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2008-2009 Lady Wolves Basketball Preview
The Joliet Junior College women's
basketball team will start a new era when they take the floor this year.
Former top assistant coach, Shaun Sanderson, takes over as head coach
for the Lady Wolves. The 35 year old Sanderson replaces Tony Giese, who
led the Lady Wolves to two Division III national tournament appearances
(3rd and 5th place), three conference titles, and an overall record of
128-97 in seven seasons.
During Sanderson's tenure as an
assistant coach, he was responsible for recruiting players, which he has
a passion for. His target has always been to get the players in the
Joliet area and surrounding suburbs to build a powerhouse. Each year he
has succeeded by continuing to add more local talent.
With a 2007-08 season hampered
by injuries, Coach Sanderson will be without two-time leading scorer and
NJCAA All-American, Shantel Johnson. "Shantel's production and hard work
on the court have brought lots of attention to our program from Division
I and II schools. It has opened the door for our other players to have
an opportunity to be evaluated and get a chance to play at higher
institutions," Sanderson said.
The torch will be passed to
pre-season NJCAA All-American center Martha Benjamin (Aurora Central
Catholic), who earned 2nd team all-conference honors last year while
averaging a double-double in points and rebounds. She also finished in
the top ten in the country in field goal percentage at 54%. "Martha
brings a ton of experience to this year's team that will carry over to
post season play. She is a strong presence inside that will give teams a
match up nightmare," Sanderson said.
"Once we learn to play together,
we will be hard to stop this coming season. With the new system, it will
be difficult to beat us," Benjamin said.
Sanderson understands the
importance of having a good foundation on the block, so he went out and
recruited skilled freshman Candace Berryhill (Richards H.S.) and
Christine Wallen (Bishop McNamara) to compliment Martha Benjamin.
"Candace is a talented
undersized post that makes you forget that she is under six-feet tall.
She is a competitor at both ends of the floor and has the ability to
play out on the perimeter. She will turn lost of heads with her skills."
Sanderson adds, "I look for
Christine to have a big year. She has continued to show how quick she
is, and the offensive skills she possesses. She is very excited to have
the opportunity to show what she can do on the court."
Over the years, Joliet Junior
College has been known to have a great group of talented guards that
have guided them to twenty-plus win seasons and conference
championships. With that in mind, Sanderson will continue to maintain
that tradition. Returning from last season will be Chelsea Crawford
(Clinton Central, Ind.) and Megan Kohrt (Dwight), a red-shirt freshman.
They will be looked upon to lead freshman guard Tiana
Nobles (Joliet Central).
"Chelsea is an unbelievable
player. If you look at the stats each night, you would not appreciate
the type of player she is. Chelsea does all the little things that other
players benefit from. She is a tough defender that is capable of
defending any position on the floor, and she is an excellent student in
the classroom," Sanderson said.
"With my experiences from my
freshman year, I feel more comfortable and confident in the program,"
Crawford said. "I have faith that our team will reach new heights."
Megan Kohrt, who suffered a
season ending injury just before the 2007-08 season, has worked very
hard to return this season. She is a fast big-guard that can run the
floor and hit the three point shot. "I am excited to be back playing
again. When I look at the talent that we have, once we get used to
playing with each other, we will be hard to beat. I am very anxious to
grow with this new group of players," Kohrt said.
"I am very proud of Megan's
return. She has not given up on the game of basketball and she should
receive great rewards for her dedication to the game. Every day she
continues to grow and will be a great addition to this year's team,"
Sanderson said.
Local standout, Tiana Nobles
made headlines at Joliet Central with her scoring ability and tough
defense. Coach Sanderson will look for Tiana to make an impact on both
ends of the floor. "Tiana will be a great asset for us on the defensive
side of the ball. The last three years we have given up a lot of points
in the big games. Her ability to defend will change opposing teams
offensive approach against us."
This year, the Lady Wolves have
been blessed with two talented transfer guards in Brittany Edwards
(Ashford University) and Terri Warnsley (Wabash Valley CC). Both players
are big guards that have the ability to score from the perimeter or
attacking the basket.
"Brittany has a strong desire to
get better. She works very hard on her game after practice and will be
great role model for our freshman. I am happy to have her on our team,"
Sanderson stated. "Terri's experience playing with and against some of
the best talented players in the country, has allowed her abilities to
blossom from the time I saw her in high school. Teri will be force in
our conference."
Working under Tony Giese for the
last three years, Coach Sanderson has adopted the transition game. There
have been a number of point guards that have kept Joliet Junior College
in the top three in the country for scoring offense. Assistant coach
Stacy LaBuhn knows a little about that, as she lead the 2005-06 team
with ten assists per game. Freshman point guards Rosie Keomala (Rockford
East), Shakyra Robinson (Joliet West), and Roneisha Mitchell (Joliet
West) will be given the ball to run the show.
"Rosie brings speed and the
ability to hit the three point shot. With her versatility, it gives us
options to play her at the two guard position. Sanderson adds, "Shakyra
and Roneisha both are very skilled players that see the floor well. They
make everyone around them better and they want the ball in their hands.
Their ability to break down defenses and get to the rim will lead us to
a lot of easy baskets."
The addition of assistant
coaches George Lowery and Siobhan Dantzler will make Coach Sanderson's
job a little easier, with both their knowledge of the game and previous
playing experience. They have already displayed the energy that it takes
to be successful both in the classroom and on the court. "Our entire
staff not only are great coaches, but are also great role models for our
players and their communities. I am blessed to have them on my staff,"
Sanderson said.
For the third year in a row, the
Lady wolves have an aggressive schedule against some of the top programs
in the country. Coach Sanderson feels in order to be the best, you have
to play the best. This tough slate will not only help this team prepare
for the rigors of conference play, but it will also help this team
compete for the national championship.
"With our tough schedule, our
young players will learn right away what it means to compete at this
level. We believe that we are contenders, not pretenders. This group of
talented player are hungry and feel that they have something to prove,"
Sanderson remarked.
Although the Lady Wolves begin
this new era under Coach Sanderson, winning will not be a new thing for
this program. The Lady Wolves goals this season include winning the
conference, winning 20 plus games, and playing for the national
championship in March.
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