Oct. 31, 2008
Head coach Shimmy Gray-Miller and her Saint Louis Billikens can hardly conceal their excitement. The Bills have escaped the confines of the historic but 80-year-old Bauman-Eberhardt Center and are eagerly anticipating a fresh start for the program in the sparkling new Chaifetz Arena.
Six returnees and eight newcomers will have the distinction of playing the inaugural season on the Chaifetz hardwood. Four starters, led by junior guard Theresa Lisch, are among the half dozen returning players. Lisch made the Atlantic 10 All-Conference third team last year despite missing the first eight games due to injury, and she is a 2008-09 preseason second-team All-Conference selection.
In addition to enjoying the comfort and amenities of the program's new home, Billiken fans will be treated to a different style of play in 2008-09. Gray-Miller plans to quicken the pace by utilizing the athletic attributes of her fourth Saint Louis team.
"This will be a defining season for us," Gray-Miller said. "We have recruited purposefully over the last three classes, and this team reflects the vision we have had for this program all along. You will see a faster, more athletic Billiken team than in years past. We want to play at a faster pace, and we have been strategically recruiting for this day from the beginning."
The thrill of competing in a new arena will be accompanied by high expectations. Saint Louis was on the short end of numerous single-digit decisions a year ago, but Gray-Miller is optimistic that the experience of her veterans will help the Billikens learn how to win more of those close contests.
"We lost a lot of close games last year, and although that can be attributed to many factors, youth and inexperience obviously play a huge role in how consistent you are throughout a season," Gray-Miller said. "As a coach, you always want your most talented players, your hardest workers and your best leaders to also be the most experienced. That will be the case in 2008-09.
"I am pleased with the leadership of my six returning players and the work they put in last spring and summer. They have taken ownership of the program and want to accomplish bigger and better things. I have done very little external motivating with this group. They are driven and compelled to put their stamp on this season.
"I am absolutely in love with this team, and I appreciate the diverse personalities of the players who make up this group," Gray-Miller said. "As different as they are off the court, collectively they have a unified approach to this season and the goals they have set."
However, don't expect the returning players to be the only ones making an impact. Gray-Miller considers her six freshmen to be perhaps the most dynamic collection of recruits she and her staff have attracted to the program.
"It's nice not having to rely on rookies as significantly as we did the past couple of seasons, but our freshmen are unlike any other class we have brought to campus," Gray-Miller said. "All six are gregarious and fearless, and they truly came here with the sole purpose of making history. This is an extremely athletic bunch. In order for us to have depth this season, a few of them need to emerge."
Rounding out the group of eight newcomers are junior center Kat Hester, a transfer from Miami (Fla.) who will sit out this season, and sophomore center Nicole Johnson, a transfer from Abilene Christian.
Returning Players
The backcourt tandem of Lisch and fellow junior guard Katie Paganelli will be one of the Billikens' key components. Lisch averaged a team-best 16.8 points, added 5.0 rebounds and 3.4 assists and led SLU in free-throw percentage (.882), 3-pointers (39) and steals (34) in 2007-08. She is a 2008-09 preseason second-team All-Conference selection. Paganelli emerged as an offensive threat early last season, averaging 16 points and leading the Bills' scoring effort six times during Lisch's absence. She finished with a 12.0 scoring average and 37 treys.
"Katie and Theresa are the cornerstones of everything we have done and the foundation we have been laying," Gray-Miller said. "They accept and embrace their leadership roles, and no one has put in more work than these two.
"Katie worked hard to improve her shot and her ball-handling skills in the off-season. She is competitive beyond belief, and her passion for the game is infectious. In addition to everything she has done on the court, she experienced tremendous maturity and growth during the off-season and emerged as a definite team leader.
"Theresa obviously will play a big part in navigating the corner we are about to turn," Gray-Miller said. "Her stats speak for themselves, but what her stats will never show is her toughness and drive.
"Theresa's biggest area of improvement is that she is far more poised on the court and has a heightened sense of awareness. She makes everyone else better by either scoring or getting her teammates involved. Theresa has improved her overall game and has taken her floor leadership to the next level."
Junior center Amanda Kemezys averaged 10.6 points and finished among the league's top 10 in five categories last season, including rebounding (seventh, 7.6 rpg), offensive rebounding (fifth, 2.6 orpg) and free-throw percentage (sixth, .817).
"No one has benefited more from off-season workouts and conditioning than Amanda," Gray-Miller said. "She is stronger, more physical and meaner, and she will be a formidable complement to Theresa and Katie's outside game. Amanda has improved her back-to-the-basket moves and her face-up game, which will make her more difficult to defend."
Fifth-year senior forward Heather King was one of the A-10's best rebounders down the stretch a year ago, averaging 7.0 caroms (3.4 offensive) over the final 13 games.
"Heather has a warrior mentality and is the type of player every coach wants," Gray-Miller said. "Her teammates love playing with her because of her selflessness on the court and her willingness to do all the dirty work.
"I thought last year was Heather's farewell season, but there was no way she was going to pass up the opportunity to go out on top. She deserves all the success we will experience this year because no one on this team has persevered in the fashion she has. I expect Heather to continue to make her mark on the boards, where she has enjoyed great success throughout her career."
Senior forward Jameela Haynes provided a spark off the bench last season and has put herself in position to compete for more playing time this year.
"Coaches coach because of players like Jameela," Gray-Miller said. "Watching her mature and develop the past four years has been extremely rewarding. She wants to play, and she has put in the required off-season work to earn a fair chance. I am pleased with how she came back this fall, and I expect her to contribute more this season than in years past."
Sophomore forward Lauren Woods showed promise in her first collegiate tour of duty, averaging 5.9 points while playing in 26 games with seven starts in 2007-08.
