Titan Tidbits

Really tough "in-region" start for the CCIW

2010-11-26T13:45:00.004-06:00

The CCIW's 10-11 (.476) start in in-region games (through Nov. 24) is absolutely awful, especially considering that 8 of the losses, in my opinion, were games we probably would have considered "upsets" before the season started:

- Carthage to Whitworth
- Elmhurst @ Cornell
- Elmhurst vs Hamline
- Millikin vs Franklin
- North Central vs Bluffton
- North Central vs Edgewood
- North Central vs Aurora
- North Park vs Concordia

(Wheaton @ Manchester, Elmhurst @ St. Norbert, and Millikin vs Nebraska Wesleyan on a neutral court were probably games you expect to lose coming in.)

6 of the games above were home games, and 1 was by the preseason #5 team in the nation on a neutral court.

The league could really use a 5-0 record the next 2 days to get back on track a little. Those games are:

11/26, Carthage vs Pacific (in Honolulu)
11/27, Illinois Wesleyan vs Dominican
11/27, Augustana vs Anderson
11/27, North Central @ Illinois College
11/27, North Park @ Fontbonne

How the CCIW fares in its 65 in-region non-conference games is very important in building a good Opponents' Winning Percentage (OWP). With 34% of the precincts reporting, it looks like we're not going to build much of an advantage there this year.

I'll see my first 2010-11 IWU game in person Monday @ Webster. So far I've been all live video, live stats, and radio. Looking forward to seeing the boys in person...will blog about my observations here afterwards.

Season Preview

2010-11-11T17:20:00.002-06:00

Titan fans, here is my 2010-11 season preview...enjoy!

We're just 4 days away now!

A first look at the freshmen

2010-10-18T07:31:00.003-05:00

I was in Bloomington-Normal this weekend for Art Kimball's visitation and funeral, and also got to see the Titans practice Friday and Saturday.

It was good to finally see the freshmen play. Here are the ones who seemed to catch my eye the most in those 2 practices...

Victor Davis (6-5 PF, Galesburg H.S.)
Davis looks like an upperclassman on the floor – he is a powerfully built young man. I’m trying to think of another IWU freshman post player over the years as physically developed as Davis and can’t really come up with one…Davis is bigger and stronger than Cory Jones (’06) was coming in.

Victor is more polished offensively than I thought he’d be. He has nice low-post skills (which will need to keep improving in college), and he can also put the ball on the floor from the perimeter and score in a variety of ways near the basket, including a nice, soft half hook from 5 feet or so. He has good touch out to maybe 15 feet or so (he is not a 3-point shooter.)

Davis brings a couple things that IWU does not have a ton of in the returning nucleus - pure strength and athleticism. He also brings an intensity level that IWU fans are going to love. I can see Victor developing into a fan favorite at the Shirk Center.

If the Titans played a game today, Davis would not be ready to play (obviously 3 days in he doesn't even know the offense), but I have to believe by November 15 he will be right in the middle of the varsity power forward playing time discussion. He is going to push JR John Koschnitzky, SO Kevin Reed, SR Duncan Lawson and anyone else in that picture. Victor is going to be a very good player for the Titans…I won’t be surprised if that happens sooner than later.

Eric Dortch (6-3 SF, Wilbraham & Monson Academy/Evanston H.S.)
I’m excited about Eric’s future at IWU. He is pretty raw right now, but extremely talented. Dortch has Darius Gant’s frame and athletic ability, and is also what you would call a “combo forward”, but he is much more 3 than 4 (where Darius was much more 4 than 3). Dortch can handle the ball on the perimeter, which Darius really could not, and is a better jump shooter (out to 15 feet or so…he is not a 3-point shooter). Dortch is your prototypical “slasher”-type 3, but he also has a solid back-to-the-basket game (which he was known most for in high school). I think he will be a good player down the road for the Titans. I’m really looking forward to seeing Dortch and Davis on the floor together someday…that will be quite an athletic and talented forward duo.

Nick Anderson (6-9 C, Edwardsville H.S.)
I now see why strong Division III programs like Williams, Wash U, and Wheaton recruited Nick Anderson aggressively. Anderson is not ready to play in a CCIW varsity game, and is definitely going to need JV time, but I love his upside. He is a very legitimate 6-9 (some think closer to 6-10), with a wingspan that must be 7 feet. Right now, the kid looks like a baby giraffe, with elbows and knees and arms and legs all going in different directions, but he has a very nice offensive skill set, and he knows what he is doing around the basket.

Anderson was not used very effectively in high school (they played him away from the basket, and he is just not a 3 or 4), and just needs time to learn how to play the low post. He will get that chance on the JV team this season.

I was impressed by Nick Anderson. I assumed this kid was kind of a "project", but I don't think that is the case at all. I think this is a very talented kid with tremendous height for Division III who just needs time.

Brady Zimmer (6-4 G, Delavan H.S.)
Brady (6-4) looks exactly like his older brother Jordan (6-5) did two years ago – he is long and lanky and rail thin. Like Jordan, adding muscle is just going to be a matter of hard work and time…it has taken Jordan 2 years just to get to 190 lbs...Brady is probably 180 now. (And Jordan, while still very thin, is starting to fill out nicely with muscle as a JR.) I'm pretty sure the Zimmer brothers could lift weights for 2 hours a day and eat McDonald's extra value meal #1 (supersized) for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and only gain about 5 pounds over a 6 month period. (They'll love this in their 30's!)

In the couple practices I saw, it was clear Brady has an adjustment ahead of him from IHSA Class 1A to the CCIW…both from a strength standpoint and “speed of the game.” Jordan had the same adjustment to make two years ago.

Brady seems to shoot the ball about as well as his brother, who is one of the best shooters in the CCIW, and he handles it better. It is going to take Brady time to adjust to the college level, but he has all the tools to be a very good player.

Mike Mayberger (6-5 G/F, St. Louis University High)
Nothing flashy here, but this kid is really solid. Of all the freshmen, Mayberger looked the most comfortable on the floor in his first two days of college basketball practice. Mayberger just handles himself like a player – seems like one of those “high basketball I.Q.” kind of players. I also noticed he was the last player to leave the gym both days.

Definitely a JV player this year, but I can see Mayberger being a solid contributor down the road.

Of the 10 freshmen, these are simply the 5 that caught my eye the most in two days. Looking forward to getting a better look at Andrew Ziemnik, Joe LaTulip, Austin Borton, Bobby Czarnowski, and Trent Swigert next time I'm in town.

Welcome to the 2010-11 Season!

2010-10-15T06:28:00.004-05:00

Well, here we are -- October 15. NCAA basketball teams across the country, including the Illinois Wesleyan Titans, begin practicing today.

Titan fans have a lot of reason to be excited about the 2010-11 campaign. Their team returns all 5 starters, and most reserves, from a 23-win team that advanced to the Elite 8. This should be a great season of basketball in Bloomington.

In terms of personnel, my best guess at IWU's top 10 heading in is...

PG - Travis Rosenkranz, 6-0 Sr (Eliud Gonzalez, 5-9 Jr)
SG - Sean Johnson, 6-1 Sr (Stephen Rudnicki, 6-3 Jr)
SF - Jordan Zimmer, 6-5 Jr (Matt Schick, 6-4 Sr)
PF - John Koschnitzky, 6-6 Jr (Kevin Reed, 6-7 So)
C - Doug Sexauer, 6-7 Sr (Ryan Connolly, 6-9 Jr)

(I'd probably have Dan Oswald included if healthy, but he's been dealing with knee problems.)

There is a very talented group of players behind these guys ready to push for spots though...especially at the PG, SG, SF, and PF reserve positions. Competition at practice should be fierce all season long...which is a very healthy thing.

I'm interested to see how Ron Rose's rotation looks on November 15 (opener at Benedictine), and then on January 5 (first CCIW game, vs NCC).

Here we go again...go Titans!

2010-11 Titans Should Start Season as Top 10 Team

2010-09-26T07:27:00.002-05:00

Hello Titan fans, and welcome to the 2010-11 season. It's hard to believe, but we're just 3 weeks away from the start of practice!

As a voter in the D3hoops.com Top 25 poll since its inception, I've recently been analyzing the national picture in anticipation of the preseason poll in a few weeks. I've posted some of my findings on the D3hoops.com Top 25 message board, and will also post here.

Below is a look at what teams 1-12 from the final 2009-10 poll return (and lose). I think you'll find that Illinois Wesleyan looks to be a pretty safe bet for a spot in the Top 10 of the preseason poll.

There is a lot of reason to be excited about 2010-11...this is going to be a very fun season!

----------
#1 UW-Stevens Point (29-4 overall, 12-4 WIAC, national champion) – West
Starters Returning: (4) F Louis Hurd, 6-5 SR (12.5 ppg, 4.1 rpg),G Jared Jenkins, 6-4 SR (11.4 ppg, 3.7 rpg), F Scott Hoelzel, 6-6 SR (8.2 ppg, 5.7 rpg), F Nick Krull, 6-7 SR (5.5 ppg, 3.6 rpg)

Starters Lost: (1) PG Matt Moses, 6-2 (14.7 ppg, 4.3 rpg)

Top Returning Reserve: PG Jerel Harris, 5-10 SO (7.7 ppg, 1.8 rpg)

#2 Williams (30-2 overall, 9-0 NESCAC, national 2nd place) – Northeast
Starters Returning: (2) G James Wang, 6-0 JR (17.3 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 4.4 apg), F Harlan Dodson, 6-8 SR (6.2 ppg, 2.3 rpg)

Starters Lost: (3) G/F Blake Schultz, 6-3 (19.2 ppg, 4.3 rpg), G Alex Rubin, 6-4 (9.5 ppg, 1.9 rpg), C Joe Geoghegan, 6-8 (7.1 ppg, 8.0 rpg)

Top Returning Reserve: C Troy Whittington, 6-5 SR (11.1 ppg, 6.2 rpg)

#3 Guilford (30-3 overall, 14-2 ODAC, Final 4) – South
Staters Returning: (2) F Martin Stephenson, 6-4 SR (6.6 ppg, 3.9 rpg), G T.C. Anderson, 6-0 SR (4.0 ppg, 3.0 rpg)

Starters Lost: (3) C Tyler Sanborn, 6-9 (19.9 ppg, 14.1 rpg), G Clay Henson, 6-2 (17.1 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 3.1 apg), G Rhett Bonner, 6-1 (14.6 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 3.0 apg)

Top Returning Reserve: G Josh Pittman, 6-1 SO (6.9 ppg, 2.6 rpg)

#4 Eastern Mennonite (25-5 overall, 14-2 ODAC) – South
Starters Returning: (5) G/F Todd Phillips, 6-3 SR (17.4 ppg, 7.3 rpg, 3.1 rpg), G/F D.J. Hinson, 6-4 SR (15.9 ppg, 3.9 rpg), G George Johnson, 5-10 SR (15.0 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 3.2 apg), F Eli Crawford, 6-2 SR (12.2 ppg, 7.1 rpg), F Orie Pancione, 6-5 SR (7.9 ppg, 5.5 rpg)

Starters Lost: none

Top Returning Reserve: G/F Andrew Thorne, 6-4 SO (3.5 ppg, 2.0 rpg)

#5 Randolph-Macon (26-7 overall, 11-5 ODAC, Final 4) - South
Starters Returning: (5) F Brandon Braxton, 6-5 SR (11.5 ppg, 5.1 rpg), G Eric Pugh, 6-0 SR (10.6 ppg, 2.1 rpg, 3.2 apg), G/F Jordan Brown, 6-4 SR (10. 2 ppg, 3.4 rpg), G Calvin Croskey, 6-0 JR (8.5 ppg, 3.4 rpg), G/F Kevin Voelkel, 6-5 SR (2.7 ppg, 6.1 rpg)

Starters Lost: none

Top Returning Reserve: F Danny Jones, 6-6 SR (13.0 ppg, 4.8 rpg)

#6 Washington U. – St. Louis (24-3 overall, 13-1 UAA) - Midwest
Starters Returning: (1) F Spencer Gay, 6-6 SR (9.5 ppg, 5.8 rpg)

Starters Lost: (4) G Aaron Thompson, 6-4 (17.3 ppg, 4.1 rpg), PG Sean Wallis, 6-3 (12.7 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 7.7 apg), F Cameron Smith, 6-5 (7.5 ppg, 4.3 rpg), C Zach Kelly, 6-7 (5.3 ppg, 5.0 rpg)

Top Returning Reserve: F Caleb Knepper, 6-6 SR (7.2 ppg, 2.7 rpg)

#7 Whitworth (26-3 overall, 16-0 NWC) – West
Starters Returning: (2) F David Riley, 6-5 SR (13.4 ppg, 3.8 rpg), G Clay Gebbers, 6-1 SR (5.6 ppg, 3.2 rpg)

Starters Lost: (3) C Nate Montgomery, 6-8 (16.8 ppg, 8.3 rpg), G Eric Beal, 5-11 (14.3 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 5.7 apg), F Bo Gregg, 6-5 (11.5 ppg, 4.9 rpg)

Top Returning Reserve: F Jack Loofburrow, 6-6 JR (8.0 ppg, 2.7 rpg)

#8 Wooster (25-6 overall, 15-1 NCAC) – Great Lakes
Starters Returning: (4) G Ian Franks, 6-4 SR (17.9 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 3.3 apg), G Nathan Balch, 6-1 SR (11.9 ppg, 3.5 rpg), F/C Bryan Wickliffe, 6-5 SR (11.2 ppg, 7.2 rpg), F Justin Hallowell, 6-7 JR (9.0 ppg, 5.8 rpg)

Starters Lost : (1) G Brandon Johnson, 6-2 (6.1 ppg, 2.4 rpg)

Top Returning Reserve: G Matt Fegan, 6-1 JR (6.2 ppg, 2.0 rpg)

#9 UW-Whitewater (23-6 overall, 13-3 WIAC) – West
Starters Returning: (2) G Phil Negri, 6-3 SR (8.4 ppg, 3.3 rpg), F Alex Edmunds, 6-4 JR (7.2 ppg, 4.7 rpg)

Starters Lost: (3) C Dustin Mitchell, 6-9 (18.0 ppg, 8.7 rpg), G Dupree Fletcher, 6-2 (14.0 ppg, 2.7 rpg), F Mike Bendall, 6-6 (10.2 ppg, 5.1 rpg)

Top Returning Reserve: G Nolan Free, 6-1 SO (6.4 ppg, 4.1 rpg)

#10 Carthage (24-6 overall, 12-2 CCIW) - Midwest
Starters Returning: (4) PG Steve Djurickovic, 6-3 SR (24.4 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 7.3 apg), C Tyler Pierce, 6-5 SO (12.5 ppg, 4.8 rpg), G Max Cary, 6-3 JR (10.5 ppg, 3.0 rpg), F Mitch Thompson, 6-6 SO (6.1 ppg, 4.9 rpg),

Starters Lost: (1) G Cody Hilton, 5-11 (3.6 ppg, 1.7 rpg)

Top Returning Reserve: G Malcom Kelly, 6-0 SO (7.6 ppg, 2.8 rpg)

#11 Franklin & Marshall (26-5 overall, 15-3 Centennial) – Mid-Atlantic
Starters Returning: (4) F James McNally, 6-6 SR (18.4 ppg, 8.5 rpg), G Georgio Milligan, 6-2 JR (13.0 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 4.9 apg), F Mike Baker, 6-6 SR (9.0 ppg, 6.7 rpg), G Justin Driver, 6-0 SR (2.5 ppg, 0.8 rpg)

Starters Lost: (1) G Anthony Brooks, 6-2 (12.4 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 3.4 apg)

Top Returning Reserve: G Steve Tolliver, 6-2 SR (6.4 ppg, 2.8 rpg)

#12 Illinois Wesleyan (23-8 overall, 10-4 CCIW) - Midwest
Starters Returning: (5) G Sean Johnson, 6-1 SR (17.0 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 3.1 apg), C Doug Sexauer, 6-7 SR (15.6 ppg, 5.8 rpg), F Jordan Zimmer, 6-5 JR (9.0 ppg, 3.6 rpg), PG Travis Rosenkranz, 6-0 SR (8.2 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 4.1 apg), F John Koschnitzky, 6-6 JR (5.3 ppg, 3.9 rpg)

Starters Lost: none

Top Returning Reserve: C Ryan Connolly (6.4 ppg, 2.7 rpg), 6-9 JR

A terrific class from A to Z - Illinois Wesleyan recruiting recap (Class of 2014)

2010-05-09T09:09:00.006-05:00

Ron Rose has done it again, Titan fans. After leading his team to the NCAA Division III Elite 8 in 2009-10, Rose has landed another outstanding recruiting class. This group is deep, diverse, and extremely talented. Quoting City/Suburban Hoops Report, "At the Division III ranks, perhaps no school has brought in a better class featuring Illinois prep players than coach Ron Rose at Illinois Wesleyan."

Below you will find notes on these talented young men heading to Bloomington.

