The Rice Thresher, Vol. 88, No. 12, Ed. 1 Friday, November 10, 2000 Page: 20 of 28
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THE RICE THRESHER SPORTS FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 10,2000
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Inexperienced post players hope to paint picture of success
by Jason Gershman
THRKSHER EDITORIAL STAFF
It's impossible to point to just one
factor when determining a team's
potential.
But the success of the 2000-'01
Rice women's basketball team could
possibly come down to the Lady
Owls' abilities down low.
Rice lost its top two inside play-
ers, forwards Kirra Jordan and Kim
Smallwood, from last year. Finding
someone to step up in their place
will be one of the Lady Owls' early
priorities.
Forward Kenya Tuttle, the only
senior on the roster, is Rice's lone
returning post player. She started at
forward/center last year and will do
the same this year.
In her first year at Rice after
transferring from Southwest Mis-
souri State University, Tuttle aver-
aged 6.9 points and 5.0 rebounds
per game. The I,ady Owls expect
Tuttle to increase both those num-
bers.
"You'll see more scoring out of
Kenya this year," head coach Cristy
M c Kinney saidLast year she d id n 't
have to score a lot as we had others
who got the open looks."
The biggest question mark will
be at the power forward spot. Jun-
iors Daneesh Mcintosh and Aarika
Florus will share time at the posi-
tion, and Florus will likely start to-
night.
Florus played in just 19 of Rice's
32 games last season and averaged
only 5.9 minutes per game. Mcin-
tosh played in all 32 games, averag-
ing 2.6 points per game. While
Mcintosh and Florus have big shoes
to fill, McKinney is confident that
her two power forwards can get the
job done.
"Aarika and Daneesh are doing
real well in practice," McKinney
said. "The two of them combined
are the key to filling Kirra Jordan's
spot. I don't think either one by
themselves will do it, but with the
two of them together, I think they
can do it."
On paper, the Lady Owls have six
players at the power forward and the
center position. But two of them,
sophomores Elisa Inman and
Johnetta Hayes, are transfers who
must sit out this season according to
NCAA rules.
Additionally, sophomore center
Sarah Bracken, who tore her ACL
two seasons ago and received a
medical redshirt, had additional
surgery after last season. She is not
yet medically cleared to play and
will probably not return until at least
December.
So, for now, there are only three
available players in the paint —
Tuttle, Mcintosh and Florus. Of
those three, Tuttle and Florus are
the tallest at 6-foot-l, while Mcin-
tosh measures an even 6 feet.
The lack of height may prove to
be the I>ady Owls biggest weakness
this season, but Florus believes the
I>ady Owls will be just fine.
"I think we have compensated
very well from last year," Florus said.
"All our post players can step it up
this season."
With only three available inside
players, McKinney may turn to jun-
ior Jennifer Rigg and sophomore
Starla James to put in some time at
power forward. James, who is just 5-
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KATIE STREIT/THRESHER
With the departure of forwards Kim Smallwood and Kirra Jordan, Junior Aarika Florus (44) is just one of a handful of
Lady Owls who will have to step up in the low post. Florus will likely start at one forward spot in tonight's opener.
foot-9, is described by her teammates
as one of the top rebounders on the
team. Rigg, from Toronto, Canada,
is 6-foot and has played power for-
ward before.
"Jen can play at the four if we
need her to," McKinney said. "She's
a real smart player and brings a lot
of experience, playing at SMU and
for the Canadian Junior National
Team."
The I^idy Owls may not have a
star, but they hope their quickness,
work ethic and intensity will make
up for their inexperience and lack
of height.
"Our goal is not to go back-
wards this year," sophomore point
guard Kim Lawson said. "We be-
lieve we can bring the same inten-
sity as last year and go even fur-
ther than that team did. We don't
know about our roles yet and who
will do what.
"I>ast year, we had individuals
who could get it done, but this year
we need to work as a team to get it
done. I think we're a more cohesive
unit and that will show up later in the
season when it counts."
