It’s Miller time — again

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This article was published 01/11/2017 (2888 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

There’s not much you can say about Antoinette Miller on the basketball court that hasn’t already been said.

A fifth-year point guard on the University of Winnipeg women’s team, Miller is the heart and soul of the Wesmen. Her scary skill set — she’s a superb scorer, ferocious rebounder and has already been named the best defender in the country once before — will put her in contention for the Nan Copp Award, handed out annually to Canada’s top university player.

Last weekend, Miller scored 59 points, registered three steals and averaged 13.5 rebounds in two season-opening victories over the Mount Royal Cougars. In the second game, she finished with 36 points in 38 minutes, going 14 of 24 from the field and adding three assists, two steals and 14 boards.

“That game, I was pretty hot and I didn’t want to stop,” the 5-7 product of Phoenix, Ariz., said. “I think if I go out with that type of a mindset, the rest of the team will follow. In the fourth quarter, I didn’t score any points. It clicked for them, ‘Well, if Ant’s being double-teamed, it’s my turn to take charge and wanting to score.’ Especially with our team being young, the way I play is the way they want to play.”

Miller was named Canada West’s most outstanding player, best defender and a first-team all-star in 2016-17. She also led the conference in assists (76) and scoring, averaging 18.7 points per game.

“She’s doing the same thing,” head coach Tanya McKay said. “She’s leading us at the point, she can score, she can defend, she’s our fifth-year leader. We’re going by the beat of her drum right now.”

Injuries have ravaged the Wesmen, who are down to eight healthy players. Does Miller think she needs to do more?

“Yes, I do,” Miller said. “I feel like I have to set the tempo. I think my mindset is a lot different now that we only have eight players. It doesn’t really change the way I play. It just makes me more like I take it as a challenge. I feel like I do have to contribute a lot more.”

Winnipeg has its regular-season home-opening series this weekend against the ninth-ranked Alberta Pandas and doesn’t expect Miller to deviate from what she’s been doing.

“For Ant, I think she’s just looking to score more,” McKay said. “She’s not giving up opportunities. She’s able to lead us at the point and at the same time be a scoring threat. Right now, she’s leading the country in scoring and doing really well in rebounding. She’s a complete player — she defends, she rebounds, she scores. You know, our young kids who are playing around her are very fortunate to be playing with her and learning from her.”

Here’s a look at how the Wesmen women and the other local university basketball teams are shaping up for the 2017-18 Canada West season:

WINNIPEG WOMEN

Key departures: guards Megan Noonan and Kerri Kuzbyt, forward Taylor Thorkelsson

Head coach: Tanya McKay

National ranking: unranked

2016-17 finish: first in Canada West; lost in conference semifinals and won Canada West bronze

McKay was depending on five returnees — Miller, Faith Hezekiah, shooting guard Katie Hastings Van, Paige Hastings Van and fifth-year post Skylar Boulanger — to provide the leadership for a roster infused with six first-year players.

But longer-term injuries to Boulanger (she’s out until January with a third-degree ankle sprain) and Katie Hastings Van (out until next season after surgery for an ACL tear) have reduced Winnipeg’s roster to eight.

Newcomers Jessica Dyck, Robyn Boulanger, Paige Davies, Chelsea Espenberg and Tania Wallack have all received significant playing time.

“The great thing about having five rookies play — we have a sixth, but she’s injured and out for the season as well, so five rookies — the way we look at it, they’re just going to get better every day. Now they’re in the fire, they’re improving… We only see progress. There are a lot of rookies across the country who are sitting on the bench watching games,” said McKay, whose squad was ranked as high as sixth in the country last season.

MANITOBA WOMEN

Key departures: forward Rebecca Potter

Head coach: Michelle Sung

National ranking: unranked

2016-17 finish: 14th of 17 teams in Canada West; out of playoffs

The Bisons lost Potter, their most dependable player, to graduation, but she has joined Sung’s coaching staff, which is looking for a major improvement from a lineup that has gained experience and some solid newcomers via recruiting.

The goal? Sung said moving up to between an eighth- and 10th-place conference finish and playoff berth is in the cards.

Co-captain Montana Kinzel, a 6-0 forward in her third year, should be a big help up in the paint as she returns from a year off to rehab from eye surgery (she had a popped blood vessel removed).

“Last season was a tough one, but I think we really grew from it,” said Kinzel, whose team will face the No. 2-ranked Regina Cougars this weekend. “I didn’t play last year due to injuries, but I think we can learn from last year… There is rust with not playing because it is different practising versus playing in an actual game.”

