Central Michigan University Athletics
Thursday, November 8
Mount Pleasant, Mich.
7:00 p.m. ET
Central Michigan University
vs
Oakland
Photo by: Mary Lewandowski
One More Celebration, Then It's Time To Get To Work
11/7/2018 6:06:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Chippewa women, ranked among the nation's best, play home opener on Thursday
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. – One more time they'll look back and celebrate.
Then, it's on to the business at hand.
The Central Michigan women's basketball team will open the 2018-19 season on Thursday (7 p.m.) at McGuirk Arena with a nonleague game against Oakland.
At 6:45 p.m., the Chippewas will unveil a banner commemorating their historic 2017-18 season, when they won Mid-American Conference regular-season and tournament championships, set a program record with 30 victories, and advanced to the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history.
After the banner ceremony will come the National Anthem, the introduction of the starting lineups, and then Team 51 officially gets it underway, beginning with an ambitious nonconference schedule followed by a rugged trip through the MAC with an eye toward March.
The Chippewas' first four games are at home, giving fans a chance to see how the '18-19 squad measures up. And the Chippewas will do it against an ultra-challenging slate that features six opponents who reached the NCAA Tournament a year ago, including Final-Four participant Louisville, which comes to McGuirk Arena on Dec. 20.
"It's the march to March, and it's (about) being on your A game day after day because March is going to be right around the corner," said CMU coach Sue Guevara, who is beginning her 12th year in charge of the program.
TAKING NOTICE
The Chippewas gained a significant measure of national attention and respect with their 2017-18 run to the twin MAC championships and the Sweet Sixteen, knocking off No 24 LSU and No. 10 Ohio State – the Big Ten regular season and tournament champion – in the process.
With three starters -- Presley Hudson, Reyna Frost and Micaela Kelly – returning, expectations both inside the program and outside of it are, understandably, sky high.
CMU is ranked 24th in the espnW.com Top 25 poll and is among others receiving votes in both the Associated Press and USA Today Coaches polls.
The Chippewas made a clean sweep in the MAC preseason coaches poll. They were picked as the favorite to win the MAC West, and the overall MAC regular-season and league tournament championships.
Of the 12 ballots cast – one by each coach in the league – the Chippewas were selected unanimously to win the West, were named on nine ballots to win the overall crown, and were picked by eight league coaches to win the tournament title.
MILESTONES
Chippewa seniors Presley Hudson and Reyna Frost enter the season poised to further solidify their respective legacies in program lore.
Hudson ranks fourth in career points with 1,635. She trails the leader, Crystal Bradford, by 371 points.
Also, Hudson is first in free throw percentage (.917), second in career assists (455), second in career 3-pointers (295), third in per-game scoring average (16.4), fourth in 3-point percentage (.384), eighth in career field goals (526), and 10th in free throws (288).
Frost is second in career rebounding average (10.9), third in career rebounds (1,087), and tied for eighth in field goal percentage (.503). Frost needs 54 boards to surpass Bradford as the program's all-time rebounds leader.
BIG 3
Guevara, who is in her 12th year as the Chippewas' coach, has taken to referring to Hudson, Frost and Kelly as the Big 3.
Hudson and Kelly combine to form what many, including Guevara, would claim to be the best backcourt in the MAC; Frost is a power forward who is a rebounding machine, ranking 10th nationally a year ago at 11.9 boards per game.
Hudson is a two-time All-MAC First Team selection; Frost was named to the All-MAC Second Team and was named the MAC Tournament Most Valuable Player a year ago after earning Third Team All-MAC honors in 2016-17; Kelly was named to the MAC All-Freshman Team and to the MAC All-Tournament team a year ago.
In 2015-16, Hudson was first in the MAC Freshman of the Year Award balloting and Frost finished second. Both earned a spot on the MAC All-Freshman squad that season and a week ago both were named to the Preseason All-MAC West Team.
"I personally believe we have the best backcourt in the MAC, and I believe we have the best strong forward in the MAC," Guevara said.
FILLING ROLES
With the graduation of MAC Player of the Year and All-American Tinara Moore along with sharpshooting-and-charge-taking guard Cassie Breen, the Chippewas have much to replace.
The maturity and the development of both Frost and Hudson is crucial to filling the void, particularly in the leadership department, Guevara said.
Since Hudson and Frost arrived in Mount Pleasant for the 2015-16 season, the Chippewas have played 100 games, 75 of them victories. Frost and Hudson have played in all 100 of those games; Hudson has started them all, Frost has started 92.
"They've been in some tough losses, they've been in some big wins," Guevara said of Hudson and Frost. "They know the expectations of our program both in the classroom and on the court and I think they've done a great job of conveying that.
"Both have gotten much more verbal in really helping our younger players understand that this is how we do things at Central Michigan. That's why they get a lot of leeway when it comes to me. There's also a lot of expectations on both of them. I think both of them welcome it. To whom much is given, much is expected."
SCOUTING
Oakland opened on Tuesday with a 94-48 win over Grace Christian. Taylor Jones had 26 points and Chloe Gruingrich added 16 for the Golden Grizzlies, who finished 15-16 last season including 7-11 in the Horizon League.
