MBB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[augiefan]

IWU and Wheaton both have proved they can play with Wash U. Unfortunately Augie proved tonight they cannot. The game remained competitive until late in the 1st half but after that Wash U. dominated Augie for a onesided 18 point victory. The anticiated bad week for Augie was as ugly as predicted. More challenges ahead next week.

[Mr. Ypsi]

Does anyone else think IWU plays to the level of competition in front of them at times?

It seems like if you can play with Wash U, maybe you could win tonight without too much of a struggle?

It just seems like they can't fire on all cylinders yet.

As I posted on the CCIW in-game updates board, MacMurray was a 1-7 SLIAC team, playing on a CCIW home court.  Any CCIW contender should have won by whatever score their conscience would allow.  If anyone witnessed this game, I'd be interested in hearing how it could be a 5-point game in the last minute?!

[devildog29]

Does anyone else think IWU plays to the level of competition in front of them at times?

It seems like if you can play with Wash U, maybe you could win tonight without too much of a struggle?

It just seems like they can't fire on all cylinders yet.

As I posted on the CCIW in-game updates board, MacMurray was a 1-7 SLIAC team, playing on a CCIW home court.  Any CCIW contender should have won by whatever score their conscience would allow.  If anyone witnessed this game, I'd be interested in hearing how it could be a 5-point game in the last minute?!

I won't get into the negative vitriol of the regular Ron Rose basher on this board, but I'm gonna go ahead and say it.  I'm afraid this seems to be the norm of the Rose coached teams since he's been at IWU.  I don't have any facts or stats to back this up as I'm only going by observation, but there's been a consistant lack of defensive talent outside of a couple exceptions (Gant, though even he was a Trost recruit) in the last few years.  Just my opinion, but this seems to allow lesser teams to hang around in games too often with the Titans.

[Titan Q]

As I posted on the CCIW in-game updates board, MacMurray was a 1-7 SLIAC team, playing on a CCIW home court.  Any CCIW contender should have won by whatever score their conscience would allow.  If anyone witnessed this game, I'd be interested in hearing how it could be a 5-point game in the last minute?!

I was not at the IWU win over MacMurray, and wasn't able to listen either.  I know, though, the coaching staff went into the game intent on giving two JV players significant minutes in the varsity rotation - 6-5 sophomore forward Dan Schouten and 6-3 sophomore guard Steve Rudnicki.  I guess both have really been knocking on the door in practice.  Schouten and Rudnicki played 18 & 17 minutes last night respectively (after not playing a meaningful varsity minute leading up to this game).

To get those two in, they decided before the game to not play top reserve Ryan Connolly (10.0 ppg).  The 6-9 sophomore did not see the floor last night.

Also, they sat 6-7 sophomore Kevin Reed last night, who had moved into the rotation in place of Duncan Lawson.  Reed has played some JV games, so last night was a chance to "save a game" towards the game limit.

So, a few rotation dynamics going on there...not sure I'd read too much into the flow of the MacMurray game.  Not saying I think the Titans played well, or that they are not still trying to put it all together and figure it out, but I wouldn't over-analyze last night.

Tuesday at Illinois College (6-1 with wins over Carroll and Lawrence), you won't see any experimenting...whoever plays, I think, is who they feel should be in the rotation.

[Titan Q]

In my opinion, the injury to 6-6 forward John Koschnitzky has really thrown the Titans out of whack in a lot of ways.  IWU did not play enough games with him this year to really get a feel for what they were like with him vs without, but I've noticed that his absence has really hurt the team in a lot of subtle ways.

With Koschnitzky as a starter, Ron Rose had Jordan Zimmer as instant offense off the bench.  Now, with  Zimmer starting, there is no perimeter scorer on the bench - Sean Dwyer and Matt Schick are solid roles players, but certainly not scorers.  That one injury has really hurt the dynamics of the entire rotation.  The recent experiments with Kevin Reed, Steve Rudnicki, and Dan Schouten in the rotation demonstrate just how much the staff is still looking for the right combination.

Also, Koschnitzky is the best frontcourt defender on the team.  Koschnitzky can guard a wing or a inside/outside type "combo forward."  So many teams IWU has played have versatile forwards who step out and shoot from the perimeter.  Right now, I don't think the Titans are equipped well to guard those guys.  Like Wash U's 6-5 Cam Smith and 6-6 Caleb Knepper - IWU just didn't have a matchup for those two.  (I think this is why they're taking a hard look at 6-5 Schouten right now.)

