MBB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[Titan Q]

The foot injury that sent IWU's Doug Sexauer to the locker room late in the 1st half is the same as what hampered him early in the CCIW season...

http://www.pantagraph.com/sports/college/basketball/men/article_d883f29c-4169-11e0-87a5-001cc4c002e0.html

Sexauer ignited a pivotal 13-2 surge with a 3-pointer from the key and the fourth-seeded Titans conquered top seed North Central, 69-57, Friday in a semifinal contest of the CCIW Tournament before a Gregory Arena crowd of 1,458.

"Doug said he was going to try (at halftime). We weren't sure how he would respond, but he wanted to play," IWU coach Ron Rose said. "What a courageous effort the second half."

"I was a little worried," said Sexauer, who injured the same foot earlier in the season. "We taped it really tight, and I was able to get back out there."
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* 1st 3 CCIW games: 5.7 ppg, 3.0 rpg (vs NCC: 7pts, 3 reb, @ Carthage: 0 pts, 3 reb, @ Millikin: 10 pts, 3 reb)

* 12 CCIW games since (including last night): 17.4 ppg, 6.7 rpg


Sexauer had 12 points in the 2nd half last night, so hopefully he's good to go tonight.

[Ralph Turner]

I hereby predict the Titans by a 'blowout'.

(Warning to Greg: as IWU and Augie currently stand at 137-137 for the season - each team winning by 2 at home - a 'blowout' is defined as either team winning by 4 or more points - i.e. can't lose on the last possession! )

[If IWU wins by 8+, I reserve the right to call it a 'total blowout'!  If Augie wins by 8+ I'll still show up, but I'll be whimpering. ]

And to all posters, remember: if Augie wins, we are a one-team league for the tourney.  If IWU wins, we are a two-team league.  Support your local conference!

What a sense of altruism and love for the "dear ol' CCIW"!   

[Titan Q]

IWU/NCC boxscore:

http://www.iwusports.com/custompages/MBB/MBB2011/HTML/mbk26.htm


A few random thoughts...

* On January 5 in Bloomington, IWU was out-rebounded 45-23 (wow).  On Feb 14 in Naperville, NCC won the battle of the boards 36-28.  Last night IWU had 36 rebounds to NCC's 27.

* Eliud Gonzalez (0 points, 4 reb, 4 assists) is not a scorer at all, but he has done a commendable job as IWU's PG since Travis Rosenkranz went down with the concussion @ Wheaton.  Early in the season, Gonzalez was basically an 8-minute-per-game player, coming in for brief stretches to spell Rosenkranz.  Now he plays 30 minutes or so per game.  Stephen Rudnicki, formerly the 3rd string PG and now the backup to Gonzalez, was instrumental in the must win game vs Augie.  IWU is a much better team with the combination of Travis Rosenkranz & Eliud Gonzalez at the point (vs Gonzalez/Rudnicki), but I give a lot of credit to those 2 guys in there now for helping the Titans play for the AQ.

* The Titans are hard to beat when either starting forward (Jordan Zimmer, John Koschnitzky) has a big offensive game -- these guys are absolutely critical to IWU's offensive flow.  Zimmer is 39-87 (.448) from 3 in CCIW games now, and opposing teams have to guard him everywhere he goes on the perimeter.  Koschnitzky is an inside/outside player who can do a lot of different things offensively.

[TitansIWU]

IWU/NCC boxscore:

http://www.iwusports.com/custompages/MBB/MBB2011/HTML/mbk26.htm


A few random thoughts...

* On January 5 in Bloomington, IWU was out-rebounded 45-23 (wow).  On Feb 14 in Naperville, NCC won the battle of the boards 36-28.  Last night IWU had 36 rebounds to NCC's 27.

* Eliud Gonzalez (0 points, 4 reb, 4 assists) is not a scorer at all, but he has done a commendable job as IWU's PG since Travis Rosenkranz went down with the concussion @ Wheaton.  Early in the season, Gonzalez was basically an 8-minute-per-game player, coming in for brief stretches to spell Rosenkranz.  Now he plays 30 minutes or so per game.  Stephen Rudnicki, formerly the 3rd string PG and now the backup to Gonzalez, was instrumental in the must win game vs Augie.  IWU is a much better team with the combination of Travis Rosenkranz & Eliud Gonzalez at the point (vs Gonzalez/Rudnicki), but I give a lot of credit to those 2 guys in there now for helping the Titans play for the AQ.

* The Titans are hard to beat when either starting forward (Jordan Zimmer, John Koschnitzky) has a big offensive game -- these guys are absolutely critical to IWU's offensive flow.  Zimmer is 39-87 (.448) from 3 in CCIW games now, and opposing teams have to guard him everywhere he goes on the perimeter.  Koschnitzky is an inside/outside player who can do a lot of different things offensively.

Great benefits of Gonzalez are his hustle, his determination on defense, and his style of one man press that just never quits.

He is just a scrapper, and while he lacks some of the decision making of Travis, he makes up for it in determination and forcing turnovers. He just constantly annoys the opponent and that wears on a team after awhile. They always have to be looking for him and it may from time to time mess with their heads.

[veterancciwfan]

IWU has played 2 great games and needs another one to "sneak" into the D3 tournament. I agree that Gonzalez and Rudnicki have been key indgredients in IWU's last two must wins. IWU has had more injuries this season than I can ever remember for a IWU team. Credit Ron Rose for mixing and matching (or probably patching is a a better description) and for preparing his team. So many tough close losses in a 7 loss season to date, including 3 in OT. I guess Carthage could say the same thing about "tough losses."

[Mr. Ypsi]

I hereby predict the Titans by a 'blowout'.

