After five years, league president Laurel Richie is stepping down to pursue other interests.
Can we get Val Ackerman back? How about Anucha Browne?
Wednesday, November 4, 2015
Third player leaves Kentucky program
Freshman Morgan Rich has left Kentucky - the third player to do so in this preseason.
More college news:
The graduation rate for women's hoopers is up 2 percentage points, to 89 percent.
Division II preseason poll.
Division III preseason poll.
More college news:
The graduation rate for women's hoopers is up 2 percentage points, to 89 percent.
Division II preseason poll.
Division III preseason poll.
Tuesday, November 3, 2015
Tuesday BOOM
Team news:
Oregon State is embracing a challenging schedule. Assistant coach Mandy Close is part of their resurgence.
Penn State is developing its identity.
With a lot of newcomers, CSUN downplays a Big West title three-peat.
Florida is eyeing the start of the season.
Integrating their youth will be key for Duquesne this season.
Here's why UConn is playing that exhibition game under different rules.
ESPN's first mid-major poll of the year.
Player news:
Notre Dame's freshman guard, Ali Patberg, will miss the season with a torn ACL. She was prepared to take over at the point guard position.
FGCU senior guard Whitney Knight is out for several weeks after suffering a foot fracture.
UNLV forward Alyssa Anderson will miss the season with a torn ACL. Junior Diamond Major has retired from the sport due to multiple concussions.
Lady Vol Diamond DeShields would love a renewal of the Tennessee-UConn rivalry.
Coach news:
Arizona coach Niya Butts remains optimistic as her make-or-break season looms.
Q&A with UCLA coach Cori Close.
Maryland coach Brenda Frese talks about the beginning of the season.
Purdue assistant coach Lindsay Wisdom-Hylton is ready for the season.
NCAA:
....will reveal its top 10 seeds three times next February.
WNBA:
Dallas Wings era opens with high hopes.
What the Wings' arrival means for Dallas.
Elena Delle Donne is one of four pro stars in a new Gatorade ad.
Oregon State is embracing a challenging schedule. Assistant coach Mandy Close is part of their resurgence.
Penn State is developing its identity.
With a lot of newcomers, CSUN downplays a Big West title three-peat.
Florida is eyeing the start of the season.
Integrating their youth will be key for Duquesne this season.
Here's why UConn is playing that exhibition game under different rules.
ESPN's first mid-major poll of the year.
Player news:
Notre Dame's freshman guard, Ali Patberg, will miss the season with a torn ACL. She was prepared to take over at the point guard position.
FGCU senior guard Whitney Knight is out for several weeks after suffering a foot fracture.
UNLV forward Alyssa Anderson will miss the season with a torn ACL. Junior Diamond Major has retired from the sport due to multiple concussions.
Lady Vol Diamond DeShields would love a renewal of the Tennessee-UConn rivalry.
Coach news:
Arizona coach Niya Butts remains optimistic as her make-or-break season looms.
Q&A with UCLA coach Cori Close.
Maryland coach Brenda Frese talks about the beginning of the season.
Purdue assistant coach Lindsay Wisdom-Hylton is ready for the season.
NCAA:
....will reveal its top 10 seeds three times next February.
WNBA:
Dallas Wings era opens with high hopes.
What the Wings' arrival means for Dallas.
Elena Delle Donne is one of four pro stars in a new Gatorade ad.
Preseason top 25 polls
AP top 25 and USA Today preseason polls:
AP
1. Connecticut
2. South Carolina
3. Notre Dame
4. Tennessee
5. Baylor
6. Ohio State
7. Florida State
8. Louisville
9. Maryland
10. Oregon State
11. Mississippi State
12. Texas
13. Texas A&M
14. Duke
15. Arizona State
16. Stanford
17. Oklahoma
18. Kentucky
19. Northwestern
20. South Florida
21. George Washington
22. North Carolina
23. Syracuse
24. Michigan State
25. Chattanooga
USA Today
1. Connecticut
2. South Carolina
3. Notre Dame
4. Tennessee
5. Baylor
6. Maryland
7. Florida State
8. Louisville
9. Oregon State
10. Ohio State
11. Texas
12. Duke
13. Mississippi State
14. Stanford
15. Arizona State
16. Texas A&M
17. Kentucky
18. Oklahoma
19. South Florida
20. North Carolina
21. George Washington
22. DePaul
23. Iowa
24. Northwestern
25. Princeton
I'm struck by how different the lists are. Because USA Today is a coaches poll, I'll go with that one.
