Wednesday, October 24, 2007

12 Days of A-Sun Basketball makes its second of three trips to Tennessee for a preview of ETSU. The Buccaneers won 20 games last season for the third time in program history and for the first time since 1994-95. ETSU features two members of the preseason All-Atlantic team in senior forward Michelle Devault and sophomore guard Siarre Evans. 

This season, the Buccaneers enter the season as one of the favorites to win the regular season title. The media picked ETSU to win title and to win the General Shale Brick Atlantic Sun Championship in March.

In 2006-07, ETSU topped the Atlantic Sun in scoring offense averaging 71.7 ppg. The Buccaneers were the only team in the league to top the 70-point barrier. The next closest team in scoring to ETSU was Jacksonville, at 66.2 ppg. ETSU totaled 2,294 points, the second-highest total in school history.

2007-08 ETSU Buccaneers

Coach Karen Kemp on the Buccaneeers

Team Page

Roster

Schedule

2006-07 Statistics

SEASON PREVIEW - (Courtesy ETSU Media Relations)

Coming off its second-ever postseason appearance and its third highest win total in program history, the 2007-08 ETSU Lady Buccaneers will look continue their success as they return 82.4 percent of their scoring and 88.5 percent rebounding from last season. The 20-12, 14-4 (Atlantic Sun) mark was the best season since head coach Karen Kemp took over the reigns in 1994. By returning 10 players from last year’s squad, ETSU will look to compile its third consecutive winning season for the first time in 23 years.

The Lady Bucs will have a deep bench this season as their roster features four seniors, five sophomores and four freshmen. Looking to lead the charge for ETSU will be senior Michele DeVault and sophomore Siarre Evans. DeVault started in all 32 contests last season, averaging a Buc-best 12.4 ppg and led the squad in free throw shooting with an 86.0 percentage. Evans, last seasons Atlantic Sun Freshmen of the Year, will join DeVault in the scoring department after averaging 12.2 ppg. Along with her scoring skills, the super sophomore will also be counted on to clean up around the boards as she led the team in rebounding, with 7.3 per contest.

Despite losing team captains Brooke Wilhoit and Holly Moring to graduation, along with Alisha Holmes (transferred), the 2007-08 Lady Buccaneers show enough firepower to contend for their first conference title since 1995, and the programs first-ever berth to the NCAA Tournament.

Below is a breakdown of the Lady Buccaneer squad and an inside look of what Coach Kemp expects from each player in 2007-08:

Seniors (4)

The senior class of Nichelle Akers, Jenny Norman, Kelly Turman and DeVault will be expected to lead the Lady Bucs both on and off the court during their final year at ETSU. Akers, Norman and DeVault started a combined 95 of 96 contests last season, while Turman was the leading scorer off the bench, averaging 8.2 per game. The seniors will have to step up and keep the team focused as they use their leadership to help guide the team to a run at the Atlantic Sun Championship.

Nichelle Akers (G) – Nichelle will have to step up and be the defensive stopper she was as a sophomore. She is the quickest player that I have ever coached and her role will be to stop our opponents best perimeter player.

Michele DeVault (G/F) – Michelle is a worker and she must continue to do this. She creates difficult match-ups for opponents, because she can play with her back to the basket or face up and shoot the three.

Jenny Norman (C) – Jenny made a lot of improvement last season, but she will be asked to step it up even more as a senior. Jenny will need to be more of a presence on the boards.

Kelly Turman (G) – Kelly is a scorer and she knows her role on this team. When we need points Kelly will have to step in and give us a lift in those game-time situations.

Sophomores (5)

After a talented rookie season where the freshmen were called upon to play like sophomores, this class will have another daunting task this season as they will have to step up a class and play like juniors. This class stepped up in a big way for the Lady Bucs last season, as three freshmen sensations received postseason conference honors. Siarre Evans, Devin Thompson and Latisha Belcher each received hardware from the A-Sun for their hard work on the floor, while TaRonda Wiles was recognized for her work in the classroom, as she was named to the A-Sun All-Academic list.

Latisha Belcher (F) – Latisha has the ability to be one of the top post players in the conference. Latisha needs to stay healthy and get a little stronger; by accomplishing this she will be hard to handle on both ends of the court. Tish loves to play defense and rebound which is great, but we will need her to become a little more offensive minded this year.

Siarre Evans (G) – What can I say about Siarre; she is a very gifted basketball player, and knows how to play the game. I have very high expectations for her this season. After being named Atlantic Sun Freshman of the Year, she can expect to see more pressure this season as all of our opponents will be keying in on her. I know she is ready for the challenge. Siarre worked extremely hard in the off season to improve her outside shooting and her defense. With improvements in these areas she will be the total package.

Brianna McClelland (F) – Brianna has worked extremely hard to improve her conditioning and overall game. I expect her to contribute to this year’s team especially with her defensive and rebounding abilities.

