USF Women's Basketball Preview from C-USA

[Apis Bull]

10.5.2004

USF Women's Basketball Preview

With the 2004-05 USF women's basketball team coming off its most successful season last year - and taking part in its first ever postseason appearance facing Richmond in the first round of the Women's National Invitation Tournament - the Bulls found a level of confidence that they weren't sure existed. The loss to the Spiders also left a sense of unfinished business and motivation for the team as it enters this season.

"Advancing to the postseason last year was a new experience for us," said Head Coach Jose Fernandez, "and with our team being so young I'm not so sure that our kids really knew how good they were and whether they belonged in the WNIT or not. But our coaching staff certainly believed in how good we were and knew that we could compete in that environment. Despite the fact that Richmond was a very good ball club - an experienced ball club - the loss to them left a bitter taste in our team's mouth at the end of the year."

"That game really taught a lot to our younger players and some of our rising seniors as to what the postseason is really about and the importance of a game like that," said Fernandez. "We saw, in that game, some things that we haven't seen all season in terms of players stepping up and becoming leaders down the stretch of the season. That's going to go a long way this year in the development of our basketball program."

Fernandez, who is entering his fifth year at the helm of the women's basketball program at USF, loses just three players off of last year's roster while returning 10 including all five starters. In addition, last year's team was probably the most versatile in the program's history, however with a solid recruiting class the Bulls have added to that versatility and raise their expectations for another successful season.

The cornerstones of USF's returnees this year proved to be the most dominating freshmen tandem in Conference USA last year in forward Jessica Dickson and center Nalini Miller.

Dickson, the reigning C-USA Freshman of the Year, second team All-Conference, and All-Freshmen team member, also earned Freshman All-American honors (GballMag.com) after leading the nation's rookies in scoring averaging 18.6 points per game. She tallied a whopping 21.1 points per contest in league games while amassing 540 points on the year, which was a Conference USA and USF freshman scoring record. That total was also the second most ever scored in a single season for the Bulls.

Dickson was not only a factor offensively, but was also second on the team in rebounding grabbing 6.1 per game, second in assists handing out 1.7 per outing, and proved to be the teams "Iron Woman" averaging a team high 34.3 minutes per game.

"Jessica Dickson has an unbelievable career ahead of her," said Fernandez, "and I think that she is one of the best players in the country regardless of class. What makes Jessica so successful is that she is a tremendous individual. She doesn't have an ego, she doesn't have a chip on her shoulder, and she just comes in every day and just works her tail off. When she graduates from USF she will be one of the best players - men or women - to ever wear a Bulls jersey. The scary part about Jess is that she hasn't even come close to tapping her potential."

Miller had a solid freshman season however struggled at times during the second half of the year. She joined Dickson on the All-Freshmen team after finishing second on the team in scoring, netting 10.4 points per game, and pacing the team on the boards grabbing 7.6 per contest.

Perhaps where her dominance was most apparent was on the defensive end of the floor. She led the team and finished second in Conference USA in blocked shots swatting 1.7 per game. Her 47 rejections quickly established her as one of the top shot blockers in school history as she finished tied for second on the school's single season list and sixth on the Bulls' career ledger.

"Nalini, like Jess, also has a tremendous amount of potential and has proven to be able to be a force," said Fernandez. "She just needs to focus mentally both on-and-of the basketball floor. The big thing is that she needs to overcome adversity. Physically, I think that she can play against anyone in the country. But she needs to play every possession like it's the last one of the game. That's something she needs to focus on more."

Leading USF in the backcourt is the team's third leading scorer and team leader in assists, senior guard Anedra Gilmore. Gilmore averaged 7.8 points per game and handed out six assists per outing, which was also good enough for second in C-USA.

Gilmore, like Miller, also proved to be a considerable defensive threat. She led the team in steals with 75 and was sixth in the league.

"Anedra is very simply our floor leader, point guard, and a senior, and those three responsibilities say a lot," Fernandez said. "She did a great job last year running our team and seeing the floor. She is a tough competitor and we don't expect anything different from her this year."

Joining Gilmore in the backcourt, and playing the two guard, is sophomore Rachael Sheats. Sheats started last season slowly but picked up the pace in the second half of the year to become one of USF's more dangerous players. She averaged 6.4 points per game on the year, which was fourth on the team, and was second in scoring in C-USA games netting 10.1 points per outing. She led the team in field goal percentage hitting an impressive 51.4% (75-146) of her shots from the floor and was second in steals with 39.

"One thing that Rachael needs to work on is her perimeter shooting, and I know she has," Fernandez said. "She is a great defender and had the role last year of defending the opposition's best perimeter player. It was her job to take that responsibility and make it personal and stop that player, and she did."

Junior Sharon Cambridge looks to continue her quick development as she adds depth in the middle for USF. The Bulls' 2003-04 Most Improved Player, Cambridge averaged 4.9 points per game after netting just 2.2 points per game as a sophomore. A tireless worker, she was also third on the team in blocked shots with 11.

"Sharon has played in almost every game that she has suited up for," Fernandez said. "Her energy, her leadership, her enthusiasm, she just keeps getting better and better, and the sky is the limit with her potential."

Also expected to have big season is junior forward Ezria Parsons. Parsons, who saw her first action at USF last year after transferring from Auburn, finished the year averaging 4.8 points per game and was fourth on the team in rebounding grabbing six per contest.

