Basketball Preview 2018

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Table of Contents Men’s Basketball 13

Season schedule

14

Season expectations

15

Exhibition recaps

16

Danielle Gitzen

Hall of Fame Classic

18

Sophomore class

9

Transfers

19

The Harper family

10

Coach Corey Gipson

20 50-year-old program

12

Season schedule

22 Roo Classic

Advertising staff Matthew Brenneke sales Mark Phillips sales Hailey Gilbreath sales James Hunter graphic design

Editorial staff Cortlynn Stark editor-in-chief Emily Cole news editor Hanna Sumpter deputy news editor Nina Todea life editor Amanda Sullivan sports editor Kaitlyn Stratman photo editor Bill Sioholm digital editor

Reporters/Photographers Noah Standish senior reporter Layne Stracener senior reporter Blaine Wheeler senior anchor Ben Vickers videographer Alec Sahm videographer

Connor Wilson reporter Madison Bryan reporter Carissa Alford reporter Terry Chapman reporter Afton Harper reporter Bryce Derrickson sports reporter Cole Sutton sports reporter Claire Niebrugge sports reporter Kennedy Bright sports reporter Kyle Derringer sports reporter Monica Blake sports reporter Sam Grus sports reporter Bailey Vassalli reporter/photographer Megan Burke reporter/photographer Bradley Balsters copy editor/photographer Sarah Shepard copy editor Sarah Hollstrom copy editor

Professional staff Jack Dimond faculty adviser Sandy King advertising manager

BASKETBALL PREVIEW 2018 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.

Cover design by James Hunter

Standard staff

Preview 2018

8

Exhibition recap

BASKETBALL

7

Coffee with Coach Ford

• missouri state university

6

the standard

4

Season expectations

Lady Bears

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A year of growth Men’s basketball team to start season with three returners, new coaching staff BLAINE WHEELER Senior Anchor @blainewheeler21 The 2018-19 Missouri State basketball team is full of question marks. The Bears return three seniors, two of which are starters from last season: starters Obediah Church and Jarred Dixon and senior Ryan Kreklow, who came off the bench last season.

Others have yet to play meaningful minutes in Division I college basketball. This team will experience a learning curve, and the Bears are open about that.

According to head coach Dana Ford this preseason the Bears have plenty of work to do before the first tip on Nov. 9, but Ford has said since his arrival, this team will go as the seniors do.

“We are going to be as good as those guys are,” Ford said. “So, Ryan Kreklow, two for seven won’t be good enough. Jarred Dixon, he can’t be a streaky shooter this year; he has to be consistent. Obediah Church can't just block shots or get a dunk here or there. I mean, he has to be consistently good.”

New pieces will help the senior core, but it will take time. At Missouri State’s Basketball Media Day on Oct. 15, Ford, who is known for his defensive mind, was not happy at all with the progression his team has made on the defensive end.

“Right now, we are a lot better on offense than we are on defense,” Ford said. “I mean our defense is a very sour subject right now for me. I was just looking at some of our stats from the past five or six practices, and yesterday’s practice (Oct. 15) we were at 1.16 points per possession. That is either really, really good offense or really, really bad defense, and I'm sure that it is really, really bad defense.”

Take that for what it’s worth for how early it is because the Bears will see plenty of good nonconference teams before Missouri Valley Conference play.

The Bears will compete at the Sprint Center in Kansas City against a top-tier Big Ten team in Nebraska and the consolation of two top-five teams in their respective conferences, either Southern California or Texas Tech.

As well as play respected Division I opponents in Murray State and Western Kentucky.

The combination of new players in his system and some, experiencing his system for the first time puts this program in a growing stage.

“I think for me, speaking as myself for

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Returning senior Jarred Dixon avoids being blocked by his Evangel opponent during the Bears’ first exhibtion game.

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Returning senior Obediah Church goes for the shot but is guarded by three Evangel defenders. The Bears won their exhibition match 77-28 on Oct. 30. the team, a goal is just for us to get better Dixon said. “So, I wouldn’t expect people to each game and take it by that because it's a think we are going to just win a championship whole new team with a first-year coach,” right away and be that type of team.”

Ford’s system is complex, and it will take time before the Bears are in a comfortable place from an X’s and O’s standpoint. Ford said his defense was still focusing on ball pressure at the perimeter, has only worked on two of the five types of ball screens he wants to implement and has a lot to still be sufficient at.

Two international freshmen, Polish twins Jan and Szymon Wojcik, have yet to play basketball in the United States and are adapting to new rules and style of play.

Starting point guard senior Josh Webster, who practiced with Zhairre Smith, one the best guards in the country at Texas Tech last year, will find a starting role for the first time in two years since placing third in the JUCO National Championships.

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Photos by BRADLEY BALSTERS/THE STANDARD

(Top) Head coach Dana Ford draws up a play during a timeout.

(Bottom) Senior guard Ryan Kreklow barrels into the paint during the Bears’ 77-28 exhibition win against Evangel on Oct. 30.

Juniors Keandre Cook and Kabir Mohammed are both adapting from the junior college level with great progression, according to the seniors.

Ford’s first year at Tennessee State was the first head coaching job of his career and he struggled, finishing 5-26. But, he has learned some things since then.

“Understanding that this is a process, we are not going to turn water to wine even though we want to,” Ford said. “But at the end of the day, we just try to really try to get better literally every drill. Not just every day but literally get better every drill. And I think if we can do that we will be headed in the right direction.”

