San Jose, Calif. - The San José State women's basketball team makes its 2018-19 debut on Walt McPherson Court in an exhibition game against the Chico State Wildcats on Sunday, October 28 at 2:00 p.m. in The Event Center.
San José State Spartans
vs.
Chico State Wildcats
Sunday, October 28 – 2:00 p.m.
The Event Center, San Jose, Calif.
Sixth-year head coach Jamie Craighead is emphasizing a "back to basics" approach with particular attention being placed on the team's defense.
"Our players understand what we are trying to do even better that a year ago," Craighead said. "We eliminated a lot of the complexity and have made it more deliberate. Whether we are in the half or full court, we will be pressuring teams. We'll be trying to force tempo, turnovers and get quick early shots."
Following a disappointing 2017-18 season, the first in which her Spartans failed to reach double-digit wins, Craighead will have to replace nearly 40 percent of the team's offense, from what last season was the second youngest team in Division I women's basketball.
Gone are her two leading scorers, including Myzhanique Ladd, who is the 17th player in program history to score 1,000 points in her career. And while the returning players have matured and are poised to take a larger role, Craighead anticipates they, along with the newcomers, will be impact players for this edition of the Spartans.
"Last year we were so young and it was a building year," Craighead said. "I don't like using that term, but ultimately that's what it was. With 11 underclassmen, it is going to take time to see results. But looking back, there was so much growth during the season. Our players competed and never made excuses, which is a testament to their resiliency and character. Last season will only help us this year and moving forward."
CRAIGHEAD GOES POSITION BY POSITION
Point Guards - sophomore Danae Marquez and freshman Nefer León.
"Danae was very experienced when she came in last year, but it was a big learning curve for her because the game at this level is so much faster. She has figured out how to best use her skill set and will give us a little bit of everything. I expect her to have lots of assists, take care of the ball, and shoot a good percentage from the three-point line. She is the start of our defense and we need that in our point guard position.
"Nefer is a great addition. She is a combo guard, so she can play the one or the two depending on the situation. Expect big things from her and being a freshman her time on the court will increase as the season progresses. She is a fiery and feisty player who already goes fast and her best game is in transition, which fits into what we do. She is a natural two, but she will play some back-up point for us this year. Moving forward she will be a wing, but need her to play some point this season.
Shooting guards - junior Analyss Benally and sophomore Megan Anderson.
"Analyss and Megan are dynamic shooters, but they are different in terms of where and how they get their shots. We are seeing Megan attack the rim more. She is so long that if you come at her at the three-point line, it takes just a couple of dribbles and she is at the rim, which will help expand her game. Analyss can run off multiple screens and has a lightening quick release. Her confidence is unbounded when it comes to shooting and they are both vastly improved on the defensive end."
Wings - junior Fieme'a Hafoka and sophomore Courtesy Clark
"Fieme'a returns to the wing, her natural position, after playing trail post last season due to injuries and with Courtesy we're back to a regular combination at that spot. When you are looking at two players at one position, it doesn't get better for us than these two."
"Courtesy has progressed really nicely and I expect Fieme'a to take on a larger role in our offense. People are going to love watching these two…they play hard every possession and do a lot of little things for the team that you need to be successful."
Trail Post - senior Andrea Kohlhaas and sophomore Cydni Lewis
"Andrea was starting to really settle into the position last year and then got injured in the fifth game. Sometimes when you take a year off it takes a bit of time to get back up to speed, but she is getting back in the flow. She'll shoot the three really well, play solid defense and rebound for us. Cydni has moved her from the inside to the outside and her game has exploded. I think it was the best place for her to be. We know she can play the four, but she is shooting the three as well as anyone on our team and being left-handed and how athletic she is, when she puts the ball on the floor, you can't stay in front of her.
Interior players - junior Alexis Harris and sophomore Mikaylah Wilson
"These two are so different. Alexis is the quicker one, grabbing rebounds, defending and hitting more than 50 percent of her shots. She runs really hard and finishes at the rim. Mikaylah is that player who has so much size and strength that you can't move her off the block. When she can consistently score down there and develop a face-up game to take the short corner and drive her game will blossom. They are a really good combo because they are so different."
X-Factor - freshman Raziya Potter
"Raziya is that player who comes along once every five years. We saw something and we couldn't understand why other people didn't see it. She is six-feet tall, so others might not have thought she could play the wing or the post, but she can play anywhere on the court. She makes everyone around her better and that's when you know you have a great player. She works hard and is figuring things out defensively, which is always hard for freshmen. She wants to learn, is coachable and her teammates respect her. We are really excited about her, but also everyone around her. It seem like things are falling into place."
Following the matchup with Chico State, the regular season kicks off on Tuesday, November 6, with a 7:00 p.m. game against San Francisco State in The Event Center.
Season and individual game tickets are on sale now. For ticket information call the Spartan Ticket Office at 408-924-7589 or go to www.sjsuspartans.com.