University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Women’s Basketball Holds First Official Practice Sunday
10/5/2014 8:45:00 PM | Women's Basketball
LAFAYETTE, La. – The Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns women's basketball team began preparations for the 2014-15 season Sunday by holding their first official practice at Earl K. Long Gym.
"The main thing that we were trying to focus on was to practice hard," said head coach Garry Brodhead. "We came in and paid a little more attention to some details, and I thought the returners helped the younger kids understand. It was a little slower at times because we did a lot of teaching. I thought they did a really good job of paying attention and being willing to do the drills at a good speed."
Entering his third season at the helm of the program, Brodhead has increased the Cajuns' win total in each of his two seasons in Lafayette after taking over a 7-23 team in the summer of 2012.
"Our number one thing if we're going to win games is we're going to have to defend people and dictate the tempo of the game," Brodhead said. "It's going to be very important that we pressure the ball and play team defense. There's going to be some things they're going to have to learn along the way, but once we learn it I think we're going to be a pretty difficult team to score on."
Last season, the Cajuns went 14-16 and posted a 7-11 mark in the Sun Belt Conference to earn the No. 7 seed in the conference tournament, dropping a 67-61 decision to eventual tournament champion Western Kentucky in the quarterfinals.
For the 2014-15 season, Louisiana returns eight letterwinners and four starters along with six newcomers that come from Louisiana, Texas and Idaho.
"We have kids that know our system," Brodhead said. "Being that we have six freshmen, the returners help a bunch. They can help mentally. To me for the freshmen, it's about being focused and being consistent. That's what the returners bring."
Injuries plagued Louisiana during the 2013-14 season as leading scorer Keke Veal, who was averaging 11.9 points per game for the Cajuns, was sidelined for the final 17 games of the season. Junior guard Sylvana Okde, who paced Louisiana with 10.9 points per game a season ago, will sit out the 2014-15 season to recover from surgery, while redshirt junior guard/forward Brooklyn Arceneaux, who earned All-Sun Belt Third Team honors and led the squad with 5.2 rebounds per game, will likely miss the Cajuns' non-conference schedule as she also recovers from surgery.
Robbie Brown, who returns as the lone senior on the 2014-15 roster, will be joined by juniors Kia Wilridge and Veal and sophomore Jaylyn Gordon to lead the Cajuns backcourt. Wilridge led Louisiana in minutes last season, averaging 29.6 per game, and adding 9.0 points per contest in 17 starts. Gordon, who provided a spark off the bench for the Cajuns, also averaged 9.0 points per game and knocked down 37 triples, second only to Okde. Brown, who started in 12 games for Louisiana last season, totaled 4.2 points in 18.4 minutes per game during her junior campaign.
The Cajuns also add three newcomers at the guard position in freshmen T'Erika Bell (Monroe, La.) and Cienna Rodriguez (Cypress, Texas) and redshirt freshman Jodi Quinn (St. Martinville, La.).
"Silk (Sylvana Okde) and Brooklyn were both averaging double figures so we need somebody to fill that in," Brodhead said. "But, we didn't have Keke Veal for the last 17 games. I really feel good about some of the freshmen like T'Erika Bell. She works extremely hard and will probably work herself into the lineup. Jodi Quinn is one of the better defensive players, and could end up being our best defender. There's a lot of positives about these freshmen that are coming in."
Louisiana also returns junior forwards Jasmin Mills and Adrienne Prejean and sophomore guard/forward Gabby Alexander. Mills, who suffered an ACL injury in February, made 18 starts for the Cajuns and was second on the team with 5.0 rebounds per game, while Prejean appeared in 29 contests and averaged 3.3 points per game off the bench. Alexander made 12 starts for Louisiana in her freshman campaign, adding 5.4 points and 3.0 rebounds per game.
The Cajuns will add some much needed size for the upcoming season with the additions of 6-foot-2 D'Rae Tullock (Middleton, Idaho), 6-foot-1 Simone Fields (San Antonio, Texas) and 5-foot-11 Alexis Nezianya (Carrollton, Texas).
"I think a little more size will help us, especially on the defensive side," Brodhead said. "A lot of times last year, we were outsized inside and when we needed to make some crucial stops, or when we did make crucial stops, we didn't get the rebound. I think their size on the inside is going to help us defensively."
Louisiana gets its season underway Nov. 5 with a 5 p.m. exhibition against LSU-Alexandria at the Cajundome. The Cajuns will open their regular season in Beaumont, Texas, against Lamar on Nov. 14 in a 7 p.m. contest.
