Oct. 30, 2003
With season one in the books, second-year head women's basketball coach Jim Tomey has even more to look forward to when the Aztecs open the 2003-04 campaign. SDSU welcomes eight newcomers and returns four players, three of whom had significant starting time last season.
The personnel change will give San Diego State a new look from a year ago, when it finished 9-18 overall and 3-11 in the Mountain West Conference in Tomey's first season on The Mesa. Last year turned into a learning experience for both team and staff.
"(The year) was an education for my staff and I in terms of familiarizing ourselves with the league and with our opponents and their styles of play and philosophies," Tomey said. "In that sense, it was an important year for us. I like the direction that we moved in last year. With the group that we had, we overachieved in terms of maximizing their effort and their abilities, but that season has passed and it's time to look ahead."
As with any first season under a new staff, the Aztecs went through an adjustment period which was highlighted by a 60-47 home victory over WNIT semifinalist Colorado State, only to be tempered by losses in eight of their last nine contests. Offense, or lack thereof, was a key shortfall for the team and consequently was an area the coaching staff feels that it sufficiently addressed in its offseason recruiting efforts.
"We hope that will be the single biggest change from last year - our ability to put the ball in the basket," Tomey said. "We feel that we defended pretty well last year and our offensive system was adequate. We really had a difficult time putting the ball in the basket and we hope we've recruited the players who have the offensive skill and will give us a great opportunity to score."
Another change from last season will be the team's improved flexibility with many players able to switch between different positions on the court - an attribute that will help with only 12 players on the roster. Flexibility could also allow the Aztecs to mix their line up depending on their opponent.
"We're going to play the five best players we have," Tomey said. "If that means three perimeter players, then we're going to play them. If it means four perimeter players and an inside player, then that's how we'll go. That may change from game to game in terms of how we match up with other teams."
With so many new faces, leadership and youth could be the squad's biggest questions in 2003-04.
In the leadership department, the team's only senior, forward Nicolette McCartny (Chicago, Ill.), will be asked to step up, as will newcomers Lindsey Casey (Odessa, Texas) and Candace Mattson (Alpine, Utah).
"Nicolette will definitely have to be a leader, but we've also recruited two junior college players in Lindsey and Candace who will step in and be extremely effective with our younger players," Tomey said. "Not only were they recruited for their basketball skills and intelligence, they were also recruited for their leadership and we think we've got two good ones to come in and fill that role for us."
Besides the three upperclassmen, five of the remaining nine players are true freshmen, while two others have yet to play at the Division I level.
"When you're building a program, you have to have a starting point," Tomey said. "We have chosen to go with younger student-athletes and our team is going to have some inexperience to overcome. We feel that we've recruited intelligent players and hopefully that will compensate for some of our youthfulness and allow opportunities to be successful."
The following is a breakdown of the 2003-04 San Diego State women's basketball team.
THE FRONT COURT
The Aztec front court will be by far the more experienced of the two groups this season with all three of the team's upperclassmen and two returning starters.
SDSU's lone senior, McCartny, brings a wealth of experience, having played 77 career games, including 51 starts. A year ago, she posted career highs in almost every category, averaging 7.5 points and 6.0 rebounds per game, as one of the team's most improved players.
Where McCartny has excelled in the past is on the defensive side of the ball. A physical presence and SDSU's tallest player at 6-2, McCartny is the Mountain West Conference's top returning shot blocker in 2003-04. Her 76 career blocks rank sixth in Aztec history, while her 45 blocks a year ago almost tripled her previous season best of 16. She also reached double-figures in scoring seven times and in rebounding on three occasions.
"Nicolette coming back for her senior year will be counted on heavily to anchor our defense," Tomey said. "She was our best defensive player last season, is a good communicator on the floor and is a rugged performer. She is going to put up big numbers on the rebounding side of the game."
The key for McCartny this season will be to have her offensive game catch up with her defensive game, giving the Aztecs a pair of dependable rebounders and scorers in the front court along with teammate Ashlee Dunlap (Los Angeles, Calif.).
"With her frame, Nicolette is going to need to give us a presence around the basketball on both sides of the floor," Tomey said. "We hope that through the summer she has continued to work on her offensive game and will come back and be a legitimate threat around the basket."
The team's other returning starter in the front court, Dunlap proved herself on both sides of the ball as a freshman. The 6-1 forward led the Mountain West in overall rebounding with an 8.8 per game average, while also contributing 11.2 points a contest - second best on the team. Dunlap earned honorable mention all-MWC honors with her conference best 10 double-doubles and scored in double-figures 19 times, while starting all 27 games.
