Coach
Jenny Yopp sees potential in her Illinois State womens basketball team as it opens the 2001-02 season Monday at Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
The Panthers, 19-11 in 2000-01, shared the regular-season title and earned an NCAA bid with a conference tournament title. This year, with preseason Horizon League Player of the Year Jessica Wilhite and 6-foot-3 center Maria Viall, the Panthers are the preseason pick to win the league again. Wilhite scored 20 as UWM won its season opener 60-52 Friday at Northern Illinois. UWM coach Sandy Botham has a strong bench and went 11 players deep in the Panthers win at NIU--an opponent ISU meets at home Dec. 20.
Its a strong opener for us, said Yopp. Last year, we won an exciting game early in the season, but they got better and better all year. We look forward to the opportunity to play them again.
The Redbirds came through their two exhibitions averaging 81 points per game with four players--three sophomores and a freshman--averaging in double figures scoring. Starters
Taren O'Brien (13.0.),
Katie Donovan (12.0) and
Stacey White (10.0) have contributed to the scoring balance, along with top scorer
Beth Huston (12.5), who comes off the bench. Donovan averaged 9.5 rebounds per game in the exhibitions. The Redbirds averaged 81 points per game in those two exhibitions.
ISU is a team which averaged just 62 points per game last year. Yopp claims the difference is better execution, even though her team features five freshmen and four sophomores among its 12 active players.
Our offense is the same, said Yopp. The players are learning it. The best part of our offense is that we have five players in position to score. If we spread the floor, and the defense focuses on just one area of the floor or on certain players, we can respond. As long as we handle the ball well in the half-court (set), we can score. I have a lot of confidence in our offense.
Its a different year according to Yopp, who is excited about her teams improvement following a 5-22 season.
Im always optimistic at this time of year, said Yopp. This team is healthy, has performed well in practice and has played well in our exhibition games. We still have a long way to go. There is still plenty of fine-tuning and teaching to be done. But I am excited about this team and about its possibilities.
Yopp expects to have junior guard
Steph Reichle available for UWM. Reichle, recuperating from minor knee surgery in October, did not play in Illinois States exhibition victories over the NWBL All-Stars and Chicago Challengers.
Shes back in practice and we expect her to be ready to go full speed by UWM, said Yopp. We expect Steph to be back with us as a key player.
