Foretelling the CCIW Slate

It never really matters what the sport is. The College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin is always a tough gauntlet to get through, one of the best in Division III. I've been seeing play in this conference up close for 4 and a half years now. I've been blessed with regards to the football program, as North Central has at least shared 4 of the last 5 conference titles. Basketball is a whole different animal. There always seems to be a team or two really surprising everyone with how good they are. So with both the men's and women's teams starting conference play tonight, I figured I'd get a preview ready for North Central.

Men's Basketball
I've only seen one men's game so far this year, but it was probably one of their best games all season. Nonetheless this is going to be another tough season. The start of this season is eerily similar to last year's, where the Cardinals struggled in non-conference play before kicking it into high gear once the gauntlet started, going 11-3, tying Augustana for the top spot in conference and getting to host the conference tournament. This year, the usual suspects are back. Augie is #3 in the nation, and Wheaton is also in the Top 25, with Illinois Wesleyan receiving votes. I think those were the other 3 teams in the tournament last year. Meanwhile, here are the standings going into conference play:

The coaches' poll had Augie winning the conference (5 of 8 1st place votes) with North Central picked 2nd. I think if they play the way they did on Friday, this team could easily win the conference. The above teams mentioned will all be tough, but so will the rest of the conference. Carthage lost its top scorer, but added Luke Johnson, a kid I coached when he was in 8th grade at Aurora Christian. You can't sleep on Elmhurst, North Park (since this isn't football), or Millikin.

I still figure that worst-case scenario, the Cardinals finish 4th in the conference, though I figure it'll be closer to 2nd or 3rd. I think it's safe to expect 9 or 10 wins in conference this year, and hopefully pulling out another surprise upset over Augie en route to 2nd place.

Women's Basketball
This side concerns me a lot more. The only CCIW foe ranked right now is Carthage, and no other school received votes. But that doesn't mean that this conference isn't good. Elmhurst matched Carthage's record out of conference, and going into conference play every team is above .500.

Last year Carthage finished 4th in conference, good enough to make the tournament, and this year they're picked to win it over perennial power Illinois Wesleyan (by 1 point, actually). North Central is picked to finish 7th. In their second year under Michelle Roof, the Cardinals do a good job running the transition offense Coach Roof loves, but when they get into a half-court set... ugh. I still think the defense and rebounding are two key strengths of the Cardinals, and if they play tough on that end and get some easy baskets the other way, this team will be tough to beat. This also assumes they can solve their half-court offense woes. If they do, this team can earn a berth in the conference tournament. I don't know if I can expect it this year, but it's not impossible. I figure 5th or 6th place sounds about right for this team.

We get an early test right away as Carthage makes its way down from Kenosha tonight. The women play at 5:30, and I will be behind the mic for that game. I don't think I'll be in attendance for the men's game tonight, but that should be a fun one as well. I know my old friends at FM89 will have the call for both games if you can't make it out to Merner Fieldhouse for the games. I may try to live-tweet a little bit throughout the game as well, though it can be hard in the flow of the game to pull out my iPhone to make it work.

We raise our voices high. Go Cardinals!

NFL Awards Race

I know I'm a little late to the party, but Week 17 really threw a wrench into the decision for who the Most Valuable Player was in one of the most popular NFL seasons ever. Most of the experts agree that it's down to a 3 man race, and to no surprise it's all quarterbacks. It's almost a shame that you have to be a quarterback or a running back to win MVP, but that just seems to be the reality of it all. There's some other interesting races for major awards as well.

Offensive Rookie of the Year

Cam Newton, Carolina
310-517 (60.0%), 4051 yds, 21 TD, 17 INT; 106 car, 706 yds, 14 TD

A lot of times having the top pick of the draft can be a crapshoot and players don't always pan out (see Russell, JaMarcus). Many people were skeptical of Cam coming into this year, but he has done a great job silencing all the critics. Arguably the best dual threat quarterback since Michael Vick, and this is just as a rookie. He had a respectable 84.5 quarterback rating, and a QBR of 56.6, 16th in the NFL. For a rookie, to be in the middle of the pack is all right, and he seems like he's got a lot of potential as the Panthers develop their talent. You have to give Andy Dalton credit too, but Newton played better I think.

