2002-03 Women's Basketball Outlook
After two straight Great Lakes Valley Conference
Tournament championships, consecutive NCAA Division II Sweet Sixteen
appearances, and a trip to the NCAA II Elite Eight, expectations are high for
the University of Southern Indiana women's basketball team.
However, for the Screaming Eagles to earn their third straight GLVC Tournament
championships and Sweet Sixteen appearances, they will have to find a way to
replace the 66.7 points and 25.7 rebounds per game that are gone from last
season.
USI lost seven players from last season's squad, including two All-GLVC
performers and an All-American.
For the Eagles to reach the Elite Eight for the second time in three seasons,
they will have to rebuild a nucleus that posted a 55-10 record the last two
seasons.
"Rebuilding," however, is one term Head Coach Rick Stein and his staff do
not like to use.
"Reloading" is the term this staff refers to as it reflects something they have
done quite well in recent years.
After losing 39.5 points, 19 rebounds, two All-GLVC players, and an All-American
from a team that won the Great Lakes Regional Championship, Stein and his staff
reloaded to post 27 wins and earn USI's second straight GLVC Tournament title.
This season, Stein looks to five returnees, including All-GLVC honorable mention
center Africa Sherrod (Ft. Lauderdale, Florida), and nine newcomers to
reload. Sherrod averaged 11.2 points, 6.0 rebounds per contest, and was twice
named GLVC "Player of the Week."
Joining Sherrod is senior guard/forward Sarah McIntosh (Cabery, Illinois)
and senior guard Bethany Miller (Princeton, Indiana).
McIntosh came on strong down the stretch for USI, recording a season-best 16
points against Bellarmine University in the last week of the regular season and
15 points against the University of Wisconsin-Parkside in the GLVC Tournament.
In her last seven games, McIntosh averaged 7.3 points per game, more than double
that of her season average.
Miller needs to continue her solid play at the point guard position in 2002-03.
In three seasons with USI, the Eagles have counted on her to distribute the ball
and play solid defense. She has not let them down as she enters the season
needing 52 assists and 25 steals to crack the top five at USI in both
categories.
Last season, Miller averaged 2.7 points and 2.2 assists off the bench. She was
limited to just 25 games during her junior campaign due to injury.
USI will look for more production out of sophomore guards Amber Calhoun
(Evansville, Indiana) and April Williams (Lyons, Indiana). Both saw
limited action in 2001-02, but gained valuable experience from their freshman
campaign.
The Eagles will have nine newcomers on the 2002-03 roster. Stein recruited four
players from the junior college ranks, four from the high school ranks, and will
add USI volleyball standout Shannon Wells (Merrillville, Indiana) at the
end of the volleyball season.
Wells, who will have two years of eligibility, is the USI volleyball team's
all-time leader in career kills and service aces and ranks among the best in
career digs.
The junior class includes transfers Lindsey Cooper (Cedar Rapids, Iowa),
Buffy Graves (Mullins, South Carolina), and Shajuan Lindsey (Midlotian,
Illinois).
A 5'10" forward from Kirkwood Community College, Cooper averaged 8.5 points and
4.0 rebounds on KCC's 2002 NJCAA Division II National Championship team. She
also was named second team All-Region and KCC Defensive Player of the Year last
season.
Graves, who adds depth at the guard and small
forward positions, averaged 7.5 points as a sophomore and 10.2 points as a
freshman at Louisburg Junior College. She helped Louisburg to two NJCAA Region X
championships.
A two-time All-Region performer at Illinois Central College, Lindsey helped ICC
to a 32-3 record and a third-place finish in the NJCAA II National Tournament in
2001-02. The 5'10" forward averaged 8.3 points and 3.6 rebounds in 32 games as a
sophomore. She averaged 10.1 points as a freshman.
The sophomore class includes transfer Megan Nelson (Clarendon Hills,
Illinois). Nelson, a 6'2" forward/center, averaged 14 points and nine rebounds
per game as a freshman and helped lead the College of DuPage to a 27-4 record
and the 2002 NJCAA Division III National Championship.
The Eagles have added four freshmen to their 2002-03 squad. That list includes
5'11" guard/forward Ashley Green (Otterbein, Indiana). As a senior, Green
averaged 17 points per contest, shot 82 percent from the free throw line, and
led Benton Central High School with 72 steals. She was second on the team in
rebounds, blocks, and assists.
Green will be joined by guard/forward Amanda Lechlitner (Mishawaka,
Indiana), forward Meghann Schenk (Evansville, Indiana), and
forward/center Hollie Johnson (Bedford, Indiana).
Lechlitner averaged 9.6 points and 4.1 rebounds per game as a senior at Penn
High School and earned All-Northern Indiana Conference. Her efforts led PHS to
the 2002 sectional championships.
Schenk, an Academic All-State performer, helped lead Mater Dei to a 17-7 overall
record and a 6-1 mark against teams from Indiana's Class 2A. For her efforts,
she earned second-team All-Metro honors.
Johnson, a graduate of Bedford North High School in Bedford, Indiana, earned
All-Conference honors as a junior and a senior as well as All-State honorable
mention honors as a senior. She was a Hoosier Basketball Top 100 senior in 2002.
The Eagles waste no time finding tough competition as they square off against
2002 NCAA II Elite Eight participant Mars Hill in USI's second game of the
season at the Carson-Newman Tournament in Jefferson City, Tennessee.
USI's non-conference schedule also features Carson-Newman, Michigan Tech
University, Marian College, and the University of Illinois-Springfield. In
addition, USI will host the GLVC/GLIAC Challenge, featuring GLVC foe Southern
Illinois University Edwardsville and regional foes Ferris State University and
Northwood University.
The Eagles face tough GLVC schedules as they play four of their first six league
games and four of the last six conference contests on the road. USI embarks on
its quest for a GLVC title on November 30 at the Sportscenter in Owensboro,
Kentucky, against Kentucky Wesleyan College.
USI's first GLVC home game is on December 5 against the University of
Indianapolis. USI hosts Northern Kentucky University, the Great Lakes Regional
champion and 2002 Elite Eight team, on January 18. The USI Homecoming game is on
February 1, when the Eagles host Quincy University.
The Eagles make their bid for a third straight GLVC Tournament title Wednesday,
March 5 though Saturday, March 8.
