Opening Day

#1 posting 11.17.2008
your daily dose of girls basketball news & information

OPENING DAY
Today across Minnesota the 2008-09 season officially begins. Good luck to all players, and coaches during the tryout process.

For players---it is the how that a lot of coaches look for---how hard do you practice; how do you relate to coaches and teammates; how do you respond when things don't go well.

OUT
Megan Nipe of Centennial will be out until at least November 18th with a strained knee.

FIRST GAMES
Wisconsin will be holding games starting this week. Look for a couple of out & abouts from the Badger state on Tuesday and Thursday.

RANKINGS
This week the Minnesota Fury will unveil the first edition of their 2008-09 Power Rankings.

These rankings will be updated weekly or bi-weekly throughout the season and will be broken into the following categories: Varsity AAAA, Varsity AAA, Varsity AA, Varsity A, 8th Grade Traveling, 7th Grade Traveling, 6th Grade Traveling.

Traveling coaches at the 6th, 7th, and 8th grade levels can email team information such as team record and tournament results to nstorm@minnesotafury.com

A link to the Fury Power Rankings will be available on their website at www.minnesotafury.com

The Fury will be fielding teams at the following levels in 2009: 16U, 15U, 14U, 13U, 12U, 11U, and 10U. Visit their website for details

AAU
The Minnesota Fury AAU Club will be fielding a 16U/JR team out of the Rochester, MN area coached by Rick Canton (Head Girls’ Coach at Pine Island) and Scott Miller (Assistant Girl’s Coach at Pine Island). The Fury have been proclaimed “The Fastest Rising AAU Club in Minnesota.” Club Directors Nick Storm (Dover-Eyota Grad) and Justin Morris (Austin Grad) are both from the SE Minnesota area and are excited to provide a top notch summer basketball opportunity for girls in that area.
If you are interested, please send an email to Nick at nstorm@minnesotafury.com.
The Fury also have one stop available on their 16U-Metro team, and multiple spots available at the 14U level. Those inquiries can go to Justin at jmorris@minnesotafury.com
The Minnesota Fury welcome you to be apart of the excitement in 2009.

Next up: College reports

Dealing with Adversity, Practice Openers Part 3

#4 posting 11.11.2008
your daily dose of girls basketball news & information

ADVERSITY
Malcom Gladwell looks at the lessons of adversity.

OPENING PRACTICES--PART 2
IOWA: Dunkerton's new coach is Gene Groen. Groen was the girls coach at Ellsworth, MN a few years ago. From the Jesup Citizen Herald.
Jesup is looking to make a run at the NICL title. From the JCH.

MICHIGAN: Who will run point for Grosse Point North? The Drama builds. From the Detroit Free Press.
Detroit Community will focus on defense. From the Detroit Free Press.
Calvin Christian coach John Kramer looks back at the differences in 15 years of coaching. From the Grand Rapids Press.

NAIA
South Dakota Mines beat Dakota Wesleyan 82-69. Bethany Holyoak (Moorcroft, WY) had 25 points for SDM. Allison Johnson (Mount Vernon, SD) had 20 for DW. From the Rapid City Journal.

Ashford is now 2-1 after beating Calumet College of St. Joseph 86-61. Kelly Fisher (Fremont Washington, CA) had 23 points for Ashford. From the Clinton Herald.

COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Gogebic beat Minneapolis 84-35 on Saturday. Jaclyn Aijala (Hurley, WI) had 35 points, 28 in the first half, for Gogebic.

Next up: tomorrow unless news breaks

Michigan Opening Day

#2 posting 11.11.2008
your daily dose of girls basketball news & information

MICHIGAN OPENING DAY
Comebacks---Ariel Braker of Grosse Pointe North is back practicing after an ACL injury on Mother's Day. From the Detroit News.

There is an uprising at Frankenmuth with proposed changes to athletic policies. From the Saginaw News.

Detroit Country Day is ready to defend their B title. From the Detroit Free Press.

INDIANA PREVIEWS
The Indianapolis Star looks at the top five teams.

HALL OF FAME
Tonya Edwards (Flint Northwestern) leaves a trail of championships. Edwards will be joining the Flint Hall of Fame. From the Flint Journal.