* Nick Anderson (6-9 F/C, Edwardsville H.S.) - 3.0 ppg, 3.2 rpg

* Victor Davis (6-5 F, Galesburg H.S.) - 17.8 ppg, 12.7 rpg

* Eric Dortch (6-4 F, Wilbaham & Monson Academy, Evanston H.S. '09)

* Joe LaTulip (5-10 PG, Prospect H.S.) - 15.5 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 3.0 apg

* Mike Mayberger (6-5 SF, St. Louis U. High, Mo.) - 12.1 ppg, 5.5 apg

* Kyle Miklasz (6-4 SG, Hersey H.S.) - 13.2 ppg

* Andrew Ziemnik (6-4 F, Oswego H.S.) - 18.5 ppg, 11.3 rpg

* Brady Zimmer (6-4 G, Delavan H.S.) - 29.3 ppg, 8.7 rpg, 2.4 apg

Brady Zimmer (6-4 G, Delavan H.S.) - Illinois Wesleyan Class of 2014

2010-05-09T08:49:00.003-05:00

In 6-4 Delavan combo guard Brady Zimmer, Ron Rose has landed a big-time talent. As a senior Zimmer averaged 29.3 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game. He was 299-549 from the field (.545), 45-124 from 3 (.363) and 265-303 from the FT line (.875).

He was named the AP Class A 1st Team all-state, IBCA 1A/2A 1st Team all-state, and Chicago Sun Times Class A 1st Team all-state. So far he has been named the Pantagraph Area Player of the Year (all levels), and the Pekin Times 1A/2A Player of the Year. He holds the Delavan H.S. record for points in a game (46), season (908), and career (2048).

While his high school numbers are eerily similar to his brother’s (he passed Jordan on the all-time Delavan scoring list with the last basket of his career), Brady is a different basketball player. Whereas Jordan Zimmer (a 2/3) is a pure 3-point shooter first, Brady is a slasher. Brady does shoot it well…just not quite as well as Jordan. And while Jordan is learning to handle the ball a lot better, he doesn’t have the handles Brady does. With the skill set he has, Brady could end up being a very good player at the 1, 2, or 3 at IWU. He will have to work hard and develop, just as junior-to-be Jordan is in the process of doing as a collegiate player -- it is a huge step up from IHSA Class 1A to the CCIW. I think how he develops in handling the ball will determine if he ends up as IWU’s next point-guard, or as more of 2 or 3.

While different players, the biggest similarity between Jordan and Brady (outside of their long, thin frames) is their work ethic. Some of the articles linked to below really paint a picture of how hard they work. For example, from the Pekin Times piece…

-----

“My brother and I, our games aren’t very similar, but if you compare our work ethics, they’re pretty similar,” Brady said. “He was working really hard when I was a freshman, so I followed him because I figured that’s what I had to do if I wanted to be as good as him.

“I started going in the mornings with him, and we’d work together. We shot a lot of shots. That’s what gave me the year I was able to have. His work ethic showed me what it takes to be successful.”

“Brady has a work ethic second to none,” said Delavan coach Ryon Kramer. “He’s been blessed with God-given ability, but he has not just gotten by on that. He’s put in so much time and effort into becoming the player he is.”
-----

Brady Zimmer is a 4.0 student (as Jordan was at Delavan), and to say he is a “high character kid” would be an understatement.

Pantagraph Player of the Year

Pekin Times 1A/2A Player of the Year

IBCA 1A/2A all-state team

Pantagraph feature (Jan. 2010)

Andrew Ziemnik (6-4 F, Oswego H.S.) - Illinois Wesleyan Class of 2014

2010-05-09T08:37:00.004-05:00

Even though undersized for a power forward, Oswego's 6-4 Andrew Ziemnik had a huge high school career. As a junior he led his team to Peoria, averaging 16.7 points and 10.2 rebounds. In 2009-10 he averaged 18.5 points and 11.3 rebounds. He was named to the 4th Team of the IBCA 3A/4A all-state team.

Ziemnik is a fierce competitor, a very physical player on both ends of the floor, and a relentless rebounder. The biggest question mark for him at the next level is obviously his height. Can he do what he did in high school vs 6-6 and 6-7 players in the CCIW?

I've spoken to multiple people who have seen Ziemnik play (unaffiliated with IWU) who all kind of say the same thing - "this kid just knows how to play." It also sounds like he is the kind of kid who will not be outworked.

Sounds like Ron Rose found a good one in Andrew Ziemnik.

"Oswego's Ziemnik puts on a show"

IBCA 3A/4A all-state team

Kyle Miklasz (6-4 SG, Hersey H.S.) - Illinois Wesleyan Class of 2014

2010-05-09T08:27:00.004-05:00

Ron Rose may have landed a late steal in 6-4 shooting guard Kyle Miklasz of Hersey. City/Suburban Hoops Report has Miklasz rated as the #66 senior in the IHSA Class of 2010...only IWU's Victor Davis (#62) is rated higher among current D3 recruits.

As a senior at Hersey, Miklasz averaged 13.2 points per game. He shot 50% from the field and 40% from beyond the arc. Miklasz scored 32 points in the 4A state tournament vs Lake Zurich, connecting on 9 3-pointers.

Miklasz brings great size at the 2 and can really shoot it. He has a chance to be a good player at Illinois Wesleyan.

Video 1

Video 2

Daily Herald Northwest All-Area Team

Mike Mayberger (6-5 SF, St. Louis U. High, Mo.) - Illinois Wesleyan Class of 2014

2010-05-09T08:18:00.002-05:00

In Mike Mayberger, Ron Rose has found a wing player with great size (6-5), who can shoot the basketball. As a senior at St. Louis University High, Mayberger averaged 12.1 points and 5.5 rebounds.

I see Mayberger developing on the JV team for 2 years and then competing for time at the wing as a JR and SR. I saw him play twice this year and he reminds me a lot of senior-to-be Matt Schick - one of those players that does a lot of things well.

Joe LaTulip (5-10 PG, Prospect H.S.) - Illinois Wesleyan Class of 2014

2010-05-09T07:57:00.007-05:00

Some kids just know how to play the game the right way, and Prospect's Joe LaTulip is one of those. LaTulip plays with heart and is a fierce competitor.

Playing for former Titan John Camardella (2003), the 5-10 point-guard had a big senior season, averaging 15.5 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 4.2 assists. He shot 45% from 3-point range and 81% from the FT line.

Joe is undersized, and he'll have a lot of talented guards around him at Illinois Wesleyan, but don't bet against him earning his way into the varsity mix at some point. He can play.

Daily Herald Northwest All-Area Team

Eric Dortch (6-4 F, Evanston Township H.S. '09) - Illinois Wesleyan Class of 2014

2010-05-09T07:39:00.008-05:00

Eric Dortch comes to Illinois Wesleyan from Wilbraham & Monson Academy. He spent the 2009-10 season at the Massachusetts prep school after graduating from Evanston Township H.S. in 2009.

The strong, athletic, and versatile combo forward seems to be the wildcard in the IWU Class of 2014 - no one seems quite sure what the Titans are getting in Dortch, but it's clear he has a huge upside.

Dortch was a very highly regarded player as a JR and SR at Evanston and received significant scholarship level attention. He was offered by Ivy League Penn, as well as D2's Missouri Tech and St. Joseph's. From the New England Basketball Reporting Report (November 2009)...

---
Eric Dortch is a post-graduate from Illinois who is capable of starring at a couple of different positions from Wilbraham this year. Dortch is a six-foot-five forward with a strong body and good athleticism. He scores going to the rim, shows signs of a devastating mid-range game, and is also capable of being the team’s best defensive player. Dortch previously committed to Pennsylvania but is now generating interest from a variety of other division I schools after opening up his recruitment.
---

Like everyone else, I'm not 100% sure what to expect from Eric Dortch, but I think Ron Rose may have found a steal here.

Photo

Wilbraham & Monson duo off the board

Chicagohoops.com mention, July '09

"Dortch takes on big role" (Evanston Review)

Victor Davis (6-5 F, Galesburg H.S.) - Illinois Wesleyan Class of 2014

2010-05-09T07:23:00.007-05:00

In Galesburg standout Victor Davis, Ron Rose has landed that "scholarship caliber" player every Division III coach works very hard to find. Davis is the headliner in the incredibly talented IWU Class of 2014 and has a chance to be a star player for the Titans. City/Suburban Hoops Report calls Davis, "perhaps the premier Division III in-state recruit."

The 6-5 combo forward is a physical specimen, built like a Division I post player. As a senior he averaged 17.8 points and 12.7 rebounds, earning 3rd Team all-state honors on the IBCA 3A/4A team. He received interest from a number of D1 schools, but never received an offer. But Division 2 Quincy pursued him aggressively and did offer a scholarship.

Davis should present big matchup problems for opponents at the D3 level. If you put a bigger defender, he'll take you off the dribble...go with a smaller player and he'll post-up. On the other end of the floor, he is a relentless rebounder.

Davis has a very good chance to make an immediate impact at the varsity level for the Titans...even considering how loaded the Titans will be in 2010-11 and how many options they currently have at the 4. Victor Davis has a chance to be a special player at Illinois Wesleyan.

Relentless Rose lands Victor Davis (Galesburg Register-Mail)

"Davis headed to Illinois Wesleyan" (Galesburg Register-Mail)

Victor Davis simply amazing (Galesburg Register-Mail)

Nick Anderson (6-9 F/C, Edwardsville H.S.) - Illinois Wesleyan Class of 2014

2010-05-09T06:56:00.010-05:00

Heading into 2009-10, Nick Anderson was considered a priority recruiting target by several top Division III programs. By October 2009, Illinois Wesleyan, Wash U, Williams, Wheaton and others were on the 6-9 center with a tremendous academic profile. He was even contacted by a few low D1 schools.

Before his senior season ever tipped off, Anderson suffered a broken hand. The injury sidelined him for several weeks. When he finally returned, he was only used for 3-4 minutes at a time, and he was primarily used at the small forward spot (which is not his natural position). He was hardly used in the low post at all. When the dust settled on the season, Anderson averaged just 3.0 points and 3.2 rebounds per game.

Because his final season at Edwardsville was so quiet statistically, Anderson very well may be the real sleeper of this year's IWU recruiting class. He is a legitimate 6-9...maybe even closer to 6-10. And he is not just tall, he is also skilled. Now, it seems clear Anderson will not come to Bloomington ready to contribute as a freshman. He will need to hit the weight room hard and add muscle, and he will need to develop his low post skills and overall game. Anderson has never really been used as a pure center, so he'll get a great chance to learn how to play the 5 at the JV level. He will definitely be a work in progress when he gets to campus in the late-summer.

I've spoken with assistant coaches at some of the other schools that recruited Anderson and they all say the same thing Ron Rose does -- that Nick Anderson could end up being a very good player at Illinois Wesleyan.

Sean Johnson's miracle buzzer beater

2009-11-30T19:49:00.002-06:00

The video has emerged. Here is Sean Johnson's near-halfcourt buzzer beater yesterday vs Manchester...

What a big shot. Wow.

Good start

2009-11-16T06:31:00.005-06:00

IWU 89
BU 79

Boxscore
-----
A nice "W" to start 2009-10 with. Benedictine was 19-6 last year, returned a bunch, and is picked to win the Northern Athletics Conference this season.

Opening game takeaways...

* Doug Sexauer is a load. IWU's 6-7 junior looks poised for a monster season. Nice to see the Titans get him the ball.

* Sean Johnson came out of the gates strong, which is great to see. After a huge freshman campaign, Sean's sophomore season was, well, so-so. Sean has a chance to be the best 2-guard in the CCIW this season...he gives IWU a tremendous outside presence to keep the defense honest.

* The Titans have great depth. When you can bring the likes of Ryan Connolly, Jordan Zimmer, Sean Dwyer, Matt Schick, and Duncan Lawson off the bench, you are a very deep basketball team.

* The Titans gave us nothing to get excited about yet on the defensive end. BU scored 49 points and shot 48% from the field. That's the side of the floor we all have to keep our eye on...if this team can defend, it could be a powerhouse.

At the end of the year, my guess is a win over Benedictine will be a nice thing to have in the pocket - they should go on to have a solid season. Not a bad start for the Titans.

Next game - Wednesday vs Webster, at home.

Green/White scrimmage set for Thursday @ 7:00pm

2009-11-04T21:21:00.002-06:00

IWU will host the annual Green/White scrimmage tomorrow (Thursday) at 7:00pm. (The women play at 6:15.) Rosters will be…

Team 1*
G – Travis Rosenkranz, 6-0 (Jr)
G – Sean Johnson, 6-1 (Jr)
F – John Koschnitzky, 6-6 (So)
F – Doug Sexauer, 6-7 (Jr)
C – Edmond O’Callaghan, 6-6 (Jr)

Bench: Stephen Rudnicki, 6-3 (So), Dan Schouten, 6-5 (So), Bradley Ghere, 5-11 (Fr), Luke Radliff, 6-6 (Fr)

Team 2*
G – Sean Dwyer, 5-10 (Sr)
G – Jordan Zimmer, 6-5 (So)
F – Matt Schick, 6-4 (Jr)
F – Duncan Lawson, 6-7 (Jr)
C – Ryan Connolly, 6-9 (So)

Bench: Eliud Gonzalez, 5-9 (So), Dan Oswald, 6-2 (Fr), Sean Seibring, 6-2 (So), Kevin Reed, 6-7 (So), Tyler Bontemps, 6-4 (So)

Out due to injury: Eric McCullough, Dexter Walker

* not sure which will be called “Green” and which “White”

Just this scrimmage, one at Aurora, then it's time to lace 'em up for real on November 15.

Preseason coaches Poll Thoughts

2009-10-30T14:37:00.004-06:00

So the Titans were picked #4 in the 2009-10 Preseason Coaches Poll. Breaking this down a little more, let's look at how the poll is constructed. Each coach ranks the other teams in the league 1-7 (you can't vote for yourself)...

1st = 7 poll pts
2nd = 6
3rd = 5
4th = 4
5th = 3
6th = 2
7th = 1

Looking at the 2010 vote, I think it shows the following tiers of expectations from the coaches:

----------
A favorite
Wheaton (46 pts) = 6.57 average poll pts
----------
Indecision about spot #2 among 3 teams
Augustana (39) = 5.57 average
Carthage (37) = 5.29 average
Ill Wesleyan (36) = 5.14 average
----------
Consensus on #5
Elmhurst (22) = 3.14 average
----------
3 teams very close in the bottom 3 spots
Millikin (17) = 2.42
North Central (15) = 2.14 average
North Park (12) = 1.71 average
----------

Also note, the 10-point gap between #1 Wheaton and #4 Illinois Wesleyan is smaller than any 1-4 gap in the previous 10 polls (the average in that span is 17 poll points):

2009: 14 (#1 Wheaton 46, #4 IWU 32) - 2 teams w/ 1st place votes
2008: 18 (Augustana 47, NPU 29) - 2
2007: 14 (North Central 47, Wheaton 33) - 3
2006: 17 (IWU 49, Carthage 32) - 2*
2005: 18 (IWU 49, Carthage & Augie 31) - 2*
2004: 18 (Augustana 49, Carthage 31) - 2*
2003: 17 (Carthage 47, Wheaton 30) - 3
2002: 18 (Carthage 48, Wheaton 30) - 2
2001: 20 (Carthage 49, Augustana 29) - 2*
2000: 16 (Wheaton 46, Carthage 30) - 3

I've also noted above the number of teams that received 1st place votes in the last 10 polls (keep in mind there has to be at least 2, since coaches can't vote for their own team). The * denotes seasons in which 7 coaches all voted a certain team #1 (a perfect 49 poll points). You'll note that the 4 teams receiving 1st place votes in 2010 is more than any in the previous 10 polls.

I believe the poll supports what many around the CCIW believe at this point:

* Wheaton, Augustana, Carthage, and IWU are considered the top 4 teams
* Between those top 4, it is considered to be relatively close

The biggest surprise for me was seeing NPU at #8, based on their returning talent. I guess after 0-14 though, the Vikings will have to earn their respect.

Injury updates

2009-10-21T09:27:00.005-05:00

Eric McCullough (C), 6-9 sophomore - battling back from a serious hip condition...had surgery on both hips shortly after the 2008-09 season...has been able to practice for about one hour a day in the early going, but does have soreness (which he is told is a normal part of the recovery). McCullough has a huge upside - if healthy, we'd be talking about him right in the middle of the low post mix this year - so this is a big one to keep your eye on.

Eliud Gonzalez (PG), 5-9 sophomore - had ACL surgery right after 2008-09 season but has healed incredibly fast...has some soreness (normal) but has not been limited from doing any drills...doesn't seemed to be slowed down at all and looks great. Gonzalez has Rosenkranz and Dwyer to compete with, but in talking to the coaches, it's clear they are really high on Eliud.

Dan Schouten (F), 6-5 sophomore - has missed all of the last two seasons with shoulder injuries...injured one his freshman year and then the other as a sophomore...both are now repaired...however, now recovering from a stress fracture in his foot and is limited in practice as it heels...Schouten is now listed as a sophomore, so I assume he has taken a medical redshirt for one of his missed years...definitely a wildcard on this team if he can get healthy.

Stephen Rudnicki (G), 6-3 sophomore - recovering from tendonitis in his knees last year...now recovering from mono and will start light practice this week. Stephen was a very solid high school player at Evanston and should have a bright future at IWU.

