Ladyjack Basketbal Preparing for 2009-10 Campaign
10/28/2009 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Oct. 28, 2009
NACOGDOCHES, Texas - After entering the Southland Conference tournament as the fifth seed in consecutive seasons, the Ladyjacks enter 2009-10 with added excitement. The majority of that excitement surrounds head coach Lee Ann Riley's veteran squad.
SFA returns all but one letterwinner, guard Jessica Gaines, and all five starters, from last year's 15-14 (.517) season. The Ladyjack roster, which has been one of the youngest in the conference over the past two seasons, has now become one of the more veteran lineups in the league.
The Ladyjacks enter the upcoming season returning the overwhelming majority of their firepower from last season. SFA returns 96 percent of its offense, 97 percent of its rebounding and 99 percent of its shot-blocking capability from last season.
"The thing I've been most impressed with from the end of last year to now is the maturity of this team," said Riley. "With as many returning players as we have that should happen, but it is not always a guarantee. We are blessed to be returning all but one letterwinner.
"Right now our starting lineup is wide open. The reason for that is because of the amount of returning depth on the roster. That is a good problem to have," said Riley.
A big strength for the Ladyjacks in 2009-10 will be at the guard spot. SFA returns an overwhelming number of players who bring a wide array of skills to the floor. Along with the talent level, SFA is also blessed to have a wealth of talent at every rung of the classification ladder, from sophomore to senior.
Coach Riley, who is entering her ninth season at the helm, will once again look to senior Whitney Cormier to set the tone offensively. The 5-9, guard really came into her own down the stretch, averaging 15.4 points and 6.4 rebounds per game during conference action last season. She led the Ladyjacks, averaging 12.1 points and 5.7 rebounds, on her way to first-team all-conference honors.
"With everything that Whitney has accomplished, you feel pretty good about her spot," said Riley. "Whitney is an unsung hero. She is a very quiet individual who has elevated her game every year. There are just so many things that Whitney does well. She's proven herself as a scorer, but she also does all of the little things that help make your team better."
Sophomore Tammara Marion was a perfect complement to Cormier's slashing style of play. Marion appeared to be well on her way to making a push to conference freshman of the year honors before an injury midway through the season slowed her down, but that did not diminish what she accomplished. The sharp-shooting guard finished second on the team, averaging 9.3 points per game, and led the team from three-point land connecting on 42-of-110 (.382) attempts.
"Tammara had an outstanding rookie season," said Riley. "But, unfortunately her year was slowed by a high-ankle sprain, and she never fully recovered. We need her to become a more consistent player, and she is capable of that.
"Tammara's best quality may be her shooter's mentality. When she gets the ball she's looking to shoot. She may miss a couple, but she isn't going to allow that to affect her next shot," added Riley.
Throughout her career Riley has enjoyed the services of some of the program's top three-point threats. That was a concern as the coaching staff hit the recruiting trail, finding another long-range weapon to stretch the defense. Riley believes they found the answer in guard Chelsea Foy from Jacksonville College. The school's all-time leading three-point shooter, Foy knocked down 120 triples in her two seasons at Jacksonville.
"We have to be a better perimeter shooting team," said Riley. "We were faced with a lot of zone defenses last year - teams were daring us to shoot it from beyond the arc. That was our main goal when we targeted Chelsea. We needed another three-point threat, someone who was going to extend the defense. If our opponents are denying Tammara or Chelsea, then that will open things up in the low post."
The Ladyjacks will also look for junior forward Jordan Ford to return to the form that made her one of the league's top young players during the 2007-08 season when she averaged 9.3 points and 5.8 rebounds per game. Ford struggled early during her sophomore campaign but really started to come around down the stretch. Ford finished the season averaging 7.4 points per game.
"Jordan will be the first to tell you she was disappointed about her sophomore season," said Riley. "The one thing that made Jordan so successful as a freshman was that fact that she never got tired. She is a high-energy player. Last year she was hampered by some fatigue issues, and that hurt her game. We need her to be healthy this year, and she has really addressed that during the offseason."
The responsibility of getting the ball into the hands of the Ladyjack playmakers will be placed on the shoulders of junior Ebony Alexander and sophomore Cambria Smith. The two veterans provide SFA with a different look. Alexander is a streaky player with the ability to score, while Smith is a "pass-first" point guard who brings more speed to the floor.
