OU

[swok34]

some excerpts from a chat with Sherri Coale over the radio:

Dionnah ("D" as referred to by Coale) is clearly the leader of the team and has apparantly taken her game to a new level...she is done being a role-player and is ready to become one of THE players...at this time is the starting pg (Coale mentioned that right now Luce is probably the back-up and then Maria)...

Maria is the fastest woman on the team...Coale told the story that D asked her to stop putting Maria on her in practice or she is going to go into the season thinking she cannot guard anyone ...

I am certainly ready for basketball to start http://hoopscoop.net/ubb/smile.gif

more comments:

All players with knee injuries are 100%, practicing full speed, participating in all drills ("if you did not see the braces, you would never know they had been injured," said Coale)...she thanked the knee doctor for doing a good job ....the exception is Walker, who will redshirt (Coale said apparantly when they got in her knee they found it was "really messed up")...

Welch, Erin, and Lara are competing for wing positions...Lara could move inside if needed because she is so strong, and Higgins could play the point if needed as well....

Simon is an under-sized tough kid with "no business being inside" whom Coale says she could put on the other teams post player for two minutes and they would never get the ball (Coale cited her as an excellent example of the various "pieces" Coale has on her team)....

Caton is a tough, non-stop, blue-collar competitor...could play tight end for the football team if they need extra bodies...

Schucknecht (sp?) is the most versatile post player they have had in a while...blocks shots, rebounds well, can face the basket, provides height, quick, etc...

[35TangoTango]

Wow! I can hardly wait for Saturday - no way is this team going to finish as low as most polls have them.

My fearless prediction is that the complete surprise to the world in this bunch will turn out to be Erin Higgins. No real solid reason for that, just a feeling.

[swok34]

I agree, soonerman.......though I think Welch wins the starting spot. Wasn't Higgins either the most highly ranked or among those in the state of Oklahoma for her class? I know it probably hurt her ranking amidst those in OK due to tearing her ACL back in January.

[35TangoTango]

Erin Higgins (according to Sybil's site) AAU 16U All-America (2001), Saturday Oklahoman All-State First Team, Sunday Oklahoman All-State Honorable Mention. 14 ppg. ASGR no. 86

That's a pretty high ranking for someone who went down early in her Senior year.

I agree that she probably won't start, but it sounds like she will be able to contribute in more ways than just shooting the three.

[Jennifer]

Thanks for the information.
I'm really looking forward to seeing this team in action.

[Jennifer]

On the front page, there is a link to OU NOtes from the Daily Oklahoman.

They leave out LaNeishea and Jamie's names when mentioning last year's FF team (implying that they weren't a great loss?), while including Stacey and Rosalind, and they also say OU will not be redshirting anyone. I thought Casey Walker was redshirting?

It's not a well written article, IMO. I was all ready to go on a rant, but got distracted and lost my steam. True, it is football season, but it would be nice if the media didn't have such a blase' attitude. Give us an in depth article on the newcomers (and they don't even mention Villaoreal), or something to stir up some interest!!!

[35TangoTango]

Originally posted by Jennifer:
It's not a well written article, IMO.......

Boy, that's the understatement of the year! Never heard of Josh Ward ("author" of the article), and I don't think he's ever seen OU Women's basketball. It's a strange phenomenon of sports writers that they actually take pride in their ignorance!

[Jennifer]

Originally posted by soonerman:
Boy, that's the understatement of the year! Never heard of Josh Ward ("author" of the article)


Ok, so I was trying to be nice. http://hoopscoop.net/ubb/smile.gif I've never heard of him either.
I recall last year, George Schroeder had a few errors in an article. I emailed him with corrections, and he graciously apologized.

[schooner2]

Well, what you continue to see is the person that is bottom-man-on-the-totem-pole gets to cover women's basketball. That invariably will be someone new to the area and new to OU women's basketball. So, sure enough, plenty of mistakes in his article. Nothing new, really.

At least The Norman Transcript covers the team much better and the sports editor himself does the writing.

[swok34]

Tonite, the OU Fastbreak Club had their "opening" dinner, meet the players.