Early (very early) rotation projection

2009-10-17T08:52:00.004-05:00

The Titans are just a couple days into the practice season, but here's how I think the depth chart looks at this early stage:

G - Travis Rosenkranz, 6-0 Jr (Sean Dwyer, 5-10 Sr)
G - Sean Johnson, 6-1 Jr or Jordan Zimmer, 6-5 So
F - John Koschnitzky, 6-6 So (Matt Schick, 6-4 Jr)
F - Doug Sexauer, 6-7 Jr (Duncan Lawson, 6-7 Jr)
C - Ryan Connolly, 6-9 So or Edmond O'Callaghan, 6-7 Jr

Wildcards in post:

* Dan Schouten (F), 6-5 So. - has been hurt his entire career, but now healthy
* Tyler Bontemps (F), 6-4 So. - transfer from Lincoln Land...maybe the strongest player on the roster
* Eric McCullough (C), 6-9 So. - recovering from off-season surgery...big upside

Lots of position battles going on, just as it should be!

Preseason Dates

2009-10-13T18:20:00.003-05:00

So let's start with some preseason dates to put on the calendar...

* October 15: First day of practice (3:30pm)

* October 27: Scrimmage vs Olivet Nazarene (7:00pm @ Shirk Center)

* November 5: Green/White scrimmage (7:00pm @ Shirk Center

* November 10: Scrimmage @ Aurora (time TBD)

Best of luck to Ron Rose and the Titans as they open the practice season Thursday afternoon!

Stay Tuned

2009-10-12T21:55:00.002-05:00

Is it October already? We're one week away from practice starting, Titans fans.

In the next few days I'll be speaking with Ron Rose to gather some initial 2009-10 tidbits...I'll have the first detailed post of the season later this week.

Hope everyone had a great off-season...here we go again!

2009-10 IWU Depth Chart

2009-05-09T07:56:00.008-05:00

So here is a very early look at a projected IWU depth chart heading into the summer. Note that I've automatically placed the freshmen at the bottom of their respective positions, although I think most actually will end up higher next year. (I'll let them earn their way higher up the chart.) Also note, I've assigned every player just 1 position...even those who can play at multiple spots (like Jordan Zimmer 2/3, John Koschnitzky 3/4, etc.)

A ton of experience and talent returning. My guess is that, with all of this talent at every position, playing time is going to come down to who works the hardest between now and mid-November. Should be a very fun 2009-10 season!

Point-guard:

Travis Rosenkranz (6-0 Jr)
Sean Dwyer (5-10 Sr)
Eliud Gonzalez (5-9 So)
Michael Kempf (5-11 Jr)
Bradley Ghere (5-11 Fr)

Shooting-guard:

Sean Johnson (6-1 Jr)
Jordan Zimmer (6-5 So)
Steve Rudnicki (6-3 So)
Sean Seibring (6-2 So)
Dan Oswald (6-2 Fr)

Small Forward:

John Koschnitzky (6-6 So)
Matt Schick (6-4 Jr)
Josh Sutton (6-5 Jr)
Luke Radliff (6-5 Fr)

Power Forward:

Doug Sexauer (6-7 Jr)
Duncan Lawson (6-7 Jr)
Dexter Walker (6-5 So)
Kevin Reed (6-7 Fr)
Tyler Bontemps (6-4 So)

Center:

Edmond O'Callaghan (6-7 Jr)
Ryan Connolly (6-9 So)
Eric McCullough (6-9 So)

Mahomet Seymour standout Luke Radliff picks Illinois Wesleyan

2009-05-09T07:52:00.002-05:00

6-5 small forward Luke Radliff of Mahomet-Seymour has picked IWU over several small college offers. Radliff had a big senior year, averaging 17.9 points and 6.5 rebounds, and shooting 80% from the FT line.

A very nice addition to a solid recruiting class for Ron Rose. Welcome to Luke and fellow recruits Bradley Ghere, Dan Oswald, and Kevin Reed!

Prospect's Kevin Reed and Ridgeview's Bradley Ghere choose IWU

2009-05-01T13:09:00.002-05:00

Ron Rose received verbal commitments from two more impressive student-athletes - 6-7 forward Kevin Reed from Prospect H.S. and 5-11 point-guard Bradley Ghere of Ridgeview.

Here is Randy Reinhardt's article from the Pantagraph

Reed averaged 13.5 points, 9.5 rebounds, and 3.7 assists on a 21-8 Prospect team, coached by IWU alum John Camardella. He is a long, athletic low-post player who should develop into a very solid CCIW performer.

Ghere had a huge senior season, averaging 23.0 points and 5.2 assists for the Mustangs. He connected on an impressive 130 3-pointers on a team that finished 29-4 and went to the 1A super-sectional.

Two very nice additions to the IWU program.

Dan Oswald will be a Titan

2009-04-20T06:30:00.003-05:00

Last week, Ron Rose received a commitment from Riverside-Brookfield H.S. sharpshooter Dan Oswald, a 6-2 guard. As a senior, Oswald averaged 17 ppg and connected on 45% of his 3-point attempts. From all accounts, it sounds like Oswald will be a very good player at Illinois Wesleyan.

With 17 players returning, this certainly won't be the type of recruiting year the last two have been, but there are still a couple players out there who would be nice to get. Stay tuned.

Looking ahead

2009-02-15T16:13:00.005-06:00

Well, the bubble officially burst last night - the Titans are now eliminated from the 2009 CCIW conference tournament field. In the end, I think it simply comes down to a young team just overmatched too many times in league play by older, stronger, more experienced teams.

The future is very bright though, Titan fans. Consider...

2009-10 Returning Points/Rebounds/Assists (CCIW-only stats through 2/14):
(listed in order of most likely 2009 finish)

Wheaton – 47% points, 58% rebounds, 72% assists
Elmhurst – 47% points, 53% rebounds, 70% assists
North Central – 30% points, 38% rebounds, 23% assists
Augustana – 36% points, 40% rebounds, 43% assists
Carthage – 90% points, 78% rebounds, 78% assists
Illinois Wesleyan – 90% points, 94% rebounds, 98% assists
Millikin – 61% points, 74% rebounds, 57% assists
North Park – 98% points, 95% rebounds, 99% assists

This year, the four oldest teams will probably finish in the upper half of the league, while the 4 youngest will probably finish in the bottom half. Next year and beyond, IWU will get back to putting veteran teams on the floor.

This IWU nucleus will have to make a big improvement on the defensive side of the ball, however. I'm willing chalk a lot of this year's struggles in stopping opponents to the fact that most other CCIW teams are bigger and stronger (because they're older). But there is going to have to be a committment from every single player to doing whatever it takes to become a good defensive team next year. That's what will determine how good this group becomes.

Still two games left - it'd be great to finish strong @ Millikin and then at home vs Augie.

Still in it...

2009-02-14T08:58:00.004-06:00

In looking at the standings and remaining games, it looks to me like IWU's road to the conference tournament is a little more reasonable than I thought. If the Titans win out, I believe they have a pretty good chance of winning an 8-6 tie-breaker.

Wheaton 8-3
Augustana 8-4
Elmhurst 7-4
North Central 7-4
Carthage 6-5
Illinois Wesleyan 5-6
Millikin 4-7
North Park 0-12

Remaining schedules:

Wheaton - @ IWU, @ Carthage, vs North Central
Augustana - @ North Central, @ IWU
Elmhurst - @ North Park, @ North Central, vs Carthage
North Central - vs Augustana, vs Elmhurst, @ Wheaton
Carthage - vs Millikin, vs Wheaton, @ Elmhurst
Illinois Wesleyan - vs Wheaton, @ Millikin, vs Augustana
Millikin - @ Carthage, vs IWU, @ North Park
North Park - vs Elmhurst, vs Millikin

One of those 8-6 tie-breaker scenarios actually involves Augustana. If Augie loses at North Central tonight and picks up loss #5, and IWU wins out (including a home win vs Augie), both would be 8-6. In that scenario, IWU would most likely own the tie-breaker via a 1-1 record with Wheaton vs Augie's 0-2.

IWU would also have a decent chance to win 8-6 tie-breakers with North Central and Carthage. Still way too many scenarios possible to evaluate in detail, but it is reasonable.The Wheaton @ IWU and Augustana @ North Central games tonight are huge (Elmhurst and Carthage have big games tonight too, but I think they are both big favorites).

If the Titans are going to get it done, it will have to start with defense:

CCIW Opponents Points Per 100 Possessions:

Augie 94.1
Wheaton 97.9
NCC 103.9
Elmhurst 105.1
Millikin 106.4
Carthage 109.2
IWU 112.5
NPU 120.4

Only 0-12 North Park has struggled more defensively this year.

Can the Titans turn the corner with a week to go?? It all starts tonight at the Shirk vs Wheaton.

Duane L. Sampen, 1936 - 2009

2009-02-05T20:54:00.008-06:00

Jordan Zimmer's grandfather, Duane Sampen, passed away yesterday morning. Mr. Sampen (Class of 1959) played basketball for the Titans...incidentally with my father, who graduated in 1957.

Last year I traveled to Delavan's state playoff game vs Putnam County to watch IWU recruit Jordan play...along with several CCIW coaches who also made their way to Dee-Mack H.S. that night. I remember meeting Duane Sampen after the game, as all of the coaches wrestled to talk with Jordan. While Coach Giovanine (Augustana) was speaking with him, I asked Mr. Sampen something like, "So where do you think Jordan is going to end up?", looking over at the conversation taking place. He smiled, kind of winked, and said, "He'd look good in green wouldn't he?" The way he said it and the look in his eye said it all. On the way home I told Coach Stein, "I think we're in good shape."

I'm sure I speak for the entire IWU community in extending sympathies to the Sampen and Zimmer families on the loss of one very proud Titan.

CCIW scoring by class

2009-01-30T06:35:00.003-06:00

CCIW's top 30 scorers by class, conference games only (actually top 31 since there is a tie at 30):

Seniors:

Kent Raymond, PG (Wheaton) - 27.3
Brent Ruch, C (Elmhurst) - 17.6
Chris Drennan, PF (North Central) - 16.0
Ryan Burks, G/F (Elmhurst) - 14.7
Matt Rogers, PF (North Central) - 13.7
Andy Wiele, C (Wheaton) - 12.2
Brett Wessels, SG (Augustana) - 11.9
Tunde Ogunleye, G/F (Millikin) - 11.0
Mitch Raridon, SG (North Central) - 10.9
Mark Patrick, PG (Millikin) - 8.4
Chandlor Collins, PF (Augustana) - 7.8
Alex Washington, G/F (Augustana) - 7.6
Dustin Bainter, PG (Elmhurst) - 7.0

Juniors:

Nick Williams, PF (North Park) - 13.1
Sean Fendley, SG (Carthage) - 12.9
Chris Childs, SG (Elmhurst) - 12.7
Ben Panner, SG (Wheaton) - 11.7
David Twyman, SF (North Central) - 10.6
Joscar Demby, C (Millikin) - 9.1
Robert Burton, SF/PF (Millikin) - 8.9
Matt Pelton, PG (Augustana) - 8.5
Reid Barringer, SG (North Central) - 8.1
Corey Mitchell, SG (Millikin) - 7.7
Adam Tolo, PF (Carthage) - 7.0

Sophomores:

Steve Djurickovic, PG (Carthage) - 25.0
Doug Sexauer, PF (Illinois Wesleyan) - 15.1
Travis Rosenkranz, PG (Illinois Wesleyan) - 12.1
Sean Johnson, SG (Illinois Wesleyan) - 10.4
Phil Schniedermeier, PF (North Park) - 9.1

Freshmen:

Roshawn Russell, PG (North Park) - 15.9
Tim McCrary, PF (Wheaton) - 11.0
Jordan Zimmer, G/F (Illinois Wesleyan) - 10.6
John Koschnitzky, SF/PF (Illinois Wesleyan) - 9.4

Still a long way to go

2009-01-25T09:06:00.002-06:00

I know 2-4 is not where we wanted to be right now, but there is a long way to go in the 2009 CCIW race, Titan fans. This time of year I like to put the standings in perspective using the following simple formula...

Home win = 0
Home loss -1
Road win = +1
Road loss = 0

So this is where we are through Saturday, January 24...

Carthage +2
Elmhurst +1
North Central +1
Augustana +0
Wheaton +0
Illinois Wesleyan -1
Millikin -1
North Park -2

Notes...

* Augustana has already played 5 home games...and is 0-2 on the road.
* Carthage has played 4 road games, but still has to play @ IWU, @ Augie, @ Elmhurst
* IWU has already played @ Augie, @ Carthage, and @ Wheaton
* North Park has already played 5 road games
* Wheaton still has to play @ NCC, @ Augie, @ Elmhurst, @ IWU, @ Carthage

In terms of the title race and the conference tournament field, there is a long, long way to go. I don't even think it is safe to say that 0-7 North Park is out of the race for the #4 spot...the Vikings play 5 of their final 7 at home.

At +1 and based on remaining schedule, Elmhurst might be in the best position on paper right now. (Tough call, but if I had to pick one team, I think that's who I'd go with.)

In terms of making the CCIW conference tournament, the Titans are right in the picture. Stay with these guys...there is a lot of basketball yet to play in 2009.

January 28
Augustana @ North Park
Elmhurst @ Carthage
Millikin @ Ill. Wesleyan
Wheaton @ North Central

January 31
Wheaton @ Augustana
North Park @ Carthage
Ill. Wesleyan @ Elmhurst
North Central @ Millikin

0-2 start

2009-01-11T08:38:00.003-06:00

Well not the start the Titans were hoping for. Losing on the road to the #1 team in the nation in a very close game - a game, quite frankly IWU should have won - is no biggie. But losing any home game in the league is - especially to a North Central team that, while good, probably won't end up in the league's top 2 when things shake up.

I received a text from a former Titan immediately after the game that simply said, "outplayed and outhustled." I think everyone can live with outplayed - that happens. It's hard to swallow outhustled though, if that indeed was the case. And since I wasn't there I can't really comment, but I heard the same sentiment from a few others at the game as well.

The last time IWU had a team this young was 2003-04, when Adam Dauksas, Keelan Amelianovich & Co. were sophs and Zach Freeman was a freshman. I remember people having similar observations about that team after early losses in the league - that they lacked intensity for stretches. I think what happens is that a young team just doesn't comprehend how hard you have to play on every single possession, and how much you have to value every possession, in CCIW play. The intensity level has to be on 10 (out of 10) at all times and there has to be a sense of urgency throughout the game. Some of that can only be learned by experience I think, and via learning the consequences the hard way unfortunately (ie losing games).

That 2003-04 team started 2-2...and then never lost again in CCIW play, finishing 12-2. I'm not saying this team is similar to that one (it is a different group), but rather that you never know when a young team is going to figure it out.

This is a very talented group of kids, Titan fans. We knew we were in for a roller coaster ride with them this season. We've seen the down, but I promise, we're going to enjoy some ups as well. The great thing about the CCIW is that there is always another great test just a few days away. Wednesday the Titans travel to Kenosha, WI to take on one of the best players in Division III (sophomore Steve Djurickovic) and a Carthage squad that just beat Augie. It will be sink or swim for the Titans.

Stay positive.

It's CCIW time again!

2009-01-05T20:12:00.003-06:00

Saturday marked the beginning of the 63rd season of basketball in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin, one of the nation's premier small college leagues. The all-time men's basketball standings through 2007-08 are (league play only):

Illinois Wesleyan 633-236 (.728) - 27 titles
Augustana 513-355 (.591) - 12 titles
Wheaton 436-337 (.564) - 8 titles
North Park 360-326 (.525) - 6 titles
Millikin 442-427 (.508) - 9 titles
Lake Forest* 85-112 (.432)
Carthage 321-437 (.423) - 4 titles
Illinois College* 28-41 (.406)
North Central 335-534 (.386) - 4 titles
Elmhurst 306-478 (.390) - 1 title
Carroll* 187-364 (.339)

* no longer in conference

The CCIW has six Division III national championships:
1978 North Park
1979 North Park
1980 North Park
1985 North Park
1987 North Park
1997 Illinios Wesleyan

(IWU left NAIA and joined NCAA Division III at the start of the 1983-84 season.)

Illinois Wesleyan has had 16 Fred Young Most Outstanding Player winners since the award began in 1968...

