WBB: Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[The Champ]

Champ's two examples- WW added those transfers to veterans and UW-L had a great recruiting class (which is playing most of their minutes now as seniors led by Hunter) but paired it with veterans.

Yes, the situations are different.  But then, these schools are now having winning seasons (and in the case of WW, they are nationally ranked).

All I predicted is for Superior to get to .500 - which has been done (recently) by a 6th place WIAC team.

[The Champ]

That should be +3.   It's still a pretty good game.

I stand corrected...

POW, maybe...

[Just Bill]

Looks like the national rankings got a little shake-up in the last week.  #1, #5 and #6 all went down.  The tough thing about the central region is 3 of the top 4 teams in the nation are from this region. 

Also, does anyone know when the regional rankings will be out?  I am guessing that Illinois Wesleyan will be #1, but after that it is a toss-up between Point and WW.  Should be interesting. 

I think first regional rankings come out the first Wednesday in February.  Not sure though.

I think right now I'd put it like this:
1. IWU
2. UWSP
3. UWW
4. UWEC

Point is 2-1 against UWW and UWEC. Since they are the only one that has beaten both of the other two, I'd say they need to be given the edge.  Of course, UWSP has to go on the road to both of them in the second half of the year so everything could change.  But right now, I think  that's how it would have to stack up.

[buf]

This week's Top 25 WIAC teams:

UWW is #2
Point is #3
UWEC is #8

[jam8788]

When was the last time three WIAC teams were ranked so high?  Is this year the strongest the WIAC has ever been in it's 30+ year history?

[Just Bill]

When was the last time three WIAC teams were ranked so high?  Is this year the strongest the WIAC has ever been in it's 30+ year history?

I asked your question over on the Top 25 board.  I know I could search through all the polls myself, but I'm hoping someone over there as a quick answer so I don't have to.

"Strongest" is always a tough word to parse.  Our top 3 are clearly three of the best in the country and would fare well against anyone.  That makes the WIAC strong.

1 through 9, though, I'm not sure the league is any stronger than some other years.  I don't feel like the 6th or 7th place team has a legit shot at the Big 3, and I know I've felt that way in the past.

Now that I've said that, though I'd point out that UWSP could be heading into a classic Trap game at UW-River Falls. Coming off a big win, with a new ranking and going on the road to a place that has been difficult for Point in that past.  I still don't expect them to lose, but this one has all the earmarks of a trap.

[badgerwarhawk]

POW, maybe...

She is certainly a legit candidate for the honor.  

[closetothechest]

When was the last time three WIAC teams were ranked so high?  Is this year the strongest the WIAC has ever been in it's 30+ year history?

I asked your question over on the Top 25 board.  I know I could search through all the polls myself, but I'm hoping someone over there as a quick answer so I don't have to.

"Strongest" is always a tough word to parse.  Our top 3 are clearly three of the best in the country and would fare well against anyone.  That makes the WIAC strong.

1 through 9, though, I'm not sure the league is any stronger than some other years.  I don't feel like the 6th or 7th place team has a legit shot at the Big 3, and I know I've felt that way in the past.

Now that I've said that, though I'd point out that UWSP could be heading into a classic Trap game at UW-River Falls. Coming off a big win, with a new ranking and going on the road to a place that has been difficult for Point in that past.  I still don't expect them to lose, but this one has all the earmarks of a trap.

I wouldn't really call this a trap game.  The Oshkosh game was not as big as Oshkosh games have been in the past.  A trap game would have been after they beat Stout, then played Superior before the showdown with Eau Claire.  That Superior would have been the "trap game" in that instance.  I do not think there is a big difference from #7 to #3, so I didn't take the rankings into effect. 

[closetothechest]

POW, maybe...

She is certainly a legit candidate for the honor.  

I would expect her to get the honor.  Only thing going against her was she played the #9 and #7 team in the conference. 

[badgerwarhawk]

Hirssig it is.....http://www.wiacsports.com/wbasket/athweek.htm

She joins Morton and Hunter as a two time POW.

[The Champ]

Hirssig it is.....http://www.wiacsports.com/wbasket/athweek.htm

She joins Morton and Hunter as a two time POW.

From the WIAC page linked above:

Hirssig scored a career-best 37 points and cracked the 1000-point barrier in an 83-69 win over UW-Platteville on Jan. 24.  She was nearly flawless in the game, draining 13-of-14 shots from the floor and 11-of-13 from the free-throw line, while collecting 10 rebounds to record her ninth double-double of the season.  Her 37 points tied her for 15th on the all-time WIAC single-game scoring list.  Hirssig opened the game by scoring six of UW-Stout's first 12 points in less than five minutes of play and finished the first half with 16 points.  She was coming off a 26-point performance in a 76-73 win at UW-Superior on Jan. 21, where she pulled down 13 rebounds.  On the week, Hirssig scored 63 points, shot 22-of-32 (68.8 percent) from the floor and 19-of-24 (79.2 percent) from the free-throw stripe. She collected 23 total rebounds (12 defensive) and had four steals.

