Monday, December 31, 2007

One more night in L.A.


Well, it was a disappointing performance Saturday vs Occidental. Unfortunately the same things that have plagued the Titans throughout the non-conference season crept up again:

* Perimeter defense - Oxy was 10-22 (.455) from 3-pt range.
* Poor FT shooting - the Titans were just 15-25 (.600).
* In-game inconsistency - it seems like the intensity level varies within each game.

After battling back from a 19-point deficit at one point in the 1st half, the Titans had it down to 2 early in the 2nd (49-47). But a 21-5 Oxy run knocked the Titans out for good. IWU had 5 turnovers during that stretch. In the end, I'd say the Titans lost to a better team, but they certainly didn't play very well.

The Titans face 5-3 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps today at 3:00pm PST (5:00pm CST). As discussed in a recent blog entry, I do not think CMS is as good as Occidental, but in talking to the Oxy coaches, it sounds like CMS is a good, solid team. They are a very deliberate (ie slow!), halfcourt type team that plays very physically...the way people talk about them makes me think of Hanover. The Titans could really use a win today to get to 6-5 and head into the CCIW season with a little confidence.

As far as the trip goes, I think it's safe to say the guys have had a great time. Yesterday (Sunday) they practiced at Pepperdine University in Malibu (pictured), which has to be one of the most beautiful college campuses in the world. Pepperdine sits atop a bluff, overlooking the Pacific Ocean. The views from everywhere on campus are spectacular. After practice, the team ate lunch at Moonshadows in Malibu, which sits right on the ocean.

This is the team's final night in L.A...it would sure be nice to get a W today.

Saturday, December 29, 2007

IWU @ Occidental

Well, the L.A. trip has been a good one so far for the Titans. The team arrived at the hotel in Sherman Oaks late in the afternoon on Wednesday, the 26th. Coach Rose had the guys up early Thursday for a 7:30am practice at Occidental. That night, the entire traveling party attended the Clippers' game vs Steve Nash and the Phoenix Suns. Friday started with another early morning practice. In the afternoon, Coach Hutson piled all 14 players into one of the two rental vans and conducted a tour of Beverly Hills and Bel-Air, including a couple trips past the Playboy Mansion. A full day concluded with a nice meal at The Cheesecake Factory.

This morning the Titans have their walk-through at 10:00am. After a little more sight-seeing today, it's finally gametime. IWU faces 6-1 Occidental, fresh off a 69-46 win over Southern Maine last night in Irvine. The Tigers are a good team, so it will be interesting to see what happens tonight.

Join us on WJBC!

Monday, December 24, 2007

Goin' back to Cali

The Titans will face Occidental on Saturday, 12/29 at 9:00pm CST (7:00pm L.A. time). On New Year's Eve, they will play at Claremont-Mudd-Scripps at 5:00pm CST (3:00pm local).

Note, there is no school called "Claremont-Mudd-Scripps." CMS is a combination, for athletic purposes only, of three schools - Claremont McKenna College, Harvey Mudd College, and Scripps College...all in Claremont, California. These three schools, Occidental, and Illinois Wesleyan all appear in the 2008 U.S. News & World Report ranking of Top Liberal Arts Colleges in the country.

Here are the results to date of the two California opponents:

Occidental (5-1):

11/16 - @ West Coast Baptist, W, 71-63
11/17 - @ Azusa Pacific, L, 57-79
11/20 - vs La Sierra, W, 89-63
12/1 - @ La Sierra, W, 77-66
12/18 - vs Pacific Union, W, 77-40 (neutral court)
12/19 - vs Plattsburgh State, W, 69-64 (neutral court) - current D3 #14

Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (5-3):

11/16 - @ Hope International, W, 61-58
11/17 - vs Menlo, L, 52-65
11/23 - vs Macalester, W, 64-59 (neutral court)
11/24 - vs St. Olaf, W, 52-48
11/30 - vs Babson, L, 47-60 (neutral court)
12/1 - vs Earlham, W, 60-47 (neutral court)
12/8 - @ Chapman, L, 62-84
12/15 - vs UC-Santa Cruz, W, 82-49

Here is how the teams match-up.

If I had to guess, here is how I would stack these teams up vs IWU's other non-conference opponents...

