Recruits coming in bunches

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Along with a handful of schools sending us their entire recruiting class, some CCIW recruits are trickling across our virtual desk:

John Pietkiewicz will attend Wheaton (Ill.). The son of Stan Pietkiewicz, who played at Auburn and spent some time in the NBA, was a point guard at Winter Park (Fla.) HS.

Seneca (Ill.) HS forward Robert Rexroade will play at Millikin. Tim Littrell told MyWebTimes.com:

“The one thing that I liked more than anything is that he’s just a well-rounded player at this point in his career and I think his best basketball is still ahead of him. I think one of the things that make him a unique player is his ability to play a couple of different positions because of his skill level.

“You think because of his size (6-8) that he’s going to play inside, but he can go out and make an open jump shot as well, and not only that, but he’s also a really good high-post passer.”

St. Joseph-Ogden (Ill.) HS guard Mitch Blair will be at Elmhurst next season. As a junior, he set the team mark for free-throw percentage, according to the Leaderland News.

North Central has announced two recruits: Reid Barringer of Sycamore (Ill.) HS and Adam Hamilton of Beardstown (Ill.) HS. Barringer, a 6-0 guard, averaged 25 points, 1.6 assists and 4.7 rebounds per game.

Illinois Wesleyan announced its second recruit: guard Matthew Wittig of Astoria (Ill.) HS

Outside of CCIW-land, the Washington College recruiting class is a large one: Taylor Bosley (North Carroll HS, Md.), Andrew Chambers (St. Maria Goretti HS, Md.), Tyler Davila (River Hill HS, Md.), Justin Gallant (Rangeley Lakes Regional HS, Maine), Matthew Hamm (St. Marks HS, Wilmington, Del.), Scott Hampton (Colts Neck HS, N.J.), George Handza (Westfield HS, N.J.), Dominick Iaquinto (West Babylon HS, N.Y.), Alan Kines (Towson HS, Md.), Robert Klepacki (Upper Merion HS, Pa.), Marc Petrucci (Avon Grove HS, Pa.), Ryan Purdy (Trito Regional HS, N.J.), James Restrepo (Wyomissing HS, Pa.), David Segura (Archmere Academy, Del.), James Whall (Freehold HS, N.J.), Derek Wise (Parkside HS, Md.).

The Shoremen have just five returning players.

Carleton‘s incoming men’s players: Jeremy Sutherland (Saint Bernard’s HS, St. Paul, Minn.), Bryan Rosett (Park High School, Cottage Grove, Minn.).

Mt. St. Joseph is getting forward Kyle McCord from Scott HS in Taylor Mill, Ky.

Hood announced a pair of men’s recruits: Mike McCarrick, a 6-4 forward from Flint Hill School in Oakton, Va., and Nick Scott, a 5-8 point guard from Heritage High School in Leesburg, Va.

Desert Mountain (Ariz.) HS guard Zach Greenberg is heading to Washington U., the second Mountain Time Zone player headed to St. Louis. Surely that means something. The 6-3 guard averaged 15.2 points and 5.0 rebounds as a senior.

Women
We profiled a Carleton recruit earlier in the offseason. The other two are Amber Connor (Rosemount HS, Minn.) and Megan Milusenic (Orono HS, Minn.).

The UW-Whitewater recruiting class, excerpted from a school release:

Kailey Al Mohareb, a 6′ forward, lettered in basketball at Whitnall for three years, started both her junior and senior year and was captain her senior year. She was also named to the all-conference team those years and qualified for the state tournament her junior year. Besides playing three sports in high school, also including volleyball and track and field, Al Mohareb proved her outstanding academics with a cumulative GPA of 3.588.

Kelly Beese, a 6-0 forward, lettered three years at Wausau West High School where she was also a captain her senior year. Kelly was honored with the Women’s Sports Advocates of Wisconsin Award her senior year. Beese was also a member of the National Honor Society, finished in the top 10% of her class and had an overall GPA of 3.938.

