Los Angeles Rams

Los Angeles Rams

Friday, November 11, 2022

MIAC Predictions For The 2022-23 Season

 That time of the year again where I have to break out the old crystal ball and polish it off to see if it will come to life or not to provide some insight on how this upcoming season of MIAC Women's Hoops will go.  So while I'm kind of immersed in the fortunes (or sadly, the misfortunes) of my LA Rams and UCLA Bruins (along with the alma mater, Iowa) this fall, I think it is time to take a look ahead and predict how I think things will turn out in MIAC Women's Hoops this time around.  So, without further adieu, let get this started.  


The Title Contenders


1.  GAC

2.  Bethel 

The fact that the Gusties; practically left for dead in the early part of February 2022 after a bad road loss, somehow found a way to turn things around down the stretch and catch fire when it counted that helped them earn their first-ever MIAC Championship Game title this last season is impressive enough.  Now, when you add this experience to this talent-laden squad, I think it just makes them the clear favorites in this upcoming season.  Of course, there's a caveat that comes with that:  They'll be wearing a much, much bigger target on them this time around than they ever did last year when they came out of nowhere to pull off the unthinkable.  Then again, when you look at this roster and the talent they have, they may just welcome that bigger target.  The two leading scorers from this last season - junior guard Emma Kniefel and senior guard Anna Sanders are both back but bolstering the Gustie starting line-up will be junior guard Riley Queensland who missed all of last season with an unfortunate ACL injury just the third day into practice back in October 2021.  Senior forward Grace Benz is back as well and sophomore Rachel Kawiecki will also have a presence on the GAC front court.  The other cool thing about this team is that you also have a lot of nice interchangeable pieces in key positions as well such as sophomore Kylie Baranick who filled in just great the PG spot last season and sophomore forward Morgan Kelly adds depth and stability in that front court.  Juniors Syd Hauger, Lexi Schermann and Izzy (Izzy Izzy, You're Making Me Dizzy) Quick can all provide solid minutes in relief duty.  To put it plain and simple, Head Coach Lauire Kelly's team is LOADED and ready for battle and if all the main pieces can stay healthy this time around, another MIAC Championship Game title might just be starters for this team as they have the ability to go far, IMHO......The other team I think that you at least have to have in the conversation for title honors is Bethel.  To be sure, Head Coach Jon Herbrechtsmeyer has an incredibly young team with just one senior on his roster - senior forward Emma Schultz.  One player from last year's team - Kat Brown-Erdal - is not and that's a significant loss.  However, this squad is dominated with freshmen and sophomores; notably sophomore guard Courtney Nuest along with fellow sophomore guards Kendal Cox and Autumn Earney.  Junior guard Anna Garfield is back as well and presumably fully healthy now as well.  Sophomore forward Hayden Glander can wreak havoc both down low and out behind the three-point line if she has to.  And I would expect sophomore guard Lydia Hagstrom to play an important role on this team as well.  Last year, we saw Bethel get off to an unusually rough start before getting the ship righted somewhat before getting bounced in the MIAC Playoffs by said GAC team.  I think we kind of need to see how the Royals get things started this year before we draw too many conclusions but I have to believe that this team will at least play a factor in how things shake out this season.


Solid Playoff Contenders


3.  Hamline

4.  CSB

5.  Augsburg

I toyed with the idea of considering Hamline as a possible title contender and hey, they may very well turn out to be one.  This is a team that's as athletically gifted and talented as anyone in the conference.  They came within an eyelash of making it to the MIAC Championship Game this last season and they've got a ton of talent back from last year including senior point guard Chan'el Anderson-Manning and junior forward Lydia Lecher who's one of the most exciting and fun players in this conference to watch.  Senior forward/post Tess Hauer has shown what a solid player she is down low and senior guard Alyssa Williamson only helps make that Hamline backcourt that much more stable and stronger.  Head Coach Alex Focke also has a smattering of relief help coming off the bench as well who can not only get up and down the court but also provide a scoring punch, too.  Players such as senior guard Iyanna Weiland, junior guard Michaela Stamer and fellow junior guard Larisa O'Neil are all three-point threats.  So, while there's little doubt in my mind that this squad will be a force and right in the thick of things, I have to wonder as well if they're also able to take things a step further on the defensive front too; an area that was an issue from time to time last season.  They've proven that they can get themselves into position to take things to the next level.  Now it's just a matter of getting over that proverbial hump.......Another team that I'm kind of high on this year as well is CSB and I think this team has something prove and has a bit of a chip on their shoulder as well.  If you're looking for a team that's really, really strong at the guard/wing position, look no further than the Bennies because Head Coach Mike Durbin is set as well as any coach in the conference in the backcourt.  Junior PG Carla Meyer is as good as they come and and there's little question in my mind that she's going to be a driving force for this CSB team.  Another player to keep your eye on this season for CSB is sophomore guard Sophia Jonas out of Hudson, WI.  Presumably, senior forward Tori Szathmary will be the primary go-to player down low but there's still some question marks revolving around the Bennie front court.  Still, I think this team is destined to make a jump forward this season and the talent is certainly there to make it happen.....It somehow doesn't feel right not having Augsburg in the conversation for the title chase.  I'm not saying at all that they can't be but I feel like the cautious approach might be the safe way to look at this group at this particular juncture.  To be sure, Head Coach Ted Riverso has - without question - the best player in the conference in junior forward Anja Smith who set MIAC venues on fire last year with her 17.1 ppg average and her unbelievable athleticism and equally uncanny ability to take over games in crucial moments.  And the supporting cast isn't too bad either when you throw in sharpshooting senior guard Jaley Coplin who can make you pay in spades from three-point land and fellow senior guard Grace Eastman is an incredibly solid player on both ends of the floor.  Speedy junior guard Kalena Myers can wreak havoc on the defensive end and fellow junior guard Katie Manecke was a solid contributor off the bench.  The two items that do leave me some room for concern (and why I'm taking a cautious approach) is (1) graduation losses of both Jen Masello and Selena Lor and (2) the rocky start they got off to last season that saw the Auggies drop their first three games which proved costly after they lost to GAC in the MIAC Championship Game.  I have to believe that one day they'll finally get over the hump but I don't know if this is the year or not.  


