Edmonds, Big Bend, Pierce top final rankings

NWAACC Men's Basketball

Scores | Video | Bracket | Tournament Stats | Game Recaps

Ladies and Gentlemen, the wait is over! A year removed from last year's fantastic spectacle, the NWAACC's best are set to be at it again. The first round has a few upset possibilities. Firstly, Clackamas has been on a tear to finish the season, and if they can keep things close with No. 5 Yakima Valley, they have a chance. Also, No. 6 Whatcom and No. 8 Centralia is a toss up at 8 a.m. Whatcom had a tough finish to the season, while Centralia was hot, while low scoring. Lastly, Spokane has a solid chance to knock off the No. 2 seed from the south, SW Oregon, in the late game on Saturday. 

I will be on site recapping games for the league, as well as live tweeting the entire event. You can follow me @JowardHoward for updates, and be sure to keep an eye on the league website for recaps, photos and updated brackets. Also, because the arena is primarily used for hockey, bring  some warm socks if you plan on sitting near the court. With that, enjoy the tournament!

 Coaches rankings are in italics under each team's record. If you have a question or a comment feel free to leave it below, respond via twitter or send me an email. 

                                                                                                                         

1. Edmonds (23-3, 13-1 North)
No. 2 (tied) coaches
Previous ranking: No. 1, No. 1 coaches

The coaches have Edmonds down into a tie with Pierce for second place, but I'm not quite ready to de-crown the Tritons just yet. After falling to Whatcom, they won their final five games of the season to finish 13-1 in a very tough Northern Region. In addition to having the highest win percentage vs. NWAACC competition, Edmonds also has had one of the more difficult regular season schedules. Forward Shaq McKissic has stepped up in a huge way en route to winning the Northern Region MVP distinction. McKissic may be the best all around player in the league this year. second in points, third in rebounding, sixth in steals and 18th in assists, he is the only player in the NWAACC to be in the top 25 of all the major statistical categories. And don't forget that Edmonds has a pair of players scoring 20 points or more per game. If McKissic and Riccardo Maxwell both get it going, they're hard to pick against.

No. 1 Edmonds will face Lower Columbia at 6 p.m. on Saturday, March 2

                                                                                                                         

2. Big Bend (24-4, 13-1 East)
No. 1 coaches
Previous ranking: No. 2, No. 1 coaches

Ever since losing the regular season opener to Spokane, Big Bend has been perfect, finishing league play at 13-1. Led by the 21+ points of region MVP and Freshman of the Year and  Brendan Westendorf, Big Bend is one of the best scoring teams in the NWAACC, averaging 88.36 points per game. Oddly enough, only one other player from Big Bend made the all-region's first or second team, but Big Bend made up for nearly half of the all-defensive team, which is telling. Not only can Big Bend score, but they're well rounded on both ends of the floor, take care of the ball, AND they're balanced on offense. Four players average in double figure scoring, and three players have broken the 30 point barrier. Points can come from anywhere.

No. 2 Big Bend will face Lane at 10 am on Saturday, March 2

                                                                                                                         

3. Pierce (23-4, 15-1 West)
No. 2 (tied) coaches
Previous ranking: No. 3, No. 2 coaches

One thing that is interesting about the tournament is that, as time goes on, legs go soft. Meaning? The teams that run up and down, shoot tons of three pointers and score loads of points will have a harder time keeping up the same energy that they started out with. Pierce, while they score a lot, is not one of those teams. They shoot very high percentage shots, mostly from inside the arc, meaning that losing their legs due to exhaustion on day three and four of the tournament won't be as much of an issue.

No. 3 Pierce will face Everett at 8 p.m. on Saturday, March 2

                                                                                                                        

4. Tacoma (19-8, 12-4 West)
No. 5 coaches
Previous ranking: No. 7, NR coaches

Until they suffered a tough loss to Lower Columbia in their penultimate regular season game, Tacoma had been on quite the run, winning five games in a row after barely falling to Pierce on Feb. 2. Tacoma also seems to have found some offense in the latter stages of the season, putting up three 90+ point games in the final few weeks. That comes on the heels of a season in which the Western Region didn't do much scoring whatsoever. If Tacoma can keep up that pace with their defensive abilities, they'll be a tough opponent in the tournament.

No. 4 Tacoma will face Peninsula at noon on Saturday, March 2

                                                                                                                         

5. Yakima Valley (20-8, 10-4 East)
No. 4 coaches
Previous ranking: NR, No. 4 coaches

Winning six out of their last seven will do a lot for Yakima Valley, who needed each and every single one of those wins to get ahead of Spokane, who finished a game behind the Yaks with the third seed in the East. YVCC can definitely score. They put up just over 85 points per game, but that's not what is most impressive about Yakima Valley. The wicked stat is blocks: they lead the NWAACC with 115 blocks, or an average of almost four swats per outing. If they have the same scrappy, never-give-up, we're-never-down-by-too-much attitude that we saw last year (upset top-ranked Clark in the first round) then they are dangerous to whomever they face. Plus, how cool of a name is Joel Yellow-Owl?

