2007-08 Women's Basketball Preview
11/7/2007 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Nov. 7, 2007
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 | EDITOR'S NOTE Houston head coach Joe Curl, entering his 10th season with the Cougars, suffered a heart attack after returning from a recruiting trip on Oct. 27. He is out indefinitely while he recovers. Assistant coach Danny Hughes, has been named the interim head coach. The season preview story on this page was completed in early Sept. and reflects comments Coach Curl made at the time. Fans are encouraged to CLICK HERE to send Coach Curl get-well wishes. |
Coming off a 9-19 season that saw its fair share of struggles, one might expect the Cougars to be a little restrained in making predictions for the 2007-08 campaign.
That is definitely not the case for 10th-year head coach Joe Curl who feels that he has the talent and depth to lead Houston back to the success it enjoyed just a few short years ago.
"I'm excited to get things going," Curl said. "We have legitimate options at every position and in some cases multiple options. With our depth and talent we're going to be able to play at an up tempo level that we've gone away from for the past couple of years."
Leading the way for Curl this year will be a class of five seniors who have been through the doldrums of the past few seasons and are eager to reap the benefits of a strong recruiting class.
Tye Jackson, the 2007 Conference USA Preseason Player of the Year is coming off back-to-back first-team all-league seasons and is the nation's third-leading returning scorer.
The 5-10 guard has played major minutes in each of the last two seasons, and her consistency has suffered as a result.
"If anything, I think you'll see Tye as a much better player this year," Curl said. "Because of our depth, we're not going to have to ask her to do as much as she's been doing. We need her to be a playmaker and do the things she does best, create opportunities for her and her teammates."
Jackson will slide over to the two-guard spot this year, yielding the point for newcomer Twiggy McIntyre.
McIntyre, a transfer from Kansas State, sat out last season while fulfilling NCAA Transfer requirements.
She's a total package player who makes everyone on the floor better. In her last game at K-State, the 2006 WNIT Championship, McIntyre scored 16 points in 18 minutes to help secure the WNIT title for the Wildcats.
Jackson and McIntyre in the same backcourt could spell trouble for the Cougars' opponents this season. Along with the senior duo, UH enters the season stacked at the guard position, a strength that coach Curl feels can do nothing but benefit these Cougars.
"I would stack our group of guards up against any in the country," Curl said. "They're so talented, quick and good basketball players. We need to have consistent play out of all of them, and we also need our big kids to be able to hold their own underneath the basket."
Whitney James, one of the hardest workers on the team, returns for her senior campaign. She played at all five positions last year, averaging around 38 minutes per game. She will likely hold onto the starting role at the small forward spot and brings a blue-collar mentality to the court.
"Whitney's the kind of player who helps you win championships," Curl said. "She does everything you ask of her, and I don't think you'll find a tougher player on our team. She gets in there, gives you that extra rebound, scoops up that extra loose ball and makes that free throw in crunch time. She's just an all-around winner."
Ryan Meyers returns fully recovered from the wrist injury that limited her to nine games last season. At the time of her injury, Meyers was on pace for a 300-plus rebound campaign. Curl is hoping she can pick up right where she left off last year.
"She's one of our best athletes," Curl said. "That helps us play our up tempo style. If she's getting in there, chasing after everything like she has in the past, we'll be a very good basketball team.
Rounding out the seniors is Alona Obaze another strong defending guard who has the ability to hit shots at key moments. Obaze will transition into a defensive stopper role, giving Houston energy off the bench at key moments.
"She's a team kid and brings it every day," Curl said. "I don't know of anyone on our team who plays with more guts. I think you'll see some good basketball out of her this year. We'll need her to step up at key moments and make plays.
"Our whole senior class is made up of those lunch pail, blue-collar players and I love that," Curl said. "They bring everything they have every day and do all the little things that you need to do to be successful."
Ryan Bradley and Ashlee' Joseph round out the returning players. Both sophomores saw extensive action last season and look to continue their development into front-line players as the season approaches. Both players face challenges from the talented class of newcomers that join UH this season.
Joseph found some success on the low block and has the size and scoring ability to be an inside force.
"She's shown the ability to score around the basket," Curl said. "She realized last year that she can score in and out of traffic and that could be big for us this season. At times we saw great presence from her inside and we need to see more of it this year."
Bradley started off strong, but struggled as the season went along. She can play at both the high and low post and has the ability to knock down jump shots if left unguarded.
"This is a telltale year for Ryan," Curl said. "It's a question of how much she wants it and if she reaches that potential, she's going to be a solid contributor for us."
THESE KIDS CAN PLAY ... HOPEFULLY
The Cougars welcome in a group of newcomers that Curl says is one of his best since taking the reins on Cullen Boulevard 10 years ago.
