WBB: NESCAC

nescacbbrules · March 15, 2015, 01:11:18 PM

Carla Berube, the Tufts coach, is featured in several articles about the '94 - '95 UCONN national championship team. I found this link on the Tufts site but think it is worth posting for the wider fans of NESCAC and women's basketball.

This in depth article recalls the UCONN women's team of '95 that changed the face of women's basketball in America. Fans of the women's game at any level will enjoy the read.

http://thebiglead.com/2015/03/12/the-1995-connecticut-huskies-the-team-that-made-womens-basketball/

The coverage and love affair with that team and its myriad fans lives on. One of its members featured in the piece, Carla Berube, is heading to her second D-III Final Four with the Tufts University women, and represents the positive legacy of that memorable group of women.

gordonmann · March 15, 2015, 08:49:42 PM

I went to high school not too far from UConn in 1995 and that team had celebrity status. There was a buzz in the hallway after the team played because they weren't just good, they were superior in an almost Harlem Globetrotters way, minus the circus shenanigans. They were the best passing team I've ever seen until the San Antonio Spurs of last year. Rebecca Lobo was the star but a lot of sports fans could name several players off the roster without much effort, including Berube.

If you didn't live in Connecticut at that time, it sounds like exaggeration to talk about how popular that team was. Women's college basketball doesn't usually capture people's imagination that way. But they were absolute rock stars.

polbear73 · March 16, 2015, 05:13:03 AM

Carla Berube is obviously a great coach and I hope she stays at Tufts for a long time, not only for their sake, as her presence makes the conference a better one (although opposing schools probably beg to differ). It does make one wonder when speculation will begin about her moving on to a Division I job. Bowdoin was fortunate to have Stephanie Pemper for 10 years, which is probably the most one can hope.
Best of luck to Tufts in the Final 4.

nescacbbrules · March 16, 2015, 11:05:28 AM

Polbear73, Carla Berube is rapidly completing her 13th season as Tufts' head coach in a NESCAC which is highly competitive as compared with the early years when Bowdoin won the first 8 conference titles. Very happy to see a NESCAC team in the Final Four for the 7th consecutive season. Good luck to Coach and her Jumbo team.

Gordonmann, I was fortunate to attend a basketball coaching conference at UCONN in the Fall of 1994. We saw Geno Auriemma's breakdown drills for their triangle offense which the Huskies ran with such precision that season and also witnessed first hand the intensity of their practices. In a continuation drill, the unrelenting all-out physical pressure on outlet passes caused Carla and then FY Nykesha Sales to square off and be separated by teammates. Those who saw those young women compete like that against each other were not surprised to see them win all those games in their magical season.
We also saw Jim Calhoun's practices involving, among others, the Marshalls and a skinny kid named Ray Allen. I great time to be at Storrs.

nescacbbrules · March 20, 2015, 02:48:39 PM

Congratulations to Haley Kanner of Tufts on making the WBCA All-America team. In addition, sophomore Michela North of the Jumbos was named to the Honorable Mention All-America team along with Ellen Cook of Williams, and Shannon Brady and Sarah Binkhorst of Bowdoin. Tremendous individual achievements for each of these fine players from NESCAC. Carla Berube is also a finalist for Coach of the Year.

Now Tufts has to take on undefeated Thomas More and their All-American finalist for Player of the Year, Sydney Moss, in the national semi-finals. Quite a challenge, but Tufts is the team in Grand Rapids with experience from last year's Final Four. A nice piece in the Boston Herald points to this.

http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/college/on_campus/2015/03/tufts_women_get_second_chance_at_division_3_final_four

Let's go Bo's.

bsc73 · April 07, 2015, 06:07:09 PM

sad to see that Jim Murphy retired from coaching at Bates College

gordonmann · April 07, 2015, 10:32:17 PM

I merged the posting about Coach Murphy onto the NESCAC board.

remsleep · April 15, 2015, 02:06:48 PM

of course now we get to see what will happen at Bates....that could be an attractive opportunity for somebody with the ability to out-recruit Shibles and Veilleux...will be VERY interesting to see if Bates thinks a little outside the box in this search...hope they do

amh63 · April 17, 2015, 10:04:41 AM

remsleep.....to compete in the CAC these days, the new coach needs to recruit outside of New England and against ALL the other coaches. Not an easy task....but a necessary one to keep the job. Bates' relative new Prez knows that winning teams means stronger alum dollars, etc. She is a Williams grad and understands the "drill". Wesleyan's new AD set the example after being hired away from Williams as the Football coach....kicked off the school's fundraising and rebuilding of its athletic programs even while rebuilding the football program.
Maybe a little too much reality here but it is happening even in the Ivie today. I have a classmate whose grand daughter is a senior on the Amherst team...a walk on. At homecoming he was troubled that Yale was out recruiting Amherst for his other grand daughter....his daughter is also an alum. I spoke to Meg Robertson to have a chat with the young talented "recruit".

remsleep · April 17, 2015, 10:57:31 AM

maybe if Bates Prez can avoid being sued by former office staff member she'll be able to focus more on basketball hahaha!

amh63 · June 04, 2015, 10:49:06 AM

Bates Has picked a new HBC...a former Maine HS star player, Bowdoin Grad, assist coach at Bowdoin and most recently, an asst. Coach at the Naval Academy. Keeping it in the CAC family, the HBC at the USNA was her coach at Bowdoin. Nice story on the Bobcat website.
New coach was the recruiting coordinator at her former job...but mentioned that she hopes to get the Maine talent based on her background...interesting perspective in the growing WBB competitiveness in the conference.

ronk · June 04, 2015, 01:56:57 PM

Quote from: amh63 on June 04, 2015, 10:49:06 AM
Bates Has picked a new HBC...a former Maine HS star player, Bowdoin Grad, assist coach at Bowdoin and most recently, an asst. Coach at the Naval Academy. Keeping it in the CAC family, the HBC at the USNA was her coach at Bowdoin. Nice story on the Bobcat website.
New coach was the recruiting coordinator at her former job...but mentioned that she hopes to get the Maine talent based on her background...interesting perspective in the growing WBB competitiveness in the conference.

Alison played against Scranton in consecutive NCAA appearances; the 2005 game was a particularly outstanding Elite 8 matchup. As a recruiting competitor, I hope she concentrates on New England prospects now and leaves the Mid-Atlantic for others(Scranton).

polbear73 · June 05, 2015, 09:47:39 AM

I apologize for not having the exact number, but I read recently that there are about 8 or 9 current assistant and head coaches now coaching in Divisions 1 and 3 from the Pemper/Shibles coaching tree.

amh63 · September 16, 2015, 01:39:55 PM

Amherst has finally posted a new assistant coach. No school announcement yet, but pic on website. Amherst WBB site has few updates....tentative schedule,etc. "Long term" former assistant was noted missing all Summer. Amherst's men's new assistant still has his pic missing...but his bio is available. guess Coach G has his own priorities/system.
Awaiting bio info of Pumla Sathula...new assistant with the interesting name.

gordonmann · September 16, 2015, 05:04:37 PM

Pumla was a low post player for GP when he was at Hamilton. She's a South African native and a 1,000 point scorer for the Conts. I remember covering her when Hamilton reached the second round of the NCAA tournament.

Some names just stick with you.

Do a google search for Pumla Sathula and you'll find some cool stuff, including a photo of her from something called Hoop City ("Africa's #1 Basketball Magazine) that I hope is featured prominently on the Amherst website.