It's that time of year. Tipoff comes Nov. 20. Here's the preseason skinny on Division III Basketball.

Christopher Newport Has New Coach, New Faces
The 1998-99 Lady Captains will feature many new looks, but the success of recent years will hopefully carry over to the new regime. Carolyn Hunter takes over the program and is already aware of one thing. "Everybody in the Dixie Conference will be gunning for us, that's for sure," Hunter exclaimed before the start of practice. "From what I've been told, we're the team to beat."

Although Hunter is taking over a new program, her experience in coaching is extensive. She is also well versed in CNU recent history. "Without Misty Hart, we obviously have some points to make up," Hunter said. "We won't get it all from one person, it's going to take a team effort. Everybody will need to step up." Hart was a Division III Basketball Online Team of the Year first-teamer as a senior.

Returning at point guard is senior Leema Madden, who figures to see considerable playing time. Madden, who is extremely quick, scored 6 points and averaged 4 assists per game as a junior. Another senior, Rasheka Barnes, has played the point in the past, but will likely see most of her time this year at power forward. Sophomore Cherri Phillips, who saw action in all 28 games last year at shooting guard, will see a lot of time. Phillips averaged 5 points as a freshman.

Senior Tamara Pool, who contributed 12 points and 7 rebounds a game last year, will see most of the minutes in the middle, while freshman Nadine Ward, a first team All-Eastern District choice in high school, will also be used inside by Coach Hunter.

Sophomore Karla Rhone had a good debut at small forward, averaging 7 points and 4 rebounds per game. Rhone brings a physical presence to the floor, and will provide most of CNU's muscle. Senior Rasheka Barnes gets the nod following a solid junior year. Barnes scored 12 points and pulled down 7 rebounds a game last year.

It's clear the Lady Captains return enough experience and talent to be competitive in 98-99.

Emory Playing the Percentages
Emory hopes to return to the 'Sweet 16' of the NCAA Division III national tournament for the third time in five years after advancing that far in 1994-95 and 1996-97. Getting back to the tournament is a realistic goal given that Emory returns everyone from last season with the exception of an honorable mention All-America center who graduated. The returning players accounted for 85% of the team's points and 82% of the team's rebounds last season. Foremost is its lone senior, forward Bea Arendt, who led the team in scoring last season with 10.2 points per game and was second in rebounding with 7.0 per game. She was voted to the All-UAA second team. Arendt set a school season record by shooting 58.2% from the field. An honorable mention All-UAA selection last season, junior Christie Howard returns in the backcourt. Howard led the team last season with 87 assists, including a single-game high of 10. She was third on the team in scoring with 9.2 points per game. Frontrunner for the other guard position is sophomore Kendra Robins, who was the reserve point guard a year ago. Robins had a high of 14 points in the season finale at Carnegie Mellon. Alongside Arendt will be junior forward Sally Goldberg, who averaged 8.0 points and 5.8 rebounds per game last season. She was second on the team with 22 three-point field goals and moved up to third place on the school's all-time list for career three-pointers. Stepping in at center likely will be junior Jennifer Naeger, chosen the team's Most Improved Player last season. Naeger was the team's top front-line reserve, averaging 6.8 points and 5.3 rebounds per game.

Only Five Return from Bridgewater's Sweet 16
After back-to-back NCAA tournament appearances, including a "Sweet 16" finish last season, Bridgewater has reached new heights. Three starters remain from last year's 24-5 team, but it's how well the Eagles adjust to the loss of both their leading scorer and several key reserves that will determine if this year's young group can match those accomplishments. The return of senior forward Connie Ritchie and junior center Amanda Kyger gives the Eagles an impressive duo in the paint. Ritchie was first-team All-ODAC last season, posting 13.2 points and a team-best 8.7 rebounds per game last season, while Kyger added 14.7 points and 7.2 rebounds.

BC returns one backcourt starter in junior point guard Heather Landes. Twin sisters Amanda and Angela Osborn played key roles as freshmen in Bridgewater's NCAA run and will be counted on heavily this season. Amanda is the team's best returning outside shooter while Angela is a slasher who shot 46% from the floor in 1997-98. With only five returning players, a number of freshmen will be looked upon to play significant roles in the upcoming year. Lindsey Coleman and Sarah Holsinger are good outside shooters who will help out in the backcourt while Jodi Davidson and Brooke Nunnally have the versatility to help out at both guard and forward. Rookies Sarah Hagood and Amber Barton possess good size and rebounding ability and will add depth in the post.

