Live Stats I
Media View Live Stats I
Listen Live
Complete Game Notes
Chicago State (0-0) opens the 2012-13 campaign with a non-conference home contest against UW-Milwaukee (0-0) on Friday (Nov. 9) at 7 p.m. Chicago State didn't play an exhibition contest while UW-Milwaukee defeated Division II Hillsdale (Mich.) 88-55 on Nov. 3 in their only exhibition. Following Friday's contest, Chicago State hits the road to play at Missouri on Monday in a 7 p.m. start.
Season Preview
The 2012-13 Chicago State women's basketball campaign will be defined by how quickly the team can grow as a unit and as individuals.
“We have a very talented roster but we will need to grow up quickly,” head coach
Angela Jackson said. “We can only get experience on the court.”
Jackson isn't lying when she says the squad is young. Nine of the 12 Cougars are freshmen or sophomores. The only junior is
Brittany Campbell (Indianapolis, Ind./Brebeuf Jesuit Prep School), who is a transfer from Old Dominion and will redshirt in 2012-13.
The Cougars will also have to make up for the loss of
Janay Dockery (Detroit, MI/Martin Luther King) on the floor. The Detroit, Mich. native averaged a Great West Conference best 18.1 points per game last season. Sophomore
Jackie Jones (Detroit, Mich./Martin Luther King) will take over the point guard position from Dockery. Jones played in 29 games last season, scoring 115 points and averaging 2.7 assists per game.
“Janay is one of the best players in the history of the program,” Jackson said. “Jackie gained a lot of experience from Janay last season.”
Sophomores
Tierra Williams (Detroit, Mich./Lathrup) and
Paris Williams (St. Louis, Mo./Pattonville) will need to take the next step in 2012-13. Last season forward
Paris Williams (St. Louis, Mo./Pattonville) was named to the GWC All-Newcomer team thanks to averaging 8.5 points and 5.2 rebounds per contest. Guard
Tierra Williams (Detroit, Mich./Lathrup) knocked down 38.7 percent of her 3-point attempts.
“Tierra will need to be more offensive minded this year and she is more than capable of doing so,” Jackson said. “We expect Paris to be a scoring threat, a big time rebounder and takeoff from where she finished last year.”
Look for additional contributions from sophomore forward
Jasmine Collins (Richton Park, Ill./Rich South) in 2012-13.
“Jasmine might be the person who has made the biggest improvement over the summer,” Jackson said. “She's come in motivated and ready.”
The Cougars welcome four freshmen to the squad this year in
Nia-Tayler Clark (Bowie, Md./Bowie),
Jasmine Sanders (Country Club Hills, Ill./Hillcrest),
Layne Murphy (Country Club Hills, Ill./Rich Central) and
April Watson (Detroit, Mich./University Prep). Three of the four freshmen are forwards.
“April, Layne and Nia-Tayler are athletic posts who can run the floor,” Jackson said. “They are very good scorers and we are going to ask a lot of those freshmen post players.”
While youth is the name of the game this year, the Cougars have a pair seniors to rely on in guards
Caneka Davis (Chicago, Ill./Walther Lutheran) and
Jazzmyn Harvey (Chicago, Ill./Bellwood).
“We have two seniors with great experience,” Jackson said. “They've won a Great West Championship and we are going to depend on their leadership.”
In terms of basketball style, fans can expect the 2012-13 Cougars to try to get into transition whenever possible.
“We will get out in transition and run,” Jackson said. “Especially off turnovers, but we'd like to be just as effective in transition off of made baskets as well as rebounds.”
The Cougars' first chance to get into transition and run will be on Friday against UW-Milwaukee. The home contest is the first of 16-consecutive non-conference games to open the season. The schedule leads up to March 14-16 when Chicago State hosts the Great West Conference Tournament.
