Subscribe to Full Court PressFull Court’s Preseason Mid-Major Top 25—The Pursuit of Excellence Outside the Spotlight
Photo Caption: Alyssa Clark of Middle Tennessee State University tops the preseason list of mid-major women’s basketball players, as this year’s Full Court Press Preseason Mid-Major Player of the Year, the 5-10 senior forward led the nation with 27.5 points per game last season, racking up 30-plus-point performances against such opponents as LSU, Michigan State and Oklahoma.
Photo Credit: Courtesy MT Athletic Communications/Bradley Lambert
By Christopher Thompson
Correspondent
Over the next several months you will hear the names Tina Charles, Maya Moore and Jayne Appel often. But while it may come as news to some in Storrs, Knoxville and Palo Alto, there is actually a great deal of good women’s basketball played in far-flung places like Brookings, Spokane and Cincinnati. The six major NCAA Division I conferences receive all the publicity but there are some excellent players who chose life away from the spotlight that attends the NCAA’s biggest women’s basketball programs. Some of those players were underestimated—they weren’t considered big enough or fast enough for the major colleges during the high school recruiting sweepstakes; some flew under the radar during their high school years; others went to major schools first but didn’t find the atmosphere to their liking and a few simply chose to play away from the brightest lights.
Still, week-in and week-out these players have turned in outstanding performances that are deserving of much more credit than most of them are ever likely to receive. In an attempt to rectify that injustice at least a bit, Full Court Press is pleased to introduce our Mid-Major Preseason Player of the Year, Alysha Clark of Middle Tennessee State, and to present this year’s preseason list of the Full Court’s Top 25 Players from the Mid-Majors, broadly defined here to include all Division I schools outside of the six major conferences:
Full Court Press 2009-10 Preseason Mid-Major Top 25
Full Court Press 2009-10 Preseason Mid-Major First Team
Full Court Press Mid-Major Preseason Player of the Year:
ALYSHA CLARK – Senior Forward - Middle Tennessee State University (Sun Belt Conference)
Alysha Clark, a 5-10 redshirt senior forward, holds down a well-earned berth on both the Wade Trophy and Wooden Award watch lists.
Clark first came to national attention in 2003, for reasons entirely unrelated to her basketball prowess, when her brother Corey, a 22-year-old American Idol finalist, was bounced from the immensely popular show for failing to disclose to producers his misdemeanor arrest for battery and resisting arrest after allegedly striking Alysha, his then-15 year-old sister, at their Topeka, Kansas, home. (Corey ultimately resolved the multiple charges against him arising out of the incident by pleading no contest to a charge of obstructing legal process in June of 2003.)
Today, however, Alysha is now better known for happier reasons. As a highly rated high school player, Clark has had a consistent penchant for picking smaller programs, then making a major impact on them. She originally decided to go to Belmont University. All that Clark did there was win two Atlantic Sun Conference Player-of-the-Year awards and help Belmont to its first-ever NCAA tournament berth.
Clark then transferred to Middle Tennessee State where the competition would supposedly be tougher. Maybe so, but it didn’t slow Clark a step, who continued to add to her already impressive resume´. As a junior last season, she led the nation in scoring at 27.5 points per game and won the Sun Belt Conference Player-of-the-Year award. She has already surpassed career marks of 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds in just three years of play. And these stats have not just run up against the weak “Sisters of the Poor.” Middle Tennessee State faces some pretty stiff competition, and last season Clark scored 37 points in a win over LSU, 34 in the NCAA tournament against Michigan State, 31 against Oklahoma and 28 against Tennessee.
Middle Tennessee State will play a very tough non-conference schedule including LSU (11/18), Tennessee (11/25), Xavier (12/3), Louisville (12/9), and Kentucky (12/28). Unfortunately, no television coverage of any of those games has yet been announced. (In fact, only the Sun Belt Conference Tournament in March 2010 is the only event on Middle Tennessee’s schedule currently slated for coverage on the recently announced ESPN women’s basketball schedule.) But if you’re in the vicinity of any of these games, or are able to pick them up on regional cable, don’t miss the chance to see Alysha Clark in action. (See lead photo, above.)
