WBB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[RogK]

The annual coaches chat happens Wednesday in the a.m.
http://www.cciw.org/news/2012/10/17/MBB_1017122856.aspx
They will probably also do their standings forecast.

[iwu70]

Preseason poll . . . coming soon.

I'd bet:  IWU, CC, EC, MU, WC, NP, NCC and AC . . . in that order.

In a few days, we will know.

IWU70

[Backseat Driver]

Preseason poll . . . coming soon.

I'd bet:  IWU, CC, EC, MU, WC, NP, NCC and AC . . . in that order.

In a few days, we will know.

IWU70

This is the first I've really thought about the season, and looking at the field I don't think that any team is a "sure thing" going into this season. Seems like every team has significant shoes to fill.

[iwu70]

Yes, lots of questions, new combinations, and new, untested talent coming into the season.  IWU will be quicker, smaller, perhaps relying even more on "run and jump" and a high percentage from the trey line.  Key will be post play, rebounding and a new-found identity, toughness for this new group.  As I have posted here earlier, I think they will be very very good -- the departure of Olivia Lett, Britt Hasselbring and Karen Solari notwithstanding.  Reload . . .rely on, build on the strong traditions of the past 5-6 years and the good coaching of Mia Smith.  I'm very optimistic for the new season.

IWU70

[RogK]

Olivia Lett made her debut over in Spain last Saturday :
http://www.eurobasket.com/boxScores/Spain/2012/1020_7967_8104.asp
She did muy buena!

[Titan Q]

Preseason Coaches Poll and chat transcript...

http://www.cciw.org/news/2012/10/23/WBB_1023120646.aspx

[Titan Q]

Olivia Lett made her debut over in Spain last Saturday :
http://www.eurobasket.com/boxScores/Spain/2012/1020_7967_8104.asp
She did muy buena!

IWU fans need to realize how incredibly difficult it will be the replace Olivia Lett's production.  She was a DI player playing in Division III -- a virtually impossible matchup for opponents.

[Gregory Sager]

I've watched part of one NPU practice thus far, and it's good to finally see a decent amount of size on the floor. Seems like NPU's continually been undersized for about a decade or so. Of course, quantity isn't the same as quality, which is another way of saying that the Vikings as a team are going to have to find a way to replace Roxxie Jones's contributions in terms of inside points, rebounding, and defense.

One key to the season for the Park will be Kamauria Acree. Last season she looked like she was still suffering from the aftereffects of her ACL tear. She appeared to be a step slower, and she lacked the explosion she'd demonstrated as an All-CCIW player her freshman year. The other problem last year was that, since NPU didn't have many players who could play inside, Kamauria was asked to play a lot of power forward, where she had a hard time asserting herself amongst all the trees. This year she should be back on the perimeter, where she should thrive the way that she did as a freshman.

[iwu70]

Congrats to Olivia Lett on her pro debut.  Super duper.  Wow! 

Q is quite right that it will be virtually impossible to replace a player like Olivia this year . . . the new edition of the Titans will have to find a new scoring balance, a new identity especially on offense, and utilize their other many and varied strengths to find a new kind of winning formula.   My own view is that Baltes is every bit as good as Hasslbring, and Gardner will need to score more, find her places, open looks at the trey line more often, something like the year Kory Coon was so prolific at the trey line.  I'll bet Melissa will be running off screens alot this year.  And, key will be more balanced, productive scoring from Jackson and other IWU bigs this year, and how much, how fast the new bigs develop in interior defense, rebounding and finding that nasty edge so helpful, so associated with Karen Solari in her prime last year.  I think Whitney Scurlock may have alot to contribute in this regard, with rebounding and boundless energy.  We'll see who else develops and steps up this season -- could be Brown, Seibring . . . just don't know yet.  Titans have alot of talent on the perimeter and with experience and excellent foot-speed.  No doubt about that with Bilek, McMahon, Baltes, Gardner, Reaber etc.  Should be interesting to see how Mia puts it all together for another good season. 

