Big Sky Big Timer: Tonya Schnibbe

I hope you had a great Thanksgiving. I got some much needed R & R and ate way too much turkey. With all of the distractions, I kind of fell behind on the blog. Hopefully you were distracted as well and didn’t notice.

Just in time to capture some amazing Big Sky performances in week three of the season, I am happy to present the inaugural Big Sky Big Timer, my attempt at picking a player of the week. While I was busy gorging myself and avoiding family members, six of the Sky’s nine teams were celebrating their holidays with tournaments around the country. It was a tough decision, but I think one performance stood out.

Congratulations this week to Tonya Schnibbe of Weber State. Schnibbe, led the Wildcats to a third place finish in the University of Pittsburgh Thanksgiving tournament with 21 points and a school record 17 assists in an overtime win against Elon in the consolation final. She was 8-13 from the floor and added 2 steals. Against Youngstown State in the first game of the tournament, Schnibbe scored 11 points and dished out 9 assists. The junior also notched 10 points and 9 assists in Tuesday's win over NAIA Westminster College. Schnibbe’s solid work at point guard is one of the main reasons that Weber State is off to a surprising 3-2 start. Schnibbe’s 17 assists are 2 away from the Big Sky single game record set by Claire Faucher last season.

Honorable Mention Big Timers

Caitlyn Anderson (WSU)- scored a career high 28 points and notched 17 rebounds in OT win vs Elon in the Pittsburgh tournament. She was 4-6 for long range, including a three that put Weber ahead for good in OT. In the loss to Youngstown State, Anderson had 17 points and 8 rebounds. On Tuesday, Anderson scored a game high 24 points over Westminster College.

Oana Iacovita (ISU) -recorded back-to-back double-doubles with 18 points and 10 rebounds against Loyola Marymount and 13 points and 14 rebounds against North Dakota State at the Loyola Marymount Tournament. She hit 54% of her shots on the weekend.

Jenny Heringer (MSU)- scored 20 points in a win over Western Carolina, going 5-9 from behind the arc, including 3-4 in a 3 minute span as MSU took over the lead halfway through the second half. She added 8 rebounds and 3 assists.

Mandy Morales (UM)- averaged 17.3ppg in 3 games in Cancun. Hit game winner with 0.7 seconds left in OT to give UM the win over Illinois. She led the Griz in scoring in losses to #14 Maryland and South Dakota State.

Anne Phippard (MSU)- scored a career high 20 points in the Cats’ win over Western Carolina. She was 8-14 in her first start of the year and is now shooting a scorching 54% on the season. She also dished out 5 assists in the game.


Shout Outs

Kyla Evans (EWU)- 16 points, 4-5 from the arc in loss to Georgia. Only 1-7 in upset of UNLV.

Sade Cunningham (NAU)- 11 points, 5 steals, 4 assists, 4-9 in loss to Bradley, 14 points, 5 assists in loss to North Dakota.

Whitley Cox (UNC)- 22 points (18 in second half) in loss to San Fransisco, 12 points in win over Wazzu, but had 9 turnovers.

Atty Boyer (SAC)- 10 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists in loss to Portland, 15 points, 6 rebounds vs San Jose State.

Claire Faucher (PSU)- 10 points, 6 rebounds, 6 steals, 9 assists in win over Portland.

Kelsey Kahle (PSU)- 22 points in win over Portland.

Go West Young Man

When the MSU schedule came out a few months ago, the road trip I was looking most forward to was...not sunny San Diego St and USC...not the Battle on the Border Tourney in Texas...but the Gonzaga, Washington State trip. Before you navigate away from this blog, let me tell you why. First of all, both arenas will be awesome to visit. I have been a bandwagon fan of both the Zags and the Cougs as their men's programs have emerged on the national scene. It will be neat to watch games on each of their homecourts in the span of a weekend. Second, Gonzaga could be the best team that MSU faces this year. They return 4 starters from a WCC championship team of a year ago. Last year they beat the Cats 82-68 in a game that was closer than the final score indicated. If the Cats play at their potential, they will have a chance to win this game. Third, the Cats SHOULD beat WSU. It is rare when a Big Sky team is a favorite against a PAC 10 team, but WSU is rebuilding and is not expected to do much this season. In other words, two winnable games against prestigious schools present great opportunities for an awesome basketball weekend.

