The Change of Women's Basketball

Who really cares about women's basketball?

I can definitely say I never cared about it until my cousins started playing at DePaul University. Now of course a lot of people are going to say well it sucks and it's way too slow. Well I challenge everyone to take a second look or at least give it a chance.

The atmosphere at women's games can be just as exciting or more than any men's game. In fact on a trip to Tennessee when I went to see my cousins play was the best basketball atmosphere I've been in period. Not to mention the game was intense and fast paced to combat the argument everyone makes about women's basketball.

This argument may not be true of every women's basketball game. But if you look to the sold women's college basketball programs their teams are good and fast paced. Everything is a lot more competitive and everyone can thank Title 9. This allowed women's basketball to reach a higher level and it allowed more talent to be on one team.

To get more information and another point of view to back my argument and thoughts I interviewed three people that are very close to me, my aunt and her two daughters. They have played at the top level of competition and provide a lot of useful information.

1)Chris (Prieboy) Quigley-Strle- She is possibly the best athlete I have ever met and if not then one of her daughters are better. She went to the University of St. Francis in Joliet, Illinois and holds just about every career record in basketball and softball and for her senior year she decided to throw in tennis for a try and went 19-0. Although she went to an extremely small school she got invited to try out for the Olympic women's basketball team. Now she didn't make it but she pretty much never stood a chance. Not because she wasn't good enough but because of the coach. Before going to St. Francis she went to Illinois State University only to get home sick. Well ISU's coach was one of the Olympic coaches at the time and still had bad feelings. However, she had a successful career at USF and was inducted into their Hall of Fame in 1991 and her basketball number is retired there.

She pretty much summed up the change in women's basketball the best.

“Girls today are definitely a lot more skilled and there are more skilled players on one team. In the past there may be only a couple of good girls in the whole league. I think this can be attributed to the opportunities out there for girls today with travel basketball and more competitive leagues.”

2) Allie Quigley- Out of high school Allie did something that Illinois had never seen. She was the first athlete ever to be named first-team Chicago Sun Times All-Area in three sports (Basketball, Volleyball, and Softball). She was also named the Chicago Sun-Times high school Athlete of the Year. She then went on to DePaul University which was a top 25 team throughout her career there. She was named Freshman of the Year in Conference USA before DePaul moved on to the Big East. After a high successful career which placed her third on DePaul's all time scoring list she moved on to the WNBA. She was drafted last year and played for the Phoenix Mercury. She currently plays in Turkey during the WNBA's off season.

“I feel like the media coverage has definitely come a long way. I think that Title 9 has helped this and also the overall level of competition which includes big-time players like Diana Taurasi, Candace Parker, etc. The competition and skill level has improved so much which makes the game more exciting to watch. Because there is a fan base, the media wants to show this talent on TV, magazines, internet, etc.”

3) Sam Quigley- She was named Chicago Sun-Times Female Athlete of the Year coming out of high school and also went on to DePaul. She is currently a junior but in her second year playing because she lost her sophomore year to knee surgery. She is now back on the court and starting for DePaul in hopes of making it to the WNBA in the future.

“I feel as though women's basketball has gained a larger audience. It seems to be one of the more popular women's sports. Just recently my DePaul basketball team played in New Mexico for a tournament. In the championship game, we played in front of 8,000 people. The crowd was unreal. 8,000 people is more than most WNBA and NBA teams get.”

Women's basketball has always been compared to men's and that's why it has always been seen as inferior. However, women's basketball is on the rise and is becoming much more competitive and a lot more fun to watch. For anyone that has ever questioned women's basketball because it is too slow watch again or for those that have had that judgment before even watching a game, give it a chance.

Now Here's Photos of my Aunt and Cousins

Allie Quigley Sam Quigley --->

Chris (Prieboy) Quigley-Strle

Big Ten's Image

Although the media coverage the Big Ten get's is a little harsh in my opinion it is what it is and it needs to be fixed. But how exactly would the Big Ten restore their image? This is a question I have because sure the Big Ten can have a winning record this bowl season but would that be enough if say Ohio State and Penn State lose in the big games? What if the Big Ten has a losing record and the only teams that win are Ohio State and Penn State? Or is it good enough if either Penn State or Ohio State gets a BCS victory?