(Warning to Greg: as IWU and Augie currently stand at 137-137 for the season - each team winning by 2 at home - a 'blowout' is defined as either team winning by 4 or more points - i.e. can't lose on the last possession! )

[If IWU wins by 8+, I reserve the right to call it a 'total blowout'!  If Augie wins by 8+ I'll still show up, but I'll be whimpering. ]

And to all posters, remember: if Augie wins, we are a one-team league for the tourney.  If IWU wins, we are a two-team league.  Support your local conference!

What a sense of altruism and love for the "dear ol' CCIW"!   

Just trying to be of assistance to posters from the other six schools who might wish to have a rooting interest in the title game: root for the CCIW to get two teams in the tourney!  (It is purely coincidental that that means 'root for the Titans'! )

[Gregory Sager]

Augustana 76
Illinois Wesleyan 52

[Mr. Ypsi]

I hereby predict the Titans by a 'blowout'.

(Warning to Greg: as IWU and Augie currently stand at 137-137 for the season - each team winning by 2 at home - a 'blowout' is defined as either team winning by 4 or more points - i.e. can't lose on the last possession! )

[If IWU wins by 8+, I reserve the right to call it a 'total blowout'!  If Augie wins by 8+ I'll still show up, but I'll be whimpering. ]

And to all posters, remember: if Augie wins, we are a one-team league for the tourney.  If IWU wins, we are a two-team league.  Support your local conference!

whimper, whimper.

I did NOT see that coming.  I was fully prepared for a loss, but that wasn't even a 'blowout' - that meets the MIAC football definition of a 'monkey stomp'.

After Elite Eight last year and everyone but Sean Dwyer coming back, it was a disappointing year.  Can't be TOO disappointed with 19-8, but disappointing none-the-less.

[Gregory Sager]

A very impressive win by Augustana. The Rock Islanders went on a late first-half run to take a close game and turn it into a 13-point Augie lead at the half. In the second half, except for a Titans run that knocked a 19-point Augie lead down to nine, it was all Augie. Down the stretch, Augie just ran away with the game and turned it into a rout.

Brian DeSimone led Augie with 18 points, while Kyle Nelson had 14 and 7. The only Titan who had more than seven points was Sean Johnson, who ended his career with a 20-point game, although Doug Sexauer led all players with 11 boards.

Sounded like Augie played a great defensive game. IWU had an uncharacteristically high 15 turnovers and shot only 38% from the field for the game. IWU didn't hit a three-pointer until there was only 3:48 left in the second half; the Titans went 2-15 (13%) from downtown for the game.

[iwu70]

Ugly.  2-14 from 3 land will never do it for the Titans.  Augie must have played outstanding defense all 'round and especially on the perimeter.   My Congrats to Augie on the regular season and the conference tournament championships.  They have had an outstanding season and were without doubt the better team tonight.  

My warm congrats and best wishes to Coach Rose and all the Titans, especially our wonderful senior group, for all the dedication and hard work, all the excitement and pleasure provided to the Titan fan nation during their careers at IWU.   I surely wish the CCIW had two teams in the dance this year, but that looks very unlikely now.  In any case, an exciting year of DIII hoops  . . . and we have all faith that the future of IWU basketball will be bright.  

Again, congrats to Augie.  I hope they make some noise in the DIII tournament and carry well the CCIW flag.

(IWU women won tonight and will go into the DIII dance on a strong roll, at 23-4, playing extremely well.  They had a tough slugfest with Wheaton tonight and came out on top again, 67-57.  Olivia Lett with a double-double, 20 points and 11 rebounds).    

[Titan Q]

Congratulations to Augustana on winning the AQ in convincing fashion.  I listened to the game and really not much to say but IWU did not play well, and Augie did.  Once Brian DeSimone went on that big run late in the 1st half, it felt like the game was over...and it was.

[Gregory Sager]

Now that the CCIW portion of the season is over, it can be stated just how bizarre this year has turned out to be, via this set of interrelated facts:

* In a year in which everyone connected to the league -- coaches, players, fans -- was convinced that the CCIW was going to be absolutely stacked, the league repeatedly stumbled in non-conference play and ended up with only the minimum one team in the big dance;

* Neither of the two squads that were picked as Top Five teams in the d3hoops.com preseason poll were that one team that's going dancing. One of the two erstwhile favorites didn't even make the conference tournament, and the other barely got in as the fourth seed;

* For the first time in twenty years, a CCIW champion or co-champion had a losing record in non-conference play; and

* For the first time in nine years, the CCIW only had one team reach the twenty-win mark.

[Mr. Ypsi]

Now that the CCIW portion of the season is over, it can be stated just how bizarre this year has turned out to be, via this set of interrelated facts:

* In a year in which everyone connected to the league -- coaches, players, fans -- was convinced that the CCIW was going to be absolutely stacked, the league repeatedly stumbled in non-conference play and ended up with only the minimum one team in the big dance;

* Neither of the two squads that were picked as Top Five teams in the d3hoops.com preseason poll were that one team that's going dancing. One of the two erstwhile favorites didn't even make the conference tournament, and the other barely got in as the fourth seed;

* For the first time in twenty years, a CCIW champion or co-champion had a losing record in non-conference play; and

* For the first time in nine years, the CCIW only had one team reach the twenty-win mark.

And IWU could have corrected three of those four things with a win tonight!

Congratulations to Augie for a completely dominating performance when it most counted.

[TitansIWU]

Home from Naperville.

Nice win by Augustana, just the much better team tonight.

Thanks to our seniors for giving us four years of thrills.

[all blues]

Now that the CCIW portion of the season is over, it can be stated just how bizarre this year has turned out to be, via this set of interrelated facts:

* For the first time in nine years, the CCIW only had one team reach the twenty-win mark.

Uh, excuse me, but i believe Millikin also reached the 20-oh, wait.  never mind.