LeatherneckNation / Specific Sports Topic Forums / Leatherneck Men's Basketball

News from Sioux Falls....

RockyBobbleHead — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 21:23:11 GMT

Following the big win by the women, the seventh-seeded Leatherneck Men are leading #2 IUPUI at the half, 31-30. The stat that just went across the screen is "WIU is 11-2 when leading at the half."
Go 'Necks! Double upset in the making!

Clark 1st team all conference

meganeck — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 17:43:40 GMT

Congrats to Ceola Clark as he was named 1st team All-conference and defensive player of the year. Both well deserved honors.

WIU robbed by refs in Fargo

western-101 — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 07:34:08 GMT

With one second left a questionalbe foul call sends this game to overtime.

There were other questionable foul calls in the game. The refs had made up their mind ahead of time that NDSU was going to win this game.

If I am Molinari I am F**king pissed.

When you are starting over-

Neckfansince71 — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 10:26:05 GMT

So I guess there is a "method to the madness" after all! The Necks had alot to learn this year.

1. They had to believe that defense would lead to wins! (Mission accomplished!)

2. They had to learn to play together offensively, to not only run the weave for outside shots, but to look for chances to cut to the hole and hit Granstra for dunks. (Mission accomplished!)

3. They had to learn to finish close games, to play to win, not to play to lose! With the 3 point shot, you can never be totally comfortable no matter what the score. (More work to be done!)

And

4. They had to learn to win. (See above #3) But in order to do that they had to play games they could win. Culver Stockton, Truman State, Greenville, Central Arkansas, NCC, Savannah State were all necessary games to get where they are today. I have heard people early talk about Joe Obrien, the Idaho State coach. He had a really tough pre-conference schedule which I know he thought would get them ready for conference play. But after taking alook at their season, I am not too sure if it had the desired effect or not.
Mo knew his kids had to get some wins in order to believe in themselves. It was a struggle at times, but the schedule allowed the kids to grow and learn while getting some success. There was a "method to his madness!"

The schedule will be different next year! I think Mo will add another $ game and hopefully some in-state competition. I know that he really worked hard to schedule a "Jesuit" school from a large midwestern city last fall but they just couldn't make up their mind in time to allow it to happen. Students will reflect on how much fun last night was, how gracious Mo was, and they will be back in droves!!! 1778 will blossom into 2500 in the near future.

Boy, isn't this fun!

PS. Forget Chicago State! They were asked to leave the Summit. It was not their choice!

Nice win for the Seniors! nice win for the program!

western-101 — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 22:19:00 GMT

Way to go 'NECKS !!!

A win at home against a good UMKC team is awesome. WIU has won five of the last six.

WIU has lost 7 games by an average margin of 4.4 points these teams include NDSU, SDSU, Oakland, IPFW (twice), EIU, and UMKC. The combined RPI of the seven losses is 214keep in mind this is out of 347 NCAA D-I teams tracked on realtimerpi.com Actually very respectable.

I am sorry I was unable to attend the game I was working up till 6:30. I am so freakin' happy though for this squad, the seniors, Coach MO, (which by the way I follow Bradley BB and some folks there wonder if he was let go to soon) and the momentum this puts us in for a challenging road swing in the Dakotas and a date with destiny in Sioux Falls.

Thank you for representing your University with honor and distinction David and Quenton.

Thank you to the entire team. Thank you MO for restoring dignity to WIU basketball.

Way to go guys!

BRGJOE — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 00:48:04 GMT

Nice win at home over Southern Utah last night. Controlled the game from the start -- excellent defensive effort by Coach Mo and the guys.

And now .. we're tournament bound, baby!

It's not the "big dance" or anything (though the way they are playing now, I wish the tourney was held, like, this weekend!) but it shows to me this team is definitely making progress.

We're not there yet. But at least the light at the end of the tunnel ain't a runaway freight train.

