Women's Basketball Preview, Part 10: Milwaukee

Nov. 5, 2007

Just one year removed from its second Horizon League championship, the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee women's basketball team is confident this could be the year it returns to the top of the league.

And, the league's coaches, sports information directors and media agree, as the Panthers were picked to finish first in the league's preseason poll.

"Being picked first in the league is a compliment to our program, but we're not going to put a ton of weight in it," UWM head coach Sandy Botham said. "We'll have to earn everything we get this season whenever we step on the floor. I can see why they picked us. We return four starters and the bulk of our scoring from last season. Other teams in our league lost key veterans."

It's no surprise, as Milwaukee has finished second or better in seven of the last eight seasons and the team returns four starters and nine letterwinners from last season. But, it is not resting now that the pressure is on. The Panthers know what it takes to win a league title, having won crowns in 2001 and 2006, and are not taking the challenge lightly.

"This puts the `x' on our back from the get-go," Botham said. "We know that we are going to be in the sights for the other teams in our league and they are going to circle our game on their schedules as games they must win if they want to compete for the league title."

The team's nine returning players will welcome five freshmen and a junior transfer into the fold for this season. The addition of newcomers will have an immediate effect on the makeup of the team, as the Panthers will focus on playing a faster style of basketball.

"This team has a lot of depth and it allows us to use a bigger rotation,"Botham said. "We have the ability to play 10-deep and just wear other teams out. I envision our style just wearing teams out on both sides of the court. That's a style that's proved effective late in games. Our freshmen add a level of athleticism that we've never had here."

The athleticism and depth of the roster, combined with the experience of the upperclassmen, has Botham confident the team will thrive in this style.

"This is the most athletic team I've had in my time here at Milwaukee,"Botham said. "We are going to have the capabilities to do a lot more things, both offensively and defensively. We will be looking to press more, run more and make opponents play more on their heels."

Highlighting any returning class in the league is the Preseason Player of the Year Traci Edwards. Just a junior, Edwards has been an all-league first team member twice and is coming off a season where she set a school record with 615 points and finished 13th in the country at 20.5 points per game. She was also the first player to lead the league in scoring and rebounding since Maria Viall in 2003-04. It was the second-straight year she led the league in rebounding.

"Traci has played so well the last couple of seasons and continues to get recognized for it," Botham said. "She has certainly set herself apart as a player to watch in this league and we are looking forward to the season and what she'll be able to do. The great thing about her is that she hasn't reached her full potential yet."

It seems fitting that Edwards would follow Viall, as she is the first dominant post player since Viall graduated as a two-time league player of the year, the school's all-time leading scorer and the top rebounding in the program's Division I history. It's Viall's marks that Edwards has been assaulting since her freshman season.

"Our goal this season will be to increase Traci's versatility and have her move away from the basket more and be more `all-around'," Botham said."Opponents have to focus on her and that opens up other people on the floor and leads to so much without her having to touch the ball."

Last season, the league got a glimpse of what Edwards was really capable of when she erupted for a school record 42 points, 16 rebounds and a school record-tying six blocked shots against Cleveland State in January.

One of two seniors on the team, senior Meredith Onson joins Edwards as the most seasoned players, as both have been starters the last two years. Last season, Onson made the move from point guard to shooting guard and finished second on the team with 8.0 points per game. A proven three-point threat, she came on strong at the end of the season, averaging 12.3 points per game over the last four games and tying her season-high with 17 points in the league semifinals against Green Bay.

"Meredith is a scorer. She works well off the ball and can catch and shoot," Botham said. "Teams are going to have to double Traci and when they do Meredith is another scorer on the perimeter that teams have to worry about."

At the point guard spot, Botham returns junior Jody Crumble. Crumble became eligible late last season after being a mid-season transfer in 2006. She was able to dress for the last 12 games of the season and was inserted into the starting lineup for the last 10.

"Jody is one of the craftiest guards we've had," Botham said. "She does a tremendous job of keeping her defender off-balance. Her emergence at the end of last seas, playing at the point, helped us. She's also a great rebounder and is very instinctive. She just makes plays. With the addition of Markita Barnes and Maurika Hickman, we would like to be able to move her to the off-guard position where she can use that craftiness in the wings."

Over the last 12 games of the season, she emerged as one of team's more versatile players. She averaged 8.5 points, 5.1 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game. She also capped the year with the first triple-double in school history when she finished with 13 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists at Green Bay in the league semifinals.

Competing to fill out the starting lineup at the power forward position will likely be senior Aubri Rote. Despite standing just 5-foot-8, Rote has demonstrated to the coaching staff that she has the toughness and strength to play the position. She also creates a mismatch on offense with her accurate three-point shooting.

"Rote is a proven scorer and just knocks down big shots for us," Botham said. "A player like that really extends the defense and with her, we will be able to create a lot of mismatches. Also, her ability to consistently knock down the long ball opens up the inside. She wants the ball and is not afraid to knock down the big shot. Her maturity and experience is a great asset for us."

Toward the end of last season Rote was clutch for Milwaukee, hitting a number of big three's that helped the Panthers to victory. She reached double-figures in scoring five times on the year, including in three of the last four games of the season. Two of those games, she had 13 and 12 points as UWM posted two of the largest comebacks in school history. The other was an 11-point effort as Panthers pushed No. 22 Green Bay to overtime in the league semifinals.

