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A nice article primarily on Alex Harden in the Eagle today. This Shocker team will go as far as Alex, Michaela, Michelle and Kelsey can carry them this year. Alex in particular will be the key to how the Shockers go.
Of course, every team we play this year knows this. Stopping or slowing down Alex will no doubt be a prime target of opponents this year.
Also the article points out a couple of key personnel losses for Illinois State and Bradley:
Newcomer of the Year Janae Smith, a 6-2 junior forward transfer from College of Charleston, quit at Illinois State after averaging 13.6 points and 8.0 rebounds for the Redbirds last year. She told the Pantagraph that differences with new coach Barb Smith (who replaced Stephanie Glance) caused her to leave the team in early August. In addition, to Newcomer of the Year she was selected to the All-Valley 2nd Team. The Redbirds were already faced with replacing two very good players in Jamie Russell and Candace Sykes plus senior guard Alexis Jenkins who hit the buzzer beater that prevent the Shocks from winning the Valley season title outright.
Bradley dismissed 5-7 junior guard Shronda Butts from the team earlier this month after she was arrested after she allegedly struck a teammate. Butts averaged 12.1 points (a close 2nd behind Katie Yohn who finished her career last year) and led Bradley with an average of 3.6 assists.
That should make what was already somewhat of a muddled and tight conference race even more muddled. It also makes what already looked like a somewhat down year for the MVC to be even less impressive. This is going to be interesting and if the Lady Shocker youngsters and newcomers can come a long ways by conference time, who knows, maybe they can make a strong run in the conference.
She led WSU in points (11.7), rebounds (5.0), assists (3.6) and steals (1.6) as a sophomore. She earned All-MVC and Defensive Player of the Year honors.
Six seniors are gone from the 2013 team that played in WSU’s first NCAA Tournament and Harden’s importance grows. Adams said summer workouts are demonstrating that Harden can maximize her versatility. “She can play all positions,” Adams said. “She is now beginning to understand what she can do.”
Six seniors are gone from the 2013 team that played in WSU’s first NCAA Tournament and Harden’s importance grows. Adams said summer workouts are demonstrating that Harden can maximize her versatility. “She can play all positions,” Adams said. “She is now beginning to understand what she can do.”
Of course, every team we play this year knows this. Stopping or slowing down Alex will no doubt be a prime target of opponents this year.
Also the article points out a couple of key personnel losses for Illinois State and Bradley:
Newcomer of the Year Janae Smith, a 6-2 junior forward transfer from College of Charleston, quit at Illinois State after averaging 13.6 points and 8.0 rebounds for the Redbirds last year. She told the Pantagraph that differences with new coach Barb Smith (who replaced Stephanie Glance) caused her to leave the team in early August. In addition, to Newcomer of the Year she was selected to the All-Valley 2nd Team. The Redbirds were already faced with replacing two very good players in Jamie Russell and Candace Sykes plus senior guard Alexis Jenkins who hit the buzzer beater that prevent the Shocks from winning the Valley season title outright.
Bradley dismissed 5-7 junior guard Shronda Butts from the team earlier this month after she was arrested after she allegedly struck a teammate. Butts averaged 12.1 points (a close 2nd behind Katie Yohn who finished her career last year) and led Bradley with an average of 3.6 assists.
That should make what was already somewhat of a muddled and tight conference race even more muddled. It also makes what already looked like a somewhat down year for the MVC to be even less impressive. This is going to be interesting and if the Lady Shocker youngsters and newcomers can come a long ways by conference time, who knows, maybe they can make a strong run in the conference.
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