The Book: Lady Cajuns 2005-06 basketball season

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LOUISIANA La. – The 16-team field for the 2005 Preseason Women’s National Invitation Tournament was announced Wednesday.

Louisiana’s Ragin’ Cajuns, under the direction of head coach J. Kelley Hall, join the field for the first time in school history. UL will play at SMU in the first round on Nov. 11.

The Cajuns will face a very hostile environment at Moody Coliseum, as SMU went 13-3 at home last season with an average margin of victory at home of 16 points. The Mustangs averaged 1,015 fans per game.

Louisiana (22-9) is fresh off the best season in school history. The Cajuns finished 10-5 in the Sun Belt to capture the West Division Championship. Hall’s group won eight of their last 10 games, falling to Middle Tennessee in championship game of the SBC Tournament.

SMU (19-11) ended last season with an 83-56 loss at Southwest Missouri State in the Postseason WNIT. Mustangs head coach Rhonda Rompola returns all five starters to a team that finished 10-8 in the Western Athletic Conference, tied for fourth. After a 16-4 start, SMU lost seven of their last ten games, but leave the WAC in favor of Conference USA beginning this season.

The field for the prestigious tournament that kicks off the women’s college basketball season includes nine teams that played in the postseason last year: Boston College, Chattanooga, Connecticut, Indiana State, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oral Roberts, Richmond and SMU.

The tournament opens Nov. 11, with second-round games on Nov. 13 and 14, semifinals on Nov. 16-17, and the championship on Sunday, Nov. 20. All games will be played on home campuses, which are determined after each round.

In last year’s Preseason WNIT, Notre Dame defeated Ohio State and went on to a 27-5 season.

View Bracket

LOUISIANA SI

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Thousands of students, from college to grade school, have been sent scrambling by Hurricane Katrina, suddenly in search of a new school after being uprooted by the storm. Minus the catastrophic weather factor, Elaine McCants can relate to that feeling. The Boston native attended Providence, then Xavier of Ohio and then spent last year at Chipola Junior College before arriving at the University of Louisiana, ready to add savvy and skill to the backcourt for Louisiana's Ragin' Cajun women's basketball team. "I'm the new kid on campus every year," McCants said at Earl K. Long Gym. "It was tough last year in JUCO. I never thought I'd play for a junior college. It was a poor decision, I guess." The 5-foot-6 junior also attended two high schools in three years, so she could hold a seminar on fitting in with new surroundings. "I only played basketball my first two years of high school," McCants said. "Boston is very bad for high school competition. Fortunately, I was on a good AAU team that went to a lot of Nike invitational tournaments." After McCants went to Chipola, she sought advice from a trusted source for her next opportunity and found an unexpected connection to UL coach J. Kelley Hall. "I wasn't thinking about coming here," McCants said. "I was thinking about Michigan State, or maybe Kentucky. But then I talked to my coach at Xavier (Kevin McGuff), who is coach Hall's best friend. He's a real good guy, and he told me about coach Hall." "Kevin was the best man in my wedding," Hall said. "His assistant, Mike Bradbury, was in the wedding, too." "Once I talked with coach McGuff, coach Hall didn't really have to tell me much," McCants said. Hall could have mentioned how open people are in south Louisiana, but that became quickly apparent just the same. "I've been surprised at how nice people are here," McCants said. "They make you feel welcome. And the (UL) teachers make themselves available, whether you're an athlete or not. It's a big campus, but everyone has been friendly. The rest of the story Bruce Brown bbrown@theadvertiser.com

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For the first time this fall, the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns were able to put a full roster on the court on Tuesday at Earl K. Long Gym as they work toward the 2005-2006 basketball season. Transfer guard Elaine McCants finally got medical clearance to participate on Tuesday morning and joined drills later in the day to complete the picture. "Elaine is talented," head coach J. Kelley Hall said. "And she's street smart. She's going to help us." "She's a difference maker," assistant coach Bill Lambuth said. "We needed to get her in here to start working with the others." The Cajuns and other college squads are able to address more basketball-specific work prior to the official Oct. 15 start of practice in a new allowance by the NCAA. And for a team that includes nine new faces such as McCants, that is a big change. Senior center Sherita Anderson finished the day with her right thumb wrapped in ice, nursing the same digit that gave her problems last year, but the senior center was still able to smile. "The new practice helps us," Anderson said. "It's giving everybody a chance to to find themselves. The freshmen get a whole lot more time to learn, and we're all able to practice and work together sooner this year. "The new players are getting so much more experience than I ever got." Anderson and point guard Ashley Blanche are the lone seniors on the team, while McCants, Yolanda Jones, Amber Williams and Jeanenne Colbert are all junior college products new to UL. Also new is walk-on junior forward Katie Boudreaux. Sophomores Onna Charles, Alicia McDaniel and Sonora Edwards are back, joined by freshmen Blair Brodhead, Whitney Dunlap, Erin Kacy and Ovigwerade Agbuke. The rest of the story Bruce Brown bbrown@theadvertiser.com