There is a feeling that this year won’t be overly successful in the wins column. It’s a year to get guys acclimated to the culture and power of basketball in the MVC.

This team has strengths surrounding Dixon and Webster with good shooters in addition to Church in the center of the floor. The Bears will play fast tempo basketball due to their ability to spread the floor with four good shooters at a time.

The eligible talent of still awaiting quality transfers of juniors Josh Hall from Nevada, Tyrik Dixon from Middle Tennessee and Tulio Da Silva from South Florida is a tease to this program.

The future is glaring with talent.The question isn't if they’ll win; it’s how long will it take.

This year will be a step in the right direction but not a top-three finish in the league.

The Bears were predicted to finish eighth in the Valley in preseason polls. The regular season tips off Nov. 6 at JQH Arena against Oral Roberts at 7 p.m.

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New head coach meets community over coffee BRYCE DERRICKSON Sports Reporter @BruceyD17

People enter Big Momma’s Coffee and Espresso Bar not just to get a cup of Americano but also to listen to new men’s basketball head coach Dana Ford.

During Coffee with Coach Ford, people got the experience of hearing things not said in a press conference. Even before the coffee shop opens at 7 a.m., people are buying coffee and breakfast before game talk.

Then they head down a narrow hallway into a low-lit back room, where they find an open table as close as they can to the front.

As everyone finds a seat, they start talking or saying hi to others they know, while food is brought to people who ordered it.

A little before 7 a.m., Ford walks through the coffee shop, and he pulls a stool to the front of everyone. Just like when the coach walks into the locker room, everyone knows it’s game time.

As Ford sits down, everyone looks in his direction and waits for him to begin. Ford opens his discussion with saying: “Hello everyone, it’s good to have you here let’s get started.”

At the Sept. 18 session, 16 people showed up to listen to Ford speak. Most arrived before he started talking, though others filed in after the start time.

Ford mainly talked about practice and what his players were doing.

People nodded their heads as he spoke about running practice and how prepared the players will be.

After his opening remarks, Ford gave people time to ask questions and discuss what he was doing.

“What are the changes in practice?”

“How are the kids reacting?”

“Are the practices open?”

making sure to at least shake their hands before they left.

His next visit to the coffee shop was on Oct. 9. Twenty-three people filed into the coffee shop, again finding whatever seating they could in the back room.

Just like last time, Ford grabbed a chair and planted himself in the front of the room.

Ford gave an update about how practice was going and how statistics are influencing his lineup decisions.

Ford talked about which lineup scores more points per possession, giving an idea of who the starting lineup will be for this year. He was then asked about the statistics.

“How have the stats have changed the players, or have

Ford answered each question then circled the conversation the players changed the stats?” back around to recruiting. He discussed this year’s recruiting Ford continued after answering the questions, discussing class and gave an update on next year’s class.

He gave the attendees a look into his life, talking about the the stats and how he plans to make the team better offenProfessional Bull Riding and Missouri State football game he sively.

When it turned to 8 a.m. on his watch, Ford stood up from had attended the previous week.

Around 7:50 a.m., Ford asked everyone in the coffee shop his chair and received applause from the audience.

After the applause, everyone stood and most of the crowd if they had any additional questions. headed to shake Ford’s hand.

“How healthy are the players?”

Most of the audience stayed behind to talk to Ford and his “Do you like Springfield?” assistant coaches.

After he answered their questions, the crowd applauded.

Ford headed out of the door like leaving a tunnel in a Ford stayed around 15 minutes after 8 a.m. to talk to everyone, stadium, ready to take on anybody.

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Bears dismantle Evangel in only exhibition game BLAINE WHEELER Senior Anchor @blainewheeler21 The Dana Ford era officially began Tuesday, Oct. 30, night at JQH in a dismantling of Springfield exhibition opponent Evangel University.

The Bears opened the game after an Evan-

Bears starting lineup: PG - Josh Webster SG - Jarred Dixon SG - Keandre Cook F - Szymon Wojcik C - Obediah Church gel score with a 28-0 run. The Crusaders struggled to create penetration into the Missouri State defense throughout the night.

The Bears played fast and created great ball pressure on the perimeter that led to many fast breaks and quick scores.

Seniors Jarred Dixon, Obediah Church and Josh Webster started, along with freshman Szymon Wojcik and junior Keandre Cook.

Church looked to be the only strong presence in the middle of the floor, as the team isn’t very strong but is lengthy. Redshirt freshman Darian Scott saw good minutes through the second half, as Church was nursing a sore knee, and scored 14 points and grabbed 6 rebounds in 19 minutes of play.

Szymon Wojcik stole the show early, scoring 10 of the Bears’ first 18 points on two three-pointers, a putback and a fast-break dunk.

Church only played 11 minutes because of an ailing knee injury but showed his presence as he recorded two blocks and four rebounds.

But besides Church, the Bears are not overly strong in the post. Szymon Wojcik, Scott and Jan Wojcik split time at the five, but if Church were to get in foul trouble, the Bears might struggle down low.

Junior Kabir Mohammed will add help in the paint as well.

A short lull in the second half came with junior Ross Owens and Scott on the floor as

Evangel sped to a 9-0 run, with an unhappy Ford on the sideline.

The Bears didn’t waiver for the rest of the night, riding a very strong defensive performance as they limited the Crusaders to shoot only 11.9 percent from the field.

