WBB: American Rivers Conference

[BVHawk]

Congratulations to BV's Margo Muhlbauer for being named to the Women's D3 News All-Freshmen Team. 1 of 10 from around the nation to receive this honor! 

[WLCALUM83]

Noticed Luther women's team moved up a few spots in the latest poll after their strong tournament run! 

[ball5fan]

Yep, way to go Margo!  Congrats of the being on the freshman list!

[Pat Coleman]

And since nobody seems to have mentioned it, congrats to Christina Gaard on making the D3hoops.com All-American team.

http://www.d3hoops.com/tow/07/womallam07.htm

[shingle]

Any word on what prompted the coaching vacancy at UD?  Is Huffman off to greener pastures??

[Illinihoops4]

He "resigned." He has had 5 years to turn the program around and I suppose that UD finally decided to give someone else a chance. Playing the School of Blind 7 times a year doesn't prepare a team for the tough conference schedule. They haven't improved. As an IIAC school, they should have a number of good candidates. The campus has grown- continues to do so as a new athletic facility is in the works- and other programs are having success- must be some support from the administration. Although, I just remembered that they went with the easy hire for softball and hired someone who had absolutely no fastpitch experience- one of their assistant baseball coaches. I guess this one's up in the air.

[keith45]

He "resigned." He has had 5 years to turn the program around and I suppose that UD finally decided to give someone else a chance. Playing the School of Blind 7 times a year doesn't prepare a team for the tough conference schedule. They haven't improved. As an IIAC school, they should have a number of good candidates. The campus has grown- continues to do so as a new athletic facility is in the works- and other programs are having success- must be some support from the administration. Although, I just remembered that they went with the easy hire for softball and hired someone who had absolutely no fastpitch experience- one of their assistant baseball coaches. I guess this one's up in the air.

Agreed..the sports programs are turning around at UD, football and basketball have increased their success and competitveness in the past few years, and Wrestling is on the upswing as well. I think UD had a decent team a few years ago, maybe went a bit above 500 but had some good players...
Any ideas on top candidates? I have a few ideas but can't/won't discuss names yet.

[BVHawk]

C'mon Keith!  Don't leave us hangin'!!! 

[Illinihoops4]

Right now there are just 50-some applicants for the UD job (from an reliable on campus source). I know of a couple people that have applied, but it is still too early to mention names. I don't want to jinx anyone as I firmly believe that one of them would be an excellent choice Hopefully they will move quickly to try and save some recruits or get some in depending on the status of the recruiting class. It's so tough this time of year to get new kids interested.

[Old Pro]

Someone seems to have missed the facts. UD women have played a challenging schedule, more so than the men. Huffman has set many records at UD and elsewhere, and has signature wins every year--UW Platteville this past year. Huge improvement over his predecessors. Check the record.

He's worked with a limited staff, has head-coached two sports every year, has taught every semester, worked in a real academic Master's program (not athletics administration), recruited well despite extremely limited financial aid and poor facilities, and has won the respect of other coaches in the league.

BTW, UD football has a horrendous record for the last six years, except for this past year--but why was that? The Big Ten player left campus right after the season ended.

Also, check out the online plans for the new facility. No basketball or soccer, all for football. Hardly helpful for recruiting.

[bballfan911]

Posted by: Old Pro  Posted on: Yesterday at 06:41:44 pm 
Insert Quote 
Someone seems to have missed the facts. UD women have played a challenging schedule, more so than the men. Huffman has set many records at UD and elsewhere, and has signature wins every year--UW Platteville this past year. Huge improvement over his predecessors. Check the record.

Old Pro what were you looking at??

UD women have played a challenging schedue?  Are you considering Dominican (3-22), Alverno (2-23), Concordia IL (11-14), Clarke (7-16), Martin Luther (4-21), Mount Mary (0-14), and Colorado College (10-14) challenging?  Those teams had a combined record of 37-124!!!  And a signature win against UW-Platteville?  Last time I checked beating a team that finshied 11-16  isn't signature. 

[doolittledog]

Old Pro,  The online content UD has on their site doesn't tell the whole story of the Wellness center.  It isn't all about football.  There will be a new basketball court at the Stoltz center.  There will now be two basketball courts so the women and mens teams won't have to schedule around each other.  The schools wrestling team will move over to the new wellness center and have their meets there.  There has been a new lighted soccer field built within the last 5 years.  I would think the coaching staff could point to all these facilities in their recruiting pitches to prospective students. 

[Old Pro]

Regarding Stolz: You can gussy up an old barn, but it's still an old barn. Compare it with nearby facilities, including those still a'building. Ask when you've seen a $22 million rec facility omit basketball, and ask why. If facilities matter for recruiting, this is a major negative for DBQ, and for years to come. UD football has been terrible, but they get the goodies. Again, ask why. BTW, UD's previous football coaches have compiled a national ranking record at Capital U in Ohio--the only team to give perennial national champions Mt. Union a run for their money.

Seems to me UW Platteville beat up on Clarke and Augustana, and handled Loras, before facing the fierce WIAC.

As to competition, we old pro's look at 4 or 5 years, not one, before making comparisons. Try back-tracking the men's and women's teams before drawing hasty conclusions.

Cheers!

[doolittledog]

UD football is getting the goodies because the booster giving 22 million wants the money to go there.  But he is putting some money towards the basketball teams...maybe not how you would have wanted but he is doing so.  Plus the wrestling program will move into the new place.  And not in this phase but the soccer team was taken care of a few years ago.  That family also but a good chunk of change into the Goldthorpe addition so they aren't just giving money to the football program. 

[Old Pro]

Well, Old Pro recognizes an authoritative account when she sees one. Thank you, doolittledog, for answering part of the "why?"

But it does leave that nagging little question, doesn't it? Who's in charge of UD? Is there no administrator with the, ahem, wherewithal to explain to a donor that the university has its integrity, and that the donor needs to accept some guidance, even limits, for the wellfare of the entire program and the entire school? Or is class a thing of the past?

Just asking.