AP
1. Connecticut
2. South Carolina
3. Notre Dame
4. Tennessee
5. Baylor
6. Ohio State
7. Florida State
8. Louisville
9. Maryland
10. Oregon State
11. Mississippi State
12. Texas
13. Texas A&M
14. Duke
15. Arizona State
16. Stanford
17. Oklahoma
18. Kentucky
19. Northwestern
20. South Florida
21. George Washington
22. North Carolina
23. Syracuse
24. Michigan State
25. Chattanooga
USA Today
1. Connecticut
2. South Carolina
3. Notre Dame
4. Tennessee
5. Baylor
6. Maryland
7. Florida State
8. Louisville
9. Oregon State
10. Ohio State
11. Texas
12. Duke
13. Mississippi State
14. Stanford
15. Arizona State
16. Texas A&M
17. Kentucky
18. Oklahoma
19. South Florida
20. North Carolina
21. George Washington
22. DePaul
23. Iowa
24. Northwestern
25. Princeton
I'm struck by how different the lists are. Because USA Today is a coaches poll, I'll go with that one.
Monday, November 2, 2015
Pac-12 preview: WSU
This is the twelfth in an annual 12-part series previewing the Pac-12 teams for the upcoming season.
by Joe Veyera
After a first-round WNIT exit at the hands of Eastern Washington in March, it was a given that the Washington State Cougars would be forced to replace a pair of program cornerstones in guard Tia Presley and forward Shalie Dheensaw.
While the loss of Presley would certainly hurt, there was no shortage of underclassman talent at the guard spot. And the team had already gotten a taste of life without Dheensaw, after a knee injury early in Pac-12 play sidelined her for the remainder of the season, with freshman Louise Brown holding her own in her place.
Ultimately, after a 17-16 season, anything seemed possible for 2015-16 with Lia Galdeira leading the charge.
That is, until early July.
While the losses of Presley and Dheensaw to graduation were expected from the start, Galdeira’s announcement that she too would not return despite a year of eligibility remaining as well came as nothing short of a shock.
Suddenly, a team that likely could have contended for a post-season berth on the back of one of the best scorers in school history now appears more likely to be a middling competitor in a tough conference.
Now it’s up to head coach June Daugherty, now in her ninth season at the helm, to make the most of a roster that has nine underclassmen, and will need several of them to contribute to have any shot at extended its post-season streak to three years.
The biggest question Daugherty will have to address is how to replace the 45 of the team’s 68 points a night last season between Presley, Dheensaw, and Galdeira.
Senior guard Dawnyelle Awa and forward Mariah Cooks will be counted on to provide a steadying hand as the lone returners to start all 32 games last season, while sophomore forward Louise Brown will try to build off her success in 16 starts after Dheensaw’s season-ending knee injury.
Awa was second on the team last year in field goal percentage at 44 percent, and led the team in 3-point shooting. However, she only averaged about five points a night, and she’ll have to take on a more substantial role as a scorer for the team to have success. Senior guard Taylor Edmondson will also get more minutes, and be relied upon as another sharp-shooter as a player that makes approximately a third of her 3-point attempts.
The team’s fourth (and final) senior, guard Alexis Williamson, saw her playing time diminish to just four minutes a night in 2014-15, and with an influx of guard talent, it’s unclear whether she’ll get much time off the bench.
Sophomore Caila Haley was ranked as one of the top-20 guard prospects in the nation coming out of high school by ESPN, and stands to take on a more substantial role after averaging seven minutes a night last year, while fellow sophomore Pinelopi Pavlopoulou will try to build off a freshman campaign that saw her appear in all 32 games.
Australian guard Krystle McKenzie is coming off of a redshirt season, while the program adds freshman Alexys Swedlund, who was named Miss Basketball South Dakota 2015, the state’s highest honor for high school girls players.
Alongside the duo of Brown and Cooks in the post — one of the better pairings in the Pac-12 — the Cougars have relatively untested depth in junior forward Ivana Kmetovska, sophomore center Bianca Blanaru, freshmen Maria Kostourkova and Borislava Hristova, and redshirt freshman Nike McClure.
Kmetovska has seen limited playing time over the last two seasons, while Blanaru, a member of the U-20 Romanian National Team in 2013, averaged six minutes a night last year. McClure was one of the top high school players to come out of Washington State in 2014, and likely benefited from the season on the bench.
Kostourkova and Hristova are unknown quantities on the collegiate level, but both have U20 national team experience with Portugal and Bulgaria, respectively.