Parsons, who has a cutting and slashing style of play, has the potential to be a major offensive threat for the Bulls, however she must stay healthy and become more consistent.

"Ezria was hampered by injuries all season long last year," said Fernandez, "although she finished the year on a good note. She is a kid that scores facing the basket, she's good from 15-17 feet in, and she is a tremendous rebounder especially on the offensive end. I think that offensively she is gaining more confidence in her game. She was a starter for us down the stretch and we expect good things from her this year at the four spot."

Senior forward Alana Tanksley will look to regain her stroke from behind the three-point arc. Despite being one of just two players to hit better than 30% from three-point range, her 30.4% (21-69) was far less than her near 40% from behind the arc during the 2002-03 campaign.

Tanksley averaged 4.7 points per game and was fifth on the team in field goal percentage hitting 38.3% (46-120) of her shots from the floor.

"Alana is probably our best three-point shooter," said Fernandez. "I told her that if she can come in off the bench, and give us a lift with her shooting, and if she is shooting well, that will open things up offensively. By her shooting well people are going to be concerned about Nalini inside and about Jess out on the perimeter. When her feet are set, she can knock it down."

Two players that will return for USF this year after injuries and should add considerable depth at their respective positions are senior guard Tristen Webb and junior forward Rae Rae Sayles.

Webb, one of the Bulls' scoring threats entering the 2003-04 season, saw action in just 16 games before tearing the ACL in her left knee at Saint Louis on January 23. To that point, Webb had been averaging 4.8 points per game and had just started to break out offensively.

"Tristen has been here for three years and it has been hard on her," Fernandez said. "Her role has changed so many times. We've moved her from wing to point guard and back to the wing, but one thing that she can do - and it has remained consistent through all of the changes - is that she can create her own shot and attack the basket. We just hope that she can come back healthy this year."

Sayles played in just five games for USF before sitting out the remainder of the season for medical reasons. At the time of her departure she had been averaging 8.6 points per outing and seven rebounds per contest.

Her return will give the Bulls that extra scoring punch that it lacked at times last season. She is also one of the more versatile players on the floor being able to play everything from the off guard spot to the power forward.

"Rae Rae is such a threat for us because she can play so many positions," said Fernandez. "She can shoot the three, she can create, and she can post. She just adds another piece to the puzzle and makes us deeper just because she can shoot the basketball, she can defend, and is athletic. She is a very talented basketball player."

USF will also welcome four newcomers to this year's team - one junior college transfer and three freshmen.

Junior guard Chanae Early will push Gilmore at the point after helping Trinity Valley Community College to a perfect 36-0 record and a National Junior College Athletic Association National Championship. Like Gilmore, who also turned in a perfect record and national title during her last year in the JUCO ranks, Early comes to USF with tremendous leadership qualities and a label as a "true floor general."

Early averaged 7.9 points and 5.4 assists per outing while playing in all 36 contests. In addition, she averaged 2.3 steals and 1.8 rebounds per game for the national champions.

Early could be teamed up with Gilmore this season giving the Bulls one of the fastest backcourts in women's college basketball.

"We are very excited to bring in a player with Chanae Early's experience," said Fernandez. "Chanae brings a lot to the table at both ends of the floor. She makes an already strong point guard position - with Anedra (Gilmore) - even stronger and our backcourt will be that much more difficult to defend. There are a lot of times that you might see her and Anedra in the backcourt together. I know it would be a strong lineup, but defensively they are going to be tough defending the ball"

Tamara Dowdell is a versatile left-handed post player who can create match up problems for defenders. She needs to get stronger and develop more to be truly effective. A player with tremendous potential, Dowdell is coming off a senior season that saw her average 20 points and 15 rebounds per game while earning first team All-State honors.

"We are very excited to have Tamara Dowdell join our program," said Fernandez. "She is a very versatile post player who is going to add tremendous depth to our front line. Tamara is also an athletic player who can run the floor and is extremely active on the glass."

Nicole Munneke is another newcomer that brings tremendous versatility to the hardwood where she can play either the three or four spots on the floor. The Minnesota native was a five-time letterwinner in high school and tallied better than 1,000 points and 500 rebounds during her scholastic career.

As a senior, Munneke tallied 16 points and 5.3 rebounds per contest and was a finalist for the Minnesota Miss Basketball Award.

"Nikky is going to add to our ball club which I think we need," said Fernandez. "She can shoot the ball from anywhere. She, however, needs to work on her foot speed and her quickness."

Local product Chi Chi Okpaleke is a talented scorer who has tremendous potential. She earned the Hillsborough County Player of the Year Award as a junior and senior. Last year she averaged 18.7 points and 9.2 rebounds per contest in addition to 2.9 assists and 2.9 blocked shots per game.

"Any time you can sign the Hillsborough County Player of the Year, I think it's great for the university and the community," said Fernandez. "It's the first area player that I've had since I've been here and I think that she can step right in and help us down the road in our final year in Conference USA, and as we head into the BIG EAST (2005-06). She is a versatile player that can play inside and outside."

C-USA

[The Sheriff]

We need a winning record this year or it might be time to pull the plug. Jose has finally got the talent for us to excel... I say we end up 20-10. Jose stays and we have momentum moving into the Big East. Give them hell Jose... and run the table!