1970 Tom Gramkow
1975 Jack Sikma
1976 Jack Sikma
1977 Jack Sikma
1982 Greg Yess
1984 Blaise Bugajski
1989 Jeff Kuehl
1991 David Caldwell
1994 John Lipic
1995 Chris Simich
1997 Bryan Crabtree
1998 Brent Niebrugge
1999 Korey Coon
2000 Korey Coon
2004 Keelan Amelianovich
2005 Adam Dauksas

Big week ahead

2008-12-14T14:38:00.007-06:00

Sitting at 2-1 "in-region", the Titans have an extremely big week ahead, with two in-region games. On Wednesday, IWU makes the long drive to southern Indiana to take on Hanover. Then a quick turnaround, as the Titans host Chicago in a rare IWU Friday evening game.
-
Hanover is in rebuilding mode a bit as they transition from longtime head coach Mike Beitzel to new skipper Jon Miller, a 1997 Hanover graduate and former Panther standout player. The Panthers are just 2-6 but do own an impressive win in their conference (HCAC) over Translyvania, which was ranked #22 at the time of the game.
-
U. of Chicago's start has been shocking. Coming off a UAA championship in 2008 (remember, national champion Wash U did not win the UAA last year), the Maroons were ranked #22 in the preseason. They returned a lot of talent, including guards Matt Corning and Jake Pancratz. After 7 games, Chicago is still winless. The Maroons have faced some tough teams (Augustana, Loras, Wheaton), but they've also lost some head scratchers - Edgewood, Illinois Tech, Lake Forest, and Kalamazoo. At some point you have to think Chicago will turn things around, so from that standpoint, Friday's game seems dangerous to me.
-
I've seen the Titans play 4 games now (all but Maryville and Olivet Nazarene). Some general thoughts:

This team is really loaded with talent. They have enough talent to win the CCIW this year, but the fact is a) they're young, and b) they're still trying to establish roles and settle in as a group. It is just a matter of whether or not it all comes together in time or not.
I'd like to see 6-7/225 sophomore Doug Sexauer become the focal point of the offense. Through six games, Doug has 54 field goal attempts, which is third on the team to Sean Johnson (60) and Travis Rosenkranz (56). Believe me, there is no bigger fan of IWU's guards than me, but establishing in inside/out offense would make everything flow much smoother. Right now, IWU is kind of an outside/in team. I'd like to see Sexauer with the most FGA moving forward.
Speaking of the guards, they are outstanding. Sean Johnson should have another big year and as I see it, the sky is the limit for point-guard Travis Rosenkranz. That kid can play. And what a luxury to bring a kid as good as Sean Dwyer off the bench! Dwyer brings toughness and leadership to the floor.
Edmond O'Callaghan has improved quite a bit from his freshman season. I like what he brings to the floor - good height and leaping ability, specificially. This teams needs rebounding help and Ed brings that.
I am a huge fan of both freshmen currently getting time - John Koschnitzky and Jordan Zimmer. The development of these two key pieces is going to go a long way in determining how 2008-09 turns out. Koschnitzky and Zimmer could be stars at Illinois Wesleyan - they're both very talented.
A tip of the cap to some of the very talented players that seem to be out of the PT mix right...guys like Matt Schick. I know everyone would like to be playing, but the ones who aren't seem to have such a great team mentality. It is impressive. Jordan Morris is another guy who is not playing as much as I'm sure he'd like to be but just keeps working hard and supporting his teamates.

Really need 2 wins this week. One at a time, Titans!

#1 Wash U 93 IWU 86

2008-12-07T07:27:00.004-06:00

Overall, I was extremely impressed with IWU's effort and performance today in St. Louis. The Titans gave Wash U a good battle.

The big play of the game happened with 2:44 to play. IWU trailed by just 3, 83-80, and Wash U had the ball with the shot clock winding down. The Bears almost threw the ball out of bounds, but it was saved in by Cameron Smith to Tyler Nading with 2 seconds on the shot clock. Nading was about 4 feet behind the 3-point line on the right wing, took a quick look around and realized his only option was to throw up a bomb...and he made it. That shot put Wash U up 6. Had he missed, the Titans - with the momentum at that point - get the ball in good shape.

IWU could not stop the Bears for any consistent stretch. Wash U shot 57% from the field. They are just such a talented and well-coached team though - it is just incredibly hard to stop their offense. Wash U will have some games this year where they come out flat or where they don't shoot it well (or both) and will lose, but when they come to play and are making shots, like today, they are very hard to beat. Wash U was also helped by a huge game from freshman Dylan Richter, who is going to be a Division III All-American someday.

A lot of positives for the young IWU team today though. The Titans shot 61% from the field against a very good defensive team, in a pretty hostile environment. Point-guard Travis Rosenkranz was outstanding - 20 pts, 6 reb, 4 assists, and just 1 turnover. Backcourt mate Sean Johnson had 17 points, 6-7 sophomore Doug Sexauer finished with 13, and 6-6 Edmond O'Callaghan had 10 & 5 off the bench. Much like the Olivet Nazarene game though, the Titans just did not shoot the 3 well - 5-19 today.

I think anyone at the game today would agree that this was a game between two pretty evenly matched teams in terms of talent, with one just being older, more experienced, and more ready to win a game like this. The Titans gained tremendous experience today, just as they did last year in a tough loss @ Wash U.

IWU is certainly not the favorite to win the CCIW this year, but the Titans are going make it tough on everyone they play in January and February. I'll go as far as to say the Titans can win the CCIW this year if (big if) they can learn to defend and rebound better. They will only go as far as those two things.

IWU vs #1 Wash U

2008-12-06T08:21:00.003-06:00

Well after laying an egg in the second half at Olivet Nazarene, we'll see what the Titans are made of here in the early going. IWU travels to St. Louis to take on defending national champs and current #1-ranked Washington University.

I'm very familiar with the Bears, having seen their last four NCAA tournament games last season as well as their exhibition game vs NCAA Division II Missouri-St. Louis this year (which Wash U won). Wash U has three All-American-caliber perimeter players - point-guard Sean Wallis, shooting-guard Aaron Thompson, and wing Tyler Nading. That trio is about as good as a Division III perimeter group gets.

Coming into the year I assumed Wash U's low-post game would be its weakness after they graduated D3 Player of the Year Troy Ruths, their 6-7 stud center. The Bears have been getting great contributions from 6-7 Zach Kelly though. Kelly had 18 points and 10 rebounds in Wash U's big overtime win at Augustana and then followed that up with 23 & 9 vs Aurora.

Wash U is a tremendous basketball team, but IWU can play with them if the defend and rebound. The Bears are shooting .511 from the field on the season and are out-rebounding opponents by 14 per game. IWU will have to work very hard to defend and rebound.

It should be a great test to see where this team really is...I don't really know what to make of the Olivet Nazarene loss. Wash U is providing a live video stream, so if you can't make it to St. Louis, you can watch!

http://www.iwuhoops.com/notes09.htm

Millikin registers D1 win

2008-12-05T05:32:00.003-06:00

Hats off to the Big Blue of Millikin University for knocking off Division I SIU-Edwardsville last night, 70-59. Millikin was led by Justin Thompson (24 points, 7-10 FG) and Tunde Ogunleye (13 pts, 8 reb).

Not bad for the team picked 8th, huh? The CCIW is absolutely loaded, wow.

http://www.siue.edu/ATHLETIC/MBB/20082009/1204.html

3-0 Titans head to Olivet Nazarene

2008-12-01T20:02:00.005-06:00

Overall, a very impressive performance by the Titans Sunday vs Maryville. Keep in mind, that same team IWU led by 29 with 5:32 to play in the 1st half took NCAA Division II Drury to the buzzer two nights earlier. I'm not suggesting Maryville is a powerhouse by any stretch, but the Saints are much better than the Titans made them look at the Shirk Center.

Tuesday IWU will travel to Bourbonnais for the annual contest vs NAIA Division I Olivet Nazarene. Ralph Hodge always has a solid squad and this should be a nice test for the Titans. In looking at the probable starting lineup matchups and stats, ONU and IWU look very similar - Gameday Notes. Where the Titans should have a huge advantage is in the depth department. As I've said many times now, I'm just so impressed with IWU's depth...what a luxury.

Let's hope the young Titans don't look past Olivet with the matchup with #1 Wash U looming Saturday. As bad as ONU pasted the Titans last year at the Shirk Center (97-79) I don't think that will be the case.

Keep in rolling Titans!

Good start

2008-11-24T18:40:00.003-06:00

I was able to make the trip to North Manchester, IN this weekend and I'm glad I did. I left feeling very good about the 2008-09 season. General thoughts...

1) IWU has incredible depth this year. Friday the Titans started 6-0 Rosenkranz (So), 5-10 Dwyer (Jr), 6-1 Johnson (So), 6-7 Lawson (So), and 6-7 Sexauer (So) - 3 starters from the team that went 9-5 in the CCIW last year, with Lawson replacing Darius Gant and Sexauer for the injured Chamernik (Zimmer started in place of Dwyer Saturday). The "next 5", though, seems to be every bit as good as the starting unit. The Titans don't lose anything when they start subbing with 6-5 Zimmer (Fr) or 5-10 Dwyer, 6-6 Koschnitzky (Fr), 6-7 O'Callaghan (So), 6-3 Morris (Sr), and 6-4 Schick (So). And again, Chamernik really isn't even in the mix yet. I got to thinking during both games that I can't envision a scenario when this IWU team will be in foul trouble - at every position, the 2nd guy on the depth chart is just about as good as the first.

2) Defense and rebounding will be the big question mark for this young IWU team. This Titan team will be great offensively - there is no question in my mind about that. But can they defend and rebound? They did a great job in these areas in the 1st half vs Manchester, but on the weekend defense and rebounding were inconsistent.

3.) This team will be a "work in progress." It is going to take a while for Ron Rose and staff to sort out who should be starting, how the rotation should be setup, etc.. Having tremendous depth is a great thing, but it also means you have to really work hard to put all of the pieces together.

I'm not sure the Titans are quite ready to beat #1 Wash U, #2 Augustana, or #3 Wheaton today, but I'm pretty sure this team will be very good by the time the CCIW schedule starts. The Titans are loaded with talent.

CCIW action underway

2008-11-19T22:02:00.003-06:00

The official start of the Division III season was Saturday, November 15. Several CCIW teams took advantage of the new, earlier start date and have games in the books...

Wed, 11/19:

#2 Augustana 58 #22 Chicago 57

#17 Elmhurst 80 Simpson 65

Tues, 11/18:

#17 Elmhurst 79 Aurora 65

Sun, 11/16:

North Park 70 La Verne 65

Sat, 11/15:

#1 Wash U 89 North Park 65

#2 Augustana 82 Simpson 79

#17 Elmhurst 91 MacMurray 65

Millikin 67 Aurora 61

The league is 7-1 right now, with the lone loss being North Park's to #1 Wash U. Look for a great non-conference record from the CCIW collectively in 2008-09 - maybe .700+.

Augie survived a real scare on the south side of Chicago tonight. The Vikings trailed by 1 when Jordan Delp hit a shot with :02 to play to win the game.

The Titans tee it up this weekend!

Green/White scrimmage in the books

2008-11-15T12:53:00.002-06:00

Veteran IWU assistant coach David Steinbrueck took it to rookie coach Chris Jones ('06) this morning as the White beat the Green. Leading scorers noted...

White 80 (Coach - David Steinbrueck)

G Eliud Gonzalez (Fr), 5-9 - 13 pts
G Jordan Morris (Sr), 6-3 - 17 pts
F Matt Schick (So), 6-4
F John Koschnitzky (Fr), 6-6
C Doug Sexauer (So), 6-7 - 24 pts

Reserves: Ryan Connolly (Fr, 6-9) - 10 pts, Michael Kempf (So, 5-11)

Green 65 (Coach - Chris Jones)

G Travis Rosenkranz (So), 6-0 - 16 pts
G Sean Johnson (So), 6-1 - 9 pts
F Jordan Zimmer (Fr), 6-5
F Duncan Lawson (So), 6-7 - 13 pts
C Edmond O'Callaghan (So), 6-6 - 16 pts

Reserves: Eric McCullough (Fr, 6-9), Steve Rudnicki (Fr, 6-3), Sean Siebring (Fr, 6-2)

Brett Chamernik (Sr, 6-5) DNP
Sean Dwyer (Jr, 5-10) DNP
Josh Sutton (So, 6-5) DNP
Dexter Walker (Fr, 6-5) DNP

Time to go play someone else now!

Illinois Wesleyan 2008-09 Season Preview

2008-11-14T09:20:00.002-06:00

I posted the '08-09 Season Preview today. Enjoy!

http://www.iwuhoops.com/

D3 UW-Platteville defeats D1 Bradley

2008-11-09T22:46:00.002-06:00

An exhibition game, but a great win for the Pioneers of UW-Platteville. UWP is ranked #7 in the D3hoops.com preseason Top 25.

City/Suburban Hoops report - good reading

2008-11-08T11:13:00.002-06:00

Division I is not the be-all, end-all, by Joe Henricksen.

D3hoops.com All-American team

2008-11-07T05:53:00.003-06:00

D3hoops.com released its 2008-09 preseason All-America team today. Five CCIW players are on the 20-man team...

Kent Raymond, Wheaton (24.5 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 3.9 apg) - 1st
Brent Ruch, Elmhurst (16.5 ppg, 8.6 rpg, .618 FG) - 2nd
Steve Djurickovic, Carthage (23.2 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 4.3 apg) - 3rd
Brett Wessels, Augustana (14.2 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 2.0 apg) - 4th
Andy Wiele, Wheaton (15.2 ppg, 10.5 rpg, .571 FG) - 4th

In addition to these outstanding players, there are eight other all-conference performers returning to the CCIW this season...

2nd Team
Ryan Burks, Elmhurst
Nick Williams, North Park
Chris Drennan, North Central

3rd Team
Matt Pelton, Augustana
Ben Panner, Wheaton
Tunde Ogunleye, Millikin
Sean Johnson, Illinois Wesleyan

And Jordan Delp, and 2nd teamer in 2006-07 who missed the entire conference season last year with injury.

When you also consider all of the young talent in the league (like on the IWU roster), you realize that the CCIW is just absolutely loaded this year.

Rollie Massimino, Northwood vs Villanova tonight

2008-11-06T09:50:00.004-06:00

IWU's Christmas trip this year is to NAIA Northwood University in beautiful West Palm Beach, Florida. The pairings for the tournament are:

12/29 - IWU vs St. Xavier (Chicago), Northwood vs Missouri Baptist

12/30 - winners vs winners, losers vs losers

Northwood is coached by Rollie Massimino, who is best known for leading Villanova to the 1985 NCAA Division I national championship.

Tonight Northwood plays at Villanova. Since the Seahawks are a potential IWU opponent, it might be worth checking on that score tomorrow. Northwood appears to be loaded this year, with a very D1-like roster. They have transfers from Seton Hall, Providence, and George Washington and have 3 players listed as 7-0 or taller.

-
The Villanova basketball site is here. And below are links to a couple articles from the Philadelphia Inquirer on the game:

Massimino returning for exhibition vs 'nova

-
Rollie Massimino has Spectrum of memories from his time at Villanova

This date in Titan history: IWU @ Illini, 11/3/05

2008-11-03T17:52:00.014-06:00

It was three years ago today the Titans traveled to Champaign to take on the Fighting Illini, fresh off a loss to North Carolina in the national championship game in 2004-05. Here are some pictures from that game, taken by my good friend Bob Freeman, and the boxscore.

Despite playing the game without starting center Cory Jones (injury) and only having Zach Freeman on the floor for 22 minutes due to foul trouble, the Titans gave Illinois a game. IWU only trailed by 6 at the half, and with 14:38 to play in the game, Jason Fisher tied it at 41 with a 3.

Adam Dauksas and Keelan Amelianovich sure looked like they belonged on the floor with the D1 guys that night. I remember Chris Jones playing very well too vs the bigger, strong Illini and the fact that the Titans never looked intimidated.

Probably an experience those players won't ever forget. It was a lot of fun.

2008-09 Captains

2008-10-31T14:57:00.001-06:00

As voted by the team, IWU's '08-09 season captains are...

Brett Chamernik (Sr) and Sean Dwyer (Jr).

Great choices.

Titan Player Journals

2008-10-31T05:11:00.004-06:00

There are now 4 student-athletes participating in the 2008-09 Titan Player Journals, including new addition Doug Sexauer...and I'm working on recruiting a few more. Check 'em out on IWUHoops.com!

Practice season heats up

2008-10-29T19:13:00.005-06:00

It sounds like things are really heating up in the practice season. Some miscellaneous notes I've gathered from speaking with people in the loop lately...

* The Titans did not play particularly well in the scrimmage vs St. Francis Sunday. No surprise there as it was just 6 practices in, but nonetheless the squad didn't meet their own expectations. A bright spot, I've heard, was Edmond O'Callaghan who "had one of his best days as a Titan" according to one source.

* Everyone I talk to (Coach Rose, Coach Stein, Coach Jones, the players) raves on freshman Eluid Gonzalez. "He's going to be really good" is the typical statement. What incredible depth IWU has at the point-guard spot. And think, just two seasons ago in 2006-07 (Zach Freeman's senior year) the Titans couldn't find a single PG. Funny how quickly things change.

* Freshman Jordan Zimmer also continues to settle in and impress. Don't be surprised if the Delavan native ends up a major factor in the varsity picture this year. This kid is smart, works hards, and just knows how to play.

* Ryan Connolly (6-9/290) is a big dude by all accounts...really big.

Just a few odds and ends I've picked up lately. Check back in regularly now...we're getting to the good stuff.

- BQ

First scrimmage Sunday, 10/26

2008-10-25T13:49:00.002-05:00

The Titans will take on NAIA St. Francis (Joliet) Sunday, October 26 at 3:00pm in Bloomington. The contest is one of two allowed "scrimmages" each NCAA Division III team can play. Per rule, there will be three 20 minute periods with the scoreboard resetting at the start of each.