OBITUARIES
Preacher Roe, a pitcher for the Brooklyn Dodgers, died Sunday in Missouri. What you probably didn't know was that Roe coached girls basketball in Arkansas back in the 40s and was involved in a brawl which resulted in a fractured skull. From the Detroit News.

Shauntoy Chambers, former Fennville, MI player, was killed in a car accident in Holland, MI. From the Grand Rapids Press.

Next up: even more news

Opening Day Part 1: IA & WI

#1 posting 11.11.2008
your daily dose of girls basketball news & information

OPENING DAY PRACTICES
IOWA
Mason City's opening day of practice is examined by the Mason City Globe Gazette.

JAMBOREE
Here is the Cedar Rapids Jefferson Jamboree schedule
5:30 Kennedy vs. Marion
6:15 Linn-Mar vs. Solon
7:00 CR Prairie vs. Benton
7:45 CR Wash vs. Xavier
8:30 CR Jefferson vs. Alburnett

WISCONSIN
Also practices in Wisconsin opened with Wausau Daily Herald looking at the start of the season.

D1 runner Oshkosh West needs to replace four players from last year's squad. From the Oshkosh Northwestern.

Eric Nelson is back coaching this winter this time with Monona Grove.

RESULTS
NAIA
Mount Marty beat #18 Black Hills State 60-44. Michelle Amundson had 20 points for MM. Brittany Fuhrman had 10 points for BHS. From the Yankton Press & Dakotan.

Concordia Nebraska beat York 75-48. Melissa Tinkham had 13 points for CN. Kim Sladek had 15 points for York. From the York News Times.

PREVIEWS
D1
South Dakota will face challenges as they move to full D1 status. From the Yankton Press & Dakotan.

NAIA
Black Hills State wants the momentum from last year to continue in 2008-09. From the Rapid City Journal.

COMMUNITY COLLEGE
UW Manitowoc has low, low numbers with 7 players on the roster. From the Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter.

Next up: more news

BC Drops Varsity, Resignation, Recovery, and Queen

#1 posting 10.4.2008
your daily dose of girls basketball news & information

DROPPING VARSITY
Brooklyn Center has dropped their varsity program this year. They will play a JV schedule only.

RESIGNATION
Mike Megyese, who has coached girls basketball at South Bend St. Joseph's for 12 years and has produced several outstanding teams and players, resigned this week, citing personal reasons. His record was 205-75.

Four of his players currently are at Division I schools: Kristen Dockery of Minnesota, Aimee Litka of Valparaiso, Melissa Lechlitner of Notre Dame, and Sydney Smallbone of Tennessee.

GAS PRICES
Concordia Moorhead spends 60 to 80% of their budget on travel. From the Concordian, the campus paper.

PRACTICE BEGINS
Black Hills State started practice on Wednesday. From the Black Hills Pioneer.

Minot State's women's basketball coach Sheila Green Gerding is recovering from the premature birth of daughter Kaimbree and complications from her preterm birth.

QUEEN
Mary's Elizabeth Sipma (Dickinson) was named Homecoming queen. From KXMB.

CLUB
Northern Iowa has launched "Panthers in the Paint Kids Club" for youth in K-8th grade.

Next up: later today with some reports from the Stars Shootout

End of North Central, Basketball & Practice Lessons

#2 posting 6.14.2008
your daily dose of girls basketball news & information

RIP: NORTH CENTRAL CONFERENCE
After 86 years the North Central Conference is closing shop. The memories and mementos will be shipped in boxes to the University of South Dakota. From the Sioux Falls Argus Leader.

BASKETBALL LESSONS
Mark Campbell, head women's basketball coach at Union University in Jackson, Tennessee is a former player of Northern State men's basketball coach Don Meyer. Campbell has won two NAIA titles.
Campbell visited Meyer and Aberdeen this past week. Here is one of the lessons Campbell learned from Meyer "Basketball is ultimately not very important unless you use it for life."

PRACTICE & WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN
Derek Martin of the Crookston Times writes about the regret he feels because he didn't practice enough in his youth. No one wants a "I told you so" moment.

Next up: later today with the Summer Jam results