IWU70 

[RogK]

A fully healthy Kamauria Acree definitely makes NP better, Greg.
They need her, or somebody, to get out on the break and get them some easy baskets. When they are "patient" on offense, allowing the defense to set up, they had scoring droughts. This is what I remember from the handful of games I attended. You saw more, so correct me if my impression is flawed.
The stats show that they made fewer than 4 threes per game, which I think could be described as a deficiency in today's game. Annie Shain's injury didn't help (she hit 16 of 40 threes); Sarah Peterson's 3FG shooting fell off (she did very good, 35/93, in '10-'11). Dana Christensen has been extremely steady season-to-season. Anyway, I still say NP's opponents need reason not to clog the lane defensively against the Vikings.
Would you concur with that, Greg, or do you see it another way?

[Gregory Sager]

I don't think that pace is the basic issue regarding NPU's inability to score, Rog. The problem is simply a lack of good shooting. You're correct to reference Annie Shain's injury as one of the obstacles (and she's suffered another knee injury in preseason practice this month, which makes her potential contribution this season questionable), as well as Sarah Peterson's dropoff in that regard. But it really comes down to NPU not being able to make shots no matter where the Vikings happen to be on the court -- inside, midrange, or outside -- and it's a team-wide issue.

Last season NPU ranked last in the league in points scored in CCIW play, as well as next-to-last in FT percentage and dead last in trey percentage. The Vikes were a comparatively "solid" sixth in FG percentage, but that's largely because they had Roxxie Jones taking more shots than anyone else, and she was a close-in shooter who was one of only four women in the league who made better than half of their shots in CCIW action last season.

NPU has a well-deserved reputation for playing hard, steady defense. But the Vikings just haven't been able to put the ball in the basket at all the past few seasons, and that's gotta change in a big way if NPU hopes to make the upper division of the CCIW this season.

[Pat Coleman]

The D3hoops.com women's basketball preseason Top 25 is out:

http://www.d3hoops.com/notables/2012/10/womens-preseason-top-25

[RogK]

Researching all the teams and thinking about who's going to have a great season is no doubt a fun exercise.
I just hope that once the season gets going, the preseason rankings get shredded and are completely re-thought once some teams are 4-0 or 5-0.
Getting back to North Park : this season will be as good as any for them to have a reasonable shot at advancing upward in the conference standings. A lot of teams (not Carthage, not IWU) could conceivably have a setback or two while reconstituting themselves after losing very good seniors. On the other hand, no one who has been in the midsection of the standings is interested in sinking, so it's not easy to escape the lower rungs of the league. I may sound extra critical of North Park; part of that is because I'd like the team nearest to me (3 miles from my abode) to be fun to watch. We'll have to see if things go better for them.
We'll also have to see what happens with Augie under a new coach. And, what exactly are they "cooking up" in Naperville? If assistant coach Porter is helping Coach Roof install something like what Olivet Nazarene does, we could have new records of all sorts set this year in the CCIW.

[iwu70]

D3hoops pre-season poll has IWU at #5 and Carthage at #20.  No other CCIW school getting any love.  Seems to me a bit high for IWU, about right for CC.  IWU got 5 votes for #1!  Looking at the pre-season rankings, one can see the strength of IWU's scheduling philosophy, with the prospect of the Titans playing 6-7 top 26 teams in the 11 games prior to CCIW play.  Not sure of comparative SOS, but that has to be pretty much right up there.   

Calvin is #1 and, not surprisingly, with the return of Hannah Mungar, George Fox is #2. 

Let the pre-season speculation and guesstimations begin.

Olivia Lett's start in pro ball in Spain very impressive!!!

Sure will be an interesting set of pre-CCIW season games for our Titans.

IWU70

[iwu70]

Given reports from a recent scrimmage by the IWU women (vs. Illinois Central College, I believe), it appears the starting five will very likely be (as expected by many):

PG - Baltes
2 - Gardner
3 - Bilek
4 - McMahon
5 - Jackson

Most likely first off the bench in rotations will be:  Seibring, Scurlock, Reaber, perhaps Brown.  Reaber has a hand injury and may be out for a few weeks leading up to the beginning of the season.  Stay tuned.

IMHO, key issues will be rebounding, interior defense and scoring, and who else from the rotation group steps up and makes a big, important contribution for this new mix, for the new season.   First five are very solid and experienced from the national championship run.  They are very tough, active and aggressive players all.  This team will have some of the best foot speed of any team in D3 for the upcoming season, IMHO.  Lots of run and jump coming your way in a few weeks time.  That type of defensive pressure will be coming hard until it proves not to work . . . which is rarely. 

IWU70