The team is playing great right now. Kudos to Coach Molinari and the Leatherneck team!

Joe C.

Do the Leathernecks make the Summit Tournament?

western-101 — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 18:14:38 GMT

Well our beloved 'Necks have 7 games left as I make this pole. At 2-9 there is work yet to be done to get to Sioux Falls. Once there crazy things can happen.

The way I see it we are fighting UMKC and SUU to not be in the number 9 spot (of course we know Centenary is not going to participate with their new NCAA alignment).

Western could go 4-3 in these last games or 1-6. My prediction will be conservitive leaning towards optimistic and I will say we finish out at 3-4. That will leave us with a 5-13 league mark. We can only hope UMKC or SUU finish worse.

Three road wins in a row!!!!!

western-101 — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 14:03:01 GMT

I like what I see with MO and a team that is really starting to find it's groove and finish out games. All season long we were close and now we have made it over the "hump".

Every team has a peak at some point in the season.

Looks like the leathernecks are peaking at the right time.

Coincidence? I think not. It is all part of MO's master plan

Now we have to hold home court in two very manageable games to win.

YESSSSSSS!

Scholarship Grid

Hail Leathernecks — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 20:51:26 GMT

I am not sure how to create this but the forum should have a scholarship grid.

I think we are improving in basketball and I would like to see more information. I am not sure of red shirts, transfers, etc. on the team and I know similar graphs have been on other forums. Also, I am looking to see a list of the signed players for next year and if we have any scholarships left.

Thanks for any info. It is good to see the team competing and playing with class.

Absolutely Unbelievable!!!!!!

loyalfan — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 21:05:48 GMT

Huge...Huge....Huge....Huge...victory on the road tonite!!!!!! I thought we might give it away BUT this isnt the team of the past!!!! Great things in the future! You can say ORU didnt hit any free throws BUT we didnt hardly shoot any!!!!! Great win for the program on national tv!!!

IUPUI came to WIU on a mission last night

B-Ball Fan — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 11:13:17 GMT

After the first media time out when still tied up, this game became a true butt kicking that had not happened in Coach Mo's era until last night @ Western hall. Will be interesting to see how the players respond Thursday Night at home against So. Utah. Hard to believe IUPUI got beat Thursday in O.T. by IPFW. Go WIU, sometimes you just don't match up well against certain teams so don't finish # 7 and have to face them in Game 1. Finish # 6.

Much-needed WIN over NCC

sealhall74 — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 07:56:53 GMT

I missed the internet radio feed of the first half (probably a good thing as we only had 13 points), but the guys came on strong at the end to pull this one out. I am starting to see a reversal of a trend here. Earlier in the season, we were folding in the latter stages. Lately, it seems we kick it up a notch or two at the end. I think they are gaining confidence and starting to believe in Mo's system. I also like that the big guy is scoring and getting to the line a little more in recent games. We really need that inside threat to complement the outside shooting of Clark and Nurse. I would like to see a replay of the Tyler dunk that sparked the turnaround. I am sure they have it on tape. Be nice if they would post it on the WIU site. Last year, I replayed that Josh Rivers buzzer beater probably twenty times and savored every moment.

Now, how about a signature win against the IUPUI team in front of 2000 wild and crazy fans. I was going to fly in from east coast for this one, but Mother Nature looks like she has other ideas. Maybe I can get out early on Friday before the storm hits. No matter, somewhere I will be watching it.

Good Luck Necks!

Great effort & game vs. Oakland

B-Ball Fan — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 15:19:35 GMT

I know Coach Mo is frustrated by all these close losses, but he can not be disappointed in his team's effort and toughness playing the best Summit League team to a 4 point loss last night. If Ceola and James continue to improve along with some of the other young players, I wouldn't want to play us in the Tournament. Go Necks !

IPFW

meganeck — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 17:29:31 GMT

Hopefully we have a nice crowd for tonight's game. Hopefully students come out in full force and looks like 1st 250 fans will receive a free can cooler (yippee). Would be nice to pick up another win before Oakland rolls into town.

