University of Massachusets Athletics
The 2001-02 Minutewomen: Depth. Talent. Leadership.
November 07, 2001 | Women's Basketball
By MATTHEW BENCAL
The Maroon & White
As head coach Joanie O'Brien enters her 11th season at the helm of the UMass women's basketball program, she knows she has a great deal of potential in the twelve players who will don maroon and white uniforms in the 2001-02 campaign. Throughout her long and established college basketball career, O'Brien has learned that winning isn't easy, and with the departure of Kathy Coyner, arguably the team's best player last season, question marks seem abundant. O'Brien and her staff believe that they have enough pieces of the puzzle to put together a successful season, but those pieces must be placed in the right position at the right time. And with a young squad that features three freshmen and only one senior, the coaching staff will face the challenge of bringing out the best of this season's squad in order to be a contender for the Atlantic 10 crown.
With the departure of Coyner, a co-captain for the past two seasons, the point guard position is up for grabs. Headlining the list of candidates to lead the team on the court is sophomore Cleo Foster, who started 12 games last season as a freshman, with 10 of those starts coming in conference games. Foster's strengths lie in her speed and uncanny defensive abilities, and with a season of experience under her belt, the 5-8 Toronto native has the chance to lead the UMass attack on the court.
"Cleo brings a defensive intensity that we've never had," O'Brien said. "She's got the ability to do things defensively on the ball that we've never been able to do. And that makes a huge difference."
Two of the three freshmen will immediately challenge Foster for time at the point guard spot. Katie Nelson and Monique Govan both look to make an impact on the court, and both players bring a different style to the position. Nelson is a sharpshooter from the perimeter, who can make things happen on offense, while Govan plays the role of the classic point guard.
"Katie can shoot the basketball and she's more offensive minded from the point guard spot than a lot of point guards," O'Brien said. "Monique, on the other hand, may be the only prototype point guard that we have. She's going to dish first, set people up, and be a great defender."
The third freshman, Cindy Gonzalez, will begin her career watching from the sidelines and learning. The 5-8 off-guard from Brooklyn, N.Y., tore her ACL in an all-star game and will be evaluated by O'Brien in December to see if she can play the conference portion of the schedule or redshirt for the remainder of the campaign.
Returning for the Minutewomen at the off-guard position are juniors Ebony Pegues and Kristin Cannon and sophomore Paige Harris. Harris and Cannon share a common strength, as both are dangerous shooters beyond the three-point line and Pegues is one of the most agile players on the roster.
"Paige is a great shooter," O'Brien said. "She needs to be a little bit more consistent and a little more confident. She worked very hard this summer and I believe physically she's going to be stronger and more fit."
Cannon proved that she has what it takes to play for the Minutewomen last season, when, in her only start, the 5-6 Ohio product put up 17 points against St. Bonaventure at the Mullins Center.
Pegues' strengths lie on the defensive side of the ball, as she is known as a quick and pesky defender that can force opponents to turn the ball over. Pegues started seven games and averaged over 19 minutes per contest before her season was cut short when she tore her anterior crucial ligament at URI on January 31, 2000. The junior has worked impressively hard over the off-season to strengthen her leg and to ensure that she's at full steam when the season begins.
At the swing position, small forward/off-guard Amber Sneed returns for her third season. Sneed started all 16 conference games last season, and O'Brien believes if Sneed can improve her shot selection, the 6' junior can become a great player.
"She needs to have a big year for us," O'Brien said. "She brings enthusiasm and puts it out on the floor everyday. The thing we need her to do is make better decisions with the basketball." While O'Brien's backcourt has the potential to be a great defensive squad, the strength of the 2001-2002 squad lies in the frontcourt, where all six post players have at least one year of experience under their belts.
Junior standout Jennifer Butler returns for her third season of action at UMass. Butler started 27 games last season and will once again be the anchor of the UMass post attack. The New York native averaged over 12 points and nine rebounds in last years campaign and has all the tools to be one of the best players in the conference. Add Butler's natural talents to her newfound disgust for losing, and it becomes evident that she will be a leader on and off the court for the young Minutewomen squad.
"In our team meeting at the end of last year, everybody had their chance to say something," O'Brien said, "and she sat up and said 'I'm flat out sick of losing. It's just not going to happen again.' I truly believe that she has the chance to be one of the best players in this conference. She's going to be a better scorer and she's in better shape than she's ever been in her life. She's become more of a leader, and for me, that's been a very pleasant surprise."
