2 | November 2013 | Basketball Preview
The Standard
Basketball Preview | November 2013 | 3
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Contents 4 | What’s in store? Find out what you can look for in the Bears and Lady Bears during this year’s basketball season By Mike Ursery
14 | Meet Harper Get to know new Lady Bears head coach Kellie Harper By Mike Ursery
6 | Men’s basketball schedule
15 | It’s senior time Seniors Karly Buer and Desiree Phillips are back to lead
8 & 9 | Player spotlight Get to know Kenzie Williams, a huge component of the Lady Bears returning this season By Eli Wohlenhaus
16 | Follow the Bears Connect with your favorite Bears via Twitter 18 | Senior Leadership Learn about the Bears’ four returning seniors By Chase Probert
10 | Who’s on the team? Get a look at the depth of the men’s basketball team, including returning players and newbies By Chase Probert
18 & 19 | Senior Leadership Learn about the Bears’ four returning seniors By Chase Probert
11 | Women’s basketball schedule 12 & 13 | Assessing the Valley See where the Bears and Lady Bears were picked to finish in the conference this season By John Robinson
21 | Follow the Lady Bears Connect with your favorite Lady Bears via Twitter 23 | Exhibitions galore The men take on Missouri Southern
Standard staff Advertising staff Trevor Collins sales Brandi Frye sales Derek Yost sales/office Brent Rinehart graphic design Editorial staff Theresa Brickman copy editor Nicolette Martin editor-in-chief Chase Probert sports reporter John Robinson sports reporter
Cali Shobe copy editor Gage Turner copy editor Mike Ursery sports reporter Eli Wohlenhaus sports reporter Professional staff Jack Dimond faculty adviser Sandy King advertising manager
Basketball Preview 2013
is published by The Standard, Missouri State University’s student-produced newspaper. The university has not approved and is not responsible for its content, which is produced and edited by The Standard staff.
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What’s in store for MSU? 4 | November 2013 | Basketball Preview
The Standard
As basketball season begins, find out what you can look for in the Bears and Lady Bears this year By Mike Ursery, The Standard
A
Lady Bears
fter falling short of expectations last season, the Missouri State Lady Bears basketball team returns in 2013-2014 under a new regime. Last season, the Lady Bears were on a quest to retain their Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) regular season title and settle for nothing less than a return trip to the Women’s National Invitation Tournament, but that mark was missed after posting a 14-17 record and a first round exit in the MVC Tournament. The conclusion of the 2012-2013 season resulted in the dismissal of former coach Nyla Milleson. This season, the Lady Bears will be under the charge of new head coach Kellie Harper. Harper will look to guide the Lady Bears to a winning season as well as into the WNCAA Tournament discussion. “I would like to see this team add to the tradition here and be something special right now,” Harper said. “I want to compete for championships, and I want to return to the NCAA Tournament.” As a head coach, Harper has led two different teams to the WNCAA Tournament, most recently the North Carolina State Wolfpack in 2010. Nine players are returning this season for the Lady Bears, and four incoming freshmen will join them on the roster. Of the nine returnees, three of them were starters last season — seniors Karly Buer and Desiree Phillips, and redshirt sophomore Kenzie Williams. The Lady Bears will play at a much faster pace this season than they did last season. Harper will require the team to play tough defense while playing a
high-tempo, high-scoring style on offense. “(Harper) wants us to play hard on defense, and run and get easy baskets,” Williams said. “I like that style, and it fits a lot of our girls, because we are strong and fast this year.” Harper has brought in a local celebrity to join her coaching staff — former Lady Bear standout Jackie Stiles. Stiles played at Missouri State from 1997-2001, and is the all-time leading scorer in Division I women’s basketball history. “When you think of Missouri State, you think of Jackie Stiles,” Harper said. “She loves this program, and it’s very powerful when she talks about this program to recruits. I feel like she can be a very good recruiter for this school.” MSU will play an 11-game non-conference schedule before beginning MVC-play against Wichita State on Jan. 5. The non-conference schedule is highlighted by a home date with the Missouri Tigers on Dec. 19 at JQH Arena. The Lady Bears will open the season at Arkansas State on Nov. 11. They will open at home on Nov. 13 with a game against the University of Arkansas at Little Rock at JQH Arena. The game is scheduled to begin at 7:05 p.m.