I'm a little torn on this because just thinking of the media they can put a negative side on all situations. The only guarantee to get a more positive image would be a winning record and having either Penn State or Ohio State winning with the other playing at least a competitive game. An ideal situation would be Ohio State winning because they have been the target of much of the criticism. Therefore I believe them winning would be huge for the Big Ten especially considering they are playing a Texas team that should be in the national championship.

Let me here all of you out there. What's it going to take for the Big Ten to be considered an elite conference once again?

Thoughts on the Heisman

Well not that I really watched it last night because I didn't really care but I do believe the right guy got it. I like Tebow more but the numbers Bradford put up were just ridiculous no matter what kind of defenses he faced. Every guy had a shot last night but Tebow just didn't really have a chance in my opinion. I think he would have had to of had better stats than last year if they were going to give it to him back to back years. But his numbers were no where close. This year Tebow was able to throw for 2,515 yards and 28 TD's while rushed for 12 TD's. This is compared to last year where he threw for 3,286 yards 32 TD's and rushed for 23 more scores. By just looking at that you can't really take the trophy away from a guy like Bradford that throws for 4,464 yards and 48 TD's.

Likewise Colt McCoy wasn't going to get it either because Bradford also threw for more TD's than McCoy's 32. That's in the same conference which makes it a little easier to choose Bradford over McCoy since they played similar competition. Overall I think they got it right although it was a very tough decision and a case can be made for a number of people that didn't even make it to New York.

Big Ten Bowl Pick'em

With all of the bowls announced I figured I'd take my picks on all of the bowl games where Big Ten teams will be present. Let's get it started because I'm sure I'll be one of the first if not the first to pick these games.

I'll start at the Insight Bowl and work my way up to the Rose Bowl.

Insight- Minnesota vs. Kansas

Minnesota really struggled to end the season. At one point they were looking to fight for a New Years Day bowl game and now they fall all the way back to the bowl that picked the last eligible Big Ten team. I don't know if Minnesota exceeded expectations early in the year and fell back to where they belong or what. Adam Weber and Eric Decker are a dangerous duo but they have lost their last four games and Kansas has an offense that can put up a lot of points however, they give up a lot as well. The big thing for Kansas is that they are coming off a big win against Missouri to finish the season and could be back on track after being ranked earlier in the year.

Pick: Kansas 38, Minnesota 21

Champs Sports Bowl- Wisconsin vs. Florida State

Wisconsin has been the biggest disappointment in the Big Ten this season. Besides a 3-0 start Wisconsin had nothing to cheer about. They lost to anyone good they played and they almost lost to Cal Poly to end the year. In fact they should have lost and because Cal Poly couldn't make extra points they lost. Florida State on the other hand has played in a relatively weak ACC conference and is led by sophomore quarterback Christian Ponder. The issue for him is keeping the ball as he has thrown 13 INT's to his 12 TD's this season. As is the case for most of the Big Ten's bowl games this is practically a home game for Florida State. I believe the toughness of the Big Ten and the disappointment Wisconsin has gone through this year will lead to a very hungry team coming into Orlando.

Pick: Wisconsin 24, Florida State 21

Alamo Bowl- Northwestern vs. Missouri

This one could be a tough draw for the Big Ten. Northwestern had a great year but Missouri is a very tough team and dangerous offense. Northwestern's defense has improved but I don't think they are good enough to stop Missouri's offense. Chase Daniel is too good of a quarterback and will be the best quarterback Northwestern has seen all year. The only way Northwestern can win this game is by forcing turnovers.

Pick: Missouri 42, Northwestern 17

Outback Bowl- Iowa vs. South Carolina

South Carolina is a very beatable team because they lack an offense. However, they do boast the 11th rated defense in the nation. Therefore the Hawkeye's offense will have to be on top of their game. If they play like they did in their 4 losses there is no way they win. Shonn Greene has been everything for the Hawks this year and he will have to have a 100 yard performance again to open up the play action pass. The Hawks defense should force a few turnovers as the Gamecocks offense has been extremely inconsistent. This game will rely on Ricky Stanzi's ability to throw the ball and make plays with his legs because they cannot be one dimensional against South Carolina's defense. The Hawks are on a roll and that will continue once they get to Tampa.

