BRIEFS--The Oakland Press
Mid-Con expands to 10-team league
Oakland University will now have three more Mid-Continent Conference foes to face beginning in the 2007-08 season.
The conference has elected to become a 10-team league by inviting Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne, North Dakota State and South Dakota State.
IPFW will replace Valparaiso University, which is moving to the Horizon League in 2007-08.
Beginning in 2007-08 the Mid-Con will include IPFW, OU, Centenary, IUPUI, University of Missouri Kansas City, Oral Roberts, Southern Utah, Western Illinois, North Dakota State and South Dakota State.
— CRYSTAL EVOLA
Tassin makes verbal commitment to OU
If you’re a college basketball coach still putting together a 2007-08 roster, you can eliminate Jonathan Tassin from your wish list.
The Orchard Lake St. Mary’s standout has given a verbal commitment to Oakland University.
The 6-foot-7, 180-pound perimeter player was a Class A All-State honorable mention pick in last season’s Associated Press team. He plans to study sports management/communications at Oakland.
— CRYSTAL EVOLA
STEVE T. GORCHES COMMENTARY: Great season shaping up for VU women’s basketball team--The Post-Tribune
Sept. 1, 2006
Excuse me while I pour another glass of brown and gold Kool-Aid.
What? You’ve never heard of that flavor. It sounds like it combines chocolate and butterscotch, but that would be too fattening and not very tasty.
That brown and gold Kool-Aid tastes more like victory. Lots and lots of victories for the Valparaiso University women’s basketball team this year.
It’s the taste of a Mid-Continent Conference title — regular season and tournament — in the final year of membership before moving to the Horizon League.
Why not go out in style?
This rush of optimism isn’t just about the Crusaders’ schedule that was released this week, though it did refresh my eternal optimism.
Knowing the leadership returning for VU — seniors Betsy Rietema, Tamra Braun and Carrie Myers — and the sophomores who contributed last year as freshmen — Launa Hochstetler and Aimee Litka — and the talented freshmen coming in — Chesterton grad Kelly Peller and Kokomo’s Whitney Farris — how can you not ask for a glass of that Kool-Aid?
The schedule, though, looks like it’s set up for VU in near perfect fashion.
A pair of Big Ten teams on the road to start serves as a perfect baptism by fire. And VU will probably win at IU. In the other 10 non-conference games, or “preseason” as coach Keith Freeman always calls them, the longest trips are to Northern Iowa and Akron (Ohio).
So being travel-weary before the conference season starts, which has been an issue once or twice in recent years for the women, will not be an issue.
Once the Crusaders get into the Mid-Con campaign, there will be plenty of advantages on the court to pounce on.
When those games against Western Illinois roll around on Jan. 20 and Feb. 17, perennial thorn in VU’s side, Zane Teilane, will not be dominating in the middle.
She’s now roaming the paint for the Washington Mystics in the WNBA, leading them to the playoffs.
Not that Braun, now the tallest player in the conference at 6-foot-5, struggled immensely against Teilane, but now it will be much easier for Braun to dominate.
IUPUI, which has also been a tough game for VU, lost Valparaiso High grad Brooke McAfee, one of the top shot-blockers in NCAA history. So that’s another post presence Braun doesn’t have to worry about.
As for the Mid-Con schedule itself, it sets up perfect with three home games to finish and only one tough road trip travel-wise. That comes right away at Oral Roberts on Jan. 6, then at Centenary two days later.
And how about the options Freeman has on offense with an athletic 6-4 Evva Comans probably joining the regular rotation in the post and Aggie Kulaga, Sanna Helenius, Peller and both Hochstetler twins (Launa and Leah) providing potency and versatility.
Yeah, there’s still more than two months until the season starts, but that just means more time to drink brown and gold Kool-Aid.
Yum yum.
Contact Steve T. Gorches at 648-3141 or sgorches@post-trib.com
Mid-Con adds more schools--The Peoria Journal Star
Dakota schools make it 10 for Mid-Continent--The Spectrum
South Dakota State University accepts invitation to join Mid-Continent Conference--www.mid-con.com
Zane Teilane has busy off season planned--Western Illinois Athletics
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