Another Run Through The Gauntlet

It's an annual tradition for Confessions of a Sportscaster, in addition to covering all NCC basketball games I work, to take a look at the conference standings at the halfway point.

The CCIW, like most college basketball conferences, plays a double round robin regular season schedule, with every school playing each other twice: once at home and once on the road. Through seven games, every team will have played each other once with either four home games and three road games or vice versa. Since everyone has played everyone, it's a good time to take a look at the standings and see where North Central is at when it comes to the CCIW Tournament looming in about a month.

Game Notes: (MBK) Elmhurst College @ North Central College (1/23/16)

Final Score
NCC 80, Elmhurst 62

Game Summary
This game had all the makings of an instant classic early, as the #25 Cardinals (13-5, 6-1) surrendered a basket on the opening possession of the game, but responded with the next ten points to open up a sizable early advantage. The #2 Blue Jays (16-2, 6-1) answered with a 10-2 run to tie the game, and then we saw a very even battle between the two teams emerge over the next several minutes before the Cardinals finally broke out with a 13-2 run to open up a 35-24 edge, but the Blue Jays got a bucket right before halftime to make it a single digit deficit going into the break. The Cardinals came right back out with intensity to start the second half though, exploding for a 15-4 run out of the gate, forcing the Blue Jays to call timeout to stop the bleeding. It temporarily got Elmhurst back in the contest, as they pulled back within 13, but the Cardinals pushed the lead back over 20 thanks to a 10-0 run, and both teams emptied their benches in the final three minutes with the outcome decided and one of the nation's best upended.

Key Stats

• Jagger Anderson (NCC): 7-11 FG (1-2 3PT), 5-9 FT; 20 pts, 4 reb (1 off), 5 ast, 4 stl. I haven't written much about Jagger so far this season, but he was phenomenal tonight. He was able to get to the basket pretty much at will tonight, including picking up a couple and-ones in the second half as the Cardinals pulled away.
• Alex Sorenson (NCC): 8-11 FG (3-4 3PT), 0-3 FT; 19 pts, 9 reb (2 off), 3 ast, 4 blk. One of these nights, I'm not going to have anything to write about Alex, but he's really been the key guy for this Cardinal team. He was able to get into a rhythm for the second straight game, and hit the back end of back-to-back threes to force an Elmhurst timeout to try and kill the Cardinals' momentum. He was also a force on defense with his four blocks. Just another day at the office.
• Kyle Wuest (ELM): 6-19 FG (2-7 3PT), 1-1 FT; 15 pts, 5 reb (2 off), 3 ast. Elmhurst's leading scorer stayed about even with his season average, but was very inefficient in doing so, shooting well below his season average (44.7 percent from the field, 44.3 percent from deep). He also battled foul trouble, and actually fouled out with about five minutes left in the game. At that point, the Cardinals were already pretty far ahead, but he was frustrated leaving the floor.

CCIW Scoreboard Watch

• @ North Park 82 (12-6, 4-3), Illinois Wesleyan 70 (9-9, 3-4)
• @ Augustana 96 (17-1, 6-1), Millikin 50 (6-12, 0-7)
• Carthage 85 (8-10, 2-5), @ Wheaton 79 (5-13, 1-6)

John Baines Jacket Watch

I'm sorry, Geoffy. I failed you. John Baines kept his cool (relatively speaking) for most of the contest. His jacket actually remained on for the entirety of the game, which is mildly disappointing. However, he should have gotten ejected from the game for repeatedly stepping well outside of the coaches' box. He was almost to halfcourt a couple times, but the refs never caught it. Since he kept his cool for the most part, I guess I'll let it slide as I look forward to the next edition of the Jacket Watch in a week. Stay tuned.

Final Thoughts
This was a very important game, and after the clunker at Augustana, the Cardinals have shown up to play each of the last three games, all wins, and find themselves in a tie atop the CCIW. I was listening to Jayme Moten on WONC's postgame show on my way home, and he was mentioning how the Cardinals are the only ranked team with as many as five losses according to D3hoops.com, and deservedly so. Of those five losses, four are to teams ranked at least in the top 21 and the fifth was at Aurora, which is always a tough game. With the CCIW being as top heavy as it is, the Cardinals are right where they want to be at this stage. I'll touch on that a little bit more in the next couple days as I look at the second half of CCIW play.

The Cardinals are on the road on Wednesday at Millikin, but return home on Saturday for a stretch of three straight at home, starting with archrival Wheaton.

