WBB: North Coast Athletic Conference

[jscwittfan]

Nice to see Carrie Dyer get an HM nod, especially after the knee injury that ended her season last year.

Best of luck to Denison this weekend.

[David Collinge]

The Big Red go down fighting, but alas they do go down to the defending national champs, 70-53.  Congratulations to Coach Lee and the Big Red on yet another great season, and thanks to all of you women (and men!) that make NCAC women's hoops the great game that it is.  See you in the fall! 

[David Collinge]

Oberlin head coach Christa Champion has resigned.  I don't know if she's leaving the coaching game, but the press release quotes Oberlin AD Joe Karlgaard as wishing her well as she "begins a new chapter in her professional life."  I, too, wish her the best in whatever her future brings, and I also wish Oberlin success in finding a capable replacement.

[David Collinge]

More post-season honors in Gambier:
Congratulations go out to Kenyon senior and NCAC Player of the Year Anne Dugan, who is a finalist for inclusion in the WBCA Coaches' All-America Team.  Five finalists in each of 8 regions were selected, amounting to All-Region teams.  Dugan is one of the Region 6 honorees, along with players from Hope, Thomas More, Wilmington, and Westminster.  Congratulations, Anne!

[David Collinge]

Former Oberlin standout Jessie Oram is now playing basketball with the Warrandyte Venom in Australia.  Her team competes in Div. 1 of Victoria's BigV League, where they just completed the regular season in second place with a 15-5 record.  They are now competing in the league semi-finals, leading the best-of-three series with the Werribee She-Devils 1-0 on the strength of a 62-61 win at Werribee on Saturday.  Jessie has been blogging about her experiences down under, along with fellow Oberlin grad Seth Binder, who is playing baseball in Germany.  It's a very good read (well-written, as you might expect from a couple of Obies) and worth a look.  Good luck to Jessie in the playoffs.

Back in Ohio, Oberlin has hired Kerry Jenkins as the new head women's basketball coach.  Jenkins, a 1996 Amherst grad, was an assistant coach at Vermont for the past three seasons.  He replaces Christa Champion, who resigned following the 2007-08 season, and I wish his every success with the Yeowomen this season.

[David Collinge]

Jessie Oram's Warrandyte Venom reached the championship round in the Big V Division One tournament, but there they were decisively beaten by regular season champs Diamond Valley.  After leading the final game by 8 at the half, they made just five second-half FGs and were outscored 48-18.  Jessie, whose minutes increased in tournament play, contributed 10 points and 10 boards in about 42 minutes over the two-game championship series.  Congratulations to Jessie on a successful campaign down under.

[David Collinge]

Congratulations to 2008 OWU graduate Summer Quesenberry, who has just been named as the assistant coach for the women's basketball program at Vassar College.  The Brewers were just 5-17 last season (1-13 in the Liberty League), but perhaps Summer can take some of that Nan Carney-DeBord magic with her to Poughkeepsie.  Good luck, Summer!

[David Collinge]

Today was Media Day in the NCAC.  Seven of the loop's coaches and sixteen of 20 media members agree that the team to beat is four-time defending conference tournament champion Denison.  Both polls agree that Wittenberg and Ohio Wesleyan will provide the stiffest competition to the Big Red, with defending champion Kenyon tabbed to finish fourth.  While Witt, OWU, and Kenyon each suffered key graduation losses, Denison returns nearly intact with all five starters, three of them all-conference honorees in 2007-08.  The Media Day press release can be found here.

I hope to have a team-by-team preview posted here within the next 10 days or so.  If anyone reading this has any inside information (injuries, key frosh, etc.) that would help my analysis, I'd appreciate a note.  You can PM me on this site, or shoot me an email to dacollinge [at] yahoo [dot] com.  Requests for confidentiality will be scrupulously adhered to. 

EDIT: Here is a brief league preview by Dan Brown of the Wooster Daily Record.

