WBB: Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

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I believe there are more teams in the tourney now then there was in 2002-2003.  I would hope that this quality conference gets 3 but if I was EC or UWSP I would make sure I played my best game so there was no doubt.  I think with the win by UWSP tonight they would be in regardless but you never know.

Yes, there are more teams now.  I believe that there are 63 women's teams that will get bids this season.  Back then I think it was 50 or so.

The new selection criteria which includes OWP and OOWP should help the WIAC's cause (and other top conferences).  Below are the OWP and OOWP of the three WIAC teams that have a shot at the NCAA tourney along with their national OWP rank (through Sunday):

UWW: .610, .557, 14th ranked
UWEC: .605, .561, 16th ranked
UWSP: .561, .547, 52nd ranked

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Good recap bulk.  Just wanted to add a couple things.

Congrats to Michelle Burns, who won the conference's Scholar Athlete award for Women's Basketball. 

I also want to congratulate Stout seniors Lindsey Geissler and Joanna Bird on good careers.  It was fun watching them for the past few years not only at Stout but also on their high school teams.

[shootfromthearc]

And from the front page...

"The result would seemingly all but guarantee the WIAC will get three teams into the Field of 63 for the NCAA Tournament."

Wonder if the tournament chairperson has anything to say about that !

[The Champ]

I also want to congratulate Stout seniors Lindsey Geissler and Joanna Bird on good careers.  It was fun watching them for the past few years not only at Stout but also on their high school teams.

One more senior on the squad - Mary Schaefer - also a guard.

Michelle Burns put in an absolutely fabulous performance.  She put on a show that was worth the price of admission - even if she was wearing the wrong colors!

So did Hirssig - considering that she had to carry Ashley Anderson (and that's alot to carry) around for 10 minutes of the game. 

That evidently was EC's plan to take Hirssig out of the game - have #55 beat her up inside.  It only took 10 minutes of playing time for AA to foul out.  Wouldn't have taken near that long if they would have called all the fouls...  And when Ashley wasn't in the game, Hannah Mesick attempted to do her job.  9 called fouls between the two of them.

[badgerwarhawk]

Point just flat outplayed us.  They were relentless on defense and prevented us from getting anything going outside.  They didn't give us many good looks and we had problems hitting the ones we got.  We had some success inside but we never did really get the offense in sync.   On the offensive end they seemingly couldn't miss at times and everytime we'd cut the their 10 point lead down to 6 they'd respond with a run to push it back to double figures again and again.  The game really wasn't as close as the score suggests.  So it goes.  The only thing you can do now is move on. 

It was a disappointing loss but the issue of making the NCAA tournament  for us was already decided and extra couple of days rest could help.   


Is there a reason the Point coach won't shake hands with the opposing players?   Germ phobia maybe? 

[billys]

Now I'm concerned about WW. As I said the other day the only thing that worried me about them was "tournament" inexperience. Last year they were much better than Platteville and were unceremoniously bounced in the first round. This year, while I definitely don't think they are head and shoulders better than Point, National Championship "contenders" don't lose at home.

There has to be some doubt now about their ability to handle that one-and-done pressure. Hopefully not; I still feel they've got a better chance than the other two to have national success. I'd like to chalk Point's success is beating them twice up to familiarity and think that teams that haven't played them yet will struggle with their style in the tournament.

I would still assume they might get an early bracket of a couple teams they will be MUCH better than. A couple playoff wins might get them over the hump. Maybe I'm overreacting.

BW- No concerns?

[Just Bill]

I wonder who may get the chance to host the 1st/2nd round games.  I hope they find a way to sperated the 3 WIAC schools for at least the first two rounds. (I'm going on the assumption that all 3 WIAC schools have bid to host.)

I could see Whitewater hosting a "pod" with Chicago (if they win the UAA),  the MWC Champ, and Concordia (Wis.) as a Pool B.

I think geographically, it's going to be harder to separate Point and EC.  Either one could host/travel to Minnesota with the MIAC champ, the IIAC champ and one other.  If St. Norbert becomes the MWC champ then I could see them in this group too.  I hope they can separate Point and EC somehow.  Perhaps you send Saturday's loser out to another area and let Saturday's winner host a pod of four.

[badgerwarhawk]

I always have concerns, Bill.   But our lack of post season experience is what it is and the only way we're going to change it is, obviously, to play in the postseason.  We've finally gotten to a point where we'll get a chance.   We're trying to build a program.  That happens in steps.  We've taken several steps forward and a few backward this year.  Now we'll see if we can take the next one.   

Personally I think next year's team may be a better one.   Not that I don't think this year's team can't make a run in the NCAA tourament.    But we'll sure have to play better than we did last night.

I don't know about Point and/or EC but we have submitted a bid to host.

[BuckyC]

That Missy Fremstad for the 'Golds sure has a motor.......she was beating Stout defenders down the floor last night and it's not like Stout is a bunch of slow-pokes or anything.

[Usuallywrong24]

Is there a reason the Point coach won't shake hands with the opposing players?   Germ phobia maybe? 

BW, I have seen a lot of games this year on both the womens and mens side and it is common for the coaches not to shake hands with the players.  I feel that the line of shaking hands is more for the players since they battled with each other for 40, sometimes 45, minutes.  In most cases that I saw, the coaches just shake hands at center court, then go get ready to talk to their teams about the game.  Just what I usually see after contests. 

[Just Bill]

Is there a reason the Point coach won't shake hands with the opposing players?   Germ phobia maybe? 

I never really noticed it and I guess I don't think it's that unusual.  I didn't see Bo Ryan shake the Michigan State players' hands last night either.

[badgerwarhawk]

Ok, no biggie, I guess it's not as common as I thought. 

The germ phobia thing was just a smart ass comment.   

[UWRF]

I honestly thought WW would run the table and be the first WIAC #2 seed to win the tourney... I seriously jinx everything!

[Just Bill]

On a side note, did anyone see this:

Michigan women's coach Kevin Borseth (formerly of UWGB) flipped out at his press conference after his team blew an 18-point lead to Wisconsin.  A classic presser rant!

http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid1079049493?bctid=1437285837

THAT is how you make an entrance!

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I also want to congratulate Stout seniors Lindsey Geissler and Joanna Bird on good careers.  It was fun watching them for the past few years not only at Stout but also on their high school teams.

One more senior on the squad - Mary Schaefer - also a guard.

No disrespect to her.  Its just that I have seen Bird and Geissler play for the past 6 years.