Eastern Mennonite Adds Speed, Ball-Handling
Head coach Doug Hochstetler anticipates a strong season from this year's Royals basketball team. Looking to improve from last season's 5-19 record, five players return to the court for EMU. Abbie Berkshire leads the list of returnees for the Royals. Last season, Berkshire started in only eight of her 16 games because of a prolonged season injury. Christa Whitmer returns as the probable starting point guard after shooting 31% from the field in 1997.

Michelle Zook also returns to the Royals' lineup after a one-season absence. Zook averaged 10.2 points per game, shooting 43% from the field two years ago. Three college transfers are added to the lineup. Tara Froese, Becky Mitzsche and Rachel Briskey transfer after two season with Hesston. Four incoming freshmen should also see significant playing time. Added speed and ball handling at the guard position are a few new features added to the Royals' program. To remain competitive, the team will need to stay healthy and blend new players into the program. Without any seniors returning, Hochstetler hopes that leadership will emerge on a team with young players.

Eastern Mennonite Adds Speed, Ball-Handling
Emory & Henry hopes a good returning nucleus will lead the way to an improvement of last year's 13-12 record. The Lady Wasps return three starters and five lettermen. Looking to fill the void left by graduation will be guard Jaclyn Dickens. She hopes to improve on last season's single-season blocked shot record (29). She also came close to breaking the single season record for three-pointers made. She was six short of the record 67. Dickens averaged 11.9 ppg and 4.3 rpg.

At Dickens' side will be junior Tammy Snyder. Snyder returns after missing last season with an injury. She hopes to make the contributions she made as a freshman as she started 22 games and averaged 5.2 ppg and 3.0 rpg. Other key returners include guards Liz Kell and Jenny Elder and forward Suzanne Groseclose. Kell displayed hustle last season averaging 7.9 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 1.7 apg and 1.8 spg. Elder hopes to improve on her fine shooting (30%) from behind the three-point line last season. Groseclose was second on the team in rebounding with 6.3 rpg while scoring 6.2 ppg and shooting 42.7%. Coach Joy Scruggs hopes that one of the largest recruiting classes in years will provide the extra added punch to send the Lady Wasps to the championship arena.

Five Graduating Seniors Leave Guilford Younger
Despite the graduation of so much talent and leadership from last year's 18-8 squad, the Quakers' cupboard is far from empty. Senior Alison Schott has two seasons of starting experience under her belt and can play either guard position. She has demonstrated her offensive prowess on occasion throughout her career, but will be asked to carry more of a scoring load in her senior season. Senior Luisella Perri will also play a significant role in her final season. Perri provided valuable backcourt minutes off the bench in all 26 contests a year ago.

With the absence of any juniors on the preseason roster, Bausch turns to her rising sophomores and newcomers for extensive support in 1998-99. Sophomore center Anna Hynes averaged just under six points and four rebounds per game in an injury-plagued first season, but turned some heads in her lone collegiate start when she posted 23 points and nine rebounds against defending ODAC runner-up Bridgewater. Sophomore guard Kerrie Campbell benefited from her first 17 college games and will continue to disrupt opposing backcourts with her cat-like quickness on defense and off the dribble penetration on offense. The Quakers also welcome 5-10 guard/forward Arden Miller back following a season off to recover from a leg injury. Another 5-10 guard/forward, sophomore Marlo Biernacki, missed the first half of her first season and found significant playing hard to come by.

While the 1998-99 team may lack the experience of last year's squad, it does have a good talent base. If the team comes together in the early portion of the season and plays well down the stretch, expect the Quakers to be in the running for a fifth consecutive berth in the ODAC semifinals and a shot at the league's automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.

Hollins Looks to Build on Unprecedented Success
The 97-98 season saw some firsts for the Hollins basketball team. The game that shocked the ODAC was a 58-57 triumph over eventual ODAC Champion Roanoke College. This marked the first time Hollins had beaten Roanoke in ODAC play. With the loss of its leading scorer and rebounder, it looks as if Hollins has some big shoes to fill. Not lost in all this is the fact that four starters from last year's 6-18 squad are back. They are led by seniors Kellie Duncan and Tanya Holmes.

