Ladyjack Hoops Season Preview: Juniors
10/23/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
With just three weeks until the SFA women’s basketball team opens the 2015-16 season, SFAJacks.com will take a class-by-class look at the team every Friday morning leading up to the season opener against UT-Tyler on November 13th. The junior unit is up next in the Ladyjack hoops preview series.
NACOGDOCHES, Texas – As every team does entering a new season, the Stephen F. Austin women’s basketball team will have its share of question marks that can only be alleviated with live game action starting on November 13th against UT-Tyler.
Junior standout guard Taylor Ross is not one of those question marks.
Coming off a terrific sophomore campaign in 2014-15, Ross will look to elevate her game even more this year while developing her leadership skills as a newly promoted upperclassman. She is joined by a strong junior class with shooting guard Brentney Branch, center Adrienne Lewis, community college transfer Taylor Birchfield and redshirt junior LaNesha Middleton.
“There is some versatility in our junior group,” said head coach Mark Kellogg. “I think it’s a group that is going to produce a lot for us this year in several different ways. Not necessarily scoring, but rebounding and contributing assists and things like that. It’s a fairly large class for us and it’s a solid one for sure.”
Ross, a native of Pflugerville, represents the Ladyjacks’ top returning scorer from a year ago, averaging an even 14.0 points while dishing out a team-high 4.7 assists and hauling in 3.4 rebounds per game in 31 starts last season. She was honored for her strong play by being selected to the All-Southland Conference Second Team following the season.
“The challenge for Taylor is going to be expanding her game because the scouting report will start with her this season,” said Kellogg. “We have high expectations for her as I know she does for herself. Another challenge for Taylor is to now be a leader and step up in that category as well. I’m excited for her and our team. The better she is, the better we’re going to be – there’s no doubt about that.”
Branch joins Ross in SFA’s talented backcourt as a dangerous three-point sharpshooter. One of the league’s best scorers from beyond the arc as a sophomore, the Houston product drained 54 threes on the year, led the team in three-point field goal percentage (.372) and was fifth in points (7.1). She ranked as high as 10th in the nation in three-point shooting last season. A threat to go off at any given time, Branch poured in a career-high 23 points while going a perfect 5-for-5 from distance at Central Arkansas on Jan. 8.
“Brentney can score in a hurry,” Kellogg noted. “We’ll run some stuff for her to see if she can get it going. When she’s feeling it, she’s a kid you have to create some looks for. We still want her to get a little better defensively but she’s worked really hard in that area. Again, another kid we’re completely counting on. She’s going to have a significant role on this team.”
A player that will be looming in the paint this year, Lewis is the only true center listed on the Ladyjack roster. A 6-1 physical presence from DeSoto, Lewis will be asked to play an even bigger role this year after 2015 SLC Player of the Year Porsha Roberts graduated and is now playing professionally overseas. In 29 games last season, Lewis averaged 2.4 points per game and shot an impressive .582 from the floor in 8.1 minutes per contest.
“Adrienne has a great chance to have a really solid year,” said Kellogg. “We love how physical she is on the inside. She’s worked hard on her conditioning, which is a big thing we challenged her with. We want her to score some points in the paint. There are times where we’ll just want to chunk it down low and have somebody go get two points and we think she’s a kid that can do that.”
Middleton also returns this season as a fourth-year redshirt junior. An intelligent player with high basketball IQ and a smooth jump shot, the Stillwater, Oklahoma native will make the team better whenever she’s on the court.
The newly acquired Birchfield comes to SFA as a junior after starting her collegiate career at Lincoln Trail College in Illinois. The tallest player on the Ladyjack roster at 6-2, she will be another essential cog in the post player machine along with Lewis and sophomore Danielle Rogers.
Arguably one of the most important classes to the team’s success this year, the junior class will try to help the Ladyjacks win when UT-Tyler comes to William R. Johnson Coliseum on Nov. 13 for the season opener.
To purchase season tickets for the 2015-16 women’s basketball season, fans can contact the SFA ticket office at (936) 468-JACK (5225).
Ladyjack Basketball Preview Series
October 9 – Freshmen
October 16 – Sophomores
October 23 – Juniors
October 30 – Seniors
November 6 – Season Outlook
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