I think RC is really tough at home.  It seems like they  have good crowd support and a lot will depend on if everyone is healthy for them.  But, I also think AU's Guise and Plucinski (hope I spelled it close!) are outstandng players who can take over the game...one way or another.  That should be a great game.  All things considered - AU has been hot & RC has not - lately, the Spartans should be favored.

Concordia does have a split with Benedictine and has that mental thing about beating a team (Clarke) that just knocked of the league's #1 team (RC). a couple days before...so I'd think you could toss out the previous scores in this game.  I think Concordia's Coach Tills is a real program-builder and, from what I've seen, is very good at managing a game.  Also, Sinclair is a real hard worker and does some nice things for the Cougars.  Bottom line:  If Benedictine's threes are dropping and if Curtis has a typical all-around good game, then BU is going to be tough to beat.

So, that was a long way of agreeing with you, auballer, on an AU-BU final for the women!   

Do you realize how young both BU's and AU's rosters are?  There should be some great games in the future from those teams alone.

dropkick11-
I don't disagree with you at all about the coach's career and what he has done with the program.  We were only talking about the season at hand and my point was that - right or wrong - a coach is responsible for their team.  It sucks when the "off court" detracts from the team, but ultimately coach's are held still held responsible.  Again, I totally agree with you about the coach's career...but tend to disgree on your view on the current season.

"auballer"...keep guessing!  And why do you care who the poster is anyway? Couldn't you find a way to express an inteligent argument on the discussion topic as "dropkick11" did? I mean, seriously, I've heard people speculate on who you really are and your relationship to the AU team...but I don't see how it's even relevant.  Everyone has a right to their opinions and discuss them, correct?
   

I'll just say it once:  I told you so. 

Rockford - without Dorman - is an average team in a below average league. 

Dropkick11...how can you not see how a coach has responsibility for the direction a team takes?  A coach sets the tone, makes the decisions, "manipulates" the individuals into what he or she wants them to be and sets the rules.  I once heard a coach say it's a "dictatorship not a democracy"...and in that case a coach has to take responsibility because - logically - you can't have it both ways.  Also, a team that's lost three of it's last four games - including a 13-point loss to the league's last place team - is hardly having a good year.  I refer you to a previous post to take a realistic look at their record and the fact that most of the teams they have played are below .500.  Hey, water seeks it's own level.

Maybe all the slams on Dorman were a bit premature.  If she had an "ego" she would have just played the season to run up her stats & honors, and would have ignored whatever circumstances made her decide to walk away from the game.  In other words, don't confuse being a competitor with being egotistical.  Oh, there's "egotism" on the RC team...but it wasn't Dorman...and "regentfan1" finally saw it!

Wow...imagine d3d3 and I agreeing on something! 

Your Regents still have the most talent of any team in the NIIC and should definately be the favorite Saturday versus BU.  It looks like RC can find many ways to beat you.  BU might have one of - if not the most - consistent threats in the NIIC in Curtis, but RC has the deepest team.  If Strunz is off, it seems like you get Butler or Jones or someone else to pick it up.  For that reason alone, I don't think the game will be that close.

I think RC's biggest worry is what to do with the day off with the bye as the #1 seed.  The real battle heading into the NIIC tournament is for the #2 slot.  As I said before, on the regional or national level RC is average now..but when it comes to the NIIC they are still the best team by far (which, unfortunately, doesnt say much for the state of women's hoops overall in the NIIC).

d3d3-
yeah...that's it...and I was on the grassy knoll, too.  Oh, and I helped them fake the moon landing, too.

You must like Oliver Stone movies?

BTW, we're still waiting for you to lend credibility to your name-calling. Why are you changing the subject?

one more thing for d3d3...
Dorman had enough courage to sign in as herself.  It's easy to name-call behind your screen name as you did.  Have some guts and call her a "quitter" or "selfish" using your real name.  If what you say is true, you should have no problem doing so. C'mon...lend some credibility to your assertions.  I suspect you don't have a fraction of the courage Dorman does...but here's your chance to prove me wrong.

Hey "d3d3"-
Give it a rest.  If you had a clue, you would see that "The Dorman" was mocking post #40 by "regentfan1" not putting herself on a pedestal.  Frankly, you'd better read the rules for posting, because your last comment is bordering on slanderous.

