2009-10 Women's Basketball Season Preview
November 11, 2009 | Women's Basketball
Nov. 11, 2009
BOSTON - When the Terriers take the court on November 13 in Kentucky, fans will see a whole new squad with fresh faces dressed in scarlet and white. Five rookies will suit up this season as first-time Terriers, and while the Boston University women's basketball team may be young, returning seniors Aly Hinton and Maggie McKemie will anchor an eager squad with their leadership and experience.
After a 25-8 season, a 16-0 run through the America East Conference and a win in the Women's National Invitation Tournament, Hinton and McKemie, along with six other returning letter winners, know the kind of hard work it takes to succeed at this level. Equipped with this knowledge, Hinton, McKemie and junior Krystyn McIntyre have earned the captains' designation this year and are now tasked with teaching the ropes to the newcomers.
"Everyone knows how much we graduated and how much we will miss our four seniors from last year," said sixth-year head coach Kelly Greenberg. "Christine [Kinneary], Jesyka [Burks-Wiley], Amarachi [Umez-Eronini] and Kristi [Dini] had a special season last year. However, we are ready to turn the page and begin a new chapter here at BU. We may be young and we may be inexperienced, but we will have fun. We have great energy, we have terrific personality and we work very hard as a team."
The 2008-09 season was an exciting time for the Terriers, and while they will use the lessons learned from last year, the focus for this year will be on establishing a solid foundation for the rising stars in the program.
The heart of this season's squad is its youth and exuberance. While many returners have seen playing time, the 2009-10 season will give those veterans a chance to carve out names for themselves and make their own marks on the program.
Another goal for this year will be for BU to continue to protect its home court and remain undefeated against America East foes at Case Gym, where it has not lost to a league opponent since Feb. 21, 2007. In all, BU has won 23 of last 24 games at The Roof.
FORWARDS
At forward, BU will lose the presence of 2009 America East Player of the Year Jesyka Burks-Wiley ('09); however, Greenberg can count on Hinton and McKemie to step into those shoes this season, along with returners Kerry Cashman and Caroline Stewart.
"Our post players have worked very hard in the offseason and they improved in so many areas," said Greenberg. "We feel our forwards have a great feel for BU basketball and we are very excited about all six of them."
Senior Aly Hinton will return as the team's top scorer and most experienced player from a year ago. She averaged 8.0 points per game and 4.9 rebounds per game, and shot .403 from the field. A proven scorer, Hinton is next in line to reach the 1,000-point plateau with just 202 points to go.
"She has played an integral role for us over her first three years," said Greenberg. "Now is `Aly Hinton' time. We will rely on her to put up some big numbers for us every game. She has the ability and focus to do so and we are excited for Aly's senior season."
Standing alongside Hinton in the frontcourt will be classmate Maggie McKemie. McKemie transferred to BU following her sophomore season at Furman and after sitting out the 2007-08 campaign due to NCAA transfer regulations, she returned last year, appearing in 19 contests, showing her aggressive style of play and knack for grabbing offensive boards. She turned it on when it counted most, as she put in one of her best games of the season against CCSU in the WNIT first round, when she scored seven points and matched a career high with four steals.
"She really stepped up for us last year during the second half of our conference run," said Greenberg. "Maggie is tough and she does a great job of making something happen on the defensive end."
Junior Kerry Cashman will have the opportunity to take it to the next level in 2009-10 after showing her blocking prowess last year, when she appeared in all 33 games and started seven contests. She returns as the team's leading shot blocker and one of the top rebounders, and is in the best shape of her career at BU.
"She has worked extremely hard in the offseason and we are looking forward to finally having a completely healthy Kerry Cashman," said Greenberg. "Her work ethic and her unselfishness will have a huge impact on our young team this year."
Rounding out the returning forwards is sophomore Caroline Stewart, a local product out of Topsfield, Mass., who was able to gain valuable experience as a freshman in 2008-09. She appeared in 28 games and averaged 2.0 points per game and showed she can be a strong presence on the boards.
"Caroline continues to work hard and appears to be more than ready for her sophomore campaign," said Greenberg. "Her ability to run the floor and her overall presence on the court will go a long way for us this season. Caroline is a competitor and we look forward to seeing her progress this season."
Rookies Jacqueline Kuczynski and Deven Green will add depth to the frontcourt and bring with them solid pedigrees from their high school careers. Green, a native of Germantown, Md., was a McDonald's All-America nominee as a senior and was her high school team's leader scorer all four years. She was a four-time all-county and all-league honoree, as well as a 1,000-point scorer.
Kuczynski, also a McDonald's All-America nominee as a senior, surpassed 2,000 career points at Jonathan Dayton High School in Springfield, N.J., and served as a captain in her final three seasons. She led her county in scoring every year since her freshman campaign.
"Jac and Deven are terrific additions to our frontline," said Greenberg. "They have been sponges all preseason and have really done a nice job of paying attention to detail. They both work extremely hard and we are very excited about the two of them. Deven is highly skilled down low and Jac offers a nice inside-out game. They will be integral parts of BU basketball for the next four years."
GUARDS
One position over the past several years that has been a strong point for the Terriers has been at guard and this current crop is ready to carry on that tradition. Junior Kat Briggs returns as the most experienced guard and is ready to continue in a long line of successful BU guards.
"This is a very exciting time to be a BU guard," said Greenberg. "There are plenty of minutes up for grabs due to the graduation of Christine, Amarachi and Kristi. We feel this group of perimeter players is more than ready for this challenge."