[David Collinge]

NCAC team-by-team preview (part 1):

ALLEGHENY (11-15 overall, 8-8 NCAC, 5th in NCAC last season)
Returning starters: 5
Returning letterwinners: 12

The Gators, winners of the first five NCAC championships, appear to be well-positioned to make a run at their first title since 1989.  The NCAC's top scoring offense from a season ago (69.7 ppg) returns nearly intact, returning over 95% of their scoring, rebounding, assists, and minutes.  Three of those returnees were all-NCAC performers a season ago, including do-everything senior Stephanie Wolf (11.0 PPG, 5.8 RPG), who led the loop in steals and was third in assists in 2007-08 while earning first-team all-NCAC accolades.  The NCAC's best full-season three-point shooter, junior Brittany Bell (.466, 10.1 PPG), returns, as does junior Emilie Simone, the team's leading scorer (11.8 PPG) and second rebounder (5.2 RPG).  The vertically-challenged Gators were the NCAC's worst rebounding team (33.7 RPG) last season, but help is on the way from 5'11" frosh Liz McMichael and 6'0" junior forward Lauren Donahoe, a transfer from D-1 St. Francis (PA), where she saw action in 26 games last season, starting two.   Head coach Kate Costanzo, who served as the interim coach last season, has laid out a difficult slate for her Gators, with but three non-conference home games overall and just one home game between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day—and that game is against defending conference champion Kenyon. 

Projected starters:
G Hilary Collins (5'6" senior)
G Laura Magnelli (5'8" sophomore)
G Brittany Bell (5'6" junior)
G/F Stephanie Wolf (5'8" senior)
F/C Emilie Simone (5'9" junior)


DENISON (18-11, 11-5, 4th)
Returning starters: 5
Returning letterwinners: 10

Deep, experienced, tall, and talented, the four-time defending tournament champions enter the 2008-09 campaign as the conference favorites, according to both the coaches and media.  All five starters return, including three-time all-NCAC performer Carolyn Simpson, who was in the conference's top 5 in scoring (12.8, 5th), rebounding (8.4, 2nd), FG% (.517, 3rd), and blocks (1.93, 1st) last season.  The Big Red's potent offense (68.0 PPG) will again be led by two-time all-NCAC honoree and conference assist leader (5.24) Ellen O'Brien.   One of O'Brien's targets will be sophomore Haley Dahlgard, the NCAC's co-Newcomer of the Year last season and, at 6'1" with a team-leading 50 treys, a true inside/outside threat.  Overall, 88% of the offense and 91% of the rebounding return, with the missing points and boards belonging chiefly to role players and so-called "garbage time."  As if all that weren't enough, the Big Red add 5'6" senior guard Caitlin Graessle, a transfer from Capital who averaged 9.6 PPG as a starter for the 20-7 Crusaders a season ago.  Six frosh also join the program, looking to find a way to elbow into a senior-dominated roster that appears poised to make yet another run at the conference title. 

Projected starters:
G Ellen O'Brien (5'5" senior)
G Caitlin Graessle (5'6" senior)
W Sarah Perrine (5'8" senior)
W Haley Dahlgard (6'1" sophomore)
P Carolyn Simpson (6'1" senior)


EARLHAM (4-22, 3-13, T7th)
Returning starters: 3
Returning letterwinners: 5

Earlham had a tough season last year, playing just nine women, one of whom (leading scorer Shontavia Davis) missed the final 11 games of the campaign.  Just five of those players return this season, although the Quakers' lone all-conference honoree, senior forward Tasha Merrill (12.0 PPG, 4.8 RPG), is among them.  Joining Merrill are senior guard Tracy Hill, the NCAC's leading offensive rebounder (3.8 per game) despite standing just 5'6", and junior guard Jayana Sims, whose 3.8 assists and 2.2 steals per game were good for fourth and third in the NCAC, respectively.  The four departing players take with them 50% of the scoring, 39% of the rebounding, and 42% of the minutes played, which means that the nine frosh who join the program this year will have plenty of opportunities to make an immediate impact. 