T
Bears
he 2013-2014 Missouri State men’s basketball Bears will feature a mixture of seasoned veterans combined with new, young talent. The 2013-2014 season features several different storylines for Missouri State. First, sophomore guard Marcus Marshall, who earned 2012-2013 Missouri Valley Conference Freshman of the Year honors, will be a scoring-threat against opposing defenses this season. “I’m not looking at this season any different from last year,” Marshall said. “I’m not all about my numbers. I’m all about winning.” The team feels that, with most of the attention being on Marshall this season, it will open opportunities for the other players on the court. “I know I’m going to be at the top of a lot of teams’ scouting reports, but that’s a good thing,” Marshall said. “They don’t know the other players we have, and that’s going to open up a lot of good things for them also.” The second major storyline for this season is the return of senior forward Keith Pickens. Pickens made the decision to end his collegiate career at the conclusion of last season due to chronic knee pain, but a change of heart brought him
back for his senior year. “I want to accomplish what I haven’t been able to accomplish before. I want to make the NCAA Tournament,” Pickens said. “Regretting not playing went through my mind a lot during the summer.” Senior Jarmar Gulley also returns this season after an ACL tear forced him to miss all of last season. Senior Nathan Scheer and transfer senior Emmanuel Addo will join Gulley and Pickens as the most experienced members on the team. While a lot of attention has been centered around all of the returning players, there is a high amount of anticipation about the players who are new to the team. Addo transferred from Northern Colorado last April and will be eligible to play for the Bears this season. Joining Addo is junior college transfer Ron Mvouika. Freshmen Tyler McCullough, Devon Thomas and Austin Ruder will also be new to the team this season. The Bears will face early tests as part of their non-conference schedule before beginning conference-play in January. The most notable non-conference opponent is Louisville, who won the national championship last season. MSU will also play in the Corpus Christi Challenge in late November. “We have to play the defending national champs at their place, but we’re excited about the schedule,” head coach Paul Lusk said. “It’s the first time since I’ve been here that we will have seven nonconference home games.” MSU will begin its season at Old Diminion on Nov. 8 before playing the home-opener against Tulsa on Nov. 16 at JQH Arena.
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Basketball Preview | November 2013 | 5
6 | November 2013 | Basketball Preview
The Standard
2013-14 men’s schedule 10/27/2013
vs.
Springfield, Mo.
W, 104-71
10/29/2013
vs. Missouri Southern^
Springfield, Mo.
W, 93-80
11/08/2013
at
Old Dominion*
Norfolk, Va.
6 p.m.
11/16/2013
vs.
Tulsa
Springfield, Mo.
7:05 p.m.
11/20/2013
vs.
Grambling State
Springfield, Mo.
7:05 p.m.
11/24/2013
vs. Hampton University
Springfield, Mo.
2:05 p.m.
11/26/2013
vs.
Liberty
Springfield, Mo.
7:05 p.m.
11/29/2013
at
Texas A&M*
Corpus Christi, Texas
9 p.m.
11/30/2013
at
Virginia or SMU*
Corpus Christi, Texas
5:30 or 8 p.m.
12/04/2013
vs.
Cameron
Springfield, Mo.
7:05 p.m.
12/13/2013
at
Oral Roberts*
Tulsa, Okla.
7 p.m.
12/17/2013
at
Louisville*
Louisville, Ky.
8 p.m.
12/21/2013
vs.
Alabama A&M
Springfield, Mo.
7:05 p.m.
12/29/2013
vs.
SEMO
Springfield, Mo.
2:05 p.m.
01/02/2014
vs.
Illinois State*
Springfield, Mo.
7:05 p.m.
01/05/2014
at
Loyola Chicago*
Chicago, Ill.
3 p.m.