Nicole Bundy, a 5-9 wing guard, lettered for four years as a varsity player and was a team co-captain her junior and senior years at Ozaukee High School. Bundy led her team in scoring her junior and senior years and led Sheboygan County in scoring her senior year averaging 16.4 points her game and led her team to an impressive 23-2 school record. She was also selected for the 2006 Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association all-star team. Bundy has also received academic honors all through high school and high honors her senior year.

Sarah Moran, a 5-6 guard, was a member of the 2005 state runner-up and 2003-2004, 2004-2005 undefeated Classic 8 Conference champion at Waukesha South High School. Moran has been on the honor roll at Waukesha South with a 3.11 cumulative GPA.

Heidi Sontagg, a 5-7 point guard, was an all-conference player her sophomore and junior years and helped lead her team to a 17-4 school record at Wisconsin Lutheran High School. Sontagg was also an all-conference player for both volleyball and softball as well as all-state, all-area and all district for softball.

Dana Thompson, a 6-2 center, is Belleville High School’s all-time leading rebounder and second to score 1,000 career points. Thompson was voted to the East Six Rivers all-conference team for three years as well as team MVP for two years. She also made first team all-area averaging 16.1 points per game and 12.5 rebounds per game and helped lead her team to a 14-7 school record. Thompson also competed in both volleyball and track and field at her high school where she was a 2-year Wisconsin Track and Field Association shot put champion and finished second in the shot put and fourth in the discus at the state tournament in 2004. Thompson also has the state championship title that she earned in the 2005 for the shot put. She is also a four year honor roll student.

Tiffany Morton, a 6-0 forward, comes in as a sophomore from UW-Milwaukee. She played in seven games for the Panthers, averaging 1.1 points per game. Morton contributed 13.3 points per game at Beloit High School.

Lana Marjanovic, a 6-2 forward, comes in as a sophomore from UW-Eau Claire where she majored in nursing. At UW-Eau Claire, she played on a 13-13 team. She played 11 games, averaging 0.5 points.

The UW-La Crosse women’s incoming class is as follows: Liz Buttke of Marshfield (Winona State); Jessica Bollinger of Gurnee, Ill. (Warren Township); Sarah Petersen of Stevens Point (H.S.); Carolyn Onopa of Glendale (Nicolet); and Rachel Hughes of Hales Corners (Greendale Martin Luther).

Buttke, a 5-9 guard, joins the Eagles after a stellar freshman season at Winona State. She led the Warriors in scoring at 12.9 points per game and in steals with 49. She finished second on the team in free throw percentage (84.8%) and third in assists with 56. Buttke was one of two Winona State players to start all 28 games. A 2005 graduate of Marshfield High School where she was an Honorable Mention All-State selection, Buttke was also a WBCA All-Star and Wisconsin Valley Conference Player of the Year as a senior. She was the second player to score 1,000 points in her career and holds the school record for three-pointers in a season (30) and career (68).

Bollinger, despite missing her team’s first 11 games due to injury during her senior year, was an all-conference selection as well as being named to three all area teams including special mention in the Chicago Tribune. The 5-7 point guard averaged 9.3 points and 1.7 steals in leading Warren Township High School to a 28-5 record and a berth in the Illinois High School Association Super Sectional. Bollinger was part of three straight North Suburban Conference Championship teams and as a junior played in the state tournament for a program that is 57-9 the past two seasons. She was also named to the IHSA All-Academic Team the past two years.

Petersen, a 5-10 wing player, led Stevens Point to a 21-2 record, a Wisconsin Valley Conference Championship, and a berth in the sectional finals last year as a senior. She was named first team all-conference last season after averaging 11.3 points and 4.1 rebounds. Petersen was also selected to the all-conference team as a junior and sophomore. Petersen made a school record 97 three-point field goals in her career and led the conference in three-point shooting a year ago, finishing 33-of-72 (45.8%).

