Freshmen Looking to Make Immediate Impact for SFA
10/9/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
With just five 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 freshmen unit is up first in the Ladyjack hoops preview series.
NACOGDOCHES, Texas – The Stephen F. Austin women’s basketball team has officially begun preparation for the upcoming basketball season and only five weeks remain before the next era of Ladyjack hoops is unveiled. After losing some key pieces from last season’s roster, the Ladyjacks’ four freshmen will be called on to step up and contribute to the team right away.
The SFA roster will have a different makeup this year after losing four seniors, including Southland Conference Player of the Year Porsha Roberts, and going through a coaching change in the offseason. In his first year at the helm, Mark Kellogg will still have a plethora of talent to work with. Four of the pieces he’ll be able to mold and develop will be a group of freshmen guards – Kennedy Harris (Austin, Texas), KJ Stastny (Celina, Texas), Madison Davis (Locust Grove, Okla.) and Chanell Hayes (Texarkana, Texas).
Hayes could be one component that bolsters an already dynamic backcourt featuring 2015 Second Team All-Southland Conference guard Taylor Ross and Butler transfer Taylor Schippers. During her senior season at Texas High School, Hayes averaged 23.4 points, 8.8 rebounds and 4.2 steals per game while knocking down a staggering 84 three-pointers. She was named the Texarkana Gazette All-Area Player of the Year and district MVP while being selected to the 5A TABC All-Region team and 5A TGCA All-State First Team.
Harris is also expected to be called on for scoring this season after experiencing no shortage of offensive output during her high school career. As a senior, the 5-8 guard averaged a double-double (18.0 ppg, 11.4 rpg) for Anderson High School while chipping in 3.3 steals per contest. For her solid play, Harris was a 6A TGCA First Team All-State selection, a member of the 6A TABC All-Region Team, a First Team All-District pick and her district’s offensive MVP. Also a 6A TGCA Academic All-State selection, her basketball IQ will be valuable to the Ladyjacks this season as well.
Rounding out SFA’s trio of Texas All-State selections last season is KJ Stastny. In her senior campaign in 2014-15, Stastny used an impressive stat line – 16.5 ppg, 5.0 apg, 5.0 rpg, 4.0 spg – to warrant 4A TGCA First Team All-State honors. She was also an all-district and all-region pick and played in the 2015 TGCA All-Star Game.
Adding height to SFA’s backcourt will be the newest addition to the roster in Madison Davis. A spring pick-up, the 5-11 guard will be the tallest at the position for SFA. She is the third Oklahoma product currently on the Ladyjacks’ roster, joining Stevi Parker and LaNesha Middleton, playing her high school ball at Locust Grove High School.
The tools are in place for each of SFA’s newest members to do something special this year, and Ladyjack basketball fans won’t want to miss them in action come November. The Ladyjacks will be showcasing their new team next Friday during ESPN’s Midnight Madness presented by Citizens 1st Bank at William R. Johnson Coliseum. The event is set to start at 8:00 p.m.
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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