As a whole, it’s hard to truly know what the floor or ceiling is for the Cougars in 2015-16. A strong recruiter overseas, Daugherty certainly has a talented roster filled with national team members, along with a few highly-regarded domestic underclassmen like Haley, Swedlund, and McClure. The team’s success will rely heavily on how much those young players develop over the course of the year, and whether the question marks that currently fill the Washington State bench become solutions for this year and beyond.
by Joe Veyera
After a first-round WNIT exit at the hands of Eastern Washington in March, it was a given that the Washington State Cougars would be forced to replace a pair of program cornerstones in guard Tia Presley and forward Shalie Dheensaw.
While the loss of Presley would certainly hurt, there was no shortage of underclassman talent at the guard spot. And the team had already gotten a taste of life without Dheensaw, after a knee injury early in Pac-12 play sidelined her for the remainder of the season, with freshman Louise Brown holding her own in her place.
Ultimately, after a 17-16 season, anything seemed possible for 2015-16 with Lia Galdeira leading the charge.
That is, until early July.
While the losses of Presley and Dheensaw to graduation were expected from the start, Galdeira’s announcement that she too would not return despite a year of eligibility remaining as well came as nothing short of a shock.
Suddenly, a team that likely could have contended for a post-season berth on the back of one of the best scorers in school history now appears more likely to be a middling competitor in a tough conference.
Now it’s up to head coach June Daugherty, now in her ninth season at the helm, to make the most of a roster that has nine underclassmen, and will need several of them to contribute to have any shot at extended its post-season streak to three years.
The biggest question Daugherty will have to address is how to replace the 45 of the team’s 68 points a night last season between Presley, Dheensaw, and Galdeira.
Senior guard Dawnyelle Awa and forward Mariah Cooks will be counted on to provide a steadying hand as the lone returners to start all 32 games last season, while sophomore forward Louise Brown will try to build off her success in 16 starts after Dheensaw’s season-ending knee injury.
Awa was second on the team last year in field goal percentage at 44 percent, and led the team in 3-point shooting. However, she only averaged about five points a night, and she’ll have to take on a more substantial role as a scorer for the team to have success. Senior guard Taylor Edmondson will also get more minutes, and be relied upon as another sharp-shooter as a player that makes approximately a third of her 3-point attempts.
The team’s fourth (and final) senior, guard Alexis Williamson, saw her playing time diminish to just four minutes a night in 2014-15, and with an influx of guard talent, it’s unclear whether she’ll get much time off the bench.
Sophomore Caila Haley was ranked as one of the top-20 guard prospects in the nation coming out of high school by ESPN, and stands to take on a more substantial role after averaging seven minutes a night last year, while fellow sophomore Pinelopi Pavlopoulou will try to build off a freshman campaign that saw her appear in all 32 games.
Australian guard Krystle McKenzie is coming off of a redshirt season, while the program adds freshman Alexys Swedlund, who was named Miss Basketball South Dakota 2015, the state’s highest honor for high school girls players.
Alongside the duo of Brown and Cooks in the post — one of the better pairings in the Pac-12 — the Cougars have relatively untested depth in junior forward Ivana Kmetovska, sophomore center Bianca Blanaru, freshmen Maria Kostourkova and Borislava Hristova, and redshirt freshman Nike McClure.
Kmetovska has seen limited playing time over the last two seasons, while Blanaru, a member of the U-20 Romanian National Team in 2013, averaged six minutes a night last year. McClure was one of the top high school players to come out of Washington State in 2014, and likely benefited from the season on the bench.
Kostourkova and Hristova are unknown quantities on the collegiate level, but both have U20 national team experience with Portugal and Bulgaria, respectively.
As a whole, it’s hard to truly know what the floor or ceiling is for the Cougars in 2015-16. A strong recruiter overseas, Daugherty certainly has a talented roster filled with national team members, along with a few highly-regarded domestic underclassmen like Haley, Swedlund, and McClure. The team’s success will rely heavily on how much those young players develop over the course of the year, and whether the question marks that currently fill the Washington State bench become solutions for this year and beyond.
College coaches testify for affirmative action
Awesome thing happened today:
Hundreds of college basketball coaches asked the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday to preserve affirmative action in university admissions, writing in a friend of the court brief that they have seen the benefits of a diverse student body not just for minorities but for the other students who come to know them.
A group of 285 men’s and women’s coaches joined their professional associations in filing an amicus brief in Fisher v. University of Texas, which is being heard by the nation’s highest court for a second time this fall.
“Many of us have competed against each other on the court, but we join together here,” the coaches wrote. “We understand — from our work every day — the value that diversity and increased perspectives give our student-athletes and the campus community as a whole.”
Hundreds of college basketball coaches asked the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday to preserve affirmative action in university admissions, writing in a friend of the court brief that they have seen the benefits of a diverse student body not just for minorities but for the other students who come to know them.