I'll try to post as much information afterwards as I can gather.

IWU ranked #18 by D3hoops.com

2008-10-23T22:00:00.004-05:00

A lot has happened since I last blogged, Titans fans. On October 11 Rosemary and I were married in beautiful Palm Coast, Florida. And then we spent an incredible week in Grand Cayman. Everything worked out great and it was an amazing two weeks.

And now basketball seasons kicks off with some exciting news. The young Titans are ranked #18 in the D3hoops.com preseason Top 25 poll, released today. I guess there won't be any sneaking up on people this year, huh? Good for Ron Rose, his staff, and his extremely talented players. Time to go out and prove 'em right now boys.

Two more recent notes...

* Brett Chamernik will miss at least 4 weeks with a stress fracture in his foot. Chamernik was a huge part of IWU's success last year so this is significant...hopefully he can get back by the opener. The silver lining is that this opens the door of opportunity for someone. Duncan Lawson, Eric McCullough, Edmond O'Callaghan, Ryan Connolly, John Koschnitzy, etc - make the most of your chance!

* And some very disappointing news. Andrew Gilmore's knees just will not cooperate...he's had to step down as a player and will serve as a student coach this season. Gilly is a great kid and a very, very hard worker...he had a chance to be an outstanding Titan. I hope all Titan fans appreciate everything he went through just to have a chance to play last year and this. I'm glad he will be on the bench this season.

It is starting to feel like basketball season. Go Titans!

Player Journals

2008-10-01T13:20:00.003-05:00

Thanks to the initiative demonstrated by sophomore Sean Johnson, the "Titan Player Journals" are back on IWUHoops.com. Sean recently e-mailed and asked if we could get that going again as a way the players can connect with the fans...I was thrilled to oblige. Sean's first entry is here...

http://www.iwuhoops.com/

Sean Dwyer will be participating and I hope to find 3-4 other student-athletes as well. Enjoy throughout the season!

Century of Titan Basketball

2008-09-12T13:19:00.002-05:00

Here is a video produced last year by Dan Ginavan, a classmate of mine at IWU, celebrating 100 years of Illinois Wesleyan basketball...

http://www.iwuhoops.com/century.mov

Thought I'd post again...it is great.

Zach Freeman blogs

2008-09-06T08:21:00.003-05:00

Most of you are aware that former Titan Zach Freeman ('07) maintains a great blog about his experiences as a professional basketball player in Germany. Now it looks like he is a guest blogger for the NCAA's Double-a Zone. Check it out!

"Choosing Illinois Wesleyan was one of the best decisions I have made in my life to date. Rejecting many full and partial scholarships at other schools, I was often criticized. By choosing Illinois Wesleyan, I felt I had the chance to get a great education and be a part of a very successful program."

Back to campus!

2008-08-20T10:26:00.009-05:00

Well, it is getting to be that time again. Yesterday, freshmen started their orientation activities at Illinois Wesleyan. Sophomores, juniors, and seniors are starting to get to town and class starts Monday. Where the heck did the summer go?!?! For that matter, were did the last 19 years go?? Was it really August of 1989 that I showed up to campus for orientation?? Oh well...I digress.

I touched based with Coach Rose today and he is in great spirits and excited about the 2008-09 season. I think that sentiment is shared by all IWU fans. A few miscellaneous notes I gathered...

All 8 freshmen who committed to IWU during the spring recruiting process are on campus and officially IWU students. Welcome to Ryan Connolly, Eliud Gonzalez, John Koschnitzky, Eric McCullough, Steve Rudnicki, Sean Seibring, Dexter Walker, and Jordan Zimmer! A terrific recruiting class that has a chance to be part of special things at Illinois Wesleyan.
This summer, the Chicago-area guys played in the well-respected Joy of the Game League in Deerfield. That IWU roster included Brett Chamernik, Sean Dwyer, Eliud Gonzalez, Michael Kempf, John Koschnitzky, Duncan Lawson, Edmond O'Callaghan, Steve Rudnicki, Mike Salkeld, Doug Sexauer, and Dan Schouten.
The Central Illinois guys got together once a week to play at the Shirk Center.
Ron Rose spoke at length about how Doug Sexauer has, "Changed his body." My guy Chamernik introduced the formerly skinny Lockport native to the weight room and the results are impressive it sounds like.
Duncan Lawson also worked hard on his physical conditioning in the off-season.
Ed O'Callaghan is now fully recovered from an early summer case of mono.
Chris Stamas, a freshman last year, has transferred to UC-Santa Clara to pursue a specialized field of computer studies.
Senior Andrew Gilmore had an internship in Chicago and lived with former Titan Adam Dauksas. Gilly has been working out and shooting as he tries to come back from his well-documented knee trouble. "Cautiously optimistic" is the term Coach Rose used. I wish Andrew the best and hope he can get himself healthy.
Josh Sutton is playing again after foot surgery after his freshman season.
Freshman Jordan Zimmer has grown an inch and gained 10-15 pounds. And I thought Zimmer was taller than his listed 6-4 when I met him as a recruit last year...at 6-5 or so now, the Delavan native really does have great height for a Division III G/F.
Sean Johnson and Sean Dwyer had a contest that began right after the season last year - last to get his haircut wins. I saw both young men in mid-June and even at that point I thought I was looking at two cast members from a bad '70s TV show...say, Starsky & Hutch. Now two months later - and still no haircuts - I can't imagine how they must look. Hey, at least we won't have to worry about either having any type of girl trouble here in the early going!
Everyone you talk to says that Matt Schick had an awfully good summer playing basketball. Don't forget about the Railsplitter, Titan fans.
Practice starts October 15.

On a personal note, as many of you know, I moved to Columbia, Missouri right after the season last year. My fiance, Rosemary Travis, works here for State Farm and I was able to work out an arrangement to do my Corporate State Farm job from our office here. It has really worked out great for us as we prepare for our wedding. We hope to be back in B-N at some point, but will most likely be here through the 2008-09 basketball season. I will do my best to keep things up-to-date here and on IWUhoops.com, even if I may not be as much in the loop!

Speaking of the wedding, it is October 11 in Palm Coast, Florida...where Ro's parents live. No cold feet yet on my end...I cannot speak for my bride though.

It is an exciting time to be a Titan fan...these kids can play.

Zimmer & Walker

2008-07-03T15:04:00.002-05:00

Here is a WEEK TV story on incoming IWU freshmen Jordan Zimmer and Dexter Walker...

http://www.week.com/sports/22841014.html

Titan fans should really be excited about both of these two young men...they're going to be good.

Remembering Kevin Bryant

2008-06-17T06:22:00.007-05:00

It was a very emotional day in Batavia Friday as Kevin Bryant was laid to rest. We’ve all been to funerals that were really more a celebration of a long, complete life. Unfortunately this was not one of those…it was a sad day and I think it’s safe to say the healing process will be a long one for those close to KB. It’s still hard to believe that a 21-year-old who just walked across the stage to get his IWU diploma a month ago is gone.

Kevin's legacy at Illinois Wesleyan will be as a great friend to many and as a tireless worker on the basketball team. I spoke to Ron Rose the day after Kevin passed away, and he told me how he had just gone back through his notes from his 2007-08 pre-season one-on-one meeting with KB. Written down was a comment KB made to his coach as he explained his approach on the basketball court: "Never get out-hustled." Anyone who ever stopped by IWU's practice knows Kevin made good on that pledge.

The best way for Kevin's teammates to honor his memory is by emulating his work ethic in the off-season, at every practice, and during games. I'm sure everyone works hard...but find a way to work harder. This intensity and competitive drive will, in turn, be passed on to the next wave of Titans, and down the line for years to come. Twenty five years from now the young men on the IWU basketball team might not know who Kevin Bryant was, but that "Never get out-hustled" mentality will be very much part of each of them. That is what Kevin's legacy as a Titan will be.

As KB's family and friends start the healing process, let's all do our part to our honor his memory by just simply working a little harder at whatever we do day in and day out.

Media coverage of Kevin Bryant tragedy

2008-06-09T22:54:00.006-05:00

Beacon News obituary/guest book

Pantagraph obituary

Sun-Times obituary

CBS-2 Chicago feature (video)

Daily Herald

Illinois Wesleyan website

Pantagraph

Kevin Bryant passes away

2008-06-09T08:23:00.009-05:00

It is with an extremely heavy heart that I pass along word that Kevin passed away last night at approximately 7:20pm CST. (Kevin is pictured here with fellow IWU Class of 2008 members Jason Bloom, Darius Gant, and Brian Nussbaum.)

In order to let the family grieve, please refain from making contact at this time. Details regarding the funeral arrangements are below.

I had the pleasure of getting to know Kevin over the course of his four years at IWU, via his involvement in the Sigma Chi fraternity and the Titan basketball team. Kevin embodied everything Illinois Wesleyan, CCIW, and Division III athletics stands for. As a senior who played limited minutes on the varsity this past season, he did not develop a negative attitude. Instead, he becames IWU's hardest worker at practice every day, doing his part to make his teamates better...a contribution that had a lot to do with how well IWU's young players performed in game action in '07-08. His work ethic and attitude is something all of us should learn from.

Kevin fought the good fight. He touched the lives of many of will be dearly missed.

Godspeed, KB.

Pantagraph article

----------

Arrangements:

Wake: Healy Chapel in Sugar Grove on Thursday from 2-8 PM

Address and Phone:

Healy Chapel Sugar Grove

370 Division Drive

Sugar Grove, IL 60554630-466-1330

Funeral: Holy Cross Catholic Church in Batavia on Friday @ 11

Holy Cross Catholic Church

2300 Main Street

Batavia, IL 60510

630-879-4750

Burial: to follow funeral

Luncheon: to be held after the burial @ 1:00 at the Aurora Country Club

Aurora Country Club

1548 W. Prairie

Aurora, IL 60507

630-892-4281

Donations:In leiu of flowers, the family is requesting that donations be made to a scholarship fund in honor of Kevin. Please include a note that the donation is for the Kevin Bryant memorial fund.

IWU Kevin Bryant Memorial Fund

P.O. Box 2900

Bloomington, IL 61702

A note from Theresa and John Bryant

2008-06-07T14:53:00.002-05:00

There is a comment posted below (on one of the previous entries) from Kevin's parents...just wanted to make sure everyone sees it.

----------
At 1:55 PM, June 07, 2008, Theresa and John Bryant said...

Thank You all so much for your prayers, concern and support. Please keep praying for Kevin. He is still very critical. Please pray for our family and the young men and woman who were with Kevin. (Ryan B, Alex, Bill, Ryan P., Casey, and Kory). They saved his life. We have seen so many positives come out of this experience, especially the unbelievable character, love and strength of the young men and women who are his friends and family. We feel your strengh. Kevin is having an MRI of the brain today. Please join us as we pray that God's healing hand will bring him to wholeness.

THANK YOU!

Theresa and John Bryant

KB update - Friday, 5:00pm CST

2008-06-06T17:12:00.004-05:00

The latest note from Jason Bloom, received this afternoon, is below. Please feel free to post your messages to Kevin and his family under "comments" here as people have done on the posts below.

----------
Kevin suffered a mild set back late yesterday. His lungs were not fully accepting the oxygen necessary so the doctors had to apply increased sedatives and muscle relaxers in an effort to help him breathe. He remains on the sedatives and muscles relaxers today and he is thankfully breathing much better.

The Bryant family greatly appreciates all of the love and prayers. Keep them coming.

Kevin Bryant update

2008-06-06T08:00:00.003-05:00

Below is the latest from Jason Bloom. This continues to be a very serious situation - again, please keep Kevin and his family in your prayers.

I will provide updates here as frequently as I get them (please send to bobquill@aol.com).
----------
"They got the results from the EEG and they showed some hopeful signs. While the EEG results were not a clear indicator of any type of outcome, Kevin did exhibit some normal background brain activity which is a good thing. The doctor recommended that they not change the course of treatment at this time and take another EEG in 48-72 hours. "

Kevin Bryant involved in rafting accident

2008-06-03T16:56:00.003-05:00

Recent IWU graduate Kevin Bryant (pictured left) was involved in a serious accident while white water rafting yesterday. Below is an e-mail sent by Jason Bloom to several people.

Please keep Kevin in your prayers.
----------
For anyone who hasn't heard, KB was in an accident rafting in Colorado yesterday and is currently in a medically induced comma. After a recent communication with KB's mom Teresa, here is what she had to say.

She said she had been trying to get KB to respond and thought he just squeezed her hand. She said the doctor's are most worried about the damage to his lungs - he took in a lot of fluid and gunk. She also said they were trying to reduce the sedation so they could try to determine what the status of his brain activity is - I can't even hardly type that because it seems so unreal.

She said that from what they are hearing so far, he will likely have an extended hospital stay as it will take some time for him to recover but she is optimistic that he will. She said his face was pretty banged up as was his right hand but other than that, he seemed pretty good physically.

She also mentioned that the doctors are thinking he was under more like 3 minutes which is better than they had heard originally. The boys who were with him had done a great job getting him out (he was trapped under the raft) and had successfully done CPR quickly.

Keep thinking about him and praying for him. As long as we all pull together hard enough, I think we can pull him through. We all know he'd do the same for us.

Some people have requested a location and address to send things to be there when he wakes up:

Medical Center of the Rockies Room 2108
2500 Rocky Mountain Ave.
Loveland, CO 80538
Hospital ICU Phone: 970-624-2100

I'll keep everyone posted as best I can. Again, if anyone is tough enough to get through this it's KB. Feel free to email or call me.

Eliud Gonzalez decides on IWU

2008-05-25T07:47:00.006-05:00

This week, Illinois Prep Bulls-eye reported that Eliud Gonzalez, the point-guard for 4A state champion Richards H.S. (Oak Lawn), has picked Illinois Wesleyan. Gonzalez is a highly regarded basketball player and student.
-
Gonzalez averaged 7.4 points and 6.2 rebounds per game on a Richards team that finished 30-4. The Bulldogs defeated Zion-Benton 67-63 in the 4A title game on March 15. Gonzalez had a very typical game, scoring 9 points, but most importantly dishing out 5 assists, coming up with 3 steals, and playing terrific defense on the Zee-Bees' perimeter players.
-
Gonzalez is your prototypical "pure point-guard." He is one of those "coach on the floor" type players who is not flashy, but extremely fundamentally sound in everything he does. On the season, he dished out an impressive 203 total assists for the state champ Bulldogs. Everyone who talks about Gonzalez uses words like "smart", "steady", and "winner."
-----
An excerpt from "Richards relies on Gonzalez":

"With (Eliud) out on the floor, it's like having a coach out there," Chappetto said. "He takes charge, and he finds guys when they're open."
-----
And from "Gonzalez points way for Bulldogs":

The least physically imposing starter on Richards’ roster is arguably the player most crucial to their success.

Eliud Gonzalez has made a career out of subverting expectations.

The Bulldogs’ 5-10 senior point guard is precisely the type of heady, smart and fearless leader the rest of the team relies on to braid together the team’s talented collection of pieces.

Asked to break down the strongest aspects of his game, he is quick and exact in his response: "My heart."
-----
And finally, from "Small School gems have their shining moment in Peoria":

While 6'5 Indiana State signee Carl Richard and 6'8 junior Shaun Pratl draw most of the accolades, both Richard and Pratl will be among the first to tell you that in many ways Gonzalez was the driving force behind Richards capturing the Class 4A championchip in the school's first ever appearance in the state finals.

Gonzalez, a 5'10 point guard, is not a prolific scorer and doesn't do anything flashy. What he does do tremendously well is run his team's offense, as he has good playmaking capabilities and plays under control. He is also outstanding defensively, as he puts pressure on the ball and is adept at being able to get into the passing lanes and force turnovers. In Richards' championship game victory over Zion-Benton, Gonzalez only scored 9 points, but came up with 5 assists and 3 steals.
-----
Welcome Eliud and family to Illinois Wesleyan!

Here's Johnny...

