North Park @ IWU (1/21/07)

If you started following the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin in the mid-1990's or later, you may not be aware that the Division III program with the most national championships is North Park University. The Vikings have five banners hanging in their gym on the north side of Chicago, commemorating titles in 1978, 1979, 1980, 1985, and 1987. When I was a student at Illinois Wesleyan, the toughest road venue in the CCIW was that little gymnasium at the intersection of Foster & Kedzie.

The "what happened to North Park?" topic is one that only someone close to that program can address it detail, but on the surface it's obvious that everything went south when the administration fired Bosko Djurickovic (current head coach at Carthage) after the 1993-94 season. In 17 seasons from 1977-78 through 1993-94, North Park was 200-68 (.746) in CCIW play, with 5 league titles, and zero seasons under .500. (Dan McCarrell led the Vikings until 1983-84, and Bosko took the reigns the following season.) In the 12 completed seasons since Bosko's departure, NPU is 40-128 (.238) in the CCIW with zero titles and 11 seasons under .500.

After more than a decade of frustration, North Park fans see light at the end of the tunnel. Third-year head coach Paul Brenegan has assembled a talented young cast that has turned some heads around the CCIW this year. The Vikings are 10-6 overall and 2-3 in the CCIW, with a very impressive win at preseason league favorite North Central and a 3-pt loss last week to #10-ranked Elmhurst. The balanced Vikings have five starters averaging between 8 and 12 points, of which two are sophomores and one a freshman. Four freshman play off the bench for Brenegan's squad.

The Titans will need to come ready to play Sunday vs a good North Park team. Neither team can afford to pick up league loss #4.