WBB: Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[badgerwarhawk]

CHAMPIONS

[billys]

I have seen Whitewater twice this year and of the teams I've seen in the WIAC the last 5-8 years, they are as capable as any of winning the National Championship. Their style and depth is something teams can't prepare for and in women's basketball the ability to force turnovers and convert into layups is as powerful as any trait. Combine that with a very strong inside game and I really think they'll be a tough out. Those last couple Stout teams were good but they didn't have a PG as good as Hendrickson and although WW doesn't have someone as good as Duoss, I think they have a little deeper, depth ... if that makes sense. Without knowing the who, what, where of the tournament ... it's hard to say "They will get to this point" but I really can see them winning it all.

But, again, if it makes any sense, I pick Eau Claire to win the tournament. Can't pick against the #1 seed until it happens.

[buf]

I have seen Whitewater twice this year and of the teams I've seen in the WIAC the last 5-8 years, they are as capable as any of winning the National Championship.

I would say that 03' UWEC team was the best that I have seen during that time span.  However, UWW is close behind.  One thing this UWW team has over the 03' EC team is that they seem to have a better inside/outside game.  The 03' EC team had awesome play underneath, but they struggled from the outside, which ended up costing them at the Final Four.

[buf]

Over on the Pool C board, pabegg has EC as the 3rd pool C team and Point as the 8th (He/she has UWW as the pool A team).  This is assuming that there will be no upsets in the conference tourneys.  There are 21 pool C bids available.  That poster is pretty good at predicting how the regions rank the teams.  If the NCAA is close to what pabegg is predicting, the WIAC would likely have 3 teams in.

[shootfromthearc]

I have seen Whitewater twice this year and of the teams I've seen in the WIAC the last 5-8 years, they are as capable as any of winning the National Championship.

I would say that 03' UWEC team was the best that I have seen during that time span.  However, UWW is close behind.  One thing this UWW team has over the 03' EC team is that they seem to have a better inside/outside game.  The 03' EC team had awesome play underneath, but they struggled from the outside, which ended up costing them at the Final Four.

Good choice, but you're forgetting Point? 2001-02 National Champs? Lost all of three times that year, including two at the hands of Stout. Schmitt, Heuer, Groshek, Nechuta, Kraemer, Boehning...SICK team that year...the team that took care of 4peat Wash U.

Let's face it...WIAC is usually producing one relatively strong national power each year. I would love to see 3 teams and not scheduled to play one another. Man, a 3 WIAC team final four! It's on!

[Just Bill]

I vote for the '02 UWSP team (I'm biased of course, as we all are).  I've never seen a team that seemingly could snap their fingers and generate an 18-2 run everytime they needed it.  They could win inside and outside, high-scoring games and low-scoring games.  At the Final Four they locked down an All-American and a national player of the year on back-to-back nights.

Any of the WIAC's NCAA Tournament teams could be in this discussion.  What a fun league!

[UWRF]

But, again, if it makes any sense, I pick Eau Claire to win the tournament. Can't pick against the #1 seed until it happens.

Whitewater is basically #1B... a coin flip decided the top seed.  I know the #1 seed is 30-0 or something like that, but i can't give Eau Claire the advantage just cause they won a coin flip.  I've seen both teams play and Whitewater is the superior team.

[badgerwarhawk]

Unfortunately finding a way to win in Zorn hasn't been an easy thing for us.  EC plays good defense and they generally don't make a lot of mistakes to beat themselves.  You have to play a really solid game to beat them. 

[billys]

Glad my post created some discussion, that's what we need here.

I believe I've been somewhat misread; I don't necessarily think WW is better than either the '03 EC team or the '02 UWSP National Championship team ... I just think their depth in talent and style is going to make them a beast to get rid of. Those years I also thought there were better teams nationally that would trip them up.

I actually would put the '04 UWSP team ahead of both of those as teams I thought could win it ... they just didn't have the depth. But Nechuta at the end of her career was as dominant as I've seen since I started following the league; she just had a propensity to commit some bad fouls and have to sit out a bit.

I didn't have the same feeling about Stout the last three years. They've had the style and some depth ... but I don't think their talent was as deep as this WW team and they could never shoot the 3. This WW team shoots it real well and Hendrickson is almost automatic.

My trepidation with WW is their lack of experience in a tournament. Those other programs had some experience (for the most part); this program has had two years of success of has yet to win a tournament game. They'll win tomorrow and if they run through the rest of the week my fears will be a bit relieved; plus they'll likely get themselves a couple home games which never hurts.

UWRF- I realize the coin flip decided the seed, I also believe WW is the better team ... I'm not giving EC the advantage because of the seed they are called. I'm giving them the advantage because they're at home. The #1 seed hasn't necessarily ALWAYS been the best team ... but they have always played the whole tournament at home.

[The Champ]

Im not sayin that they will beat EC, but i think they have a shot. 

Best wishes on your game tonight...

[badgerwarhawk]

The #1 seed may not always have been the best team but they have been the team that's never lost.  No doubt having the homecourt has played into that.

But there's a new sheriff in town this year!    

It's starts tonight by settling the score with the Pioneer.

[The Champ]

Good choice, but you're forgetting Point? 2001-02 National Champs? Lost all of three times that year, including two at the hands of Stout.

Don't remind me of that year... 

Point didn't win the WIAC Championship, and didn't even get to the WIAC Tournament Championship game - yet made the NCAA Tourney got a home game to start the DIII tourney.  Three out of four games to start the tourney were at home....

Stout won the conference and the tournament, then had to go on the road to St. Ben's - who didn't win the MIAC Tournament...

Not sayin' that Stout would have gone all the way, but it's still a mystery to me how Point played at home that year and Stout was forced to play on the road...

[The Champ]

The #1 seed may not always have been the best team but they have been the team that's never lost.  No doubt having the homecourt has played into that.

But there's a new sheriff in town this year!    

It's starts tonight by settling the score with the Pioneer.

Well, I like last year's sheriff - and I still hope the road to the Tournament Championship goes through WW.  Only thing, I want last year's sheriff to go for a 4peat....

[Usuallywrong24]

Good choice, but you're forgetting Point? 2001-02 National Champs? Lost all of three times that year, including two at the hands of Stout.

Don't remind me of that year... 

Point didn't win the WIAC Championship, and didn't even get to the WIAC Tournament Championship game - yet made the NCAA Tourney got a home game to start the DIII tourney.  Three out of four games to start the tourney were at home....

Stout won the conference and the tournament, then had to go on the road to St. Ben's - who didn't win the MIAC Tournament...

Not sayin' that Stout would have gone all the way, but it's still a mystery to me how Point played at home that year and Stout was forced to play on the road...

I would think Stout would have preferred to go to St. Bens to play their first game then to take Point's road.  Point won a home game to start to the tourny, but then had to travel to Wash U.  Stout played at Wash U. that year in November and lost by over 50. 

[Usuallywrong24]

But I do understand your point champ.