The class of seven contains six high school players: Cobilyn Hill (Houston, Texas/Aldine Eisenhower HS), Jasmine Johnson (Omaha, Neb./Omaha Central HS), Brittany Mason (Houston, Texas/LaPorte HS), Megan Morton (Winnsboro, Texas/Winnsboro HS), Brittney Scott (Orange, Texas/West Orange Stark HS) and Courtney Taylor (Crockett, Texas/Crockett HS) along with junior college transfer Zane Jakobsone (Riga, Latvia/Trinity Valley CC).
"I think on paper, this may be our best signing class, top-to-bottom, in my 10 seasons," Curl said. "We filled needs and built for the future," Curl said. "There are players in there that have the chance to develop to an elite level.
"I want to be the cliché coach and say they all have tremendous upside. They're dynamic, all of them can play in several spots on the floor, and they're the kind of kids that are willing to take things on their shoulders. They've come in knowing they have to earn everything that comes to them."
Curl went on to say that this class could lay the foundation for continued future successes.
"I'm not trying to jump from one stone to the other," Curl said. "We want to build this program onto the national level and keep it there for some time. Signing a class like this, along with the players we already have in house, takes a big step in that direction. That kind of stability, along with the support we receive from our administration and the University, can only lead to bigger and better things on and off the court."
NEWCOMER BREAKDOWN
Cobilyn Hill (6-3 • C)
Hill gives UH a commanding presence inside the lane. She was ranked as the No. 159 player in the country by the All-Star Girls Report, a top recruiting service for women's basketball. She was also slotted as one of the top-30 centers in the U.S. and one of the top players in Texas.
"From a physical standpoint, she's head and shoulders above the rest," Curl said. She's an imposing, strong presence with speed and good hands. She's got the ability to finish, but she runs and catches the ball very well. I think her best basketball is still in front of her."
Zane Jakobsone (6-1 • G)
The lone junior-college transfer in the class is a wing guard that is a pure shooter and an impact player.
Jakobsone was part of a Trinity Valley CC squad that was 56-10 during her two seasons, winning two conference championships and placing fifth in the 2006 national tournament.
She averaged 13.1 ppg this past season, shooting at a 45.5 percent (91-200) clip from the field and almost 75 percent from the charity stripe. She was 57-for-146 from behind the arc (39.0%), which would have led Conference USA and ranked in the top-30 nationally last season.
"Zane (pronounced ZAH-ney) is a complete player who can step in and provide an immediate impact," Curl said. "She's a shooter, but she's also a hard-nosed, tough kid who will make us a better team."
Jasmine Johnson (5-6 • G)
Johnson comes in ranked as the No. 103 player in the country by the All-Star Girls Report. She also was ranked as the 29th-best point guard nationally and a player in the mold of current Cougar Twiggy McIntyre. Johnson is a scorer with the ability to involve her teammates in the game.
"She was the best true point guard we saw on the road last year," Curl said. "She's strong and can score, but without question, her best trait is that she makes everyone on the floor with her a better player."
Brittany Mason (6-0 • F)
Mason, a 6-0 small forward, is already an accomplished hurdler who has made several trips to the state track and field meet. She is a dynamic player who possesses speed and explosiveness.
"Mason has the chance to be a world-class athlete on the court," Curl said. "She's as good an athlete as we had on the board and might be as strong a kid from the hips down that we ever recruited here. She's a great track athlete, and I think her best basketball is still in front of her."
Megan Morton (5-11 • G)
Morton is a 5-11 combo guard who can also play small forward. She's ranked as the 28th-best player in Texas by www.TexasHoops.com. She was named as the District 11-3A MVP by the Dallas Morning News following the 2006 season.
"She can fill up the basket from 20-feet plus," Curl said. "Might be as good a three-point shooter as we have ever seen. She handles the ball well and can score. She's versatile and can start at three positions."
Brittney Scott (5-6 • G)
Scott is a 5-6 combo guard that was ranked among the top-250 players in the country by the All-Star Girls Report. She's a solid ball handler who can score from the inside and outside.
"She's an absolute ankle breaker," Curl said. "She averaged over 20 points a game last year and can play two positions. I could say this five more times about our class, but she's a better kid then a player.
Courtney Taylor (6-1 • F) Taylor, a 6-1 power forward, was ranked as the ninth-best player in the state by www.TexasHoops.com. She comes from a basketball family as her father, Johnnie, was a standout at Stephen F. Austin in the early 1980s. She's an offensive force who will help to create an inside presence.
"She's the most lethal offensive player we had on the board," Curl said. "She's got a chance to be something special. She's very long with great hands and is a great finisher."
SCHEDULE
Once again this year, Curl will challenge his squad to take on some of the best in the country and region along with the always tough C-USA slate.
"We were able to put together a good solid schedule," Curl said. "There's some challenges on the schedule in Duke, LSU, Texas Tech, Miami and TCU that we're going to have to be ready for. It thrills me to death to be able to bring national powers like Duke and LSU onto our home court. It really speaks highly of what we're trying to accomplish here at the University of Houston."
