2007-08 Horizon League Women's Basketball Preseason Prospectus
Sept. 11, 2007
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INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. - Since the 1997-98 season, Green Bay has captured at least a share of the last nine regular-season titles and won eight of the last 10 championship titles. Despite the recent success, the Phoenix road to an unprecedented 10th straight League title figures to be difficult journey as the squad lost three of its top scorers to graduation including 2006-07 Horizon League Player of the Year Nicole Soulis.
GREEN BAY IN SEARCH OF MORE SUCCESS
The 2006-07 season saw Green Bay claim both the regular-season and Horizon League Championship crowns in the same season for the fifth time in six years. UWGB finished the year with a 29-4 overall mark, a perfect 16-0 League record and made its 10th straight trip to the NCAA tournament. The Phoenix finished the year ranked No. 22 in both the Associated Press and USA Today poll.
RECAPPING THE 2007 POSTSEASON TOURNAMENTS
Green Bay and UIC each competed in postseason tournaments in 2007. The Phoenix advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament before losing to Connecticut in Hartford, Conn. UWGB went into the locker room with the halftime lead, but eventually fell 94-70. UIC faced off against Minnesota in Minneapolis, Minn., and dropped a 97-54 decision to the Gophers.
EDWARDS LONE RETURNEE FROM THE 2006-07 ALL-HORIZON LEAGUE FIRST TEAM
Milwaukee's Traci Edwards is the only returning player from last year's All-Horizon League First Team. Edwards returns to the Panthers for her junior season. During her sophomore campaign, the 6-foot-2-inch center led the League in scoring (20.5 ppg) and rebounding (9.4 rpg). Edwards also ranked high among the NCAA leaders as she was 13th in scoring and 12th in the country in field goal percentage (.574). In two seasons in a Panther uniform, Edwards has totaled 1,115 points.
TOPPING THE CHARTS
After leading the League in scoring and rebounding last season, Edwards became just the third player in League history two win both statistical categories. No player has ever won both the scoring and rebounding titles two years in a row. In addition, the Panther center will be aiming for her third straight League rebounding crown.
2006-07 ALL-HORIZON LEAGUE SECOND TEAM MEMBERS AKANDE AND MASSEY RETURN
Butler's Lade Akande and Detroit's Joyce Massey return to for their junior and senior seasons, respectively. Last season, Akande was the Bulldogs' second leading scorer (14.1 ppg) behind 2006-07 All-Horizon League First Team member Jackie Closser. UDM's Massey finished the year fourth in the League in scoring (14.9 ppg).
PHOENIX LOOK TO RELOAD
Graduation hit the Phoenix hard at the end of last season as the squad lost its top three scorers in the form of Nicole Soulis (16.6 ppg), Natalie Berglin (11.9 ppg) and Amanda Popp (10.2 ppg). Despite the losses, the Phoenix do return Rachel Porath and Kayla Groh both of whom consistently started for UWGB a year ago.
Porath was fourth on the squad in scoring and led the League in 3-point field goal percentage as she connected at a clip of .438. Groh was named to the Horizon League All-Defensive squad.
In addition, the Phoenix welcome seven newcomers to the squad.
MATT BOLLANT REPLACES KEVIN BORSETH AT GREEN BAY
Head coach Matt Bollant will begin his first season with Green Bay. Bollant arrives in Green Bay after spending the previous five years at Bryan (Tenn.) College. Under Bollant's watch, Bryan made four straight NAIA national tournament appearances over the last four seasons. The team advanced as far as the Sweet 16 in 2005-06 with a 26-8 record.
Prior to his appointment at Bryan, Bollant served as an assistant coach for Kathi Bennett at Indiana University for two seasons and Evansville University for three years.Bollant replaces 2006-07 Horizon League Coach of the Year Kevin Borseth, and is just the third head coach Green Bay women's basketball history.
PHOENIX MOVE INTO NEW DIGS
Green Bay will move out of the Phoenix Sports Center and into the Kress Center for the 2007-08 season. The Phoenix Sports Center served as the team's home court for 31 seasons. In those 31 years, the Phoenix had a record of 303-64.
UIC WILL LOOK TO BUILD ON 2007 WNIT APPEARANCE
During the 2006-07 season, UIC went 19-13 and made an appearance in the WNIT. The 19 wins were the most the Flames had ever won in a year. This season UIC returns two starters and its two top shot blockers in the form of Jessie Miller and Nikki Grobbecker. Following the 2006-07 campaign, Miller was named to the 2006-07 All-Horizon League Newcomer Team.