Also back are sophomores Rosse' Hopkins and Clarissa Johnson. Hopkins' memorable moment from last season was when she canned 9 three-pointers which set a school record and tied the conference mark. The 98-99 season will have a new look, including eight freshmen on its roster. The class of 2002 is led by 5-11 Samantha Webb. Overall, the 98-99 team will be quick and have much more depth at each position. The depth is young so the first of the year will bring some question marks. Hollins is looking to improve on last year's 3-17 conference mark.

Lycnhburg is Still Young
Youth has been a common thread for Lynchburg the past few years and it has manifested itself in a wealth of challenges for the Hornets. With only eight from the 1997-98 team returning this season, the team once again faces a youthful squad. However, with senior Johanna Peeters leading the way, coach Sarah Burdsall hopes this could be the year they meet the challenges head-on.

Peeters, one of three returning starters for Burdsall, has developed her overall game to become the Hornets' most viable weapon on the court. Along with her tough play inside, the 5-8 forward has added dependable three-point range which makes her a threat from anywhere on the floor. That threat resulted in 12.9 points per contest last year and makes her the top returning scorer for the Hornets. Lynchburg also returns backcourt starters Julie McClure and Mindy Hohing. McClure will once again be called upon at the point. The sophomore averaged 5.7 points in slightly more than 27 minutes of play per game last season and hit 38% from three-point land.

Hohing, who started all 24 games in 1997-98 along with Peeters and her twin sister, Katie, both contribute on the perimeter at the off guard and small forward positions and add tenacious defense to the equation. Senior Blessing Austin also adds to the mix outside with her three-point accuracy. The guard from Gray, Maine hit 40% of her attempts from long range in 1998 and could be called upon for instant offense. Sophomore Princess Womack will be called upon to do some of the work inside this season. Playing in every game last year, Womack averaged 6.5 points and 3.2 rebounds as a freshman. Also joining Womack inside is sophomore Angela Huffer. Despite tearing an ACL after six games as a freshman, Huffer remains one of the most physical and aggressive players on the boards for the Hornets.

Randolph-Macon Hoping for More of the Same
For a program in its most successful era in history, Randolph-Macon head coach Carroll LaHaye is hoping for more in 1998-99. Randolph-Macon has produced an outstanding 102-31 record over the last five seasons. With nine veteran players returning this season, the Yellow Jackets should have plenty of experience. Leading the way will be senior guards Aimee and Allison Beightol. Allison averaged 9.7 points per contest last season while Aimee earned Freshman-of-the-Year honors, averaging 15.4 points and 4.3 assists per game.

At the forward position, sophomore Jamie Tanner returns after leading Randolph-Macon in scoring (14.4 ppg) as a freshman. The Yellow Jackets must replace one starter from last season's team, but Catherine Ham and Melissa Kristofak will again provide depth at the forward position this season. The center position should be a team strength this season with the return of Renee Zando (12.5 ppg, 7.4 rpg) and Bren Elliot (9.6 pts., 7.0 reb's/game). Zando and Elliot have shared the starting role the last two seasons. Elliot could see plenty of playing time at forward again this season, giving R-MC a terrific inside tandem on the floor at the same time.

RMWC has Strong Individuals
Under first-year coach Melissa Wiggins, look for a stronger defensive effort from the Wildcats and look for Tara Carleton to continue to be the go-to player on offense. Kai Felton will continue to be a three-point threat and Summer East will be stepping up her play in the middle. The 1998-99 squad will be much younger than previous teams, but Wiggins hopes some new faces will fill the holes left by last year's senior class. Eryka Skore hopes to rebound from knee surgery and Erika Slozak can anticipate shouldering more of an offensive role.

Carleton averaged nearly 20 points per game and 10 rebounds per game last season and will be a tough challenge to every defense. She will attempt to dominate in the middle on both offense and defense. Look for Carleton to be among the nation's leaders again in scoring, field goal percentage and rebounding. The Wildcats return two starters and three other experienced players. The team will welcome nine new players this season who will be used often and one could find her way into the starting lineup. This year's team is looking to improve on a 10-15 overall record.

Felton returns to the court as one of the nation's leaders in three-pointers per game. She will be looked to for leadership both on and off the court this season. Eryka Score looks to bounce back from summer knee surgery to enter the lineip and contribute as an outside threat. Both East and Slozak will be asked to step up their play as sophomores and share in some of the leadership roles for the team.