Onopa was a second-team all-conference selection for the North Shore Conference Champions of Nicolet High School last season. She averaged 10.0 points and 5.2 rebounds as a senior and currently ranks seventh on Nicolet’s all-time scoring list. Onopa was an honorable mention all-area choice this season. She also ranks ninth in school history in rebounding.

The 6-3 Hughes looks to add depth in the post after completing her career at Martin Luther High School.

“Three-point shooting is definitely an area we have addressed with this group,” said Heeren. “Although we finished second in the conference in three-point percentage we felt we needed to add more threats from the outside. All four of these perimeter players are great shooters.”

The Washington College women have five incoming players: Jessica Jamrogowicz (Bishop Eustace Preparatory School, N.J.), Melissa Joseph (Newfield HS, N.Y.), Kayla Miller (Hightstown HS, N.J.), Jane O’Donnell (Wildwood Catholic HS, N.J.), Julie Sherwood (Fairfield HS, Conn.).

Westminster (Mo.) is getting Lauren Lloyd from Hickman HS in Missouri.

Montana high school track star Elisha Kampfe (she is unbeaten in the 100 meters, won the regional meet in the triple jump and set a regional meet record in the high jump) is heading to George Fox to play basketball, according to the Missoulian.

Monmouth-Roseville HS point guard Alexsha Alexander will play for Illinois College.

Rivier has three incoming transfers and five freshmen. The transfers are Michelle Stockwell (20 games, 16 starts, 7.7 points, 3.1 rebounds at Becker), Sadie Hardiman (25 games, 2.6 points, 3.0 rebounds at Plymouth State) and Justine Nims (21 games, 1.4 points, .6 steals as a freshman at WPI in 2004-05). The freshmen: Nicky Hill (Pittsfield, N.H., HS), Jessica Mellen (Rockland, Mass., HS), Blair Carpenter (Inter-Lakes HS, Meredith, N.H.), Naomi Paige (Merrimack, N.H.) and Annie Braier (Saugas, Mass., HS).

Rhodes announced its incoming class: Becky Atnip (Greenfield, Tenn., HS), Becca Clarin (Hinsdale, Ill., Central HS), Jennifer Davis (Obion County HS, Tenn.), Jackie Hancock (China Springs HS, Texas), Lauren Oxner (White Station HS, Tenn.), Jessica Sprenkel (Zionsville, Ind., Community HS) and Cameron Whitaker (transfer from Division I Richmond).

Janice Evans is our first Washington U. women’s recruit of the season. She played at Neuqua Valley HS in Illinois. “Janice is a multi-talented player who can do a lot of things on the basketball court,” said coach Nancy Fahey. “She can score from around the basket, hit the outside jumper, rebound and defend. We believe Janice will be an exciting player to watch the next four years. We are very excited to have her as part of the Bears basketball family.”

Are you a school looking to release your recruiting class and have them included here? Log in and post the release on the site, or e-mail news@d3hoops.com. (Hint, if you’re a fan, or a parent, you must provide published confirmation of the player’s commitment.)

About McMurry’s Indians

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We’ve invited Ralph Turner, a McMurry alumnus and supporter of our sites, to discuss the McMurry Indians mascot situation. His post appears below.

I want to thank you for the opportunity to explain the McMurry issue of the mascot appeal. Let me summarize many of the points that I have posted in previous discussions about McMurry. These thoughts are mine, and do not necessarily reflect those of the University.

As many of you know, our founding President, Dr. James Winford Hunt, the son of a physician, was born on the Kaw Reservation in what is now the state of Oklahoma. That was his home for 6 years. Out of respect for the people of his childhood, he gave McMurry its nickname, and Dr Hunt inculcated that respect into the culture of the school. The Indian mascot and the educational opportunities provided by that mascot have served as a catalyst for evaluating diversity and inclusion as part of the core values of the institution.

