break for whatever reason.
While Matt may not been seen by those that do the voting as a first team all-conference player, to even suggest he will not be a member of the all-conference team would be both laughable and a travesty.    

I assume you are referring to Rogers' omission from the 2008 All-CCIW team...

1st
Raymond – 22.9 ppg, 3.4 apg
Djurickovic – 23.9 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 4.8 apg
Wessels - 15.9 ppg, 4.9 rpg
Ruch – 15.9 ppg, 8.4 ppg, .571 FG
Gant – 12.9 ppg, 11.1 rpg, .551 FG

2nd
Burks – 17.4 ppg, 6.6 rpg
Williams – 15.3 ppg, 5.7 rpg
Wiele – 14.6 ppg, 9.9 rpg, .559 FG
Swetalla – 10.0 ppg, 5.9 rpg, .481
Drennan – 17.3 ppg, 5.4 rpg, .533

3rd
Pelton – 7.3 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 2.8 apg
Panner – 13.7 ppg
Bowens – 14.9 ppg
Ogunleye – 15.3 ppg, 5.1 rpg
Johnson – 12.9 ppg

Matt Rogers – 16.9 ppg, .500 FG


Whether right or wrong in practice, he was the victim of a tough North Central season:

Augustana 11-3
Ill. Wesleyan 9-5
Wheaton 9-5
Elmhurst 8-6
Carthage 7-7
North Park 6-8
North Central 4-10
Millikin 2-12

Matt Pelton is the guy whose stats stick out the most above, but I'm sure the reasoning was that he did a lot of things to help Augustana win an outright CCIW title.  Stats definitely don't tell the whole story - Pelton certainly is one of those "intangible" guys.

Not saying I agree or disagree with the way the process works, but the fact is that the standings impact the voting significantly.  But either way, yes, Rogers belonged somewhere.

Actually, I believe Matt Rogers belonged on the 2nd team last season in place of (in oder) Swetalla, Wiele, or Williams. One of those players should have been pushed down to the 3rd team replacing, in my opinion, Wesleyan's Johnson who scored more than Pelton, but lacked his all-around game and the "intangibles" that you referred to. This season, I'll take Johnson over Pelton