Game Notes: (WBK) Elmhurst College @ North Central College (1/23/16)

Final Score
NCC 100, Elmhurst 75

Game Summary
In a crucial game at Merner Fieldhouse, the Cardinals (9-9, 3-4) put on the clamps defensively, holding the Blue Jays (10-8, 4-3) without a basket for the first two and a half minutes before giving up a three. The Cardinals answered with one of their own at the other end, and kept the pressure up on Elmhurst, leading 19-14 after one quarter. The Cardinals broke out offensively in the second quarter, going on an 11-2 run over a three minute stretch early in the frame to open up a double digit lead. The Blue Jays were able to fight back within single digits a couple times, but the Cardinals fought back to go into the locker room up 52-38. Elmhurst trimmed the lead to 11 early in the third quarter, but the Cardinals went on a 9-0 run to make it a 20 point lead. It was just a formality from there, as the Cardinals led by 25 after three quarters, and held that margin for most of the fourth quarter, leading by as many as 31.

Key Stats

• NCC: Every player scored at least 2 points. I think, for all the positives of The System and the constant line changes it brings, this is the first time everyone who dressed to play made it into the scorebook. All but one player had at least one field goal (Kelly Wallner went 0-1 from the field, but hit a pair of free throws). This was great to see.
• Kim Wilson (NCC): 4-8 FG (3-6 3PT), 2-4 FT; 13 pts, 2 reb (2 off), 1 ast, 1 stl. Kim has struggled at the offensive end for much of the season, so to see her have a good game (her threes I think were pretty much all in the first half) was a great sign.
• Kaela Jones (ELM): 9-18 FG, 2-4 FT; 20 pts, 8 reb (6 off), 4 ast. Jones was the best option off Elmhurst's bench, to the point that Elmhurst coach Tethnie Carrillo came over before the second half to change her starting five, making the comment that her original starting five didn't work out so well. Jones was one of the people who started the second half, and she had a very good game, as many forwards tend to do against North Central.

NCC System Watch

• Elmhurst Turnovers: 33. I think this was by far the Cardinals' best performance of the season, and this stat was a big reason why. This was a very chippy game, and the Cardinals did their fair share of it on the defensive side, forcing multiple errant passes and picking pockets repeatedly. The Cardinals had 17 steals in the game, paced by Michaela Reedy's four, while Paula Zerante added three. The Cardinals also forced a five second inbounding call, two ten second calls, and a backcourt violation among the takeaways.
• NCC 3PT: 14-39 (35.9%). This is one of the Cardinals' better performances at this end. They didn't take quite as many as they normally do, since layups were available, but they hit more than their fair share of outside shots. They didn't really get red hot at any particular point, but they hit shots when they needed to.
• NCC Charges Drawn: 0. Clearly Coach Carrillo is a regular reader of Confessions of a Sportscaster's Game Notes watched the film of North Central and knows of Anita Sterling's tendency to draw charges. She was ready multiple times, and it appeared her presence alone was enough to dissuade the Blue Jays from driving all the way to the rim. It worked.

CCIW Scoreboard Watch

• Illinois Wesleyan 72 (11-7, 6-1), @ North Park 71 (13-5, 4-3) (OT)
• @ Augustana 65 (8-10, 3-4), Millikin 59 (7-11, 0-7)
• @ Wheaton 70 (13-4, 5-2), Carthage 56 (7-11, 3-4)

Final Thoughts
Before every game, Michelle Roof comes by the scorers' table to greet all of us. Today, she made sure to check in with all of us, telling us how much they needed this one. I met up with her after the game and her reaction was basically, "Who was that team out there? That's a season saver!" It really was. The term "must-win game" gets thrown around a lot in sports, but this game really was must-win for the Cardinals for the rest of the campaign. The win gets them to three wins in the CCIW, and they're right in the thick of things. I think being at home certainly helped tonight, and it's a benefit they will get in the next two games and four of the next five.

The Cardinals kick off the second half of CCIW play on Wednesday at home against last place Millikin. I will, however, touch on this team a little bit in the next couple days with regards to the CCIW standings through one go-around. With just a glance at the standings right now, the Cardinals would be on the outside looking in, but they're only a game out of the CCIW Tournament, which all things considered, isn't bad.

Game Notes: (MBK) Carthage College @ North Central College (1/20/16)

Final Score
NCC 97, Carthage 68

Game Summary
The Cardinals (12-5, 5-1) started a little sluggish, getting blocked on their first two offensive possessions, but got the offense rolling, scoring 11 of the game's first 13 points. The Red Men (7-10, 1-5) didn't have an answer for the Cardinal attack that started inside before working its way outside. The Red Men struggled mightily on the offensive end as well, and the Cardinals took a 47-23 lead into the break. The Red Men scored the first four points in the second half and seemed poised for a takeover, but the Cardinals broke out again, getting a balanced attack despite physical defense by Carthage. Todd Raridon was able to bring in his end of bench guys with about six minutes left, and rode them to the end to pick up his 200th win at North Central.