AMBER HARRIS – Junior Forward – Xavier (Atlantic 10)
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| Photo Caption: If Amber Harris can bounce back to full health after last season’s knee injury, she and teammate Ta’Shia Phillips, also on Full Court’s Mid-Majors First Team, will combine for one of the most formidable front courts in the country—at any level. |
| Photo Credit: Courtesy Xavier Athletic Communications/Greg Rust |
Amber Harris was a legitimate top-five prospect nationally coming out of high school but chose to go to the smaller school environment of Xavier. The 6-5 forward was the Atlantic 10 Freshman of the Year in 2007 and has been first team All-A10 in both of of her first two seasons. She was already on the Wooden Award watch list last year, but a knee injury forced her to miss all of last season while her teammate Ta’Shia Phillips (also on the first team) became a star in her own right. Now both players are back and, barring injury, this pair will be the among the most powerful front-court duos in women’s basketball, behind only Stanford’s Jayne Appel and Nnemkadi Ogwumike. The Musketeers have chosen to play one of the toughest non-conference schedules in the nation to showcase their talents, including USC (11/13), Arizona State (11/21), Kansas (11/26), Michigan State (12/9), Michigan (12/14), Mississippi State (12/20), LSU (12/30), and Missouri (1/5).
JENE MORRIS – Senior Guard – San Diego State (Mountain West)
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| Photo Caption: After a year at Cal, Jene Morris, shown here in action in last year’s NCAA tournament upset of DePaul, found a home at the Mountain West’s San Diego State University, helping lead both programs to their first NCAA tournament appearances in more than a decade. She is on the Wooden Award and Wade Trophy watch lists this year. |
| Photo Credit: Courtesy SDSU Athletic Communications/Stan Liu Photography |
Jene Morris was one of the Fab 5 recruiting class that turned around the University of California women’s basketball team five years ago. Morris lasted only one year with the Golden Bears, leaving after she helped Cal to its first NCAA tournament bid in 13 years. Morris was a starter who finished third in the Pac 10 in steals as a freshman, but due to a concussion suffered in practice the day before, missed Cal’s NCAA tournament game against St. John’s. She transferred to San Diego State the following year, another program that has had limited success historically. But last season she led the Aztecs to their first NCAA tournament win in 15 years. Morris was a first-team All Mountain West selection last season and was named the preseason MWC player of the year this season. She is on both the Wooden Award and Wade Trophy watch lists this year.
TA’SHIA PHILLIPS – Junior Center – Xavier (Atlantic 10)
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| Photo Caption: Six-six center Ta’Shia Phillips won Atlantic 10 Player of the Year as a sophomore, averaging a double-double of 13.9 points and 12.1 boards per game last season. This year, she combines with Amber Harris, back from last season’s knee injury, to kick off Xavier’s season in the top 10 nationally. |
| Photo Credit: Courtesy Xavier Athletic Communications/Greg Rust |
Ta’Shia Phillips followed fellow Indianapolis prep star Amber Harris 90 miles southeast to Xavier. The 6-6 center won the Atlantic 10 player of the year award as a sophomore last season. She has been named to both the Wooden Award and Wade Trophy watch lists this season. The duo of Harris and Phillips has also vaulted Xavier into top ten consideration for this season. Phillips averaged 13.9 points and 12.1 rebounds per game while shooting a stellar 61 percent from the field. The only question is how Phillips and Harris will coexist now that they are both stars. The Musketeers have chosen to play one of the toughest non-conference schedules in the nation to showcase their talents, including USC (11/13), Arizona State (11/21), Kansas (11/26), Michigan State (12/9), Michigan (12/14), Mississippi State (12/20), LSU (12/30), and Missouri (1/5).