"(The type of year she had) was a pleasant surprise," Tomey said. "She was a candidate for (MWC) freshman of the year and was one of the top rebounders in our league. She really came on toward the end and became a proven scorer."
Dunlap adds another dimension to the Aztecs' offensive scheme with her ability to score from the inside and outside, making opponents have to guard against her jump shot. She also is one of the team's most intense players on the court, whose leadership skills will once again be needed.
"Ashlee has a year of college experience and played as many minutes as anyone, so we expect her to come back as a seasoned performer," Tomey said.
Junior college transfers Casey and Mattson will push the two returnees for starting time in the front court.
Casey, a 6-1 forward, brings championship-level experience to San Diego State. A heavily recruited player out of high school, she was a member of the 2001-02 University of Oklahoma squad which advanced to the NCAA title game. Last season, she helped Midland College (Texas) to a third-place finish at the national junior college tournament, averaging 14 points and nine rebounds per game.
"Lindsey is someone we loved the more we got to know her," Tomey said. "She has great leadership ability, tremendous balance as a student-athlete and has known nothing but winning. She enters SDSU as an important piece to our puzzle."
Casey can play either the three or four positions and has the ability to play inside or shoot from distance.
"We think she's going to give us great stability on the inside," Tomey said. "She's more of an inside type player, yet we believe she will also have the ability to step out on the perimeter, face the basket and cause problems for a slower defender. She's an excellent communicator, has an extremely high basketball I.Q. and will be a great role model for our younger players."
Like Casey, Mattson comes from a winning program, helping Salt Lake Community College to a 24-8 record and a runner-up finish in conference play a year ago. She averaged 9.4 points per contest and a team-high 6.5 rebounds for the Bruins, earning all-region honors.
At 6-0, Mattson's strengths are her versatility, as well as her ability to stretch opponent's defenses with her three-point shooting, having attempted 47 from beyond the arc in 2002-03.
"Candace will also be counted on heavily to lead and set a tempo for our younger players," Tomey said. "She will be able to swing from a power forward position to a wing position and has solid, reliable skills. She's the type of player who can make other players better on the floor."
Three other newcomers, sophomore Farryn Lewis (Walnut Creek, Calif.) and freshmen Erin Jackson (Sparks, Nev.) and Jordie Smith (Fort Collins, Colo.) fill the rest of the Aztec front court.
Lewis is in her third year of school, but her second season of playing basketball with her most recent stop coming at nearby Mesa Junior College where she redshirted the 2002-03 campaign. Lewis, a 5-10 forward, started her collegiate career at Diablo Valley Junior College in northern California and was a first team all-league selection.
"Farryn will play a big wing position," Tomey said. "She has good size, athleticism, speed and strength and as a walk-on, has the ability to come and push people."
Jackson is a first-team all-state pick out of Reed High School in Nevada and bolsters the team with her ability to score from all over the court.
"Erin is a very talented offensive player, who has good range from 15 to 16 feet," Tomey said. "She's a solid athlete who can run the floor and also play with her back to the basket if needed. She plays with the kind of confidence which will allow her to make an impact as a freshman."
A 6-1 left-handed shooter, Jackson was a McDonald's All-America nominee and was invited to attend the elite adidas Top 10 All-America camp.
Smith, meanwhile, impressed the Aztec coaching staff with her overall basketball sense and is one of the team's tallest players at 6-2. The Colorado native earned three letters in basketball at Poudre High School and was a first-team all-conference selection as a senior, captaining the Impalas to the second round of the state playoffs.
"Jordie will try to come in as a freshman and push people at the four and five positions," Tomey said. "She is a good athlete, can run the floor, has great hands and has a tremendous feel for how the game should be played. We feel that she has the opportunity to be a very good player in the Mountain West Conference."
THE BACK COURT
Five players, including two returnees and three true freshmen, will vie for playing time at the guard positions for the Aztecs in 2003-04.
SDSU must find a way to replace its top scorer from a year ago in career three-point leader Jamey Cox, who averaged 12.7 points per game and had 64 percent of the squad's three-pointers.
Leading that charge is the Aztecs' other returning starter from the 2002-03 campaign, sophomore Veronica Shaw (Phoenix, Ariz.). Shaw started 14 games and was averaging 8.2 points and 2.1 steals per contest before suffering a knee injury on a breakaway play against UNLV on Feb. 15.
"Veronica was maybe one of our best offensive players just before she injured her knee," Tomey said. "She had a very fine freshman season and was building as a player each game. She possesses great quickness and strength, is a good slasher and gets to the foul line a lot. We think that if all goes well with her rehab, she should come back and press people for starting minutes."
