WBB: Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[PRF2009A]

Last night at Stout...

Congratulations to Sr. Trish VanVreede last night!  Had her career best 23 point night and a double/double with 11 rebounds - both highs for the game.

Sophomore Kayla Windt added 15 points (her career best) with 100% shooting (3 treys and 3 deuces in 6 attempts).

Katie DeWitt led NWC with 22 points and 5 boards.

If there is no praising Messick around here, there sure as heck is no praising a 23 point performance vs. one of the worst teams in MN.

Seriously though,  Champ you are right on about this being the preseason.  It is going to be a long season in the WIAC like usual.  I expect the usuals to rise to the top.

Caught the UWL game last night.  Team looks miles ahead of where they were at this point last year.  Everyone is getting on the same page and the defense is tough.  The question is still going to be where do the points come from outside of Lang chucking up 25 3 point attempts a game.

[The Champ]

If there is no praising Messick around here, there sure as heck is no praising a 23 point performance vs. one of the worst teams in MN.

Isn't there a difference between congratulating a player on a career best compared to trying to tell people that a player is the best ever in the WIAC and shouldn't even be playing DIII ball.....

Oh, did I mention that Trish plays defense too....

[Just Bill]

Preseason

It's the non-conference season. The NFL has a preseason.  Preseason games don't count.  These games count.

If I didn't correct it, Gregory Sager would be in here in a minute to do it anyway. Carry on.

[badgerwarhawk]

Congrats to UWW on their huge win.  I sure didn't see that one coming.  Was it last season that IWU came to UWW and won big?

Yes, last year they came into Williams Center and drilled the WARHAWKS 87-58.  At the time I made the comment that they looked like the best women's team I had ever seen.  Admittedly my exposure to the women's programs nationally is limited but they just looked really, really good that night.

I see that the wrap up on the school's website indicates IWU is #6 not #3.  They used the USA/ESPN poll.  I was going by D3hoops.com preseason poll and hadn't seen anything that was updated.  Regardless it was a very good win against a very good program and on their court. 

[billys]

La Crosse just DRILLING Ripon by 30 mid-way through the 2nd half. Looked good defensively in the full court and the half court.

If we learned anything this weekend it may be that Stout's in trouble this year. I don't care who was missing; if another team in your league goes into a tourney and wins a couple games in laughers and you struggle and BARELY split ... you've got a lot of improving to do.

I appreciate your thoughts - to an extent.  But this is the preseason....

Last year, Stout started 0 - 3, with losses to Carroll and Cardinal Stritch after the loss in the season opener with St. Cloud.  Stout lost to Carrol by 25 points.  Carroll lost twice during the regular season to Ripon - a team that was demolished by UWL in the preseason.

To open the WIAC season - Stout won 3 of the first 4 games - losing to Point, but winning against WW, UWL and EC.  All of those games happened within a period of 30 games.

The only point I'm trying to make is sometimes too much emphasis is placed on what happens in the preseason. 

I really enjoy your posting, billy - keep it up!

Feel free to disagree, no hard feelings here.
Last year I wouldn't have been concerned cause they had some proven commodities; notably the best player in the league. When you have the best player on the floor I think you've always got a chance.

I know they'll improve but I watched some of those games this weekend and the competition was weak; Edgewood was not good.

This year too Stout has that same brutal schedule to start.

I tried to be ambiguous in my post and say Stout MAY be in trouble and that they have a lot of improving to do so as not to bury them. I don't put it past Coach Thomas to have them beating teams that have more talent. I do think their talent level is down right now compared to the 4 or 5 schools I would pick ahead of them. But I'm sure they'll win 3 or 4 (or more) against those schools.

Like I said a few months ago I really believe in "programs" that know how to win and expect to win. I still think Stout is one of those programs and has that advantage going for them against teams like La Crosse and River Falls who are just on the edge of that. I also know they have a head coach that expects to win ... and I don't think everyone's got that either.

We should maybe all "revise" our picks right before the conference opener?

[buf]

Going through the boxscores, I see that Point was up 6 with 52 seconds left, and ended up losing by 2.  Was anyone there?  What happened?


Totally agree on the preseason/nonconference thing, JustBill.  Those in-region nonconference games count big time, especially when Pool C time comes around.