"Cambria is a pass-first point guard who had a strong freshman season," said Riley. "She had some moments where she struggled, as all freshmen do, but she brings an added element of speed to our team. She has the ability to get by anybody. Cambria doesn't look to score, but looks to get a better scoring opportunity for her teammates. But she needs to understand, when she's open she needs to shoot."
"Ebony is a very talented young lady. She can do so many things for us on the floor. The one thing we are working with her is on her consistency. We need her to be consistent every game. She is now a junior and has played a ton during that time. We need her to take her game to the next level," said Riley.
Two other players who will figure into the mix at point guard will be sophomore Courtney Conwright and transfer Brittany Hardy. Conwright is coming off a tough rookie season that was plagued by injury. Conwright played in 11 games for the Ladyjacks last season.
Hardy is a transfer from NCAA Division II Incarnate Word where she earned all-conference honors. A high-energy player who brings added speed to the lineup, Hardy is almost like another returner for Riley, having spent last season on the Ladyjack practice squad.
Junior Decreasha Goodner should see plenty of time at the off guard spot in 2009-10. After averaging nearly seven points and four rebounds in 21 starts during her rookie season, Goodner struggled to find the mark in her sophomore campaign. An attacking guard with the ability to penetrate and finish down low, she averaged fewer than 12 minutes per contest during her sophomore season.
"Decreasha's biggest critic is herself," said Riley. "At times she tries to be to perfect, instead of relaxing and playing her game, and at times I think that hurt her play. But she is the same in all aspects of her life, striving to be the very best. She's a very driven young lady."
The Ladyjacks will turn to a rotation of four players to provide production in the low post in juniors Toni Davis and Chantol Drennan and sophomores Amina Sawyer and Schera Sampson. Sampson, Drennan and Sawyer bring good size to the floor, standing 6-0, 6-1 and 6-2, respectively, while Davis is a powerful defender down low.
Davis has the most starting experience of the group, having started 35 games in her two seasons. Davis has the ability to put up big numbers at both ends of the floor but has struggled with staying on the floor, at times leading the team in fouls.
"Toni plays such a physical game, and I don't want to take that away from her, but we need her to be able to stay on the court," said Riley. "She has to cut down on the reach-in fouls. Toni is an undersized post but plays so strong that at times she gets the fouls called against her. She is not afraid to guard a 6-4 player, understanding that she has to keep them away from the basket, and she has the ability to do that. Technically speaking, Toni is the best post defender I've ever coached."
Drennan has played in 51 games and has earned five starts during her career. The Ladyjacks are looking for more consistency from Drennan, whose numbers dropped off in 2008-09.
"Chantol is a power post who is left-handed," said Riley. "She had a similar season to Jordan (Ford) from the standpoint that she struggled more last year compared to her rookie season. She knows what she is good at, but she didn't always play to her strengths last season. We really need her to step up and be a leader this season."
Both Sawyer and Sampson asserted themselves as two of the league's better young players last season. The duo brings a dominating presence in the low post defensively, while showing signs of being able to carry the load offensively. Sawyer finished tied for sixth in the league and led the team, averaging 1.0 blocks per game, but Sampson was the more intimidating blocker in the conference-only games, averaging 1.1 blocks per game.
"Amina had a solid freshman year," said Riley. "Like all freshmen she hit some bumps along the way, but no one on the team works harder to improve than her. She is a great teammate because she's always so positive, except with herself. If she misses a shot she gets down on herself, and that is the one thing that she's got to overcome. She has also worked real hard during the offseason after getting stronger."
"Schera is such a talented young lady. She has the ability to do some special things on the court. Schera is a unique individual who can take control of a game at both ends of the floor. Her year was slowed by the fact that she had knee surgery, and that slows you down, but we saw a glimpse of what she's capable of toward the end of the year. She has the potential to be a difference maker this season," added Riley.
The Ladyjacks will face another tough slate in 2009-10, which will include contests against the Big 10, Big 12, Conference USA and Western Athletic Conference. SFA opens the season Nov. 14 against North Texas in Nacogdoches, before Rice comes to town the following week. SFA's non-conference schedule will consist of dates against Michigan, Texas A&M, Tulane, Louisiana Tech and Tulsa before they open a tough Southland Conference slate against Sam Houston State Saturday, Jan. 9.