No. 5 Yakima Valley will face Clackamas at 4 p.m. on Saturday, March 2

                                                                                                                         

6. Whatcom (18-8, 10-4 North)

No. 4 coaches
Previous ranking: No. 4, No. 4 coaches

Whatcom is one of those teams that is simply more than a sum of their parts. They have good rebounding numbers (4th NWAACC), but that's about as flashy as things get. They also stumbled into the tournament, losing their final two games  and letting any chance of catching Edmonds slip out of their grasp. That said, those two losses were close, and Whatcom has managed to hold Shoreline under their average by 18 points AND outscore Edmonds in perhaps their biggest win of the season. 

No. 6 Whatcom will face No. 8 Centralia at 8 a.m. on Saturday, March 2

                                                                                                                         

7. Chemeketa (17-8, 10-4 South)
No. 6 coaches
Previous ranking: No. 5, No. 5 coaches

Chemeketa has had their fair share of extremely close losses, games in which things could have gone either way. We could see Chemeketa sitting at 12-2 in league instead of 10-4, but the Storm also have several ugly losses on their record as well, namely the 20 point debacle against Mt. Hood. Part of that is because the South isn't quite as well separated as the other regions. It may not have been perfect, but Chemeketa did what they had to do in order to break the tie and take the Southern Region title for  themselves. And let's not forget that Chemeketa has a lot of experience in this tournament. A number of players were on the team last year that made it all the way to the championship, where they fell to Tacoma.

No. 7 Chemeketa will face Walla Walla at 2 p.m. on Saturday, March 2

                                                                                                                         

8. Centralia (18-9, 12-4 West)
No, 8 coaches
Previous ranking: NR, NR coaches

Another one of those defensive teams in a defensive region, Centralia's only in-league losses this regular season were twice each to No. 3 Pierce and No. 4 Tacoma. Perhaps a credit to their defense, Centralia somehow managed to win 18 games this season whilst sitting fourth from the bottom in the league in scoring. Teams have only broken 80 on Centralia just twice, and the Blazers have one of the lowest opponent scoring averages in the NWAACC. That said, they will face teams in this tournament that can score better than many of their Western Region counterparts, putting their defense to the definite test.

No. 8 Centralia will face No. 6 Whatcom at 8 a.m. on Saturday, March 2

                                                                                                                         

No. 1 Clackamas women take narrow lead over Lane into championship tournament

NWAACC Women's Basketball

Scores | Video | Bracket | Tournament Stats | Game Recaps

It's finally here! The NWAACC Tournament is no longer right around the corner, the brackets are set and it begins in just a few days time in the Toyota Center in Tri-Cities, Wash. Taking a quick look at the first round match ups, pretty much everything is an easy pick with the exception of Clark vs. Whatcom, the late game on Saturday night. Another possible upset in the first round is Skagit Valley and Lower Columbia. LCCC pulled of a big road win over No. 4 Centralia earlier in the season, and while they aren't a threat to win it all, they have show ability to step up in big games and catch teams napping. 

I will be on site recapping games for the league, as well as live tweeting the entire event. You can follow me @JowardHoward for updates, and be sure to keep an eye on the league website for recaps, photos and updated brackets. Also, because the arena is primarily used for hockey, bring  some warm socks if you plan on sitting near the court. With that, enjoy the tournament!

Coaches rankings are in italics under each team's record. If you have a question or a comment feel free to leave it below, respond via twitter or send me an email.

                                                                                                                        

1. Clackamas (23-3, 13-1 South)
No. 1 Coaches
Previous ranking: No. 1, No. 2 coaches

Clackamas went 69 days in between losses until they made the trip down to No. 2 Lane and fell in a fantastic contest, 66-63 [box]. Now normally, a situation like that would see the winning team move up and the losing team move down. However, if you contrast the two games played in league, you have to lean in Clackamas' favor. The game Clackamas won at home, the Cougars shut down Lane in the second half and won by double digits. The road loss was by three measly points and on a night that point guard Laci Effenburger went an uncharacteristic 1-10 from the field with three turnovers and just one assist. Right now, Clackamas is a favorite to win it all, but they will still have to get past Lane one more time to do it.

No. 1 Clackamas will face Spokane at 8 p.m. on Saturday, March 2

                                                                                                                         

2. Lane (26-2, 12-2 South)
No. 2 Coaches
Previous ranking: No. 3, No. 1 coaches

Not all of the credit for Lane's win over No. 1 Clackamas can go to the fact that Clackamas had a bad night. In fact, that is only a small part of it. Lane is one of a handful of teams in the league that has the post presence, namely sophomore star and NWAACC Player of the Week Megan Shields, to contend with the twin (literally twin) towers of Clackamas. Shields netted 18 points, 6 boards and four blocks in the win, and was a huge difference maker in that game. Clackamas often relies on cutters to space out the floor for their three point shooters, and with Shields clogging up the lane (heh heh), that style becomes much more difficult.