Key Stats

• Carthage: 8-34 FG (23.5%) in 1st half. I think this stat says the most about the game. The Red Men couldn't get anything to go offensively, going just 3-14 beyond the arc, but that's also a 5-20 line from two point range. That's 25 percent, and won't win you many games. They finished at 37.9 percent for the game thanks to a hot second half, but by then the damage was done.
• Alex Sorenson (NCC): 12-14 FG (3-4 3PT); 27 pts, 13 reb (4 off), 2 ast, 3 blk. It's weird to me; it seemed like a quiet 27-13 line for Alex since the team performance was so dominating, but Alex was the key figure finally after two straight games with foul trouble. He was the dominant force inside and out, and his three point shot has grown on me after I've seen firsthand how lethal a weapon it is in his arsenal.
• Connor Raridon (NCC): 6-11 FG (0-3 3PT), 5-5 FT; 17 pts, 3 reb (2 off), 6 ast, 1 stl, 2 blk. Connor didn't have his best shooting night from outside, but he had a brilliant game inside. His post up game is an underrated part of his repertoire, as he took advantage of smaller guys by backing them down, and against a little more bulk was able to hit some turnaround jumpers. If Connor doesn't win CCIW Freshman of the Year I'm calling the cops.

CCIW Scoreboard Watch

• Augustana 77 (16-1, 5-1), @ Illinois Wesleyan 60 (9-8, 3-3)
• @ Elmhurst 91 (16-1, 6-0), North Park 88 (11-6, 3-3) (OT)
• @ Wheaton 87 (5-12, 1-5), Millikin 76 (6-11, 0-6)

Bosko Djurikovic Jacket Watch
I'm committing myself to this feature. Bosko Djurikovic fits the mold of basically every CCIW men's basketball coach: a super nice guy to be around, but get him on a basketball court and he becomes very passionate about what's going on.

Last night, his jacket was off by the 15:41 mark of the first half. I don't think it was in response to anything in particular, other than the Cardinals off to an 11-2 start. That record for the year could be broken, considering the founder of this section still has a trip to Merner on the docket...

Final Thoughts
I think the Cardinals have recovered from last week's debacle at Augustana, where those of us at Merner were just stunned to see the score early in that game. They didn't dwell on it though, and had a nice comeback win in overtime at Illinois Wesleyan on Saturday. Last night's game had all the making of "trap game" written all over it, but Todd Raridon had his troops prepared, and he is the second coach in NCC history with 200 wins, joining the legendary Bill Warden.

First place in the CCIW is there for the Cardinals' taking, as I finally get another Saturday doubleheader with Elmhurst College coming to town to close out the first half of CCIW play. Elmhurst has only a loss to that amazing Benedictine team that still hasn't lost a game, and otherwise has been fantastic, sitting at #2 in the country per D3hoops.com. It'll be a tough challenge ahead, but hopefully the Cardinals are ready for it.

Game Notes: (WBK) Augustana College @ North Central College (1/13/16)

Final Score
NCC 98, Augustana 75

Game Summary
It was a game of runs in the opening quarter, as the Vikings (6-9, 1-3) used a 9-0 run to open up a lead, but the Cardinals (8-7, 2-2) answered with an 8-0 run to recapture the lead. Augie would lead by as many as six, but the Cardinals scored the final seven points of the quarter to lead 24-21. The Cardinals opened fire from long range in the second quarter to open up the advantage to 56-35 by halftime. Augie surged a bit to start the second half, the Cardinals fought it off, but the Vikings ultimately trimmed the deficit to 13 before the Cardinals came back to lead 75-58 after three. The Vikings hung around that range for most of the fourth quarter and even cut the lead back to 13, but the Cardinals got a three pointer and an old fashioned three point play to serve as the dagger.

Key Stats

• Jamie Cuny (NCC): 5-8 FG (3-4 3PT), 6-8 FT; 19 pts, 10 reb (1 off), 1 stl, 5 blk. This was probably Jamie's best game of the year to date. She hit a three on the opening possession to get things started off right, and just built off of it from there. Her 19 points ties her season high, and she did a phenomenal job on the glass, leading all rebounders by a comfortable margin. And the five blocks are just the cherry on top.
• Mayson Whipple (NCC): 3-8 FG (0-3 3PT), 10-11 FT; 16 pts, 6 reb, 8 ast, 2 stl. I think at this point, Mayson has established herself as the point guard of the future for this squad. She can beat just about anyone off the dribble, and despite having only a so-so day from the field, she was able to distribute the ball well and got to the line late to seal the win. I think she scored nine straight points for the Cardinals late in the fourth quarter at one point.
• Corrie Reiley (AUG): 6-13 FG (3-7 3PT), 4-4 FT; 19 pts, 4 reb, 1 ast. The freshman guard came off the bench and was a thorn in North Central's side in the second half as she got hot from outside for a bit to help the Vikings narrow the gap. Her 19 I'm assuming is a career high, as it's well above her 6.6 average for the season.