Following a pair of exhibition matchups, the Cougars start off the season against Texas Southern at 5:30 p.m., Nov. 9. The game will be a precursor to the UH men's contest against Morehead State.
Following that contest, UH heads out to California to play Cal State Bakersfield and Cal Poly before returning to Hofheinz Pavilion on Nov. 19 to play 2007 Sun Belt Conference Champion Middle Tennessee. The Blue Raiders were one of the Cinderella stories of last year's tournament, knocking off Gonzaga before falling to Marist.
The Cougars make one of two planned trips to Ohio, taking part in the Xavier Classic over Thanksgiving. UH will open up play with 2007 Atlantic 10 Champion Xavier before taking on Liberty and McNeese State, respectively.
Former Houston Comets head coach Van Chancellor brings the LSU Tigers onto Guy V. Lewis Court on Nov. 29. The Tigers are led by returning Kodak All-American Sylvia Fowles and appeared in the Final Four last season.
The Cougars head back on the road for three straight road games, taking on Texas Tech (Dec. 4), Miami (Dec. 8) and Akron (Dec. 16). Houston returns to Hofheinz on Dec. 21 against longtime rival TCU before taking on 2007 ACC regular-season champion Duke on Dec. 29 to close out 2007.
UH opens the new year on Jan. 2 against Lamar before starting Conference USA play against UTEP on Jan. 4. The six-game homestand closes out with Tulane on Jan. 6 and crosstown rival Rice on Jan. 13.
A trip to Orlando, Fla. to play UCF on Jan. 17 opens a stretch that will see the Cougars play eight of 11 games on the road, including a demanding four-game swing against UTEP, Tulane, Tulsa and SMU.
UH plays host to Southern Miss on Jan. 20, faces Rice at Houston Baptist's Sharp Gymnasium on Jan. 26 before heading out to take on Memphis (Feb. 1) and UAB (Feb. 3). The move of the Houston-Rice matchup was necessary due to the ongoing renovations at Autry Court.
Following a brief home weekend against Tulsa (Feb. 7) and SMU (Feb. 9), UH heads to El Paso for a return bout with the Miners on Valentine's Day. Houston closes out the road schedule at Tulane (Feb. 16), Tulsa (Feb. 21) and SMU (Feb. 23).
Ending the regular season at home, Houston matches up with defending league champion East Carolina on Feb. 28 and Marshall on March 1.
The 2007 Conference USA Championship will be held in Orlando at the UCF Convocation Center from March 6-9.
DON'T DOUBT THESE COUGARS
Despite a couple of lean years, Curl feels and expects that his team will be able to set the bar higher then in years past while returning the Cougars to the prominence that was achieved several seasons ago.
"Expectations are outside and can be exhausting" Curl said. "I think the sky's the limit for this team, but it we're going to have to get better every day to reach that."
Houston returns to an uptempo style at both ends of the floor after having to play things closer to the vest the last couple of seasons.
"I think we'll take it to another level of uptempo on defense," Curl said. "Offensively, we've always played free regardless of our numbers. I think defensively, we're going to play 94 x 50 much more often and a longer period of time."
Curl's belief of playing the game in four-minute segments goes hand-in-hand with playing the game all out all the time. With the added depth and talent on the bench, UH won't have to worry about losing much when the second unit takes the floor.
"I'm hoping this team will understand that the game will be won in spurts," Curl said. "Maybe it's a 4-0 run, maybe it's a 6-0 run. We need to create spurts, and the way to do that is to stop them from scoring and you score. That's the key. I like to outscore people, but the reality is that championships are won on making stops and taking advantage of opportunities. That's what we've hung our hat on here."
One of the challenges of the season may be getting players like Jackson, James and Meyers to go all out for segments instead of having to pace themselves for the long haul as in years past.
"We need to have a mentality of going all out for however long you're on the court," Curl said. "This year, a player like Tye can give it everything she has for six or seven minutes and take a seat for a period of time, knowing that the player coming off the bench will be fresh and ready to do the same thing."
Looking around C-USA, these Cougars will have the opportunity to prove a lot of people wrong after the league's coaches voted UH seventh in the preseason poll.
Tulane was tabbed as the preseason favorite, followed by UTEP, East Carolina, SMU, UAB, Rice, UH, Southern Miss, Marshall, Tulsa, UCF and Memphis.
"If anything, it motivates us," Curl said. "We would like to end up in the top spot here in the next three or four months. I think this team can build toward a league championship and NCAA play is a great possibility.
"The hunger factor will be huge for us. It's going to be a determining factor. If we can take care of business, I think this team can learn from playing teams like Duke and LSU and apply that to the tough games we'll have every night in conference play."
