Quote from: Green Beer on Yesterday at 09:49:52 PM

Quote from: Greek Tragedy on Yesterday at 09:26:16 PM

Quote from: GusD on Yesterday at 06:28:11 PMIWU certainly doesn't even remotely need Cleveland to pound 16-12 (7-9 in conference) Heidelberg in their first game. Additionally, his presence really shouldn't be necessary to rather easily handle either NPI #32 John Carroll or NPI #41 Grinnell in the second round game.

And that's why they play the games, my friend. I'm sure you thought you'd pound Stout when they came to Shirk.

I don't know GusD, but I never got the impression he was a Titan fan. Maybe I'm wrong.

No Green, you're definitely not wrong. My IWU fandom begins and ends with acknowledging IWU is a very good school with a historically very good 🏀 team.
I do think they will win Friday even without Cleveland in the lineup. And while it would be nice to have Mr. Cleveland on Saturday, I don't feel that his presence will be required in order to emerge with a victory.

IWU certainly doesn't even remotely need Cleveland to pound 16-12 (7-9 in conference) Heidelberg in their first game. Additionally, his presence really shouldn't be necessary to rather easily handle either NPI #32 John Carroll or NPI #41 Grinnell in the second round game.

Quote from: Green Beer on March 01, 2026, 10:18:41 AMThis is one of those games that begs the question what did the coach say at half-time?

Incidentally, I was in the stands, and at half-time, I pulled out my phone to watch the women's game because I was pretty sure the guys had no chance. My wife said "You're going to miss a great comeback." I should've listened. By the time I looked up, the Titans were down only 9 points.

Happy wife, happy life, Green.
You better listen to that lady. 😉

If I am reading the current NPI rankings correctly, IWU is 11th, Elmhurst is 39th, and Carthage is 47th.

Quote from: mwunder on February 26, 2026, 05:07:20 PM

Quote from: Gregory Sager on February 25, 2026, 04:45:09 PM

Quote from: mwunder on February 25, 2026, 12:56:02 PMI, for one, have been super pleased with the CCIW network this season.  Aside from the blue tint of the Millikin half court camera, everything else has been remarkably well done.  There are so many more opportunities for students who want to go into video production or broadcasting now than back in the early 90's when I was a student.

Agree on all counts ... including the blue-tinted Millikin halfcourt camera. I feel like I need to take a Dramamine tablet every time that I watch a game from the Griz nowadays.

How soon until the CCIW goes to a pay model like the WIAC?

Don't say that! 🤫
Don't even think it. 😏

So NPU hands Elmhurst its 8th loss of the season today. It would seem they have to win the conference tournament to go to the national tournament. Carthage has 7 losses. Unless someone other than IWU wins the conference tournament will the CCIW be a one bid conference or will Carthage also make it if they lose the conference tournament final?

Quote from: Stertorous Thunder on February 20, 2026, 09:01:36 PM

Quote from: GusD on February 20, 2026, 06:33:19 PMThunder,
No big deal for sure, but you need to make some minor adjustments to your picks. Millikin would love to have Mr. McNabb, but he plays for a school a little further north. Also, although multi-talented, I don't believe the same young man can be first team and honorable mention at the same time 😉.
Please submit another list of your first and second team picks with 8 players on each team. I'd be interested in seeing what you think. Thanks!

As I mentioned, I think sleep deprivation is taking its toll.

Let's go with this amended ballot:

1st:
Cleveland, IWU, MOP
Vanlandingham, NPU
Richardson, Whe
R. Johnson, CC
Trelenberg, Elm
McNabb, CU
Thomann, Mil
Funk, IWU

2nd
Brooks, CC
Vuckovich, NPU
AJ Johnson, CC
Smith, CU
Adjahoungbeta, Elm
Straughter, Mil
Klaver, Aug
Colak, IWU

Honorable mention:
VanderWoude, Whe
Bullock, NCC
Diaz, NCC

I've attempted to make the lists in an overall ranked order.  Brooks, Vuckovich, and AJ Johnson feel like locks to me, but the rest of the spots on the second team are up for grabs.

