WBB: Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[Pat Coleman]

Seriously -- video on the road is an awesome thing.

[gacbacker]

Wonka, you must be in a deep depression today after Katch was left off the three all-region teams. Oh that's right you don't care about D3hoops.com awards.

Vadnais and Nautsch were first-team. Hageman and Embree were second team. PaStarr was third-team.

[LA RAMS]

Congrats to all; all well-deserved.

Also good to see the MIAC actually do SOMETHING beyond the regular season - even if it's just the D3 Regional Awards.

(message edited by Dale "Chip" Rosenbloom and Lucia Rodriguez)   

[Willy Wonka]

Wonka, you must be in a deep depression today after Katch was left off the three all-region teams. Oh that's right you don't care about D3hoops.com awards.

Vadnais and Nautsch were first-team. Hageman and Embree were second team. PaStarr was third-team.

What? Bobby Huggins is better than Coach Choke?

[LA RAMS]

Wonka, you must be in a deep depression today after Katch was left off the three all-region teams. Oh that's right you don't care about D3hoops.com awards.

Vadnais and Nautsch were first-team. Hageman and Embree were second team. PaStarr was third-team.

What? Bobby Huggins is better than Coach Choke?

Doesn't matter.......Nobody's gonna get past my UCLA Bruins anyway.    

[MWCSID2005]

MIDWEST CONFERENCE HISTORY BOOK: NO ORDINARY CONFERENCE   
               
George Drake, a former Midwest Conference student-athlete and 1956 Grinnell College graduate, has culminated a project he calls "a labor of love" with the completion of the 100-page soft cover book No Ordinary Conference, an introspective history of the Midwest Conference. The Midwest Conference office is making the book available to the general public at a discounted price via the Order Form linked below for a limited time only (a small number of copies may be available at full price after the ship date). Orders are expected to ship in September. 

Drake, who remains a professor at his alma mater, teamed with 2001 Grinnell grad John Aerni to provide a unique look at the league's history through interviews with Midwest Conference student-athletes and unprecedented access to league minutes. 

No Ordinary Conference includes the accounts of numerous student-athletes and chronicles over 80 years of history from the league's formation through the men's and women's conference unification and beyond. No Ordinary Conference also features a 34-page photo gallery of some of the conference's all-time great athletes, coaches and administrators.

Click below for No Ordinary Conference Order Form:
http://www.midwestconference.org/MWC_Book_OF.pdf

[LA RAMS]

Jeez, time to dust off the cobwebs on the once-very active MIAC board.  Where is/was everybody?

In any event, another season of hoops is upon us with practice getting underway a couple of days ago.  So, given the fact that this football season has been rather abysmal for both my Rams and Bruins, I thought I'd offer up my prognostications for the upcoming season.

1.  CSB - By FAR and AWAY these guys.  I just don't see anyone else in the MIAC matching up with them.

After that, then it gets interesting.....

2.  UST - Conference MVP Carrie Embree has now departed but there remains a very solid nucleus with Katch, Wirtz, Gillard, Prioleau, and also Anna Swanson who sat out most of last season.  Throw in some talented newcomers and this team could be almost as good as last year.

3.  Concordia - Even though they lost Melanie Hageman, you have to figure that they'll be in the thick of things.

4.  Carleton - Most everybody but Isler returns. 

5.  GAC - This I think will be something of a rebuilding year for the Gusties who I expect to challenge strong next year for the title.  Losing Vadnais hurts, of course, but this team is still a little green down low and they haven't had a real presence down low since the Kelly Etzel days.  One thing the Gusties do have going for them will be newcomer Molly Geske from Cretin Derham-Hall.  She has the ability to do it all.

6.  Hamline - I think this squad will find a way to get into the playoffs again this year.  The problem with this team is that they can look like world beaters one night and the next night they look like they could be beaten by a team made up of my beer-drinking buddies and yours truly.  VERY inconsistent.

7.  St. Kate's - The Wildcats bid to move into the upper echelon may have had a monkey wrench thrown into it when the two 6' footers from Montana opted out and went somewhere else.  Still, this will be a very dangerous team with a nice blend of veterans and newcomers.

8.  Bethel - I have a hard time seeing this under-achieving team with all the talent they have finding a way to extend their season beyond February.

9.  Macalester - With a spanking brand new venue in which to play in this could be the team to keep your eye on.  They just missed making the playoffs last season and could make a strong push at the end.

10.  St. Olaf

11.  St. Mary's

12.  Augsburg       

[gacbacker]

4.  Carleton - Most everybody but Isler returns. 

Actually L.A. I've heard Isler is back for a fifth year thanks to a medical red shirt.

[gottaluvhoops]

St. Benedict back in the top 25.  They should have a big year with all that experience returning.

[OshDude]

If anyone's interested in the D-III regional volleyball tournaments, I have a fairly extensive blog that covers the St. Thomas (where UST, CCM, GAC and CSB will be) and Oshkosh regionals. It's not bad in national terms, either. Stop by and tell me what you think.

[Nites]

Anyone know what happened to Amber Connor of Carleton?  Did she drop out of school this year?

[gacbacker]

Anyone know what happened to Amber Connor of Carleton?  Did she drop out of school this year?

I heard she transferred to the Univ. of Minn.

[Nites]

Anyone know what happened to Amber Connor of Carleton?  Did she drop out of school this year?

I heard she transferred to the Univ. of Minn.

Thanks.  She started and averaged in double digits so they'll miss her.  How are the Gusties looking this year?

[OshDude]

Any volleyball fans? I posted on my blog a Nationals Guide similar to the ones I did for the St. Thomas and Oshkosh regionals. Check it out if you're interested in St. Benedict and/or D-III VB.

[gacbacker]

Thanks.  She started and averaged in double digits so they'll miss her.  How are the Gusties looking this year?

The Gusties should be solid. I would pick them fourth behind St. Ben's, Carleton and St. Thomas. They have plenty of solid players, the one thing they will be lacking this year though is a #1 go-to scorer. It's been a long time since the Gusties have been lacking that aspect with the likes of Angie Peterson, Bri Monahan and Jess Vadnais. It's going to cost them a few games I think, but they will be right there like they have been throughout the Haller tenure.