WBB: Northwest Conference

Started by swiss, March 07, 2005, 12:40:48 AM

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80sshorts

They could put three D-III teams from the Himalayas into the tournament and even if Fox went undefeated, they'd still fly George Fox out there.

Loggerwatcher

Well, not an issue in 2016-17.   ;D

Loggerwatcher

I guess I'm chirping to myself here, but the top 3 in the NWC this year are very good, and Puget Sound is terrific. 

The future is incredibly bright.  The point guard #3 Malvar is a frosh and carries herself like a senior. Jackson is a sophomore, and she's a menace at 5' 4".  She just put 37 on Linfield this weekend. Prewitt is also sophomore and she, too, is a top player in the conference.  The post Lange is leading the NWC in points and rebounds per minute, basically all-league performance (in 20 minutes a game) as a frosh. There's a 6'3" frosh post on the bench who looks to have athleticism and skills, and the junior Fitzgerald is a solid NWC frontcourt player.  I thought that the Puget Sound team was just physically stronger than Fox in the frontcourt.  The only senior on the Logger roster playing significant time is Noren.  She's an excellent defender, a thief in the night and a high-level athlete and the heart of the team. But it looks like Puget Sound is going to be a power for a few years.  It's fun to watch a great coach find a recipe for success in a really strong league. 

mkt

I check in here every once in awhile; have seen several games but haven't had time to write about them.  And due to snow or getting a cold or both I haven't been able to get out and see UPS in person, frustratingly I've only seen them on the video broadcasts.  Clearly a very impressive recruiting and development job that Loree Payne has done.  Emily Sheldon was basically impossible to replace, but as you say, the Loggers have in addition to last year's freshman sensation Jackson two more frosh sensations this year.  They are a tough team this year; losing do-everything senior Noren after this season will hurt but their up-and-coming players look sensational.  Noren's the only senior playing major minutes so UPS looks tough for both the present and the future.

Whitman's been less surprising; they were expected to be a good team and are, though a step down from UPS.  They had a hiccup with two losses in a row and their victory at George Fox was closer than the score would indicate.  Michelle Ferenz seemed to do some experimenting with her starting line-up, benching both McGarity and Poe for the George Fox game in favor of first-years Makana Stone and Mady Burdett.  That may have helped in Stone's case; she looks like another Hailey Ann Maeda, slightly undersized but a significant inside presence.  Burdett though seems slower, shorter, and less of a playmaker than Poe, who returned to the starting lineup.

Aside from UPS shaking off the loss of Sheldon with brilliant young players, the other intriguing question to me has been George Fox.  The loss of seniors Benner, Naluai, and Blizzard was clearly going to hurt them but they always have a corps of young talent so the question is how good they are and how quickly they will develop.  I think we're seeing that they're good enough that the team deserves a tournament slot but they are looking distinctly like the third best team in the NWC.  Frost still looks to me like the fastest player in the conference and a tremendous ball-hawk, but hasn't developed into a big scorer or finisher.  Kaycee Creech to my eyes has been mainly a defensive player but she has developed her offensive game to the point that she's third on the team in scoring.  Looking at the young players, freshman Emily Spencer went to the same high school as Frost and shares her ability to get massive numbers of steals. George Fox has a veritable army of young tallish promising-looking forwards or wings including Hailey, Haley, Haylee, and Bailey: Hailey Hartney did a significant amount of ballhandling against Whitworth, perhaps hinting that she might have a future as a tall point guard reminiscent of a former Bruin PG named Hayley:  5'10" Cusick.  But against the tougher Whitman defense Hartney did less ballhandling.  A promising-looking shorter player is freshman Kylin Collman; she reminds me of Whitman's Alysse Ketner as a freshman:  both are unafraid to shoot from long range and equally unafraid to drive among the taller players.

Also intriguing has been Lewis and Clark, who've had some tough seasons since the days of Kristina Williams and company.  Well Kristina's back (as an assistant coach to new head coach Pam Findlay) and Lewis and Clark has been showing signs of a renaissance.  They upset Whitman and took George Fox to overtime.   They're a team that seems to have only one all-conference level player in Afolabi (I thought Leith might get to that level but she seems more to be a solid starter but not all-conference) and some decent support from Anderson and Hogman.  I think their improvement has mainly come from Deja Nicholas, who was a transfer last year but played little, and who this year has added speed and the ability to attack on the dribble to the Pio's offense, and some decent play from some of their big people especially Lauren Wood and Rachel Cox.  Janessa Willie shows signs of developing nicely her second year; I don't even recall what she did last year but this year she's started a few games and provides both an outside shooting threat and the ability to drive.

