WBB: North Coast Athletic Conference

[David Collinge]

Well, I guess it's hail and farewell to Earlham after this season.  They haven't been too successful in athletics lately, but it's a great school with high ideals, and they'll be a credit to the HCAC as they were to the NCAC. 

Barring other membership changes, that brings up to a manageable eight-team league for women's sports, and will do away with those east-west trips (where Allegheny and Hiram would play at Wittenberg and Earlham on consecutive days, and vice-versa) that played havoc with the women's hoops schedules.  Now the men's teams will inherit the 9-team problems the women have put up with for so long, and that alone might be the impetus for seeking a new tenth member.  Of course, I can think of another solution...

[David Collinge]

Denison's hoops teams get a pre-season pep talk from Bill Bradley.

[David Collinge]

I just got word from a reliable source that the 2010-11 conference schedules have been released to the schools, and that they are double-round-robin for both men and women, with no "Big Trip" weekends for either.  There will be an increased number of men/women double-headers in an effort to hold down travel costs, which is good for fans but can be uncomfortable for players having half the bus space they're used to.  (I note that Earlham has been doing this for some time.)  The men will have bye dates in their conference schedules, since only eight of the nine teams can play conference games on a given night.  The women will play a 14-game season concentrated on Wednesdays and Saturdays, and will have two extra non-conference games available.

[David Collinge]

With the regular season swiftly approaching, and in the absence of the now-defunct "media day," here's my quick-and-dirty pre-season look at the conference.  This is based solely on perusing the websites of the nine schools and does not reflect any knowledge whatsoever of what may be going on in camp.

A recap of last season's final standings:
1. Denison 16-0 (18-6)
2. Kenyon 11-5 (12-12)
3. (tie) Allegheny 10-6 (14-11)
3. (tie) Ohio Wesleyan 10-6 (14-11) (won conference tournament)
5. Wittenberg 9-7 (15-10)
6. Wooster 6-10 (8-17)
7. Hiram 5-11 (7-18)
8. Oberlin 3-13 (5-20)
9. Earlham 2-14 (3-21)

After back-to-back seasons with a team running the table (in 2007-08 it was Kenyon), I'm looking for a much more suspenseful campaign this year.  I think there's not much potential separation between the top five teams, with any of them capable of taking the title--especially if some first-years step up.

That said, here's my official predictions for the final standings:
1. Ohio Wesleyan
2. Kenyon
3. Denison
4. Wittenberg
5. Allegheny
6. Wooster
7. Hiram
8. Earlham
9. Oberlin

Kenyon returns virtually intact, and they swept OWU last season, but I think the Bishops have just enough firepower coming back to hold off the Ladies.  Denison, whose graduation losses dwarf those of the other contenders, should fall back to the pack a bit.  Wittenberg loses two starters but returns a deep and experienced team with a genuine star in Stephanie Boardman.  Allegheny will struggle to replace Stephanie Wolf but also brings back a good deal of experience.  Wooster and Hiram lost little and nothing, respectively, to graduation, but have a lot of ground to cover to catch up with the contenders.  Earlham will struggle to replace Tasha Merrill, but Oberlin has to replace nearly everyone and opens their campaign with just nine women, four of them first-years.

Team-by-team comments to follow.

[David Collinge]

Allegheny (14-11, 10-6, 3rd place, lost in tourney finals to OWU):
Stephanie Wolf was 1st or 2nd on the team in most offensive categories and by my observation was the heart and soul of this team.  She will be impossible to replace.  However, the cupboard is far from bare, as three starters, two of them all-conference honorees, return.  In all, six key contributors to last year's success will be back, led by top scorer Jill Gregory.  All-around player Emilie Simone is one of four seniors who will provide the leadership that should keep the Gators in the hunt all season.  And Brittany Bell, one of the NCAC's top three-ballers and a favorite of this column, is back on the roster after missing all but one minute of last year's campaign.

Denison (18-6, 16-0, 1st place, lost in tourney semifinals to OWU):
The Big Red was a team primed for success last year, and they were well on the way to achieving it before being derailed by OWU in the tournament.  Now they have to regroup and find a way to replace the contributions of national A/TO leader Ellen O'Brien, 4-time all-conference honoree Carolyn Simpson, and three other major contributors.  Fortunately, Coach Sara Lee has a good foundation to build on: reigning conference Player of the Year Shaina Kaiser, as well as former co-Newcomer of the Year Haley Dahlgard.  Still, Denison must replace more than half of their offense, rebounding, and minutes, and with their key competitors facing much less severe problems in this regard, a little backward regression can be expected.