A group of 285 men’s and women’s coaches joined their professional associations in filing an amicus brief in Fisher v. University of Texas, which is being heard by the nation’s highest court for a second time this fall.
“Many of us have competed against each other on the court, but we join together here,” the coaches wrote. “We understand — from our work every day — the value that diversity and increased perspectives give our student-athletes and the campus community as a whole.”
A lot of college news in your life
Team news:
Texas A&M debuted their new offense with success.
Michigan State looks to deliver after a lost season.
George Washington is beginning the season with something to prove.
A culture change has altered Ohio's destiny.
Preseason accolades don't mean much: New Mexico is ready to play.
Oregon State is pacing themselves after a busy summer.
Three keys to the season for Pitt.
VCU unveiled its new basketball development center today.
Player news:
George Washington's Jonquel Jones continues to discover herself.
Chania Ray has found the perfect fit at West Virginia.
Coach news:
Georgia coach Joni Taylor says "the ball doesn't know how old you are" about the team's newcomers.
Texas A&M debuted their new offense with success.
Michigan State looks to deliver after a lost season.
George Washington is beginning the season with something to prove.
A culture change has altered Ohio's destiny.
Preseason accolades don't mean much: New Mexico is ready to play.
Oregon State is pacing themselves after a busy summer.
Three keys to the season for Pitt.
VCU unveiled its new basketball development center today.
Player news:
George Washington's Jonquel Jones continues to discover herself.
Chania Ray has found the perfect fit at West Virginia.
Coach news:
Georgia coach Joni Taylor says "the ball doesn't know how old you are" about the team's newcomers.
Shock turns into Wings
WNBA’s Dallas Wings Introduced in DFW Metroplex
For Immediate Release
Arlington, TX., November 2, 2015 – The Dallas Wings were introduced today by Full Court Partners, LLC, the ownership group for the WNBA team relocating to the DFW Metroplex for the 2016 season. The new name and team logo were revealed at a news conference and reception at College Park Center on the campus of the University of Texas at Arlington, which will serve as the team’s home court in 2016.
WNBA stars Skylar Diggins and Odyssey Sims, along with Dallas Wings Head Coach Fred Williams and NBA Deputy Commissioner & Chief Operating Officer Mark Tatum, joined the ownership group to reveal the much anticipated name and logo.
Season ticket packages were also introduced as part of the event, and more information will be available on the team’s official website dallaswingsbasketball.com, or by calling (817) 469-9464.
Dallaswingsbasketball.com will serve as a hub for real-time news, updates and information on the team, including fan programs, job opportunities, sponsorship opportunities, ticket information and much more.
Business executive and investor Bill Cameron, who has owned the team for seven years, will remain Majority Owner and Chairman of the team. Texas native Chris Christian, an award winning songwriter/record producer who was a driving force in bringing women’s professional basketball to the DFW Metroplex, will serve as Vice Chairman and Managing partner for the Dallas Wings.
"We are bringing to the metroplex a young and dynamic team with tremendous upside,"aid Cameron. "They are fun to watch and they will endear themselves to their new home. The presence of Skylar and Odyssey today for this major announcement underscores the excitement of the team to represent this market in the WNBA. These professional athletes are without a doubt some the finest athletes in the world."
“This is an exciting time for the DFW Metroplex as women’s professional basketball returns after 30 years,” said Christian. “The next generation of girls and boys will now have a new team of professional athletes to cheer for and inspire by their hard work, commitment, dedication, discipline and the love of competition.”
Led by WNBA All-Star Diggins, leading scorer and Irving, Texas native Sims and 2015 WNBA All-Star Plenette Pierson, the Dallas Wings becomes the newest professional sports franchise in one of the most vibrant sports markets in the U.S.
“We are thrilled to bring the WNBA to the DFW Metroplex, home to some of the most passionate basketball fans in the world,” said Tatum. “As we prepare for our historic twentieth season, this is a very exciting time for the league and its teams, and we are pleased that the Dallas Wings will be part of the celebration.”
The Dallas Wings will play its home games at College Park Center, a state-of-the-art 7,000-seat arena conveniently located on the campus of The University of Texas at Arlington.
For more information on the franchise please visit Dallas Wings Basketball on Facebook, @DWingsHoops on Twitter or @DallasWingsBasketball on Instagram.
For Immediate Release
Arlington, TX., November 2, 2015 – The Dallas Wings were introduced today by Full Court Partners, LLC, the ownership group for the WNBA team relocating to the DFW Metroplex for the 2016 season. The new name and team logo were revealed at a news conference and reception at College Park Center on the campus of the University of Texas at Arlington, which will serve as the team’s home court in 2016.