More emphasis has been put on pressuring the ball on the perimeter under Ford.

“It’s more aggressive for sure,” Dixon said. “We do like an up-the-line style defensively. If a guy is pressuring the ball, the guys guarding the wing is denying them so they can’t catch. Sometimes a backdoor can occur, but we have midline help so it is different principles, but it is definitely more aggressive.”

The Bears were more short-handed than previously imagined without redshirt freshman forward Jared Ridder, who has practiced with this team since fall of last year.

Ridder has yet to have a full year under the Bears program and is therefore ineligible until further notice.

However, MSU’s offense showed its strength early and often in a balanced attack spreading the floor, running though sets and scoring at ease.

The Bears showed a basic motion offense along with a few good sets in which Ford said he was happy with the execution of them and the energy from start to finish.

“We really came out with our hair on fire, and that is really what we are preaching here,” Ford said. “I don’t think we boxed out worth anything, but we came out with our hair on fire.”

Guards Webster and Cook showed as great additions to Dixon on the perimeter in their first showcase at JQH Arena.

“Webster is a huge part of how this year is going to go,” Ford said. “He had seven assists and two turnovers. For our level, our league, he is very athletic for a point guard, and he doesn’t get careless very often.”

The Bears will need great guard play and careful play from Church to compete in the coming weeks against good college basketball programs in nonconference play.

“I felt like we did what we were supposed to do,” Ford said. “There was some good; there was some bad, but we still have so much improvement left with this team. But, I thought they tried to do what we have been asked them to do. They were very coachable. But, with all-due respect to Evangel, we are going to have to play a lot better a week from today.”

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Men’s team to play in Kansas City for tournament COLE SUTTON Sports Reporter @ColeSutton23 Basketball season is right around the corner, and the Missouri State men’s basketball team will start its season with a tough test. The Bears are one of four teams in the Hall of Fame Classic being held at the Sprint Center in Kansas City, Missouri, Nov. 19-20.

The Bears will face off against Big Ten school Nebraska in their first matchup and, depending on their performance, will be matched up against Texas Tech or Southern California.

With the level of competition in the tournament, you would think the spotlight would be on the Bears, but that’s not the case according to senior guard Ryan Kreklow.

“It’s awesome to go out there and compete with those big-time schools and give ourselves an opportunity to prove ourselves to the country and represent the Valley,” Kreklow said.

“We go into that game as we go into any other conference game — we’re not playing the Bucks or the Celtics or anything. At the end of the day, we go into those games just like any other game we play.”

For senior guard Jarred Dixon, the Hall of Fame Classic means a lot more because of its

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Senior Ryan Kreklow goes for the layup against Evangel.

location. Dixon, a Lee’s Summit, Missouri, native, will have an opportunity to play just 25 minutes from home in front of his family and friends.

“It’s really going to be fun to play in front of people who haven’t seen me play in person,” Dixon said. “It means a lot. I’m going to try to get as many tickets I can from other players.”

But Dixon isn’t just excited to have his relatives attend, he also believes that the Hall of Fame Classic can set the tone for the entire season.

“It can build the momentum for sure; it can be a learning experience as well,” Dixon said.

“We just gotta be ready because it’s going to be a test for us, but it's going to get us better down the road.”

A trend in certain college sports is to schedule some lower level schools early in the year to get a couple wins under the belt. This certainly isn’t the case for the Bears this season, but there are also plenty of benefits of starting out against some quality competition.

“Being in those types of moments when there’s going to be adversity and challenges, trying to figure that out in November instead of March can help,” Dixon said. “You would rather play those types of teams now and get that neutral court experience when there’s something on the line.”

The national spotlight will certainly be on the Bears throughout the tournament, as every game will be broadcasted on various ESPN channels. While Dixon and Kreklow have gotten used to the expectations and pressure of playing in front of the country, they know how stressful it can be for the underclassmen on the roster.

“We have a lot of guys who haven’t played at this level yet, but they’re capable,” Dixon said. “So it’ll be good to experience some of that. We have an idea of who we are as a team and what we can get better at, and we can use those games early in the season to get ready for the late-season matchups against good teams in this conference each and every night.”

Kreklow has also had experience facing big names throughout his four seasons as a Bear, and he knows the challenges facing some of the new faces on the team.

“Especially with the new guys getting their feet wet against teams like these, it’s definitely going to be a shock for them,” Kreklow said.

“But just knowing what to expect in college basketball, with some of them being freshmen or from a JUCO, they’ve never experienced anything like that before.”

The Bears will start the tournament against Nebraska on Nov. 19 at 6 p.m.

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Bears add eight transfers to roster KYLE DERRINGER Sports Reporter @Kyle_Derringer Since the departure of former head coach Paul Lusk, the men’s basketball program has had significant roster turnover heading into new head coach Dana Ford’s inaugural season.

The roster will feature five Division I transfers, two junior college transfers and an NAIA transfer this season. Only one of the Division I transfers, senior guard Josh Webster, is immediately eligible. Redshirt freshman forward Jared Ridder was supposed to be eligible immediately this season, but the NCAA has yet to rule on the matter.

Ridder is one of the best basketball talents a Springfield high school has produced. The four-star recruit, according to ESPN, started his collegiate career at Xavier University before transferring to Missouri State before the start of the 2017-2018 season. He sat out last season due to NCAA eligibility requirements. However, he has yet to be cleared for the 2018 semester of this upcoming season by the NCAA, but it is subject to change.