WIU beats the SUU Thunderbirds

western-101 — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 10:50:08 GMT

Way to go team. Congratulations on getting a conference road win!

Our men will re-group back on the court at Western Hall to face IPFW.

This upcoming game is very winnable for the 'Necks.

Look out Sioux Falls, I see a winning streak coming on.

ORU coming in

sealhall74 — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 09:44:25 GMT

ORU coming in after a tough loss in a high-scoring affair with IUPUI. Look for Necks to throttle down that offense with some tough scrappy defense. If we stay hot like last game and pull off the W, this game will give the guys lots of confidence for remaining season. I will be watching on the net. Hope for a boisterous turnout from students and community.

A Conference W

letsgonecks — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 12:23:32 GMT

Listened to the game and we sounded good. The crowd sounded good. I know this was against a program that will be division III next year, but they had 2 more conference wins then we had at the time.

They still came out a little sluggish to start the second half like usual, but things picked up again. This could be the win we needed to get in the right direction. The right direction in pulling out wins and getting fans in the seats.

This team can play, but they still have to many negatives. Once they get past a few of them they will be able to compete with the top teams in the conference.

We'll see if this same team shows up on Saturday. We'll also see if the fans show up.

Go Necks

IUPUI loss

WIU93Alum — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 09:54:20 GMT

Coach Mo Quote "We have fighters out there" and "We have great guys" Well it looks like we need better fighters and guys with a mean streak. Great guys are just not cutting it. Still winless in Summit play. Looks like another fine year for Leatherneck basketball, well least they are keeping the tradition going.

Pump up the volume

sealhall74 — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 11:19:47 GMT

Here's a thought for the marketeers in the AD. I actually thought of this a couple of weeks ago, while reminiscing about the way things used to be. When I was a youngster (age 9 or 10), we played YMCA ball in Monmouth on Saturdays. For their home games, Monmouth College would invite a couple of teams to go at it during the halftime for a few minutes (five or ten). I recall scoring the only bucket in our 2-0 win (no three point shots back then). Here's the kicker. I went to George Mason home game last weekend. Damned if they were not doing the same thing. Crowd of 3K or so really got into it. Seems like this thing would bring some postive exposure to the university and a few more fans in the stands. Of course, you would have to let the kids and probably their parents and grandparents in for free. Don't know if the parents would have to sign injury disclaimers to avoid potential law suits. Could do the same thing for the womens' games.

IPFW

meganeck — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 09:56:22 GMT

Another good effort by the Necks and another game they probably should have or could have won. I'm sure Coach Mo is getting frustrated with these games. It is time for them to get a win. Okafor had a break out game last night. Granstra didn't do much but he took a shot to the nose in the first half and he was playing with cotton up the nose so I'm sure that effected him.

Good effort!

Neckfansince71 — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 14:43:59 GMT

The 75-63 loss to Oakland this afternoon had a whole lot of upside and except for another loss, no much down side. They did have 19 turnovers to Oaklands 3, but the Necks out-rebounded them and Granstra held his own against Benson who will probably go in the first round of the NBA draft in the near future. Okafor seems to be competing well also. And of course Ceola was his usual tough self. Just get a good vibe from this group. Definite steps up the ladder. Need a win on Saturday against IPFW!

Great game tonight by Granstra & WIU in beating Central Arkansas

B-Ball Fan — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 22:33:03 GMT

James Granstra as the MAN tonight scoring 14 points ; 5 blocks according to stats, but I counted six; and 9 rebounds to lead the way. Ceola Clark played clutch again and David Nurse knocked down a couple clutch 3's when needed. Saw the premiere of Emeka Okefor Jr. He is a nice addition who will only get better after the rust gets knocked off. Nice crowd considering no students or band. Only down point of game was our poor play against the zone press late in the game which cut 20 point lead down to 10.

