THE NATIONAL DEAN'S LIST IS IN.

The Northern Illinois women's basketball team are on it, once again.

The Northern Illinois University women's basketball team was named to the Women's Basketball Coaches Association Academic Top 25 Team Honor Roll on Wednesday. The Huskies had the fourth-highest team grade point average in NCAA Division I with a 3.811 GPA.

This is the fourth consecutive year NIU has ranked in the top 10 of the WBCA Division I Academic Top 25. In 2023 the Huskies were third in the nation in team GPA. NIU has been in the WBCA Academic Top 25 Honor Roll in each of the last six years.

A year ago, the team posted the third-highest team grade point average.  In the season just concluded, they had nine players named as academic all-Mid-American selections.  Joining Northern Illinois in the national top ten were the Northern Iowa, Wisconsin-Green Bay, Drake, and Toledo programs.

On the court, "The kids can play with the best of the Mid-American, for whatever that's worth, but they're inconsistent."  Perhaps, though, they're paying attention in their recruiting.

I've sometimes heard the coach talking about other teams having "length and athleticism" after something like that happens.  Case in point: two regular season losses to Miami of Ohio, whose season ended on the first day of the conference tournament.  If one can identify the qualities of length and athleticism, one can recruit for that.

Here's an introduction to the new kids coming through the transfer portal.

Northern Illinois University women's basketball head coach Lisa Carlsen announced on Tuesday the addition of transfers Kiylynn Dawkins, Marta Hermoso and Maria Serracanta for the 2024-25 season.

All three of these players add size and experience to our roster," Carlsen said. "Having players come into our program with international experience is a boost. Kiylynn adds depth and experience at the forward position while being versatile and athletic. Marta can stretch the floor offensively from the forward spot. Maria has great length for a guard and is effective in the open court."

I continue to have my reservations, we'll see how the team performs in the opening month or so of the season, which coincides with the beginning of the winter swap meet and Festive Season train seasons.