WBB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[bblover]

A couple of random thoughts. In the ESPN preseason NCAA Division I men's poll for last season (2010-11), the eventual champion, University of Connecticut, cannot be found anywhere, even in the category of others receiving votes. Also a year ago, preseason polls had MSU as number 2 behind Duke. MSU finished 19-15 and were lucky to make the tournament. Predicting NCAA Division III, with a lot less information available, has to be much more difficult. Good luck to anyone that tries.

With this in mind (lol), I will give my thoughts on the CCIW women (2011-12) this season. Be warned, I openly admit that almost all of you regular bloggers know a lot more than I do about current rosters. I expect Millikin and IWU to fight it out with Carthage and Wheaton following. I suspect the difference between the top 4 teams and the bottom 4 will be substantial even though a couple of the bottom teams seem to making positive strides.

I would also like to comment on IWU's basketball schedule. IWU typically schedules very tough opponents for their pre-CCIW games, at least for the last several years; it is not just this year. Every year, I get the impression that Mia Smith's primary focus is not just on making the tournament by winning the CCIW, she is aiming to be national D3 champions. It seems pretty clear that she believes that tough opponents throughout the season help get her team ready. Keep in mind that this year's schedule was made a couple of years ago.

Good luck to all the teams, coaches and players.

[Wydown Blvd.]

Carthage and Wheaton aren't unusual in this regard.  None of the voting coaches on the panel played Babson, Calvin, Lebanon Valley, UW-Stevens Point, Mount Union or Bowdoin last year.  Certainly or two may have seen one or two of these schools at tournaments, playing other teams on tape, etc.  But I think we've got a better chance at getting that kind of indirect information with 25 voters, some of whom have a lot of freedom to see different teams from different conferences throughout the season. 

A coach would have seen one or two of those??? I disagree. A coach from each region would definitely have seen the top-level from that region at a minimum... A coach could see a team play if they had common opponents, if they were close within an NCAA bracket (on tape or live), or if they played in the tournament near their area. For example, of the schools you mentioned, Fahey would have seen UWSP, Carthage, Calvin, Babson, Bowdoin, and Wheaton -- and probably MU.

Additionally, considering that basically the same teams are continuously in the tournament year after year, there is certainly tons of familiarity with programs and the talent that they are bringing back.

[gordonmann]

Maybe I'm totally underestimating how many teams coaches monitor. 

In my conversations with coaches, many have a good sense for the teams they've played but not for those they haven't.  I've had coaches that vote in other national polls -- not the WBCA poll -- ask me what I think of other teams in their region and the adjacent ones because they've never seen them and don't know what to make of their record.

However, I did say that Fahey was likely to have some familiarity with Carthage and Wheaton. And I'm aware that she's played Mount Union and other teams in prior years. But I don't know why Fahey, who has a brutal schedule of her own to work through, would watch a lot of film on Bowdoin or even Babson, understanding the Beavers played Brandeis last year.

Even if Fahey has done so, I think she's the exception to the rule in a lot of ways. She's got a record of success and knows there's a chance that the Bears will play some of these teams in the NCAA tournament.  Her team plays a national schedule so she'll see a good sample of teams around the country by virtue of reviewing film from the other UAA teams. The same is true of Coach Scheible of Rochester, who's also on the voting panel.  Plus she's got a big coaching staff that would help her break down film. 

I don't think the same is true of all coaches on the WBCA panel.  For example, I'd be surprised if the coach for St. Joseph's (Conn.) has a lot of time or incentive to break down film on Carthage, Wheaton or George Fox.  Honestly, I'm not sure why she'd even watch much film on Amherst or Bowdoin since the Bluejays have never made the NCAA tournament and aren't likely to cross paths with those teams.  If you look at the schedules for some of the WBCA, they are very regional in scope.  Again, look at the Lewis & Clark schedule. What incentive or opportunity does that coach have watch film on Top 25 teams off the pacific coast?

All of that said, please don't interpret my comments to mean these coaches are uninformed or don't have valid and valuable opinions. And even if the WBCA coaches have only seen a couple teams that are nationally ranked, I trust these coaches to have very solid, informed opinions.  I've even talked to a couple of them in the past and solicited their opinion for my D3hoops ballot.

But, in my opinion, if the D3hoops has a couple voters in a region and the WBCA panel has one, we have a better chance of having more "knowledge" (to use the word IWU70 did) about a team than the WBCA panel does.

[Pat Coleman]

Our poll has three voters from each region, except for the East, which has just two because of its size. New England has four.

[Wydown Blvd.]

Our poll has three voters from each region, except for the East, which has just two because of its size. New England has four.

D3hoops poll is the best, I just though gordonmann was underestimating how much of other teams coaches can see. Sometimes it's not who you play but who your opponents play. But of course, a lot of the WBCA voting would still be based on word of mouth and familiarity with the programs.

However, I did say that Fahey was likely to have some familiarity with Carthage and Wheaton. And I'm aware that she's played Mount Union and other teams in prior years. But I don't know why Fahey, who has a brutal schedule of her own to work through, would watch a lot of film on Bowdoin or even Babson, understanding the Beavers played Brandeis last year.