Defensive Rookie of the Year

Ryan Kerrigan, Washington
63 total tackles (41 solo), 7.5 sacks, 1 INT (TD), 4 FF

This one was a bit harder to decide on. Kerrigan was tied for 4th among rookies in sacks, 10th in total tackles, tied for 2nd in forced fumbles, and had the pick-6. You can definitely also make arguments for guys like Von Miller (11.5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles,64 tackles) or Aldon Smith (14 sacks, leading all rookies, plus a safety, 2 FF's and a recovery). I'm choosing to go with a guy who could do it all his rookie season. I feel bad that he's stuck on Washington, but the kid has a good future.

Offensive Player of the Year

Drew Brees, New Orleans
468-657 (71.2%), 5476 yds, 46 TD, 14 INT

There was no real standout rusher this year despite 14 players making it to 1000 yards (and without injuries there would have been a few more), and Drew Brees rewrote the book on passing this year. He threw an average of 41 times per game, which is a lot, but he completed on average 28 or 29 of those for a good chunk of yards. He had a really good passer rating (110.6) and QBR (84.0). Plus the fact that he broke Dan Marino's old passing yards record merits the award too. Stay tuned for more on Brees.

Defensive Player of the Year

Cliff Avril, Detroit
36 total tackles (29 solo), 11 sacks, 1 INT (TD), 6 FF, 3 recoveries (1 TD)

Defense is a harder side of the field to pick one outstanding player for because there's so many important things. Arguments could be made for Jared Allen (league-leading 22 sacks), Charles Woodson (tied for league lead with 7 picks), or even Terrell Suggs (league-leading 7 FF's, 70 total tackles), but I think Avril had an underrated overall season. At defensive end, you don't pick up a lot of tackles, but he did a great job getting pressure on opposing quarterbacks (11th in the league), 6 FF's (second only to Suggs), and scored a pair of touchdowns. I would be more than okay with one of the above guys winning (or even another player with a convincing enough case), but I would like to make a case for a guy who might not get a lot of votes.

Coach of the Year

Jim Harbaugh, San Francisco
13-3 (10-2 conference, 5-1 division), +151 points (11th PF, 2nd PA)

Took a team that went 6-10 last year and in his first year improved the team by 7 games. He helped revive Alex Smith's career, and turned the Niners into a great traditional team (pound the rock, play tough defense). That he did so in his first year speaks volumes. I would have said Mike McCarthy of Green Bay had the Pack gone unbeaten, but he deserves at least second place for taking the defending champs with a shortened training camp coming off a title and potential for Disease of More destruction. Credit him for keeping that team grounded and being able to survive so many teams' best shots all season long.

NFL Playoff Preview

Happy new year everyone! It's seemed like this NFL season has gone by really quickly, and that just yesterday Aaron Rodgers was helping get Green Bay off to a 13-0 start. And yet here we are, 17 weeks of football gone by, with so many great stories and moments that made it seem like the lockout never happened. Now we get down to the great part that college football is passing up on: the playoffs. I'll go over each conference before making an unofficial Super Bowl prediction. Who knows if I'll even get these picks right?

AFC PLAYOFF PICTURE
To no surprise, the Patriots (13-3) fell in line behind Tom Brady and grabbed the top seed. They get a bye along with the Ravens (12-4), who look like they're getting back into form. Meanwhile, Houston (10-6) gets its first ever playoff game at home, and the Broncos (8-8) backed into a division title and a home game. Pittsburgh (12-4) is going to be a tough out, and I was a little surprised that Cincinnati (9-7) was able to sneak in for the other spot. Kudos to guys like Andy Dalton for never giving up.

Saturday: Bengals @ Texans. Houston is really not in good shape right now, having lost 3 in a row after clinching the division... not how you want to go into battle. But I'm not sure how sold I am on Cincy either. They did lose this week, but it was to a Baltimore team with motivation to win. I think I have to lean towards the road team in this one. Bengals over Texans.

Sunday:  Steelers @ Broncos. I like the Denver defense and all, and I would put myself in the camp that supports Tim Tebow, but he really has not been very good the last few weeks. And he's facing a great defense in the group led by Troy Polamalu and James Harrison. Steelers over Broncos.

