WBB: GNAC Women's Hoops

[deiscanton]

Just a reminder...

I will be at the games tonight and Saturday at the Jean Yawkey Center.

GO SAINTS!!!  BEAT DEPAUW!

[creekhoops]

Looks like J&W is close to landing a strong recruit out of Fayetteville, North Carolina.  She led her team in scroing for two stright seasons, and the 10-team 4-A county in rebounding.  Coach Ellis' squad may very well become more athletic and much deeper if this recruiting trend keeps up. 

[pureshooter]

 is emmanuel loaded this year?

[deiscanton]

As far as I am concerned, when it comes time for Emmanuel to play GNAC games, Andy Yosinoff can play the part of New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick when he talks about how good the other GNAC opponents are. 

In preparation for the game on November 27,  I watched Emmanuel play Colby-Sawyer.   In retrospect,  I would have hoped to have seen the Saints play Denison or Ohio Wesleyan yesterday, but Colby-Sawyer was the opponent, and the Saints didn't have to play their absolute best yesterday to win this game.    Brandeis is the definite underdog on November 27 with more to prove-- the Saints are as quick and hard-nosed as ever on defense, if not even quicker, and the key on each game will be how many points the Saints can get off the opponent's turnovers.

The biggest challenge for the Saints this season will be on how to play defense in the post without LaTeisha Johnson, who graduated in May.    In that respect, expect the post defense to be done as a group-- Maura Mooney (#43)  will probably lead the group defense in the post.  (This is according to the Emmanuel News Tip-Off Tournament Preview.)

Emmanuel returns 3 starters:  point guard Jade Paez, shooting guard Iman Davis, and forward Jacquelyn "Jackie" Pannell.    The duo of Paez and Davis could end up as two All-Americans this year if this season plays out well enough, with Paez having potential to end up as a First Team All-American.  Coach Yosinoff expects one of the two guards, if not both, to be among the nation's leaders in steals this season.   According to the Emmanuel newspaper, the other returning starter, Jackie Pannell, will be expected to guard the top opposing player this season.

Once again, Emmanuel has a quality group of new talented recruits.  One of the frosh, Casey Shelvin '11 (New York State), will be a back-up point guard to Paez this season, and will be expected to take over at the point once Paez graduates.  Two other newcomers to keep an eye on are fellow frosh Kristin Lebel, a shooting guard from Tolland, CT who was a First-Team All State selection in high school last winter, and sophomore transfer and 6 ft. 2 inch center Meredith Shaw, who played at Keene State College last season.

If the cards play right, this could be another special season for Emmanuel, and coming off last weekend's games, I would rank Emmanuel as the best team in New England D3hoops right now.

[deiscanton]

Go figure.

Seems that a funny thing happened last night on the way to the forum, as those in the theater industry might say.  Just as soon as I say that I think that Emmanuel is the best d3 women's basketball team in New England right now, the Saints have a horrible game last night and lose by 18 at Eastern Connecticut State, a long time local rival of Emmanuel-- thereby shifting the balance of power in this region to the Maine schools once again, unless something dramatic happens next week.

I would like to see comments by anyone who went to the game in Willimantic, CT to explain to me what happened last night.  It seems like Jade Paez really did not have her "A" game last night.

This is not the way you want to come into matches vs. Brandeis and Bowdoin....

[newtonnancy]

After their loss, can Emmanuel get up and beat Brandeis next Tuesday???

[Biggirlzdontcry]

What Gives with the power teams of the GNAC thus far, Emmanuel loses back to back in a blowout fashion, Norwich is struggling, losing to Johnson State, Suffolk got pounded by Endicott? with WNEC  gone, the rest of the GNAC playoff seeds are up for grabs, and judging by the recent scores of the remaining teams, like Rivier, Simmons, Emerson, St. Joes, JWU and others the conference playoffs will be up for grab, with Emmanuel favored to win the conference championship again undefeated. The power rankings for this conference have to be abysmal at this point.

[deiscanton]

After yesterday's Brandeis win over Emmanuel, I can safely say that Emmanuel did not get any strong post players over the off season to at least provide some type of replacement for LaTeisha Johnson.  As a result, any team that has really strong post players combined with good and quick guard play will be able to blow out Emmanuel this season.