Webster is a graduate transfer, meaning he is immediately eligible to play his senior season.

Webster made stops at three different colleges.

He started at the University of Missouri-Saint Louis, then transferred to South Plains College, a junior college. He played last season at Texas Tech and is finishing his collegiate career at MSU. Another Division I transfer is Tyrik Dixon, a point guard who transferred from Middle Tennessee State. He is a traditional point guard in every sense of the term, as he dished out 100 or more assists each of the last two seasons and was Conference USA all-defensive first team during his 2017-2018 campaign at MTSU. He will sit out this season due to NCAA eligibility requirements and have two seasons remaining.

The fourth Division I transfer is junior forward Tulio Da Silva. He is a 6-foot-8-inch forward who previously played at the University of South Florida. The native of Brazil was an ESPN four-star recruit out of high school and will sit out this season due to NCAA requirements. Da Silva will have at least one season of eligibility left for the Bears.

The fifth Division I transfer is junior Josh Hall, a combo guard/forward from Nevada. Hall scored the game-winning shot for the Wolfpack during the second round of last season’s NCAA

KAITLYN STRATMAN/THE STANDARD

Keandre Cook goes for the layup in his first game as an MSU Bear. tournament. He will also sit out this season due to NCAA requirements and has two seasons of eligibility remaining. MSU has sent exemption waivers to the NCAA for Dixon, Da Silva and Hall to be immediately eligible this season, but have yet to hear back from the NCAA. “I would anticipate those guys not playing this year,” head coach Dana Ford said. “We are

preparing as if we don’t have Tulio Da Silva, Tyrik Dixon and Josh Hall.”

Kabir Mohammed, a 6-foot-5-inch junior forward, is a junior college transfer. The Lagos, Nigeria native was a recruit former head coach Paul Lusk signed before his firing, and Mohammed stuck with MSU after the coaching change.

Mohammed’s game combines outside shooting with being an athletic presence down low. Mohammed will have two seasons left and is immediately eligible.

The other junior college transfer is junior guard Keandre Cook. The 6-foot-5-inch Cook averaged 15 points per game at Odessa College and is a solid three-point shooter and has good driving skills. Cook is immediately eligible and will have two seasons left.

The final transfer added to the MSU roster is junior Spencer Brown. The 6-foot-2-inch guard played last season at Lyon College, an NAIA school, in Batesville, Arkansas. Brown averaged 9.3 points per game coming primarily off the bench for the Scots. He will be the second walkon player on the roster and will sit this season out due to NCAA eligibility requirements. He will have two seasons of eligibility remaining.

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Corey Gipson stays at Missouri State

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Corey Gipson motions a play call. Gipson is the only coach Dana Ford returned from former head coach Paul Lusk’s staff. Gipson focuses a lot of time on recruiting players to the program.

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Dana Ford brings back one coach from Paul Lusk’s staff BRYCE DERRICKSON Sports Reporter @BruceyD17 After a disappointing 2017 Missouri State men’s basketball season, former head coach Paul Lusk was bought out of his contract and was replaced by Dana Ford.

Ford then rebuilt the coaching staff, replacing everyone but associate head coach Corey Gipson.

“When building a staff there are a couple of things you want to try and get done,” Ford said. “One is loyalty, two: guys that are compliant and three: I want guys that are talented.

I want to hire guys that I feel are going to be Division I head coaches.”

Gipson, the only returning coach, meets Ford’s criteria.

When the changes were made, Gipson said he wasn’t worried about leaving Missouri State and put the decision in God’s hands.

Gipson is going into his fourth year at Missouri State, with the first three under Lusk, and lives in Springfield with his wife.

Past schools University North Carolina-Greensboro 2009-2012 Virginia State 2005-2009 At MSU, Gipson has found his role in recruiting and player development.

“He’s done a good job in his role, as well

THE STANDARD as our other coaches, but Coach Gipson knows the ins and outs,” Ford said. “We try to run things through him. We didn’t come in with this mindset of changing everything. If it wasn’t broken, we didn’t change it.”

Before coming to Missouri State, Gipson spent two seasons as associate head coach at University North Carolina-Greensboro, which he earned due to his recruiting skills.

He also coordinated recruiting efforts at Division II Virginia State.

At MSU, Gipson helped develop players such as Alize Johnson, who now plays for the Indiana Pacers, and senior Obediah Church.

Gipson helped coach Johnson to lead the Missouri Valley Conference in rebounding the last two years and make the All-MVC First Team.

Under Gipson’s tutelage, Church became a two-time MVC All-Defensive Team selection and MSU’s all-time leader in blocked shots.

Gipson’s history as a player has helped him recruit.

Gipson played at Austin Peay, where he was a two-year starting point guard.

He was part of the team that made a run to make it in the NCAA Tournament in 2003, though they were stopped by No. 4 Louisville.

“Obviously, (assistant coaches) have really good relationships recruiting-wise,” Ford said.

“I think we started off with some of the most talented recruits on paper that I have ever been associated with.”

Before the season started, the coaching staff wasted no time with recruiting players for this season as well as next season.

Gipson helped recruit twins from Poland — Szymon and Jan Wojcik.

Even with all the new faces and Gipson as the only returning coach, he isn’t worried. There are others returning with him.

“There are a lot of returning people in this community, and that’s the way we’ve got to look at it,” Gipson said. “We got a lot of returning fans, got a lot of returning students, got returning administration, returning sport staff.

