Connor Raridan dons the Cardinals jeserys now, after Mitch and Derek Raridon did before him. North Central athletics photo by Steve Woltmann

By Josh Smith

Todd Raridon has had many opportunities to share successful moments on the basketball court with his sons. And when the North Central (Ill.) men’s basketball team defeated Carthage last week, giving Raridon the most coaching wins in program history, he got to share that moment too.

Connor Raridon, the coach’s third son to come through the program, helped his father reach that coaching milestone.

“It was special to be a part of it,” Connor Raridon said. “It was a great accomplishment for him. I think we were all really proud of him – myself and our whole family.”

The 95-77 win at Carthage was Todd Raridon’s 205th career victory, surpassing Bill Warden’s program mark. North Central’s current coach is now 206-112 at the school after going 269-125 at Nebraska Wesleyan.

“I have a lot of respect for Coach Warden because he was on the committee that helped hire me,” said Todd Raridon, adding he’s received great support from the administration.

“It really boils down to my staff – what my former staff and current staff have been able to do for us,” the coach continued. “We’ve been fortunate to get quality kids here, and I’m very happy for past players and present players. It’s probably more for them than anything I’ve done.”

Becoming the Cardinals’ winningest coach is the latest memory Raridon has made with sons, having coached all three of his boys at North Central.

The eldest son, Mitch, played for the Cardinals before becoming an assistant coach on his father’s staff. Then Derek Raridon, the program’s second all-time leading scorer, helped North Central reach the Final Four before graduating in 2013.

Now Connor Raridon is suiting up for NCC. The Cardinals’ coach explained he enjoys having his children involved in the program because of the time constraints all coaches face.

“It makes it so much easier having them around and being with you because you don’t have a lot time as a coach to spend at home,” Todd Raridon said. “Whether it’s practice, recruiting, games or whatever, you don’t have as much time.”

Connor Raridon knew early on that he wanted to follow the same path that his older brothers took. Having been close to the program growing up and seeing the Cardinals play in the Final Four, the youngest Raridon was set on playing college hoops for his father.

“I think it’s his competitiveness. You know that he’s going to push you. He’s going to make you a better basketball player, a better person, just because that’s his attitude,” Connor Raridon said. “He’s going to get the best out of you, and I think that’s something all three of us knew coming in.”

Todd Raridon said he treats his sons like any other player, although sometimes he might be a little harder on them.

“He’s always making sure I’m ready to play – maybe pushing me a little harder because he knows what to expect from me,” Connor Raridon said.

Because Connor grew up in the gym – just like his older brothers – he has an intimate understanding of his father’s coaching style and philosophy. Because of that, he can serve as an extension of the coaching staff.

“It’s much easier having them around, and transfer that over to the other players as well,” Todd Raridon said.

On the court, Connor Raridon is averaging 13 points per game – second only to Alex Sorenson’s average of 15.8. The 6-foot-5 freshman has a combination of skills, bringing versatility to the court.

That flexibility was key as this year’s North Central team found its identity early on.

“It’s been a somewhat new team for us. I think all of them have really fit into their roles nicely as the season progressed,” Raridon said.

Todd Raridon brought Nebraska Wesleyan to Salem long before his sons were old enough to play for his teams, and he's taken one of his sons to Salem in uniform as well. North Central athletics photo by Steve Woltmann

North Central has faced a number of talented teams, picking up wins over nationally ranked opponents such as Mount Union, UW-Stevens Point and Elmhurst while dropping decisions to top-tier teams like Chicago, Alma, Benedictine and Augustana.

While there has been several challenges on the schedule, the team has benefited from the experience.

“I think it’s been a good thing, especially having a young team,” Connor Raridon said, adding the team has grown up fast.

“Early going, with our schedule, trying to get everybody on the same page is not always easy for anybody – and it wasn’t for us. We had a lot of close games that didn’t go our way early,” Todd Raridon added. “As the season has progressed, this team has really come together. As a coach, that’s very satisfying to watch.”

The coach has seen a trend with his team. When the Cardinals have played well, they’ve shared the basketball and rebounded effectively on defense.

“I think this team can be a very good defensive team, and at times we’ve shown it,” Todd Raridon said. “I think there is still room for us to grow at the end of floor.

