Respect Earned, Top 3 Spot Given

MIAC women's basketball preview courtesy of Matt Higgins and the MIAC office


Click here for the complete MIAC women's basketball preview

ST. PAUL, Minn. -- It doesn't get much more entertaining than women's basketball in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) a year ago. The race for the conference title came down to the final day, and only two games separated the league's top four teams. The 2013-14 season is about to begin, and it has a tough act to follow, but with talent back for the top teams and other programs on the rise, it appears the MIAC teams are up to the challenge.

Last season, Concordia (21-7, 19-3 MIAC) barely edged St. Thomas (24-6, 18-4 MIAC) and Saint Mary's (22-5, 18-4 MIAC) for the conference's regular-season championship, and Saint Benedict (20-7, 17-5 MIAC) also joined the 20-win club to give the conference quite a top for. Those same teams battled it out in the MIAC Playoffs, with the Tommies edging the Cobbers for the title and both teams advancing to the NCAA Division III Tournament.

Gustavus and Hamline - the final two teams to make the six-team MIAC Playoff field - were no slouches either, as they each went 14-8 in league play. The Gusties were 15-11 overall and the Pipers finished 14-12. St. Olaf wasn't far behind the top six, finishing 12-13 overall and 10-12 in conference play.

Augsburg (9-16, 7-15 MIAC) edged Carleton (6-19, 6-16 MIAC) by a game for eighth place, with Bethel (6-19, 5-17 MIAC) just a game behind the Knights. Macalester (4-21, 3-19 MIAC) and St. Catherine (2-23, 1-21 MIAC) rounded out the final two spots in the conference standings.

In 2013-14, many of the same teams are expected to compete for the conference title and the six bids to the MIAC Playoffs. It's entirely possible the postseason bids, seeds and even the conference title could still be up in the air heading into the season's final day once again. Which contenders will return to the top of the standings? Which teams will outperform expectations? Which players will raise their game another notch? Fortunately, the answers to those questions aren't far off with the season just a day away.

COACHES TAKE TOMMIES FOR TITLE
Thanks to its returning talent and postseason performance a year ago, St. Thomas emerged as the unanimous pick of the MIAC coaches to win the 2013-14 conference championship. The Tommies received 11 first-place votes and 121 points to finish atop the 2013-14 MIAC Women's Basketball Preseason Coaches' Poll. Since coaches couldn't vote for their own team, St. Thomas finished first with a perfect score.

It was practically a toss-up for the conference coaches to pick the Tommies' top challenger, as Saint Benedict received the other first-place vote and 103 points to finish second, just one point ahead of defending MIAC champion Concordia, which came in third with 102 points. The next two teams - Saint Mary's and St. Olaf - were grouped close together as well as the Cardinals received 89 points to come in fourth and the Oles were fifth with 83 points. Coaches picked Gustavus to grab the sixth and final Playoff spot with 69 points.

Bethel was predicted to be the first team outside the postseason field, as the Royals finished seventh in the poll with 60 points. Augsburg edged Carleton and St. Catherine for ninth place, as the Auggies received 38 points to 33 for the Knights and 30 for the Wildcats. Macalester and its 18 points rounded out the preseason predictions.

WHAT'S NEW?
It's a season of stability in the MIAC, as none of the 12 teams made a coaching change in the offseason. The 2013-14 season also marks the final campaign for the conference under its current schedule format. Things will look drastically different in 2014-15, as the MIAC women's basketball schedule will change from a 22-game schedule to an 18-game slate. That means teams will no longer play a home-and-home with every single MIAC foe.

Beginning next season, the MIAC teams will play all 11 teams once, and seven of the 11 a second time. This will allow coaches more scheduling flexibility and benefit the well-being of MIAC student-athletes, as it will reduce the three-games-a-week schedule the MIAC women currently face in January and February.

WHO'S BACK?
The Tommies were picked to emerge atop a talented crop of teams in 2013-14 because of all the talent and experience back in Ruth Sinn's lineup. St. Thomas only graduated one key contributor - point guard Kellie Ring - from last season's team. Star forward Taylor Young is back for the final chapter of her All-American career. Junior center Maggie Weiers will give UST a huge lift in the paint after missing 2012-13 with an injury, and junior forward Anna Smith helps make St. Thomas' frontcourt one of the best in the MIAC, and all of Division III.

Saint Benedict has a talented squad back in Mike Durbin's 28th season on the bench, and he enters the new campaign just six wins shy of 600 in his stellar coaching career. All-MIAC senior Brianna Barrett and her 15.1 points per game are back to lead the Blazers, and senior forward Morgan Dale will team with sophomore forward Mattie Lueck to anchor Saint Ben's in the paint.

The Cobbers are tasked with replacing MIAC Player-of-the-Year Emily Thesing and fellow star Tricia Sorensen, but Head Coach Jessica Rahman has more than enough talent back to keep Concordia in the hunt for another MIAC title. Guards Alley Fisher and Erika Jossart give Concordia a talented, veteran backcourt, and center Alexandra Lippert is one of the league's most imposing forces under the basket with more than 500 rebounds and 200 blocked shots in her career.