2008-05-14T07:14:00.013-05:00

Coach Rose recently received what I believe is a very significant commitment. 6-6/205 "combo forward" John Koschnitzky of Air Force Academy Prep School has decided to attend Illinois Wesleyan. Koschnitzky will be considered a freshman at IWU in '08-09 after the year at Air Force Prep and will have all 4 years of eligibility remaining.
-
Ron Rose pursued John aggressively last year, when he was a senior at Oak Forest H.S. in the south suburbs. He chose Air Force Prep over a D1 scholarship to Maine, several NAIA and Division II scholarships, and a bunch of Division III opportunities (in addition to IWU, I remember that U. of Chicago was on him, among others). The understanding was that he'd be a scholarship basketball player at D1 Air Force Academy after a year at the prep school. Fortunately for IWU, it sounds like he wanted to get back closer to home.
-
As a senior at Oak Forest, John averaged 20.7 points and 9.4 rebounds and was named to the IBCA's 2006-07 Class AA 4th team all-state. He was a member of the Daily Southtown's 7-man all-area 1st Team, alongside 6 D1 recruits. Illinoishsbasketball.com ranked Koschnitzky as the 47th best senior in the state last year. The highest CCIW recruit on that list was IWU's Sean Johnson, #65. In looking at that 2007 IBCA all-state team, he was 1 of just 10 Class AA players to average at least 20 points last year, and 1 of just 5 to average 20 ppg with 5 or more rebounds per game.
-
I saw John play twice last year - "versatile" is the first word I'd use to describe him. He can easily play either the 3 or the 4 at the CCIW level, but I honestly think he could play the 2 or the 5 for stretches if a matchup dictated it. John has a polished back-to-the-basket game and is a load down low vs players his size or smaller. He is also very good facing though - a very good mid-range shooter, can step out and shoot the 3, and is a good ball-handler in the open court. It's hard to find stats from his Air Force Prep games this year, but here is a game where he scored 27 points and made 4 3's vs Trinidad State JC, and other where he scored 16 pts and took 3 3's...so sounds like he was playing that same inside/outside position out there. I found this link with detailed stats up to midway through his senior year at Oak Forest. As a junior he was 190-382 (.497) from the field, including 20-54 from 3 (.370)…through 16 games as a senior he was 117-228 (.513) from the field, including 13-43 from 3 (.302). He is a tough one-on-one matchup because of his inside/outside versatility.
-
Koschnitzky also brings athleticism to IWU's young core. He's a good leaper that made it to the state slam dunk contest finals in Peoria as a sophomore, junior, and senior. He is also a highly regarded baseball player. As pitcher for Oak Forest in '06-07, he was 7-1 with a 2.42 ERA, with 60 strikeouts in 52 innings. As a position player, he hit .356 with 37 RBI (I have not heard if he will be playing baseball at IWU). I think his athleticism and size will make him a very good defender in college - someone who can matchup vs with a tough perimeter player when needed or with a big, athletic frontcourt player. Koschnitzky is also an good student and just seems like the type of kid who is going to be a leader on the court and off at IWU.
-
Koschnitzky was definitely one of the top guys IWU was on last year, but it never seemed like IWU (or any other D3) had a great chance to get him - just too many other higher level opportunities between basketball and baseball. Still, it seemed like he really liked Wesleyan. He visited IWU the night Kent Raymond went off for 44 at the Shirk Center and I think seeing how good Raymond and Zach Freeman were was a factor in helping him understand the talent level in Division III and in keeping him interested in IWU, even after heading to Air Force Prep.
-
I'm confident the Titans found a really big piece to the puzzle in John Koschnitzky. His versatility seems like a perfect match with IWU's returning players and other '08 recruits. Welcome to John and his family!

6-8/255 Ryan Connolly heading to Wesleyan

2008-05-06T21:37:00.012-05:00

6-8/255 Ryan Connolly from Springfield Lanphier has chosen Illinois Wesleyan. Ryan Connolly is simply an enormous young man. He is certainly not hard to pick out in a photo of his high school team. (Note - the players to his left and right are basically the size of Darius Gant, 6-3.) He had a good season at Lanphier, averaging 16.2 points and 9.9 rebounds, and leading the Lions to an 18-win season and a sectional final appearance. He had several big games, including a 37-point, 21-rebound effort vs Peoria Notre Dame at Bloomington's U.S. Cellular Colliseum. He was named to the 3rd Team of the IBS 3A/4A All-State Squad.
-
Connolly drew interest from some D1's early this year - Illinois-Chicago especially - but wasn't offered by any of them - he is probably not quite polished enough offensively to be a D1 player. That said, Connolly is good enough offensively to do damage vs your typical 6-6 or 6-7 D3 center. He also runs the floor well for his size. At the Division III level, he is going to be an impact player.
-
"For a big guy, he moves better than people realize, and also, he's got that mid-range game so you have to respect him anywhere on the floor. He runs the floor better than you would expect, so he's a tough guard..." - Springfield Southeast head coach Tom Goers
-
IWU is going to be very big someday with 6-9 Eric McCullough and 6-8 Ryan Connolly sharing 40 minutes at the 5, or maybe even playing them together a little bit for stretches. I think this is a significant addition.
-
Connolly, appropriately, is nicknamed "Big Country." Welcome to Illinois Wesleyan, big fella.

-----

IBS Class 3A/4A All-State Team

State Journal Register All-Central State 8 Team

MidStateHoops Player Profile

"Things looking up for Lanphier's big man" (State Journal Register)

Seibring, Rudnicki, and Walker pick IWU

2008-05-06T17:47:00.006-05:00

Ron Rose has found three more impressive young men to add to the IWU basketall program...

6-6/215 Dexter Walker is a "combo forward" from Morton. Walker made the Peoria Journal Star's 3A/4A All-Area Team for the third consecutive year, which is pretty rare, and was named IBCA 3A/4A "Special Mention" All-State after a big senior year for the Potters - 18.1 ppg, 5.4 rpg.Walker does a lot of things well.

The game I saw him play, 6-6 Walker was asked to defend 5-10 Limestone superstar freshman point-guard Donivine Stewart, who has already been offered by the Illini. Walker chased Stewart all over the court and really took him out of the game in a Morton win - it really impressed me that a big, strong kid like that could defend a quick little guard. Walker, a lefty, can really shoot it from all over the mid-range, as well as from 3, but can play in the paint too. When I saw him, I compared him to former Titan Matt Hoder ('98) - like Hoder, he is a big, strong forward who can shoot the basketball.

Walker, who was a wide receiver on the Morton football team, had a lot of interest from top CCIW and D3 programs. He was a highly regarded, heavily recruited high school player. In Dexter Walker, Ron Rose has his first recruit his alma mater, Morton H.S. Welcome to Dexter and family!

----------

6-4 combo guard Steve Rudnicki led Evanston to Peoria and a state 3rd Place finish. Rudnicki averaged 9.8 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 4.3 points for the 30-4 Wildkits.

I've never seen Rudnicki play, but everyone seems to describe him the same way - smart, solid, not flashy but just a guy that helps you win. His height and versatility is a good fit with IWU's current group of young guards.

Rudnicki was featured in a photo sequence I love. These IllinoisHighSchoolSports.com pics were taken immediately after Zion-Benton's Ronald Stewart hit the buzzer beater 3 to defeat Evanston 54-51 in the state semefinal game. Check out the jubilation from the Zee-Bees and the absolute shock from Rudnicki (#30).

I know Coach Rose was very high on Steve all year long and is very happy about his decision. Welcome aboard, Steve and family.

----------

6-2 shooting guard Sean Seibring (pictured above) averaged 12.0 points for Normal West this year. He made the 10-man Pantagraph All-Area 1st Team, alongside fellow CCIW recruits Jordan Zimmer (IWU), Jeremy Pflederer (Wheaton), and Eric McCullough (IWU). He was also named 1st Team all-conference in the loaded Big 12. He is a smart, strong, steady guard.

With his father being a longtime employee at Illinois Wesleyan, Sean grew up going to Titan games at the Shirk Center. He was probably about 5 when the building opened, so he's seen a terrific era of IWU basketball (4 Final Four teams). It's hard for me to believe he's old enough to be in uniform next year.

Sean's father Steve and uncle Scott (also an IWU employee) are legendary Shirk Center noonball players. Both are "combo forwards" who utilize their posteriors to create space in the paint vs thinner defenders, like myself. They are tough matchups. Sean's game, fortunately, is much more fundamentally sound.

I'd say "welcome" to Sean, but he's been part of the IWU family his whole life.

----------

Terrific additions to Illinois Wesleyan and the basketball team - exciting days are ahead, Titan fans!

'08-09 Schedule & Recruiting

2008-05-01T06:40:00.007-05:00

Ron Rose has released the 2008-09 Illinois Wesleyan men's basketball schedule...

http://www.iwuhoops.com/sch09.doc

The Titans will open at the Manchester tournament, in North Manchester, Indiana, on November 22. At 6:00pm IWU will face Taylor-Fort Wayne, an NAIA school, and the next afternoon will face the winner or loser of the host and D3 Kalamazoo. Two weeks later, the Titans should get a chance to face the defending national champions - the Wash U Bears - at the Lopata Classic in St. Louis.

The holiday trip this year is to beautiful West Palm Beach, where the Titans will compete in the Northwood University tournament. Northwood, an NAIA school, finished 27-8 last year. The Seahawks are coached by Rollie Massimino, who led Villanova to the 1985 Division I national championship. Annual non-conference foes Olivet Nazarene, Chicago, and Hanover are once again on the '08-09 schedule.

It should be another great test for the Titans in preparation for the rugged CCIW.

By the way, it sounds like recruiting is far from over...you'll definitely want to check back here over the course of the next few weeks!

Raymond will return

2008-04-24T10:29:00.004-05:00

Two-time CCIW Most Outstanding Player Kent Raymond announced that he will return to Wheaton for his final year of eligibility.

After a big freshman season, Raymond sat out his sophomore year for personal reasons. He then returned to play his junior and senior years at Wheaton. He'll be a 5th year senior in 2008-09.

Raymond averaged 24.5 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 3.9 assists last season. He scored 47 points in Wheaton's Sweet 16 win over Whitworth. Raymond's 44-point performance at IWU in 2006-07 is the current Shirk Center scoring record.

Certainly big news for Wheaton and the CCIW. Raymond will enter '08-09 as one of the premier perimeter players in all of small college basketball.

The Titans, by the way, went 3-0 vs Mr. Raymond and the Thunder last year. More spirited IWU/Wheaton battles to come!

Freeman signs in Germany

2008-04-23T18:53:00.002-05:00

After a successful rookie season, former IWU All-American Zach Freeman ('07) has agreed to return to Germany next year. Read all about in the Pantagraph.

Congratulations to Zach...one of the best to ever wear the green & white.

Zimmer named 1A/2A PJ Star "Player of the Year"

2008-04-11T10:24:00.009-05:00

(Peoria Journal Star photo)

IWU recruit Jordan Zimmer was named 1A/2A "Player of the Year" by the Peoria Journal Star. There is a ton of small school talent in the Journal Star's wide coverage area, as evidenced by the quality of past POY winners...

2008 - Jordan Zimmer, Delavan (Illinois Wesleyan)
2007 & 2006 - Carlton Fay, Putnam County (Southern Illinois)
2005 - Ryan Burks, Midwest Central (Elmhurst)
2004 - Micah Lavender, Peoria Christian (Olivet Nazarene)
2003 - Chad Cox, Macomb (?)
2002 - Nathan Koster, Lewistown (Western Illinois)
2001 - Jake Sottos, Monmouth (U. of Hawaii)
2000 - Barry Welsh, Abingdon (Western Illinois)
2000 - Rhet Wierzba, Farmington (Austin Peay)
1999 - Seth Nelson, Farmington (Nebraska-Omaha)
1998 - Shawn Jeppson, Hall (Illinois State)
1997 - Travis Lewis, Williamsfield (Louisiana Tech)
1996 - Ryan Knuppel, Midwest Central (Elmhurst)

Complete story

PJ Star 1A/2A All-star team

Few is the number of high school basketball players given the chance to play in college at the Division I level. Even fewer is the number of those who pass on the opportunity.

Early this past season, Delavan senior Jordan Zimmer was extended an invitation to attend Saint Louis University as a walk-on player. The Rick Majerus-coached Billikins were even more interested shortly after Delavan's season had ended."

(Assistant coach) Porter Moser called and said they wanted to come up and watch me work out again," Zimmer said. "I had already thought a lot about it and told him I was no longer interested."He asked me if they offered a scholarship, would that make a difference," Zimmer said. "I said 'thanks but no' and told them not to waste the trip. I had already made my decision."
-----
"My dream coming into the season was to get a Division I scholarship, but eventually I realized the level I was going to play in college wasn't the most important thing," Zimmer said. "Wesleyan is close to home, and Division III feels right for me. It feels more like (small school) basketball. It feels more like Delavan."

All-stater Jordan Zimmer picks Illinois Wesleyan

2008-04-02T14:24:00.014-06:00

On the heels of Eric McCullough's decision to attend IWU, Ron Rose received another extremely significant recruiting commitment today. Jordan Zimmer, a 6-4 wing from Delevan H.S., said he will attend Illinois Wesleyan and play basketball for the Titans.
----------
Jordan Zimmer Facts:

6-4 Sr. G/F, Delavan High School
- 28-4 (school record)
- Regional Title
- Ranked #4 in class 1A final AP poll

Senior season stats:
Points: 736 pts. / 23.0 ppg
3 pt made: 123 (top 10 on IHSA all-time list)
3 pt. %: 123-293 / 42.0%
2 pt. % 121-211 / 57.4%
FT %: 125-137 / 91.3%
Rbs: 132 rbs. / 4.1 rpg
Asst: 99 ast. / 3.1 apg
Steals: 54 stl / 1.7 spg

· Career high 44 points (including 22 in 4th qt.) in sectional semi-final vs. Putnam County…his final game of his HS career
· Awarded “Best Defensive Player” on his team which allowed only 45.7 ppg

Career highlights:
- 2045 career points scored
- 347 career 3-pt made (top 5 on IHSA all-time list)
- 86.5% career FT %
- Started 121 out of 122 varsity games in career (2 regional titles)

School Records
- Career Points 2045
- Career 3-pt made 347
- Season 3-pt made 123
- Game Points 44

Senior Season Honors
· 1st Team AP Class 1A All-State
· 1st Team Chicago Sun Times All-State
· 1st Team IBCA All-State
· 1st Team IHSS Class 1A All-State
· 1st Team IBS Small School All-State
· 1st Team Tomahawk All-Conference
· 1st Team ICAC All-Conference
· 1st Team Bloomington Pantagraph All-Area
· Player of the Year Pekin Daily Times

4.0 GPA Valedictorian
National Honor Society, Illinois State Scholar
----------

I saw Zimmer play three times this year, including his 44-point effort vs Putnam County in his final high school game. I'm convinced Zimmer is going to be an outstanding CCIW player. He will have to get bigger and stronger - and there will certainly be a learning curve as he transitions from a Class 1A to the CCIW - but he has all the tools to be great.

Zimmer received pretty significant interest from St. Louis University. Rick Majerus came to Delavan to watch him practice and then had him on campus. Fortunately for Illinois Wesleyan, SLU did not offer. (They offered and signed G/F Kyle Cassity of Pinckneyville.) Zimmer was pursued very aggressively by the three CCIW schools that he made his choice between - Augustana and Elmhurst being the other two.

In two years, the name “Brady Zimmer” will be a big one on the small college recruiting trail. Jordan’s younger brother started at PG this year as a sophomore, averaging 13 ppg…he is going to be a stud as a junior and senior. Jordan's parents are Doug (an IWU alum) and Beth Zimmer...Doug was a track star at IWU, graduating in '88. Jordan's grandfather, Duane Sampen, also played basketball at Illinois Wesleyan (Class of 1959)...with my father actually.

Below are a few Jordan Zimmer-related links. Welcome to Jordan and the entire Zimmer family!

Pantagraph (April 3, 2008)

WMBD TV feature

Pantagraph feature (Jan. 30, 2008)

IBCA 1A/2A all-state team

IHSS Class 1A all-state team

AP all-state team

IBS Small School all-state team

6-9 Eric McCullough will be a Titan

2008-03-24T20:40:00.012-06:00

The Pantagraph is reporting that 6-9/220 Normal U High center Eric McCullough has selected IWU over numerous Division I basketball scholarships. McCullough had offers from Holy Cross, IUPUI, Niagra, North Florida, Tennessee-Martin, and Youngstown State among others.

McCullough has exploded onto the prospect scene in the last six months or so. As a freshman at U High he was 6-2. He grew from 6-4 to 6-7 between his sophomore and junior years, and reached 6-9 this season.

As a senior, McCullough averaged 13.3 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 3.4 blocks per game. He shot 54% from the field. He earned 1st Team All-Corn Belt honors and was named to the 1st Team of the Pantagraph All-Area squad.

On the baseball field, McCullough is an accomplished pitcher with a fastball that's been clocked between 86 and 88 MPH. His ability to play both sports probably impacted his decision to attend IWU quite a bit.

From a basketball perspective (as this is a basketball blog) Eric McCullough's commitment to Illinois Wesleyan is really huge news for the program. He should be able to step in and provide immediate help in the low post, where the Titans were undersized this season. He is a terrific shot blocker and someone who can score in the low post. The exciting thing is that McCullough is still developing as a basketball player. If he continues to improve at IWU as much as he has the last 2-3 years at U High, he's going to be one heck of a CCIW player.

Welcome to Eric and his family! Exciting news, Titan fans!
-

Eric McCullough-related links:

Player Profile, MidStateHoops.com

"U High's McCullough grows into go-to guy" (Pantagraph, 2/7/08)

"McCullough Blowing Up (MidStateHoops.com)

YouTube video

Video (MidStateHoops.com)

Corn Belt all-conference team (Pantagraph)

Pantagraph All-Area Team

Wash U wins title

2008-03-24T18:34:00.005-06:00

I was in Salem, Virginia this past weekend as the Bears of Washington U. cut down the nets. They played just incredibly in impressive wins over Hope and Amherst and earned the school's first-ever men's basketball title.

Wash U website coverage

D3hoops.com coverage

The Titans will face Wash U in 2008-09 (as they do every year) in St. Louis at the Lopata Classic. It will be interesting to see what the Titans look like in November!

