A win over No. 59 North Carolina ranks as WSU’s best. Louisville, Oklahoma, Rice and South Carolina are all top 100 teams.

What does that mean as far as an NCAA Tournament resume? I can’t find RPI entering past tournaments, but I can locate final RPI for the past three seasons, which should give us a good idea of where teams were on selection day. WSU appears to be very much in the picture, should it need an at-large spot. The Shockers have a few chances for more good wins, and they can’t afford many more losses.

• In 2008, WSU finished with a No. 19 RPI and Northern Iowa with a No. 48 (after the season). Both received at-large bids. Three MVC teams ranked in the top 50.
• In 2007, WSU finished No. 38. Missouri State (No. 41) and Illinois State (No. 52) also received at-large bids. Five MVC teams finished the season ranked No. 56 or better.
• In 2006, MSU ended the season No. 41 after the tournament. WSU, which did not receive an at-large bid, finished the season ranked No. 52.

Rivals.com weighs in with the opinion that WSU point guard signee Kenny Manigault is the top recruit in the Valley.

WSU coach Gregg Marshall on his new players:

• Manigault (6-4, Pinewood (S.C.) Prep) – “Kenny is a strong, physical and athletic point guard that is pass-first. He has great reach and jumping ability and can touch the top of the square on the backboard.”
• Jerome Hamilton (6-7, Worth County (Ga.) – He gets out in transition and is strong. He’s also a ball-getter in the mold of Ramon Clemente, and is a tremendous athlete that likes to dunk it.”

For the women, guard Jessica Diamond (5-foot-7), center Jazimen Gordon (6-2), small forward Michelle Price (6-1) and forward Chynna Turner (6-0) are officially Shockers.

Coach Jody Adams on her new players:

• Diamond (Houston Nimitz) – “Her mid-range game is among the best I’ve seen and that’s a lost art in the game of women’s basketball. She has three-point range and has the ability to run the point, so she is extremely versatile.”
• Gordon (West Memphis, Ark.) – “Her ability to play around the rim is something that really excites you as a coach. To have that type of athleticism around your basket for second shots and to board the ball on the defensive end is something that will help us immediately.”
• Price (Kingwood, Texas) – “She has range, and is great with her back to the basket. Michelle is extremely explosive and could have as many offensive boards as she does defensive boards.”
• Turner (Eisenhower, Houston, Texas) – “She can score from three-point range, and with her back to the basket. Chynna has a really nice high shot, and can flex from the four to the three which can give us really good size on the fringe at this level.”

Don’t expect news out of the volleyball camp. Coach Chris Lamb, as usual, is going to play it quietly with his recruits, some of whom will be scholarship players and some walk-ons. Nebraska setter Chelsey Feekin is one player expected to sign during this week. Some of these newcomers may be what is known as “preferred” walk-ons, where they redshirt next fall and earn a scholarship the following year. If you look at WSU’s roster – two seniors and seven juniors – it is easy to figure Lamb has little money this year and much more to give out in the the future.

Here’s a volleyball update from Eagle prep writer Joanna Chadwick: All-Metro pick Brianna Kaiser of Valley Center is on board. So is Haley Dotson of Andover and libero Lindsey Engel of Andale.

Volleyball, I have learned today, is a sport where some secrecy about signings is sometimes part of the routine. I guess there are several reasons for keeping walk-ons and scholarships (volleyball teams are allowed 12 full rides) private. One could be for competitive reasons. Alerting other recruiters to whom is walking on may make that player a target of a school with a scholarship to spare. The difference between volleyball and other sports, such as basketball, would be that walk-ons are necessary to field a team in volleyball. In basketball (with 15 scholarships for women and 13 for men), walk-ons are not as important.

I think. Now you know what I know about volleyball recruiting. These are the things that become important when the team is ranked 11th nationally.

This is way more time devoted to volleyball recruiting than I ever thought possible. If we hear of more, and I think there are more out there, we will pass it on. I can’t promise much more than that. Lamb cannot talk about walk-ons. If he is hesitant to identify scholarship players from walk-ons, WSU won’t issue a release and he won’t talk about any of them.

I think.

Softball: Sammie Shook of Derby signed today.

Around the MVC:

• Brandon Sampay played well for Illinois State in Tuesday’s exhibition victory. The Redbirds stand a much better chance of contending if Sampay is healthy and in shape. Osiris Eldridge and Champ Oguchi also scored big.
• SIU opened with a win over Division II California (Pa.) The Salukis play UMass tonight at SIU Arena.
• Creighton sophomore Kenton Walker plays better than he practices.
• Our Hungarian correspondent (more accurately our Wichitan who knows Hungarian) reports that former Shocker P.J. Couisnard continues to play well for Soproni. He scored 24 in a recent victory. Former Wichita South and Kansas State player Manny Dies recently joined the roster.

The 14th-ranked Shockers play Northern Iowa – both are unbeaten in the MVC – in a showdown Friday at Koch Arena. Granville will be in her familiar role as defensive specialist. She is also one of WSU’s strongest servers, as evidenced by her 15 aces, second on the team.

Q. Describe Northern Iowa in one sentence.

A. UNI is competitive and physical.

Q. Who plays Chris Lamb in the movie about Shocker volleyball?

A. William Shatner. I don’t know – should I give him a good one – Brad Pitt.

Q. Who is the most overlooked player on WSU’s team?

A. Angela (Jakubov). She can do a lot of things and she always does. She plays a lot of positions. She’s had to battle throughout the years because we’ve had, obviously, some good lefts and she played left her first year. Then she was a passing middle, which you never find in college, it just doesn’t happen. She’s just battled throughout her career and I don’t think people give her credit for that.

Q. Obama or McCain?

A. Obama. I agree with his policies a lot more, and I absolutely hate (Sarah) Palin. Well, I don’t hate her, but I disagree with her policies pretty much. I try not to focus on her personality-wise.

Q: You’re in the starting lineup and you have your mini-volleyball ready to throw during introductions – how do you decide where in the arena you are going to aim?

A: If I have family there, they’re first choice. After that, whoever I see that I know first, I try to throw it over there. It usually doesn’t make it.

Q: Guess the crowd for Friday’s match against Missouri State at Koch Arena.

A: I’m going to go with 4,500. Hopefully, it will be more.

Q: Which is the best match played by WSU this season?

A: That’s hard. Cal Poly (a 3-2 victory in August). We never gave up and we had to play hard through that entire thing.

Q: What’s the best thing about being ranked No. 16 in the nation?

A: It being school history, in the record books.

• WSU says about 500 advance tickets have been sold for Friday’s match against Missouri State. A large walk-up crowd is expected. The first 1,000 fans receive a free WSU volleyball T-shirt. WSU set a school record with a crowd of 6,122 against MSU last season.