Projected starters:
G Jayana Sims (5'4" junior)
G Katy Buda (5'4" junior)
G/F Tracy Hill (5'6" senior)
F Tasha Merrill (5'11" senior)
C Erin Litchfield (5'9" frosh)

[David Collinge]

NCAC team-by-team preview (part 2):

HIRAM (5-20, 3-13, T7th)
Returning starters: 3
Returning letterwinners: 8

Hiram opens the season with a roster of just 10 women, looking to replace 43% of the offense and 35% of the rebounding from last season.  Head coach Andrea Preston played a very deep bench last season, with 11 women averaging double figures in minutes played.  Six of those eleven return for the 2008-09 campaign, and all six started at least 4 games last year.  Hiram will rely on that experience, as among the missing is senior Staphanie Zunic, a second-team all-NCAC performer.  The top returnee is junior guard Brittany Mayle, who led the team in scoring at 11.0 PPG and is coming off an injury that cost the second half of her sophomore season.  She'll be joined by juniors Alex Dellas (6.8 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 17 starts), Karris Kandel (2.4 PPG, 2.7 RPG, 15 starts), and Ashley Drum (5.2 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 7 starts) and sophomore Caitlyn Ruese (5.4 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 10 starts).  With no seniors and just two first-years, the days of the long bench appear to be over in Hiram.

Projected starters:
G Brittany Mayle (5'8" junior)
G Karris Kandel (5'7" junior)
F Caitlyn Ruese (5'11" sophomore)
F Alex Dellas (6'0" junior)
F Ashley Drum (6'0" junior)


KENYON (20-7, 16-0, 1st)
Returning starters: 1
Returning letterwinners: 8

Behind six seniors, Kenyon had a magical run through the conference season last year.  Without those six seniors, four of them all-NCAC performers, the Ladies enter a new chapter in their history.  The eight returning letterwomen bring with them just 22% of last year's offense, 39% of the rebounding, and 20% of the assists, as well as just 29% of the playing time.  The lone returning starter is junior Laurel Stokes, who will team up in the backcourt with sophomore Kat Powers to try to fill the very large shoes left behind by Alisha Moreno and Hilary Gowins, both multiple-time all-conference performers.  An even taller task (no pun intended) falls to sophomore Kathleen Williams, who along with juniors Rachel Levy and Laura Goehrke must find a way to replace NCAC Player of the Year Anne Dugan and her running mate Eva George.  Eight frosh join the program, and several of them are likely to be called upon to contribute in their first year.  Another addition to the program is new assistant coach Katy Zeanah, a three-time first team all-NCAC performer, returning to Gambier after two years in her native New Orleans.

Projected starters:
G Laurel Stokes (5'9" junior)
G Kat Powers (5'8" sophomore)
P Kathleen Williams (5'10" sophomore)
P Rachel Levy (6'0" junior)
P Laura Goehrke (6'1" junior)


OBERLIN (5-21, 4-12, 6th)
Returning starters: 4
Returning letterwinners: 10

New head coach Kerry Jenkins inherits a team on the rise, one that has moved up in terms of wins and conference standing each of the past three years, and one that returns nearly intact.  The Yeowomen must replace all-NCAC honoree and leading scorer Roneisha Kinney (11.2 PPG, 9.0 RPG), but all other key contributors return.  Oberlin will be led by senior guard Alyssa Clark, the conference's only returning 1,000-point career scorer (1,045 career points, 10.6 PPG, 7.4 RPG, 3.2 APG last season).  Aside from Clark, the Yeowomen return 8 players who averaged 9.0 minutes per game or better last season, including junior guard Alicia Smith, whose 31.3 minutes per game ranked third in the NCAC.  Three seniors rejoin the team after taking off last season to focus on their studies; these include 6'3" January Baker and 6'0" Maggie Casey, who will team with 6'3" junior Fran Holoman and 5'11" junior Emily Chu Finkel in trying to replace Kinney in the post.  With recruiting no doubt disrupted by the coaching change, Oberlin has just one newcomer (5'7" guard Rhianna Rey), but with lots of experienced players, the Yeowomen should be deep enough to continue to climb towards the top half of the conference.

