WBB: Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference

[WLCALUM83]

NACfan was right on all first team projections except Peterson of Maranatha. (she somehow slipped to a dim part of our poster radar screen despite averaging more than 5 blocked shots per game in-conference-nearly twice as many as the player who finished 2nd in that category.)

NACfan wasn't too far off on the rest of them, either.

[WLCALUM83]

I'll put in an Honorable Mention to Alverno's Brad Duckworth for the season the Inferno had as well.

[NACfan215]

Almost had the entire freshman team as well, forgot about Coenen from CUW, solid contributor off the benvh.  Funny thing was I struggled to find that fifth person as well, lol.

Peterson was a little surprising to me as first team, I guess the voters put a lot of value on defensive presence.

Stayed tuned for my WAY to earlier preseason rankings. (Which will be WAY off like last year)

[Just Bill]

I'll root for WLC, but I'll take Whitewater to win by 20+.

Nailed it. 68-48. Good season Warriors.

[WLCALUM83]

Good-bye Warrior Seniors, thanks for giving your all!

With the NAthCon going to 1 division next year, it'll be tougher for WLC to keep the run going-- regardless, its' been a good 3 year run and they got an opening round win a couple of years back.

[thrunt01]

Wisconsin Lutheran goes to UW-Whitewater to play the Warhawks. Other half of the pod is Carthage and Thomas More.

Very favorable matchup for WLC. Coach Klay got the chance to scout UWW yesterday and he said that they have a good shot of beating them. I think it's possible for WLC to win both games this weekend.

Not a chance. I think UWW pounds them.

Not to rub it in but as I said UWW is/was clearly better. A huge negative about the new conference schedule for WLC is it reduces their ability to schedule some really tough non-con opponents. My thinking is if it is going to take an auto bid to get you in anyway and you're generally a good team you should schedule really tough non-con games to improve yourself and get a good idea where you stand nationally. Just a thought.

[WLCALUM83]

thrunt01:

To add more to your last point on your last post-- not only the scheduling factor, but also (assuming all hands who don't graduate return to NAthCon squads)  I can think of one in-conference rival that may very well be tougher next year--Benedictine-- (Lippman is the only IL Eagle who'll be graduating--and if that Joseph kid stays healthy for an entire season--)

The Warrior cupboard doesn't figure to be totally bare next year but I'm expecting a drop-off.

[Captain_Joe08]

I was working on some thoughts looking ahead to next season (albeit too early)

Something tells me that this new format will either be helpful in that the teams that should be good rise to the top or could hurt the conference in that some of the teams that finish with solid records got those W's by beating up on the weaker teams. Also the new format could hurt in that there isn't many (only three!) non-conference games that teams can gauge themselves with outside the conference. Also could prove true in cases like WLC (Has the Warrior tip off tournament to start the season), and both Concordia's (Both participate in the CIT against NAIA foes) which take up two of the three non-conference games.

Also it will be interesting going forward how Coach Knueppel can cope with losing Allister, Day, Bahr, Thoma, and Dillion. As WLCAlum said the cupboard is not fully bare but Schulz needs to improve her game a bit (ball-handling wise), also Hoft, Klemm, and Laete need to make bigger contributions on the floor if they want to continue WLC's reign atop the Nath-Con.

[NACfan215]

From the information I have, the women will be playing a 20 game conference schedule, this leaving room for 5 non-conference games.  Works out nice cause they can still do a tip-off classic as well as a holiday tourney plus another game.  However this brings up another issue for me about the fairness of the rotating schedule of who each team would play twice during a season and then the two teams you would only play once? Depending on who you only have to play once each season could be a game changer  in the standings?

[thrunt01]

From the information I have, the women will be playing a 20 game conference schedule, this leaving room for 5 non-conference games.  Works out nice cause they can still do a tip-off classic as well as a holiday tourney plus another game.  However this brings up another issue for me about the fairness of the rotating schedule of who each team would play twice during a season and then the two teams you would only play once? Depending on who you only have to play once each season could be a game changer  in the standings?

I am under the understanding that it is a 22 game true double round robin schedule. The men will play 20 because Alverno doesn't have a men's team. I could be wrong.

[Just Bill]

I'm checking with a couple people for confirmation, but I'm fairly certain it's a full double round robin on both sides, so 22 games for the women and 20 for the men. I'll let you know if I hear from someone.

[Captain_Joe08]

I have to ask this (WLCAlum you can chime in here as well)...When did WLC start the Tip-Off Tournament?

[WLCALUM83]

I have to ask this (WLCAlum you can chime in here as well)...When did WLC start the Tip-Off Tournament?

Farthest back I could find was the 2005-06 season per old LMC site;  (doesn't identify opening weekend opponents that season) 06-07 Greenville IL and Aurora were 2 of the 3 other teams involved -- as per a posting from that season on the SLIAC board, 07-08 Fontbonne, Wartburg and St. Benedict (MN) were the other Tip-Off Tournament teams. Caught action from 3 of the 4 games in person. Wartburg took that opening weekend title by out-playing a much taller St. Benedict squad, and then having a hot day shooting, beating the Warriors big in the closing game. WLC beat Fontbonne the previous day in a game in which the Warriors led big and then held off a late Fontbonne run by hitting some 3s toward the end. (If memory serves correcr, that was the same season the Warriors' Whitney Miller ended up sitting out due to a torn ACL.)

[Captain_Joe08]

I have to ask this (WLCAlum you can chime in here as well)...When did WLC start the Tip-Off Tournament?

Farthest back I could find was the 2005-06 season per old LMC site;  (doesn't identify opening weekend opponents that season) 06-07 Greenville IL and Aurora were 2 of the 3 other teams involved -- as per a posting from that season on the SLIAC board, 07-08 Fontbonne, Wartburg and St. Benedict (MN) were the other Tip-Off Tournament teams. Caught action from 3 of the 4 games in person. Wartburg took that opening weekend title by out-playing a much taller St. Benedict squad, and then having a hot day shooting, beating the Warriors big in the closing game. WLC beat Fontbonne the previous day in a game in which the Warriors led big and then held off a late Fontbonne run by hitting some 3s toward the end. (If memory serves correcr, that was the same season the Warriors' Whitney Miller ended up sitting out due to a torn ACL.)

Yeah I remember my first year at WLC it was Calvin, Elmhurst and Finlandia. The more loaded tournament I can think of was my third year here when it was UW-Whitewater, Calvin, and Hiedelburg. It seemed from year to year the competition that the tournament brought it was getting better and better.

[Just Bill]

Sure enough NACfan, you were right. The women's coaches had planned to play a full double round robin, but have now opted for 20 games instead. They'll have a rotation schedule to dictate which teams they only meet once each season.