Nov. 1, 2012
2012-13 Women’s Basketball Fact Book
When a program returns 10 of 11 players and all five starters, including the Southeastern Conference’s leading scorer, while adding to the mix a top-25 recruiting class, expectations will be high.
Throw in the fact that Head Coach Melanie Balcomb has led the Vanderbilt women’s basketball team to at least 20 wins and an NCAA Tournament bid in each of her 10 seasons in Nashville, and the expectations grow a little more.
“When I came to Vanderbilt, I didn’t want peaks and valleys,” Balcomb said. “I knew there would be some transition years because of recruiting. That’s why I’m excited about the future. Bringing this freshman class in that’s a top-25 class and hopefully continuing to get better and raise the talent level.”
In trying to raise the level of the team, Balcomb has put together an aggressive schedule that includes five non-conference opponents who reached postseason play in 2012 and a total of 16 games against teams that received postseason bids.
The Commodores will hit the road early and often, including a neutral-site tournament in Puerto Rico where they will face Virginia and Florida State. Other trips will include Dayton, Western Kentucky, Oklahoma and Southern Cal.
“I feel like it’s a year we can get out there and play some good programs early on to test ourselves to make a run at the SEC,” Balcomb explained. “We have the confidence and experience to be able to handle bigger games earlier and on the road.”
That experience can be seen most in the six juniors and seniors on the roster.
The senior class includes guards Gabby Smith and Elan Brown, along with forward Tiffany Clarke.
“Gabby has been a great leader, on and off the court,” Balcomb said of the Cincinnati native. “Last year, she took a step backwards with the injuries, but I’m really hoping she can have a nice year.”
Brown and Clarke are the two of the players Balcomb will look to most as a steady, consistent hand on the floor.
“Tiffany and Elan have just progressed each year, getting tougher mentally and physically each year,” Balcomb said. “They have the experience to really have consistent and productive senior seasons.”
The junior class contains Christina Foggie, who led the SEC in scoring at 17.7 points per game last season, point guard Jasmine Lister and center Stephanie Holzer.
“My philosophy in recruiting is you need a point, a post and a shooter,” Balcomb said. “This class gives us that. The more we can develop the three of them into more than just those roles and into complete players, they more they can help us.”
The sophomore class shows that philosophy as well. Kady Schrann was the next in a long line of freshman to crack Balcomb’s starting lineup. Fellow guard Maggie Morrison was seeing heavy minutes as the backup point guard before a kneed injury ended her season in December. Clair Watkins began to develop as a reliable alternative to Holzer and Clarke in the post.
Balcomb is very excited about the impact a healthy Morrison could have this year.
“She allows us to put her at point and move Jasmine to the two-guard,” Balcomb said. “That lets us play Christina at the three and now you have Jaz at the two and Christina at the three, that’s really difficult to defend.”
In addition to 10 returning players, Balcomb brings in a six-player freshman class that was ranked among the top-25 nationally. It will be the first time in Balcomb’s tenure that her team will use the full compliment of scholarships allotted by the NCAA.
“This is the first time I’ve had the full roster,” Balcomb said. “You have to be prepared for kids to miss practice and I just felt if we had the scholarships, we need to use them.”
Like Balcomb’s other classes, the group covers a wide range of positions. There are two guards in Jasmine Jenkins and Morgan Batey, two wing players in Heather Bowe and Kristen Gaffney and a pair of posts in Rayte’a Long and Kendall Shaw.
“We went for all different pieces in that class that we felt we needed, but one big piece was the four,” Balcomb said. “We want to extend the defense and get some players that are undersized, but can extend a defense and face-up. Kristen, Heather and Rayte’a are different, but they are all that.”
Balcomb feels Bowe and Shaw, especially, will make an immediate impact.
“Heather will help us right away,” Balcomb says. “She’s already playing like a junior. She has an incredible work ethic, so I think you’ll see her working as a compliment with Steph and Tiff right away. Same with Kendall. I like the size she gives us, especially in the defensive end, but at 6-4, she can also face-up.”
Jenkins and Batey will also contribute to the team’s depth at guard.
“Morgan gives us that bigger, longer, rebounding guard that we needed,” Balcomb said. “While J.J. gives us that point guard experience and strength that we needed last year.”
Gaffney will begin her collegiate career recovering from a knee injury sustained during her senior high school season.
Balcomb will be looking to make history this year. Averaging better than 23 wins per season over her first decade at Vanderbilt, if the coach gets to 19 victories this season she will pass Jim Foster to become the program’s all-time winningest coach.
The season begins on November 10 when McNeese State visits Memorial Gym. Fans can get their first look at the Commodores during an exhibition contest versus Alabama-Huntsville on Saturday, November 3. Tipoff is set for 2:00 p.m. at Memorial Gym.
For tickets, call 615-322-GOLD or click here.
