IWU loses to #4 Hope, 73-65.  Got within 4 with about a minute to play, but couldn't catch them.

Hope:
Richards 18 and 11
DeSmit 18
Richards 10

Hope at 40%, 33% from three, 81% FTs

IWU:
Corson 23
Robinson 15
Kobylarczyk 11
Palmer 7 and 13

IWU at 35%, 25% from three, 80% FTs.  Better than game #1, but still not shooting the ball all that well.  Corson looks to be a real gamer. 

IWU losing the rebounding line vs. Hope, as usual, esp. at DeVos.

Still, a pretty good performance against the #4 team in the nation in D3.

This team's identity will take some time, some ups and downs.

IWU'70

In a ragged, defensively-minded season opener, IWU comes away with a win over Ohio Wesleyan, 50-49.  Both teams shooting it poorly.

For OWU:

Morris 13
Miller 10 and 13
DeMissimo 10

OWU shooting 22%, 17% from three, and 72% FTs.

For IWU, the Leah Palmer show:

Leah Palmer 26 and 15
Harmes 7 and 8
Corson 7

IWU shooting not much better, at 26%, 13% from three, 78% FTs.  IWU had 24 TOs, so that must be sorted out. 

Starters tonight in this new, young edition:
Leah Palmer
Asia Kobylarczyk
Olivia Corson
Bri Harms at PG
Averie Wolfe

Off the bench for significant minutes in the rotation:  Rena Robinson, Alyssa Epps, Emily Currey and Lane Nordstrom.  Four freshmen in all.  They are being thrown into the fire right off.

A win is a win. (over 24th ranked Ohio Wesleyan U)  Likely Hope tomorrow, another, more difficult level. 

IWU'70


 

Good luck to all the CCIW teams this year.  Hoping for many wins and few injuries. 

IWU'70

IWU got things started with an exhibition at D1 Eastern Illinois, giving Eastern a good game, but finally losing by 7. 

Looks like Palmer and Epps will play a major part.  Also, looks like Olivia Corson, Currey, Robinson, Kadyn King and other newbies, freshmen, will play a part in the rotation.  Surely Asia Kobylarczyk too.  A new set of options and players, a work in progress early to find out what the Titans really have with all these new players. 

Mia Smith has lots of options, lots to learn with and about this group. 

I expect them to contend for the conference title after some initial rough patches, given their normal, very tough early schedule.  They open at DeVos vs. Ohio Wesleyan on November 6th, tomorrow.   

IWU'70

Is Concordia WI joining the CCIW only for women's basketball . . . or for all sports?  iwu'70

Well, Chatsters, here comes the season, with practices beginning in a few weeks. 

A few thoughts on IWU.  I think it is pretty much a mystery what this new edition of the Titans might be. A very young, inexperienced team with only three upper classpeople, and one of the most untested groups in a long time, in many a season  Perhaps a rebuild not a reload for a change.  With their tough schedule and so many away games against difficult teams, this could be an ugly learning process early on.

Such huge losses to graduation in Sawyer White, Ava Bardic and Sara Balli -- some of the top players, record-holding players in the history of the IWU women's program.  Gone.

And, if it is true that Caitlyn Leyden is out, lost to the season due to injury, that's particularly tough.  She was likely the best returning player from last year's Titan squad.

Returning and likely to play major parts:

Leah Palmer
Asia Kobylarczyk
A possible PG in Rena Robinson
Alyssa Epps

Only Luigi Lam, Epps and Liz Meyers as upperclassmen.  So this new group dominated by sophomores and many fresh people.  Newbies.

I guess there are high hopes for Olivia Corson.

So so many newbies/freshmen:
Avery Braden
Aubrey Lamberti
Layne Nordstrom
Bri Harms
Averie Wolfe
Sofia Flynn
Emily Curry
Olivia Corson
and more?

I guess it all comes down to how fast these new players contribute, adjust to the speed and physicality of CCIW play.

Of others coming back -- I guess we could expect some rotational roles for Kadyn King, Hymes and Mahlum.  If they are healthy.

No way to predict a starting group at this point, though seems pretty clear the starting group will include Palmer and Kobylarczyk.   After that, really hard to say.  Epps is challenged on offense and Lam is challenged on defense and Robinson is prone to turnovers . . . so we'll have to see what improvements and new phases some of these returning players may exhibit.  Robinson is quick and good on defense, Lam is a great three-point shooter, and Epps is a good rebounder.  So, pick your poison.

It's going to be a challenge of a major type for Mia Smith and the coaching staff this season. 

I would not be surprised to see this team have a losing record in the pre-CCIW phase, before taking on the Conference schedule, with still a good chance to compete for a conference title.

IMHO.

IWU'70

As we look to the season in a few weeks now, here are a few thoughts about IWU.  I'm very optimistic about the new season -- yes, big losses in Cleveland (to ISU), Colak, Boldt and Anderson, but plenty plenty returning to be very optimistic about the new Titan edition.  And, we don't know much about what the newbies might bring.

Returning:

Two of the better PGs in all of D3 returning in Josh Fridman and Jackson Niego

Wings:  Likely pre-season All-American in senior Mason Funk
Returning starters and 3-point artist, Lawrence
Other major past contributors in Ruggles and Connor Williams
Others likely in the mix in Anthony Kemp and Alex Miller

Post:  Brady Kuehl, Alex Schmidts, Meyer and newbie, Owen Sanders

I don't know much about the other newbies -- perhaps a few in the mix for the rotation

Seems to me it might be Fridman/Niego, Funk, Lawrence, Kuehl and a new big, Owen Sanders?

This is a reload not a rebuild, IMHO.

Time will tell.

Looking forward to another possible CCIW championship season.

IWU'70

Jbothe, I hope you are right.  Still seems a strange schedule to me.   The Leyden loss is big. She was the best player coming back.  We'll see about a team with mostly sophomores and freshpeople.  Except for Palmer and Kobylarczk, not much set incoming this year.  It's going to be very dependent on how fast the fresh people, the newbies settle in and make major contributions.

Yes, a big change at Carroll. 

IWU'70

IWU men's schedule only 11 home games, women even fewer at 9.  Gonna cut down on the Shirk revenue, as the home crowds are almost always bigger than away games.  IWU one of the top attendance programs in all of D3.

Just say'n.

IWU'70

That's a pretty rough IWU schedule with so many away games, pretty much all of the Fall.  With a rebuilding year, this could be a tough road.  Leyden's loss is huge, for scoring and for rebounding.  With the newbies, it could be initiation by fire . . . learn fast to survive the gauntlet. 

I'm sure Mia will come up with something interesting . . . but it looks pretty tough to me. 

IWU'70

Tough loss for IWU with Leyden, perhaps their best returning player 

Why so few home games on the IWU schedule -- just nine out of 25? 

Looks like a rebuilding year to me.  Lots of freshmen and sophomores, very few returning upper class women. 

IWU'70

Both IWU schedules -- women and men -- why so few home games?   Strange. 

IWU'70

Green Beer, thanks for all the news.  I'm not on X, so didn't see/know about these recruits.  Surely sounds promising though IWU has much to address, re-build given the high quality, contributions of those graduating. A new team for sure.  Indeed, let the fun begin.

In Mia Smith we trust . . .

IWU'70

Congrats to Steve Schweer on the Oshkosh job. Seems a very good promotion. 

iwu'70

Any further news on the recruiting front for next season?   

iwu'70