Fighting For That Sixth Playoff Spot


6.  Concordia

7.  Carleton

8.  St. Kate's

After the promise that the Cobbers showed in that truncated 2020-21 season made me think last year at about this same time that the 2021-22 season would be their coming out party that would have them right in the thick of things in the MIAC title chase.  Instead, they stumbled out of the gate badly; going 1-7 in their opening games and they would finish with an incredibly disappointing 8-16 record; far from what was expected.  True, some untimely injuries played a role in last year's less-than-stellar season but signs point toward Concordia making amends for last year's transgressions.  Head Coach Kim Wager's cupboard certainly isn't bare as she's got a nice collection of athletes who can make things happen.  Sophomore guard Carlee Sieben; who transferred into Concordia this last summer after one season at UND is a real scoring threat and senior guard Autumn Thompson is a seasoned vet who can impact both ends of the floor.  Fellow senior guard Emily Beseman may very well be the most under-appreciated player in the conference and she's very solid on both ends of the floor.  Lanky sophomore forward Makayla Anderson hopes to bolster the Cobber front line as does fellow sophomore guard/forward Symone Beld.  So I think the Cobbers have the goods to be at least be a factor in the conference race........Down in Northfield, Carleton may have the most interesting mix of players you'll ever see and given how this team showed how dangerous it could be last year, you have to figure that they're going to be in the discussion at the very least.  Given the box score of their opening game on Wednesday night this week, freshman guard Amelia Solt out of Loveland, CO had a terrific outing with her 23 points to lead the way and senior guard Aiana Whitfield was solid as well with her 14 points and junior Emma Henry is just a wonderfully athletic and gifted player.  Knights Head Coach Tammy Metcalf-Filzen always knows how to get the most out of her teams and if there's one thing I've learned about Carleton over the more than 20 years I've been watching MIAC Women's Basketball, her teams are TOUGH - both physically and mentally and they play very smart.  Now, is that element alone enough to propel them to the top?  Probably not and remember too that depth could be an issue for this team as the season progresses.  But, at the same time, they're probably the last team you'll want to face come playoff time......I have to think that St. Kate's is going to be one of those teams lurking in this particular mix as well.  Their trio of senior leadership - guard Mackenzie Kurczek and forwards Bree Glynn and Sam Orth - is as good as any in the conference and Head Coach Don Mulhern has some key pieces to use in rotation as well with junior guard Karis Zezza along with sophomore forwards Sydney Elliott and Greta Schimnowski.  As it always seems like it, year after year, it all comes down to two things for the Wildcats:  (1) Can they establish some consistency once January rolls around and (2) can they find a way to stay healthy?  They haven't always been able to answer those two questions with a resounding "Yes" yet but I think this team has the goods to be dangerous enough to be in contention for one of those last two playoff spots.   


The Not Quite Ready For Prime Time Squads


9.  St. Olaf

10.  Macalester

11.  St. Scholastica

12.  SMU

In an expanded MIAC Playoff format last season, we saw Head Coach Kelly Mahlum's St. Olaf team take a big step forward with a first round playoff win on the road at SMU.  And although the joyride didn't last long, it was still an important and significant step for a program that's arguably been struggling for a while now.  I think this team is primed to make another step forward and be much more competitive in the MIAC and although being a playoff contender may or may not be in the offing for them, they're still a group that's going to have to be reckoned with when you have players like senior forward Rachel Kelly and fellow senior guards Grace Hegland and Cassie Fix.  This could be a team to keep your eye on - especially if a team or two ahead of them falter........While you may not necessarily think of Macalester of being a playoff contender, this squad is a lot better than what you think.  They may not be the most talented team in the conference but they make up for that with their smart play and they have the ability to give a lot of teams fits.  Senior guard Solana Cushing can be absolutely deadly from behind the arc and lanky senior forward Emma LaFrenz gives Head Coach Katie Kollar some much-needed length down low......Head Coach Jason Schmitz and his St. Scholastica had to wade into some rough waters last season in their first full year of MIAC play and the best guess here is that there'll be some more deep water to encounter this season as well although I definitely want to make it a point to cover this team this coming season......Down the CPKC River Sub mainline and US Highway 61 in Winona, SMU is looking to break out of its collective shell and they have a terrific scorer in guard/forward Brooklyn Paulson who can terrorize from three-point land but there's still some big hills to climb for this team in order to make it to the next level.   


So there you have it.  With the season just getting underway, it's time to watch this all unfold.   

No comments:

Post a Comment