EIU game

BRGJOE — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 11:35:05 GMT

Did anyone listen to the post game and/or hear what the deal was with that technical foul called on Granstra? It looked like all he did was get his ankle/knee rolled up and he crashed to the floor.

Then there was a long period of the referees gathering at the scorer's table and all of a sudden they just announced that James Granstra got a technical foul called on him. What was the deal with that?

Tough game again for the Leathernecks. Again, their shooting woes continue. When you score only 14 points in a half (and it was more like 11, until that late 3 by Nurse), it's tough to win games. Even against marginal competition.

Here's hoping the shooting improves!

Joe C.

SDSU game another tough loss

sealhall74 — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 10:42:00 GMT

I witnessed 1st half of game on the internet, saw lots of good things happening, except for maybe those final couple of minutes. At half time, I got to thinking the foul differential was going to be a factor. Unfortunately, I lost my internet feed for the 2nd half (damn that Comcast). But box score tells the story for me. SDSU outrebounded us 40-22. SDSU committed only 17 fouls to WIUs 24, with SDSU converting 22 of 32 charity tosses and WIU just 14 of 19. I like what we did offensively (some balanced scoring for a change) but it is hard to overcome the defense/foul and rebounding shortcomings. In previous two losses (Savannah State and NDSU), we have been outrebounded 34-18 and 50-31, respectively. In post game comments, Lander spoke of the lack of physicality. I am sure they will work on it. But it will take some time to bulk these kids up. For the near term, they just need to play smarter and more aggressively.

These last two Summit games at home could easily have both gone the other way. Hope they don't come back to haunt us in February.

Coach Mo's youth basketball camp

NEWFAN — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 20:05:56 GMT

Can anyone tell me if Coach Mo will be doing any youth basketball camps next year. I know when he was in Peoria he did. I have an 8 year old son who would love to perfect his basketball skills. Thanks for your help!

NDSU

meganeck — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 18:53:30 GMT

So what are anyone's thoughts on the game tomorrow. Do the Necks have ashot. I am assuming they won't be favored. It would be nice to pick up a home win and get conference play off to good start.

Greenville College Game

rocky06 — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 07:50:51 GMT

I attended the Greenville College game last night and here are some thoughts:

-Greenville has some good players

-Tyler and Clark looked good (was impressed by these two the most)

-Niang played some quality minutes as well

-Need more of a post presence. Felton was ok and Gebru shows potential and was hoping for more from Granstra. The key to this year's success will be post play. I feel confident in our guards but if we can get good play from our post players, I think we will surprise some teams.

-Attendence was good, considering the holiday. The atmosphere should be better with the band and the students back.

-BTW, does anyopne know why Billy Mo didn't play? I saw him sitting on the bench in street clothes--injury or redshirt?

Happy Thanksgiving !!

WIU712 — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 13:29:43 GMT

Wishing all Leatherneck fans a happy and safe Thanksgiving!!

The Western Men will have a home basketball game on Saturday night at 7PM vs Greenville College. They lost a tough game on Tuesday night by 4 points to Savannah State in Georgia. We will be playing them again in Macomb on Jan 4th.

So anyone in the Macomb area should show up for that game on Saturday night. With the students and Band out of town, we will need our adult crowd to make some noise and cheer for the team.

Ceola Clark

arlen54 — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 12:32:35 GMT

Good news for Mo and Co. Ceola's MRI yesterday showed nothing more than a sprained knee. A big sigh of relief! Don't look for him to play much, if any, this weekend though like it would really matter. Hopefully, he'll sit out and get the knee healthy for the 'real' season coming up quickly.

The Truman State Game

WIU712 — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 07:16:12 GMT

Looks like the enthusisam is returning to Western Hall!

The "Purple Haze" student section has been moved. It is now behind the WESTERN bench instead of being behind the Vistor's bench. That was a good move.

