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Show BASKETBALL PREVIEW SPECIAL, Oct. 17, 2 0 0 7 Page 10 USU women look to have a season of growth Grow. That is the goal for the 2007-08 edition of Utah State's women's basketball. The Aggies enter their fifth year under head coach Raegan Pebley and their fifth year since the program was reinstated in 2003-04 after discontinuing the program after the 1987 season 'We just want to see continual growth and improvement from last season,' Pebley said. 'We want to keep getting better and to continue off last seasons success.* Pebley welcomes back three starters as part of nine returning letterwinners from last season's squad that posted a 11-18 overall record and was 7-9 in Utah State's second season in the Western Athletic Conference. The three starters are senior guard Taylor Richards (5-4, West Valley City, Utah/Hunter HS), senior forward Jenny Gross (6-2, Caldwell, Idaho/Vallivue HS) and junior guard Danyelle Snelgro (5-5, Aitadena, Calif./John Muir HS). Joining the trio of starters is senior forward Jamelah Brown (5-10), Phoenix, Ariz./Yavapai College), givingthe Aggies three quality seniors on its roster. Between the three of them, they have played in 188 combined games and have 126 starts among them. The 2007 senior class will be the second group of players that Pebley has recruited and developed from freshmen and this class will be the second group of seniors to be at Utah State for four years since discontinuing the program after the 1986-87 season. Those three seniors will bring a great amount of leadership/ Pebley added. 'Jenny and Taylor have played three years here and this will be there third year in the WAC and Jamelah is in her second year here after two years at a junior college and this could be her breakout year. They all bring a different style to the court and are all really different from each other. Everyone on the team relates to at least one of the seniors in some way or another* Other returners include junior guard Ana Pares (5-8, Provo, Utah/Timpview), junior forward Lindsey (Freeze) Shipley (6-0, Provo, Utah/ Timpview HS), sophomore post Sharvelle Hurd (6-4, Aurora, Colo./Hinkley HS), sophomore center Nicole Johnson (6-2, Vancouver, Wash./Columbia River HS) and sophomore guard LeeAnn Palo (5-6, Woodinville, Wash./Woodinville HS) Pebley welcomes seven newcomers to the roster, led by three junior transfers as well as four freshmen to make up the largest group of newcomer's since her first season in 2003-04. Junior transfers Shawnta Pope (6-0, Cairo, Ga./ Chipola College) and (Mame') Ndoumbe Diop (6-3, Dakar, Senegal/Chipola College) will lead the newcomers, while junior Lydia Whitehead (6-4, Nibley, Utah/Utah) will redshirt this season after transferring from Utah. 10 assists to break into the top 10 career assists The newcomers this season will add more depth than we've ever had before,' Pebley said. list at Utah State. 'Danyelle did what our team needed her to "We're seeing more depth in each position, do last season," Pebley added. 'She worked which will help us become a better team.* hard at her transition from the off guard to the The four freshmen on the squad will add point guard. She has a high basketball IQ and the most diversity as three are from outside of that will continue to be a valuable asset to out the country, while the other two are from the United States. Alice Coddington (5-10, Canberra, team." Australia/Radford College), Erika Gautavai Brown played in all 29 games during her first (5-11, Gunma, Japan/Daito Bunka University), season at Utah State, where she averaged 4.4 Jade Hatchett (5-9, Milwaukee, Wis./Milwaukee points and 3.3 rebounds per game. She is one Vincent) and Amber White (5-10, San Leandro, of the top five scoring returners from last seaCalif./San Leandro) represent the 2007-08 fresh- son as she tallied 128 points as a junior. men class. 'Jamelah has so much potential and fits into our system very well,* Pebley said. 'She has The four freshmen all come from great basworked as hard as she has ever worked this ketball backgrounds and we feel that in time preseason* they will each develop into great players for Utah State,' Pebley said. Their development will Pares saw action in 20 games last season depend on their ability to adjust, learn quickly, and averaged 2.2 points per game and 1.1 work hard and the leadership they will receive rebounds per game. She shot 35.6 percent from from the upperclassmen.* the field goal range and 57.1 percent from the charity stripe. Richards is Utah State's leading returning 'Ana is playing like a player on a mission and scorer, as she netted 11.8 points per game and led the Aggies and tied for fourth in the WAC in she is so passionate about this team and us beassists with 3.1 per game. Richards enters her 9 See WOMEN, page 11 senior campaign as USU's career assist leader with 296 and is looking to climb the career points list as she currently has 850 career points to rank 10th. She was also selected to the preseason all-WAC secondteam. Taylor has worked very hard for her senior year and she wants the team's goals to be reached and to do all that she can for the team,* Pebley added. 'Her experience and leadership will be heavily relied upon this year." Gross averaged 9.0 points and 3.8 rebounds per game as a junior and is Utah State's returning leader in rebounds with 157 last season. She is also the second leading returning scorer as she tallied 262 points last season. "Jenny fulfills a very important and special role on this team,* Pebley said. 'She leads and plays with her heart.* Snelgro averaged 7.8 points and 3.3 rebounds per game and is the third leading returning scorer as she netted 211 points last sea- Aggie Taylor Richards goes up for a layup against Irvine's Annie Mai during women's son. Snelgro also needs just game action last season.Jessica Alexander photo |