NAC is a young hoop league, still improving

With 10 seniors spread out across the six teams in the league, the best way to describe the women’s basketball half of the North Atlantic Conference is – young.

How young? Just under 58 percent of the league’s players (42 of 73) are freshmen and sophomores. It is this sudden youth movement that is leading the NAC teams into a more competitive future.

“I think the whole league is young,” said Maine Coach Trish Roberts. “I think we’ve got the most experience and that’s with one senior and four juniors returning.”

Because of that “experience,” which includes four returning starters, the Maine women were picked to finish first in the conference.

“I think Maine was picked first on the basis that they return four of five starters,” said New Hampshire Coach Kathy Sanborn. “And, I would say it has a lot to do with the fact they still have Rachel Bouchard.”

Bouchard, a 6-foot-1 senior from Farmingdale, is the top returning player in the NAC this season.

While the Lady Black Bears might be a step ahead of the rest of the NAC this season, parity is the key word for the rest of the league.

“I think the rest of the conference is going to be tough and competitive,” Sanborn predicted.

The University of VERMONT has jumped out to a 5-0 non-conference mark.

Portland’s Missy Kelsen, a Deering High grad, 20 points per game and Sheri Turnbull, a 6-0 freshman center, is hitting at 19.6 clip. That gives the Catamounts, picked to finish second, the best one-two scoring punch in the league.

BOSTON UNIVERSITY, which Maine beat to win last year’s NAC title, lost all five starters from last year’s team. But Coach Chris Basile has the league’s second-best, one-two scoring duo in senior Marion Dukeman (14.4 ppg) and sophomore guard Andrea Higgins (12.7 ppg).

Two more Terriers – Richele Van Zandt (11.9 ppg) and freshman Jill Sosnak (11.1 ppg) – are also hitting in double figures.

NEW HAMPSHIRE has gotten off to a 2-5 start with last year’s NAC Rookie of the Year Laura Seiden leading the way.

The 6-1 Seiden is near the top of the conference in scoring (2nd, 20.1 ppg), rebounds (5th, 6.9) and free throw percentage (3rd, 81 percent).

Coach Sanborn’s Wildcats will need more support from the likes of Julie Donlan (10.7 ppg) and Kendall Daly to challenge in the NAC, though.

The University of HARTFORD has taken the role of Cinderella during this early season.

After a 4-22 campaign last season, new coach Mark Schmidt didn’t know what to expect for this season. So far, the Lady Hawks are off to a 3-5 start, even though two of those wins have come against lower-echelon teams from the Ivy League.

Sophomore Lana Thomas (10.7 ppg) leads the team in scoring and Mary Jane Besselink is third in the NAC in rebounding (9.3 rpg). With eight freshmen and sophomores on the roster, Hartford still might be a year or two away.

The NORTHEASTERN University Huskies, who were NAC runnersup in 1988-89, now find themselves as cellar-dwellers. They’ve gotten off to an 0-8 start in a tough schedule that is second only to Maine.

Coach Joy Malchodi’s team has one senior, four juniors, four sophomores, and four freshmen. The Huskies biggest problem is the fact they’re giving up nearly 75 points per game while shooting only 36 percent from the field.

Michelle Brown (12.8 ppg) is leading the Husky charge as the young NU team will improve as the season goes on.