Comings and Goings: Old Dominion: 2016-17

Jessica Munoz

Our Comings and Goings series continues with a preview of what figures to be the best Old Dominion team in several years.

The series thus far:

VCU: Comings and Goings

George Mason: Comings and Goings

William and Mary: Comings and Goings
Richmond: Comings and Goings

Virginia: Comings and Goings
James Madison: Comings and Goings

Liberty: Comings and Goings

Virginia Tech: Comings and Goings

On deck: Hampton, Radford.

Goings

Laquanda Younger - A key contributor from 3-point range her first three seasons, Younger appeared in just 14 games last season before shutting it down with back problems.
Trina Patterson - Barefoot nabbed the veteran Patterson off the staff of mighty Stanford in 2013. But as a three-time former Division I head coach, from the day Patterson arrived it seemed only a matter of time before school No. 4 would offer up its main job. That time came last April, when UNC Greensboro tabbed Patterson to replace Wendy Palmer as the Spartans head coach.

Comings

Manaya Jones - A 6-4 post player and arguably the most highly touted true freshman Barefoot has lured to ODU (former point guard GG Goodhope got a lot of national recruiting love, too). The Lady
Monarchs are well-stocked with veteran bigs, but if Jones can catch on quickly, her ability to score in the low box could earn her minutes right away.
Jessica Munoz - The 6-2 forward totaled more than 2,000 points and 1,200 rebounds in her high school career, and already Barefoot has raved about her versatility. Now, to be fair, Barefoot raves about every player she's coached. But after watching Munoz at a recent practice, we see the coach's point.
Carley Brew - The 6-0 forward saw limited minutes as a freshman at JMU and transferred midway through 2015-16. Her meager JMU stats (8 points, 13 rebounds on the season) tell us little, but here's what her Philadelphia Belles AAU coach, Sean Costello, told us about Brew prior to her arrival in Harrisonburg: "The best way to describe Carley is she plays like a football player. She was on a loaded team with some really good players, and Carley played harder than any of them. Super, super aggressive, and can jump out of the gym. A rebounding machine." Brew will be eligible to play at ODU after the first semester.
Kelly Loftus - A two-time All-CAA pick (third team) and Hofstra's leading scorer the past two seasons who transferred after three seasons with the Pride. Loftus will sit out this season and has just the 2017-18 season to play. Still, this is an excellent get for Old Dominion.
Ashley Langford - Former Naval Academy assistant and ex-Tulane point guard supreme replaces Patterson on the ODU staff. Regarded as an ace recruiter.

Old Dominion fans, this could be the season you've been waiting for.

Once perennial NCAA tournament qualifiers, the recent-vintage Lady Monarchs haven't earned invites to the sport's marquee event since 2008. But as Barefoot approaches her sixth season, several factors - an impact star (Jennie Simms) surrounded by a loaded veteran roster and the momentum from a red-hot finish in 2015-16 among them - suggest this should easily be the best ODU squad in years.

Take another look at that "goings" section. That's right, the Lady Monarchs return essentially their entire 2015-16 team, the same cast of characters that played at a Top-50 level down the stretch and came within a game of winning the Conference USA tournament title.

And this doesn't include redshirt junior forward Odegua Oigbokie, a part-time starter her first two seasons before sitting out last season with a knee injury, and point guard Makayla Timmons, who started 11 games last year before also succumbing to a knee injury. Or the promising newcomers.

In each of the past three seasons, it's taken the Lady Monarchs about 20 games to play consistent winning basketball from game to game, in large part because each time, Barefoot has had to either force-feed minutes to true freshmen or nurse someone in a new role.

This season, practices figure to be ultra-competitive, and every minute should be earned. As a result, barring injuries, there's no excuse for coming to a slow boil in 2016-17. If this team needs two-thirds of a season to find itself, something is seriously wrong.

Of course, for all of ODU's depth, the team's outlook wouldn't look nearly as rosy if the do-it-all Simms, a two-time first-team all-conference pick, had elected to forego her redshirt senior season and turn pro. But after what she said was careful deliberation, Simms opted to return - largely because of a strong bond with her head coach.

"I want to win a championship under Coach Barefoot," Simms said.

Whether the Lady Monarchs can deliver that elusive title will hinge in part upon the quality of help Simms receives, particularly on offense. For while Simms averaged a robust 21.3 ppg, no other ODU player averaged in double figures (although Destinee Young came close at 9.9 ppg). And this isn't just a one-year deal, either - Simms was ODU's only double-digit scorer in 2014-15, as was Shae Kelley in 2013-14.

We're pretty confident the Lady Monarchs will play their usual physical, well-schemed defense, and Barefoot's recent teams typically can rebound with virtually anyone. But for this team to max out, it would help if one or two players could consistently relieve Simms of some of the scoring load.

Young, a senior forward, is a prime candidate for a offensive breakout, as are junior 3-point shooter deluxe "Downtown" Keyana Brown and first-team all-interview senior forward Ije Ajemba. Also keep an eye on sophomore guard Gianna Smith, who in freshman flashes showed that she knows how to get hers. And while we're not sure how many points she'll deliver, we're intrigued by the way Barefoot and Simms paid glowing tribute to the improvement in junior guard Ashley Jackson, who after two tough seasons is now in tip-top shape and ready to fight for a spot.

With all this going for ODU, the floor for this team should be as a strong C-USA contender and a surefire WNIT squad. And the ceiling? Well, after eight straight years of sitting out the NCAAs, if things break right a return to the national tournament is a distinct possibility.

Season opener: Norfolk State on Nov. 18

Comings and Goings: VCU 2016-17 season

Back from more Comings and Goings, this time from Virginia Commonwealth.