Saint Mary's had an outstanding breakout season a year ago under MIAC Coach-of-the-Year Mandy Pearson, and hopes remain high despite the graduation of two-time All-Conference honorees Jessica Thone and Jamie Stefely. Senior post Courtney Euerle returns as one of the league's top defenders, and guards Bridget Pethke and Darcey Rice will have expanded roles as they look to guide the Cardinals back to the postseason.

St. Olaf said goodbye to three-time All-MIAC star Mackenzie Wolter, but that' the only significant loss for Head Coach Dave Stromme. MIAC Sixth Player-of-the-Year Kim Cerjan will look for more responsibility as a sophomore in the Ole backcourt, and senior Elise Raney and junior Nikki Frogner will hold down the St. Olaf frontcourt. Gustavus is looking to improve in the second year of the Laurie Kelly era. Senior guard Julia Dysthe and sophomore post Karina Schroeder will lead the way for the Gusties, and they try to ease the loss of All-MIAC forward Abby Rothenbuehler and fellow forward Kelsey Florian.

Bethel returns one of the MIAC's brightest stars in 2013 D3hoops.com and MIAC Rookie-of-the-Year Rachel Paprusky. Head Coach John Herbrechtsmeyer also brings back talented guards Katelyn Vavra and Sydney Schultz to bolster the Royals' postseason hopes. Hamline Head Coach Kerri Stockwell aspires to lead the Pipers on a return trip to the MIAC Playoffs, and those hopes start with All-Region and All-MIAC guard Jordan Sammons. Fellow guard Je'Naya Brown and forward Rachel Usgaard are also back to help Hamline in 2013-14.

Augsburg brings back an experienced backcourt to lead the way in Head Coach Bill McKee's third season. Senior guard/forward Jill Tichy scored in double-digits a year ago, and guards Jolene Blood and Abbey Luger will again be key contributors for the Auggies. Carleton Head Coach Cassie Kosiba graduated two-time All-MIAC star Akemi Arzouman, but the Knights have a talented backcourt back in Northfield. All-MIAC guard Skylar Tsutsui and Jenny Ramey are both back, as is senior forward Emma Purfeerst and her 10.5 points and 6.4 rebounds per game.

St. Catherine hopes to take a dramatic step forward in Head Coach Sean Pinkerton's second season with no significant losses from a year ago. Senior Kristen Lee is back to lead the way, with junior Sarah Manning and sophomore Shauna Horsch back to give the Wildcats a versatile and talented trio, as all three can play guard or forward. Macalester lost clutch All-MIAC Honorable Mention guard Kyanna Jones, but Head Coach Ellen Thompson has talent back, starting with senior post Veronika Jakubovie (11.1 ppg, 6.1 rpg). Guards Taylor Pike and Erin Murray are also back to solidify the Scots' backcourt.

CIRCLE THESE DATES
Fortunately fans of the MIAC don't have much longer to wait for the fun to start, as the 2013-14 season can officially tip off Friday. Six conference teams open their season with nonconference contests Friday and two more start Saturday. The first full day of conference play will be Dec. 4, and the regular season will conclude on Sat., Feb. 22. The MIAC Playoffs will be held the following week.

The top two teams in the coaches' poll - St. Thomas and Saint Benedict meet in a pair of huge matchups on Dec. 14 in St. Paul, and on the season's final day (Feb. 22) in St. Joseph. Two more teams with title aspirations - Concordia and Saint Mary's - will also meet in a home-and-home series with big implications. The Cobbers host the Cardinals Jan. 4, then travel to Winona Feb. 1.

St. Olaf and Gustavus both hope to be in the MIAC Playoff picture, and their matchups will be critical to each teams' success. The Oles host the Gusties on Jan. 4, and Gustavus returns the favor by hosting St. Olaf on Feb. 1. Bethel and Hamline also have high hopes for 2013-14 and their matchups should be entertaining. The Royals host the Pipers on Jan. 11 and they square off again in St. Paul on Feb. 8.

Augsburg and Carleton both enter the season with aspirations to ascend the MIAC standings in 2013-14, and their head-to-head series will be important for both squads. The Knights travel to Minneapolis on Jan. 15, while the Auggies head to Northfield on Feb. 19. St. Catherine and Macalester will meet in a pair of classic cross-town rivalry games that will also be a big factor on both teams' hopes this season. The Wildcats will host the Scots on Jan. 18, and Macalester will welcome St. Catherine to campus on Feb. 15.

A CLOSER LOOK
The rest of the 2013 MIAC Women's Basketball Preview contains complete results from the 2013-14 Preseason Coaches' Poll, MIAC Playoff details, helpful links and a preview for each team submitted by their sports information director. The new MIAC web site - www.miacathletics.com - will be an outstanding source for MIAC women's basketball news, schedules, scores, stats and more throughout the 2013-14 season.

Visit the MIAC scoreboard on game days to follow all the action, and download the MIAC mobile app to have all the information with you anywhere you travel. Also, connect to the conference on its Facebook, Twitter and YouTube pages for updates and interaction all season long.

2013-14 MIAC Women's Basketball Preseason Coaches' Poll

Coaches voted for every team in the conference except their own team. Points were assigned for each vote (11 for first, 10 for second, etc.) Teams are ranked in order of highest point total to lowest with vote totals listed and first-place votes shown in parentheses.