Healthy Bradford, CMU Women Tip It Off
10/7/2014 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Andy Sneddon, CMUChippewas.com
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. - Every time will be the last time for a quintet of seniors on the Central Michigan women's basketball team.
It's because of those seniors, and a good number of other factors, that the Chippewas enter the 2014-15 season with some very lofty goals.
"I had texted all the seniors last night and said `Look, this is your last first practice. Let's make it a good one,'" coach Sue Guevara said Tuesday at McGuirk Arena after the Chippewas' first practice of the season. "All of them texted me back, very excited to get going."
Who can blame them? The Chippewas finished 20-12 a year ago - their fourth consecutive 20-win season - and won the Mid-American Conference West Division title before falling in the semifinals of the league tournament.
CMU won the conference tourney in 2013 and advanced to the NCAA Tournament. Last year's finish - CMU fell to Indiana-Purdue-Indianapolis in the first round of the WNIT - wasn't what anybody associated with the program had envisioned.
"They know that close isn't going to be good enough," Guevara said.
Nobody knows that better than senior Crystal Bradford, the reigning MAC Player of the Year. Bradford was injured in practice before the Chippewas' MAC Tournament-opening loss to Akron.
After offseason rehabilitation, Bradford was on the court Tuesday, holding nothing back.
"It was just a great feeling," Bradford said. "It's like you blew a tire and as soon as you're back rolling, you're rolling with a smile on your face. I'm just happy to be out there, and be out there with my teammates.
"It's one thing to cheer them on from the side, but when you're out there, it's just a great feeling. I'm glad to be out there. My knee's feeling fine."
While Bradford may feel fine, Guevara said caution and patience are her buzzwords for her star player.
"We were very, very conscious of putting her in, pulling her out," Guevara said. "And she didn't want to come out, but she has to come out. I like her energy and she's pretty focused on what we need to do and what she needs to do.
"You have to be very aware of the fatigue factor. When players get tired is when injuries happen."
Bradford's enthusiasm was matched by that of her teammates. There is always a high level of jump on the first day of practice, in any sport. There certainly was that with the Chippewas, Guevara said, but that feeling is tempered by the knowledge that it's a marathon, not a sprint.
The Maroon and Gold scrimmage is next week, and the season opener isn't until Nov. 16 against Massachusetts. Six days later, CMU entertains Kentucky.
"I thought there was a lot of excitement in the air," Guevara said. "We had some people trying to do everything right away. Our freshmen were like deer in headlights today. We went for a solid two hours and you could see the fatigue set in. They're a talented group, but now they just have to get through that mental part where they get really tired and the mistakes come.
"But they're coachable. They're very coachable."
Veteran team or not, four returning starters or not, league MVP back and healthy or not, Guevara fully understands that nothing is won or lost in October.
"With Massachusetts and Kentucky coming in, we're going to need all 29 days (of practice)," she said. "We've got a long way to go."