Pick: Iowa 28, South Carolina 13

Capital One Bowl- Michigan State vs. Georgia

Alright Michigan State had a great year in the Big Ten. However, they have only beaten two teams worth mentioning and that's Iowa and Northwestern. I believe Iowa is a better team than Northwestern but Northwestern is ranked so they are still worth mentioning. Georgia was expected to compete for a national championship and were the pre-season #1. However, they have not looked very strong this year. They finished at a solid 9-3 but they were suppose to be much better. Michigan State can win this game by running the football. Georgia Tech was able to win their rivalry game with Georgia to end the year and they rushed for 409 yards. Georgia has a good offense that could be tough on Michigan State but the Spartans rushing attack runs all over Georgia and keeps the Bulldogs offense of the field.

Pick: Michigan State 37, Georgia 30

Fiesta Bowl- Ohio State vs. Texas

This is a great opportunity for the Big Ten and I will only discuss briefly as I went into more depth in my previous post. The Buckeyes have a lot to prove as they have not beaten an elite team in two opportunities this season. Colt McCoy is a Heisman trophy candidate and is tough for anyone to stop. The issue is whether or not Ohio State's defense can hold the Texas' offense down enough.

Pick: Texas 38, Ohio State 21

Rose Bowl- Penn State vs. USC

In what is a home game for USC this won't come easy for Penn State. However, Penn State has something USC hasn't seen most of this year. That is a balanced team. The Nittany Lions have a solid offense that can put up big numbers and a stellar defense that can limit USC's offense. This game could go either way and Penn State's offense has to be on top of its game like it was earlier in the year to have success against this USC defense. I believe this game will be low scoring as both defenses are outstanding and both offenses are inconsistent. If Penn State doesn't turn the ball over I believe they win because USC's offense doesn't have the explosiveness that everyone is used to.

Pick: Penn State 17, USC 14

Big Ten in the BCS

Now that the bowl games have been announced the Big Ten ends up with two teams in the BCS like most suspected. These match ups look like two opportunities to restore the Big Ten's image or get completely blown away.


Lets take a look at the Rose Bowl match up of Penn State vs USC.

USC has looked absolutely dominant since their let down against Oregon State. However, the Pac 10 is not a very strong conference. Therefore Penn State could pose a few problems. For example, USC's offense isn't very explosive and Penn State boasts an excellent defense. Penn State also has an offense that is capable of moving the ball through the air as well as on the ground which will be a very tall task against a USC defense that some are ranking with the best ever.

A huge problem for Penn State is that the game is played in USC's backyard and as Illinois experienced last year it's not easy and definitely not fair. Hopefully Evan Royster can watch and take advantage of how Jacquizz Rodgers was able to run all over that USC defense. That may be Penn State's best chance is holding on to that ball and controlling the clock. I don't believe USC's offense will be very affective so it will definitely come down to their defense and Penn State's ability to hold on to the football.

Next is the Fiesta Bowl match up of Texas and Ohio State.

This game is interesting because Ohio State is a completely different team since they played USC and are much more powerful with Terrelle Pryor at QB. But how will the freshman quarterback play in the big game against and extremely talented opponent? Texas in my mind has every right to be in the championship game and will be extremely pissed off. That could mean Ohio State gets blown out and the Big Ten has to listen to all of the talk on how we suck because Ohio State can't win the big game. Texas is one of the few teams in the Big XII that has a legit defense and this game could end up being trouble for Ohio State.

Ohio State will have to rely on their defense way too much in this game. They can't slow down Colt McCoy and that offense forever. On the other side of the ball Chris "Beanie" Wells can't do everything. That's pretty much what Ohio State will have to hope for however. Since Pryor has been the starting quarterback they have relied on the run way too much to beat a solid opponent. He did nothing in the Penn State game and they lost. That could be the same story here. I hope not because the Big Ten needs this one. Knocking off a team that many think is the best team in the country would be a huge boost!

Come back later when I pick every Big Ten bowl game.

Where the Big Ten Stands

With the Big Ten season being over there isn't a lot to talk about. But one thing has gotten under my skin all year long and that is the Big Ten is not a good conference and gets absolutely no respect in the media or polls.