1. Wash U
2. Olivet Nazarene
3. Albion
4. Occidental
5. Chicago
6. Hanover
7. Tri-State
8. Claremont-Mudd-Scripps
9. Dominican
10. Webster
11. Illinois College

I'd say the Titans will be an underdog on the road at Occidental, but a favorite at CMS. If the Titans play well, they can win both...if they don't, they could easily drop both.

These are very important games -- the final two tune-ups before CCIW play begins on January 9. It'd be nice to see the Titans play their two most complete games of the season and really build some nice momentum heading into league play.

Merry Christmas, Titan fans! Be safe.

Wednesday, December 19, 2007

Oxy knocks of #14

A neutral court (Chapman U.) final from this afternoon...

Occidental 69
#14 Plattsburgh St 64

Plattsburgh St was 7-0 heading into the game...Oxy moves to 5-1.

Looks like the Titans will have their hands full with the Occidental Tigers on Dec. 29, on their floor. That's going to be a fun one...I've seen the Titans play a whole bunch of good games on the road on holiday trips. I have a good feeling about that Oxy game.

IWU 88 Hanover 76

While I left the Shirk Center Tuesday evening as concerned about IWU's perimeter defense as I was when I walked in, I saw a lot of good things in the win over Hanover.

  • The Titans had to find a way to scrap and claw for a victory against a good team, while down in the 2nd half...and they did just that. They played with a lot of intensity the final 10 minutes of the game and that was nice to see.
  • Brett Chamernik was good once again - 19 pts on 7-9 FG - very impressive.
  • Doug Sexauer kept the Titans in the game with 4 consecutive baskets midway through the 2nd half - a very nice 14 point (7-10 FG) performance by Doug.
  • Jordan Morris got back on track after a rough game at Chicago - 4-10 from 3, and 18 points. Jordan has really had a solid season so far overall.
  • Darius Gant played like a 1st Team All-CCIW player for the final 10 minutes of the game. His offense, defense, and rebounding were all huge for the Titans down the stretch. If Darius could ever find a way to bring that level of intensity and focus every minute he is on the floor, he'd be hard for opponents to handle. I'd love to see it in the upcoming CCIW season.

The guys are all headed home today and will return on Christmas day. Then on the morning of Dec. 26 it's off to warm and sunny (hopefully) Los Angeles for two more great non-conference tests. Occidental and Claremont-Mudd-Scripps are solid Division III programs in a league (SCIAC) that keeps getting better.

I'll have more as we lead up to the trip. I hope everyone has a great holiday season!

Monday, December 17, 2007

Chicago 85 IWU 70

After playing Chicago to a 1-point game (35-34) in the 1st half Saturday, I'm still not exactly sure what happened to the Titans in the first 4:39 of the 2nd. The Maroons's 18-0 run from the start of the half to the 15:21 mark was obviously the difference in the game. 4 minutes and 39 seconds -- it sure doesn't take a very long lapse to totally lose control of a game, does it?

During that 18-0 barage, Chicago made 4 3-pointers (Nate Hainje 2, Adam Machones 1, Jake Pancratz 1) and 3 layups (2 by Hainje, 1 by Matt Corning). Obviously the Titans struggled to defend the perimeter - a problem all season long - and when they tried to get out there, they gave up easy baskets inside.

On the offensive end, I thought the Titans played without composure. Obviously, the way to stop a run is to score, and the Titans just could not put the ball in the basket. There were a couple key turnovers and then a bunch of shots that didn't fall. The more they got down, the more things seemed to unravel on the offensive side of the floor. As young and inexperienced as this team is, I guess that shouldn't be a huge surprise. Again, this year is all about keeping perspective.

On Saturday, Chicago really exposed IWU's defensive struggles. As I see it, the Titans' fate the remainder of 2007-08 hinges on their ability to improve defensively. I'm very confident that this team will be fine - maybe even very good - on offense, but the Titans are going to need to make some defensive adjustments based on what teams are doing against them.

The great thing is that they don't have to think about the Chicago game for very long - Hanover, a team probably better than Chicago, comes to town tomorrow. The roller coaster ride continues!

Friday, December 14, 2007

IWU @ U. of Chicago

I've been out here in Phoenix the last three days on a business trip. Everyone I've met with has said something like, "Sorry about the weather." It's been 64 and sunny everyday I've been here. I just laugh to myself and think, "You have no idea."

I fly back to Midway today, stay with the parents on the south side tonight, and then head to the Ratner Center tomorrow for the IWU/Chicago game. Looking forward to seeing the Titans...but not Illinois weather.