Tipi Village, 2003In my opinion, the most significant event in understanding that culture is Tipi Village. (Ed. note, photo at right.) McMurry began the Homecoming tradition of Tipi Village in 1951 and was featured in Life magazine that year. Tipi Village involves the students from campus organizations, members of the freshman class, and the men’s and women’s social clubs erecting authentic replica tipis of the tribes of the Plains Indians and, on occasion, the dwellings of other Native American tribes. Authoritative sources on the tipis are consulted for accuracy, and these tipis are then judged by Native American experts. The value of each tipi may exceed $8,000 to $10,000 for leather ones. Student docents conduct the tours for the 3,000-5,000 elementary school children who come from as far as 85 miles away to see this example of living history.

For Tipi Village, my social club’s adopted tribe is the Oglala Sioux. We use authoritative texts, such as The Indian Tipi by Reginald and Gladys Laupin and Oglala Religion by William K Powers as source material. About twenty years ago, Don Little Bear, an Oglala Chief from the Dallas-Fort Worth area, bequeathed to our social club his Ceremonial Regalia for our use at Tipi Village. The Regalia, including an unborn calf suede vest, wampum and Eagle feather headdress, is as spectacular as it is priceless. We only exhibit it once a year, at Homecoming.

The sole statue on the University commons, entitled Spirit Wind, is a native American as he looks over the campus, an eagle sitting on his shoulder. Courses on Native American history, especially the Plains Indians, are taught by the History Department by a professor with Native American heritage. The McMurry history faculty has contributed to the Native American section in the local museum, Frontier Texas!

A significant percentage of the “Anglos” in this part of the US have fractions of Native American blood from the intermarrying that occurred on the frontier with the Southern agricultural tribes and with those tribes that were forcibly relocated to Indian Territory (Oklahoma). (I am 1/32nd Choctaw from my maternal side when they lived in Mississippi.) McMurry also has approximately 10% of its student body declaring itself Hispanic. The intermarrying between descendants from Spain and Native American tribes was prevalent in the American southwest. Likewise, it was not uncommon for slaves of African descent to escape into the adjacent southern Native American tribes where they could start new lives. The university has chosen to confront this diversity as a learning experience. This exposure to other cultures has brought new friendships and greater understand of the Native American Cultures.

McMurry has complied with the NCAA’s requests for self-examination on the Indian mascot name and has worked to rid itself of hostile and abusive connotations. The recent response by the NCAA to our appeal no longer mentions “hostile and abusive.” It refers to “creat[ing] an environment over which an institution may not have full control.” The closest thing to a hostile environment at a McMurry sporting event is due to poor officiating. In my opinion, the NCAA’s standard of a “controlled environment” relating to endeavors in higher education, whether illegal gambling, hazing, sexual assault, underaged drinking, etc., is daunting in ways too numerous to consider in this blog.

I anticipate that the University will appeal to exhaust all avenues on behalf of the McMurry community. Should McMurry’s appeal fail before the NCAA Executive Committee next month, then the University will need to struggle with the question of a new mascot, a question that may rend the university community asunder.

The USA South. Deep South.

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We’ve heard discussion dating back months about the Great South and USA South, including possible mergers. The Fayetteville (N.C.) Observer ran a story today stating that the USA South has spoken with Huntingdon, LaGrange and Piedmont.

Two years ago, four of the Great South members (the three above and Maryville, Tenn.) met with the USAC commissioner and were received favorably before the schools’ presidents shot them down. Since then, of course, the USAC has booted Chowan, which elected to leave D-III entirely. In basketball and in most men’s sports, they are down to seven members, the bare minimum to receive an automatic bid.

Those four GSAC members may still drop out of the conference and go elsewhere as a group. Perhaps they can pull Oglethorpe out of the SCAC or some teams out of the ASC and reach seven that way. But if the USAC adds the GSAC’s four in some way, shape or form, the league runs the risk of losing Shenandoah and Christopher Newport to travel issues.