“That’s the main thing — everybody returning — all hands-on deck is what makes the difference.”

Some players returning this year are Church and seniors Jarred Dixon and Ryan Kreklow.

These players are happy to have someone familiar on the staff.

“It’s been good having Gip here,” Dixon said. “He’s familiar with like the guys on the team last year with the old staff and stuff.

“He gets on us about us just being leaders to the other guys, but it’s comfortable to have a familiar face with him on the staff.”

With the season starting and working with the new coaches, Gipson plans to take things slowly.

“One thing we do is take it one day at a time,” Gipson said. “Coach Ford has a motto, we’re all just trying to do the next right thing for the program.”

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Lady Bears: A new team with a tough schedule BRYCE DERRICKSON Sports Reporter @BruceyD17 The Missouri State women’s basketball team starts its regular season on Nov. 10 with another tough schedule and with a younger group compared to last season’s.

The Lady Bears will have three returners from last year’s starting lineup: senior Danielle Gitzen, junior Alexa Willard and sophomore Brice Calip.

Missouri State lost Liza Fruendt and Aubrey Buckley who were two out of three top scorers, averaging 15.3 and 10.4 points per game, respectively, in the 2017-18 season.

“Obviously Liza not being here is a big void offensively,” head coach Kellie Harper said.

“We don’t have one player who can come in and do what she did. But I hope what we have now is a little more balanced with the team.

Obviously, we expect Alexa to score for us — that’s going to be important.”

Willard averaged 10.8 points, the second-most on the team last season. She also had the second-highest 3-point field goal percentage, shooting .386. Other than threes, Willard also

shot the highest field goal percentage at .486.

On the defensive side last year, the Lady Bears out-stole their opponents with 241 steals compared to 189 by their opponents. But, MSU was out-rebounded on the defensive side 821 to 836, and out-blocked 72 to 109.

“I think the biggest difference — where we’re a little behind — is our post defense,” Harper said. “We were able to lock and secure that position for the last few years with the personnel we had. We don’t have that right now.

The least experienced position on the court is our post position. So, we need those players to grow and mature quickly.”

Something the Bears have been improving is the post game by working on their fundamentals.

“Just little things that we need to tune up and fix and continue to improve over the season, would probably be our biggest weakness right now,” Gitzen said.

Even though the team is young and new, their non-conference opponents are not.

Last year, the Lady Bears lost against every top-25 team they faced, one of those being Mizzou. They also lost to Ball State and Little Rock.

“It’s a really tough schedule, and we treat

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The Lady Bears celebrate after dominating Lincoln 100-54 at JQH Arena on Nov. 4. all games the same,” Harper said. “We don’t go into one with more preparation than the next.

We try to keep things simple and try to focus more on us than our opponents early on in the

season because we’re still learning and still growing. Our goal is going to be the best basketball team we can be. Hopefully that team can be a championship team.”

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Women’s team splits exhibition games CLAIRE NIEBRUGGE Sports Reporter @claireniebrugge The Missouri State Lady Bears battled with the Central Missouri Jennies all evening long on Oct. 29, as neither team led by more than seven. The Lady Bears were defeated by the Jennies, 70-64.

“We’re disappointed with the game and how things went,” head coach Kellie Harper said. “But we told our team in the locker room that that’s a really good program — that’s a winning team.”

Central Missouri, the reigning NCAA Division II National Champions, had four of their five starters scoring double digits.

The Missouri State offense started off hot in the first quarter, going 11-18 from the field, 3-4 in free throw attempts and leading Central Missouri 25-20 after the first quarter.

The Lady Bears seemed to slow down in the second period. Missouri State went 2-16 from the field and 2-4 at the line with a 3:49 scoring drought in the middle of the period.

The Central Missouri defense held the Lady Bears to just six points in the second quarter while scoring 15 of their own to take the lead

heading into the locker room at the half, 35-31.

The Jennies came out onto the court to start the third period with a three-pointer. Central Missouri dominated the three-ball all evening, going 10-29.

Junior guard Alexa Willard answered immediately with a three of her own and the only successful three-point shot for Missouri State all night.

Missouri State battled their way back in the third period, going 7-12 from the field and scoring 20 points overall to bring the game to a 51-all tie to head into the final period.

Central Missouri pulled ahead in the fourth, but a jumper by senior guard Danielle Gitzen tied the game up at 64 points with 1:22 left in the game.

With just three returning starters and 11 underclassmen, the Lady Bears have a fairly young and inexperienced team, which showed against Central Missouri.

“We just looked really young out there,” Harper said. “We really did.”

The anxiety and nervousness took over the young team — forcing shots, missing opportunities and not pulling down rebounds did the Lady Bears in.

Willard led all players with 23 points. Gitzen had eight points, three rebounds and one assist. Sophomore center Emily Gartner led the Lady Bears in rebounds with seven. Four out of the five freshmen put numbers up on the board. Sophomore Brice Calip finished the night with 13 points, one rebound and two assists.

“Brice did a really nice job, especially in the second half, of attacking the paint,” Harper said.

On Sunday, Nov. 4, the Lady Bears dominated the court against just six Lincoln Blue Tigers in a 100-54 home win.

12 out of 13 players scored for Missouri State, shooting 60 percent efficiency. The Lady Bear bench scored 52 points, almost as many points as the entire Lincoln offense.