Briggs will be looked to from the get-go to bring her well-known work ethic and relentlessness to the floor. In 2008-09, she gained valuable experience as a perimeter player, seeing action in 29 games and getting the chance to bring the ball up court.
"Kat goes hard in everything she does and is a proven winner," said Greenberg. "We will rely on Kat to play the so-called 1 and 2 spots in our system. Most importantly, Kat will set the tone on the defensive end with relentless talk and aggressiveness."
Krystyn McIntyre was selected to lead the team as one of the Terriers' tri-captains in 2009-10, as she is one of the most visible players on campus and brings a tremendous amount of energy and leadership to the squad. In 2008-09, she gained more experience on the court and will add depth in the backcourt.
"She continues to work on her game and consistently improves on a daily basis," said Greenberg. "Her personality and sense of responsibility has raised the character of this program."
Poised for a breakout season in 2009-10, sophomore Alex Young returns to BU as one of the team's most promising shooters. With a knack for hitting 3-pointers and coming up big when it counts, Young had a breakout game in the Terriers' overtime victory at Hartford on Feb. 24, pouring in a career-best 19 points on 6-for-10 shooting and 4-for-4 free throw shooting. She scored a crucial layup with just over a minute remaining in regulation that drew BU to within one point and the squad went on to win in the extra stanza.
"We are very excited about Alex and her ability to score," said Greenberg. "She can score in many different ways and has the skill to create opportunities for others as well. There is no question how much Alex has worked during the offseason and we are happy to have her completely healthy."
After she was sidelined during her freshman year with an injury, sophomore Kasie Carbacio returns to campus ready to contribute. Prior to her injury, Carbacio entered BU as a McDonald's All-America nominee as a high school senior and was a three-time all-county honoree.
"Kasie is another player who has had to work hard recovering from surgery, and she has done just that," said Greenberg. "Kasie brings energy and enthusiasm to our team and is a tough-nosed defender who will make us better on the defensive end."
Entering their rookie years as Terriers, the freshmen guards come to BU with the credentials to fill in the slots left open due to graduation.
Chantell Alford hails from West Haven, Conn., where she was a three-time All-Oronoque selection and New Haven Register All-State Third Team honoree. Alford will add to the Terriers' rebounding efforts as she has good size and is aggressive on the boards.
"She really has a great feel for the game, especially in the open floor," said Greenberg. "She can score in many ways and will vie for some serious playing time this year."
A two-time second-team all-district honoree as a junior and senior, Kristen Sims averaged 17.0 points per game as a senior co-captain at Clover Hill High School in Richmond, Va.
"Kristen Sims is also a good-sized guard," said Greenberg. "Kristen is a legitimate 3-point shooter and can put the ball on the floor. She has an uncanny way about her - good things seem to happen when she is involved."
Rounding out the talented crop of fresh faces, Caitlynn `Mo' Moran was a three-time all-league honoree at John Jay High School in Hopewell Junction, N.Y., and eclipsed the 1,000-point barrier in her junior season.
"Caitlynn is the consummate point guard," said Greenberg. "She thinks pass first and has a wonderful feel for the game. `Mo' will fit into our system well and we look forward to watching her progress in the next four years."
THE SCHEDULE
Featuring seven teams that competed in the 2009 postseason, the Terriers will follow a 12-game non-conference slate that includes the country's first women's college basketball game of the season at Kentucky, a home match-up against MAAC champion Marist and a late December tournament at Saint Joseph's.
"Our non-conference schedule will be a challenge for our young team," said Greenberg. "However, when we look at our first weekend where we are at Kentucky and then two days later at UMass, we think there is no better way to begin a new season with a young team than to jump right in with both feet. We will figure some things out early in the season and we will improve. We will be there for each other and we will get better. This is the key to our season."
The Terriers will welcome NCAA participant Marist (Dec. 12), as well as Rhode Island (Nov. 18) and Northeastern (Nov. 24) to Case Gym during their non-conference play. The home opener with URI will be broadcast live on NESN at The Roof, where BU has won 23 of its last 24 games.
Continuing with its non-conference schedule, BU will hit the road to face four teams that competed in the 2009 Women's National Invitation Tournament - Kentucky (Nov. 13), St. John's (Nov. 21), Harvard (Dec. 6) and Boston College (Jan. 3).
"We are so happy to have schools from the ACC, Big East and SEC on our non-conference schedule," said Greenberg. "We are excited about the opportunity to compete against these top programs."
In January, BU will begin its quest to return to the America East championship game for the seventh time in eight years when it travels to Maine on Jan. 5. In 2008-09, three different conference teams advanced to the postseason for the first time in 10 years as Hartford and BU were WNIT participants and America East champion Vermont drew Connecticut in the NCAA first round.
The Terriers welcome Albany (Jan. 16), Vermont (Jan. 18), Hartford (Jan. 21), UMBC (Jan. 24), Maine (Jan. 30), Binghamton (Feb. 3) and New Hampshire (Feb. 28) to Case Gym and will play Stony Brook at Agganis Arena on Feb. 17 as part of a doubleheader with the BU men's basketball team.
The 2010 America East Championship will return to Hartford's Chase Arena at the Reich Family Pavilion. It will mark the first time the women's championship will be combined with the men's.
Action will tip off on March 4 with semifinal play continuing through March 7. The highest remaining seed in women's tournament will host the championship games with the title game on Saturday, March 13 on CSN at 8 pm.