01/08/2014
at
Bradley*
Peoria, Ill.
7 p.m.
01/11/2014
vs.
Wichita State*
Springfield, Mo.
7 p.m.
01/15/2014
at
Indiana State*
Terre Haute, Ind.
6:05 p.m.
01/18/2014
at
Northern Iowa*
Cedar Falls, Iowa
noon
01/21/2014
vs.
Evansville
Springfield, Mo.
7:05 p.m.
01/25/2014
vs. Southern Illinois*
Springfield, Mo.
7 p.m.
01/29/2014
at
Drake*
Des Moines, Iowa
7:05 p.m.
02/01/2014
vs.
Bradley
Springfield, Mo.
2:05 p.m.
02/05/2014
at
Evansville*
Evansville, Ind.
7:05 p.m.
02/08/2014
at
Southern Illinois*
Carbondale, Ill.
6 p.m.
02/12/2014
vs.
Drake*
Springfield, Mo.
7 p.m.
02/15/2014
vs.
Northern Iowa*
Springfield, Mo.
8 p.m.
02/18/2014
at
Illinois State*
Normal, Ill.
7:05 p.m.
02/22/2014
vs.
Indiana State*
Springfield, Mo.
noon
02/25/2014
vs.
Loyola Chicago
Springfield, Mo.
7:05 p.m.
03/01/2014
at
Wichita State*
Wichita, Kan.
TBA
St. St. St. St.
TBA TBA TBA TBA
03/06/2014 03/07/2014 03/08/2014 03/09/2014
McKendree^
MVC First Round* MVC Quarterfinals* MVC Semifinals* MVC Championship*
^Denotes Exhibition Game * Denotes Television Broadcast
Louis, Louis, Louis, Louis,
Mo. Mo. Mo. Mo.
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Basketball Preview | November 2013 | 7
8 | November 2013 | Basketball Preview
Player spotlight:
Kenzie Williams
#4
Get to know the redshirt sophomore guard from Mount Vernon, Mo., who led the Lady Bears in assists and was second on the team in steals in 2012-13
The Standard
By Eli Wohlenhaus The Standard
For a basketball team to succeed, all you need is someone who can score points easily. The statement you have just read is false, and because it is so untruthful, I hope it hasn’t turned you away from the rest of the article. For anything that works correctly, multiple tasks or processes must be completed. For a basketball team to succeed, you need more than just a person who can make shots. One necessity for a scorer is someone who can both take the ball from the other team and pass the ball. For the Lady Bears, that person is redshirtsophomore Kenzie Williams. In the 2012-13 season, Williams led the team with 88 assists and was second Williams on the team with 58 steals; two statistics the Lady Bears couldn’t have won without. She has been playing basketball all her life; from Fisher-Price to a state championship win in her hometown of Mount Vernon, Mo., Williams has been doing this for a long time and with a lot of positive influence. Her career began in first grade and continued onward and upward from there, guided by the influence her family had on her to play. Williams’ mother and aunt both played collegiate basketball; her mother played at Missouri Southern and her aunt here at Missouri State. One of Williams’s inspirations growing up was Jackie Stiles, the all-time scoring leader in women’s Division-I athletics who just happened to play for the one and only Missouri State Lady Bears (which was called Southwest
Missouri State University at the time). Now, Stiles has returned to the university and is an assistant coach. “Growing up, I watched Jackie Stiles play from being here locally, so it’s awesome to have her here,” said Williams. In high school, Williams led her school in scoring to achieve a class-3 championship win in her junior season. She received all-state awards and grabbed the attention of Missouri State University. Below, Williams describes why she chose to come to school here: “They [Missouri State] have a great women’s basketball program,” she said. “Being close to home did have some part of it, just so my family can come watch me.” The beginning of her career with the Lady Bears was not as she’d hoped. Barely into the season, Williams tore her ACL and would be unable to play for the remainder of the season. “That year I learned a lot. I got to sit at the front of the bench with the coaches and watch some experienced players that year,” Williams said. Since coming here, Williams has really grown fond of the campus, saying it is a good size and the facilities are great. She is pursuing an elementary education degree, which has been tough because of the demand on her time from education practicums and from basketball practices. Since the redshirt season will give her an extra year of schooling, the time demand has been lessened. As the Lady Bears’ season rapidly approaches, a team goal as described by Williams is defensive intensity. With her averaging 0.5 steals per game, there is no doubt she will be a big part of the push to reach and maintain that goal. Not only was Williams the assist leader, she also led the team in 3-pointers made and attempted. With her ability to pass, shoot and defend, Williams brings an irreplaceable versatility to the Lady Bears team.