The band was great.

One area that still needs improvement is the spirit and cheering from the fans in the Reserved Seating on the north side. People sitting there need to realize that they are an important part of the game. They need to stop sitting on their hands and to make some noise!

The men will have lots of home games in December.

ESPN ranks WIU 210 out of 330 all time.

western-101 — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 11:48:39 GMT

ESPN and Sagarin ratings have teamed up to rank 330 D-1 programs. This is based on many factors and goes back to 1937.

This is how the Summit League breaks down:

118-Oral Roberts
206-Centenary
210-Western Illinois
226-South Dakota State
266-North Dakota State
234-Missouri-Kansas City
271-Southern Utah
272-Oakland
278-Indiana-Purdue Indianapolis
324-Indiana-Purdue Ft. Wayne

http://assets.espn.go.com/photo/2009/1004/cbe1.pdf

So lets see what the boys have been up to!

Neckfansince71 — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 12:10:02 GMT

James, Larry, and Delvon have all been busy in the past year. James Washington is now the starting point guard at Middle Tennessee State, Delvon Johnson is on the roster for Arkansas, a program that seems to be in a mess right now, and Larry Dumas, well, he was on the roster at Quincy but was involved in a fight and right now is facing assault and battery charges and will not play this year. I wish them all well, but, I don't really think they would fit in to "Mo's" army!!!

Wonder if Mo reimbursed Delvon for his breakfast sandwich he threw away for him!!!!

So far, so good!

Neckfansince71 — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 19:53:56 GMT

37-30

Okay, definitely alot better than last year. Freshmen big kids seem to be stepping up. Feldman has been a force. Lander not much, Billy Mo. a three, but last year we were down at this point and we are up 7! We are much better ladies and gentlemen! Much, much, better!

We have lost our two leading scorers but.....

Neckfansince71 — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 13:43:10 GMT

I am really interested in seeing what Mo puts on the floor tomorrow night! Monmouth probably has more experience, but we are undoubtedly much longer and more athletic. They do have a 7 footer who is a freshman. Probably more of a project that what we have. Look for Landers and Nurse to lead the offense (ie. direct) We will also have to see how Billy does. A year of adjustment as a redshirt does not sound like a bad idea. We know he can shoot, but will he beat up defensively???

exhibition game....

loyalfan — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 18:11:29 GMT

Looks like we are playing against Monmouth College at Western Hall on Nov. 5th
I wonder if we will get another one scheduled or have a controlled scrimmage with another D-1 school?

Summit League Pre-Season Poll

WIU712 — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 16:21:10 GMT

WESTERN Picked #8 in the Summit:

2009-10 Summit League Preseason Poll

Rank, School, (first-place votes), Points

1 Oakland (34) 520
2 Oral Roberts 426
3 IUPUI (1) 422
4 South Dakota State 401
5 North Dakota State 303
6 IPFW 265
7 Southern Utah 250
8 Western Illinois 176
9 UMKC 141
10 Centenary 89

Official Summit League preseason poll release (.pdf)

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Friday, November 13
Basketball-Men's
Arizona State
8 p.m.
Tempe, Ariz.

Sunday, November 15
Basketball-Men's
Kansas State
3 p.m.
Manhattan, Kan.

Wednesday, November 18
Basketball-Men's
Truman State
7 p.m.
Macomb, Ill.

Saturday, November 21
Basketball-Men's
Central Arkansas
7 p.m.
Conway, Ark.

Tuesday, November 24
Basketball-Men's
Savannah State
7 p.m.
Savannah, Ga.

Saturday, November 28
Basketball-Men's
Greenville College
7 p.m.
Macomb, Ill.

Thursday, December 03
Basketball-Men's
North Dakota State
7 p.m.
Macomb, Ill.

Saturday, December 05
Basketball-Men's
South Dakota State
7 p.m.
Macomb, Ill.

