Women's Basketball 2024

[Bisonfan from FLA]

Southern Nazarene (20-0) at Harding (18-2) on Saturday is easily the game of the week, Harding has free streaming through their website.

Thank you for the free plug to invite folks to watch the game on Saturday. Makes it nice to watch HU Football, Basketball, Volleyball, Softball and Baseball throughout the year. Free streaming can benefit a school in adding support, or at least giving more recognition to the teams involved.

[D2Rover]

Always happy to plug the free streams. Encourage others to do the same if there is going to be a good game, always up for watching a good D2 game in my spare time.

Blows my mind that the MIAA charges for streams, then has the same average quality as the NSIC and GAC who (mostly) do it for free.

[GoVSUTrojans]

Southern Nazarene (20-0) at Harding (18-2) on Saturday is easily the game of the week, Harding has free streaming through their website. Both teams nationally ranked and reginal hosting rights potentially at stake. Southern Nazarene has survived a couple scares the past few weeks, most recently against Henderson State this weekend. I have them as #1 in the country, although them and Ashland are probably 1 and 1a, with Union not far behind.

Thanks for this. I wish someone would point out game of the week throughout the season. Maybe that should be a tab on this site.

I'm definitely am going to watch this game.

[GoVSUTrojans]

Embedded Tweet

I didn't know there was a Charlie Creme of D2.

[Inkblot]

I didn't know there was a Charlie Creme of D2.

I'm the Charlie Creme of D2, the Joe Lunardi of D2, the... [whoever does bracketology for football, baseball, softball, lacrosse, soccer, volleyball, and field hockey] of D2.

[D2Rover]

Been an exciting couple of weeks, so I'm just going off the top of my head rather than double-checking scores and stats...

A number of top-10 losses, the most respectable of which was Southern Nazarene going down at Harding. Both teams like pretty clear top-10 teams to me, but Harding was able to run away with an easy victory last week. Bentley got beat by Assumption. I went back and watched some of it, my view was that Bentley has the better guards but Assumption might be a little better inside - Assumption shot better on the night. That guard Thompson for Bentley looks like one of the better guards in the country to me, even though her statistical numbers aren't incredible. Bentley dropped another game to SNHU as well. Union lost to Valdosta again, I believe that's behind a paywall, but I don't question the quality of either of those two.

Central Missouri is finally putting in some big performances now that their backs are against the wall, beating Nebraska Kearney this Thursday and ending Missouri Southern's 15 game winning streak last Saturday. I'm flipping coins trying to decide whether to go to Fort Hays @ UCM or Pitt State @ MoSo tomorrow. MIAA is also paywalled (stupid), but it's my home conference now, so I let them steal my money.

I don't recall if I mentioned Northwest Missouri State here, very complete team that plays well together, has won 7 of their last 8. I fully respect and understand why D2 has the regional format it does, but it is very unfortunate the level of team that ends up missing the tournament in the Central Region. NWOSU is 17-4, Simpson has multiple 40+ pt games, and they will probably need to win their conference tournament to make the national tournament.

Jefferson and Ashland keep winning, neither against particularly tough competition. I like what Jefferson has, but kind of have to wait to see what it looks like in post-season before I really believe it. Obviously no questions about the level of Ashland. Curious if a trip to Ferris for the regional could make the path back to the Elite Eight tricky, but it's tough enough to beat Ashland once, is it possible to beat them twice? GVSU star guard Droste appears to have gotten injured in January, no idea if she's coming back but it's a big blow to their chances in the regional if she's out.

Nobody has been perfect out West, but Azusa Pacific, Western Washington, MSU Billings, and Cal St San Marcos look like the clear top 4 to me. San Marcos let a road game slip at Dominguez Hills last night, and Western dropped one at home to Alaska Anchorage recently - Anchorage has actually put together a pretty strong year after a rough start. Billings still gets to host Western before tournament play starts. Azusa Pacific looks like driver-seat to host the regional, but WWU has head-to-head on them if anything strange happens in the Pac-West.

InkBlot gave you a better breakdown of the Atlantic than I can. What I've seen of Gannon is very good but not untouchable. Can somebody PSAC explain how them and Lock Haven don't play each other? I've got nothing on the Southeast, watched a few minutes of Catawba now and then, which didn't seem like they were playing at the level they were at the end of last year - although that doesn't mean they won't peak at the right time again this year.