“It’s helped that we have different guys that can score at different times in the game,” he added. “We have to be able to get guys open and, so far, we’ve had different people and different times step up.”

Because different players have contributed – whether it be Sorenson, Raridon, Jayme Moten, Kevin Honn, Jagger Anderson or Erwin Henry – the team feels confident that they can play well moving forward.

“I think we have a lot of unselfish players who are willing to make the right extra pass to get a guy an open shot. I think that, combined with our defense, is our best two strengths,” Connor Raridon said. “We know it doesn’t have to be one guy for us. Anyone on the team can step up and make shots.”

Central Region clippings

Greenville head coach George Barber became program’s all-time winningest coach with a 124-99 victory over Fontbonne Feb 10. Barber, whose team is averaging a nation-leading 114 points per game, now has 212 wins in 17 seasons, surpassing John Strahl on the school’s win list. … The St. Norbert women’s basketball team clinched the outright Midwest Conference title when they took down Knox, 87-70, Feb. 13. … Wisconsin Lutheran head coach Skip Noon won his 300th game when the Warriors topped Concordia-Chicago, 82-70, Feb. 13. … The Augustana men’s basketball team clinched a share of its second straight CCIW title with a 77-52 win at Millikin Feb. 13. … The Westminster (Mo.) women’s basketball team defeated Webster 73-60 to secure the No. 1 seed in the conference tournament. The Blue Jays have claimed a share of the regular season SLIAC title and can win it outright at MacMurray Feb. 17. … The UW-Oshkosh men’s basketball team defeated UW-La Crosse, 62-60, on Feb. 13 to pull within one game of the WIAC-leading Eagles. UW-River Falls also trails La Crosse by one game. … Wheaton (Ill.) made a school-record 14 3-pointers in a 79-49 win at Carthage Feb. 13. In the win, Hannah Considine scored 14 points and became the 20th player in program history to eclipse 1,000 points. … With the NACC outright championship already secured, the Benedictine men’s basketball team set a school record for wins in a season, improving to 24-0 with an 88-54 win over Edgewood. … The St. Norbert men’s basketball team won its 61st consecutive game against Midwest Conference opponents, besting Knox, 83-47. … Concordia-Chicago earned a 61-59 victory over Benedictine Feb. 10 when Lauren Orr hit a buzzer-beating 3. … Ashley Wilk’s tip-in at the buzzer lifted Aurora to a 55-54 win over NACC-leading Concordia (Wis.). … Keith Kahlfeldt knocked down 7-of-10 3-point attempts and finished with 42 points to lead Concordia (Wis.) to a 120-110 win over Aurora Feb. 13.

Where they rank

Augustana and Benedictine remained ranked Nos. 1 and 2, respectively, in the Top 25 men’s basketball poll. The Vikings received 17 first place votes while the Eagles received the remaining eight.

St. Norbert climbed one spot to No. 10 while North Central (Ill.) jumped up six places to No. 12. Elmhurst fell four positions to No. 13.

Chicago (11), Carroll (7) and UW-La Crosse (1) received votes this week.

Washington U. remained the highest ranked Central Region team in the women’s Top 25, checking in at No. 9.

WIAC foes UW-River Falls, UW-Oshkosh, UW-Whitewater and UW-Stevens Point are ranked Nos. 13, 14, 17 and 19, respectively. The Falcons rose two spots, the Titans fell one, the Warhawks slid two and the Pointers climbed two.

Wheaton (Ill.) check in at No. 21, four places better than a week ago.

Check in

Do you have a story idea for the Around the Central column? Contact me about broken records, approaching milestones, breakout players or any other storylines from the Region. Or just drop me a note to let me know what you think of the column. All ideas and feedback are welcome. Email me at josh.smith@d3sports.com or follow me on Twitter @By_Josh_Smith.

Around the Central Region was written by Josh Smith during the 2015-16 season. Josh covers high school and Division III athletics for the Daily Jefferson County Union in Fort Atkinson, Wis. He has won multiple awards for reporting and photography and contributes to multiple publications in addition to his duties at the Daily Union, including D3sports.com beginning in 2012. He graduated from UW-Whitewater with a degree in print journalism.