No. 2 Lane will face No. 7 Yakima Valley at noon on Saturday, March 2

                                                                                                                         

3. Walla Walla (23-3, 12-2 East)
No. 3 Coaches
Previous ranking: No. 3, No. 3 coaches

While it wasn't exactly against all the top teams in the East, Walla Walla got things back on track to finish out their regular season campaign. The Warriors' two losses in the Eastern Region were close, by two and six points, and there doesn't seem to be a glaring hole in Walla Walla's front. They lead the East in scoring at just over 68 points per game, something that will win them a lot of contests, especially in a region that is so strong defensively. Walla Walla's defensive prowess will come in handy in the tournament, which is tough on teams that run for a living because of how close the games are to one another. The slow pace will make Walla Walla hard to beat as the tournament goes on.

No. 3 Walla Walla will face SW Oregon at 6 p.m. on Saturday, March 2

                                                                                                                         

4. Centralia (21-5, 14-2 West)
No. 4 Coaches
Previous ranking: No. 4, No. 4 coaches

The RPI ratings are rather telling when it comes to Centralia and the Western Region. The rating system does a good job of displaying strength of schedule and balancing that against the record of each team. That in mind, it's not too much of a surprise (if you've been following the last two seasons) that Centralia is ranked 6th and is the only Western Region team in the top half of the ratings other than Clark at No. 16. That said, aside from the confusing loss to Clark last week, Centralia has had an impressive season. They knocked off No. 3 Walla Walla 95-91 [box] in the opening preseason tournament, and hung tough with No. 1 Clackamas before falling 68-65 [box], a game in which Western Region MVP Kristen Schoenherr was more-or-less a nonfactor with four points and two boards. That proves that Centralia CAN play well in big games, but can they win them?

No. 4 Centralia will face Peninsula at 2 p.m. on Saturday, March 2

                                                                                                                         

5. Columbia Basin (14-12, 10-4 East)
No. 6 Coaches
Previous ranking: No. 8, No. 7 coaches

When the season started, there were some questions as to whether Columbia Basin would even make the tournament at all. Even looking at the surface of their overall record, it's simply decent at best. Then you notice that 10 of their 14 wins came during Eastern Region play, and the No. 5 ranking starts to make a little more sense. It's a little concerning that all four losses came in the last half of the regular season, but Columbia Basin has been impressive ever since the new year rolled around. They stayed extremely close with No. 3 Walla Walla and inched by No. 7 Yakima Valley 75-73 [box]. They are also another team from the East that gets by on their defense, making  them a difficult match up. Add that to the fact that they have been there before, namely the championship last time around, and that they are basically playing in their own backyard, and Columbia Basin could go far in this tournament.

No. 5 Columbia Basin will face Chemeketa at 8 a.m. on Saturday, March 2

                                                                                                                         

6. Bellevue (19-8, 12-2 North)
No. 5 Coaches
Previous ranking: NR, NR coaches

When Brittany Barrington, a solid player from last year and a sophomore expected to carry the team this year, went Nov. 17 against Lane, it looked like the year might be over for Bellevue. They had a decent stretch of four wins, and finished the preseason a little better than expected. That's when things turned around in a big way for the Bulldogs. The regular season started off with wins of 42 and 51 points, and Bellevue's success didn't stop there. Airashay Rodgers and Demerea Caples pace Bellevue's scoring with just over ten points a game, and for now it seems that Bellevue has gotten along just fine without their star, especially seeing as their two losses were by a combined three points, and they finished the regular season on a seven game win streak.

No. 6 Bellevue will face Tacoma at 2 p.m. on Saturday, March 2

                                                                                                                         

7. Yakima Valley (16-11, 9-5 East)
No. 8 Coaches
Previous ranking: No. 5, No. 7 coaches

A newcomer to the rankings right at the last moment, Yakima Valley had an impressive finish to the regular season and will be walking into the tournament on a high note. If not for their narrow loss to No. 5 Columbia Basin, the Yaks would have won their final eight games. Most impressive about that stretch was the 56-50 victory [box] over No. 3 Walla Walla, a team that looked next to unstoppable for most of the season. As with many of the teams in the East (yes, the ever-broken record) Yakima Valley has great defensive stats, including the most total blocks of any Eastern Region team. The numbers may not look quite so shiny as those from the South, but remember that YVCC's pace is slower than that of the high-scoring Southern Region teams, something that will come to their aid in back to back games this weekend. 

No. 7 Yakima Valley will face No. 2 Lane at noon on Saturday, March 2

                                                                                                                         

8. Skagit Valley (19-8, 11-3 North)
No. 7 Coaches
Previous ranking: No. 6, No. 5 coaches

The bump in the road that was their loss to Bellevue aside, Skagit Valley was on fire for the majority of their regular season. After picking up a pair of losses to Whatcom and Peninsula in the early going, they won nine straight to wrestle the second seed away from Whatcom. Despite not finishing at the top of their region, SVC actually led the North in scoring behind 18.6 points from sophomore forward Laken McClelland.

