Just submitted my pre-season women's basketball poll to the Big Sky. Here's what it looks like:
1. Idaho--Jon Newlee, the former Bengal coach everybody likes to dislike, returns my pre-season conference MVP in Big Sky leading scorer Mikayla Ferenz, along with fellow "Splash Sister" Taylor Pierce, 6-4 post player Isabelle Hadden and 6-1 Natalie Klinker. The Vandals also bring on board seven newcomers that Newlee hopes will add depth so that Ferenz and Pierce don't have to play 38 minutes a game as they did down the stretch last season.
2.Idaho State --The Bengals return four starters and a key bench player from the team that made it to the conference semi-finals last year, and I'd be tempted to vote them No. 1 if PG Dora Goles hadn't gone down with a knee injury in the last game of the season. ISU has talent and depth, with returning all-conference F Grace Kenyon, one of the best all-around players in the league, top reserve Estefania Ors, the best three-point shooter in the league last year (46 percent), hard-nosed Saylair Grandon and P Sai Tapasai, who was one of the most improved players in the league last year.
Madison Heinrichs will get first call at the PG, and the coaches feel she has improved considerably over the summer. She'll be challenged by incoming Aussie freshman Callie Bourne. Bengal fans will also get their first look at three big redshirt freshmen, Nuria Barrientos, a 5-11 G from Spain, Ellie Smith, a 6-2 F from Washington State, and Rigby's own Kaitlyn Bell, a 6-3 post player. This will be a fun team to watch.
3. Portland State--On sheer talent, it's hard to find a Big Sky team with the firepower the Vikings return. I voted both Ashley Bolston (16.6 ppg) and Sidney Rielly (16.2 ppg) to the pre-season all-conference team, 6-4 Courtney West is the returning leader in shot blocking, and last year's Big Sky freshman of the year Kylie Jimenez is back at PG. The Vikings are loaded with offensive talent, but they always seem to struggle on the defensive end. If they get that figured out this year, they can definitely challenge for a conference title.
4.Montana State --The Bobcats have some nice players coming back, including 6-2 F Madeline Smith (10 ppg) and 5-8 G Oliana Squires (10 ppg), and they will be joined by two touted transfers in Claire Lundberg, 6-1 F, and Martha Kuderer, 5-11 G, from Seton Hall. If the two transfers play up to expectations, the Bobcats will be a handful.
5.Northern Colorado--The defending league champions lost their coach and a lot of significant talent from the team that had the highest NCAA tournament seed for a Big Sky team in 20 years, but the Bears return Savannah Smith, one of the toughest clutch players in the conference, G Krystal Leger-Walker, and 6-3 F Bridget Hinz. Former UCLA assistant Jenny Huth inherits the coaching mantle.
6. Eastern Washington--The Eagles have finally run out of Hodgens sisters with the departure of all-time Eagles leading scorer Delaney after last season. They do return an excellent guard in Violet Kapri Morrow (14.6 ppg), 5-11 F Uriah Howard (7 ppg) and 5-11 G Britany Klaman, who averaged 4.4 ppg as a freshman.
7. Weber State--The Wildcats also lost their head coach, and explosive one-year transfer G Larryn Brooks. New coach Velaida Harris will build around two excellent guards, Jaiamoni Welch-Coleman and Emily Drake.
8. Montana--Montana Coach Shannon Schweyen sure hasn't had much luck in her two seasons in succeeding legendary Robin Selvig, twice losing pre-season all-conference stars to season-ending injuries. This year she'll hope that young players like Sophia Stiles, Taylor Goligoski, McKenzie Johnston and Madi Schoening all stay healthy enough to reach their potential.
9. Sacramento State--The novelty of the Bunky Harkelroad scramble system wore off entirely last year, with the Hornets falling to 7-23, 5-13 in the league. The Hornets return some talent this year in 6-3 Kenney Nicholas and 6-0 Hannah Friend, but do they have enough depth to continue to play in Harkelroad's suicide style?
10. Northern Arizona--If nothing else first-year Lumberjack Coach Loree Payne seemed to quiet the ongoing drama in Flagstaff as the Axers finished a peaceful 7-23 on the season. Kaleigh Paplow, who led the Axers in just about every category last year, returns along with three other part-time contributors.
11. Southern Utah --New T-Bird coach Tracy Sanders will try to revive a program that won a total of 3 games last year with a foundation of four players who played significant minutes. It looks like it will be a long climb for the T-Birds.
