WBB: Middle Atlantic Conference board archive

[bziadie]

For the Wilkes and DeSales folks who may not have heard, Wilkes named former DeSales standout center Rachel Hartung as its new head coach as was announced in the Times Leader and Citizen's Voice today. Rachel was head coach at Centenary the last two years. She certainly came up under an outstanding coach in Fred Richter.....welcome back to the MAC Rachel.

[ColonelJohn4Life]

Thanks for the info, Bob.

There's certainly no doubting Richter's credentials.  Hopefully, the new Lady Colonel coach picked up a thing or two while playing for him.

[adkfan]

well we are on the eve of yet another outstanding year and unbelieveably there isn't any chatter
new coaches  recruits  injuries ..... nothing   
as my sign in name says   I am in the Adirondack Mountains of up state NY  at long way from the "Times Leader" in Wilkes Barre 
Please someone start some chatter
even a go "Royal"    would be better than this total silence

Congratulations to Brian Whitten on his recent marriage.  I was told that he and Angie were absolutely stunning together on that beach.. Best wishes for a long and happy life

So if there is any news that a "curious fan" might be interested in post it

Good luck all.... awaiting the whistle to begin the season

ADK

[roy_a]

Okay ADK..You asked for it. So here is a go Royals!!!


With practice starting in 2 weeks I am ready to make my predictions for the Mac\Freedom. I'm sure there will be a surprise or two but here is how I see it in pre-season.

1. Scranton
2. Kings
3. Drew
4. Desales
5. FDU
6. Wilkes
7. Del-Val
8. Lycoming

1.--Scranton--Bottom line..too many weapons. Taryn Mellody is hands down one of the best players in the country. Add Allison Matt whom I truly beleive will end up as an All-American at point, and she shares the backcourt with Erin Healey. Healey is one of the unsung leaders on the team and has a court presence that is fantastic. Throw in the addition of Casey Thran who can score and rebound very well and the Lady Royals are set. It will, however, be difficult to replace Eileen Webster and Tara Gemmel. But with a tremendous bench I am convinced the Royals will be there in the end.

2.--Kings--Although this team is a big unknown with a new coach they have a lot of returning weapons. Beth Jordan is as good as they come and Jenna Palumbo is a scary shooter. Kings will return to the big dance this year as long as the new coach\players harmonize well??

3.--Drew--If Courtney Cunningham is back and plays like she did as a freshmen then Drew should be just fine. Melissa Kraft is a very good player and this duo can cause a lot of headaches for opposing teams.

4.--Desales--Loose 4 starters and it may be very difficult to get to this spot in the standings. However, I think Desales has a chance due to the lone returning starter, Holly Liebl is very solid. Add that to a great coach in Fred Richter and this season may start slow but should win enough games to get to the Freedom playoffs.

5--FDU--Allthough FDU made considerable strides last season they just do not have the firepower to compete with the top teams every day. Another season or 2 under this new coach and some some nice recruits will go along way in helping the Devils move up soon.

6. Wilkes--New coach--could be another long year for Wilkes. However, don't be surprised if Wilkes upsets an upper tier team. With a back-court of Andrea Kaprowicz and Rena Bolin, coupled with the return of Andrea Demaranville this team has some weapons. The problem is that the wepons end there and there is not a great deal of depth. But Kaprowicz sure is dangerous..

7.--Del-Val--Sorry Kate!!!!!! I picked your Aggies #4 last season and I do not expect as much from them this seaon. Bridget Golden was dominating at times and Jackie Hartzell was a tremendous ball-handler\decision maker. I do not see Del-Val overcoming those 2 losses with only 8-9 players?

8.--Lyco--Unfortunately the last few seasons have been disapointing and unless they have a few outstanding recruits I think this will be a tough year for the Warriors. I still remember Lyco coming to the John Long center in Scanton and beating the Royals behing Erica Weavers' deadly shooting. That, however, was about 10 years ago. If this squad is a representation of other Lyco teams the opposing team better bring their A game when they travel to Lyco.

I sure hope that these predictions do not offend anyone. And I look forward to reading the predictions of all the other posters out there. So lets have them.......

[adkfan]

Thanks Roy
1 and 2  I of course see the reverse
1.Kings
2. Scranton
However it is an exciting clash of Titans...

I too am looking forward to the chemistry between team and new coach
The players are a tight bunch and Captains will play a big part between players and coach... Heard he is a class act, brings a lot of know how and knowledge
Hoping for a great season..
Thanks again
ADK

[bziadie]

ADK,

In my 13 years at King's, the words "Bryan Whitten" and "stunning" have NEVER been used in the same sentence......

Unless it was perhaps in his early days at King's  when some of his rants bordered on "stunning" while picking up technical fouls.....kidding Whit.

Congrats to you and Angie.

[ronk]

Roy,
    Desales' Holly Liebl was listed as a senior on their website for the past season. Is she coming back? I was very impressed with her late season play.