FLAMES LOOK FOR EXPERIENCE
Graduation also hit UIC hard at the end of the 2006-07 season as the Flames lost three starters in LaShonda Grant, Jacquay Holmes and Krystal Hugelier. This season, UIC welcomes six newcomers.
RYCKBOSCH CLOSE TO THE TOP
Head coach Lisa Ryckbosch is close to becoming the winningest coach is UIC history. She needs just 12 wins to become the Flames' all-time leader in coaching victories.
BUTLER RETURNS THREE STARTERS
In the upcoming 2007-08 season, Butler returns three starters from last year's squad that finished tied for second place with an 11-5 record.
AKANDE APPROACHES MILESTONE
In just two seasons, Bulldogs center Lade Akande has totaled 878 points and needs just 122 points to become the 19th player in Butler history to reach the 1,000-point plateau. The last BU player to reach 1,000 points in her junior season was Jennifer Marlow (1998-99).
COUTURE INKS CONTRACT EXTENSION
Prior to the start of the 2007-08 season, Butler head coach Beth Couture signed a five-year contract extension with the Bulldogs. In five years as head coach, Couture has a mark of 65-81.
BOTHAM CLOSES IN ON RECORD
Milwaukee head coach Sandy Botham has a mark of 118-50 in 10 years at the helm. Entering this season, Botham needs just seven League wins to tie former Green Bay head coach Kevin Borseth as the all-time leader for coaching victories. Throughout her career, Botham has averaged 10.1 wins per season.
NEAR THE TOP
The Panthers have finished second or better in the League standings in seven of the last eight seasons. Since the 1999-2000 campaign, UWM has posted a mark of 93-30 in League contests.
WELCOME TO THE HORIZON LEAGUE
Valparaiso will begin its first season in the Horizon League. In the previous 15 years, the Crusaders competed in the Mid-Continent Conference.
A TOUGH ROAD AHEAD
Valparaiso faces a tough 2007-08 schedule this season as the Crusaders will meet six teams that participated in the 2007 NCAA Tournament, including instate foe Purdue, which advanced to the Elite Eight.
SHARP SHOOTERS
Last season the Crusaders were finished 16th among NCAA teams in 3-point field goals per game (6.8) and 12th in 3-point field goal percentage (37.4).
WRIGHT STATE WELCOMES SIX
After losing three of it top four scorer from last year's squad, the Raiders will look to its youth as they welcome six newcomers to the squad this season.
LEWIS RETURNS FOR HER SENIOR YEAR
Wright State senior Whitney Lewis is the Raiders top returning scoring from last season. During the 2006-07 campaign, 6-foot forward averaged 11.4 points per game and ranked in the top five several offensive categories including field goal percentage, 3-point field goal percentage and free throw percentage.
EVERYONE'S BACK
Youngstown State and Detroit are the only two schools in the Horizon League that will return all of its respective starters from last year's squad.
BRANSON CONTINUES TO CLIMB
Youngstown State guard Lauren Branson ranks seventh on the school's all-time assist list with 326 for her career. She needs just 74 more to become just the sixth player in school history to record at least 400 assists. Last season, the senior guard was second in the League in assists per game (4.32 apg).
DEFENSIVE SPECIALIST
Cleveland State guard Dominique Butler has been the squads' best defensive player the past two seasons. Last year, Butler led the League in steals and was named to the All-Defensive Team for the second straight season.
TOUGH ON THE GLASS
During the 2006-07 season, Cleveland State proved to be a strong around the glass as it led all teams in the League in rebounding with an average of 39.2 rebounds per contest.
LOYOLA LOOKS TO REPLACE ITS LEADERS
The Ramblers must replace a pair of All-Horizon League Second Team performers in Marquise Hanser and Jenna Real, both of who have graduated. Each scored over 1,000 points in their respective careers, making them the first set of classmates to accomplish the feat since Ciara Henderson and Meskhenet Lands did it in 2003-04.
IMPRESSIVE FRESHMAN
Loyola's freshman class from last year accounted for 45 percent of the team's scoring, 39 percent of its rebounding and 52 percent of its assists.
TITANS LOOK TO REBOUND
Last season Detroit posted a mark of 5-26. UDM will look to senior forward Joyce Massey to lead the way for the Titans. Last season, Massey averaged 14.9 points per game.
Detroit also received a strong contribution from India Bruster. In 22 games last season, Bruster averaged 8.1 rebounds per game.
HOME COOKIN
Six of the Titans' nine games in January will be played at home.