The playing time on Sunday afternoon was very well distributed, giving each player roughly the same amount of minutes. The freshman, especially, saw more action on Sunday than they did on Monday.

“They need minutes right now, so they know what they need to do and so that we know what they need to do,” Harper said. “They’re really talented. What I was trying to do today was get them out there as much as we could so that we could expedite that experience.”

The Lady Bears vastly improved their play from Monday to Sunday. After the Central Missouri game, Harper said that the rebounds were the most disappointing statistic. On Sunday, the Lady Bears won the battle of the boards, 50-22. The 15 offensive rebounds led to 20 second-chance points.

In the first half, the tempo was very upbeat, and the style of play was fast and aggressive.

It worked for the Lady Bears, as they took a 53-20 lead going into the locker room. Missouri State came out for the second half with a calmer, play-oriented offense.

“We talked at halftime about not just going out and making plays because we were better, but going out and making plays because we executed better,” Harper said.

In the third quarter, a seventh player emerged for Lincoln, and the Lady Bear defense fell off the wagon, allowing 22 points and four steals.

By the fourth quarter, three of Lincoln’s players had fouled out, leaving them with just four players on the court for the final 4:30 of the game.

The Lady Bears are preparing to take on Wichita State on the road for their first regular season game on Nov. 10.

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Danielle Gitzen to COLE SUTTON Sports Reporter @ColeSutton23 Danielle Gitzen was raised in a basketball family, from her dad playing at St. Thomas University, a Division III school in Minnesota, to her brother at St. John’s University, a Division I school in New York, basketball is in their blood. Gitzen always knew that she wanted to play, but she really wanted to beat her brother.

“I was always trying to beat him so I would always go to his practices,” Gitzen said. “I kinda just got involved because of my dad and my brothers; I also think they were tired of going to my dance recitals.”

Danielle and the Gitzen family hail from the cold of Victoria, Minnesota, a small town a little over 30 minutes from Minneapolis. According to Danielle, Missouri state was worth the nine hours traveled to be her home during her collegiate career.

“I really wanted to get away from that Minnesota weather,” Gitzen said with a laugh. “But you can’t beat our coaching staff who’s been

in our shoes and know what to expect and what we’re going through. Also the facilities here and JQH are great, and you can’t beat our fans.

They’re the best in the (Missouri Valley Conference) for sure.”

Gitzen has brought that competitive energy to Missouri State for the first three years of her collegiate career, earning various honors off the court, such as the MVC and Athletic Director’s academic honor roll in 2016 through 2018. She also earned on-court honors like MVC All-Defensive Player of the Year and Lady Bears Most Improved Player in 2018.

Now in her final year in a Missouri State uniform, Gitzen is the only senior on the Lady Bears’ roster, and she’s counting on her veteran experience to guide this team into playing into March.

“I know what the standard is, the energy and urgency we need to bring, and I think the biggest thing that I can do is lead by example,” Gitzen said. “Just being louder or going harder at practice and hoping the team will follow.”

While it’s no question Gitzen will be who the team looks to for motivation or guidance, a team with plenty of young players always

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lead as only senior needs to find its identity. Gitzen believes she’s found it early on in the preseason: athleticism.

“We have a very young, athletic team,” Gitzen said. “I think one of the most athletic teams since I’ve been here for sure.”

With young players, there will be trials and tribulations in developing talent and getting used to college basketball. Gitzen wants to zone in on fundamentals.

“Our biggest weakness as of now is probably focusing on the little things and making sure that you pay attention to the details and continue to improve,” Gitzen said.

Gitzen has been involved in lots of success for the Lady Bears over the years, especially in the 2015-16 season when the Lady Bears were MVC tournament champions and earned a spot in the NCAA Tournament. Gitzen knows what it takes to reach that level and hopes this year’s squad can earn a spot in March Madness.

“We want to have a successful season, and obviously the end goal is playing in the postseason and getting into the NCAA tournament,” Gitzen said. “Going to the NCAA tournament was probably the most exciting

thing I’ve done here.”

On a more personal level, Gitzen wants to continue her impressive play on the defensive end and is shooting for an honor she hasn’t received yet, MVC All-Conference honors.

“It’d be nice to make all-conference, and all-defensive team again, and I definitely have to work hard for that, but we’ll see,” Gitzen said. “I also want to have a positive assist to turnover ratio — I want to be a little bit more of a scoring threat while still able to get my teammates open for better shots.”

And, she won’t forget the memories made with her teammates anytime soon.

“Just being a part of the team and hanging out with the girls and getting to know people from such different backgrounds but somehow all work together and mesh well is something I’ll always cherish,” Gitzen said.

The Missouri State Lady Bears will start their season with two straight games on the road on Nov. 10 against Wichita State and a matchup against Mizzou on Nov. 13. The Lady Bears will play their first game of the season in JQH Arena on Nov. 17 at 2 p.m. against Ball State.

Photos by BILL SIOHOLM/ THE STANDARD

Senior Danielle Gitzen charges down the court during a game against Lincoln.

Gitzen has been a key player for the Lady Bears since her freshman year. She won MVC All-Defensive Player of the Year and the Lady Bears’ Most Improved Player award in 2018.

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Sophomore class to lead with experience MONICA BLAKE Sports Reporter @monicablak3 This year’s young team of Lady Bears is dominated, number-wise, by the sophomore class. Of the 14 names on the roster, the sophomore class takes six spots. This is the largest class on the team, followed by five freshmen, two juniors and one senior.