Web Streaming Update:

Just got the word that MY103.5 will be streaming the games from their website, instead of using the Yahoo method of last year. Good news? The quality is much better. Bad News? No archived games. To remedy that in a small way, I will try to post higlights here on Courtside for those that weren't able to catch the game live. Getting highlights is a time intensive process, so please bear with me...To listen via the MY103.5 website, go to http://www.my1035.com and click on the "Listen Live" button in the upper left of the page. Sit back, relax, and enjoy.

News Roundup

Who chooses these things? I can think of like 10 better choices.

Idaho State has a short bench and can't make its free throws.

I was up way too late last night.

Scotta and Krislyn?! (Check out the second photo. I think I see Katie Burrows and Whitney Connolly there as well.)

One Week Down...

What a great start to the season. I am already having a blast and we are just warming up. The Cats blasted Utah Valley in Orem 94-71 in their opener on Friday night, and then came home to the Fieldhouse for an excellent home-opener win over North Dakota 85-78.

Against UVU, the Cats relied on their offense to pull away after the Wolverines chiseled away MSU’s 5 point halftime lead. The key for MSU was its bench play, which gave the Cats 41 points, including a pair of big threes by Anne Phippard. Sarah Strand and Erica Perry led the Cats with 15 points apiece.

Against North Dakota, MSU got out to a 12 point lead at the half only to see North Dakota come storming back in the second half. (Déjà vu?) MSU led by as much as 21 points in the second half and UND got it down to a 1 point differential in the final minutes before MSU went on a 6-0 run to close the game for the win. The big difference in the game was at the free throw line: MSU went 27 times and converted 21. UND was 7-9. I am a big believer of what goes around comes around however, the story was the exact opposite in Grand Forks last year where UND got 30 attempts and MSU got 8. Kidding aside, UND was pretty sloppy on defense, especially inside where their star, Kierah Kimbrough was fouled out. In fact, coach Gene Roebuck called her out after the game for her defense.

What did I see this weekend? MSU’s offense will be really good. Sarah Strand is capable of shooting the ball from anywhere, freshman Katie Bussey has been in double figures in all of her games as a Bobcat (well almost, she had 9 vs UND), the Cats are getting 40 ppg from their bench through two games, and the posts are getting their buckets and capitalizing on second chance opportunities. This despite the fact that MSU’s projected leading scorer, Jenny Heringer, has yet to heat up and has been missing a ton of free throws. That won’t last long though, she will find her rhythm and look out, MSU could average high eighties, low nineties all season. There is room for improvement however. The MSU post defense was spotty at times. Against UVU, the Cat’s gave up 31 points to Robyn Fairbanks and sent her to the line 10 times. And while Julie McMurray did get a three, most of her career high 25 points around the basket. Against the Sioux, Kimbrough managed 24 points despite riding the pine in foul trouble and only playing for 14 minutes. The Cats surrendered 13 points and 9 rebounds to Whitney Ledger, a bench player who only averaged 6.3 ppg last season. This undoubtedly bugs Coach Binford, so I know she will be harping on defense in the coming weeks. MSU has the athletes to play good post defense and, with proper focus, will start shutting teams down.

Upcoming: 11/21 @ Gonzaga 7pm, 11/23 @ Washington State 3pm

Week One Big Sky WBB Roundup

One week all you can find on ESPN is football, the next it is like Christmas and there are more basketball games than your brain can process. A great weekend of action reminded me why I love college basketball more than any other sport. There is so much intensity, strategy, and drama squeezed into forty minutes, that there is rarely a game that I am not emotionally drained after.

The Big Sky swung into action this weekend as all of the teams made their debuts for the 2008-09 seasons. Perhaps the weekend’s best games were on Sunday afternoon in Bozeman and Missoula, but there were noteworthy performances across the Big Sky landscape. I will do a separate post on MSU, so here are the rest:

Montana
The Griz only had one game on opening weekend, and it had a postseason flare. UM hosted Wyoming, a NCAA tourney team from a year ago. Coach Selvig put together a very tough non-conference schedule this season with hopes of improving a potential seeding in the tournament. Wyoming led most of the game, but the Griz got it together in the end, winning 71-64. Sarah Ena scored a career high 19 points. (I told you she would be a factor!) Rodgers, Morales, and Lohman played 40, 39, and 36 minutes respectively, which is a ton for the first game of the year.