Thanks, Thunder.
Here are the changes I'd make;
1. Brooks to 1st team, Thomann to 2nd.
2. VanderWoude is on my 2nd team. Drop Klaver.
3. I won't be surprised if Augie and NCC are shutout. Especially since a good case can be made for all the other players listed and their teams finished higher.

Quote from: Stertorous Thunder on February 19, 2026, 06:36:29 PMI enjoy this time of year, debating the all-CCIW awards.

My first team:
Cleveland, IWU, MOP
Vanlandingham, NPU
Richardson, Whe
R. Johnson, CC
Trelenberg, Elm
McNabb, Mil
Brooks, CC

I predict unanimous selections for the first six on the list, especially the first four.  Brooks, Funk, Vuckovich, and AJ Johnson are all great players who deserve first team consideration, but they have teammates who get more attention and there aren't enough places for all of them so I think that three will fall to the second team.

I'm very confident of my top 11 players, but I haven't paid as much attention to CCIW basketball this year, so I could be way off on the final 5 spots.  I look forward to hearing other opinions.

My second team:
Funk, IWU
Vuckovich, NPU
AJ Johnson, CC
Thomann, Mil
Adjahoungbeta, Elm
Colak, IWU
VanderWoude, Whe
Smith, CU

Honorable mention:
Straughter, Mil
McNabb, CU[/b]
Bullock, NCC
Diaz, NCC

To me, Augie didn't have a single star who stood out above his teammates, so they could be lacking an all-conference representative.  Bullock and Diaz are great, but last place teams don't usually get honors unless they have an obvious first teamer.

Thunder,
No big deal for sure, but you need to make some minor adjustments to your picks. Millikin would love to have Mr. McNabb, but he plays for a school a little further north. Also, although multi-talented, I don't believe the same young man can be first team and honorable mention at the same time 😉.
Please submit another list of your first and second team picks with 8 players on each team. I'd be interested in seeing what you think. Thanks!

Quote from: Gregory Sager on February 19, 2026, 05:25:20 PM

Quote from: GusD on February 19, 2026, 03:35:08 PM

Quote from: iwu70 on February 19, 2026, 11:26:47 AMFirst team:  Vanlandingham, Cleveland, Richardson, Ryan Johnson, Mason Funk . . . and ?

And Trelenberg, Brooks, and Thomann.

McNabb. You don't keep the second-leading scorer in the league -- a guy who's averaging 21.5 ppg in CCIW play -- off of the first team. I can guarantee that every coach in this league who isn't named Taylor Jannsen game-plans around trying to stop Michael McNabb when Carroll is the next opponent on the docket.

You could also make a case for Mike Vuckovic or Lamar Smith, or, yes, Mason Funk as well. But McNabb has to be at the top of that list. However, it wouldn't shock me if Funk got in due to the time-honored spoils system that a lot of coaches live by. I think it's unlikely that some coaches would slot a second Carthage or North Park or Carroll player on the first team while only putting one player from the top-seeded team on their ballots.

Greg,
I strongly considered McNabb for first team rather than Thomann. Reading your post I thought you certainly made a valid point, and after further consideration I agree McNabb should get the nod with Thomann also worthy of All Conference status albeit as a second teamer.
I never considered Funk to be an anything other than a first teamer if for no other reason than it's a certainty that as conference champs IWU assuredly will land at least 2 players on the first team.

With regard to First-Year Student-Athlete Of The Year, is there much doubt that the intent of this award was to honor the Freshman Student-Athlete of the year?
If such is the case, the CCIW Administration should rename the award to Freshman S-A Of The Year. If the intent is to honor the most outstanding player, such as Mr. Cleveland, playing his first year in the conference no matter his academic standing, they should issue a memo so stating.  As things currently stand, no one really knows what this award is for.

Quote from: iwu70 on February 19, 2026, 11:26:47 AMGreg, I'm with you now on Mason Funk being a first-team All-CCIW selection.  I had him second team along with Colak.  Cleveland still first team and likely MOP for the regular season. 

First team:  Vanlandingham, Cleveland, Richardson, Ryan Johnson, Mason Funk . . . and ?

