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RIPON, Wis. – After winning its third straight conference championship in the 2011-12 season St. Norbert is picked once again to capture the crown in the 2012-13 Midwest Conference (MWC) Preseason Women’s Basketball Coaches Poll.

The Green Knights earned five first place votes and 95 total points to beat out three other teams who earned at least one first place vote. 2011-12 MWC Champion Lake Forest (87 points) was picked to finish second and earned two first place votes followed by Monmouth (86) who had three first place votes. Ripon rounded out the projected MWC Tournament field with 62 points and a lone first place vote. Grinnell (58) and Carroll (57) were separated by only one point for fifth and sixth place with Illinois Col. (51) and Cornell (50) right behind them in seventh and eighth. Knox (25), Beloit (24), and Lawrence (10) rounds out the poll.

Only seven All-Conference players return this season led by First Team selections Sam Schuring (Lake Forest) and Erin Lind (Ripon). Krista Hawkinson (St. Norbert), Liz Radtke (Lake Forest), Katie Raymond (Ripon), Brittney Burgess (Illinois Col.) and Michelle Briggs (Grinnell) are all back after being named All-MWC Second Team picks last season.

Cornell returns back to the MWC for the first time since the 1997-98 season after playing in the Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. The Rams last won a MWC Championship in the 1981-82 season when they shared the title with former MWC member Coe.

Team Previews:

1. St. Norbert College Green Knights
2011-12 Record: 19-5, 17-1
Returning All-MWC: Krista Hawkinson (2nd)

St. Norbert finished the 2011-12 season winning its 11th MWC Championship which was the fourth in the last five years for the Green Knights. Despite not playing in the NCAA Tournament St. Norbert has compiled a 107-22 record over the last five years and will look to claim another conference championship under Head Coach Connie Tilley. Tilley will be without Krista Pelky and Jamie Kuhl this season after both were All-MWC First Team selections but will return All-MWC Second Team honoree Krista Hawkinson. Hawkinson averaged 11.0 points per game while hitting nearly 48% of her shots and knocking down 27 three point field goals. Tasha Giese had a productive freshman campaign after finishing third in the league in field goal percentage (54.1%) and averaging 9.2 points and 7.6 rebounds per game. Morgan Heim will complement Hawkinson in the backcourt after averaging 5.6 points and 3.8 rebounds per game in only 17 minutes of action per night off the bench for the Green Knights.

2. Lake Forest Forest Foresters
2011-12 Record: 12-12, 11-7
Returning All-MWC: Sam Schuring (1st), Liz Radtke (2nd)

Lake Forest returns a deep and experienced lineup as Head Coach Tamlyn Tills returns her top-10 scorers and only has six players on the roster that are juniors or seniors. Headlining the group is All-MWC First Team honoree Sam Schuring and Second Team award winner Liz Radtke. Both Schuring and Radtke were the team’s leading scorers last season as Schuring averaged 12.5 points per game and Radtke averaged 12.2. Schuring also finished last season ranked second in the league in both assists per game (3.6) and steals per game (2.3).  Gina Ambrose led the team in rebounding with 5.2 per contest while also averaging 9.4 points per game and hitting 22 three pointers that tied for the most on the team. As a team the Foresters ranked near the top of the league in field goal defense (37.1%, 3rd), three point defense (27.7%, 2nd) and rebounding (40.6, 2nd).