Roanoke Looks to Defend ODAC Title
The Roanoke Maroons became the lowest seed (5th) to claim the ODAC Championship with a thrilling 68-66 overtime victory over No. 2 seed Bridgewater last season. Roanoke's successful defense of its title becomes even more impressive when you note that point guard Carrie McConnell (12.1 ppg, 4.1 apg) was lost for the season with a knee injury Dec. 15, and her replacement, Alexis Riseman (7.1 ppg, 3.3 spg), suffered the same fate a month later.

McConnell will be looking to restore some scoring punch to a Maroon offense that averaged 67.3 ppg. However,the biggest impact McConnell could make is on defense. Senior Toree Morris will be fighting for time in the backcourt mix as well. Inserted into the starting lineup after McConnell's injury, Morris made the most of the opportunity. While starting the final 21 games, Morris ended the season averaging 9.4 ppg. The biggest challenge for Roanoke's opponents will be avoiding the shot-blocking of senior center Megan Harrigan, who swatted a team-high 44 shots. Harrigan will anchor a Maroon defense which held opponents to a .392 field goal percentage. She started all 28 games a year ago averaging 7.4 ppg, while pulling down 4.7 rpg.

Junior Cheryl Rhodes looks to continue her solid play of a year ago, as she led the Maroons in scoring as well as rebounding. 1997 ODAC Tournament MVP Cassie Shoemaker should come off the bench where she played in all 28 games for the Maroons, averaging 7.8 points and 4.5 rebounds per contest. A solid athlete, Shoemaker will see most of her time at the forward position, but can play guard as well.

Virginia Wesleyan Adds More Speed
The fast just got faster! The 1998-99 Lady Marlins are looking to fill up with high octane fuel to add to last year's offense, ranked 11th in Division III. The program returns ten players, all five starters and added more speed, especially in the backcourt. Returning to the lineup are junior guard Nancy Mattox, junior guard Lori Henn, sophomore forward Erin Duckett senior center/forward Leeanna Lillefloren, senior point Bridget Smith and junior forward Samantha Green.

After leading the conference in scoring in 1996-97, Lillefloren returns after averaging 11.2 points per contest last season. Mattox finished as the Marlins' top scorer with a 15.5 ppg average. She shot 39.9% from three-point land and averaged 2.4 assists a game.

The recruiting class of 10 include speedsters Katrina Lassiter, JoLyn Bender and Megan DiCave and inside players Tobie Puryear and Kristen Leake. Amanda Graham and Jen Zsoldos look to contribute quickly. Coach Joanne Renn expects this group to mold quickly and compete with the perennial favorites of the ODAC. Last year's 4th place conference finish by the Lady Marlins was a disappointment even with a 12-1 record in February.

Head coach Terri Dadio-Campbell's team returns only seven players from last year's squad and only three starters who were healthy at the end of the season. The answer is a youth movement, one that will see as many as nine freshmen participate. The experience of this year's team lies in the back court. Junior point guard and co-captain Jessica Morton returns from a wrist injury that sidelined her for most of last season. Dadio-Campbell hopes that Morton can return to the form in which she set four W&L single season records during her freshman season.

Morton's return will allow junior Ansley Miller to move back to her more natural position of shooting guard. Miller is W&L's all-time leading three-point shooter and holds the highest career scoring average (13.8) in school history. Together, they should reunite as an experienced tandem in the backcourt.

Returning to the frontcourt will be co-captain Chrissy Burghardt, the only returning senior to this year's team, and sophomore forward/center Leah Sawyer. Like Miller, Burghardt can move to her more natural position of forward, with the return of Morton to the lineup. Last year, Burghardt served as the team's shooting guard. This year, the all-time W&L assist leader hopes to add leadership on and off the court as well as improving on her 7.1 rebound per game average last season. Sawyer showed flashes of brilliance last season with performances of 20 points against Bridgewater and 21 points against Virginia Wesleyan.

Dadio-Campbell is also very excited about the freshmen who should step in at the frontcourt. The freshman that should make the most impact will be 5-10 Jessica Mentz, who will have a great chance of moving into the starting lineup adding points and rebounds in the paint for the Generals.

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