No. 8 Skagit Valley will face Lower Columbia at 4 p.m. on Saturday, March 2  


                                                                                                                         

Clackamas women still undefeated in region

NWAACC Women's Basketball

Looking at the overall league stats, it's easy to see what each region excels at. Offense belongs to the South, where Lane, Umpqua, Clackamas and SW Oregon take up the top four slots in scoring average. The East is strong defensively. You don't see teams scoring over 80 points, unless you're looking in a mirror and you happen to be Walla Walla, who seems to have escaped the offensive woes of the Eastern Region. The North is all tied up: three teams are vying for the top spot, all tied at 8-2 on the season. The West seems to belong to Centralia, who have already  clinched a playoff spot, and can secure a region championship with one more victory.

Be sure to check back in a week's time for Full Court Press, a bi-weekly roundup of NWAACC basketball action to fill in the gaps. Coaches rankings are in italics under each team's record. If you have a question or a comment feel free to leave it below, respond via twitter or send me an email.

Full Court Press: Dark Horse Week is now live online! Do you have a dark horse prediction? 

                                                                                                                        

1. Clackamas (20-3, 10-0 South)
No. 1 Coaches
Previous ranking: No. 1, No. 2 coaches

Right now, Clackamas is in position to be the first Southern Region team since Lane in 2008 to go undefeated in region play. In fact, only five teams have accomplished that feat since 2002, and looking forward easily the largest obstacle Clackamas has is the trip to visit No. 2 Lane on February 16th. As far as the top seed in the South is concerned, Clackamas would have to lose twice in order to fall to second, and with four games remaining, that chance is fairly small. The Cougars take on Mt. Hood (2-19, 0-10 South) and Portland (3-17, 2-8 South) in the final few weeks, as well as Umpqua, who hasn't had anywhere near the brilliant performances we saw early in the season. 

                                                                                                                         

2. Lane (22-2, 8-2 South)
No. 2 Coaches
Previous ranking: No. 3, No. 1 coaches

Lane's loss to Clackamas on the road doesn't count as much of an upset. Their 67-63 [box] loss to Chemeketa on February definitely does, as Lane was held more than 20 points below their league-leading 86 points per game average. Now with two losses in region play, Lane will have to win out in order to hold off Chemeketa, who sits just one game behind the Titans in the region standings. That said, Lane is still very much a team to fear. Their depth and balance on both ends of the floor will serve them very, very well leading into the tournament, where they could very easily be a finals contender.

                                                                                                                         

3. Walla Walla (20-3, 9-2 East)
No. 3 Coaches
Previous ranking: No. 3, No. 3 coaches

With another painful loss, Walla Walla failed for the second time in a row to go undefeated the entire period between rankings. This go round, Yakima Valley was the culprit, pulling off a 56-50 [box] home victory over the Warriors, who now hold a very slim lead in the East over No. 8 Columbia Basin. The best offensive team in a largely defensive conference, Walla Walla still doesn't quite have the scoring numbers that some of the flashy Southern Region teams have, but they have proven that they may have one of the best defenses in the league. Example? Since the start of the regular season, the Warriors haven't allowed more than 56 points in a contest.

                                                                                                                         

4. Centralia (19-4, 12-1 West)
No. 4 Coaches
Previous ranking: No. 4, No. 4 coaches

Centralia has won four in a row following their blowout loss to Lower Columbia, and Kristen Schoenherr is back on the court. Schoenherr went just 2-8 from the field for eight points in her return, but things have picked back up since then, and Centralia has returned to blowing their opponents out by 32 (Pierce), 20 (Tacoma) and 41 (Greys Harbor). However good the Blazers have looked, we still have yet to see how Centralia will fare outside of the Western Region, where  they have found hard times in the past. The tournament will answer many of those questions, but by that point, it's too late.

                                                                                                                         

5. Chemeketa (14-9, 7-3 South)
No. 6 Coaches
Previous ranking: No. 6, No. 8 coaches

Chemeketa has faced some extremely tough competition in the last few weeks. They blew out Umpqua, who was incredible to start the season, and then ran into a buzz saw at Clackamas and lost by nearly 30 points. That's when things turned in Chemeketa's favor. Down two games to Lane, it seemed as though Chemeketa would have to resign themselves to the third seed in the South, simply buried under two lights-out teams. At least, that was until the Storm went out and upset No.  2 Lane and crept to within just one game of the Titans. The window is still open for Chemeketa, as Lane will play No. 1 Clackamas again, and Chemeketa faces the bottom four teams in the region to finish the season.

                                                                                                                         

6. Skagit Valley (15-7, 8-2 North)
No. 5 Coaches
Previous ranking: NR, NR coaches

A bubble team for last week's rankings, Skagit Valley stepped up with a big 3-0 week, knocking off then No. 5 Whatcom, as well as racing past Edmonds and beating out Peninsula, adding to their streak of seven consecutive wins. A streak like that makes them easily the hottest team from the Northern Region, and as there are three squads tied at the top of the North, momentum is going to be... well... monumental. SVC will face one of the three tied teams before the season is over, a home game against Bellevue, whom they have defeated once this season already.