COURTNEY VANDERSLOOT – Junior Guard - Gonzaga (West Coast Conference)
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| Photo Caption: Gonzaga’s Courtney Vandersloot is that rare guard who can both shoot the lights out and make sure that the ball finds its way to the open player. On both the Wade Trophy and the Wooden Award watch lists after averaging 16.4 points while ranking third in the nation in assists last season, she teams with Full Court’s third-team selectee Heather Bowman to form one of the most dangerous inside-outside combos in the country. |
| Photo Credit: Gonzaga University |
Courtney Vandersloot was the West Coast Conference Player of the Year as a sophomore last season, averaging 16.4 points and 7.5 assists per game. The 5-8 point guard was third in the nation in assists, a Nancy Lieberman Award finalist and an honorable mention All-American. She scored a career-high 32 points against Marquette last year. She is on both the Wade Trophy and Wooden Award watch lists. She and Heather Bowman (third team) make Gonzaga one of three teams to have two players on this list. Gonzaga has put together a challenging schedule to showcase both Vandersloot and Bowman, including an opener at last year’s mid-major upstart, South Dakota State, and games against USC (11/19), Washington (11/22), Stanford (11/29), Baylor (12/19) and Texas A&M (12/20).
Full Court Press 2009-10 Preseason Mid-Major Second Team
ERICA BEVERLY – Senior Forward – Hartford (America East)
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| Photo Caption: Hartford University fifth-year senior Erica Beverly has overcome a sophomore-season injury to become one of the most impressive post players in the country. |
| Photo Credit: Courtesy Hartford Athletic Communications/Steve McLauglin |
Erica Beverly is one of 31 players on the Wooden Award watch list this season. The 6-0 forward averaged 11.1 points and 7.2 rebounds per game in her junior season. Beverly was granted a fifth year of eligibility after she was injured early in her sophomore season. Along with Diana Delva (who made honorable mention for this list) she provides Hartford with the most formidable front court in the America East. Beverly and her Hawk teammates will play both of last year’s national championship game participants, Louisville (11/17) and Connecticut (12/10).
ARNIKA BROWN – Senior Forward – Western Kentucky (Sun Belt Conference)
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| Photo Caption: Western Kentucky’s Arnika Brown has overcome personal difficulties to establish herself as one of the hottest front court talents in the NCAA, averaging a double-double of 14.4 points and 11.6 boards per game last season. |
| Photo Credit: Courtesy WKU Athletic Media Relations/J.S. Robinson |
Arnika Brown was a known talent from an early age. She was named the national freshman of the year in high school by Student Sports.com and as a senior was Miss Kentucky Basketball. She initially went to Kentucky but dropped out after only a few weeks. The 6-2 forward then enrolled at Western Kentucky and after sitting out a year got back on the basketball court, becoming the Sun Belt Freshman of the Year in 2008. In the summer, however, she was arrested for passing counterfeit money. Despite the legal troubles, Brown became a first-team All Sun Belt selection last season, averaging 14.4 points and 11.6 rebounds per game. Brown will be able to showcase her talents in Cancun early in the season against Duke (11/26) and Arkansas (11/27) as well as on the road at Vanderbilt (12/6) and at home against Pittsburgh (12/22) as the season progresses. And there are also at least two in-conference head-to-heads against Alysha Clark and Middle Tennessee State.