Definitely not a lot of film, but WUSTL would probably have seen the play of Bowdoin (NESCAC finals film v Amherst) and definitely Babson (NCAA tournament film against Amherst) and Mount Union (NCAAs vs. Thomas More).

With that being said, D3hoops is the best poll... hands down.

[gordonmann]

Good point. I hadn't thought about some of those opponents' opponents.

[RogK]

The Augie girls are up to their usual trouble-making :
http://www.augustana.edu/x37271.xml

[RogK]

One factor that made Wheaton so good last year was they almost always had 3 or 4 players on the floor who could hit an outside shot, so they could score even when the opponents clogged the lane defensively.
They will have the same advantage this year, maybe better. The new roster shows that Lissie McAlvey and Jennifer Lee are back. Both were on the team a couple of years ago and will add more to the Thunder's outside shooting depth. I recall both of 'em being good all-around players.
Laura Karsten and Lee are not in the team picture; I'm guessing it's because they are on the soccer team and missed the photo session.

[iwu70]

Kudos to the Viking women for their work with Habitat! 

IWU70

[Backseat Driver]

One factor that made Wheaton so good last year was they almost always had 3 or 4 players on the floor who could hit an outside shot, so they could score even when the opponents clogged the lane defensively.
They will have the same advantage this year, maybe better. The new roster shows that Lissie McAlvey and Jennifer Lee are back. Both were on the team a couple of years ago and will add more to the Thunder's outside shooting depth. I recall both of 'em being good all-around players.

Here's a full preview for the Thunder: http://athletics.wheaton.edu/news/2011/11/2/WBB_pre.aspx

I will say this about Wheaton: if healthy, this team has a chance to be very, very good. As coach Madsen said in the preview, health is the biggest question mark, especially in the post. If Maris Hovee is healthy and the freshmen are able to learn and contribute quickly, this team will be very dangerous. Elisabeth Potts will also be key to the success of the Thunder frontcourt.

The post play will be tested early with matchups against St. Mary's (Nov. 15) and Chicago (Nov. 30). Both of those teams gave Wheaton a lot of problems last season and return pretty much everybody.

Laura Karsten and Lee are not in the team picture; I'm guessing it's because they are on the soccer team and missed the photo session.

Yep, that's exactly right. The soccer team plays Illinois Wesleyan tomorrow night at 7 in the CCIW tournament championship game at Joe Bean Stadium.

[iwu70]

IWU Women scrimmage on Sunday 2 p.m. at the IWU Basketball "Fan Fest" -- at The Shirk.  Also a 3 point shooting contest, dunking contest by the men and the full 40-minute men's Green/White game at 3 p.m.   Come on out! 

Good luck to the Titan women vs. Wheaton in the CCIW tourney soccer final on Saturday.  Hope they can finally get over the hump and beat Wheaton this year!!!  AQ at stake. 

And, good luck to all the athletes and coaching staffs as they begin the upcoming basketball season.   Should be very exciting. 

IWU70

[iwu70]

Watched the IWU scrimmage today as part of Fan Fest. 

Impressions:

Returnees are very good -- Olivia Lett and Britt Hasselbring.  Doing their things.  Melissa Gardner also had a pretty good day.
Quite impressed with Lexi Baltes and Katy Seibring.  Ms. Seibring had a wonderful day shooting, hitting numerous 3s.  Good range.
Titans will struggle with rebounding and interior D, speed by the front court players against stronger teams. 
Hope Karen Solari can return and toughen up this part of the floor for the Titans.
With loss of the seniors of the last year, one notices that the overall footspeed is not as key a part of ths Titan squad as before. 
Didn't see any of the "run and jump" today, though I'm sure that is still in Mia Smith's arsenal, the Titans being the Titans.
Good luck to all the team members and to the coaching staff -- wishing everyone another very successful season . . .
And good health to all, esp. Coach Smith.
Looking forward to the season.

IWU70

[Backseat Driver]

Season openers:

Nov. 15
Millikin @ UW-Platteville, 6 p.m.
Wheaton @ St. Mary's (Ind.), 6:30 p.m.
Elmhurst vs. Coe, 7 p.m.
North Central @ Dominican, 7 p.m.
North Park vs. Benedictine,7 p.m.
Carthage vs. St. Norbert, 7:30, p.m.

Nov. 16
Augustana vs. Monmouth, 7:30 p.m.

Nov 18
Illinois Wesleyan vs. Coe @ UW-Eau Claire, 6 p.m.

[RogK]

Carthage fell at Div I Marquette in Milwaukee, 64-38. Their 14 pt, 19 TO first half did 'em in. Judging from the Marquette roster, the Lady Reds were significantly out-heighted.
Diana Jacklin, one of our top CCIW players, did fairly well : 10 pts, 8 rebs, 2 steals, a block and only 1 TO in 27:00.
Both teams had rather crummy shooting numbers.

[Backseat Driver]

Elmhurst preview: http://elmhurstbluejays.com/news/2011/11/3/WBB_1103113124.aspx