                                                                                                                         

7. Whatcom (14-7, 8-2 North)
No. 8 Coaches
Previous ranking: No. 5, No. 7 coaches

As was mentioned in SVC's bio, Whatcom is one of three teams tied at 8-2 for first place in the Northern Region. It was a loss to surging Skagit Valley that dropped them in to such a tie, a game that was somewhat of an oddity because Whatcom actually used more players than their opponent. For much of the season, Whatcom's tiny roster has been enough to do the trick, but coming down the final stretch, it will be interesting to see whether their relative lack of depth will start to truely hinder them. One thing for sure, that will make the tournament incredibly rough for that starting five. 

                                                                                                                         

8. Columbia Basin (12-11, 8-3 East)
No. 7 Coaches
Previous ranking: No. 7, No. 5 coaches

After a regular season that started so brightly, Columbia Basin has had a tough few weeks, going 2-2 with losses to No. 3 Walla Walla and Wenatchee Valley. The loss  to WWCC is understandable, as the Warriors are undoubtedly the best team in the East. The slip up with WVC is fairly confusing. The numbers all add up. 56% from the free throw line and 33% from the field won't get you far, and neither will being badly out boarded. That's not the weird part. The strange thing is where it had come from. A week removed from playing Walla Walla so close, Columbia Basin falls to a team that is 3-8 in region?


                                                                                                                         

Edmonds men lose ground, stay No. 1

NWAACC Men's Basketball

With a double-digit loss to Whatcom, Edmonds lost even more ground to Pierce and Big Bend this week, but for now that seems to be more of a fluke than a flaw. The top seeds from the North, East and West are able to more or less stand out ahead of their compatriots, but the Southern Region is still somewhat up for grabs. SW Oregon and Chemeketa will play once more in a game that could very well decide the Southern Region title in the regular season finale. 

Be sure to check back in a week's time for Full Court Press, a bi-weekly roundup of NWAACC basketball action to fill in the gaps. Next week will give an update on the playoff race in each region, as well as detail some of the biggest match ups. Coaches rankings are in italics under each team's record. If you have a question or a comment feel free to leave it below, respond via twitter or send me an email. 

Full Court Press: Dark Horse Week is now live online! Do you have a dark horse prediction?

                                                                                                                         

1. Edmonds (19-3, 9-1 North)
No. 3 coaches
Previous ranking: No. 1, No. 1 coaches

While Edmonds tripped up in a game against then No. 7 Whatcom for their first loss in region play, that doesn't do much to dampen the season they have had so far. They are the best in the league at taking care of the ball, averaging just 12.15 turnovers a game. That, combined with their 2nd best shooting percentage at 49% and the offensive brilliance of forward Shaq McKissic, makes them an incredibly tough contest. With just four more games remaining and a one game lead on Whatcom, Edmonds will most likely stay on top and win the North's No. 1 seed in the upcoming tournament.

                                                                                                                         

2. Big Bend (21-4, 10-1 East)
No. 1 coaches
Previous ranking: No. 4, No. 4 coaches

Big Bend's Jan. 30 victory over a resurgent Yakima Valley did more than slow a potential challenger. It widened the gap, and with three more wins in the last two weeks, the Runnin' Viks have now clinched the region championship. They have won their last ten contests, and 13 of their last 14 games. One question coming in to the season might have been how to replace the scoring and heroics of last year's first-team all-tournament star Blake Skidmore. Now, it seems as though Big Bend has a new leader in freshman guard Brendan Westendorf, who is the only player in the league to average at least 20 points, five assists and seven rebounds, with just over two steals a game thrown in for good measure. 

                                                                                                                         

3. Pierce (20-4, 17-1 West)
No. 2 coaches
Previous ranking: No. 8, No. 5 coaches

Just one more win guarantees the Raiders a Western Region title, helped along by their 78-72 victory [box] over No. 6 Tacoma on February 2nd. Tyrell Lewis, the league leader in steals with 88, lit up the scoreboard for 29 points and 17 rebounds in that game, continuong a streak that has now reached seven games in which Lewis has scored 16 points or more. Lewis' total was also just one point shy of his season high of 30, and he set a new season high in rebounds. Lewis isn't the only star, however. Pierce still holds the highest shooting percentage in the league, and takes very, very few three pointers, putting a majority of their scoring up close and personal.

                                                                                                                        

4. Whatcom (16-6, 8-2 North)
No. 4 coaches
Previous ranking: No. 7, NR coaches

If you combine the total point differential in Whatcom's two northern region losses, you don't end up with much: just six points. That's why it shouldn't be much of a surprise that the team who held their own with No. 1 Edmonds on the road would be able to take them back home and hand them their first loss of the regular season. Whatcom's 90-80 triumph [box] also served to bring the Orca's just that much closer to Edmonds in the standings, meaning that should Whatcom win out, they still have a chance of catching Edmonds for the top seed. 

