MBB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[GoPerry]

Wheaton  99
Concordia U – Wisconsin  95

Kyan Vanderwoude 25 pts, 5 rebs
Soren Richardson, 18 & 6
Kyle Neibch, 18 pts 5/8 from three

The Thunder won't figure to win many games this season giving up 95 points.  But this was still a very nice opening win for Wheaton.

Offensively, the Thunder have lots of weapons.  Soren Richardson we all know will cause problems for the defense.  Kyan Vanderwoude is listed at 6'5" but his mobility and athleticism allows him to play more like 6'7".  The most interesting thing however, was that several freshman saw significant minutes.  Carson Grier from Tempe, AZ at 6'8" brings well needed size to the lineup.  Brad Wynja out of Colorado is a big body at 225 lbs and Skokie local Reid Olson is a really nice addition to the backcourt to spell or play alongside Devin Martin.  There's a lot to look forward to this season and the next few.

The Falcons were led by Logan Landers and Casey Verhagen, each with 27 pts.

[Gregory Sager]

Millikin dumped Monmouth at Glennie Gym out in the west Illinois cornfields, 71-55, for the Big Blue's first victory over the Fighting Scots since the 1929-30 season. Lane Thomann paced the Decaturites with 28 and 9, as he enjoyed a really good shooting night (8-15 FG, 4-5 trey 8-8 FT), and he was joined in double figures by Ian Winkler with 17.

And thus the CCIW plays all five games on opening weekend on the road, and yet emerges with a 4-1 record to start things off well.

[mwunder]

CCIW after opening weekend.

4-1. (.800)

Home 0-0. Away 4-1. Neutral 0-0

vs
MWC. 2-0
UAA. 0-1
MIAC. 1-0
NAAC. 1-0

[mwunder]

Nobody posted this yesterday, but Carroll started off the season for the CCIW by succumbing to Washington (MO), 90-78, at the Wash U Field House. All but 18 of Carroll's points were scored by three starters -- Michael McNab (22), Lamar Smith (20), and Jacob Naber (18) -- in the losing cause.

Carroll actually led in this game (63-61) with 7 minutes left to play, but got stuck at 63 for next three minutes while WashU went on a 13-0 over that timeframe which sealed the game for the home team. Tough place to open your season against a well-coached team full of talent.

[Gregory Sager]

Nobody posted this yesterday, but Carroll started off the season for the CCIW by succumbing to Washington (MO), 90-78, at the Wash U Field House. All but 18 of Carroll's points were scored by three starters -- Michael McNab (22), Lamar Smith (20), and Jacob Naber (18) -- in the losing cause.

Carroll actually led in this game (63-61) with 7 minutes left to play, but got stuck at 63 for next three minutes while WashU went on a 13-0 over those that timeframe which sealed the game for the home team. Tough place to open your season against a well-coached team full of talent.

Michael McNabb, the 6'5", 205 sophomore wing who got into 22 games for D2 Northern Michigan last season (and even started one of them), is clearly a high-impact transfer for the Pios.

[Stertorous Thunder]

Offensively, the Thunder have lots of weapons.  Soren Richardson we all know will cause problems for the defense.  Kyan Vanderwoude is listed at 6'5" but his mobility and athleticism allows him to play more like 6'7".  The most interesting thing however, was that several freshman saw significant minutes.  Carson Grier from Tempe, AZ at 6'8" brings well needed size to the lineup.  Brad Wynja out of Colorado is a big body at 225 lbs and Skokie local Reid Olson is a really nice addition to the backcourt to spell or play alongside Devin Martin.  There's a lot to look forward to this season and the next few.

I'm really enthusiastic about the young Wheaton players.  If you're picking favorites to be CCIW player of the year, Soren Richardson has to be on the top of the preseason board, but I actually wonder if he'll get fewer accolades this year because of the continued progress of Kyan Vanderwoude.  If you have a true lockdown defender to put on Richardson, you might hold him to 10 or 12 points, but I doubt you have a #2 defender that can keep Vanderwoude from torching you for 20+.  Wheaton has had some special guard duos before, and they seem to have another one lined up.

Mike Schauer isn't one of those coaches who refuses to use freshmen in key roles, but I've observed that early in the season he will often put upperclassmen in the starting lineup and ease the newcomers in over time. It's very telling that he trusted two of them, Carson Greir and Brady Wynja, enough to put them in the opening night starting lineup, and gave a third freshman, Reid Olson, significant minutes ahead of fifth year Noah Hedrick, who started most games last season, and Christian Veirs, who Schauer considers to be an elite defender.

Speaking of Olson, I had to stop and replay Mike Schauer's comments in the postgame interview on the Wheaton Thunder YouTube channel: "I know what I'm about to say... I have not coached very many guys who shoot the ball better than Reid Olson."  Coming from the man who has coached Aston Francis, Nyameye Adom, Tyson Cruickshank, and Soren Richardson in the past decade, that's quite a statement.

Welcome back, Thunder.  Let's make some noise this season.

[iwu70]

Last weekend, IWU played an exhibition up at Lewis and put a beat down on them by 20+.  A good start.  I don't have details, perhaps others can provide re: starting line up and rotation Ron Rose has in mind with the Titans for this year. 