I need to watch Nova Southeastern more, was impressed at the start of the year and they haven't lost since November.

I have taken to watching Colorado Mines more often, solid team. Steffeck is a hell of a player, and I like the contributions they get from some of their bench players. Lone Star paywall prevents me from knowing much about how that region stacks up, but I've seen Lubbock Christian live and watched back the Texas Woman's game against Billings - both very solid teams.

Teams deserving a mention that I didn't get to: Minnesota State, Ferris State, Fayetteville State. Maybe Virginia State, Missouri Western, Colorado Mesa.

[D2Rover]

Curious how the West region will play out as far as regional seeding. Azusa Pacific looks like the #1 in a lot of ways, but WWU has the head-to-head in a game played in Azusa. Western also still has a big matchup in Billings this Thursday (more free streams). Not sure how confident I am we'll win, but that seems like a resume booster if we do. Seems like a tight race to host between those three, not sure if Billings winning out would be enough for them to jump APU for the #1 spot or not.

[Inkblot]

Curious how the West region will play out as far as regional seeding. Azusa Pacific looks like the #1 in a lot of ways, but WWU has the head-to-head in a game played in Azusa. Western also still has a big matchup in Billings this Thursday (more free streams). Not sure how confident I am we'll win, but that seems like a resume booster if we do. Seems like a tight race to host between those three, not sure if Billings winning out would be enough for them to jump APU for the #1 spot or not.

Right now APU's résumé seems to be strong enough to overlook the head-to-head. Part of that is that they're 3-0 against Cal State San Marcos and Dominican, two strong regional contenders who beat WWU.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Been an exciting couple of weeks, so I'm just going off the top of my head rather than double-checking scores and stats...

A number of top-10 losses, the most respectable of which was Southern Nazarene going down at Harding. Both teams like pretty clear top-10 teams to me, but Harding was able to run away with an easy victory last week. Bentley got beat by Assumption. I went back and watched some of it, my view was that Bentley has the better guards but Assumption might be a little better inside - Assumption shot better on the night. That guard Thompson for Bentley looks like one of the better guards in the country to me, even though her statistical numbers aren't incredible. Bentley dropped another game to SNHU as well. Union lost to Valdosta again, I believe that's behind a paywall, but I don't question the quality of either of those two.

Central Missouri is finally putting in some big performances now that their backs are against the wall, beating Nebraska Kearney this Thursday and ending Missouri Southern's 15 game winning streak last Saturday. I'm flipping coins trying to decide whether to go to Fort Hays @ UCM or Pitt State @ MoSo tomorrow. MIAA is also paywalled (stupid), but it's my home conference now, so I let them steal my money.

I don't recall if I mentioned Northwest Missouri State here, very complete team that plays well together, has won 7 of their last 8. I fully respect and understand why D2 has the regional format it does, but it is very unfortunate the level of team that ends up missing the tournament in the Central Region. NWOSU is 17-4, Simpson has multiple 40+ pt games, and they will probably need to win their conference tournament to make the national tournament.

Jefferson and Ashland keep winning, neither against particularly tough competition. I like what Jefferson has, but kind of have to wait to see what it looks like in post-season before I really believe it. Obviously no questions about the level of Ashland. Curious if a trip to Ferris for the regional could make the path back to the Elite Eight tricky, but it's tough enough to beat Ashland once, is it possible to beat them twice? GVSU star guard Droste appears to have gotten injured in January, no idea if she's coming back but it's a big blow to their chances in the regional if she's out.

Nobody has been perfect out West, but Azusa Pacific, Western Washington, MSU Billings, and Cal St San Marcos look like the clear top 4 to me. San Marcos let a road game slip at Dominguez Hills last night, and Western dropped one at home to Alaska Anchorage recently - Anchorage has actually put together a pretty strong year after a rough start. Billings still gets to host Western before tournament play starts. Azusa Pacific looks like driver-seat to host the regional, but WWU has head-to-head on them if anything strange happens in the Pac-West.

InkBlot gave you a better breakdown of the Atlantic than I can. What I've seen of Gannon is very good but not untouchable. Can somebody PSAC explain how them and Lock Haven don't play each other? I've got nothing on the Southeast, watched a few minutes of Catawba now and then, which didn't seem like they were playing at the level they were at the end of last year - although that doesn't mean they won't peak at the right time again this year.

I need to watch Nova Southeastern more, was impressed at the start of the year and they haven't lost since November.