                                                                                                                         

5. Chemeketa (15-6, 8-2 South)
No. 5 coaches
Previous ranking: NR, NR coaches

Chemeketa appears to be somewhat back on form since their little rough patch a few weeks back. A beatdown of Umpqua, a survival against a feisty Clackamas team, and a big win over No. 8 Lane were enough to give Chemeketa a two game cushion over Lane for the top seed in the Southern Region, which is still largely up for grabs. Looking ahead, Chemeketa will have to play two teams, Mt. Hood and No. 7 SW Oregon, that are desperately fighting for playoff positioning, meaning that if the Storm get caught sleeping, they could easily see their boat rocked.

                                                                                                                         

6. Tacoma (16-7, 9-3 West)
No. 6 coaches
Previous ranking: No. 4, No. 5 coaches

A close loss to one of the league's absolute best on the road could go either way. One, a game like that can be somewhat of a measuring stick and a learning experience. That, or a devastating loss can get inside the head of a team, and they trip up again. Fortunately for the Titans, it seems as though they have chosen the former after their six point loss to No. 3 Pierce. They started by blowing out Grays Harbor by 18, then Centralia (15-9, 9-4 West) by nine, and finished off their week by absolutely demolishing Highline 90-51 [box] in their highest scoring affair of the season.

                                                                                                                         

7. SW Oregon (12-10, 7-3 South)
NR coaches
Previous ranking: No. 8, NR coaches

SW Oregon's next game will be a crucial one. The 15 point loss to Clackamas (12-12, 4-6 South) with their leading scorer off the court dropped them out of a tie for first place in the Southern Region, and they sit just one game ahead of Lane with four games remaining. A win in that match up would give SW Oregon enough of a cushion that it would almost guarantee the Lakers the 2nd seed in the South, and would give them a chance to catch Chemeketa with a win in the season finale.

                                                                                                                         

8. Lane (18-6, 6-4 South)
No, 8 coaches
Previous ranking: No. 5, No. 4 coaches

Lane, after starting off the season so strong, has found themselves in a bit of a tailspin as of late. They have lost three of their last five, and four of their last eight, dropping them into third place in the South, just one game above Mt. Hood and Portland and two games above Clackamas. The Titans will have to play both Portland and Clackamas once more, in addition to facing SW Oregon. Their road going forward will be extremely tough, as all but one of their opponents has something to fight for.

                                                                                                                         

Clackamas women leapfrog Lane with a victory

NWAACC Women's Basketball

These last two weeks were tough ones for the top eight, as only two teams were perfect in all their games. Top ranked Lane saw their first loss, a 77-64 game to No. 1 Clackamas. Walla Walla lost to Big Bend, who lost to Columbia Basin who lost to Walla Walla. Umpqua, with their 2-2 week finally saw their first installment on the outside looking in, and Columbia Basin, the 2012 NWAACC Champions, have only just crept back into the picture.

Be sure to check back in a week's time for Full Court Press, a bi-weekly roundup of NWAACC basketball action to fill in the gaps. Coaches rankings are in italics under each team's record. If you have a question or a comment feel free to leave it below, respond via twitter or send me an email.

Full Court Press: Dark Horse Week is now live online! Do you have a dark horse prediction? 

                                                                                                                        

1. Clackamas (17-3, 7-0 South)
No. 2 Coaches
Previous ranking: No. 3, No. 3 coaches

The Jan. 19 game vs. then top-ranked Lane was exactly what most people expected it to be. From the opening tip,  there was something different in the demeanor of both squads. Lane came in the class of the South, not having lost to Clackamas since the preseason in 2011. Clackamas fell behind at halftime, but stormed back in the second period, outscoring the Titans 50-29 en route to a 77-64 victory. While the coaches stubbornly rank Lane higher than Clackamas, it may only be that way for one more poll. Right now, Clackamas controls their own destiny. They will have to visit No. 3 Lane and make the long trip to Umpqua, but they do get No. 6 Chemeketa at home, along with a few relative cupcakes. 

                                                                                                                         

2. Walla Walla (18-2, 7-1 East)
No. 3 Coaches
Previous ranking: No. 2, No. 2 coaches

Walla Walla is somewhat lucky to still be sitting in the No. 2 spot, what with all the turmoil surrounding them. Three of their four last opponents are either ranked, or got considerable votes in the coaches poll. A 3-1 week isn't all that bad, considering that their only loss was by two points then No. 5 Big Bend. They also knocked off a stubbornly advancing Columbia Basin team, now just one game behind Walla Walla for the lead in the East. With the exception of a home game against No. 8 Big Bend and a visit to Spokane, the rest of the Warrior's schedule doesn't seem to be all that bumpy. That rematch with Big Bend, though, will be wild.

                                                                                                                         

3. Lane (20-1, 6-1 South)
No. 1 Coaches
Previous ranking: No. 1, No. 1 coaches

Barreling along and looking close to unstoppable throughout the preseason and the first half of region play, it looked as though Lane might go undefeated in 2013. That's when they ran into the buzz saw that Clackamas presents. Either their luck finally ran out, or they finally met their match. Either way, Lane was left in the dust in the final 20 minutes. The Cougars' 50 second half points easily set an opponent season high for Lane, who had prided themselves on their depth and ability to switch players out with regularity. Whatever the reason for the flat second half, it seems that Lane has turned things around since. A 22 point drubbing of then No. 8 Umpqua, and a 72 (yep, you read that right) point embarrassing of Portland. Lane has the better overall record, so they still have a chance at taking back the league title if they can knock off No. 1 Clackamas on Feb. 16 at home.