Their record reflects what I think is their standing as clearly the fourth best team in the conference.  Their future looks more cloudy than the other top teams' though because their best player and their sparkplug, Afolabi and Nicholas, are both seniors.

Their overtime loss to George Fox was one of the most exciting NWC games that I've yet seen.  They'd trailed by as many as 20 points and were down by 8 points with less than 3 minutes left.  But steals by Leith, Nicholas, and Hogman (and a tie-up by Afolabi) brought them back to a tie and overtime.  They fell just short but showed they've come a long way from their recent lean years.

Loggerwatcher

Thanks, mkt--at least I'm not talking to myself!  I have seen the Loggers a number of times and have been wathicn them for many years.  They're good.  Coach Payne's attitude seems exactly right for DIII, and it shows. At one point during the tight game at Walla Walla, Noren threw up an airball on a free throw.  The frosh point guard Malvar approached her, put her arm around her, and pointed...the basket is over there.  Laughs all around.  Watch the huddles.  Tight game, no problem.  They are enjoying the ride, perfect for the DIII experience.

I am interested to see Puget Sound and Whitman this weekend.  The game in Walla Walla was terrific, and I don't see any reason to think that this one won't be as tight.  As things go in the NCAAs, Puget Sound will likely have to beat either GFU or Whitman what, four times to move on and up in the tournament?  Tough duty from a strong league.  Given the recent history of the NWC (GFU to the finals twice, Whitman once) it would be a blast to see them line up against the northeast teams that seem to dominate the d3hoops ratings.  I wonder if some d3 entrepreneur could arrange for a meeting in the preseason period?

Dave 'd-mac' McHugh

Quote from: Loggerwatcher on February 07, 2017, 10:39:40 PM
I am interested to see Puget Sound and Whitman this weekend.  The game in Walla Walla was terrific, and I don't see any reason to think that this one won't be as tight.  As things go in the NCAAs, Puget Sound will likely have to beat either GFU or Whitman what, four times to move on and up in the tournament?  Tough duty from a strong league.  Given the recent history of the NWC (GFU to the finals twice, Whitman once) it would be a blast to see them line up against the northeast teams that seem to dominate the d3hoops ratings.  I wonder if some d3 entrepreneur could arrange for a meeting in the preseason period?

First off, preseason period? When games don't count? You probably meant, non-conference period... right? More and more of these games happen especially when teams travel to places like Las Vegas for the D3hoops.com Classic.

As for the bracketing, that's how pretty much the entire NCAA works. There is certainly and outside chance the women's committee gets permission to break the teams from the NWC up, but don't hold your breathe. The committee is tasked to use a few flights as possible. They will happen, but they aren't handed out like candy. Unfortunately, the NWC will most likely have to play through each other in the second round of the tournament (assuming they both get there) to move on to the second weekend.

BTW - the northeast tends to dominate the rankings for two reasons: they are good LOL; 70% plus of the division is east of the Appalachians.
Host of Hoopsville. USBWA Executive Board member. Broadcast Director for D3sports.com. Broadcaster for NCAA.com & several colleges. PA Announcer for Gophers & Brigade. Follow me on Twitter: @davemchugh or @d3hoopsville.

Loggerwatcher

Yes, I meant non-conference period.  Thanks for the correction.  There was no complaint about an east coast bias in my comment. Still, I think that the record will show that the NWC is pretty darn good. George Fox was one devastating leg injury to a key post from winning two titles.  There were several Loggers teams in the late Barcomb years that might not have been as good as Fox, but they were very close. In a different seeding system that would have been evident.  Old complaint.  No complaint. Economic realities. I ask without knowing--do things work the same in the east, where travel distances are often a big shorter?