“We have quite a few young players that we will be watching to see how they grow and develop early this year,” head coach Kellie Harper said.

With such a young roster, the sophomores are ready to take a bigger role on this team.

“I think it will help us overall, being upperclassmen but also underclassmen at the same time,” sophomore Brice Calip said.

Calip is a key player for this Bears team.

Last year, as a redshirt freshman, Calip appeared in all 33 games, starting in 30 of them.

She ranked second on the 2017-18 team in minutes behind star Liza Fruendt.

Fruendt graduated last year and ended her career as one of five players in MSU history with 1,500 points, 400 rebounds and 200 3-pointers.

Calip averaged 7.2 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.1 steals per game last year. She also put together a 1.47 assist-to-turnover ratio, the fourth-best ever for an MSU freshman with at least 75 assists.

“Going into this season, Brice Calip is a different player,” Harper said. “She’s been a really good leader and looks consistent. I think she is one of the players where we know what we’re going to get from her.”

Forward Abby Hipp also played in every game during the 2017-18 season as a true freshman. She averaged 3.5 points and 2.5 rebounds per game while shooting 54 percent from the field, becoming the ninth Lady Bear freshman to shoot above 50 percent with at least 90 attempts.

Center Emily Gartner returned to the court as a redshirt freshman last year after suffering a knee injury. She averaged 3.3 points and 3.2 rebounds in 9.8 minutes per game.

“Emily Gartner feels more comfortable than she did this time last year,” Harper said.

Bears fans will be excited to see Gartner back on the court this year.

“Our fans are very familiar with Emily’s big personality on the court,” Harper said.

Guard Elle Ruffridge was another key freshman last year. Ruffridge played in all

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Brice Calip, a sophomore, shoots a penalty shot. The Lady Bears dominated over Lincoln 100-54 at JQH Arena on Nov. 4.

33 games, averaging 3.2 points and 1.8 rebounds in 13.5 minutes. She scored a total of 19 3-pointers and went 21-24 from the foul line.

Guard Bri Ellis and forward Sydney Schultz round out the rest of the sophomore class, combining for 22 points on the season last year.

Harper said with a team this young, she has to take a slightly different coaching approach.

“You have to have patience,” Harper said.

“But at the same time, this group is picking things up pretty quickly.”

A key to the sophomore classes success is their relationship off the field.

“We actually hang out a lot,” Calip said.

“We go to study hall together, joke around on the sidelines, we make sure we keep up with each other in practice and push each other to the best of our abilities. We all have different personalities, and it fits well together.”

Harper said coaching this group of young girls has been fun so far and they continue to progress.

“We’re kind of like the nucleus,” Calip said.

“We need to build a strong camaraderie right now to lead us through the next few seasons.”

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Harper kids add personal touch to Lady Bears KYLE DERRINGER Sports Reporter @Kyle_Derringer

the load of their own kids to take care of after practice, games and film sessions. “(Having a second child) is much harder than one, and that’s the truth,” Kellie said. “It’s been really busy.”

When the Harpers are not at the court, they love spending their downtime hanging out with their kids.

“It is crazy at times and nonstop, but we all enjoy each other and really enjoy spending time with our kids,” Kellie said. “It’s a huge part of our lives.”

Having their children around allows the Harpers to keep their family close with their rigorous coaching schedules.

Having both parents work at the same place creates an opportunity to let the Harper kids be around the program and be involved all the time.

“I think it’s important for our kids to be involved in our lives,” Kellie said. “We are immersed in our jobs. We spend a lot of time for this program with these players. It is important to me for our kids to feel part of that.”

Their unconventional lifestyle of having parents who are coaches on the same team will always give the Harper kids a one-in-a million childhood that teaches them things the classroom will never have the opportunity to.

The Lady Bears coaching staff has a duo most professions would never allow to happen.

Lady Bears head coach Kellie Harper and assistant coach Jon Harper, as their names suggest, are married and have been coaching together for the past 18 seasons.

They are hitched to the game of basketball as well. Not only do the two teach the Lady Bears on and off the court, the Harpers have two of their own little Bears to coach the game of life to as well.

Kellie gave birth to their daughter Kiley this summer. They also have a 4-year-old son named Jackson, who is always around his parents and the team at practices and games.

The Lady Bears’ family atmosphere is felt every day when Jackson runs around the team facilities, while the parent Harpers have led the Lady Bears to 94 victories in the past five seasons.

Kellie said that the family atmosphere during her playing days helped in having Jackson around with the Lady Bears.

“I think it’s a great way to grow up and was very fortunate to play for Pat Summitt at the University of Tennessee, and her son traveled with us everywhere,” Kellie said. “I was able to see first-hand what environment that can be.

It has been really wonderful for our son who loves and adores our players.”

Jackson is known around the women’s program to always lighten the mood and bring a certain sense of youthful playfulness to lighten the team’s spirit.

“Jackson is great; Kiley is great,” senior guard Danielle Gitzen said. “(Kiley) is adorable. If you are having a bad day, you can go over to Jackson and give him a big hug. He is always smiling.”

Not only does having the Harper kids around help bring a family atmosphere to the program, the Harpers get to show the Lady Bears what being a family is all about.

“They enjoy being around our kids,” Kellie said. “Jackson enjoys being around the players.

I think it shows a different side of their coaches.