Other starters include forwards Claire Harvey and Emma Thompson and guards Taylor Randall and Nicole Konieczny. Randall and Thompson are expected to shoulder a heavier scoring burden this season.

“I’ve gotta bring it offensively and defensively,” Thompson said. “But I’m going to be looked to to score a lot more than I have previously.”

Manitoba’s women will be hoping to push back a little harder in their cross-town rivalry with the Wesmen.

“We played them in pre-season and we only lost by six, so I think it’s always an exciting game,” Kinzel said. “This year, we came out strong and I don’t think they expected it, so I’m excited to play them again in regular season.”

MANITOBA MEN

Key departures: guards Keith Omoerah, Ilarion Bonhomme and A.J. Basi, forwards Brett Jewell and Jonathan Alexander

Head coach: Kirby Schepp

National ranking: unranked

2016-17 finish: second in Canada West; lost conference final

The Bisons have been hard hit by graduation, particularly with the departure of a veteran guard trio of Omoerah and Bonhomme, both playing pro in Norway, and Basi, who’s in England, and they will be hard-pressed to repeat last season’s trip to the Canada West final and subsequent trip to nationals in Halifax. It was Manitoba’s first appearance at the big dance in 32 years.

“We were a veteran team last year and losing those five certainly hurts, but it’s been great to see young guys step into the role… It would be really nice to get back (to nationals), that’s an understatement,” Schepp said.

The Bisons make their home debut against unranked Regina this weekend.

Guards Justus Alleyn and Rashawn Browne, a highly regarded transfer from Toronto, veteran forward Joey Nitychoruk and national junior team alternate James Wagner, also a forward, form the core of the team. Schepp has been rotating second-year players Keiran Zziwa and Dharmjit Dhillon to fill out the starting five, but he has six newcomers, including Manitoba’s top high schooler from last season, Oak Park’s Wyatt Tait, to plug into his lineup.

“It’s cool, I get to pass on the knowledge to the new crops of guys,” said the 22-year-old Alleyn, who expects to carry more of the scoring load in 2017-18. “It’ll be fun.”

Alleyn is the lone fifth-year player on the squad.

“They’re all going to be missed,” said Alleyn about his departed teammates. “They did so much for us, so it’s going to be a lot to fill, I guess, but these young guys are stepping up like crazy, especially guys like James Wagner and the new guy we got from Toronto, Rashawn, he’s doing a great job.”

The Bisons opened on the road last weekend in Saskatchewan and swept two games from the Huskies. In the opener, Alleyn scored 33 points in a 86-78 win. The hosts concentrated on Alleyn in the finale, only to have Wagner roast them for 30 points.

“It just shows other teams that you can’t just stop me or any one guy,” Alleyn said. “To beat us, you have to be able to stop the whole group. We’ve got a bunch of guys who can play.”

WINNIPEG MEN

Key departures: forward Ryan Oirbans, guard Jamar Farley

Head coach: Mike Raimbault

National ranking: unranked

2016-17 finish: seventh in Canada West, lost conference quarter-final

The Wesmen have been hammered hard by graduation, losing big man Oirbans and minute-eating playmaker Farley before being decimated by injuries that have reduced Raimbault’s lineup to 10 healthy bodies.

“It’s always a challenge when you lose guys that have played key positions and key minutes,” said Raimbault, who lost forward Sean Tarver to a serious ankle sprain in Winnipeg’s Canada West opening weekend against Mount Royal in Calgary. “It’s also part of the fun to see other guys step in and take on that responsibility. Sometimes things change in how you approach things and guys step up in new roles.”

As for his current starting five, he said: “It’s week to week depending on who’s performing. I wouldn’t say it’s totally set for any week.”

Against Mount Royal, Will Sesay and Narcisse Ambanza got the call at guard, while Don Dayrit, Bill Yaworsky and, after Tarver went down, Josh Gandier filled out the starting five.

“To be honest, we’ve been pretty banged up, so it’s been rare to have all of our guys at our disposal,” Raimbault said. “We’re kinda week to week, seeing who’s healthy and in the lineup. With Tarver going down, obviously that changes a few things. Nate Johnson (knee) had been playing starting minutes at a forward spot previously. He’s been injured and didn’t play last weekend, so there’s definitely some juggling.”

Meanwhile, Bulgarian import Spas Nikolov, a 6-9 forward in his first year, missed seven weeks of training camp with a fractured foot and only recently returned to practice.

Making a playoff run is the plan, but Raimbault’s crew is in for a challenging start. The Wesmen, who open at home this weekend with a pair of games against the third-ranked Alberta Golden Bears, play six of their next eight games against teams currently ranked in the top five.

mike.sawatzky@freepress.mb.caTwitter: @sawa14