Clock is ticking toward the season so know you're eager for more. Old Dominion is up next.

The series thus far:

George Mason: Comings and Goings

William and Mary: Comings and Goings
Richmond: Comings and Goings

Virginia: Comings and Goings
James Madison: Comings and Goings

Liberty: Comings and Goings

Virginia Tech: Comings and Goings

Goings:

Jessica Ogunnorin - A 6-foot-1 forward from Greece (by way of Stony Brook), she pulled down a team-high 223 rebounds as a graduate student last year. Averaged 5.7 points.
Adaeze Alaeze - The Rams' leading scorer last year at 11.6 points as a senior. A 5-10 swing player from Baltimore is starting her professional playing career in Spain.
Chadarryl Clay - A 5-foot-8 guard who scored 5.7 points per game last year as a senior. Now enrolled in pharmacy school at VCU, she will not return for her final year of eligibility.
Melanie Royster - The fifth-year senior who scored 7 points in limited playing time last year has graduated.

Comings

Camille Calhoun returns!

Nyra Williams - Diminutive point guard (as in 5-5) from Hampton who scored 1,000 points in her
career at Bethel High School and took MVP honors at the 2015 She Got Game Classic in D.C. Not to be confused with Niya Johnson.
Niya Johnson - Native of Brooklyn. A 5-8 shooting guard who averaged 22 points and 10 rebounds as a high school senior. Not to be confused with Nyra Williams.
Jailyn Maddox - A 5-10 guard from (sweet home) Alabama. Made a name for herself in here hometown of Hoover both on and off the court, winning honors for her volunteer and charity work.
Mooriah Rowser - Dynamic 5-9 guard transfers to VCU after a solid career at Memphis. A grad student with one year of eligibility left after averaging 11 points last year for the Tigers. Came out of a prep powerhouse (St. John's College High in Rockville, Md.). Earned her bachelor's degree in business administration and is now pursuing a master's in computer and information systems security.
Danielle Hammond - A 6-4 center from scenic Bryn Mawr, Pa. Also starred in volleyball. Averaged 13 points, eight rebounds and three blocks as a high school senior. An aggressive shot swatter under the defensive basket.

No doubt the Rams will miss leading scorer Adaeze Alaeze, but expect Beth O'Boyle's program to continue on the upswing after last season's run to the Atlantic 10 tournament's semifinals followed by an achingly close loss to Virginia in the first round of the WNIT.

Camille Calhoun is healthy again after tearing her ACL. O'Boyle says the 6-foot junior is progressing well in drills; if she can overcome the mental hurdle of rebounding from such a serious injury, she could be the Rams' best offensive weapon. Calhoun averaged 11.3 ppg through seven games last fall before hurting her knee in December.

Mooriah Rowser gives VCU another scoring option. She's a versatile playmaker who's capable of taking it off the bounce or shooting the 3. She shot 44 percent from the field and drained 35 3-pointers at Memphis; her experience makes her an immediate impact player.

Isis Thorpe, Ashley Pegram and Keira Robinson also return along with Curteeona Brelove. All benefitted from the Rams state-of-the-art practice facility that requires a fingerprint to enter any hour of the day. Thorpe is set to become the all-time leader in 3-pointers at VCU. With 185 in her career, she is 11 shy of the record.

Point guard GG Goodhope, hampered by a foot injury and out for the first nine games of last season, will look to finish out her senior year with a bang as a distributor who isn't shy about shooting.

Among the newbies, Hammond is an intriguing matchup who is able to shoot the 15-footer. "She's great to watch," O'Boyle said. "You don't necessarily see big post players do a lot of the things she does."

Johnson tore her ACL last year and continues to rehab from surgery. Maddox comes from a powerhouse high school program. Hoover is the largest high school in Alabama with more than 2,700 students. Ever tune into the MTV reality show "Two-A-Days?" That's Hoover!

Williams was a true point guard in high school and will benefit from playing behind Goodhope and Robinson.

Don't sleep on these Rams. They won 23 games a year ago and look to make inroads in a competitive A-10. Minnesota is on the sked, too; the game will pit O'Boyle against VCU's last coach, Marlene Stollings, whose recruits include Thorpe, Robinson and Calhoun.

Season opener: Coppin State, Nov. 11

Comings and Goings: Virginia Tech 2016-17

We continue to work our way through the state with a look at Virginia Tech. Coming up next in the series: VCU

The series:

George Mason: Comings and Goings

William and Mary: Comings and Goings
Richmond: Comings and Goings

Virginia: Comings and Goings
James Madison: Comings and Goings

Liberty: Comings and Goings

Goings
Hannah Young: Started all 31 games; her 31 mpg was tops on the team; averaged 10.3 ppg and 4.5 rpg
Taijah Campbell: Started 24 games; averaged 4.8 ppg and 5.2 rpg;
Samantha Hill: Started all games and averaging 4.5 ppg, shooting 38 percent from  3
Alana Gilmer: transferred to Marist after scoring just 21 points all of last season
Khadedra Croker: no longer on the roster after two seasons as a Hokie; transferred to Norfolk State and will sit out the 2016-17 season
Kelly Koshuta: the sparingly-used forward has transferred to JMU; a five-star recruit from James Madison High who played in seven games
Tara Nahodil: scored just eight points last year and has graduated
Heidi Brown: the walk-on is no longer on the roster
Jaiden McCoy: Freshman from Knoxville, Tenn., was reportedly at school to start the fall semester and has left

Comings
Kenny Brooks: the architect of a dynasty at James Madison starts his first season as head coach at Virginia Tech, replacing Dennis Wolff
Jen Brown: Brooks' longtime assistant at JMU remains by his side
Shawn Popple: an assistant to Brooks who comes to Tech from Furman