'70

And Trelenberg, Brooks, and Thomann.

Quote from: Gregory Sager on February 14, 2026, 10:03:49 PMElmhurst goes into the hangar this evening and comes away with a 66-57 win at the expense of their fellow DuPage songbirds. The Bluejays collected 15 and 8 from Vinnie Adjahoungbeta, 15 as well from Luke Smith, and 13 from Sebastian Blachut, while Aidyn Boone did the dirty work with 13 boards and four steals. James Bullock had a whale of a game in the losing cause for North Central with 20 points, 13 rebounds, and five blocks, and Alejandro Diaz chipped in a dozen points, but the offense just wasn't there for the Cardinals, who were an anemic 35% from the field and 17% (3-18) from downtown.

In an otherwise generally anemic season for NCC, the highlight of last evening's clash may well have been a halftime ceremony honoring the 2005-2006 Cardinal squad who won the very first CCIW Conference Tournament championship defeating IWU 51-49 in a game played at Augustana.
Among those present were Ray Vicario, Adam Teising, Dean Prince, Adam Krumtinger, Dan Walton, Anthony Simmons, Josh Corso, and assistant coach Nate Riley.

Quote from: Green Beer on February 09, 2026, 10:32:50 AM

Quote from: GusD on February 09, 2026, 01:45:09 AMAfter a close first half, I was surprised how thoroughly IWU dismantled Elmhurst in the second stanza. Both coaches cleared the bench with 16 players for each team seeing action, including Alex Miller of the triumphant Titans who, while seeing just two minutes of garbage time, managed to earn a T.

It was funny (which is easy to say when your team is ahead), but he flubbed a stuff, hung on the rim like a monkey, and got the T. And then he got pissed off for getting the T.

Like a monkey you say. Well, if he hung like a monkey, perhaps then all the howling and squealing after the blown dunk is what prompted the ref to hit him with a T? 🤗

Quote from: GoPerry on February 07, 2026, 07:27:16 PMIn OT at King Arena:
North Central  81
Wheaton        74

Credit NCC for a gritty win, staying in the game and pulling out the win.  The Cardinals probably deserved one of these.

At the same time, they can thank Thunder stubbornness for continuing to shoot treys when it's just not happening.  Wheaton had 33 three point attempts and made a paltry 6 for 18%. I thought I was watching last year's team where often half their attempts were threes.  Teams have been happy to let them shoot the long ball where they have been pretty poor lately and their athleticism and size advantages are basically neutralized.

Possible solution! 🤔

During warmups prior to the NCC game Saturday afternoon the Thunder demonstrated a special fondness for attempting a frenzy of spectacular dunks. However they perhaps would have been better served if they had devoted more of the preliminary period to practicing additional shots from beyond the arc. Especially given the fact that they boinked a fair number of those dunk attempts high off the rim. Not exactly shots they were going to be attempting during game action. 🤗

Quote from: Gregory Sager on February 09, 2026, 10:53:30 AM

Quote from: GusD on February 09, 2026, 01:45:09 AMJames Bullock Jr., who tied for scoring honors with Ethan with 22 points, is rapidly rising to an All-Conference level of play.

It's far from certain that North Central is even going to get an All-CCIW player at all, given that the Cardinals are in last place -- but a good rule of thumb is that four wins in conference typically gets you a slot on the All-CCIW team if you're bringing up the rear in the standings.

Ale Diaz has been North Central's best player over the entire run of the season, but I agree that Bullock has been the top Card in league play, and league play is what the coaches look at when they create the All-CCIW team. His numbers against CCIW opponents are very borderline for a second-teamer, but if he sustains what he did in last week's 25 and 22 scoring performances and the Cards manage to win another game I can see him sneaking onto the All-CCIW second team.

While it would be nice, I didn't necessarily mean this year as different aspects of James' game are still evolving along with his need to consistently produce stellar performances. And, as you indicated, NCC may not have anyone named to the all conference team this season, depending on their final victory total. However, in the future, I wouldn't be surprised to see Dro (as we call him) Diaz and James both achieve All-Conference status.