1. Idaho--Jon Newlee, the former Bengal coach everybody likes to dislike, returns my pre-season conference MVP in Big Sky leading scorer Mikayla Ferenz, along with fellow "Splash Sister" Taylor Pierce, 6-4 post player Isabelle Hadden and 6-1 Natalie Klinker. The Vandals also bring on board seven newcomers that Newlee hopes will add depth so that Ferenz and Pierce don't have to play 38 minutes a game as they did down the stretch last season.
2.Idaho State --The Bengals return four starters and a key bench player from the team that made it to the conference semi-finals last year, and I'd be tempted to vote them No. 1 if PG Dora Goles hadn't gone down with a knee injury in the last game of the season. ISU has talent and depth, with returning all-conference F Grace Kenyon, one of the best all-around players in the league, top reserve Estefania Ors, the best three-point shooter in the league last year (46 percent), hard-nosed Saylair Grandon and P Sai Tapasai, who was one of the most improved players in the league last year.
Madison Heinrichs will get first call at the PG, and the coaches feel she has improved considerably over the summer. She'll be challenged by incoming Aussie freshman Callie Bourne. Bengal fans will also get their first look at three big redshirt freshmen, Nuria Barrientos, a 5-11 G from Spain, Ellie Smith, a 6-2 F from Washington State, and Rigby's own Kaitlyn Bell, a 6-3 post player. This will be a fun team to watch.
3. Portland State--On sheer talent, it's hard to find a Big Sky team with the firepower the Vikings return. I voted both Ashley Bolston (16.6 ppg) and Sidney Rielly (16.2 ppg) to the pre-season all-conference team, 6-4 Courtney West is the returning leader in shot blocking, and last year's Big Sky freshman of the year Kylie Jimenez is back at PG. The Vikings are loaded with offensive talent, but they always seem to struggle on the defensive end. If they get that figured out this year, they can definitely challenge for a conference title.
4.Montana State --The Bobcats have some nice players coming back, including 6-2 F Madeline Smith (10 ppg) and 5-8 G Oliana Squires (10 ppg), and they will be joined by two touted transfers in Claire Lundberg, 6-1 F, and Martha Kuderer, 5-11 G, from Seton Hall. If the two transfers play up to expectations, the Bobcats will be a handful.
5.Northern Colorado--The defending league champions lost their coach and a lot of significant talent from the team that had the highest NCAA tournament seed for a Big Sky team in 20 years, but the Bears return Savannah Smith, one of the toughest clutch players in the conference, G Krystal Leger-Walker, and 6-3 F Bridget Hinz. Former UCLA assistant Jenny Huth inherits the coaching mantle.
6. Eastern Washington--The Eagles have finally run out of Hodgens sisters with the departure of all-time Eagles leading scorer Delaney after last season. They do return an excellent guard in Violet Kapri Morrow (14.6 ppg), 5-11 F Uriah Howard (7 ppg) and 5-11 G Britany Klaman, who averaged 4.4 ppg as a freshman.
7. Weber State--The Wildcats also lost their head coach, and explosive one-year transfer G Larryn Brooks. New coach Velaida Harris will build around two excellent guards, Jaiamoni Welch-Coleman and Emily Drake.
8. Montana--Montana Coach Shannon Schweyen sure hasn't had much luck in her two seasons in succeeding legendary Robin Selvig, twice losing pre-season all-conference stars to season-ending injuries. This year she'll hope that young players like Sophia Stiles, Taylor Goligoski, McKenzie Johnston and Madi Schoening all stay healthy enough to reach their potential.
9. Sacramento State--The novelty of the Bunky Harkelroad scramble system wore off entirely last year, with the Hornets falling to 7-23, 5-13 in the league. The Hornets return some talent this year in 6-3 Kenney Nicholas and 6-0 Hannah Friend, but do they have enough depth to continue to play in Harkelroad's suicide style?
10. Northern Arizona--If nothing else first-year Lumberjack Coach Loree Payne seemed to quiet the ongoing drama in Flagstaff as the Axers finished a peaceful 7-23 on the season. Kaleigh Paplow, who led the Axers in just about every category last year, returns along with three other part-time contributors.
11. Southern Utah --New T-Bird coach Tracy Sanders will try to revive a program that won a total of 3 games last year with a foundation of four players who played significant minutes. It looks like it will be a long climb for the T-Birds.
