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Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
2010-2011 Basketball Preview
Table of contents
Men’s bios Women’s bios Schedules and key games Men’s season preview Coach profiles Women’s season preview MVC Breakdown Freshmen Bears New Lady Bears
page 4 page 5 pages 6-7 page 8 page 9 page 10 page 11 page 12 page 14
Sports
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#1
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
2010-2011 Basketball Preview
Sports
201 0-2 011 Be a rs
#2
Keith Pickens
#3
Nafis Ricks
Sophomore guard/forward
#10
Aaron Cooper
Adam Leonard Senior guard
Freshman guard
Senior guard
Height:
6'4"
Height:
6'2"
Height:
5’10"
Height:
6'1"
Weight:
187
Weight:
189
Weight:
167
Weight:
198
Hometown:
St. Louis, Mo.
Hometown: Philadelphia, Pa.
Hometown:
Little Rock, Ark.
High School:
Oakville High
College: Johnson County CC
High School:
Oakville High
#15
#21
Jermaine Mallett
Caleb Patterson
Senior guard
#24
Hometown: Lee’s Summit, Mo. College: #30
Keith Dupont
Eastern Kentucky
Nathan Scheer Freshman forward
Sophomore guard
Junior center
Height:
6'3"
Height:
6'11"
Height:
5'9"
Height:
6'4"
Weight:
217
Weight:
260
Weight:
166
Weight:
191
Hometown: Jackson, Miss.
Hometown:
College: Marion Military
College: University of Colorado
Institute
#31
#33
Nick Valla Freshman
Ames, Okla.
Corey Copeland
#34
Freshman guard
guard
Hometown: Waynesville, Mo.
Hometown: Washington, Mo.
College:
High School: St. Francis Borgia
Kyle Weems
Lincoln University #44
Junior
Will Creekmore
#50
Junior
Senior forward/center
forward
Isaiah Rhine center
Height:
6'2"
Height:
6'3"
Height:
6'6"
Height:
6'11"
Height:
6'10"
Weight:
186
Weight:
217
Weight:
232
Weight:
260
Weight:
241
Hometown: Chicago, Ill. High School: Marist High
Hometown: Fort Smith, Ark.
High School: Northside High
Hometown: Topeka, Kan.
High School: Highland Park High
Hometown: Tulsa, Okla. College:
Boston University
Hometown: Versailles, Mo.
High School: Versailles High
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
2010-2011 Basketball Preview
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2010 -20 11 L a d y Be a rs #0
#1
Hannah Wilkerson Freshman
Sophomore guard
guard
Height:
Height:
5'7"
Hometown: Miller, Mo. High School: Miller High
#14
6'1"
Hometown: Exeter, Mo. High School: Exeter
Karly Buer
#15
High School: Concordia High #33
Kendra Roberts
Hometown: Des Moines, Iowa
High School: DMACC
Height:
Jasmine Malone Junior
Junior guard
Height:
guard
Height: 5'11" Hometown: San
6'0"
Hometown: Bolivar, Mo.
Antonio, Texas
High School: Bolivar
High School: Antonian College Prep
Jaleshia Roberson
Jacqui Griggs
#24
Senior forward
Junior guard Height:
5'9"
Height:
6'0"
Hometown: Fort Smith, Ark.
Hometown: Kansas City, Mo.
Hometown: Kansas City, Mo.
College:
High School: Hickman Mills
High School: Hickman Mills
Univ. of Arkansas
Christiana Sophomore forward
forward 6'1"
#23
5'7"
Shorter
Sophomore Height:
Height: 5'11" Hometown: Memphis,
#12
Casey Garrison
Freshman forward
High School: Manassas
Height:
5'7"
Tia Mays
#5
Senior guard
Hometown: Concordia, Kan.
#25
Desiree Phillips
Tenn.