Divisional Round: A decent Bengals team that was able to get by a hurting Texans team then gets Tom Brady and Company? Have fun with that. Meanwhile, we get a third Ravens-Steelers matchup that I would only assume has to be a bloodbath this time since it hasn't happened yet this year. As a Packer fan I know too well that it's hard to beat a team 3 times in one season (see Wild Card loss to the Cardinals in 2010). Patriots over Bengals, Steelers over Ravens.

Conference Championship: Big Ben plays well in big games, and the Patriot defense is absolutely terrible. Say no more. Steelers over Patriots.

NFC PLAYOFF PICTURE
Green Bay (15-1), other than Kansas City, looked like probably the best team in the NFL en route to home field throughout. San Francisco (13-3) looked great this year too in what is likely a Coach of the Year season for Jim Harbaugh. New Orleans (13-3) is back again and will be a tough out, especially in the Superdome, while the Giants (9-7) are getting hot at the right time. Atlanta (10-6) is hoping to look better in this postseason than last year, and the Lions (10-6) are back for the first time since last millenium.

Saturday: Lions @ Saints. Detroit, playing for playoff seeding, gave up 480 yards passing and 6 touchdowns to Matt Flynn. Granted it was to most of Green Bay's best receivers, but consider that, then remember that Drew Brees set a new passing yards record, and realize that Detroit will have to wait at least another year for some great January moments. Saints over Lions.

Sunday: Falcons @ Giants. This one is more up for grabs. Atlanta hasn't really impressed me this year, and the Giants have had good and bad games all year, but they're on a roll right now. I find it hard for Atlanta to come into the Meadowlands and steal a win against Eli Manning, who is making a great argument for his inclusion among the elite quarterbacks of the NFL. Giants over Falcons.

Divisional Round: Chalk played out here and we saw Green Bay barely escape against the Giants in the Meadowlands earlier this year. At Lambeau with a week to recover, I think Rodgers and crew have a little more breathing room this time. Meanwhile, San Francisco has the right strategy for this time of year, but Drew Brees is Drew Brees and I have no idea what to expect from Alex Smith in January. Packers over Giants, Saints over 49ers.

Conference Championship: It almost seems like destiny that we get a rematch of the season opener. Problem is, in September it was about 60-70 degrees warmer. Rodgers showed last postseason he can pass well in cold weather. Brees and company have problems (2007 at the Bears for the NFC title, last year in Seattle to name a couple instances.) That said, this is probably the scariest matchup for the Packers all season, but I give the edge to Green Bay (I know, I'm biased). Packers over Saints.

SUPER BOWL XLVI 
Another rematch between two of the best teams in the NFL. Credit Pittsburgh's defense again all you want, and criticize Green Bay's all you want, but there are two major considerations for this rematch.

1. Yes, the Packer defense relies a little too heavily on the takeaway (especially the interception), but in 15 of their 16 games this season they recorded at least one. That's scary consistency. Granted, the one game they didn't get one was the one they lost, but I see that game as a wake up call.

2. I'm not sure if people remember this or not. Let's look back at a quote from ESPN Stats and Info from before Super Bowl XLV.

"This will be Aaron Rodgers' 13th career start indoors. While his record indoors is just 6-6, Rodgers has been spectacular playing inside. He has thrown 25 touchdown passes with just six interceptions and has completed 68.4 percent of his passes. No quarterback since 2008 has a higher passer rating indoors than Rodgers' 111.5."-Vince Masi, ESPN S&I

Add in his numbers from this year, plus the Super Bowl, and he's thrown 35 touchdowns with just 6 picks in his career indoors. The accuracy and passer ratings I'm sure are similar. The dude is lethal anywhere, but even more so inside. In Indy? The Steelers (or any AFC team for that matter) have no chance. Packers over Steelers.

I will freely admit that there is likely a bias to this since I am a Packers' fan and see the team's flaws as no problem. The NFL always seems to remind us that any team can win on any given Sunday. The Giants, Saints, and Steelers could all take great care of the ball and keep Rodgers off the field and knock off the defending champs. But I also see in Green Bay a team that knows how to win, hasn't suffered from the Disease of More, and has a great chance of being the first team in a decade to repeat as champions.