I’m yelling at them, constantly demanding of them, and then they turn around and see me being a mother. I think it’s really good for our players.”

The Harper kids allow the players to see a different side of Kellie.

BRADLEY BALSTERS/THE STANDARD “I think it’s important for our players to see Head coach Kellie Harper draws up a our kids,” Kellie said. It humanizes us a bit.” play during a timeout in the 2017-18 With the addition of their second child this summer, the Harpers will have double Lady Bears season.

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50 years later Graphic by BILL SIOHOLM/THE STANDARD

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Five decades of the Lady Bears MONICA BLAKE Sports Reporter @monicablak3 This year is the 50th year of competition for the Missouri State women’s basketball team.

The program has grown and developed since its inaugural season, 1969-70, and the Bears hope for continued success this year.

The Lady Bears program has put together 14 NCAA Tournament appearances over the years. They progressed to two Final Four trips, 1992 and 2001, and a Sweet 16 appearance in 1993.

The women’s basketball team has racked up the second-most NCAA appearances of any Bears team; trailing just behind is the women’s volleyball team, which has 13.

The MSU baseball team, which has had huge success in recent years, has traveled to the national tournament 11 times.

The men’s basketball program has only six Division I NCAA appearances.

In addition to their NCAA tournament appearances, the Lady Bears have had their fair share of Women’s National Invitation Tournament bids as well.

They have appeared eight times, winning the championship in 2005.

In their 50 years of play, the Bears have a 60 percent winning

Graphic by BILL SIOHOLM/THE STANDARD

rate and an overall record of 670-434. This includes 33 seasons of winning records.

The Bears competed in the MIAWA from 1969-81. A conference realignment resulted in the Bears playing in the Gateway Collegiate Athletic Conference for 10 seasons.

In 1992, Missouri State landed in the Missouri Valley Conference, which they still compete in today.

The Lady Bears have won their conference tournament 10 times, most recently in 2016.

In addition, they were regular season conference champions 12 times, most recently in 2012.

From 1990-96, the Bears won five conference tournaments, seven regular season conference titles, competed in six NCAA appearances, advanced to the Sweet 16 twice and advanced to the Final Four once.

Following this run came Jackie Stiles, the current assistant coach. Stiles played for MSU from 1997-2001. She is the No. 2 NCAA all-time leading scorer with 3,393 points.

During her four years at Missouri State, the Bears appeared in four NCAA tournaments, advancing to the Final Four for the second time in school history in 2001.

The Bears continued to succeed after Stiles graduated from the program, competing in three more NCAA tournaments from 2003-06.

After 10 years without an NCAA appearance, the Bears won their conference tournament and traveled to the NCAA tournament in 2016.

With a young team this season, the Lady Bears hope to build the framework to get back to their tradition.

“Our goal is to be the best basketball team we can be and hopefully that team can be a championship team,” said current head coach Kellie Harper.

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Women’s team to participate in Roo Holiday classic MONICA BLAKE Sports Reporter @monicablak3 The Missouri State women’s basketball team will compete in one travel tournament in the 2018-19 season. The Roo Holiday classic will be hosted by the University of Missouri-Kansas City, Dec. 20-21.

“It won’t be a true tournament setup, so it’s not winner versus winner, but it’s two games in two days,” head coach Kellie Harper said.

“I think the really important thing about having something like that is that it mimics the postseason tournament.”

There are two Bears on the roster from the Kansas City area; sophomore Abby Hipp and freshman Sydney Wilson.

“We’re really excited to be going over there; we’re taking a few players home,” Harper said.

The Bears will take on Louisiana Tech on Thursday, Dec. 20. Last year, Louisiana Tech finished their season 19-12. Louisiana Tech will likely be seeking revenge, as they lost to Missouri State in the first round of the Women’s National Invitation Tournament to end last year’s season. History favors the Bears, though, as they have won three out of four games against Louisiana Tech.

“When you play in tournaments, you get to play against teams you don’t normally play,” senior guard Danielle Gitzen said. “Neither team has a home court advantage, and that’s different and beneficial.”

The Bears will then take on Southern Illinois

University-Edwardsville the next day, Friday, Dec. 21.

“In the (Missouri Valley Conference) tournament, you’re going to have games back-toback,” Gitzen said. “At the end of the season, we can use that and go off of that to be successful at the end.”

Since UMKC is hosting the tournament, the team will get a chance to play “against” an old teammate, Liza Fruendt. Fruendt is currently the graduate assistant coach at UMKC. “It’s very rewarding, and it’s very gratifying to see you one of your former players in this field,” Harper said. “I feel like Liza’s going to be a terrific coach.”

Fruendt was showered with accolades during her time at MSU. She ended her career with 1,656 total points, ranking seventh in school history, and ended her senior season with 505 points, making her the sixth Bear to score more than 500 points in multiple seasons.

“I’m really excited about her future in this profession,” Harper said. “And it also makes me feel really good about what we did here because you don’t go into this profession if you did not enjoy your career.”

Gitzen is excited to see Fruendt and support her in her new role as a coach.

“Me and her definitely grew really close here when she was playing,” Gitzen said. “I’m super excited for her — happy for her that she’s able to be a GA for UMKC. It’ll be exciting to see how she’s transitioned more into the coaching role and see how she’s able to help.”

File photo by BAILEY VASSALLI/ THE STANDARD

Former guard Liza Freundt, now a coach at University of MissouriKansas City, dribbles past two opponents.

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