‘Dawn’ of a New Era for JMU Women
November 12, 2009 • By Emmie Cleveland and Colleen Hayes,
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After losing in the conference title game last season, the JMU women’s basketball team is determined to stand on the podium as champions this year. Led by junior guard and first-team all-conference selection Dawn Evans, the Dukes are picked to finish second in the conference in the preseason projection poll.
“It’s flattering to know that’s what your peers think about you — that you’re going to be that good,” coach Kenny Brooks said. “But as far as putting stock into it, we don’t. When the preseason rankings came out, as a matter of fact, we use it as motivation, because our goal is to be number one.”
The team is made up of mostly juniors, with a few freshmen and sophomores and one senior. Brooks says the veteran team has been “battle-tested” through years of experience, and the players will better understand their roles.
Evans, who has started every game she’s played for JMU, has stepped up as the leader of the team.
“She’s really become an extension of me out on the floor,” Brooks said. “There are a lot of times where I might want a certain play called, and before I can get it out of my mouth, she’s calling it, and that’s a luxury to have as a head coach.”
Evans was not honored as Colonial Athletic Association preseason player of the year, despite leading the conference in points-per-game (23.8) and finishing second in assists (5.2) last year. The honor was given to Drexel’s Gabriela Marginean, who carried Drexel to last year’s CAA championship.
“I was disappointed, but in the same sense, [Marginean] led her team to the CAA title,” Evans said. “I kind of expected it. I was just upset, because I have high expectations for myself.”
Drexel is projected to take the conference again this year. The team has five international players, including Marginean from Romania, which gives it a unique style of play that’s more difficult to prepare for than the usual “copycat” plays of most other conference teams.
A highly-anticipated game is against Old Dominion, picked to finish third. The Monarchs won 17 straight conference championships from 1992 to 2008 before losing in last year’s semifinals to eventual champion Drexel.
Brooks believes the season is up in the air.
“I think really teams [ranked] one through six have an opportunity to win the championship,” Brooks said. “That’s how much parody is in the league this year.”
To reach their goal of capturing the title, the Dukes are hoping to find a consistency to back up Evans. Anxious for the challenge and to shadow Evan’s success is freshman guard Tarik Hislop. Hislop will start this season as shooting guard, though she also plays point guard.
“[Evans and I] play the same position, so every day in practice I try to see some of her moves, the passes she makes, watch her basketball IQ,” Hislop said. “Of course, anyone would learn from a great player like her.”
JMU is no stranger to starting freshman. Evans and Tamera Young (’08) both started as freshman, and in Brooks’ first year as head coach (’02), he started four freshmen.
Hislop has, “done a very good job,” Brooks said. “She’s earned this. We also know she’s gonna go in and she’s going to make a lot of mistakes, just ’cause of the transition from high school to college is so different.”
Hislop, among others, has been called upon to step up and fill vacancies due to injuries and players graduating.
Junior Courtney Hamner is out until early December, recovering from a torn ACL and would have started in Hislop’s position. Junior Lauren Jimenez would be battling junior Jalissa Taylor for the center position but is also out with an ACL tear.
Aside from injuries, a hole has been left in the team because of the graduation of two vital forwards — Kisha Stokes and Nina Uqdah.
Though both were not major contributors offensively, “they did so many other things for us,” Brooks said. “They did the dirty work, they got the rebounds that only tough people can get.”
Brooks is looking for younger players to grasp the opportunity. His theme for the year, which has been advertised on the team’s posters and embedded in the girls’ heads, is “now.”
“We have had success in the past, and people also say we will be successful in the future, but we need to keep the focus in the present,” Evans said.
contact Emmie Cleveland at breezesports2@gmail.com and Colleen Hayes at hayescp@jmu.edu
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