Central Michigan University Athletics
Wednesday, November 6
Mount Pleasant, MI
7:00 p.m.
Central Michigan University
vs
Green Bay
Sophomore Jahari Smith is one of three returning starters to the CMU women's basketball lineup in 2019-20.
Photo by: Allissa Rusco
Strong Opposition, Right Out Of The Chute
11/5/2019 5:44:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Chippewa women begin new era on Wednesday at McGuirk
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. – So much for easing into it.
The Central Michigan women's basketball team is set to open the Heather Oesterle era on Wednesday (7 p.m.) when it entertains Green Bay in a nonconference game at McGuirk Arena.
Oesterle, named in July to succeed her mentor, Sue Guevara, as the Chippewas' head coach, faces a tall task in following the most successful coach in program history. All of rhetoric about tradition and expectations and pressure are in the past, now it's game time.
Oesterle and the Chippewas will kick off a rugged pre-Mid-American Conference schedule against Green Bay, a longtime mid-major power that is ranked 18th in the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25 preseason poll. The Chippewas are ranked 12th.
Green Bay has won at least 20 games in each of the past 20 years. The Phoenix finished second in the Horizon League and was runner-up in its conference tournament a year ago, when it played in the WNIT.
Tortoise and the Hare
Not only is Green Bay a talented team with a pedigree, but it plays a style that contrasts starkly with that of the Chippewas.
The Phoenix ranked fourth in the nation last season in points allowed (51.9 per game). The Chippewas scored an average of 80.5 per game a year ago, ranking ninth in the country.
"They like to work the (shot) clock for 30 seconds so we're going to do some things to kind of speed them up," Oesterle said. "We have got to get on the (offensive) boards, crash the boards and get some looks that way."
Welcome Back
It has been well documented since the Chippewas began preparing for the season that junior guard Micaela Kelly will have to step up and shoulder the scoring load in place of graduated Presley Hudson and Reyna Frost, two of the very best to have ever played at CMU.
Kelly averaged 14.6 points per game last season, ranking third behind Frost and Hudson.
"Micaela Kelly is a whole different person this year," Oesterle said. "She knows that she's got to be a 20-plus-point scorer for us."
Two other starters return in junior guard Maddy Watters and sophomore center Jahari Smith. Junior Kyra Bussell, the sixth person a year ago, also returns and will start this season.
Smith, like Kelly, has major shoes to fill as she becomes the featured post player, a spot filled by Frost and 2018 graduate Tinara Moore. Moore was the MAC Player of the Year in '18, while Frost captured the honor in '19. Both were All-Americans.
"Her goal this year is 10 rebounds a game," Oesterle said. "She's really developed her face-up game. She's not the type that we're going to pound it inside to and try to (have her) score on their 6-4 kids.
"We want to drag (defenders) out a little bit and go to work off the dribble. One, two dribbles to get to the basket, she's pretty deadly there, and she's also developed a 15-foot jumper. We're looking for her to definitely take her game to another level this year."
Welcome Molly Davis
Perhaps no Chippewa will face more scrutiny than point guard Molly Davis, a freshman from Midland. Davis takes over the role from Hudson, a four-year starter and four-time All-MAC selection who is the program's all-time scoring and assist leader.
"She can do things offensively that we haven't seen," Oesterle said of Davis. "She can get to the basket, she's quite athletic and she can also hit the 3. I need her to be aggressive offensively."
And then …
If Green Bay isn't impressive enough, the Chippewas go to Louisville and then to Western Kentucky next week. Louisville is one of the nation's top programs and enters the season ranked ninth. The Cardinals reached the Elite Eight a year ago, finishing 32-4.
Western Kentucky, like so many of the Chippewas' opponents, is a very good mid-major that last season reached the third round of the WNIT. The Lady Toppers have won 20 games in each of the past seven seasons.
They've Got Company
Five of CMU's opponents are ranked in the Mid-Major Top 25. Marist, which comes to McGuirk on Nov. 30, is 11th, while Ohio is 16th, Buffalo is 19th, and Northern Illinois is 20th.
The Central Michigan women's basketball team is set to open the Heather Oesterle era on Wednesday (7 p.m.) when it entertains Green Bay in a nonconference game at McGuirk Arena.
Oesterle, named in July to succeed her mentor, Sue Guevara, as the Chippewas' head coach, faces a tall task in following the most successful coach in program history. All of rhetoric about tradition and expectations and pressure are in the past, now it's game time.
Oesterle and the Chippewas will kick off a rugged pre-Mid-American Conference schedule against Green Bay, a longtime mid-major power that is ranked 18th in the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25 preseason poll. The Chippewas are ranked 12th.
Green Bay has won at least 20 games in each of the past 20 years. The Phoenix finished second in the Horizon League and was runner-up in its conference tournament a year ago, when it played in the WNIT.
Tortoise and the Hare
Not only is Green Bay a talented team with a pedigree, but it plays a style that contrasts starkly with that of the Chippewas.
The Phoenix ranked fourth in the nation last season in points allowed (51.9 per game). The Chippewas scored an average of 80.5 per game a year ago, ranking ninth in the country.
"They like to work the (shot) clock for 30 seconds so we're going to do some things to kind of speed them up," Oesterle said. "We have got to get on the (offensive) boards, crash the boards and get some looks that way."
Welcome Back
It has been well documented since the Chippewas began preparing for the season that junior guard Micaela Kelly will have to step up and shoulder the scoring load in place of graduated Presley Hudson and Reyna Frost, two of the very best to have ever played at CMU.
Kelly averaged 14.6 points per game last season, ranking third behind Frost and Hudson.
"Micaela Kelly is a whole different person this year," Oesterle said. "She knows that she's got to be a 20-plus-point scorer for us."
Two other starters return in junior guard Maddy Watters and sophomore center Jahari Smith. Junior Kyra Bussell, the sixth person a year ago, also returns and will start this season.
Smith, like Kelly, has major shoes to fill as she becomes the featured post player, a spot filled by Frost and 2018 graduate Tinara Moore. Moore was the MAC Player of the Year in '18, while Frost captured the honor in '19. Both were All-Americans.
"Her goal this year is 10 rebounds a game," Oesterle said. "She's really developed her face-up game. She's not the type that we're going to pound it inside to and try to (have her) score on their 6-4 kids.
"We want to drag (defenders) out a little bit and go to work off the dribble. One, two dribbles to get to the basket, she's pretty deadly there, and she's also developed a 15-foot jumper. We're looking for her to definitely take her game to another level this year."
Welcome Molly Davis
Perhaps no Chippewa will face more scrutiny than point guard Molly Davis, a freshman from Midland. Davis takes over the role from Hudson, a four-year starter and four-time All-MAC selection who is the program's all-time scoring and assist leader.
"She can do things offensively that we haven't seen," Oesterle said of Davis. "She can get to the basket, she's quite athletic and she can also hit the 3. I need her to be aggressive offensively."
And then …
If Green Bay isn't impressive enough, the Chippewas go to Louisville and then to Western Kentucky next week. Louisville is one of the nation's top programs and enters the season ranked ninth. The Cardinals reached the Elite Eight a year ago, finishing 32-4.
Western Kentucky, like so many of the Chippewas' opponents, is a very good mid-major that last season reached the third round of the WNIT. The Lady Toppers have won 20 games in each of the past seven seasons.
They've Got Company
Five of CMU's opponents are ranked in the Mid-Major Top 25. Marist, which comes to McGuirk on Nov. 30, is 11th, while Ohio is 16th, Buffalo is 19th, and Northern Illinois is 20th.
Players Mentioned
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