                                                                                                                         

4. Centralia (15-4, 8-1 West)
No. 4 Coaches
Previous ranking: No. 4, No. 4 coaches

Throughout the month of January, it looked as though Centralia was going to, once again, mop up the Western Region without much competition. Then leading scorer and NWAACC Player of the Week Kristen Schoenherr [stats] went down with an injury, and Centralia found themselves being blown out at home by Lower Columbia. There is no telling whether Schoenherr will be back quickly or not, but if she is out for an extended period of time, Centralia is in trouble. She is their only player averaging in double figures for scoring, almost twice the next player behind her, and also leads the team in rebounding and steals.

                                                                                                                         

5. Whatcom (13-6, 6-1 North)
No. 7 Coaches
Previous ranking: No. 6, No. 8 coaches

Whatcom is one of those teams that simply defies the odds. They have only six players have have competed in all 19 contests, and only nine players total on their roster. That makes their 6-1  start to Northern Region play all that much more impressive. That one loss came to Bellevue, a team who has started to really find some traction in the regular season, and who used nearly twice as many players but needed a big second half to pull away and beat Whatcom. Their starting five is impressive, and they are the best three point percentage team in the league, but the biggest concern for Whatcom is this: their top players can't play 35+ minutes per game in the tournament and hope to find success. They need to start getting more production from their bench in order to do well.

                                                                                                                         

6. Chemeketa (12-8, 5-2 South)
NR Coaches
Previous ranking: No. 7, NR coaches

It's clear that Chemeketa isn't quite on a level with the top pair from the Southern Region, but the Storm have done well to carve out their niche in one of the tougher regions in the league. Umpqua seems to be in a bit of a funk, and Chemeketa has stepped up to take the third seed. At this point, it's unlikely that the Storm will be able to catch Clackamas or Lane, but they will have another chance to face each opponent on February 6 and 9, a brutal band of games by any stretch of the imagination.


                                                                                                                         

7. Columbia Basin (10-10, 6-2 East)
NR Coaches
Previous ranking: NR, NR coaches

A dark horse pick from last week, Columbia Basin seems to be for real, despite their forgettable start to the season. Before falling 46-39 [box] to No. 2 Walla Walla, the Hawks had won six consecutive Eastern Region games. Looking forward, a major key to CBC's success will be seeing if they can get it done away from home. They don't score a lot, just over 62 points per game, but their defense has been spectacular, allowing an NWAACC program to break 80 points just once. 

                                                                                                                         

8. Big Bend (14-8, 4-4 East)
No. 5 Coaches
Previous ranking: No. 5, No. 5 coaches

3-2 in their last two weeks has Big Bend in a bit of a free fall. Their one saving grace was 50-48 victory over No. 2 Walla Walla, one of the highlights of their otherwise unimpressive 4-4 start to Eastern Region play. Another highlight for Big Bend has been their rebounding. They sit second in the league in average rebounds, and first in offensive boards, making up for their somewhat poor shooting at 36%. The schedule coming up for the Vikings is an odd one. They face three of the four bottom teams in the East, and then play No. 2 Walla Walla and No. 7 Columbia Basin back to back before finishing things off with Wenatchee Valley.


                                                                                                                         

Edmonds men survive shake up, remain No. 1

NWAACC Men's Basketball

This was a strange week for the NWAACC men, as many of the top teams stumbled in their last four games. Edmonds still continues to look like the odds-on favorite, but several contenders are beginning to creep up. Big Bend's winning streak and list of vanquished opponents grows longer by the week, and Pierce's offensive efficiency is consistently among the league's best. It's hard to believe it, but we're entering the final stretch: just a few weeks left before the tournament!

Be sure to check back in a week's time for Full Court Press, a bi-weekly roundup of NWAACC basketball action to fill in the gaps. Coaches rankings are in italics under each team's record. If you have a question or a comment feel free to leave it below, respond via twitter or send me an email. 

Full Court Press: Dark Horse Week is now live online! Do you have a dark horse prediction?

                                                                                                                         

1. Edmonds (17-2, 4-0 North)
No. 1 coaches
Previous ranking: No. 1, No. 1 coaches

There hasn't been much drama in the last two weeks for Edmonds, other than their harrowing 88-86 [box] victory over Bellevue on Jan. 16. They are now the only team to go undefeated in region play, and have the best record in the league at 17-2. They have now won 10 games in a row after getting blown out by Peninsula, and only two of those ten games have been decided by six points or less. Edmonds' stars Shaq Mckissic and Riccardo Maxwell, who have been recognized by the league for their scoring efforts, have put up some impressive numbers so far. The problem is, after their top four that average in double figures, almost nobody else scores. Those numbers have nearly come back to bite Edmonds, who got 14 points off the bench in the combined victories over Bellevue and Whatcom.

