Word out of Augusta is that Julie Veilleux is the new Colby coach and interim Clancy will not be retained.  Whoever said not to trust your employer was right on this one.  A coach wins 24 games and advances in NCAA Tournament and isn't hired.  I thought athletics wasn't important at D. III/NESCAC level?

Julie Veilleux was on campus yesterday and word is she was impressive.  Her dad is a colby alum and played for outgoing men's coach, which adds an interesting wrinkle.

Perhaps Colby couldn't really go wrong hiring from the interim or Julie... or could they screw it up and go with an uknown candidate.

Anyone know is anyone else is interviewing?

My understanding is that former Bowdoin assistant and current Navy assistant Julie Vielleux is on campus at Colby interviewing today.  Interesting decision if the interview goes well.  On paper, Veilleux has much more impressive credentials but Clancy did a good job as interim head coach this year.  AS mentioned earlier, recruiting will be very important if Colby wants to sustain the success.  McBride proved to be an exceptional recruiter, benefitting a bit from the coaching transition at Bowdoin, but the last 2 classes have been sub-par.  Jenn Nale will be a non-factor and I don't think Colby has much talent coming in next year.  Colby's best players - Vaughn, Mack, Ritchie - will be seniors next year and then things really thin out.

Will be interesting to see how much longer this search lasts, especially with a men's coach to be hired as well.

Things shaking out in the league today as it appears that Amherst-Colby will finish 1-2 for the second straight year, after today's wins.  Impressive showing by Colby in beating Williams handily, setting up perhaps a fun NESCAC semifinal although Williams may also get another shot at Bowdoin as the Ephs were snake-bitten by the "Maine trip" this weekend.

Great effort by Bates again vs. Amherst, but just not enough to compete for 40 minutes.  Barring any upsets next week, things are pretty well in order although some seeding changes (like Bowdoin vaulting over Bates) could happen next weekend.

Although the NESCAC tournament looks again like a for second place, there should be some competitive QF games.

They should rename the 8th seed to "the Middlebury seed"

Back to Division III discussion, today is a big day in the NESCAC.  Good luck ladies!

I think the Colby-  Williams game is a huge one, esp. after last night's results.   Williams VERY surprising loss at Bowdoin salvaged the Polar Bears' reeling season and tightened the pack, save for Amherst.  Tufts-Trinity will also be worth watching as Trinity has been competitive but hasn't been able to come away with the result. 

The unfortunate part, esp. for the kids on those particular teams (Wes, Conn), is that 1-8 seems set, so no last minute playoff scramble.  At this point, looks like it is just seeding with a lot still up in the air.

While I don't understand how your Vermont inquiry is related to an academic award, I too am surprised by the 2-20 record.  I don't know enough about it to pass judgement, but Gear McBride took over a pretty bad Colby program and led them to the NCAA Tournament - an achievement that seems unlikely this year based on the first regional ranking - so I suspect it is a matter of time and getting her own players into the program.  As for Amherst competing, they probably could hang in for a while but there is a big jump from Division I to Division III, no matter how good Amherst is or how bad UVM may or may not be. 

You see D. III teams beat Division I schools from time to time so it is certainly possible.  They'll never play each other, so kinda pointless debate. 

Was at the Colby-Bowdoin game and Maine1 is right on.  Colby looked very flustered by Bowdoin's pressure, just as they were in Brunswick back in December.  Perhaps missing Bennett wore down the other guards but it seems like Colby's guards aren't very comfortable with pressure.  Mack is way to passive on offense - not sure if it is her issue or a team issue in terms of getting her more involved offensively but when the guards are being harrassed all over the floor, it is hard to get set in the halfcourt.  A return trip to the NCAA's appears to be sliding away...  Bowdoin, meanwhile, looked prepared, confident and brought a great game plan to Waterville.  Definitely a different style of play under Shibles (vs. Pemper) but it is turning out to be equally as effective.

Hey Maine1... saw your email and assume you are the father (or mother) of Alison Cappelloni, who played at Colby and was a great player for the them last year.  Also did a quick search and saw she is coaching.  How was her experience at Colby and how is the transition going into the coaching world?

Watched the Colby-Bates game on video and was impressed once again by Bates' tenacity.  They never gave up and while Colby was composed early, the energy really flowed with Bates.  Bates had a couple of big runs that I think really stunned Colby but in the end, Colby was out-coached in overtime.  Murphy has a lot of games under his belt, relative to the new coach at Colby and it showed.  His kids came out of the gates in OT and looked determined while Colby looked deflated.  Taking Aarika Ritchie out in OT (I couldn't tell if she had fouled out) and replacing her with Adler was the nail in Colby's coffin.  Bates wisely played off her and she misfired badly on a couple of ill-advised three-pointers, which seemed to paraliyzed Colby's offensive flow.  Bates was agressive on the offensive end in OT and Colby looked worn down by their pressure.  (it was effective, as the TO margin was something like 24-10). 

