Women's Basketball Ready For Exciting Season
Oct 28, 2003 | Women's Basketball
Oct. 28, 2003
NEW ORLEANS, La. - - A quick sample of the music listened to by the members of the Tulane women's basketball team would probably yield many of today's top hits. Hip Hop artists like OutKast and 50 Cent would most likely vie for time with such artists as Pink, Limp Bizkit, Alan Jackson and John Mayer.
But, if the Tulane women's basketball team were to search for a theme song for the 2003-04 campaign, the Wave players might very well have to look to the music of their parents' generation for Bob Dylan's The Times They Are A-Changin'.
Though the Green Wave has no plans to change its tradition of success - one that has seen nine consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances and seven 20-win seasons - the squad will have a new look this year.
For almost a decade, the Green Wave has been a post-oriented team. After all, dating back to the 1994-95 season, Tulane has had a center on its roster who would go on to a career in the WNBA. This season, however, though post play will still be a team strength, the Green Wave will unveil a new up-tempo, guard-oriented line-up for the 2003-04 campaign.
"We will have a different style of play than we have had in the past," Stockton said. "The last few years we have had a big center that has been the focal point of our offense. This year, however, our posts are very quick and athletic and I think we will have a style of play that really suits our team. A lot of it is going to be fun with some pressing and full-court defenses and some different looks on offense. I think the players will really like what we are going to do this year. They have really adapted to this new style so far during our individual workouts. Our fans should enjoy it, too."
One place with only minor changes this season is the Green Wave bench. Head coach Lisa Stockton enters her 10th season at the helm of the women's basketball program, looking to lead the Wave to its 10th NCAA Tournament appearance. Easily the winningest coach in Tulane basketball history and among the Top 15 winningest active coaches in the nation, Stockton has won nearly 75 percent of her games while in New Orleans. Assistants Kellie Kennedy and Michele Savage also return to the sidelines, and they will welcome former local AAU and high school coach Christy Thieler to the staff.
With the change in both offensive and defensive philosophy, Stockton and the Green Wave are looking forward to an exciting year.
"The thing I have been most impressed with is the attitude of our players. Some of them really see this as an opportunity to step up. The mindset of the team has been very good. And we as a staff are really excited about this season because it is a new challenge for us."
Leading the charge into the 2003-04 campaign is a trio of versatile seniors who each bring something different to the line-up.
Delacey Joseph enters her final season as the Wave's leading returning scorer and should benefit greatly from the Wave's new up-tempo offense. A senior guard from nearby Donaldsonville, Joseph averaged nearly 10.0 points and 4.5 rebounds a year ago and was named to the DoubleTree Classic All-Tournament team for the second straight season. And at 6-0, Joseph brings some height and athletic ability to the Green Wave perimeter.
"Delacey will play a much different role for us this year than she has done in the past," Stockton said. "We're looking for her to be more consistent and more of a scorer for us this season. What we're doing offensively will benefit her game more than the style we played in the past. She'll have more opportunities to drive to the basket and to create a little bit. When you have those post players inside like we have had in the past, it makes it tougher to do that."
Joining Joseph in the backcourt is fellow senior Kelly Nadeau, a native of Hudson, N.H. One of just three players to start all 29 games last season, the 5-6 Nadeau will once again be the Wave's first-choice at the point guard spot, though she also has the ability to play off-guard as evidenced by her 44 three-pointers a season ago. One of the Wave's most consistent players, Nadeau led the Wave, and ranked among the Conference USA leaders, in both assists and steals last season.
"Nadeau is one of our most consistent outside shooters, though she doesn't look for her shot as much since she is such a playmaker," Stockton said. "We will certainly look for her to score with her outside shot this year. She has probably the most experience of any of our players and we're going to look to her for consistency more than anything."
Also returning for her final season in a Tulane uniform is forward Tiffany Wilson. A swing player from Marietta, Ga., Wilson earned a spot in the starting line-up for the final eight games of last year. A versatile player who can put the ball on the floor, the 5-11 Wilson also provides a valuable rebounding and defensive presence.
"Tiffany has done very well so far this fall," Stockton said. "She gives us defensive intensity and strong rebounding, which is something we have to replace from last season. We need her to start this season the way she finished the last two. She has been very focused so far.
"I think we have a great combination of personalities in this senior class," Stockton continued. "This is probably the most unselfish group of seniors we have had in a while. They fit very well in to a variety of roles. They all add something different, whether it is emotion, or maturity on the court or just steadiness. That's been really good for our team. They, and even Tymeka Moore who is a fourth-year junior, have definitely taken on the leadership role for the younger kids."
