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Jackrabbits sit, wait to hear about WNIT
CHRIS SOLARI
csolari@argusleader.com
Article Published: 03/6/06, 2:55 am
BROOKINGS - Peggy Miller claims she's not superstitious.
Still, that's not stopping South Dakota State's president from wearing a 3-year-old national championship ring until the Women's National Invitation Tournament bids are announced next week.
The Jackrabbit women are hoping to return to postseason basketball for the first time since moving to Division I, and the WNIT is their only option. With the regular season finished, all they can do now is wait.
"You can't look at anything and say, 'Yes, we are in. No, we're not in,' " senior Christina Gilbert said. "So then you practice a couple days, and what if you don't make it? Then you end out your season in a practice, and that kind of sucks.
"Hopefully, we'll make it."
SDSU finished the regular season with a 19-9 record after Friday's 86-31 destruction of Division II Central State from Ohio. The Jacks won nine of their last 10 games and finished 7-0 against fellow D-I independent teams.
Without conference tournament to play in, SDSU is on the bubble for the WNIT field, which will be announced March 13 after the 64 teams for the NCAA Tournament are announced.
"For me, it's exciting either way," Coach Aaron Johnston said. "If we're selected and we're in a postseason tournament, obviously that's great. If we're not selected and they go a different route, we're still in the position where people are taking notice.
"To do that in Year 2 and the first year of a full Division I schedule, that's a win-win for us."
Johnston led his team to three straight Elite Eight in the Jackrabbits' final years of playing in Division II, winning the 2003 national title when current seniors Gilbert and Heather Sieler were freshmen.
Because of the school's transition into Division I that began after the 2004 Elite Eight appearance, the basketball teams are not eligible for NCAA postseason competition until 2008-09.
However, the WNIT is run by a private corporation - Triple Crown Sports in Fort Collins, Colo. - and does not abide by the NCAA's rules for probationary D-I teams.
"We want every opportunity for our kids to have one more chance to play, one more chance to be highlighted," Athletic Director Fred Oien said. "It would mean a lot to us, but it's out of our hands."
Division II's postseason structure was a lot different - SDSU had to play its way into the Elite Eight through a regional tournament. For the WNIT, their fate is in the hands of a board of directors comprised of former athletic directors, senior women's administrators and people that promote women's basketball.
"It is hard, not knowing," Gilbert said. "Our freshman and sophomore years, you know you have the conference tournament and region tournament. ... You knew there was more to come. When you come in winning a national tournament as a freshman, you just expect to go on."
The WNIT averages four main strength-of-schedule polls to determine bids: the Sagarin Ratings, RPIratings.com, Team Power Rankings and the Massey Ratings.
In the most recent polls, SDSU was 87th in the Sagarin, 121st on RPIratings.com, 91st in the TPR and 102nd in the Massey. Johnston said the Jackrabbits would need to be around the top 90 teams but reminds that those polls all change daily, especially during conference tournament time.
"Some of it is in our control, and a lot of it isn't in our control," Johnston said. "I do know this - it is a very subjective process. It's not a region ranking where one-through-eight are in. It will be based on regionality, who is close together. It will be based on fan support, conference size."
Last week, the WNIT announced that it will take 40 teams this year, growing by eight teams. The release from Triple Crown said those spots will be reserved for regular-season conference champions who do not make the NCAA Tournament.
Johnston said the bump to 40 teams gives the WNIT an opportunity to take a team that loses in its conference tournament and doesn't get into the NCAAs.
"If there are a bunch of upsets (in conference tournaments), it's not going help us," he said. "But if those people win who are supposed to win, that's eight more spots that need to be filled."
All WNIT games, including the semifinals and championship, are hosted by participating schools at their home arena. Miller said Tuesday that if the Jackrabbits are invited, the school would make a bid to host a game.
Oien said he has not received what the minimum bid will be from Triple Crown, but he said "We'd definitely surpass that."
SDSU averaged 1,905 fans for 10 home games, which is a solid average for Division I women's basketball.
"Obviously, you want a home game to start with," Oien said. "The second benefit is that you want to show off to the nation what kind of program you have. It brings prestige to the program, it introduces another Division I school coming into Brookings, South Dakota that we have a great arena, a great team and great fans.
"I think it would just be great exposure."
Reach Chris Solari at 977-3923.