3. Monmouth College Fighting Scots
2011-12 Record: 16-10, 13-5
Returning All-MWC: None

Monmouth is coming off back-to-back seasons where they have finished second in the regular season standings but unlike the year prior earned a trip to the NCAA Tournament last season with its first MWC Tournament Championship in school history. Despite losing All-MWC First Team selection Haley Jones, Head Coach Melissa Bittner welcomes back Zipporah Williams and Mala Willard to lead the Fighting Scots. Both Williams and Willard ranked in the top-3 of the conference in rebounding with Willard pulling down 9.1 a game and Williams finishing right behind her at 8.8. Both also contributed offensively averaging double-figure points as Williams averaged 12 points and Willard scored 11.5 points while shooting 53% from the field (fourth in MWC). Colleen Forrest will headline the backcourt after averaging 5.5 points per game while hitting 39% of her three point opportunities in 2011. Offensively Monmouth finished either first or second in the league in most major categories including scoring offense (73.6 ppg, second), scoring margin (+7.0, second), field goal percentage (43.7%, second) and three point field goal percentage (34.9%, first).

4. Ripon College Red Hawks
2011-12 Record: 12-11, 11-7
Returning All-MWC: Erin Lind (1st), Katie Raymond (2nd)

After finishing last season with an 11-7 conference record Ripon was on the outside looking in for a spot in the MWC Tournament and aim to get back into the four team field for the first time since the 2009-10 season. All-MWC First Team performer Erin Lind returns for Head Coach Julie Johnson and will lead the Red Hawks again in the 2012-13 season. Lind is the top returning scorer in the league entering the season after scoring 13.9 points per game while also finishing seventh in rebounding with 7.5 a game all while ranking fifth in the league shooting 52% from the field. Jill Van Eperen was also highly efficient from the field hitting 56% of her shots (second in MWC) which helped her average 10.4 points per game while pulling down 4.3 rebounds per game. Sia Gonyo was the Red Hawks biggest threat from behind the arc hitting a team-best 23 three pointers and 39% of her three point tries. Ripon’s stingy defense (57.4 opponent ppg, third in MWC) aided them to the third best scoring margin in the league, outscoring opponents by an average of 4.4 points per game.

5. Grinnell College Pioneers
2011-12 Record: 12-11, 11-7
Returning All-MWC: Michelle Briggs (2nd)

Grinnell has improved its win total in each of the last three seasons going from four overall wins in the 2008-09 season to 12 overall wins last season, just missing out on the MWC Tournament due to tie breakers. Kate Gluckman and her staff bring back All-MWC Second Team selection Michelle Briggs after nearly averaging a double-double with 10.5 points and 9.4 rebounds per game. She led the league in rebounding as well as blocked shots (84) for a Grinnell defense that held opponents to only 55.4 points per game, second in the league. Rebecca DeGroot hit a team-high 39 three point baskets and also shot 86% from the free throw line en route to scoring 10.5 points per game while teammate Cristal Coleman drained 39% of her three point tries as a freshman and averaged 4.2 points per game. Along with being one of the best at preventing points the Pioneers also held opponents to only 33% shooting and blocked 144 shots, both tops in the league. 

6. Carroll University Pioneers
2011-12 Record: 13-12, 11-7
Returning All-MWC: None

Carroll has reached the MWC Tournament each of the last two seasons and Head Coach Chris Jacobsen aims to get the Pioneers back in the 2011-12 season. This season the Pioneers have to replace the loss of Janelle Groer who earned the 2011-12 MWC Player of the Year honor after leading the league in both scoring (18.2 ppg) and assists (3.9 apg). Emily DeNoyer is the top returning scorer after averaging 10.9 points per game while also grabbing 4.6 rebounds per game. Breann Maryanski had a strong freshman campaign averaging 6.7 rebounds per game and 9.7 points per game with teammate Katie Menden contributing 6.2 points and an 85% free throw percentage. As a team Carroll was the fourth best shooting team in terms of overall field goals (40.6%) and three point field goals (30.4%) all while finishing fourth in the league in scoring defense (62.5 ppg).