Another very solid test for the Titans tomorrow against 3-4 Chicago. Here are the matchup notes.

Chicago has defeated 4-4 Lake Forest, 5-2 Transylvania, and 0-6 Kalamazoo. They have lost to 6-0 Trinity (TX) at home, @ 4-2 DePauw, @ 7-1 Wheaton, and @ 4-2 Loras. All of the losses were close games, including the 2-point margin vs Wheaton, in a game Chicago played without their returning leading scorer, Nate Hainje.

Chicago is one of the steady, solid teams from the Midwest Region...

2006-7: 20-6, 11-3 UAA
2005-06: 15-10, 8-6
2004-05: 15-10, 8-6
2003-04: 15-10, 8-6
2002-03: 15-10, 8-6

They are rarely a national power, but always a good team. Chicago plays in the University Athletic Association (UAA), which is arguably the best league in Division III this year. The current D3Hoops.com Top 25 has Rochester #1, Brandeis #2, and Wash U #12.

Chicago, led by a great backcourt of Brandon Woodhead and Jesse Meyer, relied heavily on the 3 last season. Of their 1447 field goal attemps in 2006-07, half (721) were 3-pointers. With their star guards gone, the Maroons are still a perimeter-oriented team. So far in 2007-08, 171 of 360 field goal attempts have been 3's (48%).

Leading the way for the Maroons long-distance attack is Jake Pancratz (14-40), sixth man John Kinsella (13-29), Matt Corning (11-30), and Nate Hainje (6-25). Chicago does have a little better balance this year though, as 6-4 Corning, the leading scorer, is a good slasher and someone who can post up smaller guards (ie 6-1 Sean Johnson). Hainje can also score from anywhere.

Chicago is very strong at positions 1-3. Their low post game is marginal at best. 6-5/205 Adam Machones (8.0 ppg, 4.4 rpg) and 6-7/205 Tim Reynolds (4.6 ppg, 3.4 rpg) start at the 4 and 5 respectively.

IWU will need to pound it inside to Gant, Chamernik, and Sexauer, but also get good games out of the perimeter players (Rosenkranz, Johnson, Morris, etc). The Titans will have to work very hard in guarding the perimeter. On the season, IWU opponents are 61-153 (.399) from beyond the arc...that could spell big trouble against a team like Chicago that specializes in the long ball.

Hope to see a big Titan contingency on the south side tomorrow!

Sunday, December 09, 2007

Luke Sikma



Check out the 6-8/215 freshman starting for DI U. of Portland...

(Player Page)

(Stats)

Now when Luke gets his name in a rap song, we'll know he's really made it.

Maybe we can get an updated version of that tune going?

"Shoop, swoop, loop da loop...to take Brett Chamernik to the hoop."

Nah.

Wash U 69 IWU 66

When I interviewed Ron Rose for the IWUHoops.com '07-08 Season Preview and asked him for the "keys to the season", here is what he said...

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"The first thing is realizing the level of play and at what level of urgency and intensity that you have to play every night out to be competitive," he said. "That's the starting point."

Second, Rose pointed to role definition. "Roles will not be established right away, but we need to develop them throughout the non-conference season," he said.

Generating consistency is another key identified by the head coach of the Titans. "We need to develop a consistency this year," he explained. "Last year we knew Zach was going to get 20 (points) and 10 (rebounds), but after that we didn't know what to expect. This year we need to have more answers than that on a nightly basis."

Finally, Rose said his team needs to make progress throughout the season. "There will be some bumps in the road and a lot of lessons learned when you have inexperienced and young guys playing," he said. "It may not always be pretty, but what we will be looking at is how competitive are we, and are we making progress."
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For me, the most gratifying thing about the Wash U game was seeing the Titans develop in all four areas.

1) Realzing the level of play -- I think these guys are really starting to understand just how hard you have to play to beat good Division III teams. Every Titan that was on the floor Saturday in St. Louis played extremely hard.

2) Role definition -- probably the area of improvement that has been the most noticeable from Game #1 to Game #7. The rotation seems to really be taking shape and everyone seems to be embracing their roles.

3) Generating consistency -- the in-game lapses are becoming less and less. In the last two games, the Titans have had just a couple bad stretches in each. The effort is becoming more consistent every time out it seems.