I would have paid the $50 bucks just to hear Coach Coale speak, but I also would have paid the $50 bucks just to listen to Caton Hill, she is absolutely hilarious. The team captains are Caton, Kate Scott, and Dionnah Jackson....and we got to hear from those 3 plus the other two seniors in Teresa Schuknecht and Stephanie Simon.

Caton got to introduce the freshmen and newcomers, and she had us all on the floor rolling, that is after she knocked the tree over on the podium.....she also got to introduce the "secret" weapon.....it's a secret http://hoopscoop.net/ubb/smile.gif She also informed us that she was not the reason for Chelsi's busted chin, as so many of us suspected.

Now, I'm really, really ready to watch basketball. Tried to meet all the freshmen, but missed two or three, there's a bunch of 'em you know. Talked to D, that shy, quiet kid from a year ago is a completely different person, she exudes confidence.
Wadsworth's ready to go, healed knee......she did inform me that it was Dionnah that threw that "pass" http://hoopscoop.net/ubb/smile.gif

Laneisha Caufield will be playing on the Houston Jacguar team that travels and plays exhibitions. Ross is back at OU finishing up her studies. No one, except Coach Coale knows how to pronounce Maria's last name, but it's a B sound not a V.....
I doubt I'll ever get it, I'm just going to call her....
Marieeeeeeeeeeee.



[This message has been edited by swok34 (edited 10-29-2002).]

[ldlbfn]

How is Becky Preston doing? Lobo fan in Albuquerque hoping she does well. Also sorry to hear about Casey Walker's knee. She was also here at UNM at camp last year and someone Flan was high on and hoping to get. Seemed like a real nice girl.

[Jennifer]

Thanks for the update, swok.
Wow, that's impressive that Dionnah is a captain. Who picks the captains, coaches or team? Either way, it shows the confidence they have in her and her leadership abilities. I can't wait to see them in action.

[35TangoTango]

More notes from the FastBreak banquet - Assessments by either Coach Coale or Caton (I won't say which is which).

Maria is not only the fastest player on the team, but has the best vertical - can grab the rim. She is a better finisher than Laneisha.

Maria's biggest competion for Big XII Newcomer of the year will come from Theresa Schuknecht who is an unbelievable scorer and shot blocker... One of the few players Coach Coale would have been willing to give up two years' scholarship for one year of playing time (she's a senior).

Chelsi Welch is not a freshman in knowledge, reaction, and knowing what to do on the court...

Laura Andrews and Erin Higgins are known as "Spaz and Earnest". They are heir apparents to Caton's comic mantle. Laura has also given Caton significant bruises on the court. Erin is deadly from anywhere within three feet back of the three point line.

Coach likes the depth - she also likes the height. She enjoys looking up when she coaches. Much better than the old days when they would walk through airports and people would take them for the OU Gymnastics team.

According to Caton, it's more fun to go practice this year than any time in her four year career.

According to Coach Coale, this team has bonded together much quicker than any team she's ever coached - including last year's.

She took several jabs at the national rankings, and when talking about the fourth place ranking in the Big XII, she said that's right where they wanted to be (then I swear she chuckled).

My impression is that this team is tired of talking about last year - they are hungry, and ready to go out and leave their own legacy!

[swok34]

Beky Preston was one of the one's I didn't get to meet, I may try and make it to practice on Saturday, since I haven't seen them in action at all except for 20 minute of skill drills.

Trying to think what Caton said about Beky.......maybe a Sooner fan will come through and remind me....this is the first time I've seen Casey Walker up close enough to see her, she certainly is tall. I suspect she is rehabbing; Caton did comment how very difficult it is for post players to go from high school to DI ball, so I think it's a positive thing that Walker gets an entire year to learn the system, if there is a positive thing in tearing an ACL.

I have heard that Preston is a "strong" body, whereas Schuknecht
is more of a "finesse" player.

Jennifer...the team picks the captains, I think they vote.

An extra note for Texas Tech fans, a couple of folks told me they were going to Tennessee and had bought their tickets directly from Tennessee. OU received an allotment of 120, but I heard those were "bat in the rafters" seats.