IWU opens this coming weekend in the Sikma Hall of Fame Invitational at The Shirk.  Illinois College on Friday night 7 p.m. The tournament championship game is on Saturday.  A very full, busy weekend with men's and women's basketball and likely CCIW volleyball championship too at the Shirk.

IWU'70 

[petemcb]

Just to add to the Wheaton comments, Mike Schauer played Freshmen and Sophomores for 126 of the 200 player minutes available in the game. And Reid Olson is legit. I've watched him off and on through high school and he is a tireless player, has ice in his veins, a laser focus on the basket, and has scored a ton of points without being selfish. Not that Mike Schauer needs my support or confirmation, but the comparisons he draws are realistic.

[mwunder]

Lane Thomann paced the Decaturites with 28 and 9, as he enjoyed a really good shooting night (8-15 FG, 4-5 trey 8-8 FT)

Congrats!  With the effort mentioned above, Thomann earned himself the first CCIW Student-Athlete of the Week for the '25-26 hoops season.

[Gregory Sager]

Augustana opened its season tonight by hosting Wisconsin Lutheran at Carver, with the Rock Islanders pulling away from the Warriors in the second half to earn a 90-73 win. It needs to be said that this is not the Wisconsin Lutheran team that went 27-4 last season and reached the Sweet Sixteen; all five starters from that team are gone. This season's Warriors had already opened their slate with a home loss on Friday night to a Lawrence program that hasn't seen a winning season in 11 years.

Having said all that, this was nevertheless a positive start for Augie. Staishaun Kelley looks like he's ready to repeat his breakout campaign of last year, as he led Augie in scoring with 16 and was joined in double figures by Andre Klaver (15), Jake Willems (13), Cam Atkinson (12), and Ray Maurchie, who double-doubled with 10 and 12.

[mwunder]

CCIW to date.

5-1. (.833)

Home 1-0. Away 4-1. Neutral 0-0

vs
MWC. 2-0
UAA. 0-1
MIAC. 1-0
NAAC. 2-0


Tonight's games:
North Park (1-0) visiting Alma (0-2)
Lake Forest (0-1) at Wheaton (1-0)
Beloit (0-2) at Carroll (0-1)
Hope (1-1) at Elmhurst (1-0)
Concordia Chicago (0-1) at Millikin (0-0)
Aurora (1-1) at North Central (0-0)

[Titan Q]

Wouldn't surprise me, however, if Illinois Wesleyan is at the top of the league in NIL funds, because it's an institution that has a lot of close ties to its local business community, in particular the two major insurance corporations that are based in Bloomington.

In terms of NIL at IWU, I can only speak for the IWU MBB program, since I am so closely connected.  But IWU MBB has no NIL effort in place of any kind. And no current or former IWU MBB student-athlete has ever earned a penny of NIL money.

I can't speak for WBB, football, volleyball, etc - simply because I haven't asked.  But I will say I have never heard anyone in the IWU Athletics department - and I am pretty closely connected - mention anything about IWU kids benefiting from NIL.

IWU does a nice job raising alumni funds for individual athletic programs - I donate to several of them.  That helps buy uniforms and fund trips, etc. But that is money that is going straight to the school and programs...obviously not the kids.

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

Wouldn't surprise me, however, if Illinois Wesleyan is at the top of the league in NIL funds, because it's an institution that has a lot of close ties to its local business community, in particular the two major insurance corporations that are based in Bloomington.

In terms of NIL at IWU, I can only speak for the IWU MBB program, since I am so closely connected.  But IWU MBB has no NIL effort in place of any kind. And no current or former IWU MBB student-athlete has ever earned a penny of NIL money.

I can't speak for WBB, football, volleyball, etc - simply because I haven't asked.  But I will say I have never heard anyone in the IWU Athletics department - and I am pretty closely connected - mention anything about IWU kids benefiting from NIL.

IWU does a nice job raising alumni funds for individual athletic programs - I donate to several of them.  That helps buy uniforms and fund trips, etc. But that is money that is going straight to the school and programs...obviously not the kids.

And you can say this with confidence because athletes are supposed to report NIL deals to the school, right?  So even if it weren't facilitated by the school or some NIL collective, it would be on the books somewhere.

I haven't heard of too many schools with organized programs, honestly.  There are likely more rumors than reality.  Most of the ones I know about are very public.  That's how you raise money, after all.

[Titan Q]

And you can say this with confidence because athletes are supposed to report NIL deals to the school, right?  So even if it weren't facilitated by the school or some NIL collective, it would be on the books somewhere.

100% confidence.

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

And you can say this with confidence because athletes are supposed to report NIL deals to the school, right?  So even if it weren't facilitated by the school or some NIL collective, it would be on the books somewhere.

100% confidence.

After this post, someone sent me this link:

https://nilclub.com/illinois-wesleyan-university/mens-basketball

There are several other pages (with considerably more money pledged) for other IWU teams.  A quick google also shows some logo apparel sites connected to individual athletes (although I didn't see any mbb players there).

I suspect there are lot of ways athletes may be exploring this on their own and I'd imagine the rules are still quite vague around the whole thing.

There's also likely quite the gulf between sponsors and alums "supporting" players and official NIL collectives coordinating with coaches and schools to do so strategically.