How about engaging in topics like why your Regents aren't ranked with a 17-4 record instead? 

d3d3...Dude, are you kidding?  I defended coach Amsberry and Kristi Strunz's decisions and you find fault with that???  I mentioned it to point out that you've got a double-standard going and not everyone necessarily sees things the way you do.  I could have mentioned dozens of other situations where people have left their teams, but those were two examples close to your own program.

This is one of those times when I guess we will have to agree to disagree.  You are obviously too close to the team and/or coach Amsberry to look at things objectively...so why bother continuing this conversation?  It's weird that you are so consumed in ripping Dorman.  Man, you need to let go of the hate and find Jesus or something.

d3d3, my point about the coach has to do with everyone has reasons for what they do.  Things just happen, you deal with them, and you go on.  The fact that it was summer is irrelavant.  Didn't the coach recruit players to come play for him? If he had left wouldn't that seem disloyal to recruits and returning players?  Did he tell recruits he was looking at other jobs? (That's a retorical question; which I don't believe he should have).  Again, my point was everyone - players and coaches alike - have their reasons for things.

What gives you the right to be judge & jury to say what is acceptable?   C'mon...it doesn't take an advanced degree to see what you say doesn't add up:  2-time conference Player of the Year (with stats supporting a third award), 3-time all-conference player and potential All-American suddenly decides just to quit basketball in the middle of her senior year. I'd bet money there's a lot more to Dorman leaving than the points you brought up...and, frankly, it's no one's business except the player & coach.

Would you call Strunz "selfish" for leaving Clarke College to go Rockford?  Some people might argue that "finishing what you start" would apply there, too.  I think she had every right to do what she felt was right for her...but I'll bet there were those in Dubuque who didn't see it that way.

It's too bad those posting need to resort to name-calling ("selfish" & "quitter") of a college kid, as opposed to an intelligent discussion of circumstances.  I believe the quote, "Me thinks thou doth protest too much" might apply.  All the name calling leads me to believe Dorman must have been more valuable than "regentfan1" and "d3d3" care to admit!

Also, players leave teams for many, many reasons every season and have the right to do so.  Sometimes it takes more courage to do what you feel is right, rather than do what is easiest.  But, either way, this is D3 basketball and supposed to be about the student-athlete first...and therefore shouldn't elicit name-calling under any circumstances.

Rockford's Coach Amsbury has done a great job building up that program.  But if I remember correctly, last summer he was featured on D3Hoops.com as a finalist for the St. Thomas job.  Should people call him "selfish" or "quitter" because he was job hunting and looking to leave an NCAA playoff team at Rockford that was returning all of its top players?  Of course not.  He knows his circumstances and has a right to try to better himself...as does any player, especially at this level.

Eaglepride, it's not "bashing" your league leader to point out the facts, is it?  These posts don't have to be about holding hands and singing "Kumbayah".  Regentfan1 said Rockford should be ranked and I pointed out a couple reasons why they weren't...at least not when it comes to life as a Pool "B" team. 

Strunz is no doubt a great player...and so is Butler and Jones (among others).  My point to Regentfan1 was that Dorman's departure made RC average rather than dominent.  If RC had only a portion of what Dorman was averaging in the games they lost, they would be 20-1 right now. 

17-4 is very good (but all things considered far from remarkable), but I wonder if your Eagles had played the exact same schedule as RC if they might not be over .500 themselves (Didn't Benedictine lose to quite a few teams that are doing well this year?).  Rockford looks like it gambled on only scheduling a few "tough" games to try to have a good record for Pool B purposes and - if you don't win those games - it can bite you in the backside. 

Congrats AU on a big win over that "better TEAM" regentfan1 spoke of  (AU 75, Rockford 67).

regentfan1, you must be a parent of a kid who's finally getting to play because Dorman left the team.  I've seen Dorman play and if you think a player is "selfish" because they were one  of the most dominating players in the NIIC, then I suppose you are right.  RC has NO ONE that can take over a game - every time - like Dorman did.  Rockford is still a good team and has some nice players, but they are very average now without Dorman.  By the way, did you call Dorman "selfish" while she was playing for your Regents???

FYI, the combined won-lost record of the Regents' 17 victories is 134-209 (39%).  They have just three wins over schools with winning records and just five wins over teams with double-digit win totals currently.  The four teams who beat the Regents are currently 3rd (Aurora), 4th (UW-LaCrosse), 5th (Elmhurst) and 6th (UW-Whitewater) in their respective leagues.

Hmmmmm....