A Seventh Straight Top 3 Finish?

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

BLOOMINGTON, Minn. -- The Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) has long been considered a college basketball hotbed, both regionally and nationally throughout NCAA Division III. However, the MIAC's reputation swelled even more a year ago, as three teams each earned a trip to the NCAA Tournament and, as the 2014-15 season is about to tip off, hopes are high yet again for the MIAC to continue to make its mark.

In 2013-14, it was a great year to be a Cardinal, as Saint Mary's captured the MIAC championship with a 20-2 conference record (24-4 overall), and SMU earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Division III Playoffs. Both St. Thomas (25-5, 19-3 MIAC) and Concordia (21-6, 19-3 MIAC) finished a game behind the Cardinals, and both also earned a trip to the tourney.

St. Thomas won the MIAC Women's Basketball Playoff title for the third season in a row - defeating both the Cobbers and Cardinals on its way to its postseason championship and NCAA automatic bid - and Concordia also received an at-large bid to give the MIAC a rare three teams in the national tournament field.

Bethel was also among the MIAC's elite last season, as the Royals won 20 games (20-7, 17-5 MIAC) and a spot in the MIAC Playoff semifinals with its talented, young roster. St. Olaf (14-12, 12-10 MIAC) and Gustavus (14-12, 11-11 MIAC) grabbed the final two MIAC Playoff spots, with Augsburg (12-13, 9-13 MIAC) and Saint Benedict (12-13, 9-13 MIAC) just outside the top six.

Hamline finished 7-18 overall and 6-16 in the MIAC a year ago, but returns the MIAC's leading scorer in Jordan Sammons. Macalester (5-20, 4-18 MIAC) edged Carleton (5-20, 3-19 MIAC) and St. Catherine (4-21, 3-19 MIAC) for the final spot in the top 10 to round out the MIAC standings.

With the 2014-15 season about to start, women's basketball in the MIAC will undergo a fairly significant change this season in regards to its schedule. In the past, the MIAC teams played a full double round-robin, with a home-and-home series against each of the league's teams for a 22-game schedule. With a max of 25 games allowed in NCAA Division III and several three-games-per-week needed to accommodate such a massive conference schedule, the MIAC 's coaches and administrators have adjusted women's basketball to a new 18-game conference slate.

Now, each MIAC team is guaranteed to play the other 11 teams once, and seven of the 11 teams twice, which will be selected at random each season. The new schedule will certainly make the race for the MIAC title interesting. With so many teams typically in contention, now they'll have fewer games to state their case in the conference, but the scheduling flexibility should result in some exciting new nonconference and tournament opportunities for all 12 MIAC teams.

Between the new schedule, the MIAC's recent success on the national and regional stage and so much talent coming back, the 2014-15 women's basketball season can't start soon enough.

TOMMIES ON TOP OF COACHES' POLL
Though St. Thomas finished second in the regular season to Saint Mary's, its third-straight MIAC Playoff title and NCAA appearance - paired with what Head Coach Ruth Sinn has coming back - certainly impressed the MIAC coaches, as UST was picked atop the 2014-15 MIAC Women's Basketball Preseason Coaches' Poll. The Tommies were tabbed as the favorite to win the title in unanimous fashion, as they received 121 points and 11-of-12 first-place votes (coaches could not rank their own team).

However, things appear to be equally crowded at the top in the eyes of the conference coaches, as the top four teams all received at least 99 points and the next three after St. Thomas were separated by just four total points. Defending champ Saint Mary's received the other first-place vote and 103 points to finish second in the poll, with Concordia (101) two points back in third, and Bethel (99) another two points behind the Cobbers in fourth. If poll results are any indication, the four-team fight atop the MIAC should be a sight to behold.

The coaches expect Saint Benedict (77 points) to return to the MIAC Playoffs as the Blazers were picked fifth, and Gustavus (71 points) was solidly in sixth place as the final MIAC Playoff team in the preseason poll. Hamline (50), St. Olaf (47) and Augsburg (41) were closely grouped in the next three spots, while Carleton (35) edged St. Catherine (34) for 10th and Macalester (13) rounded out the final spot in the rankings.

CONFERENCE COACHING UPDATE
At the start of the 2013-14 season, there will be only one new face on the bench, as Macalester's Ellen Thompson resigned and Kelly Roysland was hired to replace her as the Scots' head coach. Roysland's name should be familiar to any Minnesota women's basketball fan, as she both played and coached at the University of Minnesota before getting her first head coaching opportunity at Macalester this summer.

Saint Benedict's Mike Durbin, fresh off his 600th career win last season, is still the dean of the MIAC coaches as he enters his 29th season. Bethel's Jon Herbrechtsmeyer is starting season No. 13 and Concordia's Jessica Rahman is opening season No. 12 with the Cobbers. St. Thomas' Ruth Sinn is celebrating her milestone 10th season with the Tommies and both two-time reigning MIAC Coach-of-the-Year Mandy Pearson and Dave Stromme are opening their eighth seasons at Saint Mary's and St. Olaf, respectively.