I have taken to watching Colorado Mines more often, solid team. Steffeck is a hell of a player, and I like the contributions they get from some of their bench players. Lone Star paywall prevents me from knowing much about how that region stacks up, but I've seen Lubbock Christian live and watched back the Texas Woman's game against Billings - both very solid teams.

Teams deserving a mention that I didn't get to: Minnesota State, Ferris State, Fayetteville State. Maybe Virginia State, Missouri Western, Colorado Mesa.

The PSAC is a massive basketball conference -- with (2) 9-team divisions (East and West). You play your division twice and each season play (5) 'crossover' games against the other side. It rotates. So, obviously, some years they'd play each other and other years they wouldn't. Some teams get lucky in the crossovers. Some get to play a gauntlet. It varies by year.

[ucmjennies]

https://www.ncaa.com/rankings/basket...gional-ranking

Regional rankings are out.

[D2Rover]

Tough result last night for the Jennies. Emporia appears to be moving in the right direction, if the new coach can recruit we may be a team worth talking about in a year or two. He's definitely an improvement as far as in-game coaching.

[tuffeagle]

Finally, with ONE week left in the regular season, meaningful rankings come out. Most interested in the Midwest and Central regions. I think ultimately the GLVC gets two teams in the Midwest. The Central is much more crazy. Think a lot will come down to the conference tournament.

[D2Rover]

Midwest: It looks like the GLVC could earn two teams, but the committee apparently likes Northwood, Parkside, and Mich Tech better so far. Tough week ahead for Trevecca going to Thomas More and KY Wesleyan, can probably play themselves into or out of the tournament. The six ahead of them seem safe to me, although Drury's SOS is low enough they probably need to keep winning the easy ones.

Central: Kearney drops two, so they're definitely out of reach now - I think we were all surprised to see them in the rankings anyway. NWOSU beats Harding, big win. Harding also loses to SWOSU, we were discussing them hosting a week ago, not now. I think they're still a lock as long as they don't drop the Monticello game this week. Fort Hays beats Pitt and MoSo, puts themselves in a good spot. Pitt had won 7 straight before the loss in Hays, and beat Kearney Saturday, so I think they're neck and neck with NWMSU (blown out by MoWest) and both are ahead of UCM after the Emporia loss. Southern Nazarene and probably Missouri Western are locks at this point, I'd guess Western can lose the Pitt game and their conference first-rounder and still get in as long as we don't get bid-stealers in the GAC and MIAA.

[Bballfan]

Very tough week for Trevecca. I think they play themselves out of the tournament. A regional contender cannot lose to Walsh late in the season (who besides being a poor team lost at home to Ashland 102 - 40 this year). Can they get in? Sure. But outside of playing at Ashland, Thomas More and Wesleyan are two of the hardest places to play in the league.

I expect Lewis will ultimately rise up and secure a 7th or 8th seed.

While it is not going to knock anybody out, Grand Valley has two very tough matchups this week, and they have struggled on the road since Droste went down for the season. They barely beat Wayne State and Purdue Northwest. To take on both Northern and Tech will certainly be a challenge for them.

In the Central, it is all about making the tournament. Once in, 1 - 8 are capable of beating any of the other teams in that region. Central most likely played their way in, and I wouldn't be surprised if they win that region.

[LukeMcConnell1]

Central: Kearney drops two, so they're definitely out of reach now - I think we were all surprised to see them in the rankings anyway. NWOSU beats Harding, big win. Harding also loses to SWOSU, we were discussing them hosting a week ago, not now. I think they're still a lock as long as they don't drop the Monticello game this week. Fort Hays beats Pitt and MoSo, puts themselves in a good spot. Pitt had won 7 straight before the loss in Hays, and beat Kearney Saturday, so I think they're neck and neck with NWMSU (blown out by MoWest) and both are ahead of UCM after the Emporia loss. Southern Nazarene and probably Missouri Western are locks at this point, I'd guess Western can lose the Pitt game and their conference first-rounder and still get in as long as we don't get bid-stealers in the GAC and MIAA.

I think NWOSU and Henderson are the ones to watch in GAC. Both very dangerous when they're clicking. I know the MIAA is deep, but it's hard to see a bid-stealer. Seed-stealer, perhaps, as any of the group of Western, Southern, Central, Hays, Pitt and NWMO could win the league tourney. But they're already contenders anyway. Although, according to Inkblot, UCM would be a bid-stealer at this point.