With Rote and Onson on the floor at the same time, Milwaukee will feature two dangerous and accurate three-point shooters. Onson has hit on 36.8 percent of her career attempts at Milwaukee, putting her fifth in school history. Meanwhile, Rote hit 44 percent of her three-point shots last season to miss the school single-season record by 0.1 percent. She also has hit 47.5 percent of her 59 attempts in a Panther uniform.

Junior Emily Markert is a candidate to fill the small forward/third guard position that has emerged in the Panthers' offense and their inside, outside play. The style calls for a number of shooters at the perimeter and Markert fits the bill.

In her first two seasons, she has come off the bench in all but two of her appearances and has averaged 5.1 points per game. Last season, she was third on the team with 30 three-pointers made and averaged a solid 5.9 points per game.

Juniors Turquoise McCain and Katie Fournier both started last season and add to a talented and deep group of upperclassmen. McCain made 25 starts, mostly as a third guard, and was a leader on the floor. She contributed 4.8 points per game and finished third on the team in rebounding at 3.3 per game.

Fournier moved into the starting lineup after six games and made 22 starts on the season at power forward. Already known as a solid defensive player in the post, she eventually emerged as an offensive threat during the league season. She finished the year scoring 5.1 points per game to go with 4.5 rebounds. She was second on the team in rebounding, third in blocks and fifth in steals.

"What's so exciting about our juniors is their maturity level. They've become more consistent both emotionally and physically," Botham said. "We want to run more and Katie will be great in that. She is one of the most conditioned posts we have and she will be able to beat people down the floor. Emily provides us with another perimeter threat and Turq does a lot of the little things and is the emotional leader of this team. She wears it on her face, so you can see it. Her energy is so contagious."

While the upperclassmen have a wealth of experience and will lead the team, it's the underclassmen that will provide depth and challenge those juniors and seniors for playing time and possibly starting positions.

Freshman Lindsay Laur became eligible right away this season after transferring from Colorado State last season. She was initially ruled ineligible for the first semester this season after enrolling at UWM following the fall semester last season. She was declared eligible for the start of the season shortly after the start of school in the fall and is eager to crack the Panthers' lineup. She was a two-time all-state performer at Cretin-Durham Hall High School in Minnesota.

"Lindsay is a versatile power forward. She can shoot, drive and has the ability to post up," Botham said. "She will be a dangerous weapon for us at the four position."

Sophomore guard Jodie McClain returns after a freshman season where she made 16 appearances and one start while switching from the shooting guard position she played in high school to point guard. That won't be the case this season, as a pair of newcomers will likely team with Crumble at the point.

Joining McClain as the only other sophomore on the roster is Danae Russell.

Russell got her feet wet at the collegiate level in eight games last season, chipping in six points over 21 minutes. She will likely miss the start of the season due to an off-season injury. Junior Markita Barnes joined the Panthers this season after two All-American seasons at Illinois Valley Community College. She averaged 17.3 points, 8.4 assists, 5.8 rebounds and 4.7 steals per game as a sophomore and led all of NJCAA Division II in assists per game. She was also seventh in steals and 24th in scoring.

"Markita adds depth to our point guard position and comes to us as a junior after playing two years at the college level," Botham said. "She has the ability to play off-guard, as she has shown the capability to score and bring the ball up. Markita has great ball-handling skills and has tremendous speed."

Freshman Maurika Hickman also played the point at Minneapolis North High School, where she was a two-time all-state player. She averaged 21 points,6.5 assists and three steals per game as a senior. She finished her career with 1,348 points and 324 assists.

"Maurika is athletic, fast and has great court sense," Botham said. "She is a true point guard that can really be a floor general for us and quarterback our offense. On the other end of the floor, she can not only break down a player in the full court, but also make the players around her better. Her defensive desire will make her a great defender for us."

Freshman Jineen Williams will bring speed and athleticism to the floor at guard after a standout career at nearby Racine Case High School. As a senior she was an all-state first-teamer and led the county in scoring, assists and steals. She was conference player of the year as a senior and earned all-conference honors three times.

"Jineen is one of the fastest guards to ever wear a Milwaukee jersey,"Botham said. "She is a great athlete who can flat-out score. She will allow us to be more creative on both the offensive and defensive ends of the floor. Her ball-handling skills are outstanding and she should be as fun to watch as she will be to coach"

Rounding out the incoming freshmen class is center Jenilee Klomstad and Stephanie Schell. Klomstad stands 6-foot-4 and will provide Milwaukee with depth behind Edwards at center. She came to the Panthers from Pewaukee High School where she was another all-state first-team player. The county and conference player of the year, she broke school records for single-season rebounds and blocks in a career, season and game. Schell adds to UWM's roster of outside shooters after starring at Eisenhower High School in New Berlin, Wis. She was a four-time all-conference selection. Named to the all-county team twice, she played every game in her prep career, including 91-straight starts, and was already named to her high school's athletic hall of fame.

"Jenilee is a legit 6-4 and having a player with that size is a tremendous asset in the post. Plus, she is in practice challenging Traci everyday and that will help both players get better," Botham said. "Steph is so fundamentally sound and has the ability to play any spot on the perimeter because of that. She will be a true role player for us with athleticism. Both Jenilee and Steph are already coming along and adapting to the college game."

With a veteran group of upperclassmen and talented group of underclassmen, the Panthers are optimistic they have the right mix for their third league title and a trip to their third NCAA Tournament. The mixture of youth and experience combine for a team with good depth at each position.

"This team has great chemistry already and our upperclassmen have matured so much. That will really be the key for us this season," Botham said. "Our practices are going to be much more competitive and that is where we will win games. The level of performance in practice will be raised every day. That will carry over onto gameday."