Earlham (3-21, 2-14, 9th place, did not qualify for tournament):
The Quakers depended heavily on second-team all-conference star Tasha Merrill, but she's now gone to graduation.  However, Coach Lianna Couts employed an egalitarian strategy behind Merrill, with the result that she has six returning veterans with significant starting experience.  Sophomore Nikki Darrett, second on the team in both scoring (behind Merrill) and rebounding (behind the departed Tracy Hill), will be expected to step up for this experienced but still young squad.

[David Collinge]

Hiram (7-18, 5-11, 7th place, lost in tourney quarterfinals to Kenyon):
Hiram, a team that definitely got better as the season progressed, returns 100% intact for the new season.  The Terriers employed a very balanced attack, with seven players getting at least 9 starts apiece, and eight players scoring between 4.8 and 9.3 points per game.  Those team-leading 9.3 points belonged to Ashley Drum, an all-conference honoree who will be one of five seniors trying to take the Terriers to the next step--a "first division" finish in the conference standings.

Kenyon (12-12, 11-5, 2nd place, lost in tourney semifinals to Allegheny):
Kenyon, undefeated conference champions in 2007-08, opened last season by bidding farewell to six outstanding seniors and then getting off to a miserable 1-8 start.  Then, behind leading scorer Kathleen Williams, conference Newcomer of the Year Morgan Korinek, and a very balanced and defense-oriented attack, they righted the ship and claimed a fairly surprising (to me, at least) second place finish.  This season, they have only to replace part-time performer Suzanne Kahle, returning about 90% of their offense and 95% of their rebounding, so hopes should be high for a return to the top spot for the Ladies.  Much like Hiram, Kenyon's veterans include eight players with nine or more starts apiece, and four players between 7.5 and 9.9 ppg.  The team balance even extends to the ages of the players, with two seniors, four juniors, and three sophomores among the key returnees.  Kenyon should be in the race down to the wire.

Oberlin (5-20, 3-13, 8th place, lost in tourney quarterfinals to Denison):
Unfortunately for the Yeowomen, the narrative changes here.  Not only does Oberlin have to find a way to replace Alyssa Clark, their leader in nearly every category, but eight other players as well.  Collectively, these nine accounted for nearly three-quarters of the offense and two-thirds of the rebounding.  The 2009-10 Yeowomen will feature just five upperclasswomen, and just three players who averaged in double figures in minutes per game a year ago.  The top returnee is junior Syrea Thomas, whose 8.8ppg were good for second on the squad.  She'll be joined by senior Emily Chu-Finkel, whose game improved dramatically last season, leading to 17 starts and 4.8 rebounds per contest.  Beyond these two, however, the scenario looks fairly grim.  The program speaks effusively about their four recruits, and this praise had better be warranted if Oberlin hopes to escape the conference cellar.

[David Collinge]

Ohio Wesleyan (14-11, 10-6, t-3rd place, won conference tournament):
OWU was a fairly erratic team last year, playing with spurts of outstanding play mixed with dead periods, and playing with their hearts on their sleeves.  It all came together for a dominating run through the conference tournament, and that experience as well as another year of maturity should help the Bishops make a serious run at the conference title this year.  Coach Nan Carney-DeBord has only to replace the contributions of Katie Hamilton; a not insignificant loss, as she was the squad's top rebounder and an all-conference honoree.  Still, the four returning starters and their bench support accounted for over 80% of the scoring and rebounding, so the loss is by no means insurmountable.  The Bishops have the luxury of three all-conference performers returning to the court: 1st team honoree Pam Quigney and second teamers Tyler Cordell and Kayla Gordon, who were the top three scorers on this high-scoring team, as well as the top three rebounders behind Hamilton.  Unlike most of the other teams in the NCAC, OWU tends to stick with a set line-up, which means that their rivals may have more experience in the 6th through 8th (wo)man positions;  but while players like Dany Finck and Lea Mackenbach didn't get the starts, they did get the playing time, and should be sufficiently able to compliment an extremely talented starting unit.  Expect OWU to battle Kenyon and perhaps Denison and/or Wittenberg for the conference podium this season.
Note: OWU has not posted a 2009-10 roster; I am assuming that all underclasswomen will return for this season.