Dianda Darosa

Tim Clark: Another purple and gold alum followed Brooks to Blacksburg
Diandra Darosa, 5-7 junior guard: Coveted by Louisville and Syracuse, the point guard led ASA College to the national championship and averaged 14.1 ppg and 5.4 apg last season; played alongside Cheridene Green at ASA; Green has signed with Tennessee. Scored 22 with four assists and six steals in championship game loss to Hartford Community College
Kendyl Brooks, 5-8 freshman guard: Kenny's eldest; will redshirt the 2016-17 season; led Spotswood High to a state title her senior year
Kaela Kinder, 5-10 freshman guard; 3-star recruit from Christ the King High
Erin Garner 6-3 forward: Transfer from Georgia Tech is eligible for this season after attending Florida International; set record for blocks at Trenton Catholic High in Philadelphia
Genesis Parker, 5-9 Freshman guard; 4-star ESPN recruit ranked 62nd in her class; from Stonewall Jackson High
Michelle Berry, 6-2 sophomore forward: transfer from Cal Fullerton who will sit out 2016-17 season due to NCAA transfer rules

If you're in Blacksburg, it must feel like Christmas. What Brooks did 140 miles up I-81 is nothing shy of remarkable in his 14 years there. The Dukes earned 11 postseason berths and six NCAA bids under the JMU alum and boast two players in the WNBA in Tamera Young and Jazmon Gwathmey. But his greatest asset is developing talent. Consistently, players entered JMU's program -- Kirby Burkholder and Nikki Newman, for example -- with modest expectations and graduated as star performers for an NCAA tournament team. Year after year we saw Brooks transform recruits many schools shied away from into top-notch talent, including Gwathmey, who ended her season a starter for the WNBA's San Antonio Stars.

Can you tell we're excited to see what he'll do in the ACC?

We're not expecting earth-shattering changes just yet at Tech, but a core group returns that looks to build on last season's big wins against Tennessee and Virginia (twice). Hokie fans saw flashes of brilliance from players including Vanessa Panousis (21 points on 5-of-8 3-point shooting in Knoxville),  Sidney Cook (23 points, 14 rebounds at Virginia) and Rachel Camp (29 points against Elon in the WNIT). Finding consistency will be the challenge this season for those players learning under a new coach. Brooks will also look to create more long ball looks for Panousis to create the kind of sizzling numbers she put up against the Lady Vols.

Darosa is a likely contributor, and though she's walking in a boot now due to a stress fracture in her shin, Brooks is hopeful she will mend quickly.

Brooks see scrappiness and experience but notes Tech lacks depth in the post, though Berry will be able to provide a body in practice while she awaits eligibility.

Expect redshirt sophomore Regan Megarity to see good minutes after an injury-plagued career thus far.

"She'll be a focal point of what we'll do. We'll utilize her size and quickness," Brooks said.

Tech's X factor? Brooks singles out point guard Chanette Hicks, who started 27 games last year as a freshman and averaged 4.1 assists with a single-season school-record 91 steals. (She also set a rookie single-season school record for assists with 134.)

"She looks like a young Muff Mickens," Brooks said, high praise indeed. JMU's Angela "Muff" Mickens finished her career in Harrisonburg last season ranking second all-time in assists with 669.

Season opener: Nov. 11 vs. UNC Asheville

Comings and Goings: Virginia Tech 2016-17

We continue to work our way through the state with a look at Virginia Tech. Coming up next in the series: VCU

The series:

George Mason: Comings and Goings

William and Mary: Comings and Goings
Richmond: Comings and Goings

Virginia: Comings and Goings
James Madison: Comings and Goings

Liberty: Comings and Goings

Goings
Hannah Young: Started all 31 games; her 31 mpg was tops on the team; averaged 10.3 ppg and 4.5 rpg
Taijah Campbell: Started 24 games; averaged 4.8 ppg and 5.2 rpg;
Samantha Hill: Started all games and averaging 4.5 ppg, shooting 38 percent from  3
Alana Gilmer: transferred to Marist after scoring just 21 points all of last season
Khadedra Croker: no longer on the roster after two seasons as a Hokie; transferred to Norfolk State and will sit out the 2016-17 season
Kelly Koshuta: the sparingly-used forward has transferred to JMU; a five-star recruit from James Madison High who played in seven games
Tara Nahodil: scored just eight points last year and has graduated
Heidi Brown: the walk-on is no longer on the roster
Jaiden McCoy: Freshman from Knoxville, Tenn., was reportedly at school to start the fall semester and has left

Comings
Kenny Brooks: the architect of a dynasty at James Madison starts his first season as head coach at Virginia Tech, replacing Dennis Wolff
Jen Brown: Brooks' longtime assistant at JMU remains by his side
Shawn Popple: an assistant to Brooks who comes to Tech from Furman

Dianda Darosa

Tim Clark: Another purple and gold alum followed Brooks to Blacksburg
Diandra Darosa, 5-7 junior guard: Coveted by Louisville and Syracuse, the point guard led ASA College to the national championship and averaged 14.1 ppg and 5.4 apg last season; played alongside Cheridene Green at ASA; Green has signed with Tennessee. Scored 22 with four assists and six steals in championship game loss to Hartford Community College
Kendyl Brooks, 5-8 freshman guard: Kenny's eldest; will redshirt the 2016-17 season; led Spotswood High to a state title her senior year
Kaela Kinder, 5-10 freshman guard; 3-star recruit from Christ the King High
Erin Garner 6-3 forward: Transfer from Georgia Tech is eligible for this season after attending Florida International; set record for blocks at Trenton Catholic High in Philadelphia
Genesis Parker, 5-9 Freshman guard; 4-star ESPN recruit ranked 62nd in her class; from Stonewall Jackson High
Michelle Berry, 6-2 sophomore forward: transfer from Cal Fullerton who will sit out 2016-17 season due to NCAA transfer rules