Basketball Preview | November 2013 | 9
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Williams by the numbers
31
2012-13
tarted s s e m ga
2.9
3
s
m
te inu
.307
in
3-point field goal percentage ed
g era
av
po
19
blocks
35
ts
1
sc
or ed
88
ass
58
ists
steals
Who’s on 10 | November 2013 | Basketball Preview
the team?
Meet the 2013-14 men’s basketball team and find out what each member brings By Chase Probert, The Standard
1 Keith Pickens 2 Austin Ruder
Senior
Freshman
G/F
St. Louis, Mo.
G
Nixa, Mo.
F
Beaumont, Texas
3 Michael Simpson Sophomore G/F Spring, Texas 5 Jarmar Gulley
Senior
10 Ron Mvouika
Junior
12 Devon Thomas
Freshman
G/F Paris, France
11 Marcus Marshall Sophomore G
St. Paul, Minn.
20 Gavin Thurman
Wichita, Kan.
G
Sophomore F
23 Dorrian Williams Sophomore G
24 Emmanuel Addo Senior
30 Nathan Scheer
35 Bruce Marshall
42 Christian Kirk
F
Silver Springs, Md.
Oklahoma City, Okla.
Toronto, Ontario
Senior
G/F Washington, Mo.
Junior
F
Sophomore C
50 Tyler McCullough Freshman
C
Fayette, Mo.
Springfield, Mo.
Fayetteville, Ark.
This year’s Missouri State basketball Bears’ roster is by far the deepest in recent memory. This year’s team features 14 different players who could be brought in at almost any point in a game. Having numbers in and of itself is useful, but the Bears also have a number of guys who can fulfill many different roles. The trouble for head coach Paul Lusk will be finding the winning combination of guys that generates the most success for the Bears. Lusk’s 2013-2014 team features luxuries that other Valley teams are not as fortunate to have. After last year’s recruiting efforts, Lusk has brought in five new players in the likes of three freshmen and two transfers to go along with nine returning lettermen. The depth of Missouri State’s roster should help the Bears against foul troubles and should also allow the Bears to keep fresh legs in the game. However, it could also cause rotation trouble for Coach Lusk. The Bears have many players who will fill a variety of roles. Below are a few of those roles and the Bears who will meet them. The Missouri Valley’s unique brand of basketball is known for scrappiness, hard-nosed defense and on-and-off full-court pressure. That being said, being able to take care of the ball is a necessity in Valley play. While the Bears did have one of the best assist-toturnover ratios in the nation last year, the Bears may be able to put up better numbers this year. Both Marcus Marshall and Dorrian Williams are guards who are able to run the point, but the Bears now also feature speedy freshman Devon Thomas. Thomas looks to be the Valley equivalent of Russell Westbrook with his great speed and his ability to fly past defenders while still being able to control the ball. Junior college transfer Ron Mvouika also showed some ability to handle the ball in the Bears two exhibition games.
Ball-handling
The Bears feature a great deal of size on this year’s roster. The Bears will be able to rotate five players between the center and power forward positions. Freshman Tyler McCullough (6’10”, 246) and sophomore Bruce Marshall (6’10, 226) will hold down the center position for the Bears. McCullough is an exciting freshman with good footwork who should serve as a threat on both ends of the floor. Marshall will more than likely back-up McCullough, but his size off the bench will be big for the Bears. With two bigs like McCullough and Marshall, forwards Christian Kirk and Emmanuel Addo will be able play their natural position in power forward. Addo, a senior who transferred from Northern Colorado, should serve as a much needed physical presence for the Bears. Sophomore Gavin Thurman may also get minutes at the power forward position, and, much
Size
The Standard
like Kirk, will rely on his athleticism to score on defenders.
