By Mel Greenberg
Hard to believe this got by everyone, based on a quick google search in the middle of Wednesday night it seems that way, apparently there will be a third postseason tournament in play this March, according to a release that was posted on Sept. 1.
Called the Women's National Invitation Championship, the event will be run by Michael T. White, Inc., consist of a 32-team field, and be played March 24--31 at Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, Fla., just a citrus fruit toss away from Tampa and the Women's Final Four.
That will increase the women's overall postseason opportunity total to approximately 144 teams.
We learned of the event earlier in the day when it was given a second-hand reference deep in an email release from the Gazelle Group out of Princeton that announced a new and third men's postseason tournament.
The single-elimination event will be invitation only to teams in the 32 Division I conferences who do not land in the NCAA or Women's National Invitation Tournaments. At least we think that, but the description says the WNIC will rival the WNIT.
In addition to the postseason arrangement, North Carolina appears to be hosting a round-robin pre-season WNIC this weekend involving Syracuse and Coppin State.
In the post-season, the first round will start with 16 teams on Monday and Tuesday, followed by second round action on Wednesday and Thursday.
The final eight will compete on Friday and Saturday with the title game on Sunday.
The WNIC will include live internet coverage, say the organizers, who also promise to research every tournament-worthy team beyond those in the power conferences.
The WNIC plans to invite every regular-season conference champion, even if that is not the same team that wins its tournament. Of course, teams who duplicate the title get NCAA automatic bids. Further, it must be noted that the WNIT expanded last year to perform a similar selection exercise.
OK, in keeping with Jonathan teaching this old dog new tricks, click the link below to continue some more. And then head for the post above this from Stephen K. Lee, although you may already been there as I think about what order these two posts will appear.
Stephen was with Rutgers coach C. Vivian Stringer Wednesday afternoon when the Scarlet Knights officially announced their monster recruit class.
Here's the jump link.
Attention Penn State Message Board
We stopped by for a visit the other night to see how you all were reacting to the Lady Lions' 3-0 start and Sunday upset of then-No. 20 Pittsburgh under new coach Coquese Washington in the WBCA tournament in Happy Valley.
Someone happened to ask when was the last time neither Penn State nor Purdue were ranked in the AP women's poll.
According to our nifty excel program history file, the answer is neither Penn State nor Purdue appeared in the poll prior to the final one of the 197-98 season.
Penn State was not ranked at all that year and Purdue ended a six-week absentee run by returning to the final poll.
So pass the word.
Incidentally, Stanford confirmed our research that the last time the Cardinal beat a top five on the road was 10 seasons ago when Tara VanDerveer's group won at No. 5 Illinois and later at Texas Tech when it became a No. 5.
The Cardinal did win a home game several years aqo near the start of the season when Kansas State shot up to a No. 2 before the Wildcats played in Stanford's tournament. That same field had Temple.
Nostalgia Night on Hawk Hill?
We covered the St. Joseph's Drexel game at Alumni Memorial Fieldhouse on Wednesday, which appears in the Inquirer sports print section area to lead the women's roundup at Philly.com.
St. Joseph's won 49-40, but the first half was rather lackluster with each team involved in 14 turnovers.
At halftime, your Guru, who received a pre-game plaque presentation from the Hawks, was interviewed on Drexel radio by former Dragons star Stephanie Mix, whose sister Courtney played for Villanova.
Incidentally, Stephanie seems made for the genre, following in the footsteps of her father Steve Mix, a longtime broadcaster of the local NBA 76ers.
Anyhow, at one moment, we were asked about our impressions of the opening 20 minutes.
Your Guru responded that Stephanie should grab a uniform along with former Hawks star Katie Curry Gardler, seated in the stands behind us, St. Joseph's coach Cindy Griffin and her assistants Sue Moran and Stephanie McCafferty, who also all played at St. Joe's; and Drexel coach Denise Dillon (Villanova), and her assistants Amy Mallon (St. Joseph's), and Melissa Dunne (Temple) and we'll go out in the second half, tag-team style and beat both of the current Dragons and Hawks who were in the game.
We also noted that we saw more intensity by the two teams in the hot months when players from both Drexel and St.Joe's went at it in the Philadelphia Dept.of Recreation NCAA women's summer league at La Salle.
Virginia Commonwealth will visit St. Joe's Sunday which makes us wonder whether the Hawks are having a former ABL Philadelphia Rage player promotion.
Drexel's Mallon played for the team, as did Va. Commonwealth coach Beth Cunningham, who was a star at Notre Dame.
Close But No Visitor's Title This Year
Former St. Joseph's assistant Joe Logan, who is now in charge for the second year at Loyola, Md., was deprived of a chance of winning the mythical Big Five visitors title when La Salle edged the Greyhounds, 51-50, at Tom Gola Arena on Jamie Walsh's shot with 17 seconds left.
Loyola has already beaten Drexel and Villanova.
More With Moore
Now that Connecticut freshman sensation Maya Moore has even put her own Huskies teammates in the rearview mirror with two dazzling performances in her first two collegiate games, how soon will the Northeast media who cover UConn forget that Candace Parker exists and plays at Tennessee.
Get Well Joe
Since many who stop by here have known him over the years, here's a get well wish to Joe Smith, also known as Women's Basketball News Service and is a current correspondent to Clay Kallam's Fullcourt Press, and who is currently hospitalized in New York.
We'll provide further details as they become available.
Leon Barmore Un-Retires
Bet that got your attention Louisiana Tech fans, but the Hall of Fame coach's return to the sidelines will only be a one-night stand.
Barmore will coach a bunch of former Techsters -- no, not Teresa Weatherspoon, Betty Lennonx and Vickie Johnson of WNBA fame _ in an exhibition game Thursday night against Chris Long's current La. Tech contingent.
Oldtimers slated to appear for Barmore are guard LaQuan Stallworth, guard Shantel Hardison, forward Amanda Wilson, guard Catina Malone, center Takeisha Lewis, guard Kendra Neal, guard Katie Cochran Hall, guard Pam Thomas, guard Monica Maxwell and former Northwestern State forward Pam Hudson.
-- Mel
Philly.com discussions are intended to be civil, friendly conversations. Please treat other participants with respect and in a way that you would want to be treated. You are responsible for what you say. And please, stay on topic.
These boards are monitored by Philly.com staff. We reserve the right at all times to remove any information or materials that are unlawful, threatening, abusive, libelous, defamatory, obscene, vulgar, pornographic, profane, indecent or otherwise objectionable to us in our sole discretion and to disclose any information necessary to satisfy the law, regulation, or government request. Personal attacks, especially on other board participants, are not permitted. We reserve the right to permanently block any user who violates these terms and conditions.