Just wanted to point out that she did play defense too....

[billys]

When was the last time three WIAC teams were ranked so high?  Is this year the strongest the WIAC has ever been in it's 30+ year history?

As JB said; top three it'd be hard to argue.
But top to bottom 6-9 are not very good right now.

I thought in '05-'06 the league was much deeper. EC was the 6th seed and still a good team. Whitewater I believe went to Stout as the 8 seed in the first round and nearly beat them.

2000-2001 could maybe be another candidate. I guess my barometer would be something like ... does your 6th place team have a legit chance to beat your champion (assuming your champ is any good. I don't know if you ever expect your bottom three or so to compete consistently with the top ... but 6 deep in women's basketball would be a lot.

[Usuallywrong24]

When was the last time three WIAC teams were ranked so high?  Is this year the strongest the WIAC has ever been in it's 30+ year history?

As JB said; top three it'd be hard to argue.
But top to bottom 6-9 are not very good right now.

I thought in '05-'06 the league was much deeper. EC was the 6th seed and still a good team. Whitewater I believe went to Stout as the 8 seed in the first round and nearly beat them.

2000-2001 could maybe be another candidate. I guess my barometer would be something like ... does your 6th place team have a legit chance to beat your champion (assuming your champ is any good. I don't know if you ever expect your bottom three or so to compete consistently with the top ... but 6 deep in women's basketball would be a lot.

I think that 2001 was probably the deepest with 5 teams with 18+ wins.  That year EC went the deepest in the NCAAs when they got beat in the 2nd round.  I think this year is better.  Depending on match-ups, I believe the big three all have at least a chance at the round of 16. 

The WIAC will always be deep 1-4/5.  It is so hard to win on the road in this league against the top 4/5.  Two years ago it wasn't considered deep, but #7 Platteville went into #2 WW and won in the conference tournament.  Anything can happen in that tournament. 

[badgerwarhawk]

Hirssig made this week's D3hoops.com team of the week.

http://d3hoops.com/tow/

[billys]

When was the last time three WIAC teams were ranked so high?  Is this year the strongest the WIAC has ever been in it's 30+ year history?

As JB said; top three it'd be hard to argue.
But top to bottom 6-9 are not very good right now.

I thought in '05-'06 the league was much deeper. EC was the 6th seed and still a good team. Whitewater I believe went to Stout as the 8 seed in the first round and nearly beat them.

2000-2001 could maybe be another candidate. I guess my barometer would be something like ... does your 6th place team have a legit chance to beat your champion (assuming your champ is any good. I don't know if you ever expect your bottom three or so to compete consistently with the top ... but 6 deep in women's basketball would be a lot.

I think that 2001 was probably the deepest with 5 teams with 18+ wins.  That year EC went the deepest in the NCAAs when they got beat in the 2nd round.  I think this year is better.  Depending on match-ups, I believe the big three all have at least a chance at the round of 16. 

The WIAC will always be deep 1-4/5.  It is so hard to win on the road in this league against the top 4/5.  Two years ago it wasn't considered deep, but #7 Platteville went into #2 WW and won in the conference tournament.  Anything can happen in that tournament. 

I believe this top 3 is as good as they've had in awhile ... all three look like they could make deep runs. A question I'd like the veterans to debate. How do you think the top level of the WIAC today compares to a few years ago?

I still feel like, having seen the top three this year, while very good, I see the Duoss Stout teams, the Eggers/Herrick Oshkosh teams, and the Nechuta Point teams being better than these three this year. Maybe I'm wrong but those teams were loaded.

In the same breathe though, aside from the Nechuta teams, the other's didn't get as deep the tournament as I thought they would. The Stout teams to the Sweet 16 I think and then Oshkosh? Did they even make the tournament with those teams?

Now I look at these three, and although I think they lose the WIAC History match-up, I could see them all running to the Final Four.

So are these teams better than I think (historically)? Is D3 not as good as it was in that stretch early this decade? Is the region just not as good as it was which allows for a safer path to the Final Four? Are these teams talent deeper than maybe those more star driven teams of early in the decade?

Just curious what people think ... I don't know what I think, I just feel like- The best teams early in this decade were better but these teams have a better chance to win it all.