2007-08 Women's Basketball Preview
11/8/2007 12:00:00 AM | General
After returning to postseason play in 2006-07, the Seton Hall Pirates enter the new year with great expectations and even greater confidence. Head coach Phyllis Mangina, now entering her 23rd season on the sidelines, guided SHU to a victory in the WNIT First Round to cap a 19-win season that also saw the Pirates qualify for the BIG EAST Championship after a one-year hiatus. Despite the loss of Monique Blake and Heta Korpivaara, two key players from last season’s team, Seton Hall appears armed and ready to make noise in the BIG EAST and beyond.
“Last year was our first step in a three-year process of getting our program back to a winning attitude, and I think we were really successful in doing that,” said Mangina. “Our players and staff had a great attitude and the whole climate around the team was outstanding. It carried through to the summer, and hopefully it continues through to this year.”
Senior guard Ela Mukosiej, a 2006-07 All-BIG EAST Honorable Mention selection, led the team in scoring a year ago at 11.8 points and is poised for a huge final season. Mukosiej showed a flair for the dramatic in her first year as a Pirate, hitting clutch shots in the closing moments of several games. She displayed the ability to knock down the mid-range jumpshot and to finish at the rim, while also tying for the team lead in assists last season. Mukosiej’s veteran presence will serve as a stabilizing force on the court for Seton Hall in 2007-08.
“Ela did so many things for us last year,” said Mangina. “She gave us a go-to player, a clutch player, somebody that could really score and make plays at the end of shot clocks and at the end of games. Those close games that we won last year, I think a lot of it had to do with her being on the floor.”
Junior guards Brittney Messina and Jadis Rhodin return after serving as key role players in their first two seasons.
“Brittney has to stay healthy,” said Mangina. “Last year she ended up playing a lot of point guard when we had no back-up at that position. If she can knock down her jumper, she will be a great asset to us.”
“Jadis is one of the finest defenders in the league,” Mangina continued. “She just needs to be more consistent with her jumpshot, which she has been working on all summer. If she brings that then you have a really great combination of skills. She gives us great versatility.”
Sophomore guards Nicole Emery and Ashley Booker comprised the starting backcourt for most of their debut season and will look to build on an impressive first year. Emery has great length for a perimeter player and has the potential stuff the stat sheet. She averaged 5.7 points and 2.6 rebounds and was also third on the team with 44 assists.
“It was Nicole’s first year last year after redshirting, and she did a great job,” said Mangina. “She has gotten bigger and stronger, and I think this is a breakout year for her. She has all the tools to be an outstanding BIG EAST player.”
Booker started 24 games at point guard, tying for the team lead with 66 assists. She averaged 3.0 points and provided one of the season highlights a year ago when she drained a halfcourt shot as time expired to defeat Lehigh. Booker has the potential to expand her game on both ends of the floor as her confidence grows.
“To see Ashley do the kind of things she did as a freshman was just outstanding,” Mangina said. “She’s a good defender and she took care of the basketball and ran our offense. She will continue to get stronger and work on hitting the open jumpshot.”
Also returning to the fray will be sophomore Shantel Brown, who missed nearly all of last season with an injury. Brown averaged 6.2 points and 4.2 rebounds as the starting point guard through the first five games before being sidelined. As a freshman, she started all 26 games in which she appeared, pouring in 9.6 points. Brown’s return is sure to bolster the Seton Hall backcourt.
“Having Shantel back brings a lot of versatility and great competition to the guard spot,” said Mangina. “She’s a year wiser from sitting on the bench and watching. Shantel is a great competitor, she can break people down of the dribble and she’s a good defender. If she can hit open shots, she will continue to be a big contributor to the program.”
Junior forward Noteisha Womack leads the returning frontcourt players. She posted 7.9 points and 7.0 rebounds while becoming a full-time starter over the course of the year. Womack is a tenacious presence on the inside with a great motor. She possesses a developing offensive game and is an emerging shot blocker as well. Womack’s numbers will likely continue to rise as she becomes a primary option on the blocks.
“Noteisha’s growth is very important,” commented Mangina. “She had a tremendous end to last season, and in her last ten games she did some really terrific things for us. We’ve seen great progress throughout the summer, she’s worked really hard, and that has to carry over.”
Senior forward Amber Harris is one of the team’s grittiest players on the interior. She averaged 3.4 points and 3.2 rebounds a year ago while playing her best basketball towards the end of the season. Harris has shown a deft shooting touch and will be relied on heavily in the post. Senior center Nikole Sullivan will also battle for minutes on the inside. She has great size and has also demonstrated the ability to knock down open shots. Sullivan’s experience will be a plus for the Pirate frontcourt.
“If we keep Amber healthy I think she’ll have an outstanding year,” Mangina said. “She’s a strong rebounder, she can score from the outside, and she’s really a steady influence as an older player. We are going to need her to be the kind of player throughout the year that she was the last three weeks a year ago.”
“Nikole’s good work is sometimes underestimated, but she did a good job preparing our frontcourt for play last year,” added Mangina. “She has to help us this year, because the way we want to play and run, she is probably our best passer in the frontcourt and one of our better outside shooters. We’re going to need that.”
Four newcomers arrive in
“I think Ebonie will compete for time on this team,” said Mangina. “She can play BIG EAST basketball. She competed at a very high level in high school and AAU, and she’ll be very competitive in this league.”
Gretchen Gaskin of
“Gretchen can really shoot the basketball,” said Mangina. “That is an area we improved upon last year and will continue to do so with her arrival.”
Center Kashmere Joseph of
“Kashmere is a young post player, but she is strong and can score and rebound,” Mangina said. “I believe she can help us right away on our front line.”
Seton Hall will also add a transfer as forward Letitia Curry joins the squad. Curry will be eligible at midseason after coming over from
“Letitia has spent half a season with our program already, and I think that will definitely help her to make an impact when she becomes eligible,” said Mangina.
Seton Hall will again do battle in one of the nation’s premier conferences, the BIG EAST. “The league is one of the best in the country, top to bottom,” added Mangina. “Anybody can beat anybody. The secret for us to is to continue to play tough defense, rebound the ball, and to win close games. We won a lot of close games last year, and that’s how you end up with a really good record.”
The 2007-08 Pirates will use the success of last season as motivation to achieve even greater things this year. “Our expectation is to get back to postseason play, to an NCAA Tournament, and to finish better than we did last year in the BIG EAST Conference,” said Mangina. “We always want to do something more or better than we did the previous year. I think with the players we have coming back, with the work they put in throughout the spring and summer, the kind of goals we have for the season can be accomplished.”