Portland State
With double-doubles from Kelly Valentine and Kelsey Kahle, PSU beat BYU at the Stott Center 73-64. BYU started two players at 6-2 and PSU’s tallest player is Valentine at 5’11, but the Viks won the boards 44-31. Could the Viks hang their hat on defense this year? They only allowed BYU to shoot 35% from the field. Oh, and by the way, Claire Faucher only had 8 assists.

Northern Colorado
Northern Colorado pasted Air Force 73-53 in Colorado Springs on Friday. At one point in the first half, the Bears went on a 22-0 run and held the Falcons scoreless for 11 minutes. UNC forced 19 turnovers and held Air Force to 30% shooting. Freshman Cassie Lambrecht had 13 points off the bench (again I told you so) and Courtney Stoermer scored 12.

Northern Arizona
NAU wasn’t as lucky this weekend as the ‘Jacks failed to score over 47 points in two losses on the road. Friday NAU fell to Memphis 64-47 and on Sunday got walloped by Arkansas State 71-40. The story: turnovers and three pointers. NAU turned the ball over a combined 43 times and was a combined 6-30 from downtown in the two games (for those keeping track at home that is 20%). Highnote? San Diego State transfer Lauren Hoisington registered a double-double (17 pts, 11 rebs) in her first game as a ‘Jack.

Sac State
The Hornets got off to a 0-2 start, losing 92-71 on Friday at UNLV, and 100-45 at Oregon State on Sunday. Against UNLV, Sac leaders Charday Hunt and Tika Diaz both fouled out early. Hunt only lasted 11 minutes. The Hornets did get a double-double from Erika Edwards (11,13) who was 3-3 from long range. Four others were in double figures for Sac. The game was in range until UNLV went off from the arc, going 6-10 in the second half. Atty Boyer scored 1/3 of Sac’s points against Oregon State, but the Hornets turned it over 27 times and got outrebounded 38-21. Not gonna win many games that way.

Idaho State
The Seton Sobolewski era got off to a 1-2 start at the Travelers’ Tournament in Albuquerque, NM as the Bengals lost 73-55 on Saturday to DePaul, lost to host New Mexico 82-47 on Sunday, and just got done beating Alcorn State 67-50 tonight. Oana Iacovita was ridiculous in the win over Alcorn State, scoring 22 on 7-11 shooting (7-8 on free throws) and bagging 11 rebounds. In the losses, scoring was an issue. Against DePaul, only Iacovita scored in double figures and New Mexico held ISU to 26% from the field, with no one scoring double figures. Over the two losses, ISU was outrebounded 71-101. Ouch.

Weber State
The Wildcats lost to Nebraska 96-47 on Friday and lost its exhibition game 69-65 to the College of Idaho two weeks ago. ‘Nuff said. Have faith Weber fans, the suffering will end in four months.

Eastern Washington
The Eagles lost their opener on Friday at Nevada 64-49. While Kyla Evans was 5-9 from the field (5-8 from the arc!), the rest of the team was just 13 of 50 (26%). Don’t worry coach Schuller, you have Idaho coming up next week.

This Week

Tuesday
Northern Colorado vs San Jose State
Montana @ Idaho

Wednesday
Weber State vs Washington
NAU @ Utah State

Thursday
Sac State @ Santa Clara

Friday
Portland State @ Binghamton
Montana State @ Gonzaga
Eastern Washington vs San Francisco

Saturday
Portland State @ Syracuse
Northern Arizona vs Pepperdine
Idaho State @ Utah State
Northern Colorado @ Pacific
Sac State vs Fresno State

Sunday
Montana State @ Washington State

MSU 86 UM-Western 46

Good start for the 'Cats on Saturday night. I don't care who the competition is, winning by 40 is a good win. Some highlights:

-Katie Bussey is good. She put up 17 including 3 long balls. But what I was more impressed with was her ball handling ability and willingness to head right into the teeth of the defense.