"The main thing that we were trying to focus on was to practice hard," said head coach Garry Brodhead. "We came in and paid a little more attention to some details, and I thought the returners helped the younger kids understand. It was a little slower at times because we did a lot of teaching. I thought they did a really good job of paying attention and being willing to do the drills at a good speed."
Entering his third season at the helm of the program, Brodhead has increased the Cajuns' win total in each of his two seasons in Lafayette after taking over a 7-23 team in the summer of 2012.
"Our number one thing if we're going to win games is we're going to have to defend people and dictate the tempo of the game," Brodhead said. "It's going to be very important that we pressure the ball and play team defense. There's going to be some things they're going to have to learn along the way, but once we learn it I think we're going to be a pretty difficult team to score on."
Last season, the Cajuns went 14-16 and posted a 7-11 mark in the Sun Belt Conference to earn the No. 7 seed in the conference tournament, dropping a 67-61 decision to eventual tournament champion Western Kentucky in the quarterfinals.
For the 2014-15 season, Louisiana returns eight letterwinners and four starters along with six newcomers that come from Louisiana, Texas and Idaho.
"We have kids that know our system," Brodhead said. "Being that we have six freshmen, the returners help a bunch. They can help mentally. To me for the freshmen, it's about being focused and being consistent. That's what the returners bring."
Injuries plagued Louisiana during the 2013-14 season as leading scorer Keke Veal, who was averaging 11.9 points per game for the Cajuns, was sidelined for the final 17 games of the season. Junior guard Sylvana Okde, who paced Louisiana with 10.9 points per game a season ago, will sit out the 2014-15 season to recover from surgery, while redshirt junior guard/forward Brooklyn Arceneaux, who earned All-Sun Belt Third Team honors and led the squad with 5.2 rebounds per game, will likely miss the Cajuns' non-conference schedule as she also recovers from surgery.
Robbie Brown, who returns as the lone senior on the 2014-15 roster, will be joined by juniors Kia Wilridge and Veal and sophomore Jaylyn Gordon to lead the Cajuns backcourt. Wilridge led Louisiana in minutes last season, averaging 29.6 per game, and adding 9.0 points per contest in 17 starts. Gordon, who provided a spark off the bench for the Cajuns, also averaged 9.0 points per game and knocked down 37 triples, second only to Okde. Brown, who started in 12 games for Louisiana last season, totaled 4.2 points in 18.4 minutes per game during her junior campaign.
The Cajuns also add three newcomers at the guard position in freshmen T'Erika Bell (Monroe, La.) and Cienna Rodriguez (Cypress, Texas) and redshirt freshman Jodi Quinn (St. Martinville, La.).
"Silk (Sylvana Okde) and Brooklyn were both averaging double figures so we need somebody to fill that in," Brodhead said. "But, we didn't have Keke Veal for the last 17 games. I really feel good about some of the freshmen like T'Erika Bell. She works extremely hard and will probably work herself into the lineup. Jodi Quinn is one of the better defensive players, and could end up being our best defender. There's a lot of positives about these freshmen that are coming in."
Louisiana also returns junior forwards Jasmin Mills and Adrienne Prejean and sophomore guard/forward Gabby Alexander. Mills, who suffered an ACL injury in February, made 18 starts for the Cajuns and was second on the team with 5.0 rebounds per game, while Prejean appeared in 29 contests and averaged 3.3 points per game off the bench. Alexander made 12 starts for Louisiana in her freshman campaign, adding 5.4 points and 3.0 rebounds per game.
The Cajuns will add some much needed size for the upcoming season with the additions of 6-foot-2 D'Rae Tullock (Middleton, Idaho), 6-foot-1 Simone Fields (San Antonio, Texas) and 5-foot-11 Alexis Nezianya (Carrollton, Texas).
"I think a little more size will help us, especially on the defensive side," Brodhead said. "A lot of times last year, we were outsized inside and when we needed to make some crucial stops, or when we did make crucial stops, we didn't get the rebound. I think their size on the inside is going to help us defensively."
Louisiana gets its season underway Nov. 5 with a 5 p.m. exhibition against LSU-Alexandria at the Cajundome. The Cajuns will open their regular season in Beaumont, Texas, against Lamar on Nov. 14 in a 7 p.m. contest.
-- RaginCajuns.com --
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