Early Preseason Top 30: Part IV
Looking at #11-#15 in my Early Presason ranking today!
Second part of the Early Preseason Top 30 is incoming! Previewing some of these teams without rosters and schedules is part of putting together a ranking in August, so some of this is based on my own projections and thoughts. But I hope everyone has had a good week so far…let’s talk some D3 Women’s Hoops!
#15: Ohio Northern (2022-23 record: 25-5): There is no question that the OAC will be a strong league again. Marietta is team that could easily make its way into my Top 25, and ONU and Baldwin Wallace both are in my Top 15. All three reached the NCAA Tournament last year, and the same type of situation could play out again.
For ONU specifically, they’ll bring back almost the entire 2022-23 roster. I still don’t know if Brynn Serbin will use her extra year of eligibility or not after leading ONU in scoring last season. Though her presence on the floor will be missed (if she doesn’t roster), ONU seems to have a few young players who can step into that role of being the leading scorer. Watching the Polar Bears last season, I did often find that their team-oriented style of basketball didn’t rely entirely on one or two scorers on the offensive end, so perhaps we see a team where everyone in the starting lineup averages between 6.0 and 8.0 points per game, but nobody averages above 10.
The frontcourt should be especially strong for ONU, with senior Kristen Luersman and junior Brooke Allen having averaged double figures in points last season. Not to mention both, especially Luersman, are stellar rebounders.
They’ll have a tough stretch in late November and into December, going to play an underrated Ohio Wesleyan team on the road on Nov. 21, before hosting Trine four days later. Then John Carroll comes to Ada for the OAC opener. It’ll be interesting.
#14: DeSales (2022-23 record: 27-2): DeSales racked up win after win last season, playing a relatively weak schedule that led to a very impressive winning percentage. That said, wins over Messiah and Stevens did show that they could play at a high level and belonged in the national conversation. The Bulldogs are the unquestioned frontrunner in the MAC Freedom this season, and with their ever-consistent defense leading the way, they should be in a very good position for another NCAA Tournament berth.
We don’t yet have a schedule for DeSales, and know very few of their non-conference games. But we do have the 2023-24 roster (I don’t think freshmen are included on there yet), which is even more valuable in my opinion.
Megan Bealer is back as a grad student after leading DeSales in scoring last season, at 14.5 points per game. Her presence as a veteran leader will be invaluable. In addition to Bealer, the Bulldogs will have four seniors, including Mikaela Reese, who started 28 games, averaging 11.0 points and 6.5 rebounds per game. Four of their five starters from last season are back, which gives me a lot of confidence in DeSales’ status as a Top 15 team.
#13: Loras (2022-23 record: 24-5): The Duhawks were the surprise team of last season, taking down UW-Eau Claire in early December when UWEC was #9 in the nation. From that point on, Loras went on a surge, beating Babson and Calvin (both in the Top 25 at the time) in consecutive games. After taking a few losses in ARC play, Loras rallied and beat Wartburg twice in the span of a week, winning the ARC title and reaching the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament. Justin Heinzen resigned as head coach following the season, and he’ll be missed by this program. Justin Busch steps in as the new head coach, after spending several years as a men’s assistant coach at Loras and Illinois Wesleyan.
Though a new head coach is at the helm, the key players in last year’s successful season are all back. Senior Sami Martin comes back as the leading scorer after averaging 15.6 points per game. A 6-foot-1 forward, Martin is certainly in the ARC Player of the Year conversation. Madison Fleckenstein is listed on the 2023-24 roster as a fifth-year senior, which adds depth and experience to Loras’ backcourt. A guard who started all 29 games in 2022-23, Fleckenstein averaged 11.3 points and also tallied 43 steals. Junior Silvana Scarsella is another guard who will look to step into a more prominent role after averaging 7.1 points in nine starts. She played in all 28 games, but was most frequently a bench player. I anticipate seeing her in the starting lineup much more in 2023-24.
Loras’ non-conference schedule is manageable, especially with the returning talent they have. The ARC will again be extremely competitive, with Wartburg leading the way. But I fully expect Loras to be firmly in the national conversation by the season’s end.
#12: UW-Whitewater (2022-23 record: 23-7): Perhaps I have Whitewater a little too high. Time will tell with the WIAC this year. We still don’t have a schedule out yet, though I know the Warhawks will UChicago on Dec. 2 in what figures to be a Top 25 matchup.
Ranking Whitewater this high really stems from the quality of their returning production. Their SOS numbers should be strong once again, though I try not to factor in the perceived strength of a team’s opponents in a preseason ranking.
Junior guard Kacie Carollo is back after playing in all 30 games and leading the team at 17.0 points per game. She’ll be in contention for conference Player of the Year honors, and likely joined in the backcourt by senior Maggie Trautsch, who started 28 games last season. Guard play is going to be Whitewater’s strength.
Conversely, depth in the post stands out as a weakness. Now, with that said, I don’t know how many seniors from last year will be using their extra year of eligibility, and that could change things for Whitewater. As it stands now, if all seniors from last year’s squad graduated and do not return, Mallory Oloffson is going to see a significant increase in playing time. A forward from Illinois, Oloffson averaged 9.6 minutes in 30 games last season, and seems to have a skill set that will serve the Warhawks well in the high post.
#11: Rhode Island College (2202-23 record: 28-4): This was the team nobody (or at least very few) saw coming entering the NCAA Tournament. Talk about a Cinderella run. RIC was never a bad team, but they weren’t a team you saw reaching the Final Four. The Anchorwomen ended their season in a 56-51 Final Four loss to CNU, having beaten Scranton, Chicago, and Babson along the way.
This is a different year now, especially for a team that featured so many upperclassmen. Again, no clue if any of their seniors are back, but I think there is plenty of young talent on this squad. Juniors Angela Nardolillo and Madison Medbury started almost every game of last season, and certainly have the experience necessary to lead this team.
The starting five accounted for the majority of minutes last year, so that could be a concern early on, with young players in key roles. Ultimately, I’m staying optimistic that RIC can parlay its Final Four run into this season, and I like the returning group. Not to mention that Jenna Cosgrove is a phenomenal coach who will have her team ready to go. No schedule yet, but I have seen RIC on the schedules of several NESCAC and NEWMAC teams. SOS shouldn’t be a problem. I don’t anticipate win percentage being an issue either.
Coming tomorrow —> #6-#10 (We’re into the Top 10 now!)
I’ll wrap this preseason Top 30 up over the next two days before diving into some of the other interesting news around D3 women’s basketball next week. Lots happening with D1 vs D3 exhibitions, new schedules released, and incoming transfers to top D3 programs.