4) Making progress -- the scoreboard vs Wash U says it all. The Bears are better than Albion for sure and probably a little better than Olivet Nazarene, two teams that blew the Titans out. Yesterday the Titans went toe to toe with a great team and came within about two plays of winning the game. Freshman Doug Sexauer had a big 17-point performance vs Webster...freshman Travis Rosenkranz has his break-out game Wednesday at Illinois College, with 20 points...freshman Sean Johnson broke out yesterday, scoring 22...and upperclassmen like Darius Gant, Brett Chamernik, and Jordan Morris seem to be gaining confidence as well.


This team has a long way to go, but there is no question the '07-08 Titans are talented, balanced, well-coached, and most importantly, getting better everyday.

This is getting fun.

Friday, December 07, 2007

IWU @ #12 Wash U

As a voter in the D3Hoops.com Top 25 poll, I didn't have to think too hard about which team to slot #1 on my preseason ballot. After seeing Wash U play 7 times last year - a year the Bears made their first trip to the NCAA Division III Final Four, where they finished 3rd - and knowing who they returned, picking the Bears over defending national champion Amherst (which lost a couple key players) was pretty easy. Most of the other voters agreed, as the Bears received 15 total first place voters (out of 25 possible) and were named the preseason #1.

Coming into the season, the Bears had a trio very similar to what IWU had in All-American point-guard Adam Dauksas, All-American wing Keelan Amelianovich, and All-American post Zach Freeman. On the D3Hoops.com 2007-08 preseason All-American team, Wash U senior low-post player Troy Ruths ('06-07: 19.1 ppg, 7.9 rpg) was named to the 1st Team and junior point-guard Sean Wallis ('06-07: 13.5 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 7.3 apg) to the 3rd. 6-7 junior wing Tyler Nading, coming off a big sophomore year (15.3 ppg, 6.1 rpg), was probably one of the near misses.

After a tough loss at NCAA Division III power Calvin on opening weekend, the Bears suffered a big blow the next time out. On November 20 against Maryville (Mo.), point-guard Sean Wallis suffered a fracture in his leg and a tear in the meniscus, sidlining him for the remainder of the season. While Wallis was not the most talented Wash U player (that's probably Nading), he's the one who made them tick. He was exactly what Adam Dauksas was for Illinois Wesleyan for so many years. It is a huge loss.

The first game after the injury to Wallis, the Bears lost to CCIW favorite Augustana, 66-60 on a neutral court (Webster U.). Augie led by 17 at the half and by 15 with 10:00 left before the Bears made a late push, cutting it to 2 with :40 to play. The next day, the Bears defeated UW-Platteville (picked 3rd in the powerhouse WIAC) 87-76, in a game they led the entire way.

Last weekend in the 24th Annual Lopata Classic at Wash U, the Bears defeated Earlham 94-64, before struggling with Babson (2-5), winning by just 2 points. Babson's starters were 5-11, 6-2, 6-2, 6-2, and 6-4. On paper, it's a game Wash U should have won easily.

So...

The Bears are still a very good team, probably very deserving of their current #12 ranking. But they're not the national championship favorite they were just a few weeks ago. Since the injury to Wallis, head coach Mark Edwards has inserted senior shooting guard Danny O'Boyle into the starting lineup to replace him. O'Boyle is fantastic shooter who is coming off a season-ending injury last year (ruptured achilles), but he is a 2-guard...not a point. The Bears are basically playing with two 2's (Aaron Thompson the other), and Titans fans know how difficult that can be, right? (See 2006-07)

In the four games without Wallis, the Bears have 67 assists and 66 turnovers. With Wallis running the point last year, they had 541 assists to 399 turnovers. It's clear they're not able to handle and distribute the basketball as effectively.

Tyler Nading has really emerged as an All-American candidate though. The 6-7 junior wing is averaging 21.4 ppg and 6.4 rpg. 6-6 senior center Troy Ruths is off to a bit of a slow start (13.7 ppg, 5.7 rpg)...Ruths is probably the most impacted by Wallis's absence.

The matchups are going to be tough for the Titans. IWU's freshmen guards will be on bigger, stronger, older players. 6-3 Jordan Morris will have to guard 6-7 Nading -- that is an extremely tough assingment for Jordan. 6-4 Darius Gant vs 6-5 Cameron Smith should favor the Titans - IWU needs a big game out of Darius. And 6-5/230 Brett Chamernik will have to hold his own vs 6-6/210 1st Team All-American Troy Ruths.