Wednesday, December 09
Basketball-Men's
Culver-Stockton College
7 p.m.
Macomb, Ill.

Saturday, December 12
Basketball-Men's
Eastern Illinois
7 p.m.
Macomb, Ill.

Tuesday, December 22
Basketball-Men's
Central Arkansas
7 p.m.
Macomb, Ill.

Thursday, December 31
Basketball-Men's
Oakland
Noon
Rochester, Mich.

Saturday, January 02
Basketball-Men's
IPFW
6 p.m.
Fort Wayne, Ind.

Monday, January 04
Basketball-Men's
Savannah State
7 p.m.
Macomb, Ill.

Saturday, January 09
Basketball-Men's
IUPUI
6 p.m.
Indianapolis, Ind.

Thursday, January 14
Basketball-Men's
Centenary
7 p.m.
Macomb, Ill.

Saturday, January 16
Basketball-Men's
ORU
7 p.m.
Macomb, Ill.

Thursday, January 21
Basketball-Men's
UMKC
7:05 p.m.
Kansas City, Mo.

Saturday, January 23
Basketball-Men's
Southern Utah
7 p.m.
Cedar City, Utah

Thursday, January 28
Basketball-Men's
IPFW
7 p.m.
Macomb, Ill.

Saturday, January 30
Basketball-Men's
Oakland
7 p.m.
Macomb, Ill.

Tuesday, February 02
Basketball-Men's
North Carolina Central
7 p.m.
Durham, N.C.

Saturday, February 06
Basketball-Men's
IUPUI
7 p.m.
Macomb, Ill.

Thursday, February 11
Basketball-Men's
ORU
7 p.m.
Tulsa, Okla.

Saturday, February 13
Basketball-Men's
Centenary
7:30 p.m.
Shreveport, La.

Thursday, February 18
Basketball-Men's
Southern Utah
7 p.m.
Macomb, Ill.

Saturday, February 20
Basketball-Men's
UMKC
7 p.m.
Macomb, Ill.

Thursday, February 25
Basketball-Men's
South Dakota State
7 p.m.
Brookings, S.D.

Saturday, February 27
Basketball-Men's
North Dakota State
7:30 p.m.
Fargo, N.D.

Saturday, March 06
Basketball-Men's
Summit League Tournament
TBD
Sioux Falls, S.D.

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ESPNChicago.com ranks local college basketball teams

NIU_Huskies — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 16:54:19 GMT

Thought you guys might be interested in this.

http://sports.espn.go.com/chicago/columns/story?columnist=powers_scott&id=4565364

By Scott Powers
October 16, 2009

[quote]1. Illinois: If Demetri McCamey can consistently be a go-to player … If Alex Legion can get comfortable in the offense this season … If the frontcourt can get some help on the bench … If the freshmen are as good as advertised … There are still some ifs with this Illinois team, but the program is getting closer again to being a national contender. If all those ifs work out, Illinois will be right there for a Big Ten title and has the potential to make a deep NCAA tournament run.

2. Notre Dame: The return of Luke Harangody changed the outlook for the Fighting Irish this season. Harangody has dominated the Big East for the past two seasons, and he will be even better this season. The season-ending injury of 6-foot-8 swingman Scott Martin does hurt Notre Dame's NCAA chances, though. The Big East isn't as loaded as it was a year ago, but the Fighting Irish will start midway down the ladder.

3. Northwestern: This team has the best shot in the program's history to earn an NCAA tournament berth. This is Kevin Coble's senior year, and he's a legit star player. Michael Thompson is as solid a point guard as you will find in the Big Ten. John Shurna is developing into a reliable big man. Freshman Drew Crawford could be a special one. The Big Ten is tougher than a year ago, so that will be the one major obstacle for Northwestern.

