Jacqui Kalin out for the season

[pawball]

Think you need to really watch women's ball before you go off making such sweeping, extraordinary statements. UNI will have Armstrong, Madrigal, Olney and Kirshbaum, but they lost far more than just Kalin from last year. Git your 'ead outta yir u no watt.

[valleychamp]

It certainly is not a stretch to say that UNI can still win the league this year. UNI was virtually untouchable last year, and still brings back a lot of talent, despite the loss of Kalin. Certainly, the gap is narrowed with an injury like this though.

But when you have KK Armstrong, who is one of the best players in the league in her own right, backing up Kalin you are still in great shape at PG.

[1972Shocker]

It certainly is not a stretch to say that UNI can still win the league this year. UNI was virtually untouchable last year, and still brings back a lot of talent, despite the loss of Kalin. Certainly, the gap is narrowed with an injury like this though.

But when you have KK Armstrong, who is one of the best players in the league in her own right, backing up Kalin you are still in great shape at PG.

I don't dispute that UNI will still be very relevant in the 2011-2012 MVC race. However, I don't believe it is quite as simple as just plugging KKA in as point guard. Granted KKA is a very fine player. However, it is the chain-reaction of losing a Jacqui Kalin that can effect you. Yes, KKA can step in for JK, but then who steps in to the spot/minutes KKA would have played with JK, then who steps in for whoever steps in for KKA, etc.

Jacqui would have played about 32 minutes per game had she not been injured. The question is not so much who replaces Jacqui at point but who absorbs those extra 32 mintues per game. Maybe you just spread those 32 minutes among your top 5 or 6 players. How does the additional wear and tear impact the team over the course of the season.

Losing a player the quality of a Jacqui Kalin will have a big impact.

[1972Shocker]

I would hope the NCAA will grant a 6th year for her.

I would think getting an additional year will for Jacqui will be more or less a formality. The bigger and perhaps more important question is how fully will Jacqui recover.

Wichita State lost a very good senior Volleyball player, Lindsey Eckenrode, to a knee injury a couple of years ago. She did come back last year but was simply never the same and was unable to regain her previous form and played very little her final year. It was really painful and a little sad to watch her struggle with her knee. OTOH, Lindsey made it bearable by her tremendous attitude and how she handled her misfortune which was inspiring.

Hopefully, Jacqui will make it all the way back, but you just never know for sure.

[Bluejay09Bear06]

This is obviously unfortunate, and bad news for the league. You hate to see any student-athlete injured like that, especially one like Kalin. I have no doubts that UNI will still be a force to reckon with this year, even without Kalin. Hopefully, she will be back because this league needs to continue the forward momentum it demonstrated last year, and avoid a step back.

[pawball]

UNI fans, I kind of feel your pain, but............let's take a stab at being just a tenny weeny realistic. You not only just lost Kalin, you also lost two of the top inside players in the league to graduation: Lizzie Boeck and Erin Brocka. Lizzie was a monster to defend. Erin grabbed over 200 offensive rebounds last year. You think you're just going to be able to plug in some kids who haven't seen that much the light of day and have them perform like those two did????????????? I don't doubt the mental toughness that the UNI players will bring, 'cause they've been bringing it for the last couple of years, but to assert that they will be favored, or even close to favored, in this year's MVC chase is stretching things a few inches, or eons, or longboards, beyond credibility.

[panther-state]

UNI fans, I kind of feel your pain, but............let's take a stab at being just a tenny weeny realistic. You not only just lost Kalin, you also lost two of the top inside players in the league to graduation: Lizzie Boeck and Erin Brocka. Lizzie was a monster to defend. Erin grabbed over 200 offensive rebounds last year. You think you're just going to be able to plug in some kids who haven't seen that much the light of day and have them perform like those two did????????????? I don't doubt the mental toughness that the UNI players will bring, 'cause they've been bringing it for the last couple of years, but to assert that they will be favored, or even close to favored, in this year's MVC chase is stretching things a few inches, or eons, or longboards, beyond credibility.

The reason UNI blasted through conference play last year was because of coaching, depth and experience. You could argue that there were more talented teams and yet the Panthers still coasted to a regular season title. Considering that the players that are expected to fill these roles received considerable time last year, we're feeling pretty confident. Also when you make it to back-to-back Dances you get some decent recruiting classes. We got some decent players from DM East HS which has been the Iowa powerhouse in girls basketball in recent years. When you dominate the Valley as much as they did last year I think they have to at least be considered...let's be realistic

[JayJ79]

I think I'll wait until at least one game has been played before crowning the champion.

[valleychamp]

UNI fans, I kind of feel your pain, but............let's take a stab at being just a tenny weeny realistic. You not only just lost Kalin, you also lost two of the top inside players in the league to graduation: Lizzie Boeck and Erin Brocka. Lizzie was a monster to defend. Erin grabbed over 200 offensive rebounds last year. You think you're just going to be able to plug in some kids who haven't seen that much the light of day and have them perform like those two did????????????? I don't doubt the mental toughness that the UNI players will bring, 'cause they've been bringing it for the last couple of years, but to assert that they will be favored, or even close to favored, in this year's MVC chase is stretching things a few inches, or eons, or longboards, beyond credibility.

Nobody said they would be favored. We said they will still contend, and they are still capable of winning it. Yes, UNI lost some great players, but they bring back a lot of great players as well. Losing Kalin hurts a ton, but when you still have KK Armstrong at PG, who very well could be the best PG in the league right now, you still have a good shot.

UNI won the league by FIVE games last year. They could be 5-7 games WORSE this year, and still be right up there in contention.