Prior to the injury, Shaw displayed her athleticism by snagging a MWC season-high eight steals in a win over Sacramento State on Jan. 11. That game sparked a stretch in which she scored in double-figures in five of the next six contests, capped by a 16-point, 9-rebound performance in the upset of Colorado State on Feb. 6.
"Roni is competitive, challenges her opponents and plays with confidence," Tomey said. "She lets her game speak for herself and her teammates trust and believe in her skills."
Shaw's classmate Michelle Strawberry (Corona, Calif.) is coming off a year of practice after sitting out last season. She came to SDSU as the Aztecs' highest rated recruit, averaging 21 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists as a senior at Centennial High School. Strawberry also attended the prestigious adidas top 10 camp in 2001.
"She's someone who we would have liked to have last year on the floor," Tomey said. "She had a good year of practice, understands our system and has an ability to score. She plays with size and is a good communicator. We think she's got a chance to help this team win this year."
Freshman Michelle Elliott (Pasco, Wash.) could make the biggest impact for the Aztecs this season. At 5-11, she adds much needed height to the guard position and is one of the team's best shooters.
"Michelle is a player who we just love," Tomey said. "She's has the ability to score from all areas of the floor and can beat you with her jump shot or take people off the dribble and create opportunities for herself and her teammates."
A three-sport standout at Pasco High School, Elliott led her team to a fourth-place finish at the Washington 4A Girls State Basketball Tournament with a 27-2 record as a senior. She also was a McDonald's All-America nominee and a three-time first team all-conference selection.
Elliott's counterpart from the Pacific Northwest, freshman Courtney Fritz (Newberg, Ore.) will compete with Jessica Huettl (Eau Claire, Wis.) for the starting point guard spot.
Fritz was the first player to orally commit to SDSU in mid-September 2002 under then first-year head coach Tomey. A four-time letterwinner in basketball, she led Jesuit High School to three top-five finishes at the Oregon State tournament, including an appearance in the title game as a senior.
"Courtney is one of the finer shooters that we saw all summer," Tomey said. "She is a very flexible player, who can handle the point guard position if called upon, but also has ability to play the two spot. She's similar to Jamey Cox, whom we lost to graduation, and should be able to step in and fill her shoes."
Fritz was a three-time all-state and all-league selection, a McDonald's All-America nominee and led her AAU team to a pair of state championships in 1999 and 2000.
Huettl also had an outstanding prep career, helping Regis High School to its first girl's basketball state title in 2003. Huettl earned first team all-state honors from the Milwaukee-Journal Sentinel with a conference best 17.9 points per game as a senior.
"Jessica Huettl is a talented guard from Wisconsin, who is a proven winner after leading her team to the state title this past season," Tomey said. "At 5-7, she's a combo guard, who is just as comfortable running a team as she is running off screens."
Huettl is maybe the better passer and ball-handler of the two prospective point guards, but also has the ability to score points, meaning that the two could be utilized in the line-up at the same time.
THE SCHEDULE
Non-conference meetings with 13 schools from seven states and seven different conferences highlight the 2003-04 schedule.
"We tried to keep the schedule very balanced and competitive for where our program is, and we feel like we've accomplished that," Tomey said. "We looked at teams that we thought we might like to play and looked at (geographic) areas we thought would be good for us, and it just turned out that we have multiple areas to go to and multiple conferences to play."
The Aztecs begin with two exhibitions before playing host to Saint Mary's (Nov. 21) and Nevada (Nov. 24). The team then heads on a three-game road trip to Big West Conference schools Cal State Fullerton (Dec. 1), UC Irvine (Dec. 2) and Cal State Northridge (Dec. 6), prior to a three-game set at home, featuring cross-town rival University of San Diego (Dec. 10).
SDSU rounds out 2003 with trips to Washington State (Dec. 22) and the University of Alabama-Birmingham tournament (Dec. 29-30), before concluding non-conference action at home with Santa Clara (Jan. 6) and Texas Pan-American (Jan. 9).
Overall, for the second straight year, just four of the 13 non-Mountain West teams (Saint Mary's, UC Irvine, Cal State Northridge and USD) appeared on last season's schedule. Texas Pan-American and both games at the Alabama-Birmingham tournament will be against first-time opponents for the Aztecs.
SDSU faces a grueling conference campaign again in 2004, as six of the Mountain West's eight schools are coming off postseason bids (three NCAA, three WNIT).
"This is as good of a conference as there is in the country," Tomey said. "We have a steep climb to make with our basketball program, but we're moving in the right direction. We feel that we're going to be a much tougher out for people than we were a year ago. We have a little better handle on our opponents and the travel involved in this league."