Women's Basketball Season Outlook (2002-03) - Guilford College

• 2002-03 Season Outlook

As Barb Bausch prepares Guilford for its season-opener, the names may be different from last year's NCAA playoff team, but the goal remains the same. The Quakers must continue the excellence established in recent years and maintain the high-quality program that has been built. They must answer the calls from local and national media. Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) women's basketball coaches tabbed Guilford as the team to beat in their preseason poll and DIII News picked Guilford 23rd in the nation. Perhaps most importantly, the Quakers must improve individually and as a team.

How can Guilford improve on consecutive NCAA playoff appearances, back-to-back ODAC Tournament crowns, the most wins in school history and last year's regular-season league title?

"The juniors have in their mind that they want to go all the way," said Bausch. "They want to be the first class to win out in their four years as conference champs. They are not resting on what they have done in the past."

Guilford's women's basketball coaching wins leader, Bausch has seven letter winners back from last year's school-record 25-4 team (18-2 ODAC). The 2002-03 campaign begins without some familiar faces. Guards Erin Beacham '02 and Amy Evans '02, both two-time captains and four year starters , graduated last May with 2,029 points and 736 assists between them. Beacham was the heart and soul of last year's team and led Guilford in scoring and assists (3.8). She was a second team All-South selection according to D3hoops.com and earned first team All-ODAC honors and the ODAC Tournament's Most Outstanding Player Award. An intense and competitive performer, Evans was a top passer (343 career assists) and defender (243 steals).

The Quakers will also miss last year's ODAC Rookie of the Year, forward Courtney Hill. Hill averaged 10.7 points and a team-high 6.3 rebounds per game last season. She also shot a club-high 54 percent from the floor.

Bausch knows with those key offensive losses, the Quakers may turn their focus to defense if they're to build on last season.

"We must be a solid defensive unit, especially converting steals into easy scoring opportunities on the offensive end," Bausch said.

If the Quakers are to win a third straight league title they will do it with no seniors. The seven veterans combine with five rookies to form a young group that Bausch hopes will bond quickly. The juniors will provide the leadership.

Junior captains Jennie Keichline and Jackie Hardenbergh are the top two returning scorers from last year. The versatile players provide a dominant inside presence and can also play on the perimeter. Expect Keichline to play more of an inside role this year after two seasons on the wing. With her ability to step outside and hit jump shots, she will stretch defenses and keep opponents guessing. Guilford's tallest player is also an important defender who is coming off a school-record 37 blocks last season.

Hardenbergh was the Quakers' most consistent three-point shooter last year, connecting on 42 percent of her attempts. She can also post and score inside and took more free throws than any returning player. Hardenbergh also leads the returning rebounders.

A third captain, junior Nicole McCrory, returns at point guard after playing all 29 games last season with 21 starts. She will have an increased role this year as she runs the offense and sets the defensive tempo. McCrory had 53 assists last year, but that number should increase with the departure of Evans and Beacham. Despite her 5-3 stature, she is a tenacious defender and made a career-high 47 steals last year.

Another junior, A.J. Robertson, and sophomore Aftan Medlin join McCrory as veteran backcourt players. Robertson, an athletic guard who also plays volleyball, has 34 career three-pointers and looks to add a dribble drive to compliment her game. Medlin adds another consistent outside scoring threat for the Quakers.

Kristyn Casey missed most of her rookie campaign due to injury, but will have a greater impact as a sophomore. At 5-8, she is versatile enough to play inside and out and should fit nicely into the Quakers' offense.

Bausch expects the Quakers' five freshmen to make immediate contributions. "They are the type of people who don't want to wait their turn," she said. "They will push the returnees for minutes."

Local product Jennifer King scored over 1,000 career points for nearby Rockingham County High School. A member of the 2002 North Carolina East-West All-Star Team, King led Rockingham County to the 2A state finals a year ago. A 5-8 guard, King is a good shooter who can slash to the rim, and has the ability to play in the post.

The Quakers' play a competitive schedule starting right from the opening tournament at Wilmington (OH) College. All four teams in the tournament played in the NCAA Tournament last season. The schedule also features a December 2 matchup with local rival Greensboro in the Greensboro Coliseum. Guilford's first home game is December 4 versus Hollins.