If you're in Blacksburg, it must feel like Christmas. What Brooks did 140 miles up I-81 is nothing shy of remarkable in his 14 years there. The Dukes earned 11 postseason berths and six NCAA bids under the JMU alum and boast two players in the WNBA in Tamera Young and Jazmon Gwathmey. But his greatest asset is developing talent. Consistently, players entered JMU's program -- Kirby Burkholder and Nikki Newman, for example -- with modest expectations and graduated as star performers for an NCAA tournament team. Year after year we saw Brooks transform recruits many schools shied away from into top-notch talent, including Gwathmey, who ended her season a starter for the WNBA's San Antonio Stars.

Can you tell we're excited to see what he'll do in the ACC?

We're not expecting earth-shattering changes just yet at Tech, but a core group returns that looks to build on last season's big wins against Tennessee and Virginia (twice). Hokie fans saw flashes of brilliance from players including Vanessa Panousis (21 points on 5-of-8 3-point shooting in Knoxville),  Sidney Cook (23 points, 14 rebounds at Virginia) and Rachel Camp (29 points against Elon in the WNIT). Finding consistency will be the challenge this season for those players learning under a new coach. Brooks will also look to create more long ball looks for Panousis to create the kind of sizzling numbers she put up against the Lady Vols.

Darosa is a likely contributor, and though she's walking in a boot now due to a stress fracture in her shin, Brooks is hopeful she will mend quickly.

Brooks see scrappiness and experience but notes Tech lacks depth in the post, though Berry will be able to provide a body in practice while she awaits eligibility.

Expect redshirt sophomore Regan Megarity to see good minutes after an injury-plagued career thus far.

"She'll be a focal point of what we'll do. We'll utilize her size and quickness," Brooks said.

Tech's X factor? Brooks singles out point guard Chanette Hicks, who started 27 games last year as a freshman and averaged 4.1 assists with a single-season school-record 91 steals. (She also set a rookie single-season school record for assists with 134.)

"She looks like a young Muff Mickens," Brooks said, high praise indeed. JMU's Angela "Muff" Mickens finished her career in Harrisonburg last season ranking second all-time in assists with 669.

Season opener: Nov. 11 vs. UNC Asheville

Comings and Goings: Virginia 2016-17

Friday, September 2, 2016

Aiyeotan really stands all of 6-9, says coach Joanne Boyle

This installment of Comings and Goings takes a look at the Virginia Cavaliers, who once again boast a monster recruiting class headlined by 6-9 Nigerian Felicia Aiyeotan.

FYI: The series so far

George Mason: Comings and Goings

William and Mary: Comings and Goings
Richmond: Comings and Goings
James Madison: Comings and Goings

Liberty: Comings and Goings

Goings

Faith Randolph: Graduated; second leading scoring on Cavaliers, averaging 13.5 ppg
Mikayla Venson: sophomore guard and leading scorer (15.1 ppg) left the program prior to the WNIT; will sit out the 2016-17 season after transferring to Georgetown
Sydney Umeri: Will play her senior season at Kansas and be immediately eligible after graduating from Virginia; started 29 of 34 games last season
Emily Battle: Walk-on who remains at the school
Kim McNeil: assistant to coach Joanne Boyle; left to become head coach at Hartford
Cory McNeil: assistant coach to Boyle; associate head coach to Kim McNeil at Hartford

Comings
Katherine Graham: Assistant to Boyle, previously at Lipscomb; LSU grad who led team to 2008 Final Four
Tim Taylor: former recruiting coordinator to Debbie Ryan (2000-2005) and associate head coach to Ryan (2009-11); since 2012, has been principal at William Wetsel Middle School in Madison, Va., and assistant at United Christian Academy; Charlottesville native and James Madison grad
Dominique Toussaint: 5-9 G Freshman: No. 48 recruit (espnW); 2016 Miss New York Basketball
Jocelyn Willoughby: 6-0 G, Freshman: 1,000-point scorer her sophomore year at Newark Academy; 2016 New Jersey Girls Basketball Player of the Year
Felicia Aiyeotan: 6-9 C, Freshman: Nigerian played her senior year at Blair Academy in New Jersey, averaging 14 ppg
Lisa Jablonowski: 6-3 F, Freshman: Sportswoman of the Year, the most prestigious award in Luxembourg for her performance leading her Amicale Steinsel team to the 2016 national championship in 2014-15

We're five years and counting into the Boyle era at Virginia and the Cavaliers are still looking for their first NCAA appearance since Monica Wright's senior year in 2010. We'd be remiss if we didn't note the departures headed into 2016-17 -- the most significant one being leading scorer Venson who didn't finish out last season, skipping the WNIT. She is the second high-profile kid to leave the program in two years. Sarah Imovbioh, the ACC's leading rebounder in 2014-15, left for South Carolina last year.

Certainly Virginia isn't the only program dealing with transfer-itis, something we asked Boyle about. She noted that today's generation embraces immediacy over patience. "There's a process to everything," she said, adding buy-in to the process isn't as universal as it used to be.

However, she's optimistic about this group of Cavalier, ecstatic about the work ethic of 5-11 junior guard J'Kyra Brown who returns in the best shape of her life.

"I challenged her at the end of last year," Boyle said. "She's not only in great shape, she has a really good attitude."

Virginia is also on the way up in regards to size. The Cavaliers had one of the smallest frontcourts in the ACC of late, but no longer.

