University of North Texas Athletics
Green Gang: Practice Underway For Women
10/4/2010 12:00:00 AM | Return to Play
By Steven Bartolotta, October 4, 2010, 3:02 p.m.
It's very early October but the first day of women's basketball practice is already in the books. The women went last night for a few hours and our back on the floor today working out. A new kink/NCAA rule allows the women to start practice earlier this year than the guys, don't ask me how or why.
Shanice Stephens has seven newcomers to work into the mix this year and thankfully three of them are point guards.
Last year the point guard by committee worked to the tune of 22.9 turnovers a game. This year, Alyssa Hankins and Kasondra Foreman have been brought into to take over as the floor generals. Freshman Laura McCoy also played the point at Flower Mound HS but will be more of a combo guard, but can play the point.
The rest of the newcomers include Trai-ce McCoy, Ash'Lynne Evans, Jacquelyn Hearne, and Desiree Nelson. Early word out of summer workouts have this being one of the best groups that has come through in a long, long time.
We are talking workout wise though, not basketball. Whether or not they can help is another story. But workouts in the summer were crisp, on-time, and the chemistry as good as it's been in a decade.
The newcomers will mix in nicely with the returners. The big key will be everyone can go back to their natural position.
Caitlin Hawkins is a shooter, she moves to the two. Brittney Hudson isn't a point guard, she moves back to the two or three. Jasmine Godbolt can play the power forward position.
Freedom, it's not just a good thing for nation's; this basketball team will be freed up more to play their natural positions.
Speaking of Godbolt, this could the year where she takes the mantle of best player in the league. Yes, she has added more muscle, more skill, and it appears more leadership.
It's less than a month until the first exhibition game, a rematch with TWU (uhhhggg) in which North Texas should get some revenge from last year's stinging defeat, but with workouts in full swing the Mean Green has started the season with a renewed sense of optimism.