Jackrabbits sit, wait to hear about WNIT
CHRIS SOLARI
csolari@argusleader.com
Article Published: 03/6/06, 2:55 am
BROOKINGS - Peggy Miller claims she's not superstitious.
Still, that's not stopping South Dakota State's president from wearing a 3-year-old national championship ring until the Women's National Invitation Tournament bids are announced next week.
The Jackrabbit women are hoping to return to postseason basketball for the first time since moving to Division I, and the WNIT is their only option. With the regular season finished, all they can do now is wait.
"You can't look at anything and say, 'Yes, we are in. No, we're not in,' " senior Christina Gilbert said. "So then you practice a couple days, and what if you don't make it? Then you end out your season in a practice, and that kind of sucks.
"Hopefully, we'll make it."
SDSU finished the regular season with a 19-9 record after Friday's 86-31 destruction of Division II Central State from Ohio. The Jacks won nine of their last 10 games and finished 7-0 against fellow D-I independent teams.
Without conference tournament to play in, SDSU is on the bubble for the WNIT field, which will be announced March 13 after the 64 teams for the NCAA Tournament are announced.
"For me, it's exciting either way," Coach Aaron Johnston said. "If we're selected and we're in a postseason tournament, obviously that's great. If we're not selected and they go a different route, we're still in the position where people are taking notice.
"To do that in Year 2 and the first year of a full Division I schedule, that's a win-win for us."
Johnston led his team to three straight Elite Eight in the Jackrabbits' final years of playing in Division II, winning the 2003 national title when current seniors Gilbert and Heather Sieler were freshmen.
Because of the school's transition into Division I that began after the 2004 Elite Eight appearance, the basketball teams are not eligible for NCAA postseason competition until 2008-09.
However, the WNIT is run by a private corporation - Triple Crown Sports in Fort Collins, Colo. - and does not abide by the NCAA's rules for probationary D-I teams.
"We want every opportunity for our kids to have one more chance to play, one more chance to be highlighted," Athletic Director Fred Oien said. "It would mean a lot to us, but it's out of our hands."
Division II's postseason structure was a lot different - SDSU had to play its way into the Elite Eight through a regional tournament. For the WNIT, their fate is in the hands of a board of directors comprised of former athletic directors, senior women's administrators and people that promote women's basketball.
"It is hard, not knowing," Gilbert said. "Our freshman and sophomore years, you know you have the conference tournament and region tournament. ... You knew there was more to come. When you come in winning a national tournament as a freshman, you just expect to go on."
The WNIT averages four main strength-of-schedule polls to determine bids: the Sagarin Ratings, RPIratings.com, Team Power Rankings and the Massey Ratings.
In the most recent polls, SDSU was 87th in the Sagarin, 121st on RPIratings.com, 91st in the TPR and 102nd in the Massey. Johnston said the Jackrabbits would need to be around the top 90 teams but reminds that those polls all change daily, especially during conference tournament time.
"Some of it is in our control, and a lot of it isn't in our control," Johnston said. "I do know this - it is a very subjective process. It's not a region ranking where one-through-eight are in. It will be based on regionality, who is close together. It will be based on fan support, conference size."
Last week, the WNIT announced that it will take 40 teams this year, growing by eight teams. The release from Triple Crown said those spots will be reserved for regular-season conference champions who do not make the NCAA Tournament.
Johnston said the bump to 40 teams gives the WNIT an opportunity to take a team that loses in its conference tournament and doesn't get into the NCAAs.
"If there are a bunch of upsets (in conference tournaments), it's not going help us," he said. "But if those people win who are supposed to win, that's eight more spots that need to be filled."
All WNIT games, including the semifinals and championship, are hosted by participating schools at their home arena. Miller said Tuesday that if the Jackrabbits are invited, the school would make a bid to host a game.
Oien said he has not received what the minimum bid will be from Triple Crown, but he said "We'd definitely surpass that."
SDSU averaged 1,905 fans for 10 home games, which is a solid average for Division I women's basketball.
"Obviously, you want a home game to start with," Oien said. "The second benefit is that you want to show off to the nation what kind of program you have. It brings prestige to the program, it introduces another Division I school coming into Brookings, South Dakota that we have a great arena, a great team and great fans.
"I think it would just be great exposure."
Reach Chris Solari at 977-3923.