ANDERSON, S.C. - After capping off a 23-win season and a trip to the NCAA Tournament a season ago, Anderson University women's basketball will have a new look as it enters the 2013-14 season with a first-year coaching staff, along with fresh faces that will look to replace four starters from a season ago.
Last season, AU put together one its most successful seasons in school history, as the Trojans captured both the South Atlantic Conference regular season and tournament championships, clinching a berth in the NCAA Tournament. Despite the successful regular season, Anderson was ousted in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament, falling to Pfeiffer, 84-78. The Trojans closed the season with a 23-9 overall record and a 14-4 mark in the SAC.
Over the offseason, AU has gone through some changes as last season's SAC Coach of the Year Jim Brunelli was hired as the new head coach at Gannon University. Anderson filled its vacancy with first-year coach Jimmy Garrity on Aug. 1, who coached last season at Clemson University where he served as an assistant. Garrity brings over 12 years of coaching experience with him to Anderson as he looks to continue the recent success of the AU women's basketball program.
With its great success a season ago, Anderson looks to fill some major gaps that were left from last year's senior class. The Trojans look to replace Alissa Diaz, last season's leading point scorer and Breonda Shannon, the team's leading rebounder. Also gone is Amanda Parris, who joins the 2013-14 coaching staff as a volunteer and Tilde Ahlin, who started in every game a season ago. The lone returner to the Trojan starting five is slated to be junior Sierra Simpson, who averaged 7.5 points per game in 30 starts last season. Simpson looks to lead a group that combines for just 37 starts a season ago throughout the roster.
Guards: Simpson headlines a young group of guards, as she looks to take more of a scoring role in 2013-14. The Simpsonville, S.C. native will have to contribute to an offense that loses 65 percent of its scoring output from a year ago. Simpson closed last year with 233 points and averaged 4.9 rebounds a game.
A trio of guards looks to take some of the pressure off of Simpson as junior Lesley Woods and redshirt junior Emily Willoughby look to improve on AU's 33 percent three-point shooting percentage from a season ago. Sophomore Madison Floyd, who saw action in all 32 games last season, will be given an increased role this year.
Freshmen newcomers Heather Jankowy and Nakia Young have impressed coaches throughout the preseason, as Young could share time with Simpson at the point guard position. Young was the starting point guard for Wade Hampton High School, which advanced to the 2A state championship a year ago.
Garrity on the guard position: "Sierra is going to be counted on to do a little bit of everything. She's going to lead us on the court, counted on to score, rebound, distribute the basketball and I think she's up for the task. Lesley Woods has been shooting the ball extremely well and I've been impressed with her basketball IQ. She's going to bring some toughness to our guards. Madison Floyd is a great shooter and she'll extend defenses this season. Emily Willoughby, who is coming off a knee injury, is shooting really well right now and has improved her shot off the dribble. Our newcomers (Jankowy and Young) may be asked to play some point this year. Jankowy is a very good passer and has been shooting well. Nakia is very athletic and very strong. She brings a lot of toughness to us and she likes to play defense, which is nice and we're looking for big things from her."
Posts: The Trojans look to fill the void of Shannon, who averaged just over eight rebounds a game which ranked fifth in the conference. With the graduation of Shannon and Ahlin, the Trojans begin the 2013-14 season with six post players who have yet to start a game in the Black and Gold. Returners Jasmine Franklin, Katie Davis, Jennifer Monroe and Jaclyn Moore have combined for 105 games played, as the quartet will receive more minutes during the year. Franklin, the best ball handler of the bunch, could see some time at the guard position.
A trio of newcomers comes to AU looking to provided depth and solid minutes as 5-foot-11 forward Alexis Dillard, who was a high school teammate with Young, has worked hard during opening practices and is significant factor scoring underneath the basket. Bailey Sims, from Waxhaw, N.C. and transfer Tinsley Hallman, who comes over from the AU volleyball team, round out the 2013-14 roster.
Garrity on the post position: "Jasmine Franklin is very athletic. She's a great on-ball defender and offensively, we're looking for her to attack, especially in transition. Katie (Davis) is probably our leader of the posts. She has had a great preseason, shooting the ball real well and can extend the defense with her perimeter shooting. Jen Monroe may be the most athletic player on the team. We're going to count on her to get rebounds, run the floor and if we need to go big, she can guard all five positions. With her size alone, Jaclyn Moore is going to be a big presence for us. She'll be in the middle for us and she is a really good shot blocker and has continued to improve on that this preseason. Alexis (Dillard) is very athletic. She can defend; she can rebound and has really good post moves when her back is to the basket and facing up. Bailey Sims also has really good post moves and can score in a variety of different ways. Tinsley (Hallman) is still getting used to the post position, but she's very athletic and brings a great shooting touch from the outside and will really help us stretch the defense."
With its lack of starts on the roster, AU has not shied away from playing a tough schedule, as the Trojans will travel to Division I opponents, Furman (Nov. 30) and Liberty (Dec. 12) for mid-season exhibitions. Anderson also opens the year at the Holley Tractor/Crescent Automotive Conference Challenge in Aiken, S.C., as it will squares off with host USC Aiken (Nov. 8) and Lander (Nov.9), as the Pacers, who finished 14-5 in the Peach Belt Conference a season ago, will play a home-and-home with the Trojans on Nov. 18. A home rematch of last season's conference championship game is set for Feb. 26 against Tusculum and a home meeting with last season's regular season conference runner-up, Lenoir-Rhyne, is scheduled for Jan. 18.
"Looking back on last year's team, a team that won 23 games and went to post season play, we're losing four starters and good leaders," Garrity said. "Even though we lose them, I feel really good about this year's team. We don't have any seniors but that just means it gives us an opportunity for somebody to step up. This preseason has been very balanced with our effort and productivity which will let us play a lot of players. We have a very challenging non-conference schedule so we'll be tested early as we approach conference play."
The 2013-14 season officially gets underway on Nov. 8 at USC Aiken. The Trojans return to the Upstate for their home opener on Nov. 14 when they host Winston-Salem State.