Carleton's Cassie Kosiba and Hamline's Kerri Stockwell are celebrating their fifth year at their current posts. Bill McKee is opening season No. 4 at Augsburg and Gustavus' Laurie Kelly and St. Catherine's Sean Pinkerton are celebrating their third seasons in the MIAC.

WHO TO WATCH FOR
St. Thomas graduated four-time All-MIAC forward Taylor Young and defensive stalwart Kelly Brandenburg, but Sinn welcomes a talented, balanced team back to St. Paul that has its eyes on returning to the top of the MIAC standings. Senior center Maggie Weiers and her 1,038 career points are back, as are fellow seniors Jenna Dockter (G) and Anna Smith (F) to give UST a strong, experienced nucleus.

Saint Mary's had to say goodbye to 2013-14 MIAC Player-of-the-Year Courtney Euerle, who remained in the MIAC by joining Roysland's coaching staff at Macalester. However, Pearson's squad should be strong again - especially in the backcourt, where All-MIAC and All-Defensive Team pick Bridget Pethke returns, as does talented senior Octavia Brown. Shelby Auseth was an Honorable Mention pick a year ago, and will be counted on to fill in some of Euerle's post production in her junior season.

Concordia also lost a star in the paint, as center Alexandra Lippert graduated, as did MIAC Sixth Player-of-the-Year Kelsey Walloch and guard Erika Jossart, but All-MIAC and All-Region guard Alley Fisher is back to lead the Cobbers in 2013-14. Junior forward Olivia Johnson and sophomore guard Greta Walsh are also back with expanded roles on the horizon after they earned All-Conference Honorable Mention and All-Rookie Team honors, respectively, a year ago.

Bethel's young team took a serious step forward last year, and the Royals should continue to grow up toward big things in 2014-15. Two-time All-Region and All-MIAC center Rachel Parupsky and All-MIAC forward Kalli Zimmerman team to give Bethel one of the league's best frontcourts, and guard Hannah Niewald also returns for a team hoping to make another leap this season.

Durbin enters his 29th season with 602 wins under his belt, and his team should add to that toal this season despite the loss of All-MIAC forward Morgan Dale. All-MIAC Honorable Mention forward Mattie Lueck is back, as are sophomore point guard Annie Dittberner and senior wing Emily Lueck. Gustavus graduated a pair of All-MIAC players in Karina Schroeder and Julia Dysthe, but junior Lindsey Johnson is back in the post to try and lead the Gusties back to the postseason in 2014-15.

Hamline's Sammons returns as the MIAC's top scorer (21.3 ppg) and second-leading rebounder (9.7 rpg) and she leads a strong returning nucleus along with guards Makenzie Lee and Emily Behrman, as the Pipers hope to make a push for the postseason in 2013-14. St. Olaf graduated All-MIAC duo Kim Cerjan and Elise Raney, but returns talented guards Afton Wolter and Lauren Guiterrez along with forward Nikki Forgner to help the Oles in their quest to return to the Playoffs.

Augsburg will try to replace All-MIAC guard Jilly Tichy after narrowly missing the MIAC Playoffs a year ago, and has high hopes thanks to guards Abbey Luger and Marie Fitzgerald and forward Jessica Lilliquist. Carleton lost one talented guard in Jenny Ramey, but has its other backcourt stalwart back thanks to the return of Skylar Tsutsui and her 16.2 ppg. Junior guard tandem Gabbie Stienstra and Michelle Arima are both back as well to give the Knights a potent backcourt.

St. Catherine showed improvement last season and hopes to keep moving in the right direction with the return of All-MIAC Honorable Mention selection LaShay Holt, who had a breakout rookie season. Guard Gabby Zehrer and versatile junior Shauna Horsch are also back for the Wildcats. Roysland's first Macalester team will be led by junior guard Erin Murray - and All-MIAC Honorable Mention pick a year ago - as well as senior forward Annie Drabot and junior guard Katelyn Kack.

CIRCLE THESE DATES
Fortunately for MIAC basketball fans, action is right around the corner, as the season tips off Saturday with 10 of the league's 12 teams in action on opening day and a the other two opening up on Tuesday. All 12 MIAC teams will open with nonconference action, leading up to the start of conference play.

MIAC play will officially begin on Wednesday, Dec. 3, with three full dates of conference play prior to the semester and Holiday break. Then, the action really heats up once the calendar flips to 2015. MIAC play resumes on Jan. 3 and will run through Saturday, Feb. 21. The MIAC Playoffs will follow on Feb. 24, 26 and 28, and the NCAA Tournament will begin the following weekend.

2014-15 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.

2014-15 MIAC Women's Basketball Playoffs

The 2014-15 MIAC Playoffs will feature the top six teams in the conference standings playing in a high-seed-host, single-elimination postseason tournament. The two top seeds will receive a bye to the semifinal round, while the No. 3 seed will host the No. 6 seed, and the No. 4 seed will host the No. 5 seeds during the quarterfinals, which will be held Tuesday, Feb. 24. The top remaining seed will play at the No. 2 seed and the lowest remaining seed will play at the No. 1 seed during the semifinals, which are scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 26. The championship game is set for Saturday, Feb. 28, with the two semifinal winners meeting on home court of the top remaining seed. The winner will receive the MIAC's automatic bid to the 2014-15 NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Tournament.