Caroline Nehls, the lone senior, is expected to lead the team defensively in the paint. The center started 19 games last season and led the team in blocked shots (23). Combine the 6-2 Nehls with the 6-3 Butler and O'Brien has a solid one-two punch in the frontcourt.
"With her [Nehls] and Jen, you talk about a great defensive tandem," O'Brien said. "They do a great job blocking shots and just defending people with their athleticism. And hopefully that'll continue."
An exciting subplot this season is the return of junior Nekole Smith to the hardwood. Smith, a power forward, redshirted last year after dislocating her knee in practice before the season started. She looks to improve on her play of two seasons ago, when she averaged nine points and five boards per game.
"We missed her an awful lot last year because she's got a unique ability to score that very few people have," O'Brien said. "I'm hoping that she can get back right into the flow and go back to being her normal self."
Center Stasia Robinson and forwards Siiri Liivandi and Glamora Maeweather each add another dimension of depth to the talented frontcourt lineup.
Robinson enters her junior season renown for her soft touch around the basket and, at 6-3, brings a great deal of size to the Minutewomen lineup.
The 6-0 Liivandi will look to build on a strong first season, a year in which she turned heads with solid ball handling skills and above-average passing.
Maeweather, a sophomore, will look to apply all that she learned in her freshman season in her case for playing time this season. Maeweather's unique ability to understand the fundamentals of the game, along with her heads up play, will give reason for O'Brien to put her on the court.
"The thing about Glamora that's different from other players is that she's an intellectual player," O'Brien said. "She knows how to play the game. That's something that could very easily get her on the court. Quite obviously, we have some battles for playing time."
Depth. Talent. Leadership. The 2001-2002 UMass women's basketball team has all the pieces necessary for success in the Atlantic 10. The key, as it is every season, is putting those pieces in the right places at the right time. But O'Brien has no doubts that this season's squad can be successful.
"I believe this team in particular will have the chance to be one of the best rebounding teams we've ever had," O'Brien said. "I think this team very much can be successful. It's a very, very deep team. It's a very, very talented team."
The Maroon & White
As head coach Joanie O'Brien enters her 11th season at the helm of the UMass women's basketball program, she knows she has a great deal of potential in the twelve players who will don maroon and white uniforms in the 2001-02 campaign. Throughout her long and established college basketball career, O'Brien has learned that winning isn't easy, and with the departure of Kathy Coyner, arguably the team's best player last season, question marks seem abundant. O'Brien and her staff believe that they have enough pieces of the puzzle to put together a successful season, but those pieces must be placed in the right position at the right time. And with a young squad that features three freshmen and only one senior, the coaching staff will face the challenge of bringing out the best of this season's squad in order to be a contender for the Atlantic 10 crown.
With the departure of Coyner, a co-captain for the past two seasons, the point guard position is up for grabs. Headlining the list of candidates to lead the team on the court is sophomore Cleo Foster, who started 12 games last season as a freshman, with 10 of those starts coming in conference games. Foster's strengths lie in her speed and uncanny defensive abilities, and with a season of experience under her belt, the 5-8 Toronto native has the chance to lead the UMass attack on the court.
"Cleo brings a defensive intensity that we've never had," O'Brien said. "She's got the ability to do things defensively on the ball that we've never been able to do. And that makes a huge difference."
Two of the three freshmen will immediately challenge Foster for time at the point guard spot. Katie Nelson and Monique Govan both look to make an impact on the court, and both players bring a different style to the position. Nelson is a sharpshooter from the perimeter, who can make things happen on offense, while Govan plays the role of the classic point guard.
"Katie can shoot the basketball and she's more offensive minded from the point guard spot than a lot of point guards," O'Brien said. "Monique, on the other hand, may be the only prototype point guard that we have. She's going to dish first, set people up, and be a great defender."
The third freshman, Cindy Gonzalez, will begin her career watching from the sidelines and learning. The 5-8 off-guard from Brooklyn, N.Y., tore her ACL in an all-star game and will be evaluated by O'Brien in December to see if she can play the conference portion of the schedule or redshirt for the remainder of the campaign.