-Erica Perry took it easy on the Bulldogs, but she still had a good night. Four steals, 4 assists and 6 rebounds to go along with her 10 points. At one point in the first half she forced three consecutive turnovers, not allowing the Bulldogs to get the ball across halfcourt. After UMW's point guard got the ball stolen two possessions in a row, they gave it to one of their forwards who was a decent ball handler to bring it up. Erica trapped her along the sideline with another Cat (I believe it was Nubia Garcia) and forced the third turnover. If Erica isn't the Defensive MVP of the Big Sky this year, then things could get ugly.(Yes that is a threat).

-The Cats' are deep. Everyone on the active roster scored at least 4 points and all looked fairly comfortable working within Coach Binford's system. It is clear that they have bought in to the high intensity game built on quickness and tough defense that she likes to run. There wasn't much of a drop off when the bench was in the game. Anne Phippard provided some great spark and got communication rolling. Rachel Pauli looked good in her debut, she's got a nice shot and uses her height well in defending and rebounding. There were too many bench highlights to mention.

-The defense looked good. After giving up 91 to the scout team, I was worried about the defense and the focus on that end of the floor. The Cats forced 28 turnovers and kept the Bulldogs below 50 points. While some of that can be attributed to the fact the UMW roster featured 5 transfers that were still trying to figure out the offense, it was clear all night that the Cats had them on their heels and kept them sufficiently flustered all night long. It will be interesting to see how the Cat defense performs when the athleticism of the opponent it similar to their own.

Great game on Friday night at Utah Valley University. The game between MSU and UVU last year in Bozeman may have been the biggest win of the non-conference portion of the season. UVU was undefeated and receiving votes in the national polls when MSU blasted them in the Fieldhouse. The Wolverines will want some revenge and the McKay Center is a tough place to play. This game will be a great test early in the year. However, UVU got kicked around in their exhibition opener to DII Fort Lewis. 82 to 53!!! I haven't tried to figure out why yet, but it is a real head scratcher because they have a good portion of last year's roster back.

To get you ready for the big weekend of hoops, here is that highlight montage that I promised:

Courtside’s 2008-09 All-Big Sky Conference Preseason Team

Following last night’s team previews, I am excited to announce Courtside’s first Big Sky Conference Preseason Awards. These honors follow the BSC’s postseason awards format with All-Conference Teams, League MVP, Defensive MVP, Top Newcomer, and Outstanding Freshman.

Award winners were selected by a panel of experts (me, myself, and I) and will receive nothing but the respect and honor of being recognized on this blog. I thought of ordering trophies, but what with the economy and all…


Drum roll please.

First Team
Mandy Morales, Montana; Britney Lohman, Montana; Claire Faucher, PSU; Erica Perry, MSU; Jenny Heringer, MSU; Jaime Schroeder NC

Second Team
Sonya Rogers, Montana; Atty Boyer, Sac; Kelly Marchant PSU; Nubia Garcia, MSU; Whitley Cox, UNC; Sade Cunningham, NAU;

Honorable Mention
Julie Piper, EWU; Devin Diehl, ISU; Jenna Brown, ISU; Tonya Schnibbe, WSU; Sami Field-Polisso, Sac, Kelly Valentine PSU; Kelsey Kahle, PSU

MVP: Claire Faucher, PSU
Defensive Player of the Year: Erica Perry, MSU
Top Newcomer: Lauren Hoisington, NAU
Outstanding Freshman: Katie Bussey, MSU
Male Assistant Coach of the Year: Justin Scanson, MSU
Radio Voice of the Year (Other than me of course): Gus Johnson, New York Knicks

For those players out there wondering where your name is at on this list, I encourage you to go out and prove me wrong! Nothing is more exciting than witnessing awesome performances coming from unexpected sources. For those of you on this list, the pressure is on. Don’t let me down!

Big Sky Conference WBB Preview 2008-09

It is hard to believe that it is time for basketball season already, but here we are. After a thrilling finish to the Big Sky Conference (BSC) women’s basketball 2007-08 season, the 2008-09 season promises to have some exciting twists and turns as well. It is becoming a trend in sports to try to predict what will happen in a sports season. While these predictions almost never hold up, they offer a glimpse into what to look for in the upcoming year.