WNBA stars Skylar Diggins and Odyssey Sims, along with Dallas Wings Head Coach Fred Williams and NBA Deputy Commissioner & Chief Operating Officer Mark Tatum, joined the ownership group to reveal the much anticipated name and logo.
Season ticket packages were also introduced as part of the event, and more information will be available on the team’s official website dallaswingsbasketball.com, or by calling (817) 469-9464.
Dallaswingsbasketball.com will serve as a hub for real-time news, updates and information on the team, including fan programs, job opportunities, sponsorship opportunities, ticket information and much more.
Business executive and investor Bill Cameron, who has owned the team for seven years, will remain Majority Owner and Chairman of the team. Texas native Chris Christian, an award winning songwriter/record producer who was a driving force in bringing women’s professional basketball to the DFW Metroplex, will serve as Vice Chairman and Managing partner for the Dallas Wings.
"We are bringing to the metroplex a young and dynamic team with tremendous upside,"aid Cameron. "They are fun to watch and they will endear themselves to their new home. The presence of Skylar and Odyssey today for this major announcement underscores the excitement of the team to represent this market in the WNBA. These professional athletes are without a doubt some the finest athletes in the world."
“This is an exciting time for the DFW Metroplex as women’s professional basketball returns after 30 years,” said Christian. “The next generation of girls and boys will now have a new team of professional athletes to cheer for and inspire by their hard work, commitment, dedication, discipline and the love of competition.”
Led by WNBA All-Star Diggins, leading scorer and Irving, Texas native Sims and 2015 WNBA All-Star Plenette Pierson, the Dallas Wings becomes the newest professional sports franchise in one of the most vibrant sports markets in the U.S.
“We are thrilled to bring the WNBA to the DFW Metroplex, home to some of the most passionate basketball fans in the world,” said Tatum. “As we prepare for our historic twentieth season, this is a very exciting time for the league and its teams, and we are pleased that the Dallas Wings will be part of the celebration.”
The Dallas Wings will play its home games at College Park Center, a state-of-the-art 7,000-seat arena conveniently located on the campus of The University of Texas at Arlington.
For more information on the franchise please visit Dallas Wings Basketball on Facebook, @DWingsHoops on Twitter or @DallasWingsBasketball on Instagram.
Sunday, November 1, 2015
Exhibition games begin
Some teams across the country had exhibition games this weekend. They don't mean anything, but they do remind us that there are only 12 days left until the season (!!)
Team news:
Well now.....Cal has a reality series.
It will be new rules, old results for Green Bay this year.
Pitt's hopes will depend upon the success of the sophomores.
Chattanooga is looking forward to scrimmages.
Iowa now has two times the potential.
Player news:
The baby Ogwumikes (Erica and Olivia) each had a good showing in Pepperdine's exhibition win over Bristol yesterday.
Kaylee Page is starting a new chapter at Kansas State.
UConn's Natalie Butler remains upbeat despite her thumb injury. Teammate Saniya Chong's role remains undefined so far.
Ohio State transfers Stephanie Mavunga and Sierra Calhoun can't play, but they won't sit idly by. Teammate Kelsey Mitchell previews the season.
Transfer Kyndal Clark is set to adapt to Nebraska's needs.
Coach news:
Rhode Island coach Daynia La-Force has her "relentless" team prepared to chase 20 wins.
Brenna Rollie is Columbia's new assistant coach.
International news:
The WNBL's Canberra Capitals are winless, but Renee Montgomery isn't panicking.
Queensland star Erin Phillips could miss the entire season with a knee injury.
Team news:
Well now.....Cal has a reality series.
It will be new rules, old results for Green Bay this year.
Pitt's hopes will depend upon the success of the sophomores.
Chattanooga is looking forward to scrimmages.
Iowa now has two times the potential.
Player news:
The baby Ogwumikes (Erica and Olivia) each had a good showing in Pepperdine's exhibition win over Bristol yesterday.
Kaylee Page is starting a new chapter at Kansas State.
UConn's Natalie Butler remains upbeat despite her thumb injury. Teammate Saniya Chong's role remains undefined so far.
Ohio State transfers Stephanie Mavunga and Sierra Calhoun can't play, but they won't sit idly by. Teammate Kelsey Mitchell previews the season.
Transfer Kyndal Clark is set to adapt to Nebraska's needs.
Coach news:
Rhode Island coach Daynia La-Force has her "relentless" team prepared to chase 20 wins.
Brenna Rollie is Columbia's new assistant coach.
International news:
The WNBL's Canberra Capitals are winless, but Renee Montgomery isn't panicking.
Queensland star Erin Phillips could miss the entire season with a knee injury.
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