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It's hard to play basketball when you're too scared to move. That's what Onna Charles faced last year as a freshman guard on the Louisiana Ragin' Cajun women's basketball squad. She always had one eye toward the sideline, where coach J. Kelley Hall prowled, sometimes growled and always saw every move his players made. Hall knew his team had the pieces to forge a special season, and Charles was one of those pieces. But she needed time to feel that way. "I was so nervous, I couldn't move," Charles said. "I was afraid of getting yelled at." Charles went from being a star at New Iberia Senior High to a college freshman trying to fit in to a new system. She found a rhythm at midseason, and averaged 7.3 points per game for the Cajuns, but the year took its toll. "Toward the end of the season, I was so tired," Charles said. "I lost 15 pounds, and I think that caused my performance to go down. "In high school, you play 20 games and you're finished. My body had not been pushed that far, and my body went further than before. I just got so tired. I still loved practicing and playing, but I didn't realize what it would do to me. "I need to stay on the weights as much as possible. I need to eat more meat, take iron pills, eat veggies and fruit ... just eat better." The Cajuns need Charles to remain at full strength this season as they try to follow their historic 22-9 performance of a year ago with another successful campaign. They tied the school record for victories, won the Sun Belt Conference Western Division and reached the championship finals of the conference tournament, raising interest in the program to unprecedented heights. "Last year was a great experience," Charles said. "We set many goals and achieved them. "We got a lot of respect. We realized that we've got talent, and we can do this. That gets your confidence up. It built to a high and they (opponents) just couldn't stop us. "When the season started, I had people tell me, 'We want to see you play.' By the end of the season, they were asking, 'What time do you play?' This year, they're asking, 'Can I have a schedule?' " The rest of the story Bruce Brown bbrown@theadvertiser.com

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If Onna Charles could add hours to her day, she probably would. There's basketball practice, of course, as Charles hones her game for Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns. There used to be volleyball, too, but the former New Iberia Senior High star left that sport behind in favor of hoops. There's the classroom, which in itself has been an eye-opening experience as Charles adjusts to the academic demands of college life. There's family - a big one. There's friends - plenty of them. There's church and Bible study. And there's also riding on four-wheelers whenever she gets the chance. There is more to Charles than draining 3-pointers, which she happens to do very well. "College life is all different," Charles said. "Here, there are 200 people in a class. There were around 30 in high school. "You've actually got to listen in class and take notes, because what if you miss something? The professor won't just give it to you. "When you get tested, you get tested on five chapters, not one. In English, you write a lot every day. I had a lot of adjustments to make, but I'm doing fine now." The rest of the story Bruce Brown bbrown@theadvertiser.com

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I was able to attend practice this afternoon, and for only the second time in 20 years I was able to get my wife to go with me to a sports related endeavor. It was a good day.

Her scouting report. "#3 was focused the entire time we were there."

1) #3 Ashley Blanche, she is so fast I could only get a non blur when she was standing still.

2) #45 Jeanenne Colbert guearding #1 Blair Brodhead

3) #50 Sherita Anderson being guarded by #42 Erin Kacy.

4) #15 Onna Charles being guarded by #5 Whitney Dunlap

5) #23 Yolanda Jones checks out the results of her shot.

[JMV JustMyView]

I was able to attend practice this afternoon, and for only the second time in 20 years I was able to get my wife to go with me to a sports related endeavor. It was a good day.

Her scouting report. "#3 was focused the entire time we were there."

1) #3 Ashley Blanche, she is so fast I could only get a non blur when she was standing still.

2) #45 Jeanenne Colbert guearding #1 Blair Brodhead

3) #50 Sherita Anderson being guarded by #42 Erin Kacy.

4) #15 Onna Charles being guarded by #5 Whitney Dunlap

5) #23 Yolanda Jones checks out the results of her shot.

Nice to see Blair back on the court she will be a huge part of the Lady Cajuns success...