Playing 14 guys, the Bears should have a balanced offensive attack. The Bears have a good balance of bigs, slashers and shooters. Marshall, last year’s Freshman of the Year, is a dynamic scorer and will be a consistent source of offense for the Bears. To go along with Marshall’s efforts, the Bears will seek major contributions from guards Williams and Gulley (who both drive to the basket and shoot from the outside) and forwards Thurman (who can score from both inside and out) and Kirk (who has demonstrated an ability to score in the post). As long as the Bears are able to get some contributions from each player, they should be able to post good offensive numbers.
Scoring
The Bears should have a balanced offensive attack, which in turn should provide good opportunities for Missouri State’s outside specialists. A balanced offensive attack should also grant the Bears the freedom of not having to worry about living or dying by the three. Freshman Austin Ruder has a sweet stroke to go along with a quick release and has been rather impressive in the Bears’ two exhibition games (Ruder may remind MSU upperclassmen of former Bear sharpshooter Adam Leonard). The Bears have many above-average shooters: Nathan Scheer, Mike Simpson, Williams, and Thurman. Mvouika was a 38.6 percent 3-point shooter last year and should also serve as a threat from beyond the arc.
Outside shooting
To go along with the new and returning talent, the Bears will also be getting back seniors Keith Pickens and Gulley. After announcing his retirement last March, Pickens has since gone back on his decision and decided to return to the Bears. It is uncertain just how many minutes Pickens will be able to log each night, but he is useful as the Bears’ “Jack of all trades.” Pickens brings immeasurable value to the Bears with his ability to do just about everything. Gulley returns after missing all of the 20122013 season. Gulley is a slasher with a knack for attacking the boards and has improved his stroke from the outside as well. While this is just his second year in the Valley, this is Gulley’s fourth year of collegiate basketball, and the Bears will rely on Gulley’s experience. Gulley should be able to round up a good number of rebounds for the Bears and will be a key part of their balanced offensive attack. As far as figuring out the right rotations for this group of 14, that may take time for Lusk. While at times the Bears may rely on the five hottest hands to be on the floor, Lusk should find the best ways to allocate minutes as the season progresses. If Lusk can find efficient combinations, the Bears should be able to compete and finish in the top half of the Valley.
The proverbial shots to the arm
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2013-14 women’s schedule 10/31/2013 vs.
Arkansas-Fort Smith^
Springfield, Mo.
W, 73-42
11/04/2013 vs.
Maryville (St. Louis)^
Springfield, Mo.
7:05 p.m.
Arkansas State*
Jonesboro, Ark.
7 p.m.
Arkansas-Little Rock
Springfield, Mo.
7:05 p.m.
11/11/2013
at
11/13/2013 vs. 11/17/2013
at
IUPUI
Indianapolis, Ind.
1 p.m.
11/22/2013
at
Arkansas
Fayetteville, Ark.
7 p.m.
Quinnipiac
Springfield, Mo.
12:05 p.m.
11/26/2013 vs. 12/03/2013
at
Louisville
Louisville, Ky.
6 p.m.
12/05/2013
at
Eastern Kentucky
Richmond, Ky.
6 p.m.
12/15/2013 vs.
Lamar
Springfield, Mo.
12:05 p.m.
12/19/2013 vs.
Missouri*
Springfield, Mo.
7:05 p.m.
12/21/2013 vs.
SEMO
Springfield, Mo.
2:05 p.m.
North Texas
Denton, Texas
2 p.m.
Wichita State
Springfield, Mo.
2:05 p.m.
12/29/2013
at
01/05/2014 vs. 01/10/2014
at
Bradley
Peoria, Ill.
7 p.m.
01/12/2014
at
Loyola Chicago
Chicago, Ill.
2 p.m.
01/18/2014 vs.