Wittenberg (15-10, 9-7, 5th place, lost to OWU in conference quarterfinals):
Perennial power Wittenberg fell out of the top four for the first time since joining the NCAC with a disappointing 9-7 campaign, but have the means at hand not only to bounce back but to seriously threaten for the conference title this year.  The Tigers do have to replace two starters lost to graduation, Katie Gardner and Rachel Dixon, but return a deep and talented squad that accounted for about 85% of the scoring and rebounding.  Leading the way is first-team all-conference performer Stephanie Boardman, the team leader in scoring (16.1), rebounding, steals, and FG%.  She will be complimented by second-team all-conference honoree Carrie Dyer and six other veterans who averaged at least 10 minutes per game for at least 19 games apiece.  With potentially six seniors on the roster, leadership should not be a problem, so I look for Wittenberg to at least return to their long-standing tradition of hosting a conference quarterfinal.
Note: Wittenberg has not posted a 2009-10 roster; I am assuming that all underclasswomen will return for this season.

Wooster (8-17, 6-10, 6th place, lost to Allegheny in conference quarterfinals):
Wooster is yet another team that returns largely intact, with four returning starters and veterans accounting for about 90% of their statistical output from last season.  As has been the case for several years now, the Scots' fortunes rise and fall on the play of all-conference honorees Kym Wenz (1st team) and Kaitlin Krister (2nd team), two of Wooster's seven seniors.  Wenz' 18.6ppg scoring average was far and away the best in the conference last year, and she was ably supported by Krister's production of 12.3ppg and 8.2 rpg.  Behind this dynamic duo is a deep roster including six more players who averaged at least 11 minutes of action in at least 21 games.  Added to this mix is the return of point guard Priscilla Staples, who sat out last year but started 21 games as a sophomore in 2007-08, and three first-years, including two who measure out at six feet or better.  If all goes according to plan, Wooster has the talent and depth to make a run at a top five finish this season.

[David Collinge]

The coaches poll, which is all that remains of what once was "Media Day," was released while my power was out today.  Here is the link, but to remove any suspense, the coaches agreed with my selections right down the line--or was it I who agreed with them? 

Coaches Poll:
1. Ohio Wesleyan (7)...78
2. Kenyon...64
3. Denison (2)...61
4. Wittenberg...57
5. Allegheny...48
6. Wooster...39
7. Hiram...29
8. Earlham...15
9. Oberlin...14

[David Collinge]

Congratulations to Wooster's Kym Wenz for being recognized as a preseason All-American by D3hoops.com.  Here's hoping you can live up to this honor, and maybe even go it one (or two or three) better!  Congratulations, Kym!

[David Collinge]

Wittenberg senior Carrie Dyer's father Bob, a Wooster alum, has thrown his support behind the Wittenberg Tiger in the Wooster/Wittenberg Mascot Face-Off, with disastrous results for his diploma.  See video at http://www.mascotfaceoff.com/.

[David Collinge]

Two games on tap for today.  Defending (regular season) champion Denison gets underway in less than an hour in the first half of an opening day women/men doubleheader, hosting Trine.  (Live Stats).   Interesting to note that the Big Red open the post-Ellen era with a frosh--Serafina Nuzzo--starting at the point.  Hiram sends its five returning starters to the floor in Cincinnati at 3:00 to face Mt. St. Joseph.  Good luck to the Big Red and Terriers; let's get this season off to a 2-0 start!

Wooster tips off their season tomorrow evening when they welcome John Carroll to Timken Gymnasium, then Hiram faces their second opponent of the early season in Bluffton on Wednesday.  Next weekend will see every team but the Terriers in action, with the six remaining teams tipping off their seasons on Friday.

Good luck to everyone; let's have a great season! 

[David Collinge]

Not the start I was hoping for:
Trine 80, Denison 64
Mt. St. Joseph 84, Hiram 72

[David Collinge]

John Carroll adds to the NCAC's early-season woes, holding off Wooster in the Scots' home opener, 85-82.  Kym Wenz tossed in a career-high 35 points, and Jessica Wingen added a double-double in her first collegiate game, but it was not enough.  Actually, this isn't a terrible result against a team that went 9-9 in the rugged OAC last year and is picked to finish 5th in that loop (vs. Wooster's being picked 6th in the NCAC).  But, a loss is a loss; next up is Hiram, who travels to Bluffton on Wednesday.

[David Collinge]

The bad news is that I've discovered the first flaw in my composite schedule; Allegheny had their home opener tonight, and I didn't have that in my spreadsheet.

The good news is that the Gators won it, 61-49 over Grove City.  Emilie Simone led the way with 14 points and 10 boards.  Way to go, Gators!

[David Collinge]

Kenyon coach Suzanne Helfant discusses her team, her schedule, and her view of the league race, in her first podcast interview of the season.  This is really good stuff, and if you're interested in KC hoops or the NCAC at all, you should give it a click.

The Suzanne Helfant Show.