WBB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[RogK]

The composite '09-'10 schedule has been posted:
http://www.cciw.org/winter_bball_w/0910_WBBComposite.htm

[Gregory Sager]

The composite '09-'10 schedule has been posted:
http://www.cciw.org/winter_bball_w/0910_WBBComposite.htm

Double-check it carefully to make sure that your favorite team's games are all listed. I've already found a game that the composite schedule is missing: Trinity International @ North Park on Saturday, December 12 at 2 pm.

[badgerbimmer]

One last thing on this topic- I was taking a look at rosters for returners and I think it's also worth mentioning that Augie had a DI transfer that they lost a week or two before their first game. I don't know if it was injury or what, but her name is Gabi Hungerford. I found it in the augie media guide. You can bet that she would have made a difference.
Finally, I don't think it's up to any of us to criticize any coach too harshly. They aren't out there criticizing how we do our jobs. There's a good crop of young coaches in the league who I would have to bet are hitting the recruiting trail harder and working longer hours than those before them. I choose to support them so we'll just have to agree to disagree Old Pro.

Gabi Hungerford won't be at Augie this year. She is listed as a 2009/10 recruit for the Madison Area Technical College.

[RogK]

Cecily Aldridge, Kaitlin Brassil, Brooke Carlson (the only senior), Julia Robert, Bethany Wellbaum, Elise Wildman (the only junior) and Crystal Zeigler are the returning players for Millikin, as listed on the new Big Blue roster.
To them, add 16 newcomers. That should keep the coaches busy.
I expect they'll be a pretty good team.

[RogK]

The new IWU roster is up: 17 players, including 5 newcomers (all freshmen).
Nine Titans are 5' 10" or taller.

[RogK]

Augustana's new roster has been posted.
They list 23, including 7 freshmen.
As has been discussed here before, they have a few things to work on. Shooting a higher composite two-point FG pct has to be a primary goal.

[RogK]

Carthage's roster is up, as of yesterday.
Three potential returning players from last year's team aren't : Erika Share, Kaela Munster and Katherine Burshiem. Good luck to each of them as they go forth academically.
Fifteen players are there. The Lady Reds will do well, with several returning regulars, plus many others who were impressive in the summer games.
They will have to wait on Drewann Pancratz, who is currently starring on the excellent volleyball team. She was recently conference player of the week.

[Mr. Ypsi]

I suppose I could wait 'til practice even begins , but, what the heck - expectations on the season!

I don't think I'll step on any toes saying IWU has the single best player returning in Christina Solari.  But what a group they graduated!

Only a fool (or mindless fan - to which I plead only partially guilty! ) would expect another 30-1 record (though 2 more games total would be great! 8)), but are they even still the favorites?  The bench seemed pretty strong, but there are some mighty big shoes to fill.

Unless I hear compelling arguments otherwise, I'll assume they are (which doesn't mean squat - the 2005-06 men's Titans were probably the most prohibitive favorites since the 1950s Wheaton teams, and didn't win).  Who are the likely challengers?  (I'm guessing Lyndsie Long's Elmhurst team oughta be good, but admit to a lack of knowledge of all but the 'superstar' players among the CCIW women.)

[Gregory Sager]

Unless I hear compelling arguments otherwise, I'll assume they are (which doesn't mean squat - the 2005-06 men's Titans were probably the most prohibitive favorites since the 1950s Wheaton teams, and didn't win)

Nope. Early '70s Augie men's teams, mid-'70s IWU men's teams, and -- especially -- the late '70s NPC teams were just as much "prohibitive favorites" as the '05-'06 IWU men's team, if not more so. And, while I haven't researched it at length, there may have been years when either the Wheaton or the Millikin women's team was an out-and-out, hands-down, no-questions-asked prohibitive favorite, since those two programs have dominated the CCIW from very early on.

[RogK]

North Central and Wheaton have posted new rosters.
NC's is surprising, since prominent players Meghan McGuire (3rd team all-CCIW) and Jessica Davis are not listed. In fact, only two Cardinals are back from last year, Jackie Errico and Brittany James.
NC has 13 newcomers, ranging from 5'3" to 6'3".
Wheaton's dozen includes five newcomers. Laura Karsten, who joined after soccer last year and did quite well, will apparently not be back (but is still playing soccer).

[Gregory Sager]

The CCIW website will host an online chat with the league's head coaches on both the men's side and the women's side on Wednesday, October 28. The women's coaches go first, followed by the men's coaches, with the preseason poll of the sport in question announced at the conclusion of that sport's chat. The league did the same thing with the football head coaches this fall, and it was pretty interesting. It's as close as we're ever likely to come to the preseason press conferences that D1 leagues hold.

[RogK]

The coaches voted this morning and arrived at this preseason forecast:
Illinois Wesleyan
Carthage
Elmhurst
Wheaton
Millikin
North Central
Augustana
North Park
-- I can't argue with that prediction, although I'd switch Augie and NC, since NC will be so reliant on newcomers.
There will be a lot of playing time for new players throughout the league, so quite a few of them have a chance to have significant impact.
Very little information was revealed in the coaches' on-line chat. Wheaton's Lissie McAlvey and Laura Karsten each have season-ending injuries (knee, I think).

[Old Hoosier Baller]

I attempted to log into the chat, but my office computer would not cooperate.  From what I observed during summer league along with my knowledge of the rosters, I believe that the top three picks could be in any order in the first three spots.  It should be a very competitive season at the top, and I agree that many newcomers and sophomores will make big impacts this season for the stronger teams.

[RogK]

Elmhurst and North Park now have rosters posted, so all eight teams' personnel are known.
OHB, your last post included your expectation that IWU, Carthage and Elmhurst will all have a shot at winning the conference.
Similarly, I'm hoping that all eight CCIW teams will have a reasonable chance to compete in any game. That wasn't true last year, but maybe the substantial influx of new talent throughout the league will allow it this time.
IWU is still the favorite, in my view; anyone who thinks they can beat them had better be working on ways the get through IWU's press, which can destroy a team that can't pass the ball quickly.

[jshoops]

Anyone headed to the IWU -DePaul exhibition game this (11/6/) Friday's 5:30 game at McGrath Arena?  I would like to see what IWU can do against a D-I team.  Jim