Last season the Wildcats were 14-17 and 6-12 in the conference. But their last 7 games resulted in 6 losses, to Cal, USC, UCLA, ASU and Stanford, twice. A tough way to end but they clearly showed they are a team on the rise. Now whether that rise can get them into the first division remains to be seen, but they seem to be the best team to challenge going from the bottom half of the top half of the conference.
LOSSES:
Only 8 players played more than 8 games however all except one of them return. And they have a decent recruiting class.
Ashley Frazier started every game and while she only scored 3.4 points per game she did play 29 minutes per game and was the only Wildcat was a plus of assists to turnovers.
Jennifer Kioa had transferred from Foothill after some of us watched her at Kezar the previous summer. However she only played 8 games last season before leaving.
ADDITIONS:
Shanita Arnold is a Jr 5-5 Point Guard who transferred from Arkansas last year and sat out the season. She was the # 24 player in the country per Mike White, now Blue Star, and started all 32 games as a Soph at Arkansas. She averaged just under 6points and just over 2 rebounds and 2 assists per game in her second and final season at Arkansas.
Erica Barnes is a 6-2 Frosh Forward who played travel ball with our Sara James. She was rated the # 36 Forward last year by HoopGurlz. Although she had to sit out her Sr High School season after transferring from Sacramento to Richmond. She’s a strong rebounder, and scored about 16 points per game as a High School Soph and Jr.
Taylor Dalrymple is a 6-1 Jr who played JC ball the past two years and was the # 34 Power Forward out of High School. Last year at JC she averaged 6+ points and 6+ rebounds per game.
Candice Warthen is a 5-3 Frosh who averaged 25 points, 7 rebounds and 7 steals at her High School, Warren County in Georgia. HoopGurlz named her the # 27 Point Guard in the country.
NON CONFERENCE SCHEDULE:
The Wildcats play at Mississippi, at New Mexico and at home against New Mexico State and in a tournament against Texas A & M. The other seven games are pretty easy, or should be.
BY POSITION:
POSTS:
This category does fit Arizona as they don’t have a Center, only 6-3 Sr Amanda Pierson is listed as a Forward/Center. They have been playing a 3 guard lineup and given their personal I suspect that to continue. They have recruited a top 100 6-5 player for the next class however. Pierson played all but one game last year, but only 11 minutes per game. She averaged 2 points and 2 rebounds.
POWER FORWARDS:
Ify Ibekwe is probably one of the five best players in the conference. The 6-2 Sr averaged 14 points and over 11 rebounds per game this past season. She is an outstanding player and the offense will be geared to feature Ify.
Soana Lucet is a 6-1 Sr who started every game with Ify last season. They will be the post players, the 4 and 4.2 as it were. Lucet averaged 13 points and almost 7 rebounds a game.
Erica Barnes is a 6-2 Frosh who is a strong rebounder and a decent scorer. She will be eased into the rotation, and will benefit from two good players ahead of her.
Taylor Dalrymple is a 6-1 Jr, a JC transfer, and the # 34 Power Forward out of High School 3 years ago. She had originally committed to South Carolina out of High School.
WINGS:
Davellyn Whyte is a 5-11 Soph who was the Pac 10 Frosh of the Year last season. Whyte led the team in scoring, almost 16 points per game, and made 67 threes, 35%. Like Ibekwe and Lucet, Whyte played about 33 minutes per game.
Brooke Jackson is a 5-8 Jr who averaged 8 points per game. Jackson is the only three point shooter other than Whyte who made more than 10 threes and is returning. Jackson hit 44 threes, 33%
Reiko Thomas played more the 2 last year but the 5-8 Jr may play both the Point and the Off Guard this year. Thomas averaged 7 points per game and had a 1:1 assist to turnover ratio, the best of the returnees.
Tasha Dickey is a 5-10 Jr who play 8 minutes per game last season.
POINT GUARDS:
Shanita Arnold is a 5-5 Jr who was a starting Point Guard at Arkansas two years ago.
5-5 Jr Candice Warthen will be in the mix here. The JC transfer from Georgia scored 25 points a game at her JC but was a touted High School Point Guard.
FORECAST:
This is a team that will be tough at home. They should have a winning pre-season and a good chance of winning most of their northwest road games. It will be tough to finish top five in the Pac 10, but this is the best Wildcat team since Pokie.
No comments:
Post a Comment