Keeping with that tradition, here are previews for the nine BSC WBB teams for the 2008-09 season. They appear in the order I expect the teams to finish the regular season. If you are not familiar with the BSC, the top six teams make it into the conference tournament, while the bottom three stay home. Without further ado, Courtside’s Big Sky Conference Preview!

TOURNAMENT TEAMS

1. Montana Grizzlies
It seems like this team is loaded every year, and indeed it is again this season. Montana lost four players off of last year’s squad (one starter), while returning 4 starters including arguably the best player in the conference, Mandy Morales. Morales was the 2006-07 conference MVP and 2007-08 tournament MVP. The Griz return Sonya Rogers, who was ranked among the nation’s best three-point shooters last season, Britney Lohman, the league’s defensive MVP, and Tamara Guardipee, the team’s leading rebounder. The biggest question for Montana is whether or not they can maintain their edge on the rest of the conference. Both Montana State and Portland State exposed Montana weaknesses during conference play, only to get blasted during the tournament. Montana will need to have that “tournament focus” to dominate the regular season. Not only is that difficult to do, but it is improbable. Look for Sarah Ena, a sophomore forward who averaged 5 points and 3 rebounds last season, to step into the graduated Johanna Closson’s starting role. Lauren Beck will have a big year off of the bench.

Team MVP- Mandy Morales
Top Newcomer-Misty Atkinson (RS Freshman G/F)
Five Biggest Games- 11/16 vs Wyoming, 12/19 vs Gonzaga, 1/3 vs Montana State, 1/29 @ Portland State, 2/7 @ Montana State

2. Portland State Vikings
After starting last season with a surprising 11-3 non-conference record, PSU cruised to a fourth place birth in the conference tournament. The Viks return their leader, point guard Claire Faucher. Faucher is a baller, one of those players who knows how to win and makes her teammates better with great passing and clutch shots. PSU also returns Kelsey Kahle, a senior whose basketball game is a mystery. While she doesn’t appear to be a major threat, she waits for opponents to make mistakes, then capitalizes, and somehow gets great stat lines. The Viks lose their best perimeter threat, Delaney Conway, to graduation. Look for her position in the starting lineup to be filled by Kelly Marchant, who has shown signs of lighting up from the arc. Questions: will Lexi Bishop return to form after a knee injury she suffered in the tournament? Will the Viks be able to handle expectations? Montana State provided the blueprint for how to beat PSU: smother Faucher (see Erica Perry) and keep Kahle from getting second chances (see Nubia Garcia). If other teams are able to accomplish this, PSU may go from top of the league to also-ran. Look for Marchant to be one of the most improved players in the league and big contributions from Kelli Valentine and Katia Hadj-Hamou around the basket. Freshmen Eryn Jones and Katy Wade will turn some heads as well.

Team MVP: Faucher (duh!)
Top Newcomers: Jones and Wade
Five Biggest Games: 12/7 @ Oregon State, 1/29 vs Montana, 1/31 vs Montana St, 2/19 @ Northern Colorado, 3/5 @ Montana St

3. Montana State Bobcats
After a breakout season in 2007-08, the expectations are high for the Bobcats. The ‘Cats say goodbye to the BSC’s best offensive threat, Rebecca Mercer, and the team’s vocal leader Krislyn Wallace. Filling Mercer’s shoes may be the team’s biggest challenge, but look for Jenny Heringer to step into the scoring role. Heringer had a fantastic conference season and earned herself a place on the all-conference team. MSU will rely on Nubia Garcia, the team’s leading rebounder in 07-08, to solidify a post presence underneath. At point guard, Erica Perry will be the key to any success the Bobcats achieve this season. Last year, Perry was short changed by not receiving the league’s Defensive MVP award, something that shouldn’t happen again. Tenacious defense is Perry’s forte, but a consistent offensive showing is a must for Perry this season. The role of sophomore Sarah Strand will be important for the ‘Cats. Last season, Strand started out in a traditional forward role while Garcia was recovering from injury. After Garcia’s return, Strand shifted to a slash role, alternating between guard and forward while developing a three-point shot that scared defenses. Strand should return to a predominately “post” role this season in the absence of Wallace. The key battle in the starting lineup should be between guards Anne Phippard and Lyndi Seidensticker for the third guard position. Phippard ended the 07-08 season on fire, and Seidensticker has been tough in practice and scrimmage play. Perhaps the most exciting player for MSU this season could be freshman Katie Bussey. Any shot on the Bobcat side of the court is fair game for Bussey and should the Bobcats be unable to score the points Coach Binford wants, look for Bussey’s playing time to be increased. The biggest question lies with MSU’s defense. Coach Binford stresses defense more than any other aspect of the game, and other than Perry, the MSU defense can be inconsistent. Strong defensive effort will be essential in the BSC this season. If the ‘Cats answer the defensive bell, look out because I truly feel they could jump PSU and Montana in the conference standings. Tournament in Bozeman anyone??

