RebKell's Junkie Boards

[summertime blues]

Since there's a thread devoted to the MAC, I thought I might open one for fans of other mid-major teams and see what happens. I'm first and foremost a Tennessee fan, but I also follow some mid-majors....JMU, because I live nearby and they're fun to watch; Missouri State, because they're coached by one of my all-time favorite Lady Vols; and now also LA Tech. It's sometimes hard to follow a mid-major at a distance because most of them don't get much TV coverage. (JMU doesn't even get good local coverage, as I commented in another thread!) I don't do real well with radio because I'm extremely visually oriented, and being a senior citizen on a budget, I can't shell out much for PPV. I do have WatchESPN as part of our cable package so get an occasional game.

So the other day I watched a replay of Missouri State-Loyola(Chicago). I was happy to find it on WatchESPN, particularly since I figure it's the only chance I'll get to see what Sheryl Swoopes has done with Loyola so far in her first year since Loyola is in the cellar of the MVC and likely to remain there. The nicest thing I can say about them is that they have a lot of raw talent. They have a *bunch* of freshmen and some RS sophs along with some upperclassmen. I don't know who recruited the freshmen but some of them seem in a different style from the other players. I have to assume that the rest of the team is hand-me-downs from the previous coach. In any case, they haven't quite jelled, but they did show some flashes of brilliance. I particularly liked Taylor Manuel, a 6'2 transfer from Purdue, and Taylor Johnson, a 5'7 RS soph guard, as well as Destiny Washington, a freshman off the bench, who is listed as a forward but is a bit undersized for that. If they can learn to play together they might make a nice team, but it's almost as if there are two teams there, the old one and the new one. They hung with the Lady Bears for the first half but got left behind in the second.

Kellie Harper is doing a nice job so far with MO State, which is in 4th place in the MVC, just behind Northern Iowa, Drake, and Wichita State. In her second year, she's still dealing with a fair amount of hand-me-downs but now getting her own recruits. I was impressed with Hilary Chvatal, a 6'2 forward who can score and play good defense and moves well. Kenzie Williams steals like her coach did, and she and Lexi Hughes and Liza Fruendt rain 3s, and when it all works, it's a good day in Springfield. Lady Bears won, 83-64. I foresee steady improvement and some fun head-to-head showdowns in the future between Kellie's team and Jody Adams' Wichita State.

Please, any other mid-major fans from ANY other conference, feel free to join in!

_________________
Don't take life so serious. It ain't nohows permanent.
It takes 3 years to build a team and 7 to build a program.--Conventional Wisdom

[myrtle]

I remember Taylor Manuel from Purdue. BIG girl who I thought showed a lot of potential. This is at least Swoopes second year so the Frosh are definitely her recruiting class.

Being a West Coaster, I'm interested in the WCC. This year is a down year for Gonzaga. Is it coaching? Or change in talent? OR....? I'd be curious if anybody has an opinion.

Also a down year for Marist and for Green Bay, two other perpetually good teams. Is there just more parity all across the board?

edit: actually I guess Green Bay has been pretty good. It's just felt like they weren't as dominant as in previous years.

_________________
For there is always light,
if only we’re brave enough to see it.
If only we’re brave enough to be it.
- Amanda Gorman

[summertime blues]

In the Colonial, JMU has resumed its rightful place at the top Drexel and Hofstra aren't quite as strong this year, and EDD didn't seem to leave any kind of trail behind her at Delaware, which is stuck back in the middle again.

Tyler Summitt's Lady Techsters are tied for 4th in C-USA with an 8-5 record in the conference and 13-11 overall. Not too shabby for a beginner. I think the boy will do just fine.

And Loyola is out of the basement of the MVC; Illinois State has that unenviable spot. MO State has slipped to 5th

_________________
Don't take life so serious. It ain't nohows permanent.
It takes 3 years to build a team and 7 to build a program.--Conventional Wisdom

[Queenie]

My mid-major team right now is Iona, of the MAAC. No, not the Mid-American, the Metro Atlantic. They're on ESPNU at 5PM tomorrow, visiting Marist, and either Damika Martinez is going to break the MAAC career scoring record or she's going to shit the bed. She's three points away.

We've also been following Fordham a bit this year, but they're a hot mess.