Glenbard West Holiday Classic Final Recap

Since I was at North Central College last night, I didn't get to see the championship game of the tournament I had seen all the pool play games for. Finals from the last games:

7th Place
Addison Trail 65, Fenton 42
Addison Trail (1-3, 7th) played better than its 7th place finish, but was stuck in a tough pool. Fenton (0-4, 8th) had heart, but unfortunately was overmatched by much of the field. I wish them the best of luck the rest of the season.

5th Place
St. Charles East 73, West Chicago 64
St. Charles East (3-1, 5th) looked like a lock for the title before the big upset yesterday, and came out for revenge, beating a tough West Chicago (1-3, 6th) team that was also stuck in a tough pool.

3rd Place
Leyden 52, Timothy Christian 43 (OT)
Leyden (3-1, 3rd) only really had trouble with Glenbard West in their pool, yet needed overtime to knock off Timothy (2-2, 4th), who played consistently well throughout the tournament.

Championship Game
Glenbard West 67, Wheaton Academy 48
The Hilltoppers (4-0, 1st) were the favorites to win, and did so against a tough Wheaton Academy (2-2, 2nd) team that really didn't have the size to match up with Glenbard.

Congratulations to the Hilltoppers on winning the tournament for the 5th time in its 10 year history. And Thursday, since it was my last day in Glen Ellyn, I started picking an All-Tournament Team early on. I worked closely with Geoffrey Clark, who called the title game yesterday. There was an official All-Tournament Team given to Geoffy by the athletic director at Glenbard West, but based on our observations from 3 days, here were our picks:

All Tournament 1^st Team

G- Alex Hererra, Leyden*

G- Lars Olson, Wheaton Academy

G- Danny Leach, Timothy Christian*

F- Michael Mache, Glenbard West*

F- Cameron Harvey, Wheaton Academy*

All Tournament 2^nd Team

G- Jonathan Woolf, Leyden

G- Dominic Adduci, St. Charles East

G- Jeff Levesque, Glenbard West

F- Johnny Hondlik, St. Charles East

F- Pat Mazza, Glenbard West*

All Tournament 3^rd Team

G- James Pupillo, Addison Trail*

G- Collin Roy, Wheaton Academy

F- Kendall Stephens, St. Charles East*

F- Luke Ludke, St. Charles East

F- Justin Mundt, West Chicago*

Honorable Mention

-Collin Wallace, Fenton

Asterisks indicate picks made in the official All-Tournament Team.

Geoffy and I also settled on the three major individual awards.

• 6th Man: Jonathan Woolf, Leyden. Was a consistent threat off the bench every game for the Eagles. Helped get them 3rd place.
• Defensive Player: Pat Mazza, Glenbard West. Had to have averaged 2 or 3 blocks a game, and altered many more by his presence alone. Credit to Matt Morrison of Timothy and Lars Olson of Wheaton who were in the running as well.
• MVP: Michael Mache, Glenbard West. Played extremely well in pool play, and scored 25 points in the title game. No brainer.

A big thank you to Geoff for a fun three days, and for helping decide on these awards. Thanks as well to Linda Oberg, Athletic Director at Glenbard West and Kevin Sander from iHigh.com for the opportunity to work this tournament.

Game Notes: Benedictine University @ North Central College (12/30/11)

Final Score
Benedictine 62, NCC 60

Summary
This was another bipolar-type game for North Central (6-5). They jumped out to a big lead early, leading 31-17 at one point in the first half, but the Eagles (4-8) came roaring back to within 3 at the half. In the second half, the Cardinals were able to hit a few 3's to stay in front, but the Clogged Toilet Offense caught up with them. 18 turnovers (10 in the 2nd half) tend to bite you, as Benedictine took advantage of the constant miscues to take the lead for good with less than 2 minutes to go.