North Central System Watch

• Augie Turnovers: 19. The pressure defense hasn't been quite as prevalent at home of late, but the press did its job and the Cardinals did call off the dogs by the end of the game. These 19 turnovers include nine steals, paced by two apiece from Mayson Whipple and Michaela Reedy. The Cardinals also forced a ten second call in the opening quarter after tipping the ball out of bounds, which caught me off guard because I forgot that rule changed this year. 
• NCC 3PT: 16-38 (42.1%). All we were missing in the first half was the flames from NBA Jam around the whole team. The Cardinals took 22 first half threes and made 11. That's 50 percent, which I don't think has ever happened in the System Era. They regressed to the mean by the second half, but even then they were over 30 percent in the second half. This isn't quite last year's Carthage game, but it's pretty close.
• NCC Charges Drawn: 3. Anita Sterling did what she does best again, picking up one in each of the first three quarters. I've lost track of where she is for the season, at least at home, but she's the team leader by a landslide.

CCIW Scoreboard Watch

• Carthage 80 (6-9, 2-2), @ Elmhurst 69 (8-7, 2-2)
• @ Wheaton 57 (11-3, 3-1), North Park 52 (12-3, 3-1)
• @ Illinois Wesleyan 77 (8-7, 3-1), Millikin 54 (7-8, 0-4)

Final Thoughts
This was a great all around win. Things got a little dicey in the second half as Augie was fighting back, but the Cardinals made key baskets at critical times to end the runs and hang on to win. I'm a little concerned with the tendency for missed layups at times, and while the three point shooting made up for it, that may not work against the elite teams of the conference.

Regardless, through four games the Cardinals are right in the thick of the CCIW race, which is right where we expected them to be. They now have a tough two game road trip ahead to a resurgent Illinois Wesleyan team (though they've won two in a row at the Shirk Center) and Carthage (Tarble Arena had been a house of horrors for this team in recent history). They'll return home on January 23rd to close out the first round robin of CCIW play against Elmhurst.

Student Sections and the Misguided Notions of Sportsmanship

Hang on, I had just put my soapbox away. Now I've found something that requires me to drag it out again.

Please note in advance: this post will contain a little bit of NSFW language. As such, I'm putting in a jump here so that you can't read the NSFW content from the home page, but you will if you click on the link to this post itself and read it in its entirety. Normally, I wouldn't even put something in about this, but it's integral to the story and, believe it or not, I support its use both in its original context as well as in my own opinion on this story. You've been warned.

2015 Death to the BCS Playoffs: Championship

In 2011, shortly after I launched Confessions of a Sportscaster, I took the BCS to task, and created an alternate playoff format that included 16 teams. At the time, I hadn't yet completed the Wetzel, Peter, and Passan classic pictured to the left. That original 2011 tournament is the only time through my first few years of blogging that I got the exact same matchup as the on-field national championship game.

Of course, once I finished said book, I had to throw together a playoff bracket in the Wetzel, Peter, and Passan style. That first edition created the ultimate chaos. 2012 brought a reasonable championship matchup that differed from the official, but wasn't surprising. 2013's edition showed that simulations are bullcrap; the team that got spanked in the Rose Bowl won the whole shebang, while the team that destroyed them got upset in the first round. Last year's brought the same four teams to the semifinals as got there (albeit with different matchups), but the teams that made the real national championship game did not make it in the simulated version.

And so for the first time since the old format tournament in 2011, the teams playing for the on-field national championship will also meet in cyberspace for the title. Of course, there's a difference between on-field and online: the Death to the BCS Championship Game is played at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena because where else would you play it? Clemson and Alabama will play for real in Glendale, Arizona, which is certainly a great place for a football game, but to me, the Rose Bowl just seems more fitting.

Now because this is a championship game, I need to do a better job of making sure to eliminate luck. As such, this matchup will be simulated as a best of five, instead of a best of three, with the "clinching" game being the official result still. Weather in Pasadena from last night will be taken into account. In addition, I checked Don Best's handicapping website yesterday to try to make sure that any injured or suspended players would not show up in the simulation to the best of my ability. All simulations are provided by WhatIfSports.com. Will Alabama claim the virtual crown as well as the real crown? Let's find out.