_________________
Ardent believer in the separation of church and stadium.

[Lillian Hidgepork]

[taropatch]

Hawaii #1 in the Big West on a 10-game win streak. Plays #2 UC-Davis on Saturday. Coach Laura Beeman getting it done

[mzonefan]

[Happycappie25]

[Stephen Shirley]

Game of the year in Conference USA is Saturday when Middle Tennessee makes the "100 Miles of Hate" trip up to Western Kentucky. MT is 12-2 and W Ky is 11-2 in conference play. With only 3/4 games remaining after tomorrow, the loser is almost certainly out of the conference title race.

The crazy part is Southern Miss, at 11-3 and 3rd in the league standings, is lurking close behind. USM is 3-0 against MT & W Ky on the season and would win the league title against either ream through tie-breakers.

[summertime blues]

[summertime blues]

JMU clinched the *1 seed in the CAA tourney last night by absolutely drowning UNC-Wilmington, 85-49. They are looking good and worthy of their #23 status. The only thing that concerns me is their rebounding which needs to improve--they got out-rebounded last night by a vastly inferior team. Not good. For you St. John's folk, Ashley Perez seems to be doing fine coming off the bench, scored 13 last night, 25 minutes and shot 50%. I guess she's happy here. Maybe JMU could survive the second round this year. Maybe.

_________________
Don't take life so serious. It ain't nohows permanent.
It takes 3 years to build a team and 7 to build a program.--Conventional Wisdom

[myrtle]

[Queenie]

[cthskzfn]

Tough loss for the Gaels yesterday.

Marist last led at 7-5, and didn't get a tie until 54-all w/ 1:47 left, I think it was.

Gaels coach effed-up imo, calling a TO w/ :06 on the shot clock. Final result was no shot/turnover which led to the possession Marist made what became the game-winning 3.

The 3ball Marist made to take the lead came after what is my pettest-peeve in WCB- the bunny-hop travel that occurs much of the time when a 3 is shot. The Marist player did it. It's never called.

Then on the other end, I thought the illegal screen call on Iona was bogus.

This led to 2 Red Foxes FTs for the final margin.

_________________
Silly, stupid white people might be waking up.

[umbeta1455]

Maine has finally stopped its losing ways that Cindy Blodgett brought to team. Richard Barron is coaching very well. He has Maine on a 12 game winning steak which includes America East favorite Albany at Albany and a 20-6 record. Maine hasn't had a 20 win season since 2005 which is a welcome change. I miss the years when Maine was the team to beat in America East.

[shadowboxer]

Love those midmajors-seriously. And oh, the stories we could all tell, if we didn''t love our teams.

[NoDakSt]

Gonzaga clinched their 11th consecutive WCC regular season championhsip Thursday night with a win over St. Marys. Today the Zags host Pacific for senior day. The four seniors are starters Sunny Greinacher, and Keani Albanez and reserves Lindsay Sherbert and Laura Sullivan.

[summertime blues]

Florida Gulf Coast won their 20th straight, beating SC-Upstate 75-59 and handing coach Karl Smesko his 400th win. He is now 339-66 in his 11th season at FGCU and I just read he is one of 4 active coaches in DI with an .800 record (the others being Geno, TVD, and Kim Mulkey).

_________________
Don't take life so serious. It ain't nohows permanent.
It takes 3 years to build a team and 7 to build a program.--Conventional Wisdom

[dinkytown]

UNLV snapped New Mexico's 8 game winning streak 79-73 at home. Colorado State now has sole possession of first place in the Mountain West. The Rams close their schedule with the 4 worst teams in the MW and started with a romp of Air Force 85-49 today.

MW Top 5:

[Stephen Shirley]

[dtrain34]

New Mexico State (18-7, 11-1) clinched a tie for the WAC championship today after starting its non-conference season 0-5. Aggies have a two-game lead on pre-season fav CSU-Bakersfield with two games to go, at home to third place UT-Pan American and on the road at last place Chicago State.

An outright championship would be big for the post-season starved Aggies, who would get a bye in the first round of the WAC tournament and the battle for the one bid to the NCAAs and assure themselves of no worse than an NIT appearance. NMSU has been to the NIT recently enough (2010) but its last NCAA appearance was way back in 1988.

Early in the season with the Aggies RPI at 346 or some such, I posted a thread asking if they could recover to a respectable RPI if they won a few games. After peaking at 133, the weak WAC schedule dropped them back to 170 so the automatic bid is their only path to the NCAAs.

EDIT: NMSU is at 146 in the RPI today, bouncing back up a bit.

[Queenie]

[Queenie]

[taropatch]

[blaase22]