The Little Dance

2008-03-16T17:59:00.003-06:00

Here is a great article by Bryan Burwell from today's St. Louis Post-Dispatch that captures the essence of Division III. It reminded me of this 2001 article by IWU alum Dave Kindred in the Sporting News after the Titans played in the Final Four that year.

This week I make my annual trip to Salem, Virginia for the Division III Final Four. After covering the Sectional at Wash U this weekend for NCAAsports.com, and seeing the caliber of play, I feel very good about Illinois Wesleyan making a strong push for the Final Four sooner than later. Until then, I recommend any D3 fans try to get to Salem for the experience - the organizers do a wonderful job.

Wheaton one win away from Final Four

2008-03-15T07:24:00.003-06:00

Kent Raymond poured in 47 points last night vs Whitworth as Wheaton advanced to the Elite Eight. The Thunder face Hope tonight, on the Flying Dutchmen's floor (beautiful DeVos Fieldhouse, pictured), for a chance to go to Salem.

Good luck to Wheaton as they carry the CCIW flag!

Full tournament coverage on D3hoops.com.

Wheaton heading to Sweet 16, Augie heading home

2008-03-09T09:05:00.002-06:00

Full coverage at D3hoops.com.

The Titans defeated Sweet 16 entrant Wheaton 3 times this year. That just shows you how close this group is to being really, really special.

Best of luck to Wheaton. First-class program with first-class kids - I hope they get to Salem.

Strength of Schedule

2008-03-06T17:29:00.003-06:00

I was checking out the Massey Index today and noticed that IWU finished with the 7th strongest schedule in all of NCAA Division III...

http://www.mratings.com/rate.php?lg=cb&sub=III&mid=1

(Sort by the "Sched" column.)

What a great way for the youngsters on the team to get their feet wet at the college level. The strength of the 2007-08 IWU schedule will help these guys prepare for next year.

What happened?

2008-03-04T07:03:00.003-06:00

Here is my best guess as to what happened...

The Midwest regional committee knew that Illinois Wesleyan had no chance to be competitive in the Pool C discussion with an in-region winning % of .625 (15-9), even with IWU's great strength of schedule (OWP). So they gave the CCIW its best chance at getting a Pool C bid by:

1) Ranking Wheaton as the region's #2 Pool C candidate, behind Wash U...getting Wheaton to the table for discussion as soon as Wash U got selected (early).
2) Keeping Elmhurst in the regional ranking, which gave Wheaton another 2-0 vs regionally ranked teams.
3) Excluding IWU from the final regional ranking, which saved Wheaton from 0-3 vs regionally ranked teams.Wheaton probably got in due to their 5-1 record vs regionally ranked teams (1-1 vs Augustana, 1-0 vs Loras, 1-0 vs Chicago, 2-0 vs Elmhurst), and this record was due in large part to how I suspect the Midwest region structured their final poll. Again, if IWU is regionally ranked instead of Elmhurst, Wheaton is 3-4 vs regionally ranked teams, instead of that 5-1.

Again, I honestly don't think IWU had any chance - the Titans simply lost too many in-region games (9) - so I think the Midwest region committee gave the CCIW a fighting chance by getting Wheaton to the table with as good of a resume as possible.

It was a wonderful season for the Titans. Congratulations to Ron Rose and his hard-working players!

Stay tuned to IWUhoops.com for complete recruiting information when things start heating up.

Wheaton in, IWU out

2008-03-03T11:55:00.001-06:00

http://www.d3hoops.com/

CCIW Conference Tournament, Feb 29 - March 1, 2008

2008-02-28T08:23:00.002-06:00

I'm looking forward to the conference tournament in this weekend. A couple great matchups Friday evening...

6:00pm: IWU vs Wheaton
8:00pm: Elmhurst vs Augustana

We've all heard the saying - "it's hard to beat a good team 3 times." Wheaton certainly qualifies as a good team, so we'll see if the Titans can find a way.

2/16/08 game at Wheaton (boxscore)

1/23/08 game at IWU (boxscore)

In my opinion, the key to the first two IWU/Wheaton matchups has been Sean Dwyer's defense on Kent Raymond. Raymond is a 1st Team All-American-caliber player and Dwyer, and the Titans, have held him to 17 points twice. Raymond was 2-12 from beyond the arc in those two games combined. IWU has also done a great job not sending him to the line a ton of times - he has only shot 6 free throws vs the Titans this year (and made all 6 of course).

Speaking of Kent Raymond and free throws, check out his last 5 games vs IWU...

2/16/08: 2-2
1/23/08: 4-4
2/9/07: 20-20
1/17/07: 8-8
2/9/05: 11-11

That's 45-45 from the free throw line!! In his first game vs IWU, January 15, 2005, he was a real dog and only went 3-4.

Keys for the Wheaton game:

* More Sean Dwyer defense with good help from his teammates
* Simple - make shots. Can the Titans put the NPU game behind them and make shots? I hope so.

IWU is in a win or go home situation -- no chance for an at-large bid to the Division III tournament. It's been a great ride with these guys - let's see if they can keep it going. The guys will, of course, need Titan nation out in full force.

IWU 67 North Park 57 (OT)

2008-02-25T12:54:00.002-06:00

I'm still speechless.

Senior Night '08

2008-02-23T13:17:00.007-06:00

IWU will honor four impressive young men tonight at the Shirk Center - seniors (from left to right) Kevin Bryant, Jason Bloom, Darius Gant, and Brian Nussbaum.

First a few thoughts on the three who have not played a lot this year -K.B., Jason, and Nuss. These three have been absolutely terrific leaders and role models this season. After falling out of the playing time mix, these guys could have left the team - I certainly wouldn't blame a senior who doesn't play for not being willing to put in all of the time and effort - or become negative. Instead, Bloom, Bryant, and Nussbaum have been three of the hardest workers on the team and three of the most positive influences on the bench. The coaches have all said numerous times this year that the work these three have put in on the "white" team in practice has had a tremendous impact on the "green" team. Just last Saturday, when the buzzer sounded at Wheaton, I remember seeing this trio get to the floor to celebrate a big win with the guys in the game before anyone else.As an alum I'd really like to thank Jason, Brian, and Kevin for everything they've done for the program. They're first-class young men and they're a big reason the Titans went into the final week of play with a shot to win the CCIW championship.

As for Darius, what a season it's been. More than any single factor, the emergence of Darius as a leader on and off the floor is the reason this IWU team is having such a good season. I will always remember his 22 point, 20 rebound performance in the home win over Carthage on 2/2/08. When I think back about great Titan individual performances in big games, that one will always come to mind.

The great thing about Titan basketball is the quality of the student-athletes. More than the CCIW titles, the Shirk Center atmosphere, and the trips to the Final Four, it's the players that keep our minds on something other than the weather for those winter months every year. IWU always has players we can be proud of and root for. Jason Bloom, Darius Gant, Brian Nussbaum, and Kevin Bryant have continued the Titan tradition of outstanding young men in the program. By passing on lessons in teamwork, leadership, and class taught to them by the great group of older players ahead of them, these four will all have contributed to the next CCIW title Illinois Wesleyan wins.

Did You Know?

2008-02-22T09:06:00.002-06:00

Freshman 3-pointers made, IWU history:

1. Sean Johnson (2007-08): 53 (24 games)
2. Korey Coon (1996-97): 49 (31 games)
3. Adam Dauksas (2002-03): 45 (28 games)

Freshman assists, IWU history:

1. Brian Martin (1989-90): 102 (31 games)
2. Adam Dauksas (2002-03): 85 (28 games)
3. Travis Rosenkranz (2007-08): 82 (24 games)

Augustana 83 IWU 68 (2/20/08)

2008-02-21T19:51:00.004-06:00

For the first time since the game at Elmhurst way back on January 19, the Titans seemed to be caught on their heels last night in Rock Island. In IWU's 7-1 run since that loss at Elmhurst, the Titans have done a great job of coming out as the aggressor, and that just wasn't the case last night. Augustana had all of the energy from the opening tip.
-
There is no question that Augie is not a good matchup for the Titans due to their size and athleticism down low and how well they defend the perimeter. Elmhurst is huge, but the Bluejays don't guard the perimeter like the Vikings do...and while Wheaton has 6-8 Andy Wiele, the Thunder don't have much else in the way of big guys who make an impact on both ends of the floor. Against Augustana, IWU - with 6-4 Darius Gant and 6-5 Brett Chamernik - really does not have a consistent inside game. Then on defense, they really struggle to contain Swetalla, Collins, and Bertrand. All of that said, IWU still had a chance to beat Augie at the Shirk Center (up 5 with the ball with 2:57 to play), so last night's performance was disappointing.
-
IWU's 2nd half defense was poor last night. Here is a list of points given up by IWU in the 2nd half since the Jan. 19 game @ Elmhurst:
-
vs Wheaton 32
@ North Park 30
vs Augustana 36
vs Carthage 34
@ North Central 36
vs Elmhurst 41
vs Millkin 31@
Wheaton 36@
Augustana 49
-
Certainly Augie's offensive gameplan and execution vs IWU was very good, but the Titan D was just not what it was been for a month now.
-
Now, I guess the big picture is that back in December there is no way I could have envisioned being disappointed the Titans lost at Augustana. The Titans have clinched the #2 seed in the CCIW tournament and quite honestly, I wasn't sure this team could finish 6-8 coming into the year. They have played very well the last month of the season and I'm confident they will regroup and make a run at the CCIW's automatic bid.
-
Kudos to freshman guard Sean Johnson who has broken IWU's freshman 3-point record. Johnson has now made 53 3's (Korey Coon 49 in 1996-97, Adam Dauksas 45 in 2002-03). Talk about elite company.
-
Finally, a quote from Dain Swetalla in today's Quad City Times...

“We don’t want to share it. I’m not going to lie,” said senior forward Dain Swetalla, who led Augie with 17 points and eight rebounds. “And (Illinois Wesleyan) is one team, especially, that we don’t want to share it with. They played hard, but we feel like we’re a much better team. We’ve got better players, and we want to prove it.”

It'd be nice to get one more crack at the Vikings.

IWU 61 Wheaton 59 (2/16/08)

2008-02-17T21:17:00.006-06:00

Wow, what a win. I couldn't be any more proud of this group than I am, and I suspect most of you feel the same. There may be more talented teams around, but the Titans just play so hard and so well together as a team. They're very easy to pull for.

A real unsung hero for the Titans this year has been starting center Brett Chamernik, who had a big game at Wheaton (17 points, 10 rebounds, 7-9 FG). Chamernik, who stands about 6-4, was primarily guarded last night by 6-8/230 Andy Wiele.

Brett worked as hard in the off-season to get stronger and better as any IWU player I can remember. He brings that same work ethic to each game, where he just battles as hard as he can. He's such a good example for IWU's young post players like Doug Sexauer, Edmond O'Callaghan, and Duncan Lawson, who, quite frankly, are a lot more talented that Chamernik. He is a testament to what hard work can get you. He also exemplifies everything I love about Division III athletics - Chamernik is a pre-med major at IWU who is finding a way to balance academics and athletics very successfully.

Some around IWU's program suggested that Chamernik would never be able to get on the floor this year in front of the freshmen. I'm glad Brett never believed that.

The job Sean Dwyer has done defensively on Kent Raymond is a big reason Illinois Wesleyan is tied for first with two games to play. Here is Raymond's line at the Shirk Center last year (Dwyer did not play last season due to injury):

2/9/07 @ IWU: 9-13 FG, 6-9 3-pt, 20-20 FT, 44 pts

Here is what he has done in two games vs IWU in 2008:

1/23/08: 6-13 FG, 1-4 3-pt, 4-4 FT, 17 pts

2/16/08: 7-18 FG, 1-8 3-pt, 2-2 FT, 17 pts

Raymond is one of the elite players in Division III, which is why holding him to an average of "only" 17 points is a big deal. He is averaging 22.5 points vs the rest of the league (10 games...all but the two vs IWU). With primarily Sean Dwyer on him, Raymond is 2-12 from 3-point range this year.

Sean makes him work so incredibly hard for everything he gets that I think it starts to wear him out and frustrate him a little towards the end of the game. In Bloomington, Raymond picked up the silly frustration technical foul late in the game. Last night, he shot an air ball from dead at the top of the key with about 5:00 to play, and his next attempt from the right wing missed by about a foot to the right. I do think a lot of that has to do with how much energy he has to expend when guarded by Dwyer. Raymond only made 2 field goals in the 2nd half last night and the final was at the 7:40 mark. He scored just 6 2nd half points.

So let's go win the CCIW title Wednesday in Rock Island. Hope to see Titan Nation out in full force!

First place

2008-02-14T19:28:00.002-06:00

I was in Phoenix on a State Farm business trip, so I missed the Millikin game. It was great to listen to the WJBC broadcast and follow the live stats as the Titans dismantled the Big Blue though!

I was also following the Wheaton/Augustana live stats at the same time and as Wheaton got up 20 in the second half I started to think to myself, "The Titans are going to be tied for first with 3 games to go."

This has just been an amazing ride with this team. The Titans get key contributions from members of every class and they play so well together as a team. So many non-IWU people have come up to me after games and said something like, "They play so hard..." This truly is a special group.

So it's on to Wheaton Saturday for yet another big IWU/Wheaton game. Over the course of the last 13 years or so, it seems like every Titans/Thunder game has had big CCIW title implications. The evening will get kicked off with a celebration of sorts of the success of these two fine Division III programs as a group of IWU alums takes on a Wheaton alumni team at 5:00pm. The Titans will be led by a trio of former 1st Team All-Americans - Bryan Crabtree (1997), Adam Dauksas (2006), and Keelan Amelianovich (2006). Wheaton will be loaded as well, trotting out former CCIW M.O.P.'s Joel Kolmodin (2003), Rob Hamann (1999), as well as stars like Charles Ridley, Jonathan Steven, and Jon Nielson. If you are heading to the game, just make a full night of it and support the IWU alums at 5:00.

As far the varsity game, it should be another great IWU/Wheaton game...everytime these two teams hook up, it seems like it's a classic.

See you up there!

D3hoops.com All-Decade Team

2008-02-11T11:38:00.000-06:00

D3hoops.com is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year and today released its men's All-Decade Team. There are 3 former Titans on the squad:

1st Team - Korey Coon (2000)

3rd Team - Adam Dauksas (2006)

4th Team - Keelan Amelianovich (2006)

A great honor for three very special former student-athletes at Illinois Wesleyan. Boy do these names bring back some great memories of big Titan games.

Check out the All-Decade piece - it is really well done.

IWU 75 Elmhurst 71 (2/9/08)

2008-02-10T09:46:00.001-06:00

After IWU played at Wash U way back on December 8, Bears head coach Mark Edwards told the Pantagraph, "I'm glad we played them in December and not February." Tyler Nading was quoted in the Wash U student newspaper as saying, "That team is going to be good and they're developing and maturing as a team right now, but I think February and March they're going to be very tough."

Well here we are in February, and they were right - IWU is a good basketball team.

Despite a horrendous performance from the FT line (15-35 - how does that happen?), the Titans played exceptionally last night in a huge win.

Defensively, once again it was Sean Dwyer on an opposing team's best perimeter player, and 5-11 Dwyer frustrated 6-4 Ryan Burks all evening. Burks had just 2 points in the first half (2 free throws) and did not even attempt a 3-pointer. I think anyone who has seen Burks play knows how hard it is to hold him without a 3-point attempt. Elmhurst did a better job getting Burks looks in the second half - he ended up scoring 15 points - but he had to work extremely hard for everything he got. Brent Ruch, who did not start again for some reason, had a great game down low for the Bluejays - 25 pts, 11-14 FG in 29 minutes. IWU could not begin to stop Ruch one-on-one, but it seemed like Ron Rose & Co. were willing to give Ruch his points, in return for covering all of the perimeter shooters as best they could. After seeing the game at Elmhurst, I didn't think there was anyway the Titans could play the Bluejays man-to-man with all of their incredible size, but IWU played all man last night, and that really impressed me.

Offensively, the Titans played smart and efficiently. The gameplan became apparent in the first few minutes of the game as IWU spread Elmhurst out and let guards Travis Rosenkranz and Sean Dwyer get past their man and to the basket. The two point-guards who start for the Titans were able to get into the lane and either score or distribute time and time again. Darius Gant had another huge game, finishing with 20 points, to go along with 13 rebounds. Darius was great down low, even though giving up at least 5 inches to Ruch and Hintzsche. Sean Johnson was the one Titan who was never able to get going last night. Matt Ryder did a terrific job shadowing Johnson all night long and it was crystal clear Mark Scherer was not going to allow his guards to ever leave Johnson. The attention Elmhurst paid to Johnson at the perimeter (not allowing his man to help down low) created one-on-one opportunities for Gant, Brett Chamernik, and Doug Sexauer down low, and one-on-one, all three of those guys can score. Sexauer had another good game, scoring 11 points on 4-6 shooting. Rosenkranz was very good as well, scoring 13, as was Duncan Lawson in the 6 minutes he was in there (2-3 FG, 5 points).