Key Stats

• Michelle Gaede (BEN): 8-14 FG, 1-3 3PT, 1-1 FT, 18 pts, 8 reb. She came up with what turned out to be the game-winning basket late, but hit a bunch of big shots over the course of the game. Player of the game for sure.
• Helen Muleya (NCC): 1-8 FG, 2 pts, 5 reb, 5 ast, 3 to. Played a good game on defense, but continues to be nightmarish at the offensive end. Forces a lot of bad passes and bad shots. She had a look at the game-tying layup, but spun it out. She needs to go straight up with her layups, and the numbers will improve. She has a lot of talent, but needs to improve her decision making.
• Lauren Hernandez (NCC): 3-5 FG, 3-4 3PT, 9 pts. She's a great scorer off the bench and someone to take pressure off of people like Jenny Swanson (1-7 from deep, an off night). She had some of the big 3's to keep the Cardinals in front before the final collapse. A freshman with a great future on this team.

Final Thoughts
Before getting into these last thoughts, congratulations to Benedictine's Tracey Walsh, who with 1:57 left in the first half became the sixth Eagle to score 1000 points in her career.

One of the people at the scorers' table said it best (quote is paraphrased): "This team has played 10 games, they shouldn't be doing this stupid stuff!" This is a team that plays well on defense, and is a good rebounding team (especially for their size), but the offense... ye gods. The ball movement is not good most of the time, there's a lot of catching passes and waiting before passing onwards. There's minimal movement inside, when you could potentially have the Emily's (Collins and Murphy) averaging double figures if you have them set some screens for each other.

This team is picked to finish 7th in the CCIW (play starts Wednesday). That said, I think they can overachieve and maybe sneak into the CCIW Tournament, but they need to stop getting beat by their own worst enemy: themselves.

Game Notes: Manchester College @ North Central College (12/30/11)

Final Score
NCC 62, Manchester 38

Summary
My first men's game of the year turned out to be a great pick as I filled in for Jim Godo as their PA guy. The Cardinals (6-5) got out to a great start especially at the defensive end. The first few minutes of this game were absolutely fascinating to watch with great switching and several steals. Manchester (3-8) has a lot of height, but just couldn't really shoot or get anything going offensively. For my first men's game, I am extremely impressed and figure that these guys will give every CCIW team fits.

Key Stats

• Aaron Tiknis (NCC): 6-8 FG, 2-2 3PT, 14 pts, 8 reb (3 off), 4 stl, 2 ast. Wow. He missed a bunch of time early last season, and in his first full year has emerged as a major component of this lineup. He can shoot from outside, but he has the size (6'6") to battle down low with the best of them. He'll be a big asset when the Cardinals start CCIW play next week.
• Vince Kmiec (NCC): 6-10 FG, 5-7 3PT, 17 pts, 6 reb. I took a basketball PE class last year, and Vince was in it. One thing I saw constantly during those 10 weeks was that Vince can shoot the three. And boy, did he do it tonight. I leaned over to Clark Teuscher (NCC's Sports Information Director) and told him after Vince hit the 5th three that he needed one more for a free shrug. At that point, the Cardinals were up by 34, so Todd Raridon called off the dogs. Alas.
• CJ Goldthree (NCC): 5-15 FG, 2-4 3PT, 12 pts, 8 reb. Most of his misses were on layups. The coaching staff told him to not do a finger roll on his layup attempts. I figure he can do that, he'll be fine. He's a good offensive player, and played excellent defense tonight as well. The amazing number is the rebounds. CJ is 6'0", and outrebounded a bunch of big guys.

Final Thoughts
This team was picked to finish 2nd out of 8 in the CCIW, and the only major loss from last year is Brian Evans' defense and energy. I see Kmiec as a taller Reid Berringer, and this team has a chance to host the CCIW Tournament for the second year. Todd Raridon is a great coach, and he once again has a great team. I hope to get to see some of their conference games this year, should be fun!

Glenbard West Holiday Classic Recap: Day 3

Final Score

Timothy Christian 53, St. Charles East 50

Summary

Finally had a scorers’ duel we’d been waiting for all tournament long. The Saints (2-1) once again had tie games after 2 and again after 3, with offense coming from an unlikely source (see below). Meanwhile the Trojans (2-1) played great defense all game, as they had the hero with a game winning shot. St. Charles East gave away its shot to play for the title today.