Drake*
Springfield, Mo.
12:05 p.m.
01/20/2014 vs.
Northern Iowa
Springfield, Mo.
7:05 p.m.
01/25/2014
at
Indiana State*
Terre Haute, Ind.
1 p.m.
01/27/2014
at
Illinois State*
Normal, Ill.
7 p.m.
01/31/2014 vs.
Evansville
Springfield, Mo.
7:05 p.m.
02/02/2014 vs.
Southern Illinois*
Springfield, Mo.
2:05 p.m.
02/07/2014 vs.
Loyola Chicago*
Springfield, Mo.
7 p.m.
02/09/2014 vs.
Bradley
Springfield, Mo.
2:05 p.m.
02/14/2014
at
Northern Iowa
Cedar Falls, Iowa
7 p.m.
02/16/2014
at
Drake*
Des Moines, Iowa
2:05 p.m.
02/21/2014 vs.
Indiana State
Springfield, Mo.
7:05 p.m.
02/23/2014 vs.
Illinois State*
Springfield, Mo.
2:05 p.m.
02/27/2014
at
Southern Illinois
Carbondale, Ill.
6:05 p.m.
03/01/2014
at
Evansville
Evansville, Ind.
1 p.m.
03/09/2014
at
Wichita State*
Wichita, Kan.
2 p.m.
03/13/2014 03/14/2014 03/15/2014 03/16/2014
MVC First Round MVC Quarterfinal MVC Semifinal MVC Championship
^Denotes Exhibition Game * Denotes Television Broadcast
St. St. St. St.
Charles, Charles, Charles, Charles,
Mo. Mo. Mo. Mo.
TBA TBA TBA TBA
Basketball Preview | November 2013 | 11
12 | November 2013 | Basketball Preview
2013-14 women’s preseason poll Rank
Team (first-place votes)
Points
1. 2. 3. 4.
Indiana State (26) Wichita State (13) UNI Drake
378 360 259 221
6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
Loyola Chicago (1) Bradley Illinois State Evansville Southern Illinois
5.
Missouri State
VALLEY The Standard
216 211 194 166 104 91
By John Robinson The Standard
Missouri State men’s basketball is back, and with a new year comes new expectations, so where will the Bears find themselves in the 2013-2014 season, and what about the other nine teams in the conference? The Missouri Valley Conference had a facelift this offseason when powerhouse Creighton left for the brand new Big East conference with Loyala University of Chicago taking its place. In Creighton’s absence, Wichita State University has taken the top spot in the conference. Coming fresh off of a final four appearance, WSU sits at the top of the preseason poll, and is the favorite in the Valley this year. Second on the poll is Indiana State. The Sycamores return the most players out of any
HOW THE
STACKS UP
Valley school, with four seniors and four juniors; Indiana State is currently one of the most experienced teams in the Valley. The University of Northern Iowa takes up the third place slot. After going 21-15 last year, the Panthers added an astounding 10 new players to their roster and have one of the best benches in the Valley. Missouri State finds itself in fourth place spot with depth head coach Paul Lusk has not had in his last two years. The Bears have the returning freshman of the year in point guard sophomore Marcus Marshall; along with the return of Jamar Gulley, who sat out last year due to an injury; and Keith Pickens, who powered through knee issues to return for a senior season. With 14 players all expected to contribute significantly, the Bears are set to make noise in the Valley this year.
Basketball Preview | November 2013 |13
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The Bradley Braves come in at fifth place, and have a bit of uncertainty after losing half of their scoring, rebounding and minute production from last year. Evansville comes in at sixth place and is in a similar situation to Bradley. The Aces lost eight players who accounted for around 75 percents of their scoring, and do not have a senior on the 14person roster. In seventh place comes Illinois State University, which only has three players returning from last year’s roster. The team will also have 11 new players, five of which are junior college transfers. The transfers have talent but the chemistry on the team will take time to develop. Southern Illinois University, the eighth place team, returns only five players from a team that finished 14-17 last year. The Salukis four seniors and could be a dark horse, but will likely have a
little bit more rebuilding to do. Newcomer Loyala Chicago comes in at the number nine spot and has the most returning players after Missouri State and Southern Illinois. The transition from the Horizon League to the Valley will be tough for the Ramblers, but they should have a decent first year in the Valley. The Drake University Bulldogs bring up the rear spot in 10th place after losing eight players that accounted for 70 percent of minutes rebounds and points. With new coach Ray Giacoletti coming in from Gonzaga but the first few years do not look good for the Bulldogs. The Valley lost a powerhouse but still retains its prestige as one of the top Mid-American conferences. The Bears have the right mix of talent and depth to make a run and finish in the top half of the Valley this year.
