Central Michigan University Athletics
Women's Basketball Enters 2012-13 With High Expectations
11/1/2012 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
MOUNT PLEASANT - Expectations are high entering the 2012-13 season for the Central Michigan women's basketball program.
The Chippewas have made back-to-back appearances in the Women's National Invitational Tournament and were just 1.5 seconds away from winning the Mid-American Conference Tournament and earning a bid to the NCAA Tournament last season, a loss that still looms as motivation for the 2012-13 squad.
With the return of seven players who started 15 or more games, including preseason All-MAC selection sophomore Crystal Bradford, the Chippewas appear to be loaded from top to bottom in head coach Sue Guevara's sixth season.
Bradford was named to the preseason All-MAC squad Wednesday afternoon and is one of just two returning players in the country that led her team in scoring, rebounding, blocks and steals last season. The Inkster, Mich., native averaged 14.2 points, 8.4 rebounds, 2.2 steals and 1.8 blocks en route to earning Freshman All-MAC, All-MAC honorable mention and All-Tournament honors.
Seniors Brandie Baker and Jalisa Olive, the MAC's Sixth Player of the Year last season, return in the backcourt for the Chippewas and will look to put a final stamp on their legacy in the Maroon and Gold. Baker enters the season just three points shy of becoming the 21st player in program history to score 1,000 points, while Olive averaged 6.1 points and 1.9 steals a year ago en route to earning her postseason accolades.
The senior duo was made a trio with the addition of senior Jessica Schroll midway through last season as the Midland, Mich., native transferred from Iowa State. Per NCAA rules, Schroll must sit the first six games of the 2012-13 season, but will provide defensive prowess and leadership to the squad when she makes her debut versus Robert Morris Dec. 17.
Juniors Taylor Johnson and Niki DiGuilio will look to continue their sharp shooting as a part of the Chippewas' potent offensive attack as the two led CMU from long range last season. Johnson shot 40 percent from behind the arc and scored 8.3 points per game and also pulled down nearly five rebounds per game, while DiGuilio led CMU with 56 treys on 34 percent shooting to average 7.7 points per game.
Fellow juniors Kylie Welch and Jordan LaDuke will also be in the mix as key contributors as Welch started 25 games at point guard last season, managing the offense with a 1.44 assist/turnover ratio. LaDuke will be in her first full season with the Chippewas after having to sit the first half of last season due to NCAA transfer rules and returns 4.7 points and 2.4 rebounds per game.
In addition to Bradford, the highly touted 2011 recruiting class lived up to its billing last year and will look to continue its maturation process on the court. Sophomores Jessica Green and Jas'Mine Bracey were also named MAC All-Freshman team selections last season and finished second and third on the team with 11.6 points and 9.8 rebounds per game.
Add in sophomore deep threat Kerby Tamm, who hit 29 threes on 39 percent shooting in 10.7 minutes per game last season, and the sophomore sensations should have no trouble continuing to pour in buckets for the Chippewas. Third-year sophomore Lauren Bellamy will look to add depth at the forward position after appearing in 19 games during her redshirt freshman season.
The Maroon and Gold welcome three freshmen in guard Da'Jourie Turner and forwards Jewel Cotton and Chelsea Lynn.
A pure scorer, Turner averaged 28 points per game over her final two seasons and once poured in 47 points in a game as a junior at Warren Fitzgerald High School. At 6-2, Cotton was a two-time All-Metro First-Team selection and averaged 23 points, 10 rebounds, four assists and three blocks as a senior, while Lynn averaged a double-double in her senior season in which she helped lead Martin Luther King High School to a City Championship.
All together the Chippewas return 93 percent of their scoring and 89 percent of their rebounding, setting them up for another run at a MAC Championship and their first NCAA berth since 1984.
CMU opens its season next Friday, Nov. 9 at Bradley before traveling to Northwestern Sunday, Nov. 11. After another road contest at Green Bay, Nov. 17, the Chippewas will play their home opener in McGuirk Arena Nov. 23 versus South Dakota State.
