Chapman Women's Basketball Season Preview
ORANGE, Calif. - This is the year Panthers' opponents have been looking forward to. It's supposed to be a rebuilding year for a Chapman University women's basketball team that has won at least 20 games in five of the past six seasons and reached the NCAA tournament in nine consecutive years.
It's the "Post-Lauren and Niki Era", as Panthers' head coach Carol Jue calls it, referring to All-West Region point guard Lauren Kamiyama and the school's third-leading scorer Niki Hayman. Both graduated after last season, leaving the cupboard somewhat bare for Jue and the Chapman women to attempt a run at 10 straight playoff appearances.
However, Jue went grocery shopping and has stocked the pantry. Not only that, but several key ingredients have returned to a team that she thinks will be right back in 2009-10, competing for the top spot in the West Region.
"I don't expect a major drop-off," says Jue, who begins her seventh season at head coach at Chapman when the Panthers host the University of La Verne on Sunday. "We have some key role players returning and a lot of surprises. It's just a matter of putting it all together."
The most significant of role players over the past three years will have a starring role as a senior and that's guard Linda Ly - a two-time All-Independent selection. Ly averaged 11.1 points per game in 2008-09, tops on the team, and added 70 assists and 55 steals to set the pace for Chapman's aggressive, high-energy style.
"Linda's job was to make life easier for Lauren and Niki," says Jue. "This year we'll really look to her for influence. Her leadership is amazing."
Another who is likely to have a more significant role this season is junior G Tara Glennon who averaged 4.8 points off the bench last season.
"It's refreshing to see someone sit for two years on the bench and develop into the leader that she has," says Jue. "She's trying to become a student of the game and of this team. I'm very proud of her."
Of course the Panthers' newcomers may have the most to say as to whether Chapman continues the success it's had in the past decade. Jue is excited with the way her newest additions are fitting into her system, including what she calls a "legit center" in 6-foot, 1-inch freshman Kendall Byrer, Orange Coast College transfers PG Simone Ibbotson and G/F Casey Gomez, as well as a handful of energetic freshmen.
"(Chapman's new players) were all stars in high school and JC," says Jue, "but now comes the awakening. They are realizing the importance of ‘team ball'. We're teaching them passion and tenacity. Getting everyone on the same page, that's the hardest part."
The Panthers' full court press and fast-paced style of basketball won't change this season, However, new personnel will also allow Jue to incorporate more of the inside game she's always tried to model her offense around.
"My model has always been to have an inside-outside game, ideally. It just hasn't always worked out that way. We still have to run the floor, but we want to get the ball inside more."
After a 6-6 start last winter, the Panthers rattled off wins in 14 of their final 16 games to earn their playoff berth. Another difficult schedule awaits Chapman as the Panthers will face SCIAC champs Occidental, Northwest Conference powers Pacific Lutheran (Wash.) and Puget Sound (Wash.), and defending Division III champions George Fox (Ore.) within the team's first nine games.
"We don't have any games circled on our schedule," says Jue, referring to games the team is especially looking forward to. "We can't. We have to win them all. A difficult schedule is necessary if we want to contend for a Sweet 16 or a Final Four."
It doesn't sound like Jue has any plans of sitting at home when the NCAA tournament comes around in March. And why should she, players have come and gone for years and Jue has simply continued to produce one playoff team after another. This year could just be the start of a new "era".