Projected starters:
G Alyssa Clark (5'8" senior)
G Alicia Smith (5'5" junior)
G Syrea Thomas (5'5" sophomore)
F Liz Thompson (5'9" junior)
C Fran Holoman (6'3" junior)

[David Collinge]

NCAC team-by-team preview (part 3):

OHIO WESLEYAN (18-8, 12-4, T2nd)
Returning starters: 1
Returning letterwinners: 7

OWU enters the season having to replace six key contributors who collectively provided 54% of the scoring, 57% of the rebounds, and 84% of the assists, as well as 61% of the playing time and 80% of the starts.  The lone returning starter, NCAC co-Newcomer of the Year Kayla Gordon, leads a group of four returnees that averaged at least 10 minutes per game in Nan Carney-DeBord's deep rotation.  As a first-year, Gordon was the Bishops' second-leading scorer at 10.6 PPG, and recorded the fourth-best FG% in the NCAC (.502).  Looking to feed her the ball will be PG Pam Quigney, who is also a threat to just shoot it from downtown; she connected on 42.5% of her treys last season, fifth-best in the conference.  This is a young team, with just one senior and two juniors.  Eight frosh join the program, with several of them expected to provide immediate contributions.  The top plebes to watch appear to be 5'9" wing Lea Mackenbach, 5'8" guard Lisa Wall, a hometown girl, and 6'0" post Dany Finck.

Projected starters:
G Pam Quigney (5'6" sophomore)
W Rachel Seibel (5'7" junior)
W Tyler Cordell (5'11" sophomore)
P Katie Hamilton (6'0" senior)
P Kayla Gordon (5'11" sophomore)


WITTENBERG (15-11, 12-4, T2nd)
Returning starters: 3
Returning letterwinners: 10

Newly promoted head coach Sarah Jurewicz (she was the interim coach last season) enters her second season with a lot of experienced players, but trying to find a way to replace one of the best players in Tiger history, three-time all-NCAC honoree Katie Gregorevich.  Gregorevich exchanged her team-leading 15.9 PPG and 7.0 RPG for a diploma this spring, leaving the paint to junior all-NCAC post Stephanie Boardman, whose .638 FG% set a new school and conference record.  The Tigers have plenty of experience outside the paint, including all-conference performer Carrie Dyer (8.2 PPG, 4.2 RPG) on the wing.  Wittenberg has the luxury of two experienced point guards in Victoria Leali, who is recovering from a torn ACL suffered in February, and Kristin Donawerth.  Overall the returning Tiger veterans accounted for 58% of the scoring, 62% of the rebounds, 67% of the assists, and two-thirds of the playing time.  Eight frosh join the program, bringing the pre-season roster to 22 players—Wittenberg is perhaps the only NCAC program to run a junior varsity. 

Projected starters:
G Kristin Donawerth (5'6" senior)
W Elise Jenkins (5'7" junior)
W Carrie Dyer (5'9" junior)
W Katherine Hueter (5'11" sophomore)
P Stephanie Boardman (5'11" junior)


WOOSTER (6-19, 3-13, T7th)
Returning starters: 4
Returning letterwinners: 7

Wooster, losers of their last nine games in 2007-08, figures to be much improved in 2008-09.  The perennially young Scots return four starters, including junior guard Kym Wenz.  Despite missing the final 12 games of last year's campaign, Wenz led the NCAC is scoring (17.5) and is one of the top three-point shooting threats in the nation (.523 last season, which would have been second-best in D3 had she qualified statistically.)  Complimenting Wenz will be the Scots' two returning all-NCAC performers, senior G Meredith Wilson and junior C Kaitlin Krister.  Both Wilson and Krister stepped up when Wenz went down, contributing more than 51% of the offense down the stretch.  Overall, the Scots return 84% of the offense and 81% of the rebounding, including the top five scorers and rebounders, although junior Taylor Keegan (6.7 PPG, 3.2 RPG) will miss the fall semester while she studies abroad.  Wooster must find a way to replace the production of PG Priscilla Staples (2.6 APG, 1.12 A/TO), although junior Colleen Goodwillie (1.9 APG, 1.07 A/TO) appears to more than capable of leading what could be a fairly potent offense.  The Scots add ten first-year players, including 6'2" Christina Cruce and four others standing 5'9" or taller.