Finally, he brings necessary athleticism to the floor.  

Koschnitzky is such a nice complement to the rotation because he is just a very different player than the rest of the cast.  The Titans are just missing something without him in there.  I sense they have really been grinding since his loss.

[Titan Q]

I don't have a ton of details on Koschnitzky's status (he broke his foot November 18 vs Webster and was projected to be out 8 weeks), by the way, but what I do know is that he got his cast off a couple days ago.  If his rehab process goes well from this point on, there is a chance he'll be playing in mid or late-January.

When the injury first occurred, I honestly assumed he was out for the year.  While that is still possible, the odds are he'll be back for at least the second half of CCIW games.   

[Hoosier Titan]

Everything Q says is true; IWU misses John Koschnitscky immensely.  

Neither the posts here nor the Pantagraph story mentioned the damage done by Macmurray post player Ryan Sichting (must be related to 1970's Purdue and all-Big-Ten player Jerry Sichting; they're both from Martinsville, IN).  He went 6/10, most right under the basket; the Titans looked unable to stop him with O'Callaghan fouling out and Schouten picking up four.  If he'd done better than 2/5 from the line the game would have been even closer.

[OurHouse]

Everything Q says is true; IWU misses John Koschnitscky immensely.  

Neither the posts here nor the Pantagraph story mentioned the damage done by Macmurray post player Ryan Sichting (must be related to 1970's Purdue and all-Big-Ten player Jerry Sichting; they're both from Martinsville, IN).  He went 6/10, most right under the basket; the Titans looked unable to stop him with O'Callaghan fouling out and Schouten picking up four.  If he'd done better than 2/5 from the line the game would have been even closer.

..and, you and Q are so wrong in your assessments -
MMW

[Hoosier Titan]

..and, you and Q are so wrong in your assessments -
MMW

I'll take that as a compliment.  Thank you.

[John Gleich]

Everything Q says is true; IWU misses John Koschnitscky immensely.  

Neither the posts here nor the Pantagraph story mentioned the damage done by Macmurray post player Ryan Sichting (must be related to 1970's Purdue and all-Big-Ten player Jerry Sichting; they're both from Martinsville, IN).  He went 6/10, most right under the basket; the Titans looked unable to stop him with O'Callaghan fouling out and Schouten picking up four.  If he'd done better than 2/5 from the line the game would have been even closer.

..and, you and Q are so wrong in your assessments -
MMW

Then enlighten us sensei.

[Titan Q]

The 2010 Championship Handbook has been released...

http://web1.ncaa.org/web_files/champ_handbooks/basketball/2010/10_3_mbasketball.pdf


61-team tournament - 40 Pool A, 2 Pool B, 19 Pool C


In the early years of this decade, there were seasons with 6 or 7 Pool C's available I think.  19 is pretty good.  (Last year there were 18 Pool C's and, I believe, 17 in 2007-08.)

[Titan Q]

The Midwest Regional Advisory Committee is:

Steve Zapolski (Augustana) - chair
Mark Edwards (Wash U)
Gary Grzesk (St. Norbert)
Lee McKinney (Fontbonne)
Brad Nadborne (Manchester)
Skip Noon (Wis Lutheran)
Mark Scherer (Elmhurst)

[sac]

The 2010 Championship Handbook has been released...

http://web1.ncaa.org/web_files/champ_handbooks/basketball/2010/10_3_mbasketball.pdf

Those interested in OWP and OOWP should read the section on strength of schedule.  For 2010 and 2011 they will be using a weighted average of 2/3 OWP and 1/3 OOWP.  I believe this is a fairly significant change from years passed if memory serves me correctly.

[Gregory Sager]

Tim McCrary with a triple-double: 35 pts, 18 rebounds, 10 assists

The CCIW went twelve years between triple-double performances ... and now it's had two of them within a two-week span.

'course, seeing as how McCrary's came against Grinnell, I think that even our orange-flavored friends out in DuPage County might agree that he should get the Roger Maris treatment for that stat line.

[Moser]

Tim McCrary with a triple-double: 35 pts, 18 rebounds, 10 assists

The CCIW went twelve years between triple-double performances ... and now it's had two of them within a two-week span.

'course, seeing as how McCrary's came against Grinnell, I think that even our orange-flavored friends out in DuPage County might agree that he should get the Roger Maris treatment for that stat line.

That would only be the case if triple doubles against Grinnell are commonplace, which I don't know. I think a triple double is pretty impressive, even against The System.