2013-14 men’s preseason poll Rank
Team (first-place votes)
Points
1. 2. 3.
Wichita State (40) Indiana State UNI
400 352 318
5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
Bradley Evansville Illinois State Southern Illinois Loyola Chicago Drake
4.
Missouri State
258 244 186 139 123 95 85
14 | November 2013 | Basketball Preview
The Standard
Meet Harper
File photo/THE STANDARD
Lady Bears head coach Kellie Harper addresses fans and players at her press conference in spring 2013. Harper takes over in her first season as the Lady Bears’ head coach.
The Lady Bears welcome a new family to their coaching staff
By Mike Ursery The Standard
One very clear thing can be seen when looking at the playing and coaching career of new Lady Bears head coach Kellie Harper — she is a winner. Harper’s winning ways began at Tennessee when she played for famed head coach Pat Summitt. Harper helped the Volunteers win three consecutive national titles while playing there, including a perfect 39-0 season in 1997-1998. Harper pursued coaching at the conclusion of her collegiate career and found continued success, including consecutive WNCAA Tournament appearances with Western Carolina and North Carolina State. Harper will now attempt to continue that success after accepting the head coaching job at Missouri State last March. Her expectation is to immediately put MSU into the championship picture. “I want to compete for championships and I want to get back to the NCAA Tournament,” Harper said. “Our players want to be there, and I know our fans want to be there. Those are our immediate goals.” While she learned under Summitt, Harper says she doesn’t coach the exact same way that Summitt did. She says that she has developed her own coaching style while adding some of the things that she learned while playing at Tennessee. “I think it’s important for a coach to take from people you learn from and make it my
own,” Harper said. “I can’t do everything the way that Pat Summitt did it, because I can’t be Pat Summitt. But I think that good coaches are always learning and always adapting.” While Harper believes that a team’s success relies on defense and execution, she puts a strong focus towards recruiting. When she recruits, she looks for tangible traits that make a basketball player — things like strength and athleticism. However, there is also an intangible trait that she looks for before recruiting athletes. “We look for the ‘it’ factor. It’s the thing that makes that kid a winner,” Harper said. “It’s not defined in stats. It’s not defined in wins and losses. That’s why it’s important to get to know kids and find out if they have that quality.” Harper was aware of all of the challenges associated with accepting a job at a new school, but a new challenge recently presented itself — motherhood. Harper is pregnant, and her due date is set for Dec. 6. One decision that will need to be made prior to her delivery is who will take over the head coaching responsibilities while she is away on maternity leave. Harper has three assistant coaches on her staff, one of which is her husband Jon. She has also hired Jackie Stiles, former MSU standout and the all-time Division I scoring record holder. “We have not even discussed that,” Harper said. “We will have a game plan when that time arises, but we haven’t focused on that yet.”
Basketball Preview | November 2013 | 15
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It’s senior time
File Photo/THE STANDARD
Seniors Karly Buer (above) and Desiree Phillips (below) will return for the Lady Bears in the 2013-14 season. Buer, a recreation, sport and park administration major is from Concordia, Kan., and Phillips, a criminology major, is from Memphis, Tenn. Buer and Phillips combined for 353 points scored and 34 steals last season.