Freshman guard Height:
#3
Whitney Edie
6'1"
Hometown: Tulsa, Okla. High School: Booker T. Washington
#40
Regan Soldner
#43
Junior
Texas
High School: Carroll Senior High
#44
Lacey Boshe Junior
Sophomore center
forward
Height: 5'11" Hometown: Southlake,
Aly Stock
Height:
6'4"
Hometown: Nixa, Mo. High School: Nixa High
forward
Height:
6'1"
Hometown: Marshfield, Mo.
High School: Marshfield High
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Sports
The Standard
2010-2011 Basketball Preview
Bears ready for 2010-11 By Jon Poorman The Standard In a season that few people had high hopes for, the Missouri State men’s basketball team battled through adversity and exceeded expectations on their way to a CollegeInsider.com Tournament championship in 2009-10. The Bears made a complete turnaround in coach Cuonzo Martin’s second season at the helm, going 24-12. The team was 11-20 the season before. Now that the team has sampled the feeling of success, many feel like this might be the year the Bears take the next step and bring home a conference title. Missouri State was picked to finish second in the Missouri Valley
Conference preseason poll, behind only Wichita State. With an experienced group of core players, Martin feels like his team is poised for even more success than they achieved a year ago. “They won’t be caught off guard by anything this season,” Martin said. “They played at a high level and played some great competition last season.” Martin said the biggest key to improvement is to concentrate on the details of the game and to play better defense. “For us, it’s really doing the little things on both ends of the floor,” he said, “doing them at a high level, doing them consistently and doing them throughout the game. We have to be able to put 40 minutes of quality
defense on the floor. That has to do with a lot of little things and carrying out assignments.” The success of the team all starts with Missouri State’s reigning Player of the Year, junior Kyle Weems, who led the team in scoring (13.6) and rebounding (6.2) last season. This year, he was named to the preseason All-MVC team. Weems said, even though the team had some success last season, they still know there is a lot of work to be done to get to the level they want to be at. “We got a little taste of success (last season),” Weems said. “It felt good to end the season on a win. A lot of programs don’t get to do that, but we just have to keep working hard and get better as a unit.”
Joining Weems in the starting lineup will be senior guard Adam Leonard. Leonard was named MVC Newcomer of the Year last season and was second on the team, averaging 13 points per game. He also set the Missouri State singleseason record for 3-pointers with 103. Leonard said in order for the Bears to come away with conference title, they have to play better on the road, which starts on the defensive end. The team was 1-8 in conference road games last season, “We had one of the best offenses last year and absolutely one of the worst defenses last year,” he said. “If we can stop some scoring by the other teams, our See MEN’S page 9
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
The Standard 2010-2011 Basketball Preview Nyla Milleson 3rd year at MSU
Men’s Continued from page 8
offense will come and we’ll win games.” Another player that will play an important role for the Bears in 2010-11 is senior forward Jermaine Mallett. He was third on the team in scoring (10.6) and second in rebounding (5.6) last year. Senior Will Creekmore will be the Bears’ go-to big man again this season after averaging 8.6 points and 4.7 rebounds last year. He also came away with CIT Tournament MVP honors as he averaged 11.7 points and 6.2 rebounds in four tournament games. Rounding out the starting five is senior point guard Nafis Ricks. Ricks averaged 7.4 points and nearly three rebounds and three assists off the bench last season on his way to being named a member of the MVC All-Bench team. Other players expected to see playing time include juniors Caleb Patterson and Isaiah Rhine. Four freshmen, Aaron Cooper, Corey Copeland, Nathan Scheer and Nick Valla, will also compete to get on the court. The Bears’ first regular season game is at 8:35 p.m. on Friday against Oral Roberts at JQH Arena.
