Wingate University head women’s basketball coach
Barbara Nelson says she would be hard-pressed to write a pre-season (starting) line-up card. Nelson believes this is not a problem, as the Bulldogs will possess much depth this year.
“We have eight players who could fill starting roles right now,” Nelson says. “We have three or four (more) players who are only seven-to-10 practices away from filling a starting role. At this point, I am not looking for five starters. I am looking for my finishing five.”
Wingate was 18-10 overall last year. The Bulldogs compiled a 9-7 ledger in the South Atlantic Conference. The previous year, Wingate advanced to the 2008 NCAA Division II Elite Eight as champions of the South Atlantic Region. The Bulldogs also won the Food Lion South Atlantic Conference tournament on the way to the 2008 Elite Eight event.
The Bulldogs will miss All-American point guard
Anna Atkinson (’09), the two-time South Atlantic Conference Player of the Year. “We are looking for a floor leader,” Nelson says. “In the past, we knew Anna would make great things happen as the shot clock expired. We need players who are willing to take a chance on both ends of the floor.”
“This year’s team has so much potential,” Nelson acknowledges. “…but potential is a dangerous and scary word. We are very athletic. We have many interchangeable pieces. We have players who can defend and players who can finish at the rim.”
Nelson says Bulldog fans will see a different team wearing the blue-and-gold this year. “We are going to look different than any Wingate team has ever looked. We are very excited.”
Sophomore guard
Kurie Washington was the 2009 SAC Freshman of the Year for women’s basketball. She was named All-SAC second team as well. Last year, Washington led first-year SAC players in scoring with 15.4 points per game. In SAC games, she averaged a league-best 18.8 points per game. In Wingate’s final 10 contests of the season, Washington posted 21.3 points per game.
The WBCA honored Washington as an honorable mention choice for WBCA Player of the Month laurels in February. She averaged 21-plus points during February. Her 30-point game in a 99-90 victory at Carson-Newman Feb. 28 was the most points by a Wingate player (male or female) last season.
Bulldog junior guard
CC Brooks averaged 9.2 points per game last year. Brooks had 18 starts last year, third on the team to Atkinson and Washington. Senior backcourt mate
Sarah Rosser hit 24 three-pointers during her junior campaign, fourth on the team charts. Rosser’s return to the shooting guard slot will keep opposing defenses honest.
Nine of Wingate’s 10 returning players started at least two games last season, giving the Bulldogs much experience. Sophomore guards
Stephanie Whitenack and
Gladney Brown give Wingate a veteran backcourt. Whitenack hit 14 three-point field goals last year, while Brown can play either guard position with much ease. Junior guard
Emily Parrish is not afraid to step behind the three-point line and make things happen.
Wingate’s frontcourt returns virtually intact; three veterans shared 40 starts during the 2008-09 season.
ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America® candidate
Stacie Rhodes averaged 6.4 points per game and grabbed a team-best 5.6 rebounds per contest as a junior last year.
Junior forward
Stefani Shuey posted 6.0 points per game and 4.1 rebounds per game as a sophomore. During her first season, Shuey averaged 10.6 post-season points per game during Wingate’s magical run to the Elite Eight.
Junior forward
Jessy Keitt will often draw the opposing teams’ top post player. Senior
Erica Crumlin led the SAC with 2.65 blocks per game two seasons ago. Crumlin contributed 8.2 points per game and 6.2 rebounds per game during Wingate’s Elite Eight season. Her return will reap big dividends for the Bulldogs this year.
Wingate’s freshman class will have an opportunity to contribute immediately. Nelson added guards
Sarah Wollett and
Britney Mitchell and post players
Jecia Anderson and
Louticia Logan to the Bulldog mix for the 2009-10 campaign. Mitchell played her high school basketball at nearby Porter Ridge.
Bulldog fans will enjoy freshman guard
Ashley Fleetwood contributions down the road; Fleetwood will redshirt this season. Wollett and Fleetwood played their scholastic hoops at Wakefield High School, alma mater of senior guard Sarah Rosser.
Nelson was the head coach for the USA team that won the gold medal in the inaugural 2009 FIBA Americas U16 Championship this past summer. She brings many wonderful Team USA experiences to the table as the Bulldogs prepare for the season.
“The Team USA experience reminds me I am part of something bigger than myself,” Nelson recalls. “I hope we can teach our players they are a part of something bigger than one person.”
Wingate opens with November exhibitions at Duke and Davidson. The Bulldogs will host regional powerhouses Clayton State and Francis Marion in December. The non-conference mix also includes Anderson (S.C.), Johnson C. Smith, Pfeiffer, Queens and USC Aiken. A trip to Puerto Rico occupies the Thanksgiving holidays for the team.
The Bulldogs will play 18 SAC games in December, January and February. Wingate will take two January breaks from league play with contests against North Greenville and NCAA Division I Charleston Southern. The 2010 Food Lion SAC tournament will be held March 3 (sites of higher seeds) and March 6-7 (Hickory).