Among the freshmen, Aiyeotan, whose maternal grandfather was 7-1, nabs the most attention given her stature, rarely seen in the women's game.  Boyle promises, "She is all of 6-9 and not as raw as people think." Her rebounding is ahead of her offense, Boyle said, and her strength is increasing thanks to the time she is putting in in the weight room.

The 6-3 Jablonowski is also benefitting from summer conditioning, and Boyle said the results just since July are visible. Boyle refers to the European as "a pass-and-cut type of player who we'll use more at the guard spot."

"Physical, physical, physical," are the words Boyle uses to describe Willoughby, who shows early signs of potential on defense and the offensive boards. "Physically, she's a guard who can post up," said Boyle, who said Willoughby's unique body type will allow her to play at an elite level.

Boyle regards Toussaint's quickness and versatile ability to score as keys. Named the Miss New York Gatorade Player of the Year, she averaged 19.7 ppg as a senior at Christ the King High in Staten Island.

Toussaint was among 27 women invited to training camp for the USA Basketball Women's U18 team last May.

On the injury front, redshirt freshman Shakyna Payne, who missed last season due to a stress fracture in her shin, is completely healthy. An early tweak to Lauren Moses' shin has her in a boot. Moses started every game last season, averaging 6.9 rpg.

Guard Breyana Mason is the lone senior on this team, which also includes two new assistants. Boyle has been friends with Taylor since she was at Duke and is happy he chose to rejoin the Virginia staff after assisting twice under Debbie Ryan. Stewart, she said, brings a youthful presence to the staff, which also includes La'Keshia Frett Meredith.

The Cavaliers were 18-16 last season, falling to Hofstra in the WNIT's round of 16.

Season opener: Middle Tennessee State, Nov. 11 at 7 p.m.

Comings and Goings: Liberty 2016-17

We're back with another installment of Comings and Goings looking at Liberty. Tech on deck (hey, that rhymes!). We promise we'll get to your school if we haven't!

The series so far:

Richmond: Comings and Goings
Virginia: Comings and Goings
George Mason: Comings and Goings
William and Mary: Comings and Goings
James Madison: Comings and Goings

Goings:

Katelyn Adams: The 6-5 post has graduated. She averaged 7.2 points and a team-high 8.7 boards as a senior.
Sadalia Ellis: The 5-6 guard graduated. She averaged 9.1 points per game and hit double-digits a team-high 16 times. Also led the team in assists with 92.
Catharine Kearney: The 6-6 center has graduated. Put up 9.7 points and 7.3 rebounds per game last year, both second on the team. Finished strong, landing on the Big South All-Tournament team.
Candice Leatherwood: The 5-6 guard started a dozen games as a sophomore and averaged 4.7 points. She has transferred to Sacred Heart in Connecticut.
Ashley Rininger: The 6-4 forward has graduated (and then some). She averaged a team-high 11.2 points last year despite a knee injury that cost her nine games and her starting job. She earned her bachelor's degree (in criminal justice) in just three years, so she leaves the program with a master's in human services counseling. She is currently pursuing a second master's. All with a 4.0 GPA. You hate to see someone like this go.
Jayme Fisher-Davis: The 5-7 guard graduated. She played in every game last year, starting 11, and averaged 5.7 points. She's a 3-point specialist who hits 84 percent of her free throws (and holds the school record for consecutive free throws made with 26).
Brooke Alexander: The 6-foot guard-forward transferred to UT-Arlington. She's a Texas girl, headed homeward. She started 16 games last year but averaged just 3.3 points.
Mikal Johnson: A 5-8 guard, she started a dozen games as a redshirt junior last year and averaged 2.0 points. She has transferred to Mount Saint Mary.
Mickayla Sanders: The 6-foot forward is no longer listed on the Liberty roster. She averaged 7.8 points last year as a junior.


Comings:

Nene Johnson: A 5-8 junior guard and juco transfer from Eastern Florida State College, where last year she averaged a team-high 14.3 points and 6 assists per game.
Keyen Green: A 6-1 freshman forward from Philadelphia, where she was the first player in Phil-Mont Christian Academy history to compile 1,000 points and 1,000 rebounds.
Iva Ilic: A 5-7 freshman guard from Croatia. Played on the U-18 Croatian national team. Career goal is to be a diplomat.

Lela Sellers on signing day

Kaila Ballard: A 5-11 guard-forward from Gatesville, N.C., she  has been practicing with the Flames since January, after completing her high school graduation requirements early. Averaged a double-double for three years in high school.
Kierra Johnson-Graham: A 5-11 freshman guard-forward from Atlanta. Starred on a Tucker High School team that went undefeated her junior year and was state runner-up last year.
Ola Makurat: A 6-1 freshman guard-forward from Poland. Played with the U-18 and U-20 Polish national teams, and her mother had played on the Polish national team. Ola graduated from someplace called Sports Championship School in Warsaw, which certainly sounds impressive.
Lela Sellers: A 6-foot guard-forward from Cedar Rapids, Iowa (where she played her last two years of high school ball, though she still lists Lakeville, Minnesota as her hometown).
Kaitlyn Stovall: A 6-3 post, she sat out last season as a redshirt and will be a freshman this year. Home-schooler from Hopewell who won an AAU national championship with her Boo Williams Summer League team as a high school freshman. Majoring in American Sign Language and Interpreting, which is pretty cool.

Yes, coaches love to chatter about being young no matter who's on the roster, but Carey Green isn't even bending the truth a little when he talks about the youth of this Liberty team, which has a roster of players who have made a total of five career starts.