Nyla Milleson
7
Nyla Milleson enters her third season as the head Lady Bear after injecting the storied Missouri State women’s basketball program with a blend of youth and optimism in her first two campaigns at the helm. Milleson was named the sixth head coach in the 39-year history of the
Missouri State women’s basketball program on April 9, 2007, after a remarkable seven-year run as head coach at Drury University. This year, Milleson will welcome back 10 letterwinners from last season’s 22-11 teamthat saw the Lady Bears finish tied for third in the Valley and return to the postseason for the first time in four seasons. Missouri State garnered 27 of 40 first-
place votes and 385 total points to outpace No. 2 UNI in the poll. Missouri State's selection represents the ninth time in the last two decades the Lady Bears have been the preseason choice to win the conference's regular-season title, and its first since the 2004-05 campaign. The Lady Bears have captured the regular-season crown on seven of the previous eight occasions they have
been picked to win the MVC race. The duo of Garrison and Roberson formed arguably the deadliest one-two punch in the MVC, particularly during conference play, in 200910. In MSU's 18 Valley games, they combined for 36.1 points per outing, with Garrison's 20.4 ppg, average pacing all scorers by more than three points per game.
Cuonzo (CON-zoe) Martin became Missouri State's 16th head men's basketball coach on April 1, 2008. He begins his third season with the Bears in 2010-11. A native of East St. Louis, Ill., Martin was a star player at Purdue from 1991-95 for coach
Gene Keady and then played four years professionally. He coached at Purdue for eight years under Keady and current Boilermaker head coach Matt Painter. In 2009-10, the Bears finished 24-12, making them the fifth most-improved program in the nation with a 13game turnaround in the win column. MSU won the CollegeInsider.com
Postseason Tournament and tied Kansas for the national Division I lead in home wins with 19. The Bears led the Missouri Valley Conference in scoring and assist-to-turnover ratio in 2009-10 and ranked in the national top 40 in three statistical categories, including 24th in turnovers (11.3). Martin finished fourth in the MVC Coach of
the Year voting and saw six players earn conference postseason honors. In June, 2010, the Missouri State Board of Governors approved Martin's guaranteed five-year contract extension through April 1, 2015. He was also selected to begin a term on the NCAA Regional Advisory Committee, starting in 2010-11.
Cuonzo Martin 3rd year at MSU
Cuonzo Martin
Sports
THE STANDARD
8 | Sports
Date
Bears’ Schedule
Fri., Nov. 12
Tue., Nov. 16
Wed., Nov. 17 Fri., Nov. 19
Opponent
Site
Time
Tennessee or Belmont Univ.
Knoxville, Tenn.
6/8:30 p.m.
Oral Roberts University
Arkansas State University University of Tulsa
Springfield
Knoxville, Tenn. Tulsa, Okla.
Mon., Nov. 22-
NIT Preseason Tip-Off
Springfield or
Sat., Dec. 4
Central Arkansas
Springfield
Nov. 26
Wed., Dec. 1 Sat., Dec. 11
Arkansas-Little Rock
Oklahoma State University
New York, N.Y. Springfield
Stillwater, Okla.
Sat., Dec. 18
Saint Louis University
Springfield
Sat., Jan. 1
Illinois State University
Springfield
Wed., Dec. 22
Wed., Dec. 29 Tue., Jan. 4
Arkansas State University
University of Northern Iowa
Wed., Jan. 19
Sat., Jan. 22
Tue., Jan. 25
Sun., Jan. 30
Wed., Feb. 2
Creighton University
Drake University
University of Northern Iowa University of Evansville
Springfield
Wichita, Kan. Peoria, Ill.
Terre Haute, Ind.
7:05 p.m.
6:05 p.m.
Sat., Feb. 26
Thu., March 3Sun., March 6
Wichita State University
State Farm MVC Tournament
Sun, Jan. 2
Thu, Jan. 6
Sat, Jan. 8
Tue, Jan. 11
Des Moines, Iowa 7:05 p.m
Missouri State vs. Oklahoma State
Springfield
Evansville, Ind.
4:05 p.m.
7:05 p.m.
7:05 p.m.
7:05 p.m.
Southern Illinois University
Fri, Dec. 31
Bearsʼ Must-See Games Lady Bearsʼ Must-See Games
Springfield
Springfield
Wed., Feb. 23
Tue, Dec. 21
7:35 p.m.