Loggerwatcher

..and by the way, as long as we're criticizing....that's "don't hold your breath," not "don't hold your breathe."  :)

Dave 'd-mac' McHugh

The Division III season has officially entered "Crunch Time." Regular season schedules are wrapping up, conference tournaments are about to begin, teams are jockeying for conference position or trying to win home-court advantage. And it is all happening the uncertainty of whether NCAA tournament berths are available for a lot of teams.

On Thursday night's Hoopsville, Dave McHugh not only takes another look at this week's Regional Rankings, but also tries to read the tea leaves. He also chats with four teams that all still have something to play for. Whether it is to better position themselves in the eyes of the NCAA committees or just to turn more heads in their conference tournament, these teams are still pushing to continue their seasons.


Hoopsville is presented by D3hoops.com and airs from the WBCA/NABC Studio starting at 7:00 PM ET LIVE. You can watch the show on the official show page here: http://www.d3hoops.com/hoopsville/archives/2016-17/feb16 ... or you can watch the live simulcast on Facebook Live. If you miss the show, you can catch-up on Demand or listen to the podcasts (which will be uploaded at the conclusion of the show).

A reminder the Thursday edition of Hoopsville primarily covers the East, Mid-Atlantic, Great Lakes, and West regions, but we will answer any questions about all of Division III throughout the show. You can also send your questions to the show and have them featured on the Hoopsville Mailbag segment. Email them to hoopsville@d3hoops.com.

And please consider helping Hoopsville stay on the air like you might help your public television station. The annual fundraising campaign has less than three weeks remaining, but we are no where close to reaching our goal. Click here for more information: Hoopsville Fundraising Page

Guests include (in order of appearance):
- Michael Meek, No. 24 George Fox women's coach
- Katherine Bixby, Dickinson women's coach
- Greg Mitchell, No. 16 Hope men's coach
- Rob Kornaker, St. John Fisher men's coach

You can also tune into the podcast(s) after the show has aired:
SoundCloud: www.soundcloud.com/hoopsville
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/hoopsville/id1059517087

Don't forget you can always interact with us:
Website: www.d3hoopsville.com
Twitter: @d3hoopsville or #Hoopsville
Facebook: www.facebook.com/Hoopsville
Email: hoopsville@d3hoops.com
YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/d3hoopsville
Fundraiser: https://igg.me/at/hoopsville-fundraiser-2017

Host of Hoopsville. USBWA Executive Board member. Broadcast Director for D3sports.com. Broadcaster for NCAA.com & several colleges. PA Announcer for Gophers & Brigade. Follow me on Twitter: @davemchugh or @d3hoopsville.

Dave 'd-mac' McHugh

The Division III NCAA tournaments have already seen their fair share of twists and turns. Both defending champions eliminated on the opening night, several home teams beaten, off-the-radar squads tearing Top 10 teams apart, and much more.

It has been an exciting start. What's next?

Can the home teams parlay a perceived advantage into a Championship Weekend appearence? What Cinderalla team will hear the chimes of midnight? What program will continue to make history? How will the battle of Top 25 teams shake out? And will a storied career end this weekend or in Salem?

There is plenty to talk about ahead of the Sectional Weekend and Dave McHugh has a super-sized list of guests on Thursday night's Hoopsville.

Hoopsville is presented by D3hoops.com and airs from the WBCA/NABC Studio. You can watch the show LIVE staring at 7:00 p.m. ET here: http://www.d3hoops.com/hoopsville/archives/2016-17/mar9 --- or via the Facebook Live simulcast. If you missed any part of the show, you can watch it On Demand or listen to the podcast.

Despite the large list of guests, Dave will find time to answer questions as well. Make sure to email them to hoopsville@d3hoops.com or tweet them and Dave will answer them on air.

Guests scheduled (in order of appearance):
- Brian Morehouse, No. 18 Hope women's coach
- Trevor Woodruff, No. 17 Scranton women's coach
- Craig Carse, Hardin-Simmons men's coach
- Ruth Sinn, No. 2 St. Thomas women's coach
- Michelle Ferenz, No. 16 Whitman women's coach
- Kevin App, Williams men's coach
- Grey Giovanine, Augustana men's coach

You can also tune into the podcast(s) after the show has aired:
SoundCloud: www.soundcloud.com/hoopsville
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/hoopsville/id1059517087

Don't forget you can always interact with us:
Website: www.d3hoopsville.com
Twitter: @d3hoopsville or #Hoopsville
Facebook: www.facebook.com/Hoopsville
Email: hoopsville@d3hoops.com
YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/d3hoopsville

Host of Hoopsville. USBWA Executive Board member. Broadcast Director for D3sports.com. Broadcaster for NCAA.com & several colleges. PA Announcer for Gophers & Brigade. Follow me on Twitter: @davemchugh or @d3hoopsville.

