2010-11 Ladyjack Preview: Guards
11/1/2010 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Nov. 1, 2010
This is the first of a three-part series taking a glance at the 2010-11 Ladyjack basketball team. The defending SLC co-champion Ladyjacks opens the season Nov. 12 at North Texas and begin their home season on Nov. 20 against Tulane.
GUARDS
Returning: Courtney Conwright, Tammara Marion, Decreasha Goodner, Chelsea Foy, Ebony Alexander, Brittany Hardy
Newcomers: Cheyenne Berry, Ashlee Mells
NACOGDOCHES, Texas - The Ladyjacks were a guard-oriented team last season behind a fast-paced offense that finished in the top 10 in the nation in scoring, and with six guards returning from that roster first year head coach Brandon Schneider will have plenty of backcourt options to call upon this year as well.
All-conference guard Whitney Cormier is the only backcourt letterwinner not to return after closing out her career last season, but junior Tammara Marion headlines a talented corps of guards that sports just one underclassman.
A third-team all-league selection as a sophomore, Marion averaged 12.0 points per contest last year and led the league in three-point percentage, hitting nearly 40-percent of her shots from beyond the arc.
"We are hoping that Tammara will be able to emerge as one of the best players in the league this season," Schneider said. " She shoots the ball very well from behind the arc, which sets up the rest of her game. A lot of what we do offensively will be built around her and we are going to give her a lot of situations where she has the ball in her hands."
Along with Marion, Ebony Alexander is back for her senior season after making 18 starts for SFA at the point guard slot as a junior. She put up three double-doubles on the season, and flirted with registering a triple-double on multiple occasions on her way to averaging a very balanced 7.6 points, 5.6 rebounds and a team-best 5.3 assists in just under 25 minutes per game.
"Ebony is certainly a candidate to take the starting job at point guard," Schneider said. "She is a gifted athlete that loves to push the basketball, has great court vision and the ability to make her teammates better."
As a sophomore Courtney Conwright only made eight starts, but turned in more than 20 minutes a game as SFA's first option off the bench. With good quickness and a solid long-range game, she provided the perfect spark last year for the Ladyjack offense and averaged 8.1 points per game in the process.
She, along with Decreasha Goodner, give SFA plenty of versatility and options in the backcourt every night. One of four senior guards on the roster, Schneider says that Goodner brings plenty of energy and leadership to the court. Goodner brings not only another three-point option to the team, but also does a good job of crashing the boards whenever she is in the game.
"Courtney and Decreasha both bring a lot to our team and have the ability to start on any given night," Schneider said. "Courtney can play either at the point or at an off-guard spot and in addition to being a very good scorer, we are very excited about her ability to wreak havoc on the defensive end with her quickness."
"As for Decreasha, she is a dive-on-the-floor type of player that plays with the utmost energy every time she has the chance. And with our philosophy, workers like that are going to play and we really feel like not only can she help us with her skill set, but also that our team can really feed off her energy when she is on the court."
Chelsea Foy and Brittany Hardy round out the returning guards after both saw playing time in their first year on the roster last season. Foy is equipped with a deadly three-point stroke and Schneider feels like she will be a very valuable option to turn to when playing teams that prefer to attack the Ladyjacks with a zone or sagging defense. Meanwhile, Hardy is still battling an injury sustained in the off-season after getting into 11 games last season but could provide a nice in-season boost to the team when she returns.
SFA also welcomes a pair of newcomers this season, including transfer Ashlee Mells who will have to sit out the season due to NCAA transfer rules; however, the Grand Prairie native will bring instant offense to the table when she becomes eligible for the 2011-12 campaign.
But the newcomer that has the chance to make the most impact this season is freshman Cheyenne Berry, who joins the Ladyjacks after averaging better than 28 points per game and earning all-state honors as a senior at Lytle High School.
"Cheyenne's versatility has the potential to pay big dividends for us," Schneider said. `We have been playing her at three different positions in practice and she could see time at any of those positions this season. She has a very good three-point shot and her mid-range game is very solid, and she will just continue to become more of a scoring threat as her skills continue to improve."
-SFA-
Monday, Nov. 1 - Guards
Wednesday, Nov. 3 - Forwards
Friday, Nov. 5 - Posts