In women’s sports, the conference is in good shape, with Peace, Mary Baldwin and most recently Meredith added to the league. There has been zero talk of what would happen with the GSAC’s women’s schools: Agnes Scott, Spelman and Wesleyan (Ga.). Add those three to Peace, Meredith and Mary Baldwin gives six teams to a South Region women’s conference, with Salem College in North Carolina in the D-III membership pipeline. Hollins or Randolph-Macon Woman’s College could be enticed out of the ODAC if needed as well.

Real deal, or the next Rice?

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This blog post is now closed. New discussion should take place on the follow-up post.

A couple of years ago about this time there was speculation flying as to whether Rice was going to move up from Division I to Division III.

This year, it’s Birmingham-Southern. Described as the smallest school in Division I by columnist Ray Melick of The Birmingham (Ala.) News, the school is said to be looking at Division III and is expected to decide by the end of May.

To Birmingham-Southern, we say: Welcome. Division III is a great place to be. We hope you choose to become part of the biggest subdivision in collegiate athletics, where the true amateur athlete calls home, where an institution can truly feel good about its mission.

With 1,381 full-time undergraduates, the private liberal arts college fits the profile of Division III nicely. And Division III is slowly gaining ground in the Southeast, Birmingham-Southern will not be off on an island.

And it would save almost $3.5 million in athletics aid alone, according to the column.

Of course, Rice flirted with Division III a couple of springs ago and ended up scaring up enough cash with all the publicity to remain in Division I, with I-A football. But Rice is more than twice as big as Birmingham-Southern.

Building a pipeline

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Is it possible to create a pipeline in one year? Jon Chaloux, Chrispatrick Cox, and Justin Rouleau of Vermont’s Spaulding HS will each attend Colby-Sawyer next season, according to the Times Argus of Barre, Vt. Chaloux is the Vermont Gatorade Player of the Year, the newspaper says, and there’s more on the story.

“I was the first one to decide,” said Cox. “The school really matched up to what I wanted. They’re small, not too far away, and they have a great Environmental Sciences program, my major, with a brand new building.”

Great Division III quote.

A teammate, Dylan Clark, is heading to Keene State, while Jeff Rouleau, Justin’s twin brother, “will likely land at Johnson State.” At least one is staying in the state.

Two players are headed from New Mexico to UW-Eau Claire, according to the Alamogordo Daily News. Chance Weisensel, a former Wisconsin resident, and James Bowman, are headed north.

Brian Larson of Pleasant Valley HS in Iowa, will attend and play ball at Augustana, according to The Quad-City Times. He averaged 14.5 points, 2.5 rebounds, 2.3 steals and 4.0 assists per game last season, shooting 78% from the free throw line and 43% from three-point range. Kyle Waller will join him there, according to the DeKalb (Ill.) Daily Chronicle.

Elida (Ohio) HS guard Dustin Mathias will play ball at Emory, according to The Lima News.

John Dekker, the leading scorer in the history of Sheboygan, Wis., is heading to Lawrence. “John is incredibly skilled for a 6-foot-5 (small forward) and can score a ton of different ways,” Tharp said in a news release. “He can shoot the ball. He can put it on the floor, and he can score in the post.”

Lincoln (Wisconsin Rapids, Wis.) HS senior Matt Stahl will play at Dominican.

Corey McAdam joins his brother Ryan at Nazareth, according to the Rochester Democrat & Chronicle.

Noblesville (Ind.) HS guard Cameron Smith has announced plans to attend Washington U.. “His size and outside shooting make him a dangerous offensive player,” says coach Mark Edwards. “We look forward to having him join our team and being a part of our future successes.” Aaron Thompson (Elida, Ohio, HS) is heading to Wash U as well.

Nate Conley, who changed high schools in Indiana and had his eligibility denied by the state high school association, will play at Defiance, according to the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette.