[roy_a]

Ronk..There goes my well thought out predictions.......I  was wrong about Liebls' return. Desales will remain my pick for that spot though as they do return Kirby Lutz.

[sp0rtsfan]

....Roy, your predictions seem credible for sure. I think the last 3, however, are more subject to change than the top 3. It was only 2 years ago, LYCO was 15-10, not a bad season. Also, it was 5 years, not 10 when they beat the Royals. Based on how the teams stack up today, it might as well been 20 years ! 

[roy_a]

Adk--Other than being a Kings fan is there a particular reason you would switch my top 2 picks?

Sportsfan--You are correct about Lyco beating Scranton about 5 years ago. If I recall correctly that was during the Lyndy Levan era? The game I was referring to was in Scranton.Also, there may be a lot of flip-flopping amongst those lower 3-4 teams for sure..

How 'bout some more predictions??

[kate]

Hi All  - September was a crazy month, but now i'm posting!  Roy, i hope this doesn't jinx em, but my Aggies should hit the court with l2 players, seven returning.   With "parity",  it's really hard to make predictions, so i'm not going to.  You guys always rule anyway, but the MAC is tough.    November's right around the corner!

[adkfan]

Roy
  being a fan is certainly one of the reasons the other is the 5 women I believe will make a big difference in the season.. I will withhold names until I see them on the floor together.... unselfish ball will be key this year in the entire MAC
Royals will be the top going in I agree but they have only two things they can do "hold on tight" or .......   It is tough to stay atop when everyone is gunning for you.  Mike's a good coach so we shall see.   Still some unknowns at Kings but I say they come out on top because of the pure joy of the game.
ADK

[heatlee]

I agree, Scranton and Kings are the class of the league.  That being said, I don't think that Drew has what it takes to finish that high in the standings.  DeSales losing four starters hurts big time.  FDU with the majority of their team coming back, a couple of good recruits and a great coach who has a year under his belt, third place is not out of the question.

[saratoga]

For what it's worth, I'm going to disagree with the displaced Voodoo princess and go with the following in the MAC Freedom...1.Scranton...too much of everything is a good thing. Biggest concern, who picks up the nearly 14 rebounds per game lost with the graduation of Tara Gemmell & Eileen Webster? The Lady Royals have the best backcourt in the conference & one of the best in the entire nation. They have depth at every position, however the post play & how fast the new people develop may hold the key as to how far in the National Tournement the Royals advance. Another big help will be the fact that Scranton's Spring Break is very late this year meaning as long as the Lady Royals win...they should be home in front of packed houses. 2.Kings...some pretty good players in their own right...how well they adjust to a new system & how quickly will be pretty important for them. A few early season losses in the region may put them under the radar for awhile, but they'll be ready for the big games. Biggest question marks for Kings will be rebounding & depth. 3. FDU. Why not? They outplayed DVC last season to earn the 4th. & final playoff spot, so that experience, confidence & perhaps a little more depth will add up to another decent year and a few more wins. 4.Drew. Under Coach Jones this team has made vast improvements & if Courtney Cunningham can play to the level she was at as a freshman, it will be enough with their other talented kids to earn the 4th. spot. They did lose some quality kids to graduation so filling the void in the post will be huge, but overall they should win most at home & just enough on the road to get to a level they've never been at. 5.Desales. They could very easily flip with either FDU or Drew, but losing 4 of 5 starters & replacing all those minutes, points & rebounds will be very tough to do...even for Coach Richter. Not impossible, just difficult. 6.DVC. What can I say...I thought they'd be there last season but no such luck. If that team with at least 3 four year starters couldn't pull it off, I just don't see this one with very little experience except in the backcourt doing any better. Also, it's pretty well known that it's very difficult to play an entire season with an 8 or 9 person roster which has always hampered this squad even when they had 5 very good players. 7.Wilkes...new coach, new spirt, perhaps 3 more wins to keep them out of that cold damp cellar. Actually Wilkes has a few nice players, it's just that there is no supporting cast & they play without much organization. Perhaps that will change a little over time as Wilkes never seems to have retention of a core group of kids from freshman through their senior years. 8. Lycoming. Life hasn't been so good in the years since Lindy Levan...actually, even when she was there Lyco. was basically a .500 club. No depth, no real multi-talented kids, suspect backcourt & no kids that consistantly will crash the boards. Unless the Lyco coach has recruited like she never has in the past...get the anti-biotics ready cause you'll be living in the cold from Nov. through Feb. Play hard, stay healthy & may the season be fun for everyone.

[adkfan]

So the roster must be set by now any surprises?  King's from all accounts thus far is solid..  Will be headed that way this weekend... will see the team on the floor first time.
Go Monarchs   I am expecting great things.
I want to wish the seniors at all the schools a terrific year both on and off the court.
Practice Practice Practice   and opening tournaments
I CAN"T WAIT
ADKfan