JAREICA HUGHES – Senior Guard - Texas El Paso (Conference USA)
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| Photo Caption: If UTEP’s Jareica Hughes is fully recovered from last year’s shoulder injury, she can only improve on the form that landed her on the Wooden Award watch list in 2008. Regrettably, the Miners’ schedule does not offer much of an opportunity for Hughes to test her skills in competition against major-league opponents. |
| Photo Credit: Courtesy UTEP Media Relations/Brian Kanof |
Jareica Hughes is Conference USA’s two-time Player of the Year. The 5-3 guard has led UTEP to more than 70 wins in her first three years, including a victory over Western Kentucky in the first round of the 2008 NCAA tournament. She was on the Wooden Award watch list in 2008. Though her stats were down across the board from 2008, Hughes averaged 14.2 points, 5.4 assists and, despite her diminutive stature, 4.0 rebounds per game last season, despite a nagging shoulder injury which caused her to miss four games. Unfortunately, the Miners’ only opportunity to play a major in the regular season will be on December 5 if they meet Kansas State in the final of a tournament.
GABRIELA MARGINEAN – Senior Forward – Drexel (Colonial Athletic Conference)
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| Photo Caption: Drexel’s Gabriela Marginean came to the U.S. from Romania to fine-tune her hoops skills. She’s done that and then some, averaging 23.3 points per game in leading her squad to an NCAA tournament appearance and breaking the school record for points in a game. |
| Photo Credit: Courtesy Drexel University Sports Information/Greg Carroccio |
Gabriela Marginean is a Romanian who came to the US to hone her basketball skills. She played two years at West Virginia’s Mt. de Chantel Academy before enrolling at Drexel, where she made an immediate impact. Marginean was named the CAA Rookie of the Year in 2007 and scored a Drexel-record 47 points against Northeastern. As a sophomore, she averaged 19.0 points per game and was named to the All-CAA First Team. Last season, she averaged 23.3 points points per game and was named the CAA Player of the Year, while leading the Dragons to a CAA title (a position that had been occupied by Old Dominion for roughly a quarter of a century) and NCAA tournament appearance. Unfortunately, Drexel will play only two games against major conference teams, an opener against Penn State (11/13) and a match-up versus Maryland (11/29).
HELENA SVERRISDOTTIR – Junior Guard - Texas Christian University (Mountain West)
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| Photo Caption: TCU’s Helena Sverrisdottir is another outstanding visitor to this country. The native of Iceland brings height and power to the guard position, averaging 15.8 points, 7.4 boards, and 4.8 assists per game as a sophomore last year. |
| Photo Credit: Courtesy TCU Athletics Media Relations |
Helena Sverrisdottir was a unanimous All MWC selection as a sophomore last season. The 6-1 guard from Iceland is a powerful player who can play both inside and outside and presents matchup difficulties for the defense. Sverrisdottir averaged 15.8 points, 7.4 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game in her sophomore season while leading TCU to upset wins over both Maryland and Cal. TCU will play majors Oklahoma (11/21), Minnesota (11/27), Kansas or Xavier (11/28) and North Carolina St. (12/6).
Full Court Press 2009-10 Preseason Mid-Major Third Team
HEATHER BOWMAN – Senior Forward – Gonzaga (West Coast Conference)
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| Photo Caption: Heather Bowman has been a stand-out since her freshman year after opting to stay home to play for the ‘Zags. After averaging 19.4 points and 7.5 boards per game despite injury last season, she is now on the Wooden Award watch list, |
| Photo Credit: Courtesy Gonzaga University |
Heather Bowman was a high school star in Spokane who could have gone to a major program but decided to stay at home to play for Gonzaga. The 6-2 forward started every game as a freshman and was named the WCC Newcomer of the Year. As a sophomore she averaged 20.1 points and 8.3 rebounds per game, leading the league in both categories despite missing five games with a fractured hand. Last season, she averaged 19.4 points and 7.5 rebounds per game despite playing the last four games with a torn labrum in her shoulder. She was included on the Wooden Award watch list. Gonzaga has put together a challenging schedule to showcase both Bowman and Full Court First-Team selectee Courtney Vandersloot, including an opener at South Dakota State and games versus USC (11/19), Washington (11/22), Stanford (11/29), Baylor (12/19) and Texas A&M (12/20).