To be precise, that's two players, Audrey Rettstatt (three starts) and Sheana Vega (two starts). The Lady Flames lost 90.6 percent of their scoring from last season with KK Barbour returning as the leader scorer and rebounder -- that's 65 points and 61 rebounds -- total.

Green's ability to sub big after big into the rotation has been a luxury for years and will be one missing this season.

Personnel changes will mean a smaller, quicker guard-oriented lineup that will seek to keep Liberty at its usual place, atop the Big South. Green foresees a better shooting team than in the past, but doesn't have a good assessment of who will come up big in terms of stat lines for the Lady Flames.

"Success will come by committee," he said, noting transfer Nene Johnson brings much needed experience at the point.

Injuries cloud the picture. Rettstatt is coming off ACL surgery and along with Barbour and Ballard have not been released. All are expected to play a role, but will have to play catchup to get up to speed.

Among the newbies, Sellers comes is as a touted recruit who developed a mid-range game in high school, where she was also a track star.  (We like her because she likes pugs and so do we.) She compared her signing at Liberty with the feeling of opening a pile of presents on Christmas or your birthday, and we look forward to what she will give to the Lady Flames. She turned down offers from Arkansas and Indiana.

If you think Green is worried about his inexperienced roster, banish the thought. He likes the energy and work ethic he's seen thus far and stresses "faith over fear," noting, "I've already fallen in love with this team."

Season opener: Duke, Nov. 11 at the Vines Center

Comings and Goings: James Madison 2016-17 season

O'Regan gets some help from his daughter selling season tix for the Dukes

We're back with another installment of Comings and Goings looking at James Madison. Liberty on deck. We promise we'll get to your school if we haven't!

The series so far:

Richmond: Comings and Goings
Virginia: Comings and Goings
George Mason: Comings and Goings
William and Mary: Comings and Goings

Goings

Kenny Brooks: the Dukes' all-time winningest coach replaced Dennis Wolff at Virginia Tech; Brooks led the Dukes to five NCAA tournaments, was CAA coach of the year three times and hands down, is the best developer of talent in the state
Jen Brown: has joined Brooks as an assistant at Virginia Tech
Sarah Williams: After three years, Williams has moved on pursue her doctorate in philosophy in educational leadership and organization development with a sports administration specialization (a mouthful)
Jazmon Gwathmey: the CAA Player of the Year is a starter for the WNBA's San Antonio Stars
Angela Mickens: the point guard known as "Muff," averaging 11.0 ppg and 6.8 apg, has graduated
Ashley Perez: the 3-point ace averaging 14.4 ppg has graduated into a new role at JMU (see below)
Elemy Colome: the guard who played all of three minutes is no longer with the program

Comings

Sean O'Regan: promoted to head coach after serving as an assistant to Brooks for nine years; has been associate head coach since 2012
Bridgette Mitchell: assistant coach; spent two years as recruiting coordinator at Siena; as a player helped Duke reach the 2010 Elite Eight
Ian Caskill: assistant to O'Regan; the former center for the JMU men's team who had an overseas playing career returns to his alma mater
Ashlee McGee: assistant to O'Regan, comes to JMU from Milwaukee; former standout at Austin Peay
Brianna Skeens: joins staff as director of operations; from Florida International
Ashley Perez: a foot injury has delayed her overseas career, so Perez joins O'Regan's staff as assistant director of operations
Amber Porter: eligible transfer from Stetson, who averaged 13.4 ppg as a sophomore; the Atlantic Sun Freshman of the Year in 2014 and Defensive POY in 2015; has two years of eligibility remaining
Kelly Koshuta: the former Hokie is on the JMU roster but not eligible until 2017-18; a five-star ESPN Hoop Gurlz recruit who played just 20 minutes as a freshman at Tech last year
Lexie Barrier: 5-10 Freshman G scored 1,000 points at Ohio's Ironton High; made a verbal commitment to Virginia Tech prior to Brooks' arrival; Ironton finished 27-1 her senior year, falling in the Division III state semifinals
Kamiah Smalls: 5-10 Freshman G from Neumann-Goretti High in Philadelphia, which won back-to-back Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association titles her junior and senior years
Devon Merritt: 6-2 Freshman F; the biology major and reportedly a future ortho surgeon also played volleyball; led Berks Catholic High to state semifinals last two years

It's not a stretch to say these Dukes lost plenty from last season CAA championship team, most significantly, conference Player of the Year Gwathmey, who started the final 10 games for the San Antonio Stars after being selected in the second round of the WNBA draft. Mickens, second all-time in assists at JMU, will also be missed as will the sweet-shooting Perez.

But nobody in the CAA will be shedding tears for the three-time defending CAA champs, who return 2014-15 CAA Player of the Year Precious Hall, recovered from knee surgery. "She's been full go since early June," says O'Regan, confident the senior can overcome the mental hurdles that follow a season-ending injury. "She's been chomping at the bit."

Da'Lishia Griffin, who led the league in rebounding, returns for her senior year alongside CAA Rookie of the Year Kayla Cooper-Williams, who set a school record for blocked shots last year. The pair provide an enviable presence in the paint. Replacing Mickens will be a chore; the Dukes need consistency from sophomore guard Logan Reynolds and Hailee Baron, each of whom saw time in all 33 games last season.

While Tech transfer Kelly Koshuta will sit out, JMU will benefit inside from the 6-3 Porter, an Atlantic Sun first-teamer in 2015 who could be a key cog in a potentially formidable front line. "She's learning how we do things more and more each day and is buying into our system," O'Regan said. "It should be fun to watch her grow."

Freshmen tend to wait their turn at JMU, but O'Regan sees early promise in all. Smalls is already winning sprints, and O'Regan ranks her among the best conditioned athletes he has seen come into the program. Merritt, he says, has good hands, and Barrier, a high basketball IQ.

