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Senior Olivia Johnson led the team in rebounding and averaged 9.5 points per game in 2014-15.
Senior Olivia Johnson led the team in rebounding and averaged 9.5 points per game in 2014-15.

New Faces, Same Top 5 Pick

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


Click here for the complete MIAC women's basketball preview


BLOOMINGTON, Minn. -- The 2014-15 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) women's basketball season was a year-long coronation of champion University of St. Thomas, which completed a perfect 25-0 regular season and advanced all the way to the NCAA Tournament quarterfinals. Now, as a new season prepares to tip off, the rest of the conference is eager to write their own remarkable story in 2015-16.

The Tommies were nearly unbeatable in 2014-15 behind a deep, talented senior class, and the team made it through the regular season, MIAC Playoffs and NCAA Sweet 16 without a loss. It's only blemish was an Elite Eight loss to eventual national champion Thomas More (Ky.) as Head Coach Ruth Sinn's team finished a remarkable 30-1 (18-0 MIAC). However, UST graduated much of its talent from that squad, leaving the door open for its competition to challenge for the conference title in 2015-16.

Leading that charge will be the Bethel Royals, which joined UST in the NCAA Tournament a year ago with a 21-7 overall record, and the Royals were 14-4 in conference play to finish as the runner-up to the Tommies in both the regular-season standings and the MIAC Playoffs. This season, both have high hopes once again evidenced by the preseason polls. St. Thomas is ranked 12th in the Division III Coaches' Poll and 18th by D3hoops.com, while Bethel is 22nd in the D3hoops.com poll and 23rd by the coaches.

There was a trio of tightly-contested teams behind the Tommies and Royals last year, as Saint Mary's (18-9), Gustavus (17-9) and Concordia (15-11) all finished 11-7 in conference play to share third place. All three return talented players in 2015-16 and hope to also contend for the MIAC title this time around. Augsburg (15-12) and Saint Benedict (12-13) were both 9-9 in the MIAC and tied for sixth, with the Auggies claiming the final Playoff spot thanks to tiebreaker criteria. It was Augsburg's first trip to the MIAC postseason, and the team advanced to the semifinals.

Hamline (12-13) and St. Olaf (10-15) both went 7-11 in conference play and finished just outside of Playoff contention last season. Carleton (8-17) was just a game behind the Pipers and Oles at 6-12 in the MIAC. St. Catherine had one of its best seasons in recent memory, improving to 10-15 overall and 5-13 in conference play in 2014-15, and Macalester was 3-22 (0-18 MIAC) in the first season for new Head Coach Kelly Roysland.

The MIAC basketball community received sad news in August when Augsburg Head Coach Bill McKee passed away following a battle with kidney cancer. McKee was the Auggies' head coach for four seasons, leading them to a school record in wins (15) and the team's first ever MIAC Playoff bid and victory in his final campaign. McKee starred at St. Thomas during his playing days, and he also spent 10 years as an assistant coach at his alma mater, spending nearly two decades playing and coaching in the MIAC. McKee will be missed, and remembered as a passionate coach and teacher of the game, a basketball scholar, and someone to cared greatly about his student-athletes.

Replacing McKee is a name familiar to MIAC women's basketball fans. Ted Riverso was hired in September as the new Auggies head coach, following a national championship and five MIAC titles in 15 years (1984-99) at St. Thomas, and a stint as an assistant at Division I Minnesota.

There will be one other new face on the MIAC sidelines this season, as Brent Pollari takes over at Saint Mary's. Pollari previously served as an assistant at Division I North Dakota and Division II Northern State and Minnesota State-Mankato. He replaces Mandy Pearson, who was hired as the head coach at Division II Minnesota-Duluth following a MIAC title and two Coach-of-the-Year awards with the Cardinals.

Last season marked the first year of a new 18-game conference schedule for MIAC women's basketball, and the conference enters its second year of the new unbalanced setup ready for another great season on the court. This year, there are several teams with legitimate title hopes, even more with designs on making the MIAC Playoffs. The talent level is extremely high with 10 All-Conference and nine Honorable Mention players all back on the court. Basically, the opening tip-off can't come soon enough.

BETHEL TOPS CROWDED COACHES' POLL
The talent at the top of the conference in 2015-16 is evidenced by the coaches' preseason rankings. Bethel received seven first-place votes and 116 total points to finish first and headline the 2015-16 MIAC Women's Basketball Preseason Coaches' Poll as the favorite to win the conference title, but the Royals weren't alone at the top. St. Thomas received five first-place votes and 112 points to finish a close second, and Gustavus also reached triple digits with 104 points to round out a strong top three.

Concordia (84 points) finished fourth, just six points ahead of Saint Benedict (78) as the Cobbers and Blazers both joined the top five. Augsburg (66) was also selected to make a return trip to the MIAC Playoffs in sixth place, with Saint Mary's (61) just barely on the outside looking in with a seventh-place finish in the poll. St. Olaf (42) clipped cross-town rival Carleton (41) by a single point for eighth, Hamline (37) held a three-point lead on St. Catherine (34) for the final spot in the top 10, and Macalester (17) rounded out the preseason rankings.