WNIT tips off Rice's killer schedule
by Jason Gershman
THRKSHER KDITORIAI. STAFF
KATIE STREIT/THRESHER
Rice will look to senior forward Kenya Tuttle (22) to provide veteran leadership
as well a strong inside presence in an otherwise inexperienced frontcourt.
As if losing four key players wasn't
bad enough, the women's basket-
ball team will face an additional chal-
lenge this season — the toughest
schedule in Ixidy Owl history.
The excitement begins tonight,
when Rice hosts the University of
South Carolina in the opening round
of the preseason Women's National
Invitational Tournament. By the time
the regular season ends in March,
the Ixidy Owls will have faced at
least four teams that played in last
year's NCAA Tournament and at
least two more that played in last
year's postseason WNIT.
But head coach Cristy McKinney
said the schedule will be a benefit as
her team looks to continue its rise to
national prominence.
"I firmly believe that playing good
teams early will help our team in
conference play and in the confer-
ence tournament down the stretch,"
McKinney said. "We're not playing
those teams expecting to get our tails
whipped. We want to compete at that
next level and we think we can do it."
If the Lady Owls defeat the Game-
cocks tonight, they will likely face
perennial powerhouse I jouisianaTech
University, ranked eighth in the na-
tion, in the second round Sunday.The
I^adyTechsters, who advanced to the
Klite Fight last March, will join the
WAC in the 2(X)l-'()2 season.
Perhaps the biggest test for Rice
will come in the final week of De-
cember, just before conference play
begins. ()ver the course of four days,
the I.ady Owls will face No. 13Texas
Tech University and fifth-ranked Uni-
versity of Notre Dame.
Rice hosts the 1-ady Raiders on
Dec. 28, then goes to South Bend, Ind.
to close non-conference play against
the Fighting Irish, who are expected
to contend for the national title.
Rice opens Western Athletic
Cnference play on Jan 5. at Fresno
State University and concludes it by
hosting the Bulldogs March 3. Then
comes the WAC Tournament in
Tulsa, Okla., March 6-10.
By that time, the Lady Owls hope
that their challenging schedule will
have them ready to repeat as WAC
champions.
"We worked hard last year and I
don't feel like anything was given to
us," sophomore point guard Kim
l^awson said. "We felt like we de-
served to win. We worked hard this
year in the preseason and will be
working hard all year long. When it
comes to WAC Tournament time,
we should be ready to win it again."
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL SCHEDULE
November
28 Texas Tech
10 South Carolina
31 Notre Dame
(Preseason WNIT)
12 Preseason WNIT,
January
second round (site
5 Fresno State (WAC)
TBA)
7 Nevada (WAC)
17 Texas Pan-American
11 Tulsa (WAC)
19 TCU (WAC)
UNC-Greensboro Tournament
21 SMU (WAC)
(Greensboro, NC)
26 San Jose State (WAC)
24 Richmond
28 Hawaii (WAC)
25 Consolation/
Championship
February
2 SMU (WAC)
28 Arizona
4 UTEP (WAC)
11 TCU (WAC)
December
16 San Jose State (WAC)
18 Hawaii (WAC)
Gene Hackerman/Rlce
23 Tulsa (WAC)
Invitational
25 UTEP (WAC)
1 lona
2 Consolation/
March
Championship
1 Nevada (WAC)
3 Fresno State (WAC)
6 Grambling
6-10 WAC Tournament
21 New Mexico State
(Tulsa, Okla.)
WAC denotes a Western Athletic Conference game.
BOLD denotes a home game at Autry Court.
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Stoler, Brian. The Rice Thresher, Vol. 88, No. 12, Ed. 1 Friday, November 10, 2000, newspaper, November 10, 2000; Houston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth442991/m1/20/?rotate=270: accessed July 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Rice University Woodson Research Center.