Drake University
ESPN BracketBusters (TBA)
Sun, Dec. 19
7:05 p.m.
Tue., Feb. 15
Feb. 18, 19 or 20
Fri, Dec. 17
7:05 p.m.
2:05 p.m.
Illinois State University
Sun, Dec. 12
Cedar Falls, Iowa 7:05 p.m.
Springfield
Sat., Feb. 12
Thu, Dec. 9
7:05 p.m.
Indiana State University Bradley University
Sun, Dec. 5
7:05 p.m.
Sat., Feb. 5
Wed., Feb. 9
Fri, Dec. 3
7 p.m.
7:05 p.m.
Indiana State University
Tue, Nov. 30
7:05 p.m.
Springfield
Bradley University
Sat, Nov. 27
7:05 p.m.
Southern Illinois University
Sun., Jan. 16
Sun, Nov. 21
TBA
7:05 p.m.
Wichita State University
Sun, Nov. 14-
7 p.m.
Springfield
Normal, Ill.
TBA
Carbondale, Ill.
Springfield
St. Louis, Mo.
7:05 p.m.
7:05 p.m.
TBA
7:05 p.m.
TBA TBA
Missouri State vs. Oral Roberts
Nov. 12
The Bears will open their 2010 campaign against Oral Roberts on Nov. 12 at JQH. Both MSU and ORU are picked second in their respective conferences.
Dec. 11
On Dec. 11, MSU will take on Big 12 school Oklahoma State in Stillwater, Okla. The Cowboys were a No. 7 seed in the NCAA tournament last year before being eliminated in the first round by Georgia Tech.
Missouri State vs. Wichita State
Jan. 9
A true test for MSU, the Bears will travel to Wichita, Kan., to take on the conference-favorite Shockers. Last season the Bears played Wichita State three times and lost all three games including their final game in the MVC Tournament in St. Louis.
Missouri State vs. Southern Illinois
Jan. 12
MSU will match up against conference rival Southern Illinois twice this year, once at home on Jan. 12 and once away in the second-to-last game of the season on Feb. 23. The teams split this conference series last year 1-1.
Missouri State vs. Lamar
Nov. 12
Missouri State vs. Oral Roberts
Nov. 30
Missouri State vs. Georgetown
Dec. 19
The Lady Bears start the season with a WNIT game Nov. 12 against Lamar. Lamar went 26-8 last season in Division II basketball. Part of a long line of games at home for the Lady Bears, this Nov. 30 game may help build momentum for a winning streak. ORU earned a No. 19 ranking in the CollegeInsider.com MidMajor Preseason Top 25 poll. On Dec. 19, the Lady Bears will face off against powerhouse Georgetown in Washington D.C. The Lady Bears opened last season against Georgetown, suffering a 55-79 loss. The Hoyas start the season ranked No. 13 in the Associated Press Preseason Poll.
Missouri State vs. UNI
Jan. 6 & Feb. 6
The Lady Bears will take on the rival Panthers in Iowa on Jan. 6 and at JQH on Feb. 6. UNI comes in ranked second in the preseason MVC poll. MSU beat UNI in both games last season.
Sports | 9
Lady Bears’ Schedule
Fri, Nov. 12
6 p.m.
Omaha, Neb.
University of Evansville
Wed., Jan. 12
Springfield
Date
8:45 p.m.