EMMA CANNON – Junior Forward – University of Central Florida (Conference USA)
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| Photo Caption: UCF’s Emma Cannon moved quickly to the top of the heap in Conference USA, averaging a double-double over four games to earn MVP honors at the post-season conference tournament last year as a sophomore. |
| Photo Credit: Courtesy UCF Athletics Media Relations/Sideline Sports |
Emma Cannon was an All-Conference USA selection last year as a sophomore and beat out two time player of the year Jareica Hughes as the preseason pick for Conference USA player of the year this season. The 6-2 forward averaged 15.5 points and 11.6 rebounds per game last season. She was the MVP of the Conference USA tournament last season, averaging 14.3 points and 14.5 rebounds over four games. The Knights have an interesting schedule in that all four games against major conference schools are at home. They play Washington (12/6), Alabama (12/14), Notre Dame (12/16) and Florida State (12/29). Their toughest road contest is against Alysha Clark and Middle Tennessee State (11/15).
RACHELE FITZ – Senior Forward – Marist (Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference)
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| Photo Caption: Two-time MAAC Player of the Year Rachele Fitz averaged more than 20 points per game on 60 percent field-goal shooting last year, and has put up impressive figures against some of the best programs in the nation. |
| Photo Credit: Courtesy Marist Media Relations/Stockton Photos |
Rachele Fitz is a two-time MAAC player of the year. The 6-0 forward was an AP honorable mention All-American last season. Last year, she averaged 20.5 points and 9.3 rebounds per game while shooting a sterling 60 percent from the field. In the NCAA tournament, she had 17 points and 10 rebounds against Virginia last season, and put up 23 points against DePaul two years ago. Marist will play in the preseason WNIT and will also be tested by Oklahoma State (11/27) and Oklahoma (12/9).
PARIS JOHNSON – Junior Center – San Diego State (Mountain West)
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| Photo Caption: San Diego State center Paris Johnson joins Aztecs’ guard Jene Morris on our list to create one of the strongest inside-outside pairs in the country. |
| Photo Credit: Courtesy San Diego State University Athletic Communications/Dolwain Green |
Paris Johnson is one of two Aztecs to make Full Court Top 25 Mid-Majors list. Along with first team guard Jene Morris, the pair creates one of the best inside-outside pairings in the nation. The 6-4 center was an All Mountain West first team selection last season, averaging 13.6 points and 8.3 rebounds per game. She also has led the league in blocks each of her first two seasons. Last season, the Aztecs surprised the nation by knocking off favored DePaul in the first round of the NCAA tournament. This year, the Aztecs will be tested non-conference in two tournaments, the Paradise Jam where they will play Notre Dame, Oklahoma and South Carolina on successive days (11/26-28) as well as their own tournament where they will likely play Wake Forest (12/28) and Auburn (12/30).
LAUREN PROCHASKA – Junior Guard – Bowling Green (Mid-American Conference)
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| Photo Caption: Bowling Green’s Lauren Prochaska made Mid-American Conference Player of the Year as a sophomore and boasts a 17.3-points-per-game scoring average and enviable accuracy both from long range and from the charity stripe. |
| Photo Credit: Courtesy BGSU Photo Services |
Lauren Prochaska was the Mid-American Conference player of the year as a sophomore last season. The 5-11 guard averaged 17.3 points and 6.5 rebounds per game. She nailed 40 percent of her three-point shots and knocked down 90 percent of her free throws in the past two seasons, leading the nation in free-throw shooting percentage last season. Bowling Green will play only one game against a major conference foe—at Vanderbilt, on December 4.
