Young women’s basketball team poised for progress
Three season-ending injuries plagued the 2014-2015 Central Michigan women’s basketball team, which finished 13-18 (7-11 Mid-American Conference).
This season, CMU will have to overcome an inexperienced roster filled with 10 underclassmen as they look to replace a group of seniors led by star forward Crystal Bradford, now a member of the WNBA’s Los Angeles Sparks.
Last season, the Chippewas lost to rival Western Michigan in the second round of the MAC Tournament in Cleveland, Ohio after upsetting Northern Illinois in the first round. In the offseason, they also lost Bradford and guards Jessica Green and Kerby Tamm to graduation.
The most experienced player on the roster is senior guard Da’Jourie Turner, who averaged 9.0 assists per game last year and dished out a team-high 78 assists.
Turner will be tasked with mentoring freshman guard Presley Hudson, who will see significant playing time this season. Hudson starred at Wayland Union High School and has a strong work ethic to complement a good set of basketball skills.
“If we have practice at 8 a.m., Presley Hudson is in there at 6:45 a.m.,” Guevara said. “Right now, she is shooting 48 percent from the three, 58 percent from the two and 84 percent from the free-throw line. She has put in a tremendous amount of work.”
The shooting guard position is expected to be occupied by a plethora of players, including sophomores Cassandra Breen and Aleah Swary, redshirt junior Jasmine Harris and freshman Jaeda Robinson.
(MORE: Men's team enters season with highest expectations in more than a decade)
On media day, Guevara tabbed Breen as a starter, but also mentioned Harris, who sat out all of last season after transferring from Massachusetts. Harris averaged 10.3 points per game and 3.9 rebounds per game for the Minutewomen in 2013-14.
“She’s played two years so she has the game experience,” Guevara said. “She just doesn’t have the game experience with us here. When Jasmine gets going, she can shoot the three.”
Guevara said the post play is expected to be a strength of this team this season. The Chippewas return redshirt junior Jewel Cotton, who tore her ACL after only four games last season. In those four games, Cotton averaged 7.8 points and 6.3 rebounds.
“She’s our most versatile player,” Guevara said. “I expect her to lead us in rebounding. I expect her to lead us in scoring. I expect to hear her mouth. She’s our lion.”
CMU will also be helped in the post by sophomore Tinara Moore, who grabbed 2.6 rebounds per game last season.
CMU traveled to Canada for exhibition games in August and returned to the U.S. with a 3-0 record. They also played with four 10-minute quarters to prepare for the rule change this season, different from the two 20-minute halves from years past.
Guevara said the trip helped her to manage timeouts in the fourth quarter and substitutions, something she will be focused on in the early schedule.
“The goal is to make sure we are wearing the other team down in the fourth quarter,” Guevara said.
CMU’s nonconference slate features a Thanksgiving trip to Chicago to take on Loyola and UIC. They also travel to Illinois on Dec. 12. The Chippewas will also participate in the Saint Joseph’s Tournament in Philadelphia after Christmas.
“By the time conference comes, they’re veterans by then,” Guevara said.
CMU opens its season against Indiana State at 7:30 p.m. on Friday at McGuirk Arena.