Colby looked like it was playing not to lose, if that makes sense.

Manduca had a heck of a game for Colby but was a non-factor in OT while Dobish and Igoe were a great 1-2 punch for Bates.  I am liking this Bates team and, unfortunately for Colby, the only two times I have watched them play (once live in Brunswick and once on video tonight), they haven't looked great.  Tough transition with the coaches but they certainly have the talent to compete every night.  A big, early regional win for Bates that may prove to be a difference maker for BOTH teams come selection time.

All in all, a great game to watch from both sides.

Because the league doesn't do this part either, here are my preseason all-stars.  (I did notice, however, that more and more D. III leagues are doing preseason stuff... kinda nice and fun for us hoop junkies)

POY - Stedman, Amherst
May not be top scorer in  the league, but hands down the most dymanic and talented player. 

FIRST TEAM
Colleen Hart - classic PG who can shoot and defend.  Love her game (have only seen her live 2x and a few others in jumbocast)
Sarah Leyman - very skilled post player who will dominate inside this year.
Jill Greenberg - another strong permiter player who can score in bunches.  Always has the ball in her hands.
Julianne Kowalski - classic, post player who can knock down the outside shot consistently.  If they don't change to too much, she will get a lot of touches.
Annie Burns - always active on offense and defense

Lots of good player in the league... fire away! 

I have enjoyed following women's basketball in the NESCAC (and men's) for the last couple of years since moving ot Maine.  Without as much dialogue on this side of the table, compared to the men, I thought I'd try to get some activity flowing with my preseason predictions.  Please don't bash the kids (or me, haha)... just one person's humble opinion of a league where information is tough to come by.

1. AMHERST - lost nothing, got better with additions ... my pick for National Champs, too
2. WILLIAMS - were young last year but gained experience and played well at the end ... PG is a legit scorer
3. BOWDOIN - until someone proves otherwise, count on 20 wins ... may be a transition year but i like the recruiting class
4. BATES - something about this team I like ... they are scrappy and have a good PG who will need to score more in 10-11
5t. TUFTS - lost a lot but have a good guard tandem back ... coaching is strong here and Hart is key at PG
5t. COLBY - lost two key perimeter players and coach, replacing with young, unproven assistant ... talent is there but transition might be tough.
7. TRINITY - coach has worked hard to build program and they are on the brink ... could easily finish as high as 3/4 with some things going in their favor.
8. WESLEYAN - my, how they have fallen
9. MIDDLEBURY - not much exciting here, seem to be in status quo
10. CONN COLLEGE - new coach brought in a ton of kids... year away from upward movement, although could sneak into 8th spot ... proven track record as recruiter at Holy Cross will help immensley, similar to Colby a few years ago and Bowdoin before it

Much of Amherst's success can be credited to the coach, as GP does a great job.  But, it is no coincidence that the AD at Amherst is herself a star at the Division III level in Suzanne Coffey.  She is a cut above and recognizes the importance of success in athletics to a school.  For a place like Amherst, it is one more attractive quality on top of national ranking (academic), endowment, location, etc.  It's not only wbb, either - they are good in virtually every sport.  You gotta want it.

Colby should have another year or two of success in them, but if you look at the roster and incoming players, recruiting will really need to rev up in order to sustain the success.  Nothing different from Bowdoin in many ways; when you bring in a new coach, particularly one without the experience of its predecessor, then you enter into a situation that may not be as productive.  At the same time, I think some of the NESCAC administrators might be growing frustrated with good coaches "jumping ship" for better jobs.  The hirings at Bowdoin and Colby are much "safer" than the previous ones.  It also sends a message about how important on-the-court success really is in the league to the Maine schools.

if she is back and Beryuti is out at Kean, look for Amherst to win the title.  Anyone feel there is a better team?  I think Kean has an athleticism edge - and have certainly been just as dominant - but you can't remove arguably the top player in the country and expect to run the table.

Sure, if you can find a way to replace wins over 2-23 Southern Maine and two NAIA schools with credible wins.  Colby's situation is paradoxical.  They were 19-6 but lost 4 games late and had a bad SOS.  They also needed a buzzer-beater to beat Thomas and what was a quality win at the time (Amherst in the regular season) lost its luster as fast as AIG stock as the season progressed.  They needed OT each time to beat Bates and lost a non-conference game to what proved to be a bad Bowdoin team.  I wish it were as simple as top3 NESCAC's in the tournament, and it probably should be, but the committee unfortunately felt otherwise.  With four seniors in the starting lineup, I am sure it is a tough day in Muleville.  Does Whitmore return?