Full Court Press 2009-10 Preseason Mid-Major Fourth Team
AMY BEGGIN – Senior Guard - New Mexico (Mountain West)
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| Photo Caption: Lobos’ guard Amy Beggin averaged 15.4 points per game against stiff competition in the Mountain West last season. |
| Photo Credit: Courtesy University of New Mexico Media Relations |
Amy Beggin was a second-team All Mountain West Conference selection last season, averaging 15.4 points per game, and appears poised to improve on that mark in her senior year. A Minnesota native, at 5-6 she is a mini-version of Lindsay Whalen to whom she bears a striking resemblance. Beggin will play in the Preseason NIT and also has games against Texas Tech (12/5), Arizona (12/9) and Texas A&M (12/30) to show how she can do against the major conferences, but her toughest match-ups this season will come in conference against two other players on this list, Jene Morris of San Diego State and Helena Sverrisdottir of TCU.
ELENA DELLE DONNE – Freshman Forward – Delaware (Colonial Athletic Association)
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| Photo Caption: Elena Delle Donne has rediscovered her love of basketball and the University of Delware’s Blue Hens are the richer for it. Delle Donne is the only freshman athlete to make Full Court’s Mid-Majors Top 25. |
| Photo Credit: Courtesy University of Delaware Sports Information/Scott Selheimer |
Two years ago, Elena Delle Donne was the best high school player in the nation. Last year she was flaming out after one day in Connecticut, swearing off basketball and enrolling at Delaware as a volleyball player. Now she is back to hoops, as one of the most compelling stories of this season. Delle Donne won’t play a single game against a major conference team this season. Then again, maybe she will—in the first round of the NCAA tournament. Stay tuned.
SHANAVIA DOWDELL – Senior Forward - Louisiana Tech (Western Athletic Conference)
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| Photo Caption: Shavia Dowdell has the potential to lead Louisiana Tech back to national prominence; she averaged 16.1 points ad 9.9 boards per game last season. |
| Photo Credit: Courtesy www.latechsportspix.com. |
Louisiana Tech is one of the most storied programs in women’s basketball, but the team has fallen upon hard times of late. Shanavia Dowdell (6-2) led the Lady Techsters to the WAC championship last season but that isn’t the kind of accolade that this team was once used to. Teresa Weatherspoon has returned to coach and Dowdell and Adrienne Johnson (Full Court Press Preseason Mid-Major Top 25 Honorable Mention) will try to reestablish the dynasty. They certainly have the raw materials to do it in Dowdell, who averaged 16.1 points and 9.9 rebounds per game last season.
DAWN EVANS – Junior Guard – James Madison (Colonial Athletic Association)
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| Photo Caption: Dawn Evans, the nation’s second-leading women’s collegiate scorer (23.8 points per game) suits up for the Colonial Athletic Association’s James Madison University. |
| Photo Credit: Courtesy James Madison University Media Relations/Cathy Kushner |
Dawn Evans was the second-leading scorer in the nation with 23.8 points per game as a sophomore last season. The 5-8 guard has also ranked in the top ten nationally in three-point average for the past two seasons. She was a first-team All Colonial Athletic Association selection last season. This year, she will get four chances to play against major conference teams during the regular season, including Georgetown (11/18), Virginia Tech (11/22), Virginia (12/6) and Duke (12/18).
KALEE WHIPPLE – Senior Forward – Utah (Mountain West)
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| Photo Caption: Utah found a gem at tiny Pahranagat Valley High School in Alamo, Nevada. Kalee Whipple found a program where she could shine in Utah, where she made the All-Mountain-West first team last season, while averaging 17 points and 6.2 rebounds per game. |
| Photo Credit: Courtesy of the University of Utah |
Kalee Whipple comes from a small high school in Alamo, Nevada that has less than 100 students. Despite that she came into Utah and made an immediate impact, averaging 10.8 points and 6.8 rebounds as a part time starter her freshman year. As a sophomore the 6-0 forward averaged 14.7 points and 7.3 rebounds. Last year she averaged 17.0 points and 6.2 rebounds and was an All Mountain West first team selection playing alongside MWC player of the year Megan Warburton. This year Whipple will lead the Utes, a perennial MWC power. Utah will be tested in the nonconference schedule with games against Minnesota (11/17), UCLA (11/21), Stanford (11/27), Louisville (12/6) and Oregon (12/22).
