Dec. 7, 2004
Review: The 2004-05 edition of the Winston-Salem State University women's basketball team will be much improved over last year's team that posted a 12-14 overall record and went a mediocre 6-10 in the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association as WSSU returns a wealth of experience and talent from the 2003-04 squad. Despite losing five letter winners from last season's team, four of them to graduation, WSSU returns eight letter winners and three starters and will look to compete for not only the CIAA Western Division women's basketball title, but the 2005 CIAA women's basketball crown as well. WSSU returns nearly 70% of their offense as three starters, all of who averaged at least 9.5 points per game will again put on a Winston-Salem State University uniform this winter. With three starters and five additional letter winners returning, the Lady Rams look poised to once again return to the CIAA Championship Tournament title game, this time with the ability and firepower to capture the crown.
Backcourt: The Lady Rams possess quite possibly one of the deepest backcourts in the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association as WSSU returns both Nikki Eason (Sr./Greenville, SC) and Kadina Baldwin (So./Fayetteville, NC). Both Eason and Baldwin started contests last season as Eason logged 737 minutes of playing time (second on the team behind Janet Robinson) in 24 appearances for WSSU, 19 of them where she broke into the starting lineup. Baldwin, a true sophomore on the court for the Lady Rams in '04-05 had a breakthrough freshman campaign as she appeared in all 26 games for WSSU and got 12 starts en route to 554 minutes. Eason, will bring with her 10.0 points, 3.5 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game while Baldwin will look to increase her production from last season in which she turned in 5.0 points, 1.8 rebounds and 2.4 assists per contest. Though Eason and Baldwin will likely fill the one and two spots in WSSU's starting lineup during the 2004-05 season, the Lady Rams will also have the services of sometimes-guard, sometimes-forward Tonda Motley (Jr./Prattville, AL). Motley, an imposing figure to opposing guards will look to once again use her 5'10" frame and strength to wreak havoc on guards, and use her quickness and ball handling to dismantle opposing forwards. Though Motley only averaged 4.2 points and 3.2 rebounds a year ago, WSSU head coach John Williams has been pleased with her off-season conditioning and says that she has a plethora of weapons in her arsenal that will help to make WSSU even deeper off of the bench. She may even crack into the Lady Rams' starting lineup according to Williams. In addition to the impressive stockpile of talent returning to the lineup, the Rams will welcome the services of two freshmen and a sophomore to the lineup. Joining the lineup is Shemika Bobbitt (Fr./Rocky Mount, NC), a 5'7" guard who is no stranger to the Lady Ram basketball program. Bobbitt served as a team manager last season and her basketball talent was discovered by the Lady Rams' coaching staff during off-season workouts. Bobbitt now joins the Lady Rams in a different capacity during 2004-05 as she will be a force off of the bench. The Lady Rams will also welcome the addition of Tierra Rudd (Fr./Greensboro, NC), a 5'7" guard from Greensboro, NC. Rudd was an all-conference selection in high school during her junior year before injuring her knee and missing the majority of her senior season. She will bring depth and talent to the Lady Rams' roster and will very likely record quality minutes during her freshman campaign. Perhaps the most dangerous addition to the Lady Ram lineup coming off of the bench as a guard is Latoya Armstrong (So./Rocky Mount, NC). Armstrong, a 5'4" guard from Rocky Mount, NC will provide not only exceptional ball-handling, but quickness and fast-break ability during the 2004-05 season. An up-tempo guard with outstanding foot speed, Armstrong will make an immediate impact off of the bench, and may also crack into the starting lineup depending on team health, chemistry and game situations.
 Guard Nikki Eason Will Make Up One-Half Of The WSSU Starting Backcourt  |
|
Front Court: The Rams return talent in not only the frontcourt, but are fortunate to return the services of a supremely talented backcourt. While WSSU's guards are the cornerstone of the Lady Ram offense, it will be the WSSU forwards, and 2003-04 CIAA Rookie of the Year Shalonda Carter (So./Fayetteville, NC) who will lay the foundations for WSSU's success this season. John Williams and the coaching staff will return the services of three forwards that are all seasoned veterans, despite Carter being only a redshirt-sophomore. By far the most talented forward on the team is Shalonda Carter. Carter, a 6'1" redshirt-sophomore plays far bigger than her 73" frame as she dominates opponents who are far taller than her and led the Lady Rams in scoring last season with an average of 12.8 points, recording eleven 20-point games in the process. She also averaged 8.9 rebounds, one assist and 1.3 steals per contest as she started all but four games and captured CIAA Rookie of the Year honors. Although she has played only 26 games in a Lady Ram uniform, she already has nine double-doubles to her credit and will once again be a force in the paint that all opposing teams have to reckon with. Joining Carter in the frontcourt will be another talented duo of forwards in Janet Robinson, a 5'8" junior from Durham, NC and Tiffany Tonkins, a 6'2" junior from Greensboro, NC. Robinson is a streaky shooter who can get hot from the outside and provide the Lady Rams with much-needed perimeter presence from the forward position. She shot 38.4% from the field last season and turned in a scoring average just shy of the double-digits with 9.7 points per game. She also helped the Lady Rams post a +2.4 rebounding margin in 2003-04 pulling down 3.2 rebounds per game. She will likely fill the three spot with teammate Tiffany Tonkins (Jr./Greensboro, NC) filling the four spot. Tonkins, the tallest player on the Lady Ram roster at 6'1" is a shot blocking machine. She needs only 21 blocks to become WSSU's all-time career leader in blocked shots despite being only a junior. In addition to blocking shots she can hit the boards hard and score when called upon. She shot an impressive 47.1% from the floor last season, turning in a scoring average of 3.9 points per game as well as pulling down just over five rebounds per game (5.1 rpg). A relentless defender, she recorded seven steals and blocked 42 shots while committing only 23 total turnovers. The Lady Rams will welcome the services of three backcourt additions in Carnella Alston (Fr./Raleigh, NC), Cherena Douglass (Fr./Springfield, IL) and Lonnie Jones (Fr./Kinston, NC).
 Kadina Baldwin Will Be The Second-Half Of The Lady Rams' Starting Backcourt |
|
Head Coach John Williams: The leader of the Lady Rams will once again be John Williams. Williams, who is in his third year at the helm of the Lady Rams' basketball ship has amassed a cumulative record of 28-26, leading WSSU to a 16-12 record in 2002-03 and a 12-14 record in 2003-04. Williams will look to lead the 2004-05 edition of the Lady Rams long past the first game of the CIAA Tournament, somewhere he has never taken WSSU, and onto the winners podium at the RBC Center in early March, 2005.
|
|
 |