Dave 'd-mac' McHugh

The fourth, and final, preseason podcast has been released. Dave chats with four coaches who have their own unique roads to their new jobs.
- Greg Polkowski, UW-Superior men's coach
- Pete Moran, John Carroll men's coach
- Casey Kushiyama, Puget Sound women's coach
- Kent Dernbach, UW-Lacrosse men's coach

You can find the podcast along with the previous four here: http://www.d3hoops.com/hoopsville/archives/2017-18/preseason-podcasts

A reminder that Hoopsville returns for it's season debut on Thursday, November 16 at 7:00 PM ET!
Host of Hoopsville. USBWA Executive Board member. Broadcast Director for D3sports.com. Broadcaster for NCAA.com & several colleges. PA Announcer for Gophers & Brigade. Follow me on Twitter: @davemchugh or @d3hoopsville.

Dave 'd-mac' McHugh

Host of Hoopsville. USBWA Executive Board member. Broadcast Director for D3sports.com. Broadcaster for NCAA.com & several colleges. PA Announcer for Gophers & Brigade. Follow me on Twitter: @davemchugh or @d3hoopsville.

Dave 'd-mac' McHugh

The first regional rankings are out which in itself brings on a lot of conversation, but the jockeying and positioning contines in conferences around the country for teams trying to keep their seasons going into March.

On Thursday's edition of Hoopsville, Dave talks to a number of high-ranking squads about the pressure to stay atop their respective conference races while also positioning themselves well in the regional rankings.

Dave also welcomes a coach who has played in DIII, coached in both DII and DIII, and coached both men and women. He talks about the road, possibly, less traveled in the "WBCA Center Court" segment.

Hoopsville is presented by D3hoops.com and airs from the WBCA/NABC Studio. You can watch the show LIVE starting at 7:00 p.m. ET here: http://bit.ly/2EROVeC

If you have questions, be sure to interact with the show on social media (see below) or email us your questions (hoopsville@d3hoops.com).

Guests include (in order of appearance):
- Ryan Gould, No. 7 Trine women's coach
- Michelle Ferenz, No. 5 Whitman women's coach
- Charlie Just, Spalding women's coach (WBCA Center Court)
- Landry Kosmalski, No. 11 Swarthmore men's coach
- Tom Curle, Plattsburgh State men's coach

If you enjoy the show via the podcasts instead, you can get access to them or subscribe one of the three following ways (click on the images when necessary):
SoundCloud: www.soundcloud.com/hoopsville



Don't forget you can always interact with us:
Website: www.d3hoopsville.com
Twitter: @d3hoopsville or #Hoopsville
Facebook: www.facebook.com/Hoopsville
Email: hoopsville@d3hoops.com
YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/d3hoopsville

Host of Hoopsville. USBWA Executive Board member. Broadcast Director for D3sports.com. Broadcaster for NCAA.com & several colleges. PA Announcer for Gophers & Brigade. Follow me on Twitter: @davemchugh or @d3hoopsville.

Dave 'd-mac' McHugh

Host of Hoopsville. USBWA Executive Board member. Broadcast Director for D3sports.com. Broadcaster for NCAA.com & several colleges. PA Announcer for Gophers & Brigade. Follow me on Twitter: @davemchugh or @d3hoopsville.

Dave 'd-mac' McHugh

The NCAA released the third set of women's basketball regional rankings with few changes from last week's version. This is the final set that we'll see before the Tournament bracket is released on Monday. Full list here: http://d3hoops.com/notables/2018/02/women-regional-rankings-third

Host of Hoopsville. USBWA Executive Board member. Broadcast Director for D3sports.com. Broadcaster for NCAA.com & several colleges. PA Announcer for Gophers & Brigade. Follow me on Twitter: @davemchugh or @d3hoopsville.