Full Court Press 2009-10 Preseason Mid-Major Fifth Team
CLAIRE FAUCHER – Senior Guard - Portland State (Big Sky Conference)
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| Photo Caption: Claire Faucher is among the best guards in the country, averaging 11.2 points, 6.7 assists and 2.4 steals per game last season to lead Portland State to the Big Sky title game. |
| Photo Credit: Courtesy Portland State University Athletics Media Relations/Troy Wayrynen |
Claire Faucher is a two-time unanimous selection to the All-Big-Sky first team. Though Portland State has never been to the NCAA tournament, Faucher could lead them to the Promised Land this season. The 5-9 guard averaged 11.2 points, 6.7 assists and 2.4 steals per game last season as the Vikings reached the Big Sky title game. Faucher and company will face Washington (11/14), Wisconsin (11/27), Oregon (11/29) and Oregon State (12/29), among their major match-ups this season.
CASEY GARRISON – Sophomore Guard – Missouri State (Missouri Valley Conference)
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| Photo Caption: Missouri State’s Casey Garrison—the best Lady Bear since Jackie Stiles and one of just a handful of sophomores to make Full Court’s Top 25. |
| Photo Credit: Courtesy Missouri State Photo Services |
Is Casey Garrison the second coming of Jackie Stiles? Probably not. But there is no question that the 6-0 sophomore is the best Lady Bear since Stiles led then Southwest Missouri State to the Final Four. “All” Garrison did last year as a freshman was to lead the team in points (15.9), field-goal percentage (46 percent), rebounds (6.1), assists, (3.0), steals (2.1) and blocks (0.7). Garrison will have few opportunities to showcase her talents against the majors; only a match-up with Georgetown (11/14) and a potential game with Kansas State (12/5) if they meet in the finals of a tournament.
SHANARA HOLLINQUEST – Senior Forward – Tennessee – Chattanooga (Southern Conference)
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| Photo Caption: Last year’s Southern Conference Player of the Year Shanara Hollinquest led the league in scoring with 16.5 points (plus 8.0 rebounds) per game. |
| Photo Credit: Courtesy UTC Athletics Media Relations |
Shanara Hollinquest was the Player of the Year in the Southern Conference last season. She led the league in scoring (16.5 points per game) and was second in rebounding (8.0 rebounds per game). The 6-0 forward exceeded her already considerable scoring and rebounding average in each of her three games against major conference foes, going for 17 points and 11 rebounds against Tennessee, 24 and nine against Clemson and 28 and 13 in an overtime loss to Kentucky in the WNIT. This season the Lady Mocs will play Georgia (11/19), Kentucky (11/22) and Clemson (12/12).
MEGAN NEUVIRTH – Senior Forward – Creighton (Missouri Valley Conference)
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| Photo Caption: Though she still plays in a brace, Creighton’s Megan Neuvirth has overcome a freshman knee injury to become one of the most impressive players in the country—on both ends of the court. |
| Photo Credit: Courtesy Creighton University/Eric Francis |
Megan Neuvirth got off to a rocky start at Creighton. On the first day of practice in 2005 she suffered a knee injury which made her miss the season. But the 5-11 forward bounced back after red-shirting to win Newcomer-of-the-Year honors the following season and was the only freshman named to the All-MVC defensive team, leading the league in steals. Last season she was named the MVC Defensive Player of the Year and had a rather unusual double, leading the league in both rebounds (9.6) and steals (2.4). She also averaged 12.9 points per game and was named to the All-MVC first team. The Blue Jays will play five games against major conference opponents: Marquette (11/19), Kansas State (11/23), Nebraska (12/9), Kansas (12/13) and Oklahoma (12/20).