Creighton University
Fri., Jan. 7
Sun., Jan. 9
09-10 BASKETBALL PREVIEW
Sun, Jan. 16
Fri, Jan. 21
Thu, Jan. 27
Sat, Jan. 29
Fri, Feb. 4
Sun, Feb. 6
Thu, Feb. 10
Sat, Feb. 12
Thu, Feb. 17
Fri, Feb. 25
Sun, Feb. 27
Thu, Mar. 3
Sat, Mar. 5
Thu, Mar. 10Sun, Mar. 13
Opponent
Site
Time
(opponents TBA)
TBA
TBA
Lamar University
Preseason WNIT
Louisiana Tech University Oral Roberts University
Eastern Michigan University
Arkansas State University
SIUE
Saint Louis University
Coppin State University
Georgetown University
Morgan State University
Southern Illinois University
University of Evansville
University of Northern Iowa
Bradley University
Illinois State University
Indiana State University
Wichita State University
Creighton University
Drake University
Bradley University
University of Northern Iowa
Indiana State University
Illinois State University
Wichita State University
Drake University
Creighton University
University of Evansville
Southern Illinois University
State Farm MVC Tournament
Springfield
Springfield Springfield
Springfield
Springfield
Springfield
St. Louis, Mo.
Baltimore, Md.
5:35 p.m.
2:05 p.m. 7:05 p.m.
7:05 p.m.
2:05 p.m.
7:05 p.m.
2:00 p.m.
3:30 p.m.
Washington, D.C. 1:00 p.m. Baltimore, Md.
Springfield
Springfield
4:30 p.m.
1:05 p.m.
2:05 p.m.
Cedar Falls, Iowa 7:05 p.m.
Peoria, Ill.
Springfield
Springfield
Springfield
Omaha, Neb.
7:05 p.m. 7:05 p.m.
2:05 p.m.
7:05 p.m.
7:05 p.m.
Des Moines, Iowa 2:05 p.m.
Springfield
Springfield
Terre Haute, Ind.
Normal, Ill.
Wichita, Kan.
Springfield
Springfield
Evansville, Ind.
Carbondale, Ill.
St. Charles, Mo.
7:05 p.m.
2:05 p.m.
6:05 p.m.
1:05 p.m.
5:35 p.m.
7:05 p.m.
2:05 p.m.
7:00 p.m.
2:05 p.m.
TBA
10
Sports
The Standard
2010-2011 Basketball Preview
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Lady Bears set for season By Benjamen Loewnau The Standard
Eight months removed from a trip to the Women’s National Invitation Tournament (WNIT) and a 22-11 season, the Lady Bears own first place in the Missouri Valley Conference preseason rankings. “We have the respect from our conference, that they feel like that’s where we need to be, and so we have to come in dayin and day-out and prove that that’s where we’re at,” junior guard Casey Garrison said. Last year the Lady Bears finished third in conference during the regular season, which was good enough for the No. 3 seed in the MVC Tournament. However, they were knocked out in their first game of the tournament by Wichita State. Despite being ousted from the conference tournament early, the Lady Bears received the chance to play in the WNIT and made it as far as the third round where they were outscored by Illinois.
The Lady Bears are returning 10 players from last year’s team, seven of which are upperclassmen, bringing much experience back for the 2010-11 campaign. “They’re providing us very good leadership,” head coach Nyla Milleson said. “I think we’ve got a good deal of experience, so some of the detailed things that we need to really focus on, need to continue to be in emphasis.” Three freshmen and a sophomore transfer will be joining the 10 returning players on the roster this season. Freshman guards Karly Buer and Hannah Wilkerson, freshman forward Desiree Phillips and sophomore forward Tia Mays will help the returning players in hopes of adding to last season’s success. “Everyone seems really positive about this year, and we just have to keep working in practice every day,” Buer said. Even though the majority of the roster is returning from last season, improvements still need to be made.
“We look a lot better than we have. We’re a lot faster, stronger, quicker, but we still have a lot of things to improve on,” Garrison said. Continuity on the offensive front and defensive positioning are both areas in need of improvement for the Lady Bears, Milleson said. Over the course of practices and exhibitions games, the Lady Bears have remained healthy with the exception of one key player. “We’re waiting on Jacque Griggs,” Milleson said. “She had knee surgery in the spring, so she’s not back 100 percent yet. We don’t really have a time table for her, but she’s not back yet practicing.” With improvements being made and the injury to Griggs accounted for, the Bears will be starting their regular season in less than a week. The first game for the Lady Bears is at 5:35 p.m. Friday at home against Lamar University.
