I know we still have two teams still alive in this season's WNIT. But it is never too early to start looking ahead to next season. To that end, who will represent the conference in the preseason WNIT?

WKU built a ton of early season momentum with their run to the pre-season championship game against Miss St. I think another C-USA squad could make a strong run as well.

MT & WKU are ineligible having each been in the preseason tournament in the past four years. UAB and UTEP were the two other most recent representatives 2011 & 2009 respectively.

The preseason tournament loves to highlight a field filled with participants who went to the post-season the year prior. Therefore, I think ODU would be the best bet to represent the league. The Lady Monarchs lose only two seniors. They return 1st Team All-Conference star Jennie Simms. They have a well established brand. They will likely be picked to finish among the top of the league. And they played in the 2015 WNIT.

La Tech graduates too many seniors. UTSA doesn't have a brand name or strong RPI presence. There is an expectation that UTEP will rebound from this season's disaster but does anyone want to put that much faith in star players returning from injury and motherhood?

USM is the other logical prediction. They clearly have something going this year and it would be great for the conference if they can carry that into next year. But USM graduates three of their best players including Tamara Jones. When in doubt, I am picking the team that returns its best player rather than the one who loses its best player.

Well, MT would be a good pick too. When's the last time we went? We only lose one senior, Shanice Cason PG, and one junior graduating early (a third-stringer), so we will be coming back strong.

(03-25-2015 01:15 PM)Ole Blue Wrote:  Well, MT would be a good pick too. When's the last time we went? We only lose one senior, Shanice Cason PG, and one junior graduating early (a third-stringer), so we will be coming back strong.

MT went in 2012. The Lady Raiders won't be eligible to return to the pre-season WNIT until 2016.

(03-25-2015 10:02 AM)Stephen Shirley Wrote:  I know we still have two teams still alive in this season's WNIT. But it is never too early to start looking ahead to next season. To that end, who will represent the conference in the preseason WNIT?

WKU built a ton of early season momentum with their run to the pre-season championship game against Miss St. I think another C-USA squad could make a strong run as well.

MT & WKU are ineligible having each been in the preseason tournament in the past four years. UAB and UTEP were the two other most recent representatives 2011 & 2009 respectively.

The preseason tournament loves to highlight a field filled with participants who went to the post-season the year prior. Therefore, I think ODU would be the best bet to represent the league. The Lady Monarchs lose only two seniors. They return 1st Team All-Conference star Jennie Simms. They have a well established brand. They will likely be picked to finish among the top of the league. And they played in the 2015 WNIT.

La Tech graduates too many seniors. UTSA doesn't have a brand name or strong RPI presence. There is an expectation that UTEP will rebound from this season's disaster but does anyone want to put that much faith in star players returning from injury and motherhood?

USM is the other logical prediction. They clearly have something going this year and it would be great for the conference if they can carry that into next year. But USM graduates three of their best players including Tamara Jones. When in doubt, I am picking the team that returns its best player rather than the one who loses its best player.

Every position we lose we will upgrade next year.

(03-25-2015 03:08 PM)Thegoldstandard Wrote:  

(03-25-2015 10:02 AM)Stephen Shirley Wrote:  USM is the other logical prediction. They clearly have something going this year and it would be great for the conference if they can carry that into next year. But USM graduates three of their best players including Tamara Jones. When in doubt, I am picking the team that returns its best player rather than the one who loses its best player.

Every position we lose we will upgrade next year.

Who are you projecting to be better than Jones???

(03-25-2015 03:08 PM)Thegoldstandard Wrote:  

(03-25-2015 10:02 AM)Stephen Shirley Wrote:  USM is the other logical prediction. They clearly have something going this year and it would be great for the conference if they can carry that into next year. But USM graduates three of their best players including Tamara Jones. When in doubt, I am picking the team that returns its best player rather than the one who loses its best player.

Every position we lose we will upgrade next year.

Not sure I agree with you on this Standard... Tamara is one of a kind in terms of clutch play and leadership when they need it late.

(03-26-2015 09:36 AM)DaSaintFan Wrote:  

(03-25-2015 03:08 PM)Thegoldstandard Wrote:  

(03-25-2015 10:02 AM)Stephen Shirley Wrote:  USM is the other logical prediction. They clearly have something going this year and it would be great for the conference if they can carry that into next year. But USM graduates three of their best players including Tamara Jones. When in doubt, I am picking the team that returns its best player rather than the one who loses its best player.