Opener: Tennessee at the Convo on Nov. 11 -- Big-time game to start the O'Regan era. How did he get the Lady Vols to come to Harrisonburg? Simply put, he made a slew of calls when he needed to add some games and thought why not Tennessee? He's thrilled that the Lady Vols will be in his home gym; next season JMU will travel to Knoxville.

When told Tennessee would start the home-and-home series at JMU, he even asked, "Are you sure?"

"It's an awesome opportunity for us," he said. "It's certainly created a lot of buzz around the program."

Comings and Goings: William and Mary 2016-17 season

Nari Garner

W&M on tap for the latest in our series; James Madison on deck.

The series:

In case you missed it:

Richmond: Comings and Goings
Virginia: Comings and Goings
George Mason: Comings and Goings

Goings
Brooke Stewart: the guard who averaged 1.8 ppg last year graduated
Jenna Caroll: the walk-on remains in school but is no longer on the roster
Jeanette Wedo: the Tribe assistant left to become head coach at Franklin Pierce
Kelly Killion: the Tribe assistant left to become an assistant to Penn coach Mike McLaughlin

Comings

Nari Garner: 5-7 Freshman F: Combo guard from Freedom High in Tampa; daughter of NFL's Charlie Garner: 6-0 Freshman F: Played basketball and lacrosse at St. Anne's-Belfield in Charlottesvile; mom Kerri played basketball at James Madison;
Victoria Reynolds: 5-10 Freshman F: Played AAU ball for Fairfax Stars, one of the top teams nationally, three-year starter at Archbishop Spaulding High
Sarah Eichler: After two years at Hartford, Eichler joins Ed Swanson's staff. Played for a Green Bay team that won Horizon League four straight years and reached the Sweet 16 in 2010
Lynne-Anne Kokoski: After four years as operations coordinator at Providence, Kokoski joins Swanson's staff; played collegiate ball at Bryant

What's new isn't the Tribe team, it's the Tribe assistant coaching staff given the departure of Wedo, to pursue a dream job for her, and Killion, returning to Penn for the second time.

Eichler worked under Jen Rizzotti at Hartford. "She brings a winning mentality to our program," Swanson said.

Swanson initially recruited Kokoski while recruiting her to play for Sacred Hart and is excited about the energy she will bring. The pair will join Milette Green, who has been with Swanson since he started at William & Mary in 2013.

The Tribe have been on a climb since he took over the program and last season's 15-15 mark included wins over James Madison and Old Dominion and a tight game with Richmond. With a veteran roster of four seniors and three juniors, it's refreshing to hear these words from Swanson, "We're really old."

(Side note: We cannot count the number of times in press conference settings that coaches say the words, "We're young" regardless of the veterans on their rosters.)

The core is leading scorer and 3-point shooter Marlena Tremba, leading rebounder Alex Masaquel and a healthy again Abby Rendle, who missed the last 11 games of the season with an ankle injury on the heels of achieving the first triple-double in program history. Latrice Hunter (4.8 ppg) and Kasey Curtis (1.7 ppg) also are expected to contribute.

Swanson is also challenging Bianca Boggs (7.4 ppg) and Jenna Green (5.6 ppg) to be impact players Boggs, a 5-8 sophomore guard, received early playing time after the injury to Rendle. Swanson wants her to find that extra gear and establish a higher level of consistency while shooting the ball more. He'd like 5-7 junior guard Green to move beyond being solid to becoming "more of a risk taker and looking for her shot."

Among the newcomers, Garner has the pedigree as the daughter of Charlie Garner, drafted in the second round by the Philadelphia Eagles in 1994. Reynolds, an All-Metro Baltimore Sun first-team selection, averaged 21.5 ppg and 10.5 rpg her senior year.

While the Tribe has been on rise since Swanson took the job, this is the year he wants the team to say "Enough," and compete for one of the top spots in the CAA and beyond.

Season opener: Nov. 13, St. John's at Kaplan Arena

Comings and Goings: William and Mary 2016-17 season

Nari Garner

W&M on tap for the latest in our series; James Madison on deck.

The series:

In case you missed it:

Richmond: Comings and Goings
Virginia: Comings and Goings
George Mason: Comings and Goings

Goings
Brooke Stewart: the guard who averaged 1.8 ppg last year graduated
Jenna Caroll: the walk-on remains in school but is no longer on the roster
Jeanette Wedo: the Tribe assistant left to become head coach at Franklin Pierce
Kelly Killion: the Tribe assistant left to become an assistant to Penn coach Mike McLaughlin

Comings

Nari Garner: 5-7 Freshman F: Combo guard from Freedom High in Tampa; daughter of NFL's Charlie Garner: 6-0 Freshman F: Played basketball and lacrosse at St. Anne's-Belfield in Charlottesvile; mom Kerri played basketball at James Madison;
Victoria Reynolds: 5-10 Freshman F: Played AAU ball for Fairfax Stars, one of the top teams nationally, three-year starter at Archbishop Spaulding High
Sarah Eichler: After two years at Hartford, Eichler joins Ed Swanson's staff. Played for a Green Bay team that won Horizon League four straight years and reached the Sweet 16 in 2010
Lynne-Anne Kokoski: After four years as operations coordinator at Providence, Kokoski joins Swanson's staff; played collegiate ball at Bryant

What's new isn't the Tribe team, it's the Tribe assistant coaching staff given the departure of Wedo, to pursue a dream job for her, and Killion, returning to Penn for the second time.

Eichler worked under Jen Rizzotti at Hartford. "She brings a winning mentality to our program," Swanson said.