PLAYERS TO WATCH
Bethel enters as the favorite thanks to its accomplishments a year ago, and the team it has coming back. Head Coach Jon Herbrechtsmeyer hopes to guide the Royals back to the NCAA Tournament behind the return of star forward Rachel Parupsky, who is a three-time All-MIAC and two-time All-Region selection. Fellow All-Region forward Kalli Zimmerman also returns after earning All-Conference honors in her first two seasons, and guard Hannah Niewald is back to lead the Bethel backcourt as it aims for a shot at the MIAC title in 2015-16.

St. Thomas said goodbye to an unbelievably talented senior class a year ago, including All-Americans Jenna Dockter and Maggie Weiers, but Head Coach Ruth Sinn will try to re-load with plenty of young talent ready to step into the spotlight. Senior guard Katie Stone was an All-MIAC pick a year ago and will be counted on to lead the young Tommies, who hope junior center Kaitlyn Langer and sophomore guard Maddie Wolkow are ready to step into bigger roles this season.

Gustavus got to the MIAC Playoffs a year ago and hopes for even more success in 2015-16 with most of its key players back. Sophomore Mikayla Miller was one of the MIAC's breakout stars as a rookie and senior Lindsey Johnson also returns to give the Gusties an All-MIAC duo to lead the way. Concordia will have to replace a pair of All-MIAC graduates in Alley Fisher and Erin Januschka, but All-MIAC Honorable Mention forward Olivia Johnson is back to lead the way, with fellow seniors Hannah Jeske and Jenna Januschka counted on for more production in 2015-16.

Saint Benedict had a young team a year ago and hopes its core can continue its development and earn a trip to the Playoffs this season. Junior Annie Ditterner and sophomores Niki Fokken and Kate Banovetz are all back to fuel the Blazers' hopes. Augsburg reached new heights a year ago with its first MIAC Playoff bid, and hopes to continue that progress under Riverso, as the team plays to honor the late McKee. Senior All-MIAC forward Jessica Lillquist is back to lead the Auggies, along with senior guard Jenna Orth and sophomore frontcourt player Bridget Bednar.

Saint Mary's has been one of the MIAC's top teams in recent years, and it hopes to continue that success under Pollari. His first Cardinals' squad will be led by a pair of All-MIAC returners in senior guard Bridget Pethke and junior guard Emma Schaefer. St. Olaf enters the new season hoping to improve on last season's ninth-place finish and return to the MIAC Playoffs, and the Oles have most of their key talent back to lead that resurgence. Junior forward Betsey Daly was an All-MIAC pick last season, and the tema has veteran talent in the backcourt thanks to the return of senior guards Afton Wolter and Lauren Gutierrez.

Carleton's starting lineup will have a different look this year, as four-time All-MIAC guard Skylar Tsutsui has graduated. Fortunately, the Knights have plenty of returning experience in the backcourt in seniors Michele Arima and Gabbi Stienstra. Sophomore forward Nnenna Ezem also  returns for Carleton this season. Hamline also has big shoes to fill, as Pipers' all-time leading scorer Jordan Sammons (1,741 points) graduated. Hamline will look to a pair of junior guards - Chelsey Bonsante and Chloe Graces - to lead the way in 2015-16 in Sammons' absence.

St. Catherine showed serious improvement last year with 10 wins, and the Wildcats hope to keep climbing up the standings in 2015-16. All-MIAC guard LaShay Holt is back after leading the MIAC in rebounding (9.9 per game) and Honorable Mention pick Audra Clark also returns for St. Kate's. Macalester brings back most of its key players in Head Coach Kelly Roysland's second season. Sophomore center Regan Fruh back after Honorable Mention and All-Rookie Team honors in her breakout first season, and guards Lauren Clamage and Erin Murray also return for the Scots.

CIRCLE THESE DATES
The good news for fans is that tip off for the 2015-16 MIAC women's basketball season isn't far off. The season officially tips off on Friday, Nov. 13, with Concordia leading things off that night. St. Thomas, Hamline, Augsburg, Saint Benedict and Carleton all tip off on Saturday, Nov. 14, and St. Olaf starts on Sunday, with the rest of the conference set to begin their season over the following week.

Teams will all open with nonconference action throughout November, with MIAC play set to start on Wednesday, Dec. 2. Most teams will play four MIAC games over December's first two weeks, before the conference season hits pause for the semester and Holiday break. MIAC play will be back to start the new year on Wednesday, Jan. 6, and will run through the final day of the regular season, Saturday, Feb. 20. The MIAC Playoffs will follow for the top six teams on Feb. 23, 25, and 27, and the winner will receive a bid to the NCAA Tournament.


2015-16 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.

2015-16 MIAC Women's Basketball
Preseason Coaches' Poll

Rank  Institution Total
1 Bethel (7) 116
2 St. Thomas (5) 112
3 Gustavus 104
4 Concordia 84
5 Saint Benedict 78
6 Augsburg 66
7 Saint Mary's 61
8 St. Olaf 42
9 Carleton 41
10 Hamline 37
11 St. Catherine 34
12 Macalester 17