Emmanuel needed a d1 transfer at the post this season more than Tufts did, in my humble opinion.  Of course, how to get a d1 transfer to come to the GNAC, let alone Emmanuel, is another story entirely.

Outside of Emmanuel, does the GNAC have any really strong post players?  It doesn't look like it, from what I see of the box scores.

It seems like an earlier exit in March this year for the GNAC champion.

[nescac hoops]

If the cards play right, this could be another special season for Emmanuel, and coming off last weekend's games, I would rank Emmanuel as the best team in New England D3hoops right now.

I know two NE teams this week that would beg to differ....

[deiscanton]

That's why I said "Go figure.", as in "let me figure this one out.",  when E. Connecticut State won on Nov. 20.  I thought that I stood corrected last week on whether or not Emmanuel was #1 in New England when the Warriors won, but it is clear that I stand corrected now. 

It should be at least 3 NE teams that happen to differ, since my team beat Emmanuel last night.  (Those teams would be 'Deis, Tufts, E. Conn., S. Maine, etc.) 

Of course, I don't see Tufts vs. S. Maine on the schedule, so...

Local and regional bragging rights are fun and all, but getting the teams ready for conference season is really what matters now.

[nescac hoops]

It should be at least 3 NE teams that happen to differ, since my team beat Emmanuel last night.  (Those teams would be 'Deis, Tufts, E. Conn., S. Maine, etc.) 

I was referring to the two teams that beat Emmanuel but if you want to include all of NE, then I will say that Bates will be stronger come second semester with the return of All-American Meg Coffin. My predictions...

1. Tufts
2. Southern Maine
3/4. E Conn/Brandeis
5. Bates
6. Emmanuel
7. Bowdoin

* Bates is my wild card team that go go as high as #1 or as low as not even being ranked depending on how Coffin returns from her injury.

[Biggirlzdontcry]

The count down is on for the Emmanuel Invitational (aka GNAC conference)  and with the recent results of some of the established teams in the conference including Emmanuel, I'm sure those teams are looking forward to beating up on each other to see who will finish 2-8 (Emmanuel is a lock at #1) with WNEC gone and Norwich obviously down, who will challenge or for that matter give the Saints a game?? any predictions? 

here are mine:
1. Emmanuel
2. Suffolk
3. Emerson
4. Rivier
5. St Joes, ME
6. Johnson & Wales
7. Albertus Magnus (very athletic and talented if they come to play)
8. ???fill in the blank, won't matter they will lose to Emmanuel BIG in first round

[deiscanton]

Suffolk just beat Emmanuel about 90 minutes ago-- the first time since the 1999-2000 season that Suffolk beat Emmanuel in GNAC women's basketball play.  Today's game was one of the worst games that I have seen Emmanuel play in quite some time.

Is this a harbinger of things to come for the GNAC tournament?  The last time Emmanuel lost a GNAC regular season game in 2006 (at former GNAC opponent WNEC-- which snapped a 72 game regular season conference winning streak for Emmanuel), the Saints then went on to lose the GNAC title game on their home floor.

Emmanuel's next game (against Emerson) now becomes a must-win in order for the Saints to maintain home court advantage in the GNAC tournament.

[emmanuelfan]

Well if we are talking top teams in NE then we must consider Williams since they beat undefeated Amherst and just beat Tufts who you put in the top five. Although williams does have something negative going against them or should i say someone negative..I mean their coach gets out coached 90% of the time so they have lost games they shouldn't have.

[saints15]

Predictions

1. Emmanuel
2. Suffolk
3. Emerson
4. Rivier
5. St. Joes Maine
6. Johnson and Wales
7. Norwich
8. Simmons

**Emmanuel will edge Emerson to attain that VERY IMPORTANT game.
Paez and Davis will step it up.

Playoffs

Emmanuel over Simmons
St. Joes ME over Rivier

Suffolk over Norwich
Emerson over Johnson and Wales


Emmanuel over St. Joes ME
Suffolk over Emerson

Emmanuel over Suffolk

gnac champs: Emmanuel Saints