Swanson initially recruited Kokoski while recruiting her to play for Sacred Hart and is excited about the energy she will bring. The pair will join Milette Green, who has been with Swanson since he started at William & Mary in 2013.

The Tribe have been on a climb since he took over the program and last season's 15-15 mark included wins over James Madison and Old Dominion and a tight game with Richmond. With a veteran roster of four seniors and three juniors, it's refreshing to hear these words from Swanson, "We're really old."

(Side note: We cannot count the number of times in press conference settings that coaches say the words, "We're young" regardless of the veterans on their rosters.)

The core is leading scorer and 3-point shooter Marlena Tremba, leading rebounder Alex Masaquel and a healthy again Abby Rendle, who missed the last 11 games of the season with an ankle injury on the heels of achieving the first triple-double in program history. Latrice Hunter (4.8 ppg) and Kasey Curtis (1.7 ppg) also are expected to contribute.

Swanson is also challenging Bianca Boggs (7.4 ppg) and Jenna Green (5.6 ppg) to be impact players Boggs, a 5-8 sophomore guard, received early playing time after the injury to Rendle. Swanson wants her to find that extra gear and establish a higher level of consistency while shooting the ball more. He'd like 5-7 junior guard Green to move beyond being solid to becoming "more of a risk taker and looking for her shot."

Among the newcomers, Garner has the pedigree as the daughter of Charlie Garner, drafted in the second round by the Philadelphia Eagles in 1994. Reynolds, an All-Metro Baltimore Sun first-team selection, averaged 21.5 ppg and 10.5 rpg her senior year.

While the Tribe has been on rise since Swanson took the job, this is the year he wants the team to say "Enough," and compete for one of the top spots in the CAA and beyond.

Season opener: Nov. 13, St. John's at Kaplan Arena

Comings and Goings: George Mason 2016-17 season

Be patient while we crank out this series (William and Mary is on deck), but today we focus on George Mason.

In case you missed it:
Comings and Goings: Richmond
Comings and Goings: Virginia


Goings

Taylor Brown: the multitalented guard graduated as the school's second leading scorer all time despite playing just three years
Katrina Hutzell: the UMBC transfer who averaged 1.1 ppg graduated with one year of eligibility remaining
Reana Mohamed: the team's leader in 3-pointers her senior year has graduated
Kristi Mokube: the Patriots No. 2 scorer and rebounder has graduated

Comings

Jacy Bolton: 6-0 Freshman F: Amassed more than 2,000 points at Drexel (Missouri) High where she was also a volleyball and track star
Alexsis Grate: 5-6 Freshman G: Averaged 16.5 ppg or better at Hampton's Bethel High
Sarah Kaminski: 5-9 Freshman F: All-time assist leader at Minniehaha Academy in Minnesota
Allie McCool: 6-2 Freshman F: East Central (Lawrencesburg, Ind.) High's all-time leader in scoring, rebounding, FG percentage and blocked shots
De'Jah Williford-Kelley 6-1 Freshman F: Four-year letterwinner at Lower Richland High in Columbia, S.C.

Back in Fairfax after a rejuvenating cruise in the south Caribbean, Nyla Milleson enters her fourth season at George Mason with optimism. Of course, replacing scoring machine Brown and Mokube, right behind her last year, isn't something to envy, but with eight returners, a staff that's stayed intact and five freshmen, Milleson is excited about where the Patriots are in terms of chemistry and relationship building, those ever-important off-court intangibles that relate to how a team performs as a unit on the court.

Milleson is quick to credit the work ethic of all of her players; force her to pick out a pair and she elevates Kara Wright and Tiffany Padgett just a tad. Wright has a year under her belt as a Patriot after transferring from Southeast Missouri State and started 27 games a year ago; Padgett played in 29 games after transferring from Loyola-Maryland. Both redshirt seniors, along with 5-7 guard Sylvia Maxwell, eligible this season after transferring from Niagara, will be integral to the Patriots system.

If any of the freshmen will redshirt, it's too soon to say, and how quickly Jewel Triggs mends from offseason knee surgery will contribute to that decision. The 5-11 sophomore guard, second behind Mohomed last year in 3s, had patellar surgery on both knees and is pain free for the first time in her career.

Onto the frosh. We asked about McCool first, because, let's face it: It's a really cool name. Milleson like's McCool's hands and work on the low block. The 6-2 forward averaged a double-double 14.1 ppg and 11.1 rpg her senior year and was second in field-goal percentage (.59) in the East Indiana Athletic Conference.

Point guard Kaminski flew under the recruiting radar likely due to injuries in both knees, though one of them was in eighth grade. She missed the first three games of her senior year rehabbing from a second ACL tear, and finished as her team's leading scorer with a loss in the 2A state quarters. (Reportedly a Shel Silverstein fan, we note her good taste in authors.)

Grate can also share time at the point, and she scored plenty while at Bethel High after transferring from nearby Kecoughtan. Milleson likes her tough-minded mentality and ability in the open floor.

Long and lanky Bolton and Williford-Kelley will both benefit from the weight room. Bolton played at tiny Drexel High in really tiny Drexel, Mo., a town an hour south of Kansas City where population is about 1,000. (Let's just say Jacy knew everybody in her graduating class.) Williford-Kelley is more a slasher than Bolton, and she brings the ability to score inside and on the perimeter.

Two more transfers -- Camden Musgrave (5-7 guard from Central Connecticut) and Taylor Byrne (6-1 forward from Seton Hall) await in the wings for the 2016-17 season after sitting out due to NCAA rules. Musgrave has two years of eligibility left and Byrne, three. And while Milleson has relied heavily on transfers, she said the Patriots are able to be more selective about the talent they bring in. Next year's class already includes three freshmen with the hopeful addition of a fourth.