Andy Covington, who had attended a prep school with the hopes of getting to UMass, ends up at Springfield. He’s a 6-3 shooting guard.

Tucson High basketball player Omar Meziab is heading to New York University with the intent of playing basketball.

Two Maui Interscholastic League all-stars are headed to D-III: Baldwin’s Matt Heyd will attend La Verne and Seabury Hall’s Justin Endo will attend Webster, according to the Maui News.

Aleksis Psychas is heading from Eastside HS, in the Gainesville, Fla, area, to Claremont-Mudd-Scripps. The Gainesville Sun reports Tufts and Rhodes were among his choices.

Butte (Calif.) College’s top rebounder and shot blocker is heading to Lewis and Clark next season. Gene Rivera leaves the two-year school having made the Golden Valley Conference’s all-defensive team, according to the Chico Enterprise Record.

Kevin Lange, a forward at Benton Central, is headed to Wittenberg. He averaged 15.4 points and 7.7 rebounds for the Bison before suffering a season-ending knee injury in February, according to the Lafayette (Ind.) Journal and Courier Online.

St. Norbert announced three recruits: Manitowoc (Wis.) Roncalli guard Alex Ahola, Neenah (Wis.) forward Jake Dietz and Bonduel (Wis.) guard Eric Gruenewald.

Jesse Viars of Ridgeville Christian in Ohio has committed to play basketball for Wheaton (Ill.). He scored 1,025 points in high school.

Women
St. Benedict‘s recruits are detailed in a story in the St. Cloud Times. Mindy Schmidt is the featured recruit. Apple Valley point guard Caitlin Ries, 6-1 Irondale post Natalie Alamat, 5-8 Mounds View wing Anne Kudak, 5-7 Holdingford point guard/wing Kendra Zapzalka, 5-9 Foley post Alyssa Kotsmith and 5-6 Big Lake point guard Jackie Beier.

Walt Whitman (Bethesda, Md.) HS post player Kathleen Brown is heading for Marymount. Johns Hopkins, McDaniel and Scranton were the other candidates, according to The Gazette of Montgomery County, Md.

From the San Diego area: Scripps Ranch’s Kathleen Devaney (Chicago) and Poway’s Michelle Krall (Whitman).

Kristi Ybarra, a point guard from Gulf Shores (Ala.) HS, is heading to Millsaps. She tells the Mobile (Ala.) Register that she turned down a scholarship offer from D-II West Alabama.

Ashley Hairgrove from Odem HS will play at Sul Ross State, according to the Corpus Christi Caller-Times.

Kimberly HS point guard Laura Aerts is heading to Lawrence, according to the Appleton (Wis.) Post-Crescent.

Somonauk HS guard Jessica McCoy will attend and play basketball at Monmouth. McCoy, a 5-10 guard, averaged 14.9 points, 8.2 rebounds, and nearly four assists, three steals and two blocks per game, according to the Ottawa (Ill.) Times.

Tonya Wright is heading to Ferrum from Bland County (W.Va.) HS. She averaged 24.3 points and 10.6 rebounds per game, according to the Bluefield Daily Telegraph.

Erica VanWormer is heading to Oneonta State, according to the Oneonta Daily Star. She was an All-American at center in Division III of the NJCAA this past season. The paper has a lengthy feature story.

Escambia (Ala.) Academy’s Lori Bonds will play at Huntingdon next season, according to The Atmore Advance. Huntingdon coach Scott Phillips told the newspaper he coached against her when she was in high school: “I saw her name and I remembered how she would light us up when I was at Lowndes Academy. It was her freshman and sophomore years and I told the former EA coach that she was going to be something special.”

Waukon (Iowa) HS guard Sam Reiser has decided to play basketball for Luther.

St. Norbert released the names of five recruits: Ashwaubenon forward Erin Riutta, Pulaski guard Denise Heuser, Reedsville HS guard Amanda Ourada, New London guard Tracy Palmer, and Menomonee Falls forward Emily Otzelberger.