File Photo/THE STANDARD
16 | November 2013 | Basketball Preview
Follow the
BEARS Get on Twitter and keep up with your favorite Bears players and coaches
The Standard
MSU Bears Basketball Tyler McCullough Keith Pickens Austin Ruder Michael Simpson Jarmar Gulley Marcus Marshall Gavin Thurman Dorrian Williams Derrick Tilmon Brad Korn
@MSUBearsHoops @Big_T_McC @Keith_Pickens @RudeBoy_2 @MikeSimpson32 @JG_Lowkey @MarcusM_11 @GavinThurman @D_Will23 @derricktilmon42 @coachBkorn
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Basketball Preview | November 2013 | 17
18 | November 2013 | Basketball Preview
Senior Leaders The Standard
Core of young Bears will look to leadership from four MSU seniors By Chase Probert The Standard
One is in his first year at Missouri State. Another is coming back after missing an entire year. One is technically coming out of retirement. Another is the last remaining member of his recruiting class. Whether people like it or not, I just described Missouri State’s men’s basketball seniors for this year – Emmanuel Addo, Jamar Gulley, Keith Pickens and Nathan Scheer. As nice as it would be to have a core of guys who have been here for three or four years, that’s not the case. But these guys are just fine with the way things are. “Nate, Jarmar, Emmanuel and I knew, no matter what, we would have to be the leaders of this team, and we knew we would have to be ready to lead,” Pickens said during the Bears’ media day. “We have to be the front runners, good times and bad. We will have to be the ones who remind the young guys that it goes one game at a time.” While the Bears return nine letter winners, most suspect the cream of the crop, talent-wise, still comes from underclassmen or newcomers. Whether it be sophomores like Marcus Marshall or Gavin Thurman or any of the skilled newcomers the Bears have, the Bears will rely on the talent of their young guns to be successful this year. But the elder players know that they cannot get by on talent alone. The seniors for Paul Lusk’s squad are fully aware of the potential for this year’s team and for the years to come. The seniors
are not only doing their best to make sure that their message gets through, but that it sticks, too. “We got young guys who are ready, and who are ready to contribute, but we have the experience. It’s a good combination,” Scheer said. “The Valley has a tough brand of basketball, but we know that we’re the ones who are responsible to keep everyone focused and tell these guys that you must work hard day-in and day-out to achieve success.” Jarmar Gulley, who was a starter for the Bears two years ago, makes his return after sitting out all of the 2012-2013 season. While he was unable to contribute to last year’s cause, he’s hoping that he can make up for it in his final season. “Watching all of last year, I was able to see some things these guys do well and some things they don’t do well. I know my job this year is going to be to keep everyone on the same page. “I’m not the most vocal guy,” Gulley continued with a laugh. “But I will do what I can to help this team win. Once I saw the talent we had coming in, knowing I was coming back, too, I knew we had a chance for something special.” Whether or not the seniors fill the stat sheet, their presence will be felt throughout this year, and probably for years to come, too. “Since the early going, we’ve had a motto: No steps back,” Pickens said before concluding his media day interview. “We only want to move forward.”
Basketball Preview | November 2013 | 19
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Emmanuel Addo Senior Toronto, Ontario
Jarmar Gulley Senior Beaumont, Texas
#1
Keith Pickens Senior St. Louis, Mo.
Nathan Scheer Senior Washington, Mo.
Photos courtesy of Missouri State Photographic Services
20 | November 2013 | Basketball Preview
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22 | November 2013 | Basketball Preview
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Exhibition game galore
Madeline Carter/THE STANDARD
Sophomore Dorrian Williams is on offense for the Bears basketball team in its exhibition game against Missouri Southern on Tuesday, Oct. 29. The game was the second of two exhibition games on Missouri State’s schedule.
Williams is from Oklahoma City, Okla. and played for the Bears as a redshirt freshman in the 2012-13 season. During that season, Williams averaged 22.9 minutes per game in the 30 games he played. In those 30 games, Williams scored 129 points (4.3 per game), had 19 3-point field goals, 56 assists, four blocks and 19 steals.
The Bears won the exhibition game against the Lions 93-80 to begin regular season play with two wins.
24 | November 2013 | Basketball Preview
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