Devin Thompson (F) – Devin had a very good freshman year, and I expect her sophomore season to be even better. Devin worked hard in the weight room during the off-season and gained strength, which will help her game on both ends of the court. We will need for her to improve defensively and rebounding.

TaRonda Wiles (G) – TaRonda is one of the most natural basketball players that I have ever coached. She is very athletic and often makes moves that amaze me. “T” has the ability to be one of our best perimeter defenders because of her size and quickness. This should be a breakout year for her.

Freshman (4)

Once again coach Kemp and her staff did an excellent job finding top recruits that will be able to step right in and contribute for the Lady Bucs. The class features three guards and one post player; all who can expect to see significant minutes during their rookie campaign. Brittany Daniels received the nickname “Shaq” after averaging 23 points and 14 rebounds during her senior season at Randolph-Clay. Three guards expected to step in and fill the shoes of Wilhoit and Holmes, include Tara Davis, Kami Phillips, and Sabrina Treakle.

Brittany Daniels (F) – Brittany is a power post player, and is very good with her back to the basket. When she gets the ball she usually scores or gets to the free throw line. Brittany will have to improve her defensive foot work, but I feel she will be able to step in and contribute immediately.

Tara Davis (G) – Tara has a very good overall game. In high school, she had to do a lot of different things for her team, so she is skilled in many areas. I look for Tara to contribute to this team on both ends of the court.

Kami Phillips (G) – Kami is the fastest player on the team and will be competing for a starting position at the point. She is a great passer and loves to make the assist. Kami will have to learn how to play hard every second that she is on the court, when she understands this she will be a very good player for us.

Sabrina Treakle (G) – Sabrina will also compete for playing time at the point guard position. She brings a different look to this position because she is a scorer. Sabrina will have to work hard to improve her defensive game, but once she masters that area she will be a big threat as a freshman.

The Atlantic Sun

The Atlantic Sun features a divisional schedule in 2007-08, meaning teams in the same division will meet twice, while conference members in the other division will only face each other once. The Lady Bucs will be placed in the North Division with Lipscomb, Belmont, Gardner-Webb, Campbell, and USC-Upstate. The South Division consists of Jacksonville, Stetson, Florida Gulf Coast, North Florida, Mercer, and Kennesaw State.

North Florida, Kennesaw State, and Mercer are the three conference members from the south division that visit Johnson City, while Jacksonville, Stetson and FGCU mark the three road trips for ETSU.

After finishing tied for second last season with Jacksonville at 14-4, both teams are picked to be the leaders in 2007-08. The coaches voted Jacksonville the league’s top team in the preseason rankings, while the media had the Lady Bucs take home the trophy. Both Evans and DeVault were selected to the All-Conference Preseason Team.

The Atlantic Sun Tournament follows a rigorous regular season campaign, which will be hosted in Nashville by Lipscomb University. ETSU will look to avenge last year’s conference final loss to Belmont, and hoist the Atlantic Sun Championship trophy for the first time in school history.

The Non-Conference Schedule

A first-ever trip to the Preseason WNIT, road games to BIG EAST foe Georgetown, SEC challenger Alabama and Atlantic 10 Tournament Champion Xavier, six 2007 postseason tournament participants, and 13 home contests all await the ETSU women’s basketball team in 2007-08. For the eighth consecutive year the Lady Bucs will open on the road, as they face Western Kentucky in the first round of the WNIT.

Following the WNIT, the Lady Bucs head back to Johnson City, and host Southern Conference Tournament Champion Chattanooga in their home opener on Tuesday, Nov. 20. ETSU remains home for the conclusion of the month of November and the beginning of December as Evansville (Nov. 24) and Big South Tournament Champion UNC Asheville (Dec. 1) visit Memorial Center.

ETSU then embarks on a five-game road trip, marking its longest of the season. The trip spans from Dec. 6 through Jan. 2, and includes trips to Davidson (Dec. 6), Xavier (Dec. 16), Radford (Dec. 20), Georgetown (Dec. 22), and Alabama (Jan. 2).

Rounding out the non-conference portion of the schedule is Liberty and Appalachian State. The Lady Bucs host the Lady Flames on Jan. 8, while ETSU travels to Boone, N.C. to face the Mountaineers on Jan. 16.

12 Days of A-Sun Basketball Schedule
Oct. 22 - Belmont
Oct. 23 - Campbell
Oct. 24 - ETSU
Oct. 25 - Florida Gulf Coast
Oct. 26 - Gardner-Webb
Oct. 29 - Jacksonville
Oct. 30 - Kennesaw State
Oct. 31 - Lipscomb
Nov. 1 - Mercer
Nov. 2 - UNF
Nov. 5 - USC Upstate
Nov. 6 - Stetson