Moore, for her part, would be in that senior class had she not redshirted as a true freshman. A junior from Houston, Texas, Moore is perhaps the most athletic player on the team and can play both on the perimeter and in the post. Her playing time increased down the stretch last season and her knowledge of the game has improved as well. Listed as a 5-11 guard, Moore often found herself posting up other guards, resulting in her 53.8 field goal percentage - the second-highest mark on the team.
"Tymeka is going to play a very versatile role for us this season," Stockton said. "Her athletic ability gives us a presence on both ends of the floor and she has the ability to play in the post as well as in the backcourt. Her scoring has really improved, as has her understanding of the game. She gained a lot of experience toward the end of last year and hopefully that will carry over into this season."
Another player who improved throughout last season and who will be counted on increasingly this season is junior Lakethia Hampton. A 6-0 post player from New Orleans, Hampton (known as "Country" to the Wave) has the ability to put points on the board either posting up or facing the basket. She also has a nose for the basket with nearly as many offensive rebounds as defensive ones.
"We are really counting on Country for her ability to rebound and score," Stockton said. "I have been extremely impressed with her focus this fall. She's come back in great shape, and her game has really improved. She's ready to step up and be someone that we can count on game in and game out. How she plays is huge for us."
Junior Kinya Lennix returns for her third year as well, looking to continue the improvement she made last season. A 5-9 guard from nearby LaPlace, La., Lennix is another quick, athletic guard who should benefit from the Wave's new up-tempo style of play.
"I was so impressed with the improvement in Kinya's game last year," Stockton said. "She can defend in the fullcourt, she can rebound, she can score. She has a great ability to pass the ball, but we have to keep her as an offensive threat for us. If we can get that kind of intensity from her the whole year, then she will be another player who can do a lot of things for us."
As the old adage goes, you can't coach size. And after losing five players from last season's team that stood 6-0 or taller, no one quite knows the truth behind that statement like the Green Wave. Enter sophomore Shelly Cayette, a native of St. James, La., who stands at 6-4. Ready to step into the void left by the departure of current professional players Teana McKiver and Gwen Slaughter, Cayette is looking forward to her opportunity to make an impact on the Green Wave.
"I think Shelly will also really benefit from our new up-tempo style of play," Stockton said. "Even though she is 6-4, she is a very agile player. I think we need to take advantage of her height and her agility. She has really improved since she's been here. But I think the greatest thing is that she sees this as a chance to step up. It was a little difficult for her to do that last year, because she was a freshman with two fifth-year seniors in front of her. But she has a nice, soft touch around the basket and has the ability to score and block shots."
Returning to the line-up is sophomore D'Aundra Henry. A combo guard with the ability to score, set up teammates and defend, the 5-8 Henry should push for time in the backcourt early in the season. She is another quick, athletic guard who should thrive in the Wave's up-tempo system of play.
"Even last year, when she was adjusting to the college game, we saw glimpses of how talented D'Aundra could be," Stockton said. "She really is a tremendous athlete who can score and defend, so we are going to look to her on both ends of the floor. I think she has impressed me the most so far in individual workouts."
New to the Green Wave line-up this year is junior Natalie Walsh, a native of Slidell, La.. A transfer from Wofford, Walsh brings both experience and a long-range jump shot to the team. A member of the Southern Conference All-Tournament team in 2002 and the SoCon All-Freshman team in 2001, the 5-6 Walsh also brings a competitive nature.
"Natalie was an excellent player at Wofford and we are excited to have her on the team this year," Stockton said. "I saw her competitiveness in high school and college. She just plays the game extremely well and will extend a lot of defenses with her outside shooting."
In years past, the Green Wave were fortunate enough to allow its new players to adjust slowly to the college game, contributing at their own pace. This year, however, marks a slight change to that policy.
"As a group, this freshman class is really, really talented," Stockton said. "They're in a unique position where we will need them to contribute as quickly as possible, which is unusual for us. How quickly each of them will fit into the line-up depends on their own individual development, but they are an excellent class in terms of talent."
Destiny Drew, a native of Houston, Texas, is an aggressive "banger" who has done a great job adjusting to the Wave's system of play and could see time early in the season. Jami Montagnino, from Baton Rouge, is a tough player, who, according to Stockton, "will find a way to get on the court." Courtney Simmons, another Baton Rouge product, is recovering from knee surgery, but has shown a remarkable recovery speed and could add another defensive presence on the floor. Cashmir White, from Hahnville, La., is another player with size and good hands.
"I think this year will definitely be a work in progress," Stockton said. "We will have some balance, where a different person may step up every night. I think the team will progress as each player develops her role, so it is hard to say where we will be even in December. It's a team without a true star, and that has given us perhaps the best chemistry we've had since I've been here. This is a different team than what we've had in the past, and it will be interesting to see how everyone responds to the changes. It should be a fun, exciting year."