Again, this is going to be a great test. Wash U is probably better than Albion and somewhere close to Olivet Nazarene - two teams that blew the Titans out. It will be a chance to see how much progress the Titans are making.

The JV's play at 12:30pm.

Thursday, December 06, 2007

IWU 88 Illinois College 75

It was great to see Darius Gant take the game over like he did when things got tough for the Titans. After Illinois College took the 1-point lead early in the 2nd half, Darius scored 18 points the rest of the way. Now the key is for Darius to find a way to play with that much intensity and focus every minute he's on the floor. If he can find a way to do that, this will be a good team.

It was also nice to see Travis Rosenkranz have his best collegiate game. Travis, who missed the entire 5-week preseason with that back injury, looked like he was really in the flow last night from the opening tip for the first time. The kid has so much talent and is a pleasure to watch. He won't score 20 points every night out, but I look for him to keep settling in more and more and the season progresses.

Jordan Morris really got the Titans out of the gate quickly...9 points in the first 3 1/2 minutes. He is now 10-22 (.455) from beyond the arc on the season, which is outstanding. Another guy that really worked hard to get stronger and better in the off-season and it's paying off.

Two other quick thoughts. 1) Much better FT shooting (22-30), especially when it mattered -- 13-15 in the final 10 minutes of the game. 2) Much better perimeter defense. IC shot just 8-30 from 3. Really, there was just one lapse -- Joe Womble's 3-3 flurry from 19:15 to 17:59 in the 2nd half. Besides that, the Titans really covered the shooters well.

The Titans didn't beat UW-Stevens Point last night, but if you were there, you know that a lot of good things happened on the floor last night. Solid win.

Here are the scoring totals from the JV's win:

Brian Nussbaum - 17
Edmond O'Callaghan -15
Elias Washington - 9
Duncan Lawson - 8
Justin Anthony - 7
Chris Stamas - 6
Josh Sutton - 5
Robert Beauchamp - 2

Nussbaum looked good out there - if he can stay healthy, he has a chance to get in the varsity mix.

Wednesday, December 05, 2007

Titans @ Illinois College

Here are the probable starting matchups for this evening's game in Jacksonville...

http://www.iwuhoops.com/notes08.htm

The Blueboys are 4-1, including a home win this past Saturday over Ripon, a traditionally strong team in the Midwest Conference. They were picked to finish 8th (out of 10 teams) in the 2007-08 MWC preseason coaches poll, after going 3-13 in the conference last year (8-15 overall). IC gave the Titans a game at the Shirk Center last year, losing by just 5 points.

Illinois College looks to have nice offensive balance, with 5 players averaging in double figures:

Brad Johnson (6-2/180, Jr) - 16.4
Jacob Tucker (5-11/175, Fr) - 11.2
Mitchell Neally (6-5/210, Jr) - 10.6
Joe Womble (6-4/215, Sr) - 10.6
Mark Gillingham (6-0/180, Jr) - 10.2

They shoot a lot of 3-pointers, with 6 players having shot 10 or more total 5 through games. On the season, 39% of IC's field goal attempts are from beyond the arc, where they shoot 35% as a team.

This will be one game in which the Titans aren't smaller in the post than the opponent. The Blueboys' starting post players are 6-4 Womble and 6-5 Neally. Look for the Titans to pound it down low to Gant, Chamernik,Sexauer, and O'Callaghan, which will hopefully set up some great perimeter looks as the game progresses.

The Titans will have to play better perimeter defense to win this game. On the season, IWU opponents are 44-100 from 3-point range, and that, quite frankly, is just awful perimeter D.

I'll say the same thing I did before the Webster game -- this is a game the Titans should win if they play well, but will lose if they don't. Join us on WJBC if you can't make it to J-Ville!

PS It will be good to see the Titans play a JV game. Sounds like the JV roster (5:15pm) will be:

Brian Nussbaum (6-6/220, Sr)
Robert Beauchamp (6-1/195, Jr)
Josh Sutton (6-5/205, Fr)
Justin Anthony (5-11/170, So)
Elias Washington (6-2/190, So)
Duncan Lawson (6-8/225, Fr)
Edmond O'Callaghan (6-7/210, Fr)

Senior Brian Nussbaum will get some much-needed game minutes as he tries to earn his way into the varsity rotation.