Projected starters:
G Colleen Goodwillie (5'6" junior)
G Kym Wenz (5'7" junior)
G Meredith Wilson (5'9" senior)
F Becca Hartsock (5'8" junior)
C Kaitlin Krister (6'0" junior)

[David Collinge]

My pre-season predictions:
1.  Denison
2.  Wittenberg
3.  Allegheny
4.  Ohio Wesleyan
5.  Kenyon
6.  Wooster
7.  Oberlin
8.  Earlham
9.  Hiram

All-conference first team:
Stephanie Wolf, Allegheny
Ellen O'Brien, Denison
Carolyn Simpson, Denison
Alyssa Clark, Oberlin
Kayla Gordon, Ohio Wesleyan
Carrie Dyer, Wittenberg
Stephanie Boardman, Wittenberg
Kym Wenz, Wooster

For comparison's sake, here's the coaches and media polls:
Coaches:
1. Denison
2. Wittenberg
3. OWU
4. Kenyon
5. Allegheny
6. Wooster
7. Hiram
8. Oberlin
9. Earlham
Media:
1. Denison
2. Wittenberg
3. OWU
4. Kenyon
5. Allegheny
6. Wooster
7. Oberlin
8. Hiram
9. Earlham

Good luck to all of the coaches and players!

[David Collinge]

• Allegheny, weather permitting, will welcome Waynesburg, Mt. Union, and Fredonia St. to their National City Tip-Off Tournament.  Tonight the Gators face the Yellow Jackets, with MUC taking on Fredonia.  The winners and losers pair off tomorrow.
• Denison meets Juniata at the Wilmington Inn/Damon's Tip Off Tournament.  The Big Red will take on host Wilmington or Geneseo St. tomorrow.
• Earlham travels upstate to Angola to face Trine (f/k/a Tri-State) in their Tip-Off Classic.  Tomorrow the Quakers will take on either Ohio Northern or Franklin.
• Hiram, the only NCAC squad not participating in a tournament this weekend, makes the short, snowy trip to face Ursuline College.
• Kenyon opens their season at the Holiday Inn Classic, where they will face host Washington & Jefferson tonight and either Rowan or Otterbein tomorrow afternoon.
• Ohio Wesleyan will participate in Anderson College's Tip Off Tournament, facing St. Mary's (IN) tonight and either Anderson or Robert Morris (IL) tomorrow.  (Please don't ask me which Robert Morris that is!)
• Wittenberg, the only crew smart enough to escape this early winter, travels to Raleigh, NC to face Salem College tonight and either host Peace College or Wesleyan tomorrow.
• Oberlin will help inaugurate Macalester College's Leonard Center by facing Whitman College tomorrow and the host Scots on Sunday.
• Wooster pays their annual tribute a former coach and women's sports pioneer by hosting the 13th Nan Nichols Classic.  Tomorrow they will face Pitt-Bradford, and will square off Sunday vs. either Bethany (WV) or Manchester.

Good luck--and safe travels--to all!

EDIT:  Here's the results--NCAC goes 4-3 on the evening:
Wittenberg 95, Salem 66...Tigers will play Peace tomorrow
Washington & Jefferson 67, Kenyon 44...Ladies will play Otterbein tomorrow
St. Mary's 70, OWU 60...Bishops face Anderson tomorrow
Allegheny 50, Waynesburg 49...Gators host Mt. Union tomorrow
Denison 70, Juniata 55...Big Red take on Wilmington tomorrow
Hiram 61, Ursuline 59
Trine 83, Earlham 40...Quakers tackle Franklin tomorrow

[David Collinge]

Today's results:
Mt. Union 74, Allegheny 63
Wilmington 88, Denison 62
Franklin 85, Earlham 58
Otterbein 67, Kenyon 54
Whitman 75, Oberlin 36
Anderson 69, OWU 62
Wittenberg 69, Peace 54
Wooster 77, Pitt-Bradford 71

Tomorrow's games:
Oberlin at Macalester
Manchester at Wooster

[David Collinge]

Today's results:
Macalester 85, Oberlin 43
Manchester 64, Wooster 60

Seven teams in action on Tuesday:
Allegheny at Washington & Jefferson
Denison at Muskingum
Bluffton at Earlham
Capital at Kenyon
John Carroll at Oberlin
Ohio Wesleyan at Franklin
Wittenberg at Ohio Northern