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
The Standard 2010-2011 Basketball Preview
Sports
11
MVC: Lady Bears are No. 1, Bears are No. 2 2010-11 women’s MVC preseason poll
1. Missouri State: With reigning MVC Player of the Year Casey Garrison leading the way, the Lady Bears are ranked first coming into the season. 2. Northern Iowa: Along with their men’s team, UNI won the MVC championship last year and made their NCAA tournament debut. They’re ranked second this year with three returning starters. 3. Creighton: The Bluejays are ranked third coming into the season. Last year they finished with 20 wins for the third straight time, and this year they hope to make it four with three returning starters and many newcomers. 4. Illinois State: New coach Stephanie Glance will take the reins this year with just two returning starters. However, the team doesn’t lack experience with five seniors and a run to the WNIT semifinals last year. 5. Wichita State: The Shockers won their
first ever post season game last year in the inaugural Women’s Basketball Invitational. They have three returning starters with one lone senior. 6. Bradley: The Braves come into the season with a brand new arena. They also return three starters including their top two scorers from last year. 7. Drake: After a .500 season last year, the Bulldogs hope their three returning starters will put them over the hump. 8. Indiana State: First year head coach Teri Moren begins her year with four returning starters. With a new coach, this could be a transition year. However, the team does have some experience. 9. Southern Illinois: With 11 newcomers, the Salukis come into the season a little young. However, three senior starters hope to provide leadership and bring the team up from their lower ranking in the preseason. 10. Evansville: The team returns three starters and five of their top seven scorers from last year.
2010-11 men’s MVC preseason poll
1. Wichita State: The Shockers finished second last year and are coming back with a strong squad. Many pick them as the favorites as they returned many players from last season. 2. Missouri State: The Bears come into the season off a College-Insider.com Tournament win. The team hopes to do better against conference teams after finishing 8-10 in the Valley. However, the preseason poll ranked the Bears as the second best team in the conference. 3. Northern Iowa: After a Sweet 16 appearance and a huge victory over Kansas, UNI heads into the 2010-11 season as the top team in the conference. They have been conference champions two years in a row. 4. Creighton: With a new coach, this team will be in a transition year. However, they still have a lot of returning players and can easily make a run late in the year. 5. Bradley: The Braves started out strong
last year but ended with a bad stretch. However, they did finish with a .500 conference record and come into this season with four returning starters. 6. Illinois State: The Redbirds will have to replace their top three scorers from last season. However, over the last three seasons, they have won more games (71) than any other Valley school. 8. Indiana State: This team will also have a fairly young team. With redshirts and freshmen, the team doesn’t have a lot of experience. However, with a lot of talented players, the team does have some depth. 9. Drake: The theme of young players also goes with this year’s Drake team. This year is a rebuilding year for the Bulldogs. 7. Southern Illinois: After losing three starters and a key reserve player, this team is starting fresh. But with a disappointing year last season, that might be a good thing. 10. Evansville: In many polls, they’re ranked at the bottom of the conference. Many don’t even think they can repeat their nine wins against conference teams from last year.