4. Illinois State: The Redbirds have the talent to reach their first NCAA tournament since 1998. This will be senior guard Osiris Eldridge's final go-round with Illinois State. He has put together an amazing career and could put his stamp on it with another stellar season. The Redbirds also return starters Lloyd Phillips and Dinma Odiakosa.

5. Southern Illinois: The Salukis have the potential to be in the NCAA tournament mix again, but they need to answer some questions before being placed any higher in these rankings. The big one is replacing leader and point guard Bryan Mullins. Senior point guard Tony Freeman, a transfer from Iowa, has that ability. With Freeman, sophomores Kevin Dillard and Justin Bocot and junior college transfer Jack Crowder, Southern Illinois will have plenty of backcourt talent.

6. DePaul: The Blue Demons won't repeat last year's winless Big East season, but they still have a massive hill to climb. This is still a very young team. They return one senior (Will Walker) this season. The loss of leading scorer Dar Tucker, who left school early for the pros, was a blow. Mac Koshwal, who decided to return to school, needs to take another step in his game. Transfers Eric Wallace and Mike Stovall could decide the team's fate this season.

7. Bradley: The Braves finished the year strong as they reached the championship of the CollegeInsider.com Tournament. From that team, Bradley returns plenty of guard talent with Eddren McCain, Sam Maniscalco, Chris Roberts and Andrew Warren all back. The frontcourt isn't as experienced and could be a concern.

8. Northern Illinois: The return of Darion Anderson, who averaged 16.9 points, and Mike DiNunno, who averaged 11.9 points, should give the Huskies one of the tougher backcourts in the MAC. Xavier Silas, a 6-5 transfer from Colorado, could be an impact player this season. Northern Illinois has the talent to take a step forward in coach Ricardo Patton's third season.

9. Loyola: This could be a rebuilding season for the Ramblers. They lost four of their five top scorers from last season. Ten of the team's roster spots are filled by freshmen and sophomores. Senior 6-7 forward Andy Polka, who played in 11 games last season due to injury, is the team's leading returning scorer at 7.5 points per game.

10. UIC: The Flames could be in trouble this season. They graduated starters Scott VanderMeer and Josh Mayo, the team's top players. Starters Tori Boyd and Robert Eppinger have left the team. Backup senior guard Spencer Stewart was suspended indefinitely. Basically, UIC is returning point guard Robert Kreps, backup forward Jeremy Buttell and a whole lot of newcomers. There are 20 players listed on the team's roster right now.

11. Eastern Illinois: The Panthers could be among the top teams in the Ohio Valley Conference. Senior Romain Martin averaged 15.4 points last season and is an elite shooter. Eastern Illinois also returns starters Tyler Laser, T.J. Marion and Ousmane Cisse. Freshman big man Shaun Pratl should be able to play for this team early.

12. Western Illinois: The Leathernecks lost their top two scorers to graduation. Senior guard David Nurse is the team's top returning scorer at 8.4 points per game. Sophomore guard Ceola Clark and junior college transfer Jeremy Felton will be looked upon to step up.

13. Chicago State: The David Holston era is finally over for the Cougars. The hot-shooting Holston averaged 25.9 points last season. Chicago State also lost four other starters. It does return 6-7 Carl Montgomery, who averaged 11 points, 7.2 rebounds and 1.9 blocks last season. The Cougars join the Great West Conference this season.[/quote]

new recruit

BIG S — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 21:29:34 GMT

http://www.chicagohoops.com/articles1/redmondwiu.html

looks like lots of potential

http://yourseason.suntimes.com/boys_...llery?index=39

BASKETBALL SCHEDULE IS OUT

95Grad — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 17:34:36 GMT

What do you think of the schedule? 15 home, 14 away. I like it.

09-10 Schedule

B-Ball Fan — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 11:01:33 GMT

I know what the Conference Schedule is because can go on Summit League Site and see it 3 years out, but wonder how late it will be this year before we know the non-conference schedule. I know a player on Monmouth College and he said they were going to play exhibition game against us again this year.