The Huskies need more Bite

Last year the Washington Huskies had 13 wins with 18 losses and went 7-11 in the Pac 10. However two plusses, they were 8-5 at home and had an average attendance of over 2,500 for those home games, 2nd in the Pac 10. The fans are there, and if a key player, Liz Lay, comes back from her injuries it could mean a winning season.

LOSSES:

Washington lost 4 Srs from a year ago. Sami Whitcomb was the leading scorer last season at 13 per game. She also pulled down almost 6 rebounds per game, which led the Huskies. Sami was also the leading three point shooter in both number made, 46, and percentage, 36%.

Center Laura McLellan scored 7 points and had 4 rebounds in 19 minutes per game.

Christina Rozier and Sara Mosiman each scored about 4 points per game. Mosiman missed half the season with injuries.

The Huskies also turned over their staff as all three Assistant Coaches and two support people have left the team.

ADDITIONS:

Let’s start with the three new Assistant Coaches. Greg Nared is one of the new Coaches. His experience is working with high profile athletes for Nike and working with Travel Teams for Nike. He also coached High School basketball in the Portland area. He has two daughters, one who just transferred from Maryland but I don’t know to where and the other is an outstanding 2014, (entering her frosh year) at a Portland High School.

Kyle Locke is the second of three new assistants. Locke was an assistant coach for Coppin State for the past nine years. Locke also worked for FILA, another Travel shoe company.

The 3rd new member is Kari Duperron who previously worked with Head Coach Tia Jackson at UCLA. Kari was an assistant the past two years at UNLV under Kathy Olivier.

Mercedes Wetmore is a 5-7 Frosh guard who was ranked as the # 28 Guard by HoopGurlz.

Marjorie Heard is a 6-1 Frosh forward, rated about the # 50 forward by HoopGurlz.

Ashley Moore is a 5-10 Frosh guard rated as the # 55 guard by HoopGurlz. Moore is from Vallejo and played for the Bay Area Lady Warriors.


Kassia Fortier is a 5-8 Frosh guard who was not rated in High School. Her father is a Husky Assistant for the Men’s basketball team.

Amanda Johnson is a 5-5 Soph who redshirted as a Frosh due to an injury. She was not rated in High School.

NON CONFERENCE SCHEDULE:

At Utah, a weak team except for Michelle Harrison, at home vs Georgia Tech, at BYU. The other 7 games, one short by the way, are against weak teams.

BY POSITION:

CENTER:

Well facts should be stated so I’ll say this: the Huskies need Regina Rogers to play more than 17 minutes per game. Rogers is a 6-3, 4th year Jr who averaged 8 points and 4 rebounds in those 17 minutes. If she is able to play 25-28 minutes the Huskies could be a different team.

Mackenzie Argens is another 6-3, 4th year Jr who scored 6 points and had 4 rebounds while averaging 22 minutes playing Power Forward and starting every game.

POWER FORWARD:

Liz Lay returns after sitting out last season with a knee injury. Lay is a 6-1, 3rd year Soph, who hopes to come back strong from her second knee injury. That knee bothered her as a Frosh so Pac 10 fans really haven’t seen a healthy Liz Lay. She was a top 20 recruit, and the MVP of the great End of Trail Travel Tournament in the Portland area. I saw her healthy and she can be a great player. She did act in a student play in the spring.

Mollie Williams is a 6-2 JR who will back up Lay. Williams averaged 5 points and 4 rebounds as a back up while playing every game this past season.

WINGS:

Kristi Kigma is a 5-10 Jr who was the 2nd leading scorer on the team and the top returning scorer. Kigma averaged 9.4 points per game, starting 24 games and had the only positive assist to turnover ratio on the team. Like Lay and Rogers she was highly rated out of High School and has lived up to her billing. She was 2nd on the team in three point shooting, making 33 at 32 %. This will be a key for the Huskies as no one returning made more than 11.

Charmine Barlow is a 5-10 Jr and Jeneva Anderson a 6-0 Soph. Both played a bit last season, but scored only 25 points between them. Frosh Ashley Moore will be an option on the wing.

POINT GUARDS:

Sarah Morton will be the Point, I presume. She averaged 2.5 assists per game and no one else returning averaged even one. Morton is a 5-8 Sr who was a top 100 player out of High School. Morton averaged 6 points per game last season.

Mercedes Wetmore, a Frosh, will possibly be the back up.

FORECAST:

This is a team with no depth, two poor recruiting classes in a row, and will place a great deal of hope on Lay being healthy for the first time in 2 years and Rogers able to play 10 more minutes a game than she has in the past. It could be a very long season in Seatt