ERICA PROSSER – Junior Guard – Lehigh (Patriot League)
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| Photo Caption: Erica Prosser has already led Lehigh to its best record in school history. What’s up next for the talented junior guard? |
| Photo Credit: Courtesy Lehigh University Athletics Media Relations/Specialty Photograhic |
Erica Prosser was named the Patriot League player of the year as a sophomore last season. The 5-7 guard averaged 14.2 points per game last season, leading Lehigh to a 26-win record—for the school’s best season ever. The Mountain Hawks won the Patriot League championship and made the NCAA tournament for only the second time in school history. . Lehigh will play Vanderbilt on November 15 and Villanova on December 5.
Full Court Press 2009-10 Preseason Mid-Major Honorable Mention
When you consider how many Division I schools lie outside the six major conferences, you’ll know how hard it was to whittle this list down to just the top 25. The following athletes, listed in alphabetical order, are more than worthy of Honorable Mention:
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| CORIN ADAMS | ALISA APO | |
| Morgan State University | Sacred Heart University | |
| Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference | Northeast Conference | |
| Photo Credit: Courtesy Morgan State Athletics Media Relations | Photo Credit: Courtesy Sacred Heart University Athletics Media Relations/AP | |
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| MIRANDA AYIM | MARIA BOEVER | |
| Pepperdine University | South Dakota State | |
| West Coast Conference | Summit League | |
| Photo Credit: Courtesy Pepperdine University Athletics Media Relations/Ron Hall | Photo Credit: Courtesy South Dakota State Athletics Media Relations | |
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| DIANA DELVA | DOMINIQUE DUCK | |
| University of Hartford | Western Kentucky University | |
| America East Athletic Conferrence | Sun Belt Conference | |
| Photo Credit: Courtesy Hartford Athletic Communications/Steve McLaughlin | Photo Credit: Courtesy WKU Athletic Media Relations/J.S. Robinson | |
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| SIARRE EVANS | JURICA HARGRAVES | |
| East Tennessee State | High Point University | |
| Atlantic Sun | Big South | |
| Photo Credit: Courtesy ETSU Athletics Media Relations | Photo Credit: Courtesy High Point University Sports Information | |
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| ADRIENNE JOHNSON | KAILEY KLEIN | |
| Louisiana Tech University | Cleveland State University | |
| Western Athletic Conference | Horizon League | |
| Photo Credit: Courtesy www.latechsportspix.com. | Photo Credit: Courtesy Cleveland State University Athletics Media Relations | |
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| ADRIENNE MC NALLY | DANA MITCHELL | |
| Florida Gulf Coast University | St. Bonaventure | |
| Atlantic Sun | Atlantic 10 | |
| Photo Credit: Courtesy Florida Gulf Coast Media Relations/Dennis Snyder | Photo Credit: Courtesy St. Bonaventure Athletics | |
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| CHAZNY MORRIS | COURTNAY PILYPAITIS | |
| University of Missouri-Kansas City | University of Vermont | |
| Summit League | America East Athletic Conference | |
| Photo Credit: Courtesy University of Missouri-Kansas City Athletics Media Relations | Photo Credit: Courtesy University of Vermont Sports Information/Steve McLaughlin | |
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| TRACY PONTIUS | CHASTITY REED | |
| Bowling Green | University of Arkansas-Little Rock | |
| Mid-American Conference | Sun Belt Conference | |
| Photo Credit: Courtesy BGSU Photo Services | Photo Credit: Courtesy University of Arkansas - Little Rock Sports Information | |
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| JALEESA ROSS | BRITTNEY SMITH | |
| Fresno State | Dartmouth College | |
| Western Athletic Conference | Ivy League | |
| Photo Credit: N/A | Photo Credit: Courtesy Dartmouth College Athletics Communications/Larry Fitzgerald | |
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| GAATI WEREMA | ||
| Prairie View A&M | ||
| Southwestern Athletic Conference | ||
| Photo Credit: Courtesy Prairie View A&M Athletics Communications |
Originally published Sun, October 25, 2009
Reader Discussion
For a great article, many thousand thanks!!!