Olivia Jones
“They’re going to be exciting as always. We’re going to shoot the three, we’re going to press. We feel like the more times we can shoot it, the more times we’ll get to shoot it.”
That is how MTSU women’s basketball head coach Rick Insell summarized what you can expect from the Lady Raiders in 2015.
After an upset loss to Temple last season in the WNIT quarterfinals, expectations remain high for this season. The Lady Raiders were selected by league coaches as the preseason favorite to win the Conference USA title. So, what have the Lady Raiders done to ensure they don’t fall to the underdog in the post-season this time around?
“We had to get stronger . . . and I think we’ve done that,” Insell said. “I look at our young ladies in their practice gear, and they don’t look like the same players we had last year. They’re stronger, they’re more defined, they’re running the floor better and rebounding the ball with some authority.”
That added strength will certainly come in handy in the post where departures from last season have posed a few questions. However, Coach Insell feels that they have five players who will contribute heavily on the low block in fifth-year senior Brea Edwards, fifth-year senior Tianna Porter, sophomore Rebecca Reuter, sophomore Gabby Lyons, and true freshman Alex Johnson. Insell particularly praised Edwards’ improved conditioning and Lyons’ elite athleticism, and called Alex Johnson one of the top incoming freshman in the country.
Of course, the offense will still run through guard/forward Olivia Jones. After finishing the 2014–15 campaign as the conference’s leading scorer, second in rebounds and third in steals, Jones was selected by coaches as the C-USA preseason player of the year. Jones enters this season just 40 points away from joining the MT 1000 point club.
The Lady Raiders will have to adjust to a number of rule changes this season, as the college game continues to more closely resemble the pro game. The most notable of the rule changes will be the move to four quarters rather than two halves. The NCAA Women’s Basketball Rules Committee made the decision with the belief that it will improve game flow. Games will remain a total of 40 minutes. In other rule changes, players will now shoot two free throws after the opposing team commits five or more team fouls in one quarter, as opposed to the former one-and-one rule after seven team fouls. Like the NBA, team fouls will reset after each quarter. Teams will also be able to advance the ball to half court via timeout near the end of the game, a rule that Coach Insell feels will have the largest impact among the rule changes this season.
The Lady Raiders will tip-off their exhibition schedule Wednesday, Nov. 4 at Murphy Center against Coastal Georgia at 6:30 p.m.