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Sports
The Standard
2010-2011 Basketball Preview
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Men’s team welcomes four freshmen By Jon Poorman The Standard The transition from high school hoops to Division I basketball can be a challenging task. Every year, the Missouri State basketball team brings in a new crop of young freshmen that are looking to make a difference for the Bears. This year, the team welcomes in four freshman players: Nathan Scheer, Aaron Cooper, Corey Copeland and Nick Valla. Each player has a different set of skills to bring to the table. However, head coach Cuonzo Martin has three main expectations for his youngsters. “Just focus on defending, rebounding and playing hard,” Martin said. “Consume yourself with playing defense all the time, and then, when your offense comes, it’s just an added bonus.” Valla, a 6-foot-2 walk-on, is one player that Martin expects good things from. In high school, he was rated as one of the best point guards in Chicago. “He’ll surprise a lot of people,” Martin said. “He’s a guy who came in benching 300 pounds in July as a freshman. He’s physical, plays hard and he
really competes.” Martin said Valla is very talented and will give the Bears much-needed depth at the guard position. “He is one of those guys that’s allpurpose,” Martin said. “He can handle the ball as a point (guard), fight guys through screens and attack the basket well.” Scheer, from Washington, Mo., will also provide the Bears with depth. In the team’s first exhibition game against Upper Iowa, Scheer snagged a spot in the starting line-up as a replacement for injured senior Adam Leonard. “Scheer is one of the guys that does the little things,” Martin said. “He makes shots, he’s a good physical guy and he can defend inside and outside.” Cooper and Copeland, a duo of guards from Arkansas, are two guys that Martin believes can be playmakers. “Aaron Cooper is a guy that really pushes the ball and is a really good onthe-ball defender for a freshman,” Martin said. “He’s one of those guys that’s really good at pressuring the ball.” “Corey Copeland is a guy that can really score the ball. He has a scorer’s mindset. He’s one of those guys who’s in attack mode at all times, which is
good.” Both Cooper and Copeland said the tempo of the college game is something that they will have to adjust to. “The biggest difference (from high school to college) is probably the speed of the game,” Copeland said. “It’s a lot different from high school. There are things you can do in high school that don’t necessarily work in college. It’s pretty much the game speed. You have to get used to it.” The veteran players on the team have been doing their best to prepare the freshmen for the speed of the game, among other things. “They communicate a lot with me,” Cooper said. “They help me understand things and break it down for me.” Copeland said both the coaches and older players have been very supportive and have given him some helpful tips. “If you make a mistake, don’t hang your head,” Copeland said. “If you make a mistake, just go ahead and play through it and make the next play.” If these four freshmen hope to get anything out of their first season, it will likely be to gain valuable playing experience for the years to come and to make a difference any way they can.
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
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The Standard
2010-2011 Basketball Preview
Lady Bears add new talents B y Be n j am e n L o e wn au The Standard For the 2010-11 season, the Lady Bears have added four players to a roster that has 10 returning players from last year’s team. Three freshmen and one sophomore transfer are new to the Lady Bears’ roster this season. “I really feel like they’re really going to help out our program now and through the next few years,” junior guard Casey Garrison said. Two of the four newcomers for the Lady Bears are forwards: sophomore Tia Mays and freshman Desiree Phillips. The other two freshmen for the Lady Bears, Karly Buer and Hannah Wilkerson, are both guards. “I think they really addressed some needs that we had and again they each kind of bring their own strengths to the table, not only for this year, but for the
future,” head coach Nyla Milleson said. In the Lady Bears’ first exhibition game against Rogers State University, Buer, along with junior guard Jasmine Malone, tied for leading scorer with 17 points. “I got that feeling of playing college ball out of the way,” Buer said. In the game, Buer, Mays, Phillips and Wilkerson all played at least 12 minutes while combining to score 34 of the team’s 87 points. However, the learning experience goes beyond exhibition games. Practices and advice from the older players who were once in their shoes are also a part of the equation. “It’s just a lot of teaching and showing them what we did wrong and helping them correct those mistakes,” Garrison said. Game experience and learning the ropes from the 10 returning players becomes even more important with the
first regular season game less than a week away. “They’re definitely bringing a different level of intensity to our practices and a different level of competition toward our practices and our games,” Garrison said. With the addition of four new players, the Lady Bears will be looking to build off of a 2009-10 campaign where they posted a 22-11 overall record after a trip to the Women’s National Invitation Tournament (WNIT). “I was very excited when I signed to come here to play,” Buer said. “The tradition has been great at Missouri State. We’re looking to build it back up, so that’s really exciting.” The first regular season game for the Lady Bears is at 5:35 p.m. Friday at home against Lamar University.
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
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2010-2011 Basketball Preview
Tuesday, November 9, 2010