Key Players

• Danny Leach (TC): 22 pts. He was huge again today, hitting some big threes throughout the game, but none bigger than a go-ahead bomb with 2 seconds left. It was the culmination of a couple tough missed shots but great offensive rebounding, finally finding him a good enough look. Leach as of this game's conclusion was the front-runner for tournament MVP.
• Matt Morrison (TC): 11 pts. Finally came up with some offensive heroics today, scoring 7 in the first, but it was solid defense again that earns him a spot on this list. He came up with a couple more steals in key moments to help the Trojans preserve the win.
• Kendall Stephens (SCE): 30 pts. Ankle injury? What ankle injury? Stephens surprised both Geoffy and me by coming off the bench in the 2^nd quarter and draining a torrent of threes to make this arguably the most fun game of the tournament.

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Final Score

Wheaton Academy 61, Addison Trail 46

Summary

The Blazers (0-3) continued their “never say die” tournament by staying close to Wheaton in the 2^nd and 3^rd quarters, even taking a couple leads here and there. But the Warriors (2-1) proved to be too much in the 4^th quarter, as Addison Trail kept turning the ball over. With the win, the Warriors took advantage of the Timothy Christian win to sneak back into the title game.

Key Players

• Collin Roy (WA): 18 pts. Roy came up big in the 4^th quarter with a couple big shots from all over the field (3’s, layups, you name it).
• Lars Olson (WA): 10 pts. Olson was huge on both ends of the floor once again, a close competition with Matt Morrison for Defensive Player of the Tournament, but he has hit a few big 3’s in pool play, none bigger than a buzzer beater at the end of the 3^rd quarter that doubled Wheaton’s lead and effectively killed the Blazers.
• Vince Beltrano (AT): 13 pts. He had another solid game on offense, but was outmatched by Cameron Harvey in the post (14 points). He did enough early to keep the Blazers in the game, but was ineffective in the 4^th quarter as Addison Trail saw its chances slip away.

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Final Score

West Chicago 57, Fenton 29

Summary

It was a close game earlier in the game, but the Wildcats (1-2) stepped up their game in the 2^nd quarter to jump to a 31-15 halftime lead. The Bison (0-3) made a lot of mistakes and just couldn’t seem to get going on offense. They really haven’t been that remarkable a team aside from Collin Wallace’s scoring. It became garbage time by the fourth quarter with West Chicago jumping to a 20 point lead a few minutes in.

Key Players

• Dylan Hedmark (WC): 16 pts. He finally had a breakout game with no one to contain him. He probably had a double-double today by the time all was said and done.
• Justin Mundt (WC): 11 pts. Mundt continues to be the best player on this West Chicago team, getting to the line a little bit and hitting big shots. Worthy of consideration for all tournament honors. 
• Adam Kadlec (FEN): 11 pts. Had a couple early buckets, really didn’t step up as the game went on. He also got called for a technical late in the game. He led the team in scoring as Collin Wallace only had 8 tonight.

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Final Score

Glenbard West 56, Leyden 35.

Summary

Another one that started as a great defensive struggle, but the Hilltoppers (2-0) stepped up their game in the second quarter. The Eagles (2-0) really didn’t have an answer for the balanced offense of Glenbard West, combining an inside game with some timely threes. They proceeded to blow it open in the third, setting a date with Wheaton Academy for the title.

Key Players

• Michael Mache (GBW): 12 pts. Front runner for MVP right now, based on his being the leader on the team with the best record in the tournament. Got a lot of easy looks down low.
• Pat Mazza (GBW): 8 pts. At least 10 rebounds and 3 blocks. Probably now the favorite for Defensive Player of the tournament. Also had a nice authoritative dunk tonight. He’s tied with Mache for the tournament lead in dunks.
• Alex Hererra (LEY): 15 pts. 4 of those came on technical free throws, but he did not have many driving lanes tonight. Credit the Hilltopper defense, but especially Justin Taylor for sticking on him like glue.

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This has been a great tournament, and I want to take the opportunity to thank Glenbard West and iHigh.com for the opportunity to get back behind the mic for basketball games. Tomorrow I will be missing out on the finals (Geoffy is calling the title game), as I will be at North Central for the return of women's basketball to Merner. I also get the one-game recap instead of a jumbo pack of 4 games.