Monday, December 03, 2007

Freshmen

Here is a list of all Titan freshmen the last 20 years who averaged 10 minutes or more on the varsity (freshman season stats). We'll keep an eye on this as the season progresses...

Point-guard:

Brian Martin, '89-90 (29 min) - 11.2 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 3.3 apg
Chad Hutson, '91-92 (22 min) - 7.7 ppg, 1.7 rpg, 3.1 apg
Korey Coon, '96-97 (30 min) - 10.1 ppg, 2.0 rpg, 2.3 apg
Adam Dauksas, '02-03 (28 min) - 9.3 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 3.0 apg
Travis Rosenkranz, '07-08* (26 min) - 6.2 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 1.6 apg

Shooting-guard/wing:

David Kunka, '88-89 (31 min) - 8.2 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 3.1 apg
Bryan Crabtree, '93-94 (24 min) - 10.8 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 1.9 apg
Jason Osborn, '96-97 (13 min) - 3.5 ppg, 1.4 rpg
John Camardella, '99-00 (12 min) - 3.9 ppg, 2.8 rpg
Laban Cross, '99-00 (15 min) - 3.9 ppg, 2.1 rpg
Sean Johnson, '07-08* (31 min) - 6.8 ppg, 2.2 rpg, 3.4 apg
Matt Schick, '07-08* (23 min) - 3.6 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 2.4 apg
Josh Sutton, '07-08* (13 min) - 7.0 ppg, 3.5 rpg

Post:

Steve Kuehl, '89-90 (14 min) - 5.8 ppg, 2.3 rpg, .459 FG
Luke Kasten, '99-00 (30 min) - 16.3 ppg, 7.2 rpg, .495 FG
Seth Hubbard, '99-00 (12 min) - 4.7 ppg, 2.9 rpg, .563 FG
Zach Freeman, '03-04 (27 min) - 11.4 ppg, 7.1 rpg, .535 FG
Doug Sexauer, 07-08* (19 min) - 9.4 ppg, 4.6 rpg, .526 FG
Ed O'Callaghan, '07-08* (10 min) - 3.0 ppg, 3.8 rpg, .308 FG

* through 5 games

Sunday, December 02, 2007

IWU 82 Webster 69


It's nice to see a player rewarded for working hard, and that's what we're seeing with junior center Brett Chamernik. Undersized as a Division III low post player at 6-5, Brett has added 35 pounds of muscle since he first stepped foot on campus 27 months ago. The added strength allows him to leverage his body near the basket and create scoring opportunities. It also allows him to guard opposing big men. Those 35 pounds of muscle have given him a chance to be a starter for the Titans, and now to be a prominent scoring threat for this team. Brett still has a long way to go in his development, as the competition will be bigger and stronger in CCIW play. But he won't be out-worked by anyone, and I like that. I hope Brett's freshmen teamates are taking notice of what it takes to compete at this level.
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Chamernik's 27 points on 9-11 from the field was obviously the big story in Sunday's win, but how 'bout freshman Doug Sexauer? 17 points on 7-9 shooting, with 8 points in the 4-minute stretch immediately after Webster cut the Titans' lead to 1 early in the 2nd half. The more I see Sexauer, the more I realize that this kid is going to be a special player someday.
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Coming into the year, I was confident that the backcourt would be solid, but was worried about the frontcourt. After five games, I'm beginning to feel pretty good about the Chamernik/Darius Gant/Sexauer trio in the low post...and I like Edmond O'Callaghan's potential. I am still extremely confident that freshmen guards Travis Rosenkranz and Sean Johnson are settling in and will be very good as the season plays out -- as Tiger Woods says about his game on occasion, they're "close." This Illinois Wesleyan team is definitely a work in progress, but I like the pieces to the puzzle.
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Josh Sutton looked good out there vs Webster. I'd really like to see him stay in the rotation and continue to get more minutes at the 3, and maybe a little at the 4 depending on matchups. It just seems like his upside is huge.
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Great to see Brian Nussbaum healthy and dressed. I have not ruled out Brian getting himself in the mix -- the Titans can use someone with size, who can shoot, pass, and defend. Hopefully he is able to establish himself in practice and earn his way onto the floor.
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Overall a pretty solid performance Sunday, except for the free throw woes obviously. Gotta get that fixed...soon. Things are coming together.