Every position we lose we will upgrade next year.

Not sure I agree with you on this Standard... Tamara is one of a kind in terms of clutch play and leadership when they need it late.

Jayla King is sitting out this season due to transfer rules. She is a 6 0 forward out of pine forrest in Pensacola. She signed with South Florida out of high school and played her freshman year. She went to usf to play in the big east. However with the split and the American losing all but one good girls program she was unhappy and wanted to come closer to home. We had recruited her out of high school so she transferred to Southern Miss.

She was a 3 time all state player in florida. EspnW rated her the #48 forward in country her sr year. She doesn't have the deep range on the 3 as Jones. But she runs the floor better. Is a better rebounder. And normally wears jones ass out in practice.
Yes Jones will go off on someone like she did at Middle this year but King will be a more consistent steady player. Great great kid with a wonderful attitude.
We will miss jones, Rhodes and Martin but the new players coming in are upgrades at all 3 positions.
Rhodes will become a graduate assistant and will be groomed to be a full time asst once Alora Sharp gets a hc gig.

(03-25-2015 02:43 PM)Stephen Shirley Wrote:  

(03-25-2015 01:15 PM)Ole Blue Wrote:  Well, MT would be a good pick too. When's the last time we went? We only lose one senior, Shanice Cason PG, and one junior graduating early (a third-stringer), so we will be coming back strong.

MT went in 2012. The Lady Raiders won't be eligible to return to the pre-season WNIT until 2016.

Oh, didn't know that! We will hopefully be very highly ranked by that point, given the fact that OJ and Ty will be seniors that year if they're sophomores now.

(03-26-2015 01:08 PM)Thegoldstandard Wrote:  

(03-26-2015 09:36 AM)DaSaintFan Wrote:  

(03-25-2015 03:08 PM)Thegoldstandard Wrote:  Every position we lose we will upgrade next year.

Not sure I agree with you on this Standard... Tamara is one of a kind in terms of clutch play and leadership when they need it late.

Jayla King is sitting out this season due to transfer rules. She is a 6 0 forward out of pine forrest in Pensacola. She signed with South Florida out of high school and played her freshman year. She went to usf to play in the big east. However with the split and the American losing all but one good girls program she was unhappy and wanted to come closer to home. We had recruited her out of high school so she transferred to Southern Miss.

She was a 3 time all state player in florida. EspnW rated her the #48 forward in country her sr year. She doesn't have the deep range on the 3 as Jones. But she runs the floor better. Is a better rebounder. And normally wears jones ass out in practice.
Yes Jones will go off on someone like she did at Middle this year but King will be a more consistent steady player. Great great kid with a wonderful attitude.
We will miss jones, Rhodes and Martin but the new players coming in are upgrades at all 3 positions.
Rhodes will become a graduate assistant and will be groomed to be a full time asst once Alora Sharp gets a hc gig.

That's a lot of expectation for a player who tallied all of 39 minutes her freshman year at South Florida.

(03-26-2015 03:07 PM)Stephen Shirley Wrote:  

(03-26-2015 01:08 PM)Thegoldstandard Wrote:  

(03-26-2015 09:36 AM)DaSaintFan Wrote:  

(03-25-2015 03:08 PM)Thegoldstandard Wrote:  Every position we lose we will upgrade next year.

Not sure I agree with you on this Standard... Tamara is one of a kind in terms of clutch play and leadership when they need it late.

Jayla King is sitting out this season due to transfer rules. She is a 6 0 forward out of pine forrest in Pensacola. She signed with South Florida out of high school and played her freshman year. She went to usf to play in the big east. However with the split and the American losing all but one good girls program she was unhappy and wanted to come closer to home. We had recruited her out of high school so she transferred to Southern Miss.

She was a 3 time all state player in florida. EspnW rated her the #48 forward in country her sr year. She doesn't have the deep range on the 3 as Jones. But she runs the floor better. Is a better rebounder. And normally wears jones ass out in practice.
Yes Jones will go off on someone like she did at Middle this year but King will be a more consistent steady player. Great great kid with a wonderful attitude.
We will miss jones, Rhodes and Martin but the new players coming in are upgrades at all 3 positions.
Rhodes will become a graduate assistant and will be groomed to be a full time asst once Alora Sharp gets a hc gig.

That's a lot of expectation for a player who tallied all of 39 minutes her freshman year at South Florida.

First South florida isn't a juco. Ive seen her practice several times and at least two of our staff say she would start for us today in that spot if she were eligible.