The Titans led the final 30 minutes of the game and really just out-played the Bluejays. Ron Rose did a terrific job creating the gameplan and getting his team ready for this game, and his players executed almost perfectly (everywhere except the FT line that is!). Elmhurst is so much bigger and stronger than IWU it's ridiculous, yet the Titans were the aggressor all night long. IWU pulled down 13 offensive rebounds to Elmhurst's 3 and as I look at the boxscore, that may be the one thing that stands out more than anything.

Ron Rose is doing an outstanding job with this team.

Quick turnaround!

2008-02-08T22:20:00.000-06:00

Another really nice road win for the Titans last night at North Central. After being a little tentative against the NCC zone in the first half, I thought the Titans did a great job of attacking it in the second.

And how 'bout Sean Johnson? 7 3-pointer and 24 points - quite a performance. Sean keeps getting more and more confident, and as he does, this IWU team keeps getting better and better.

So this now sets up a huge game in the CCIW race - 5-4 Elmhurst @ 6-3 IWU. The Bluejays were picked 2nd in the preseason coaches poll...the Titans 7th. Elmhurst has lost three home games (Carthage, Wheaton, and Augustana) in addition to their loss at Augie. They are a very good team, and they are huge, but they're not quite the dominant national power I thought they might be coming into the season.

In the game at Elmhurst, the Bluejays' size definitely gave the Titans a lot of trouble. IWU had to resort to playing a ton of zone, which did slow down the 'jays...and then Sean Johnson had a huge second half offensively to get the Titans back in it. While I'm not sure IWU can guard Elmhurst man-to-man, I'd like to see them try to start the game. The Titans need to really push the pace in this game and make Elmhurst run the floor, and it is just too hard to do that in a zone. Let's get things flying up and down the court and get the Shirk Center all charged up.

Should be a huge crown on hard tomorrow night. It is a big opportunity for this IWU team to really make a huge statement.

IWU @ NCC postponed

2008-02-06T12:31:00.000-06:00

This evening's game in Naperville has been postponed until tomorrow due to the winter storm impacting the Chicago area today. The Titans will face the Cardinals Thursday at 7:30pm (5:15pm JV game).

IWU 87 Carthage 77 (2/2/08)

2008-02-03T08:31:00.000-06:00

When we interviewed IWU senior Darius Gant immediately after the loss to Augie Wednesday - after an 18 point, 15 rebound performance - he was was very disappointed. Darius basically assumed responsibility for the inability of the Titans to close the game out, saying something to the effect of, "As a senior captain, this is on me."
-
That's why last night was impressive to me. Gant was an absolute force the entire game, pulling down 20 rebounds, but especially down the stretch with the game on the line, in a very similar spot as the Augustana game. With IWU down 71-70 with 3:48 to go, Gant demanded the ball in the low post, got it, and scored to put the Titans up 1. After a Carthage miss, it was the same thing on the next possession to put IWU up 3 with 2:59 to go. Freshman Travis Rosenkranz scored to make it a 5 point game at 1:59, then Gant delivered the dagger -- a fast break dunk to push the Titan lead to 7 with 1:21 to go.
-
Down the stretch, Darius got every big rebound and made every big offensive play necessary for the Titans to win an important conference game. We once again had him on the postgame show, and he said, "After the Augie game, I just really felt bad, and I felt like as a senior leader I had to do whatever I can. I know everyone that's come before me - Dauksas, Keelan, Zach - when there were situations like that, those guys stepped up and did amazing things, so as a senior leader I felt like it's my responsibility just to make sure tradition gets passed on."
-
Bosko said in the Carthage press release, "We didn’t have a matchup for Darius Gant. He’s a wonderful player, I like the way he plays, and I give him all the credit.” The Red Men really just do not have an answer for Gant athletically. In two games vs Carthage, Darius has 34 points, 37 rebounds, and is 12-19 from the field. He helped IWU to an incredible 48-28 rebounding edge over the visitors last night, and when you out-rebound your opponent by 20, I gotta believe you're going to win just about every time.
-
Steve Djurickovic was just a ton again. The kid made a number of tough mid-range jumpshots to stop IWU runs throughout the game and was his usual aggressive self in going to the basket. I actually think IWU did a pretty good job on him, holding him to 10-24 from the field, but the bottom line is he still scored 28 points. He just has such great balance with the ball in his hands and just knows how to play the game.
-
This was a big win for the Titans. Darius Gant's 22 & 20 performance is on the long list of "special performances" I've seen from great IWU players over the years at the Shirk Center in important CCIW games. It was great to see a senior step up and lead the way to a win.
-
Pantagraph article

Boxscore

Ron Rose postgame interview (WJBC)

Augustana 65 IWU 61 (1/30/08)

2008-01-31T12:23:00.001-06:00

Well, that one was painful.

From the time IWU got the ball with 2:57 to play, after Justin Bertrand's turnover, up 5 (61-56), here are the next four Titan possessions:

2:33 - turnover by Sean Johnson
2:14 - Darius Gant shot block by Bertrand
1:30 - turnover by Gant
0:49 - turnover by Travis Rosenkranz

The Titans did not have a shot get to the rim in the final 3 minutes of the game. Very, very frustrating.

We saw a veteran team find a way to win, and a young team find a way to lose down the stretch of a pivotal CCIW game.

On the positive side, it was really an impressive fight by the Titans against a much bigger, stronger, more physical team. The Titans won the rebounding battle, which is amazing to me considering the size disparity. Darius Gant was just a horse out there, pulling down 15 more boards to go along with his 18 huge points. He's really having a good year.

Also, Sean Johnson's late flurry was impressive. He was a huge reason the Titans were in position to win the basketball game late.

This one will sting for a couple days, but the good news is that we'll be back at the Shirk Center Saturday night with a chance to pick up a huge win vs Carthage.

Augustana @ IWU (1/30/08)

2008-01-30T08:24:00.000-06:00

As Randy Reinhardt wrote in the Pantagraph today,"the big game is returning to Shirk Center." When the season started, who would have thought this game would be a battle of second place teams? It is, and it's certainly an enourmous game in the CCIW standings.

Carthage 5-1
Augustana 4-2
Illinois Wesleyan 4-2
Elmhurst 3-3
Wheaton 3-3
North Park 2-4
North Central 2-4
Millikin 1-5

Carthage should win at home tonight vs North Park to move to 6-1. A Titan victory over Augustana would set up a chance to face the Red Men and earn a share of 1st place. But first things first.

Even after the loss of returning leading scorer Jordan Delp (ruptured achilles), Augie is still a tough team. They're very big in the low post with 6-7/200 Chandlor Collins, 6-9/240 Dain Swetalla, and then 6-6/215 Oliver Rorer and 6-9/236 Dan Rukavina off the bench. They still have a nice starting perimeter trio, with 6-2 point-guard Matt Pelton (7.0 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 3.7 apg), 6-2 Iowa transfer Brett Wessels (13.1 ppg, 3.8 rpg), and 6-2 slasher Alex Washington (9.8 ppg, 3.1 rpg). And the Vikings under Grey Giovanine, of course, play some of the best defense in NCAA Division III.

All of that said, Augustana lost at North Park (where the Titans just won), lost at Carthage (where the Titans also lost, in OT), trailed Millikin at halftime in Rock Island, and had some trouble putting North Central away at home Saturday night. Augustana may be the #10-ranked team in the nation, but they're beatable.

The Titans will need to play well tonight to leave the Shirk Center 5-2. Keys:

1) Rebound. The Titans have been out-rebounded 110-75 the last 3 games. They'll have to keep the battle of the very board very close tonight.

2) Make free throws. IWU is a CCIW-worst .609 from the free throw line in league play (70-115). They won't win tonight shooting 61% from the charity stripe.

3) Defend. IWU's defense has been much better since CCIW play started and they'll need another strong defensive effort tonight. I'd expect Sean Dwyer to get the assignment on leading scorer Brett Wessels. It will have to be a team defensive effort vs the Vikings to combat all of that size and strength.

4) Be tough and aggressive. Maybe the most important key to the game. Augustana plays physical and tough - the Titans need to not only match that, they need to be the aggressor.

The big game is back. Hope to see you there.

IWU 57 North Park 55 (1/26/08)

2008-01-27T20:04:00.000-06:00

When speaking about CCIW road games, our old friend Scott Trost used to always say the Titans had to "find a way to win." That's just what the guys did Saturday at North Park.

The Titans certainly made some key mistakes in this game, but overall it was a solid performance away from home. And once again, there were several heroes...

* Sean Johnson helped the Titans get out of the gate, scoring 8 1st Half points.

* Brett Chamernik logged another workmanlike performance, finishing with 14 points and 7 rebounds, going 7-7 from the field.

* Travis Rosenkranz had a big 2nd Half, scoring 9 points, after being shutout in the 1st.

To me, the player of the game was freshman Doug Sexauer. Doug scored 7 enormous points from the 6:25 mark to 2:53 in the 2nd half. Most impressively, he was calling for the basketball. After a couple quiet games, it was really great to see Doug step up and lead the way.

Here are the current CCIW standings, as well as the location (home/road) of remaining games:

Carthage (5-1): 4 home/4 road
Augustana (4-2): 3 home/5 road
Illinois Wesleyan (4-2): 5 home/3 road
Elmhurst (3-3): 3 home/5 road
Wheaton (3-3): 5 home/3 road
North Central (2-4): 5 home/3 road
North Park (2-4): 3 home/5 road
Millikin (1-5): 4 home/4 road

What a huge week at home for the Titans -vs Augie Wednesday, and vs Carthage Saturday. We're right in the middle of this thing.

IWU 63 Wheaton 60 (1/23/08)

2008-01-24T11:44:00.000-06:00

Just a good, old-fashioned Titan CCIW win at the Shirk Center. That was a heck of an effort by the guys and just a huge game on so many fronts.

You know, most people are going to refer to that one as an "upset", but I don't think it was. I need to see more games play out, but I think there is a good chance that IWU is just simply a better team than Wheaton. The Titans certainly do not have anything remotely resembling superstar Kent Raymond, but they're deeper and more balanced. Wheaton is a 3-man team. After Raymond (22.6 ppg), who is an All-American of course, Wiele (14.3 ppg) and Panner (14.7 ppg) - who are very good), who are very good supporting players, the Thunder just don't have that much. The Titans have 7 players averaging between 6 and 14 points in CCIW play...

Sean Johnson 13.8 (perimeter)
Brett Chamernik 12.3 (post)
Darius Gant 11.3 (post)
Travis Rosenkranz 11.0 (perimeter)
Jordan Morris 9.5 (perimeter)
Sean Dwyer 6.8 (perimeter)
Doug Sexauer 5.8 (post)

IWU has very nice inside/outside balance offensively. On defense, they're getting better - last night was by far their best defensive effort of the season.

If you erase preseason expectations (Wheaton as a "contender" and IWU as the 7th place team out of 8) and just watch the two teams play, I think most would agree that it is at least a push, and if a push, IWU should have won at home last night. And they did. Wheaton will be favored at King Arena on Feb. 16.

Great win. Sean Dwyer's defensive effort last night was one of the best - maybe the best - defensive performances I have ever seen from a Titan. When I came down to the floor to get him for the WJBC postgame show, I told him I was proud of him. I think I spoke for all Titan fans.

Gotta find a way to win at North Park now!

Wheaton, Raymond @ IWU (1/23/08)

2008-01-23T06:51:00.000-06:00

For my money, Wheaton's Kent Raymond is the best player in NCAA Division III. The junior from New Palestine, Indiana comes in averaging 22.6 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 4.7 assists per game. In terms of his court savvy, his hustle and intensity, and Raymond's overall "basketball I.Q.", it's just hard not to enjoy watching him play.

Last year, Raymond lit the Titans up to the tune of 44 points, including 20-20 from the FT line and 6-9 from 3. Obviously, the Titans have to find a way to somewhat contain the Thunder superstar this evening. The tough part about that is the fact that Wheaton has two other All-CCIW-caliber players in 6-8/230 junior Andy Wiele (15.3 ppg, 10.9 rpg) and 6-3 G/F Ben Panner (14.7 ppg). If you pay too much attention to Raymond, the Thunder can certainly make you pay.

As good as Raymond and #22-ranked Wheaton is, I think this game is all about the guys in green. The Titans can, and should, win this game if they play well. A few keys:

1) Make Raymond work hard for everything he gets. He's going to get this points, but he's got to expend a ton of energy in doing so.

2) Rebound. The Titans will have to win the rebounding battle this evening to compete.

3) Inside/out. 6-8 Andy Wiele can guard one of IWU's post players in the game (between Gant, Chamernik, and Sexauer), but Wheaton's next biggest player - the guy who plays the 4 - is 6-3/195 Steve Young. The Titans have to exploit the mismatch inside and pound it down there. (Last year Darius had 27 points at home vs Wheaton.) This will open up the perimeter for Rosenkranz, Johnson, Morris, Dwyer, and Schick.

Every home game in the CCIW is a "must win" if you want to compete for a championship. Right now at 2-2, the Titans are just a game out of first and have a great opportunity tonight to stay in the middle of what looks to be a crazy 2008 race.

Gameday notes and links here

The Titans will need a charged up Shirk tonight. Should be a fun one. (The JV's kick off the night at 5:15pm.)

Conference tournament play-in proposal defeated

2008-01-22T16:40:00.000-06:00

Significant news in the CCIW...

http://www.cciw.org/news/Playin_Decision.php

CCIW Presidents Defeat Play-in Proposal for Men’s Basketball Tournament

NAPERVILLE, Ill. -- The College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) Presidents Council, on Tuesday, defeated a proposal from the men’s basketball coaches that would have created a play-in date to determine the four teams who would play in the CCIW men’s basketball tournament. The proposal, supported by the conference athletics directors, would have taken effect during the 2008-09 season.

“For a variety of reasons, the presidents agreed that the proposed format would impact the conference in a negative manner and chose to defeat the play-in date proposal,” CCIW Commissioner Chris Martin said. “The ultimate authority for the operation of all facets of the conference rests with our chief executive officers and, in this case, the group disagreed with the coaches and athletics directors.”

By defeating the proposal, the tournament participants and seeding will continue to be based on the double round robin regular season men’s basketball schedule. The top four teams from the regular season standings will earn the right to play in the conference tournament, which will be held at the site of the regular season champion.

The 2008 CCIW Men’s Basketball Tournament is scheduled for February 29 and March 1 at the site of the regular season champion. The 2008 tournament will be the third such tournament in the history of the CCIW. North Central won the 2005-06 version while Augustana was last year’s champion. The winner of the conference tournament earns the CCIW’s automatic bid to the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament.
-----

The Presidents Council decision is a good thing as far as I'm concerned. Remember, if the "play-in" proposal passed, it was not going to be called an 8-team tournament - it was going to be a 4-team tournament with a 4-team play-in. This made no sense to me since the play-in game would not be "exempt" and thus, each school would have to drop one non-conference game to meet the 25 game rule (ie go from 11 non-conference games to 10).

I am in favor of an 8-team tournament that is called an 8-team tournament. If the league won't support that though, I'd rather have it as-is (a 4-team tournament).

The press release makes it sound like the coaches were pushing the play-in. I don't think that was the necessarily the case...at least towards the end. I think last year the coaches pushed for an official 8-team conference tournament, but for some reason the league is not willing to have a different tournament structure for the men and women (and the women don't want an 8-team tourney). So somehow the play-in concept was developed. Once the coaches realized, however, that the extra game wouldn't be exempt, they wanted no part of it. At least that is the impression I've had in talking to coaches - I haven't talked to one yet that was in favor of the play-in. Most want an official 8-team tournament.

So, my guess is that we are going to have a 4-team tournament for years to come. I don't see this changing.

Elmhurst 90 IWU 77

2008-01-21T12:24:00.000-06:00

"Size vs quickness...what wins?"

Saturday night, it was size that won. I think everyone at the game came away feeling like the Bluejays were just simply too big and strong for the Titans. Now, IWU can beat that team - and I expect the game at the Shirk Center to look much different - but to do so, the team defense has to be better. You know they're going to be a tough matchup inside, but the Titans will have to do a much better job defending the perimeter next time. The Bluejays were 8-11 (73%) from 3-point range and made numerous mid-range jumpshots as well.

IWU's two consistent problem areas this season have been perimeter defense and free throw shooting. Both were issues again at Elmhurst. I mentioned the defensive issues above. Regarding free throws, the Titans were just 13-25 (52%), which is just not going to get it done in a road CCIW game.

The biggest positive I took away was how hard this IWU team competes. They could have easily been blown out of the gym after it got to 31-13 at the 10:49 mark, but they fought back. They got it to 7 by halftime. Then in the second, after getting down 12, they once again scrapped and clawed and got it all the way down to 3. At no point this season have I ever questioned effort, and I certainly didn't Saturday.

Sean Johnson has a chance to be a special player at IWU. When that kid gets going, he is just an electric scorer. I love his fire out there when he starts heating up and would love to see it for 40 minutes per game. Sean needs to take the floor each night out feeling like he is one of the primary scoring options.

Huge game Wednesday as Wheaton, and one of the best players in NCAA Division III (Kent Raymond), comes to town. The Titans can stay right in the middle of the CCIW race with a victory, and they have a great chance to knock of the Thunder.