The media is so stuck up the Big XII and SEC's behinds that they can't see past it. It's all about being flashy. I'm tired of even watching ESPN or College Gameday when it comes to college football because all they talk about is how amazing the Big XII teams are. No that's not right. It's look how good the Big XII offenses are because there is no team without a defense. I hope when the Big XII gets matched up with the SEC and Big Ten that they get totally dominated because their offense can't produce at the high rate everyone saw all season long.

I'm not even going to waste my time looking at any other conferences in this post because the Big Ten is far better than the Pac 10 or ACC or Big East case closed. Sorry USC you can't carry the load for a whole conference and not to mention you lost to an Oregon State team that Penn State completely destroyed 45-14.

So back to the discussion on where the Big Ten stands. For how they are covered in the media they are a distant third. I wouldn't go that far. The SEC has Florida and Alabama is good but I don't think they are the number 1 team in the country. The Big XII has much more fire power in Oklahoma, Texas, Texas Tech, Oklahoma State, and Missouri but there is no way for me to say how good these teams are until they play against a defense. To prove the point that all the polls and media care about is flash look at the Big XII situation. How does Oklahoma jump over Texas when Texas for one beat them and Texas only allowed 9 points last week but Oklahoma gave up 41. That makes absolutely no sense and proves that defense doesn't even matter anymore.

In my opinion with equal match ups the Big Ten can hang with the Big XII because of two things. The Big Ten plays defense and many Big Ten teams can run the football and control the clock leaving those high powered offenses on the sideline. I do believe the Big Ten would struggle more with the SEC because they have great defenses. The issue with them is that they only have Florida and Alabama. Besides that every other game with against the Big Ten would be a tossup if not the Big Ten being favored. I hope the Big Ten completely dominates their bowl games especially against the Big XII and SEC. There should be many possibilities as we match up with the Big XII in the Alamo and Insight Bowl and it looks like Ohio State will face Texas in the Fiesta Bowl. Some major points could be gained there for Ohio State and the Big Ten as a whole. Then we've go the SEC in the Capital One and Outback in their own backyards. There's a lot out there to gain and I believe the Big Ten will prove that they are capable of standing with the SEC and Big XII

Big Ten vs MAC

Lately a hot topic has risen in college football. That is that the MAC is gaining ground or as tough as the Big Ten. Blogger Bill Simonson of The Huge Show on November 10th wrote a blog where he felt the MAC was just as good or better than the Big Ten top to bottom this season.

Simonson says "Tell me any Big Ten coach who would want to face Ball State, Central Michigan or Western Michigan this year."

Honestly who wouldn't want to play them. They may be the top of the MAC but put them against the top of the Big Ten and I'd wager that the Big Ten wins all three. The Big Ten is 9-4 against the MAC this season and Simonson likes to base his arguments on the fact that many MAC teams almost beat a Big Ten opponent. Well those almost wins are what makes the difference between the Big Ten and MAC. Although the MAC teams may hang in games or even have a lead they need to be able to finish games.

If Purdue can beat Central Michigan and Indiana can almost beat them I don't think any other coach is going to be scared to take on the Chippewas so don't even bring them up as a scary team.

But lets take a look at the top team in the MAC Ball State. They are a great team and should dominate the MAC. Congrats they beat Indiana this year. But who else? Absolutely no one worth mentioning. They would get worn down by Ohio State or Penn State and could probably get beat by Michigan State or Iowa as well. Now anything can happen any given day but I would put my bet on the Big Ten.

This whole thing is really not even worth arguing because it is absolutely ridiculous. I guess it just got under my skin because it was so stupid. Congrats MAC you are having some success this year but you aren't going to scare anyone from the Big Ten. Plus the MAC being as good as the Big Ten top to bottom. Are you kidding me? Lets look at the top 11 MAC teams matched up with their equal from the Big Ten.

1.Penn State vs Ball State
2.Ohio State vs Central Michigan
3. Michigan State vs Western Michigan
4. Northwestern vs Buffalo
5. Iowa vs Northern Illinois
6. Minnesota vs Bowling Green
7. Illinois vs Akron
8. Wisconsin vs Temple
9. Michigan vs Kent State
10. Indiana vs Miami(OH)
11. Purdue vs Toledo

I don't know about anyone else from the Big Ten but I'm not really scared by this schedule and I think there's a long ways to go before there is anything close to a shift in power.