Team MVP: Erica Perry
Top Newcomer: Katie Bussey
Five Biggest Games: 11/21 @ Gonzaga, 1/22 @ Northern Colorado, 1/31 @ PSU, 2/7 vs Montana, 3/5 vs PSU

4. Northern Colorado
The Bears were the Cinderella team of the BSC last season, playing against all odds and earning a birth in the conference tournament. This season looks even brighter for NC as they get their leading scorer from 06-07 back after Whitley Cox sat out last season with a knee injury. The Bears lose center Danielle Hagen to graduation but return all of their other starters. The bench is much deeper this season after coach White signed 5 freshmen and a JC transfer in the offseason. The Bears will have one of the best backcourts in the conference with Cox returning and strong play from Jaime Schroeder, a break through performer from last season. The biggest question mark in Greely is in the post where the absence of Hagen could loom large. Sophomore Kate Kevorken was in the running for freshman of the year last season and will fill a valuable power forward/guard combo role. Brittany Fernandez, a JC transfer, and sophomore Lara Merrit should shore-up some of the rebounding needs, but the rest of the height for NC will come from untested freshmen who will need to grow up fast. Cassie Lambrecht will provide spark off of the bench and could see starting time if things head south early in the year.

Team MVP: Jaime Schroeder
Top Newcomer: Brittany Fernandez
Five Biggest Games: 1/17 @ PSU, 1/22 vs Montana St, 1/24 vs Montana, 3/5 @ NAU, 3/7 @ Sac St

5. Northern Arizona Lumberjacks
NAU was a middle of the pack team last year and will be a middle of the pack team this year. Gone are Ashley Ingle, the league leader in blocks by a 26 block margin, and Laura Dinkins, the team’s leading scorer. Returning is one of the league’s most dynamic point guards, Sade Cunningham. Cunningham had the second best assist to turnover ratio in the league and has the defensive capabilities to rattle some of the conference’s best ball handlers. Joining her in the backcourt will be Janelle Matthews, a sharpshooter that banked in 23 three-pointers last season. Jenna Galloway will anchor the questionable post position with the graduation of Ingle and Dinkins. Galloway was troubled by injury last season and the Jacks will need her to stay healthy. The league is abuzz about the potential of Lauren Hoisington, a sophomore transfer from San Diego State. Look for her to contribute a large portion of NAU’s scoring and rebounding. The Jacks are a team that could be surprisingly good and surprisingly bad. Their roster features plenty of new faces and role players that must gel for any success to take place.

Team MVP: Sade Cunningham
Top Newcomer: Lauren Hoisington
Five Biggest Games: 1/04 @ PSU, 1/8 vs Montana, 1/10 vs Montana St, 1/31 @ Northern Colorado, 2/21 vs Sac St

6. Sacramento State Hornets
Sac State is my surprise team of the season. After years of sitting at home during the BSC tournament, I think Coach Muscatell has the players to get to the tourney this season. The Hornets lost a handful of players, but no one of consequence. Returning is leading scorer Atty Boyer and a surprisingly good point guard in Sami-Field Polisso. FP had fewer turnovers than any other starting BSC point guard in 07-08. While Boyer, Erika Edwards, and Charday Hunt should present a passable frontcourt, the Hornets will have some questions to answer in their backcourt. Sami F-P will run the point, but Sac St will need to develop some outside shooters to win games. The Sac was the worst three-point shooting team in the league last season. Coach Muscatell pulled in the largest freshman class in his tenure, so depth is available, but untested.