7. Illinois College Lady Blues
2011-12 Record: 9-14, 9-9
Returning All-MWC: Brittney Burgess (2nd)

After making the MWC Tournament in 2010-11 the Lady Blues missed out on the four team tournament last season with a 9-9 conference mark. Head Coach Brenna Kelly returns both a youthful and experienced team that has only two seniors on the roster. Second Team All-MWC honoree Brittney Burgess headlines the returning roster after finishing fifth in the league with 12.9 points per game and was fourth in the league hitting 86% of her free throw attempts. Holly Wohltman was the only other player that averaged double figures (11.1 ppg) as well as being one of the best in the league in friend goal shooting with a 49% success rate. Wohltman also finished second in the MWC with an 88% free throw percentage for a team that hit 72% of their attempts on the year.  Hannah McGinnis led the team, and was fifth in the conference, averaging 7.7 rebounds per game while she added 8.7 points and a 45% field goal percentage for the Lady Blues.

8. Cornell College Rams
2011-12 Record: 10-15, 7-9 (IIAC)
Returning All-IIAC: Rikki Mulloy (1st), Camille Marie-Lidd (2nd)

Cornell is back in the MWC for the first time since the 1997 season and will play for its first MWC Championship since the 1981-82 season. The Rams finished their last season in the IIAC with a 10-15 overall record and a 7-9 mark in league play which was good for sixth place in the nine team league. Head Coach Brent Brase welcomes back his top-8 scorers and boasts a youthful roster that has only two seniors. Rikki Mulloy averaged 16.7 points to lead the team while she also led the team with 70 assists. Camille Marie-Lidd averaged a team-high 30 minutes per game, scored 12.6 points per game and added 7.3 rebounds per game that ranked seventh in the IIAC. Taylor Discus led the conference as a freshman averaging 8.4 rebounds per game and also averaged 8.4 points per game all while shooting nearly 50% from the field.

9. Knox College Prairie Fire
2011-12 Record: 4-19, 4-14
Returning All-MWC: None

Emily Cline is back at the helm for her fifth season and guides a Prairie Fire team that won four games last season. Thanks to an offensive system switch Knox led the league in scoring in 2011-12 with 83.5 points per game after only scoring 57.5 points per game in 2010-11. Despite losing the two top scorers to graduation Cline welcomes back Kristin McDonlad after she averaged 8.3 points per game and 3.5 rebounds per game while playing in 22 games last year. Jodi Marver scored 8.2 points per game in her freshman year and finishing second on the team with 27 steals. Along with the uptick in scoring the Prairie Fire finished first in the league in offensive rebounds per game (19.2), steals per game (15.4) and turnover margin (+8.2).

10. Beloit College Buccaneers
2011-12 Record: 5-18, 2-16
Returning All-MWC: None

Beloit is coming off a season where they won only five games, two of which were in conference play. Under the guidance of Head Coach Jennifer McCormick the Bucs will field a youthful lineup with eight players that are either freshman or sophomores and only one senior in hopes of returning to the MWC Tournament for the first time since the 2008-09 season. McCormick returns her top two scorers from a year ago as Lauren McNanna (10.3 ppg) Kandace Fox (10.0 ppg) will shoulder the load offensively. Fox was also one of the Bucs top rebounders pulling down 5.5 a game while shooting 87% from the free throw line. Jenna Larsen played over 16 minutes a game and shot 48% from the field, scoring 5.9 points per game for a Beloit team that averaged 62.2 points.

11. Lawrence University Vikings
2011-12 Record: 1-22, 1-17
Returning All-MWC: None

Lawrence earned its first conference win last year since the 2007-08 season as they look to earn a trip to the MWC Tournament for the first time since the 2006-07 season when the Vikings earned ten conference wins. Tara Carr fields a roster that is composed of five freshman and three sophomores while having a lone senior to build on. Amber Lisowe led the Vikings in scoring last year averaging 12 points per game and also in three point field goals made as she knocked down 48 trifectas. Alex Deshler checked in at 11th in the league in rebounding with 6.9 per contest and also chipped in 10.2 points per game for Lawrence while Cathy Kaye scored 7.1 points and added 4.5 rebounds per game to add to the Vikings roster.