[badgerwarhawk]

A Point shooting foul game Milikin a three point play.  Then Point turned the ball over (steal) and Milikin scored again. Finally Point missed a jump shot  with 12 seconds remaining and Milikin's three pointer was good.  Point had one last chance but missed a desperation shot.


I saw the Milikin team eating a late lunch at the Janesville Ponderosa yesterday.  I spoke briefly with their coach and when they said they were headed to Point I thought it would be a long drive home.  It probably was a long drive but from the looks of it they probably enjoyed it more than I thought they would.

[palum]

Platteville's new coach earned her 1st victory last night 68-63 over Alverno in Milwaukee.

http://www.uwplatt.edu/athletics/basketball/womens/1011/alverno.html

[The Champ]

I tried to be ambiguous in my post and say Stout MAY be in trouble and that they have a lot of improving to do so as not to bury them.

I did see where you had used the word "MAY", and that's why I made the comments I did.  BTW, where I posted 30 games, I meant 30 days.  I also realize that the known talent pool is down from previous seasons.

I was at those early PRESEASON, I mean non conference games, last year and was extremely worried about the upcoming conference season.

I was not at those early games this year, and you evidently were.  Your opinion on what you saw is more valid than my looking at the post game stats.

I'm hoping Coach T can take this group and mold them into winners - to continue a WIAC season winning tradition of 20 years or so.   

[JMM]

Messick made the D3 team of the week and rightly so. Congrats Hannah. This is not preseason by the way. The match ups now have a huge bearing on NCAA tournament, St. Ben's and St. Norberts are both in the region. The loss to ST Ben's can be huge to the Blugolds. No one has claimed that Messick is the best player in the WIAC. She happened to have 4 outstanding games against some darn good competition. St. Ben's has a great team. St. Norberts was ranked 21. Milikin did beat Point and Marian, I believe is a DII school. Beleive that the D3 team of the week justify's my comments on Messick and am not just a "Homer". Anyhow, everyone knows that EC's Kristi Channing was the best player in WIAC history! Though, I do think Julia H. from Stout was pretty good and somewhere in the top 11 list. (Early word is Stout may play a "box and one" to try contain Messick. See them practicing that in Johnson Field House at night.) Now, now, don't get your underwear in a knot. Just kidding on the box and one thing. Laugh a little.

Status of Stout, I have seen them play twice. They have a long way to go. Pretty rough right now. Someone needs to become a leader on the court. Could be Windt. It is hard to figure Stout out right now. A lot of new faces; don't look at all like the last 6 years. Could be a goood thing - they need to gel.

[buf]

UWEC defeats D2 #25 ranked Minnesota Mankato, 66-54.  Mesick had 24pts, 11reb, 4steals.  EC shot 22-28 from the FT line.

[JMM]

As stated above, EC takes down 25th, DII ranked Minnesota State. EC played even the first half and then stayed the course by keeping a 4-6 point lead throughout the second. It was EC defense that really secured the win and free throws. EC brilliantly used Messick and Plendil. Feeding both as they broke down under toward the basket. EC had a total of 9 blocked shots on MN State. They played exceptional defense. While Hannah M had 23 points, it was a team effort. EC may have developed a maturity. They did not panic in the second half and stayed the course in a tough game. The EC guards had no problems with Miinnesota State defensive pressure and easiy broke the press time and time again. Tonya Englund did a magnifiient job coaching and utilizimg her players.

[badgerwarhawk]

After shooting a lethargic 29% and holding a three point lead 29-26 at the half the WARHAWKS got untracked in the second half to outscore Clarke 45-16 and cruise to the 74-42 win.  Twelve WARHAWKS scored in the game led by JamieSwanson (11 points) and Emily Bestor (10 points).  Dana Thompson led the way with 8 rebounds as the WARHAWKS out rebounded Clarke 46-30 (19 offensive).  

[JMM]

Curious about WW, they are doing exceptional - any details on them as a whhole.

[billys]

UWEC defeats D2 #25 ranked Minnesota Mankato, 66-54.  Mesick had 24pts, 11reb, 4steals.  EC shot 22-28 from the FT line.

Great job by the 'Golds.

I don't think Mankato is a legitimate Top 25 D2 team (more ranked on past success). But still a solid D2 team; great win for the WIAC