"People will see a much-improved Lauren Woods," Gray-Miller said. "She is one of our most athletic players, and that athleticism will allow her to make a difference on both ends of the court. Our style of play is tailor-made for Lauren, and I expect her to flourish in it.
"Lauren has added an offensive dimension to her game that was lacking last season. She has worked hard with assistant coach Stephanie Rich on her shooting form and has embraced the changes we asked her to make. As Lauren has matured, so has her game."
Newcomers
The Billikens' freshman class is comprised of guards Alisha Goodwin and Janisha "Pooh" Gearlds, guard/forward Devonna Smith, forwards India Warfield and Kayci Will, and center Kaelin Reid.
Goodwin (17.5 ppg in 2007-08) and Lisch were teammates on the Belleville Althoff squad that was runner-up to Bolingbrook at the 2006 Illinois Class AA state tournament. Gearlds, the point guard on that Bolingbrook squad, also helped lead the Raiders to two runner-up finishes and a fourth-place showing during her career. Smith (19.8 ppg, 10.6 rpg) finished her Kirkwood (Mo.) career ranked among the program's all-time top 10 in four categories.
"I expect to see immediate contributions from Alisha at either guard spot," Gray-Miller said. "Her tenacity and quickness will get her minutes. How many minutes, and exactly what her role will be, will depend on her ability to be consistent.
"Pooh is a true point guard and a proven winner, and that is why she was a must-sign for this program. She is a defense-first player who will benefit greatly by being under Theresa's tutelage. I expect her to provide valuable minutes as she continues to adjust to the speed of the college game.
"Unfortunately, our most athletic player, Devonna Smith, will sit out this year due to an injury. But the thought of coaching her for the next five years is exciting for this staff and bodes well for the future of Saint Louis women's basketball."
Warfield, a first-team All-District and All-Conference choice last season, was a member of the Chaminade Julienne (Dayton, Ohio) team that was rated 20th in the USA Today 2007-08 preseason rankings. Will (Neoga, Ill.) averaged 14.8 points and 11.4 rebounds in her final prep campaign, while Reid averaged 18.9 points and 8.5 rebounds as a senior at Cincinnati Taft.
"India is a smart player who, in the mold of Heather King, does all the little things that might go unnoticed but make a big impact," Gray-Miller said. "She is also a viable scoring threat with great face-up moves and a great feel for the game.
"Kayci works hard and will thrive as a role player. She is thrilled to be a part of this great program and University, and we are equally excited to have her. She is a smart player who will push those ahead of her every day and take pride in doing so. Kayci is tough and tenacious, and you need players like that to be successful.
"Of all the freshmen, Kaelin has pleasantly surprised us the most. Although she has to work on her stamina and adjust to the pace of Division I basketball, she brings a physical presence inside as well as much-needed size."
Johnson and Hester also bring size to the paint. Johnson, who competed in track and field at Abilene Christian, has been away from competitive basketball for two years but has shown promise. Hester, who will have two years of eligibility beginning with the 2009-10 campaign, will spend this season providing invaluable practice competition for her low-post teammates.
"Nicole has the type of athleticism and size a coach covets," Gray-Miller said. "She wants to improve every day, and she has. She works hard, has a great attitude and loves blocking shots, which gives us a legitimate defensive threat in the post for the first time since I've been here. When the offensive aspect of her game catches up to her defensive ability, Nicole will be a force.
"Kat might be our most valuable player because she is responsible for making our post players better day in and day out. We are thrilled to have a former ACC player wearing the Blue and White. The experience she brings cannot be duplicated by a coaching staff.
"Amanda, Kaelin and Nicole will improve this year because of Kat. She is going to be a major factor for us in the years to come. I wish she didn't have to sit out this season, but we will be better because of it."
Schedule
The 2008-09 Billiken schedule is a 29-game slate that includes 11 teams that advanced to postseason play a year ago and 10 that won 20 or more games. Six games against 2007-08 NCAA Tournament participants highlight the schedule, including home contests against Atlantic 10 Conference rivals George Washington and Xavier and non-conference foe Oklahoma.
"This certainly is the most challenging schedule we have put together since my arrival at SLU," Gray-Miller said. "The competition in the A-10 is more intense every season, so we know what we're in for come January. The non-conference schedule satisfies our two main objectives of adequately preparing us for the A-10 and giving us an opportunity to be successful. The schedule definitely is competitive and indicative of the direction in which our program is headed."
The non-conference ledger features a heavy Midwestern flavor. The Billikens will take on three opponents from the Big 12 Conference, three from the Missouri Valley Conference and two from the Mid-American Conference. In all, 11 leagues are represented on the schedule.
"I am thrilled that we have started series with so many regional programs," Gray-Miller said. "In addition to our A-10 rivalries, those are the type of games that draw fans and appeal to the competitive nature of our players. In attempting to establish tradition and maintain interest in our program, developing good non-conference rivalries close to home is a priority for us."
Saint Louis will head west for four games. Two will be played in early December at the Contra Costa Times Classic in Berkeley, Calif., where host California, a 2007-08 NCAA Tournament qualifier, is a potential opponent. The Bills travel to NCAA qualifier Wyoming and WNIT semifinalist Colorado later that month, then host perennial power Oklahoma Dec. 30.
Highlighting the home A-10 schedule are tilts against WNIT qualifier Dayton in the conference opener Jan. 10, Charlotte Feb. 3, NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 team George Washington Feb. 14, and two-time defending A-10 Tournament champion Xavier Feb. 21.
Closing Thoughts
"This is the most excited I have ever been for a season to get started," Gray-Miller said. "We have a clear image of the type of team we want to be and the type of program we want to have. That image is becoming more sharply focused every day."