Team MVP: Atty Boyer
Top Newcomer: Kari Gallagher
Five Biggest Games: 1/8 vs Montana St, 1/18 vs NAU, 1/24 @ Idaho St, 2/7 vs PSU, 3/7 vs Northern Colorado

STAYING HOME

7. Idaho State Bengals
Of all the teams in the BSC, Idaho State took the biggest hit from graduation. Gone are league MVP Natalie Doma and team leader Andrea Lightfoot. Gone are John Newlee and his assistant coaches (except Jordan Green). Welcome Seton Sobolewski, the only new HC in the conference this season. Sobolewski’s cupboard is not completely bare however. Michelle Grohs, a compliment to Doma in the blocks, and Devin Diehl, a potential outside threat, can both adequately serve in the guard/forward “slash” role that is starting to be an important component to any wbb team. Also returning is point guard Jenna Brown whose leadership will be essential to a team that will feature role players stepping into key positions. The most interesting position battle in the non-conference portion of the schedule will be between three posts battling for two starting spots. Oana Iacovita, Cara Lambert, and Verity Peets have been in a heated battle for starting time in a position which will be critical in the absence of Doma. I think adjusting to a new coaching staff and a roster made of back-ups will make it difficult for the Bengals to compete early in the season. Will they gel early enough to make it into the tourney? That, my friends, is the question.

Team MVP: Jenna Brown
Top Newcomer: Andrea Blodgett, JC Transfer
Five Biggest Games: 1/8 vs EWU, 1/24 vs Sac St, 2/7 vs Northern Colorado, 2/26 @ Sac St, 3/6 @ Weber St

8. Eastern Washington Eagles
The Eags were bad last year and if it weren’t for Weber State, they would look even worse this year. Last season’s leading scorer, Sidney Benson, graduated, but most of the Eagle roster returns. Sophomore Kyla Evans will return this season after sitting out most of last year with injury. Evans should rank among the best three-point shooters in the league. Amy Bratvold and Julie Piper will be relied on in the post in the absence of Benson. Jessica Huntington was fairly effective running the point last season and will be joined in backcourt by Kyla Evans and Tatjana Sparavalo. Sparavalo was a surprise last year, showing the ability to score when the conditions were right. With 6 freshmen on the roster, depth will be an issue for the Eagles. On the bright side however, with EWU likely out of the picture by midseason, the freshmen should see plenty of playing time which will help with development.

Team MVP: Kyla Evans
Top Newcomer: Pauline Ferrall
Five Biggest Games: 1/02 vs NAU, 1/10 @ Weber St, 1/24 vs PSU, 2/12 vs Weber St, 2/14 vs Idaho St, 2/28

9. Weber State Wildcats
I hope Carla Taylor has some hobbies, because stress relief will be necessary this year. Gone is leading scorer and rebounder Sarah Tuomi, second leading scorer Akiah Hunter, and Tashina Taylor, the team’s second best rebounder. Two junior guards, Tonya Schnibbe and Ali Thorderson, should provide some stability in the backcourt. Schnibbe has shown the ability to run the point effectively, and both players have good long-range shooting abilities. Caitlin Anderson should lead the Wildcats in post scoring, but rebounding will be an issue. Karlee Weight and Emily Thatcher saw the most playing time of any of the backup F/C’s last year, but neither appeared comfortable. A surprise could come in the form of freshmen forward Abby Thorderson who has played well in early exhibition games. Good news Weber fans, only one senior on this squad (a role player) and the future looks bright.

Team MVP: Tonya Schnibbe
Top Newcomer: Abby Thorderson
Biggest Games: 12/19 vs Utah, 12/22 vs Utah St, 1/10 vs EWU, 1/31 @ Idaho State, 3/6 vs Idaho St

So there you have it. The toughest decision for me was placing Sac State and ISU. I just have a feeling that Sac will outperform expectations and that the Bengals will struggle to adjust to the new coaching staff. On top of that, with Doma and Lightfoot shining in the last few seasons, not much has been expected out of the other Bengal players, so they are used to being role players rather than everyday performers. If ISU can put it together, they could jump Sac State. The other toss-up was PSU and MSU. If the Bobcats sweep PSU again this year, look for the ‘Cats to get the 2 seed in the tourney.

Later this week I will give you my preseason All Big Sky team and award winners, along with my projected finishes. Also, I will be breaking down MSU position by position, so check back soon!