Returning for the Minutewomen at the off-guard position are juniors Ebony Pegues and Kristin Cannon and sophomore Paige Harris. Harris and Cannon share a common strength, as both are dangerous shooters beyond the three-point line and Pegues is one of the most agile players on the roster.
"Paige is a great shooter," O'Brien said. "She needs to be a little bit more consistent and a little more confident. She worked very hard this summer and I believe physically she's going to be stronger and more fit."
Cannon proved that she has what it takes to play for the Minutewomen last season, when, in her only start, the 5-6 Ohio product put up 17 points against St. Bonaventure at the Mullins Center.
Pegues' strengths lie on the defensive side of the ball, as she is known as a quick and pesky defender that can force opponents to turn the ball over. Pegues started seven games and averaged over 19 minutes per contest before her season was cut short when she tore her anterior crucial ligament at URI on January 31, 2000. The junior has worked impressively hard over the off-season to strengthen her leg and to ensure that she's at full steam when the season begins.
At the swing position, small forward/off-guard Amber Sneed returns for her third season. Sneed started all 16 conference games last season, and O'Brien believes if Sneed can improve her shot selection, the 6' junior can become a great player.
"She needs to have a big year for us," O'Brien said. "She brings enthusiasm and puts it out on the floor everyday. The thing we need her to do is make better decisions with the basketball." While O'Brien's backcourt has the potential to be a great defensive squad, the strength of the 2001-2002 squad lies in the frontcourt, where all six post players have at least one year of experience under their belts.
Junior standout Jennifer Butler returns for her third season of action at UMass. Butler started 27 games last season and will once again be the anchor of the UMass post attack. The New York native averaged over 12 points and nine rebounds in last years campaign and has all the tools to be one of the best players in the conference. Add Butler's natural talents to her newfound disgust for losing, and it becomes evident that she will be a leader on and off the court for the young Minutewomen squad.
"In our team meeting at the end of last year, everybody had their chance to say something," O'Brien said, "and she sat up and said 'I'm flat out sick of losing. It's just not going to happen again.' I truly believe that she has the chance to be one of the best players in this conference. She's going to be a better scorer and she's in better shape than she's ever been in her life. She's become more of a leader, and for me, that's been a very pleasant surprise."
Caroline Nehls, the lone senior, is expected to lead the team defensively in the paint. The center started 19 games last season and led the team in blocked shots (23). Combine the 6-2 Nehls with the 6-3 Butler and O'Brien has a solid one-two punch in the frontcourt.
"With her [Nehls] and Jen, you talk about a great defensive tandem," O'Brien said. "They do a great job blocking shots and just defending people with their athleticism. And hopefully that'll continue."
An exciting subplot this season is the return of junior Nekole Smith to the hardwood. Smith, a power forward, redshirted last year after dislocating her knee in practice before the season started. She looks to improve on her play of two seasons ago, when she averaged nine points and five boards per game.
"We missed her an awful lot last year because she's got a unique ability to score that very few people have," O'Brien said. "I'm hoping that she can get back right into the flow and go back to being her normal self."
Center Stasia Robinson and forwards Siiri Liivandi and Glamora Maeweather each add another dimension of depth to the talented frontcourt lineup.
Robinson enters her junior season renown for her soft touch around the basket and, at 6-3, brings a great deal of size to the Minutewomen lineup.
The 6-0 Liivandi will look to build on a strong first season, a year in which she turned heads with solid ball handling skills and above-average passing.
Maeweather, a sophomore, will look to apply all that she learned in her freshman season in her case for playing time this season. Maeweather's unique ability to understand the fundamentals of the game, along with her heads up play, will give reason for O'Brien to put her on the court.
"The thing about Glamora that's different from other players is that she's an intellectual player," O'Brien said. "She knows how to play the game. That's something that could very easily get her on the court. Quite obviously, we have some battles for playing time."
Depth. Talent. Leadership. The 2001-2002 UMass women's basketball team has all the pieces necessary for success in the Atlantic 10. The key, as it is every season, is putting those pieces in the right places at the right time. But O'Brien has no doubts that this season's squad can be successful.
"I believe this team in particular will have the chance to be one of the best rebounding teams we've ever had," O'Brien said. "I think this team very much can be successful. It's a very, very deep team. It's a very, very talented team."
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