                                                                                                                         

2. Big Bend (17-4, 6-1 East)
No. 2 coaches
Previous ranking: No. 4, No. 4 coaches

While their numbers aren't quite as unsettling as they were in the preseason, the last few weeks have proven that Big Bend can score nearly at will. They now average 89.95 points per game, a few behind Shoreline's gaudy numbers for second place. So far, the recipe for beating Big Bend is defense, defense, defense. They haven't lost a game in which they've scored 80 points or more, and in games where the Vikings are held under that magic number, they are 3-3. Brendan Westendorf's 21.1 points, 6.9 assists and 47 steals are good for sixth, second and seventh respectively in the NWAACC, making him one of only two players to be in the top seven in three categories. 

                                                                                                                         

3. Pierce (15-4, 17-1 West)
No. 3 coaches
Previous ranking: No. 8, No. 5 coaches

Continuing their stubborn lack of a reliance on the three point shot may be one of Pierce's biggest strengths. They have shot fewer three pointers than nearly any team in the league, and it is no coincidence that they are the only teams shooting higher than 50% from the floor. If you take out the three pointers, that percentage goes up to 57%, an outrageously high number. Couple that with the fact that Pierce is also among the league leaders in scoring average, and you get a very consistent, very steady team.

                                                                                                                        

4. Tacoma (13-6, 6-2 West)
No. 5 coaches
Previous ranking: No. 6, No. 8 coaches

Proof that you don't have to score to be a good team, Tacoma averages near the top of the Western Region teams, but near the bottom of the NWAACC in points per contest. The Titans went 3-1 in the last two weeks, the only loss being a 61-47 [box] debacle to a hot Lower Columbia team, a win that was LCCC's fifth in a row. In that game, Tacoma's two top scorers were held to a combined nine points on 3-20 shooting. They normally combine for 24, part of a balanced, but low scoring starting five. Coming up, Tacoma will get a chance to pit their defense and slow pace against brilliant offense when they match up against No. 3 Pierce on Feb. 2 on the road.

                                                                                                                         

5. Lane (17-4, 5-2 South)
No. 4 coaches
Previous ranking: No. 3, No. 3 coaches

The last two weeks haven't been quite the smooth sailing that Lane had in the preseason. They flattened No. 8 SW Oregon, but were pushed to the brink on the road at Clackamas (10-11, 2-5 South) and gave up a four point halftime lead before winning the game 87-80 [box] in overtime. Their next outing ended in a 64-56 [box] loss to Umpqua, a sting that the following narrow victory over Portland did little to heal. Lane is now in a three way tie for first place in the Southern region after a dominant preseason in which  they went 12-2. Their next two games are against opponents that are far below .500, but on the horizon is a huge match up with Chemeketa, a team that has been much improved lately.

                                                                                                                         

6. Peninsula (14-6, 5-2 North)
No. 6 coaches
Previous ranking: No. 2, No. 2 (tie) coaches

Aside from their loss to No. 1 Edmonds, Peninsula had been rolling as of late. At least, that was until they went to visit Bellevue. That game ended in frustration for Peninsula. Four technical fouls, an ejection and a roster one smaller coupled with a loss has Peninsula reeling, but not finished. They are one of the most talented teams in the league, and have seemed next to unstoppable as long as personalities don't get in the way. Things definitely don't get any easier from here on out, as they have to visit No. 7 Whatcom before hosting No. 1 Edmonds. These next few games could very well decide how the season will finish. If things get put back together, Peninsula could challenge for a place in the final four. If not, the Pirates could fall as low as the fourth seed, or out of the playoffs all together.

                                                                                                                         

7. Whatcom (13-6, 5-2 North)
No. 7 coaches
Previous ranking: NR, NR coaches

Just one of a host of Northern Region teams in this week's rankings, it seems that every northern region game bears more weight than most match ups elsewhere. Which is why Whatcom's 5-2 regular season start is so impressive. Their two losses, to No. 1 Edmonds and No. 6 Peninsula, were by three points each. However, those aren't the only close games that Whatcom has been in. They beat Everett by three, Bellevue by two, and Skagit Valley by four. In fact, the Orcas have only been in one blowout since the start of the regular season, 21  point flattening of Shoreline. All that goes to say that Whatcom has more experience in close contests than just about any other team in the league.

                                                                                                                         

8. SW Oregon (10-9, 5-2 South)
NR coaches
Previous ranking: NR, NR coaches

The SW Oregon Lakers have quietly been having a fantastic season. Last time around, they won a play-in game before knocking off the top seed in the championship tournament. This season, they may not have such a tough road. A 5-2 start has SWOCC tied for first place in the South after a thrilling 89-88 victory over Chemeketa on Jan 26. The road gets a little smoother in the next few weeks, as SW Oregon will face three of the bottom four teams from the South. That stretch is a chance for the Lakers to build up some momentum, as they still have to play No. 4 Lane once more, and Chemeketa to finish off the season.