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LOUISIANA La. - Ashley Blanche senses a difference in this year's Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns. For one thing, the collection of players preparing for the women's basketball season is the best J. Kelley Hall has had in his four years at the helm. "We're very athletic," said Blanche, the Cajuns' senior point guard. "Everybody on this team is athletic, so we'll be able to press more and get out on the fast break. "We'll have to play defense hard to set up the press. We don't have to slow the ball down on offense, and I think you're going to see a more enjoyable game for the fans." There are 10 new faces on the Cajun roster, and they're quickly buying into the notion that UL can follow up last year's 22-9, Sun Belt finalist season with another banner year. "Usually you talk about doing better than the previous year," Blanche said, "but this year we know we're capable of winning every game we play. No one is talking about losing a game. This team can be special." It helps to have seniors like Blanche and center Sherita Anderson in leadership spots. "Ashley is very valuable on the floor as our point guard," Hall said, "but she's also capable of handling them in the locker room. Bernie Tolston was good for that last year, telling the team to shut up and do what we asked them to do and we would win. "This year, Ashley and Sherita are both leaders for us." The Cajuns had a pair of two-hour practices on Saturday at Earl K. Long Gym, and Blanche could have told the newcomers what to expect. The rest of the story Bruce Brown bbrown@theadvertiser.com

[JMV JustMyView]

Should be a great basketball season for both Cajun teams.

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MURFREESBORO, Tenn. - Unlike the two men's picks, Blanche's return for 2005-06 was expected - and much needed, considering she's one of only two seniors on the Cajun women's roster along with backup post Sherita Anderson. And she's got to run the show, according to Cajun coach J. Kelley Hall. "She's the only player on the whole team with more than one year's worth of experience," Hall said. "It takes a while to learn our system and what we want our kids to do, and she's going to have to help show all the new kids we have what that's all about." Blanche was an honorable mention selection on last year's postseason Sun Belt team, but for a few seconds late last season she was unquestionably her team's most valuable player. Her driving jumper at the horn in the season finale against Arkansas State gave UL a 66-64 win and the outright Western Division crown, a first in the program's history. Blanche averaged 8.3 points, 2.6 rebounds and five assists per game while running the point for the West champions, and will have to take over even more of the offensive load with the departure of the other four starters including two-time all-Sun Belt pick Anna Petrakova. The rest of the story Dan McDonald dmcdonald@theadvertiser.com

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Coach J. Kelley Hall has given the OK for adding spice to the second of two exhibition games his Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns women's basketball team will stage next week. The Cajuns will host Everyone's Internet on Tuesday and the Jackson Babes on Saturday, Nov. 5, at Earl K. Long Gym before beginning the season Nov. 11 at SMU in the Preseason WNIT. Suiting up for the Jackson Babes next weekend will be a familiar face. Anna Petrakova enjoyed a stellar career with the UL program, helping the Cajuns scale unprecedented heights last season with a 22-9 finish and a Sun Belt Conference Western Division title. She was the Player of the Year in the Sun Belt as a junior and an All-Sun Belt performer again as a senior last season. Now, although she has exhausted her collegiate eligibility, Petrakova remains in school finishing her degree. She also has remained in shape. "Anna's going to play for Jackson," Hall said during Thursday's practice. "I talked to the Jackson people the other day, and they were fine with it. Anna has been working out and I know she's looking forward to playing." With nine new players and the challenge of the NIT awaiting them, the Cajuns need to use the exhibitions to further prepare them for the season. "As a team, we need to find out our weak points," center Sherita Anderson said. "We need to find them early, so we won't do it again. "For myself, I need to see how long my stamina lasts. If so, I should be able to last in a real game." Hall will use every player in next week's contests, utilizing a new NCAA rule allowing players to see action in exhibitions without jeopardizing possible redshirt status. The rest of the story Bruce Brown bbrown@theadvertiser.com

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LOUISIANA La. - Early Sunday morning, two members of the University of Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns women's basketball team were involved in a vehicle accident that has left both players hospitalized. Junior point guard Elaine McCants was traveling west on Interstate 10 as she and her three passengers returned home from Baton Rouge when they were struck by a truck, which was traveling east on I-10 in the westbound lane around 3 a.m. McCants suffered a severe injury to her left elbow, while fellow junior point guard Jeanenne Colbert sustained a fracture of the orbital bone around her right eye, according to Cajuns head coach J. Kelley Hall. Both McCants and Colbert underwent surgery Sunday morning. The rest of the story Eric Narcisse enarcisse@theadvertiser.com

McCants                                         Colbert