The Grizzlies lead the all-time series with CMU, 12-9. The Chippewas have won the last four meetings.
Then, it's on to the business at hand.
The Central Michigan women's basketball team will open the 2018-19 season on Thursday (7 p.m.) at McGuirk Arena with a nonleague game against Oakland.
At 6:45 p.m., the Chippewas will unveil a banner commemorating their historic 2017-18 season, when they won Mid-American Conference regular-season and tournament championships, set a program record with 30 victories, and advanced to the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history.
After the banner ceremony will come the National Anthem, the introduction of the starting lineups, and then Team 51 officially gets it underway, beginning with an ambitious nonconference schedule followed by a rugged trip through the MAC with an eye toward March.
The Chippewas' first four games are at home, giving fans a chance to see how the '18-19 squad measures up. And the Chippewas will do it against an ultra-challenging slate that features six opponents who reached the NCAA Tournament a year ago, including Final-Four participant Louisville, which comes to McGuirk Arena on Dec. 20.
"It's the march to March, and it's (about) being on your A game day after day because March is going to be right around the corner," said CMU coach Sue Guevara, who is beginning her 12th year in charge of the program.
TAKING NOTICE
The Chippewas gained a significant measure of national attention and respect with their 2017-18 run to the twin MAC championships and the Sweet Sixteen, knocking off No 24 LSU and No. 10 Ohio State – the Big Ten regular season and tournament champion – in the process.
With three starters -- Presley Hudson, Reyna Frost and Micaela Kelly – returning, expectations both inside the program and outside of it are, understandably, sky high.
CMU is ranked 24th in the espnW.com Top 25 poll and is among others receiving votes in both the Associated Press and USA Today Coaches polls.
The Chippewas made a clean sweep in the MAC preseason coaches poll. They were picked as the favorite to win the MAC West, and the overall MAC regular-season and league tournament championships.
Of the 12 ballots cast – one by each coach in the league – the Chippewas were selected unanimously to win the West, were named on nine ballots to win the overall crown, and were picked by eight league coaches to win the tournament title.
MILESTONES
Chippewa seniors Presley Hudson and Reyna Frost enter the season poised to further solidify their respective legacies in program lore.
Hudson ranks fourth in career points with 1,635. She trails the leader, Crystal Bradford, by 371 points.
Also, Hudson is first in free throw percentage (.917), second in career assists (455), second in career 3-pointers (295), third in per-game scoring average (16.4), fourth in 3-point percentage (.384), eighth in career field goals (526), and 10th in free throws (288).
Frost is second in career rebounding average (10.9), third in career rebounds (1,087), and tied for eighth in field goal percentage (.503). Frost needs 54 boards to surpass Bradford as the program's all-time rebounds leader.
BIG 3
Guevara, who is in her 12th year as the Chippewas' coach, has taken to referring to Hudson, Frost and Kelly as the Big 3.
Hudson and Kelly combine to form what many, including Guevara, would claim to be the best backcourt in the MAC; Frost is a power forward who is a rebounding machine, ranking 10th nationally a year ago at 11.9 boards per game.
Hudson is a two-time All-MAC First Team selection; Frost was named to the All-MAC Second Team and was named the MAC Tournament Most Valuable Player a year ago after earning Third Team All-MAC honors in 2016-17; Kelly was named to the MAC All-Freshman Team and to the MAC All-Tournament team a year ago.
In 2015-16, Hudson was first in the MAC Freshman of the Year Award balloting and Frost finished second. Both earned a spot on the MAC All-Freshman squad that season and a week ago both were named to the Preseason All-MAC West Team.
"I personally believe we have the best backcourt in the MAC, and I believe we have the best strong forward in the MAC," Guevara said.
FILLING ROLES
With the graduation of MAC Player of the Year and All-American Tinara Moore along with sharpshooting-and-charge-taking guard Cassie Breen, the Chippewas have much to replace.
The maturity and the development of both Frost and Hudson is crucial to filling the void, particularly in the leadership department, Guevara said.
Since Hudson and Frost arrived in Mount Pleasant for the 2015-16 season, the Chippewas have played 100 games, 75 of them victories. Frost and Hudson have played in all 100 of those games; Hudson has started them all, Frost has started 92.
"They've been in some tough losses, they've been in some big wins," Guevara said of Hudson and Frost. "They know the expectations of our program both in the classroom and on the court and I think they've done a great job of conveying that.
"Both have gotten much more verbal in really helping our younger players understand that this is how we do things at Central Michigan. That's why they get a lot of leeway when it comes to me. There's also a lot of expectations on both of them. I think both of them welcome it. To whom much is given, much is expected."
SCOUTING
Oakland opened on Tuesday with a 94-48 win over Grace Christian. Taylor Jones had 26 points and Chloe Gruingrich added 16 for the Golden Grizzlies, who finished 15-16 last season including 7-11 in the Horizon League.
The Grizzlies lead the all-time series with CMU, 12-9. The Chippewas have won the last four meetings.
Players Mentioned
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/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
G
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