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37 °F Forecast | Road Cams Friday, November 26, 2004 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Menu Guide How To Guide Wellness Connection Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Passport to the Rogue Valley EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People MARKETPLACE Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Classifieds Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend November 25, 2004 New faces take floor for Raider women By JENNIFER SQUIRES for the Mail Tribune ASHLAND — When head coach Kevin Wilson talks about this year’s crop of Raider women’s basketball players, it sounds a lot like last year’s squad. "We’re going to be young and we’re going to be making mistakes," says Wilson, whose team is 0-6 in nonconference action. The biggest difference between last year and now is the faces on the court. "We really don’t have a lot of people coming back," says Wilson, who’s in his fourth year leading the team. "We had to build again. We have some junior college transfers and some freshman who’ll play." Just three players from the 2003-04 seventh-place Cascade Conference team (8-18, 7-11 Cascade) are on the roster. Advertisement Sophomore center Sara Beyer tops the list of veterans and is the lone starter back. Sophomore forward Andi Peterson and senior guard Paula Pritchard also return. "It’s just trying to find players who thrive in this system," says Wilson, adding it takes two or three years to adapt to the fast-paced style he prefers. "We run at every opportunity," he says. "It’s hard to get people who understand that we run more and need to be in better shape." The seven newcomers range from prep all-stars to junior college transfers to a walk-on. Southern Oregon picked up two players, junior guard Chelsey Brock and junior center Kailee Short, from Lane Community College, a successful program with a similar style of play as the Raiders. The other key transfer will be junior guard Courtney Bothum out of Chemeketa Community College. "And then we look at the freshmen," says Wilson. "They’re going to make a real impression." Freshmen forwards Kat Cox (Phoenix High) and Krista Meeks (Gold Beach High) have already seen significant playing time. In addition, SOU got lucky when freshman Anna Hilde (Hood River Valley High) walked on to the team during fall practices. "She’s really one of the better defenders that I’ve seen come in," says Wilson. "Now we have the right people for a good base." Not one for "cupcake" games, Wilson is known to stack his preseason schedule with the toughest opponents he can find. As a result, the youthful Raiders are still winless six games into the preseason. Picked to finish in the middle of the pack in the Cascade Conference coaches poll, Wilson isn’t too concerned about the record. "I never schedule easy games," he says. "You can look at it two ways: You can get demoralized or you can get better. I’m a believer that the preseason doesn’t really matter." Believing the challenging competition will accelerate the learning process, Wilson estimates his team will surprise some conference foes who expect the Raiders to be uninspired on the court. "I would say we’ll be in the top four (in the Cascade Conference)," says Wilson. "Realistically, anything can happen." Eight of the 10 Cascade Conference teams qualify for the league tournament, where they battle it out for the title and a bid to the national tournament. The league’s regular season champ also earns a trip to nationals and, with some luck, Wilson thinks his team might be able to slip under the radar and into the national event. "There’s a lot of parity in this conference," says Wilson. "It’s going to take a lot of hard work this year to finish on top." Jennifer Squires is a sports writer for the Ashland Daily Tidings. Reach her at 482-3456. Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2004 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities