2009-10 Walsh University Basketball Preview
Fourth-year Head Coach Laurel Wartluft and her players are hoping the success and momentum built from last season will go a long way in helping the Cavs challenge for the American Mideast Conference title. Walsh, picked third in the preseason AMC poll, returns four starters from last season.
Leading the way will be junior NAIA All-American Guard Katie Berry (5-11, Cleveland, OH/St. Joseph’s) and junior second-team All-AMC center Cara Bedard (6-0, Randolph, OH/Waterloo).
Berry, also a first-team All-AMC selection, averaged 13.8 points, 4.1 rebounds, shot 47% from the field and 78% from the foul line. She also led the team in assists (104) and steals (63). The versatile Berry can play every position on the floor, and play it well. She is a master of creating off the dribble, with the ability to burn the defense with her perimeter jumper. To put it simply, Berry is one of the best players to dribble down the pike at Walsh University.
Bedard turned in another superb season, averaging 12.2 points, while leading the team in rebounding at 5.7 per game and field goal percentage at 54%. She also shot a team-best 81% from the line. Bedard is tough to defend on the block, with the ability to get to the line. Her play in the paint is a key.
Fifth-year senior Jessie Miller (5-10, Strasburg, OH/HS) is ready to close out her Walsh career in style. After being shelved twice by ACL injuries, Miller is healthy and looking like the player the Cavs recruited out of Strasburg. She can shoot the three and sees the floor as well as any player. Her court IQ is second to none. Miller averaged 6.3 points per game and 2.1 rebounds. Look for her numbers to increase in every category
Also expected to be in the mix as a top reserve, or starter, is former honorable mention All-AMC South selection Leah Seaman (5-8, Sr., Louisville, OH/HS). Seaman has made the transition from shooting guard to the point and back to shooting guard. Despite a drop in her scoring average last season from 11.8 to 7.7, Seaman’s overall game improved in every area. Her shooting percentage jumped from 38% to 43%, as did her three-point percentage from 36% to a team-leading 41%.
All-AMC Freshman Team selection Kristi Yoder (6-1, Millersburg, OH/Hiland) will be a starter in the post for the second straight year. Yoder posted fine numbers in her first taste of college basketball, averaging 7.6 points, 4.7 rebounds, while shooting 48% from the field. A highly intelligent player on the floor, Yoder will only get better. Look for transfer (Indiana-Purdue Fort Wayne) Kayla Kovach (6-0, So., Lakewood, OH/HS) to make an immediate impact. The forward can shoot the perimeter jumper and post-up down low. She will be a presence on the floor, and will only get better as she adapts to the Cavs style of play.
One of the most improved players on the floor will be junior guard Darlene Woolf (5-7, East Rochester, OH/United). The hard-nosed Woolf averaged 11.4 minutes last year and 1.9 points. Look for both numbers to escalate. Woolf has become a confident shooter and one of the Cavs’ best defenders.
Freshman Amanda Bennett (5-7, Tallmadge, OH/HS) will be in the hunt to start at the point. She has been slowed by early season injuries, but should be ready when the Cavs tip it up on November 6. Bennett can handle the job of running the offense and put pressure on the defense with her jump shot. Her quickness and court awareness also make her a valuable defender.
Sophomore Mandi Swickard (6-1, Alexandria, OH/Northridge) will spell for the Cavs in the post. Swickard averaged 2.4 points and 1.9 rebounds in 8.3 minutes. An aggressive player in the post, Swickard will only get better with experience.
Senior leader and Captain Angela Eickelman (5-9, Akron, OH/Archbishop Hoban) will supply depth at forward and guard. Eickelman can always be counted to come-up with a key rebound or loose ball. Her leadership is invaluable. Junior guard Ciera Burkes (5-3, Shaker Heights, OH/HS) will not be available until second semester. One of the quickest players on the floor, Burkes dished out 49 points and averaged 4.5 points. She can be explosive offensively, with a keen ability to create.
Returning to the team after a two-year absence is Abbie Sullivan (5-7, Sr., Canton, OH/GlenOak). Sullivan played on Wartluft’s first team at Walsh, then turned her attention to soccer the last three years. The fifth-year student will join the Cavs full-time after the conclusion of the soccer season. Sullivan is one of the most hard-nosed players to ever don the maroon and gold. If Abbie’s on the floor and there is a loose ball, she’ll be in the middle of the pile.
Rounding out the Cavs’ roster will be freshmen Abby Gooding (G/F, 5-9, Sherrodsville, OH/Conotton Valley) and Shantil Dickerson (G, 5-8, Shaker Heights, OH/HS).
The Cavs have the tools necessary to challenge the best in the AMC. One issue will be can the Cavs stay healthy, as they have had some nagging preseason injuries to key personnel. The Cavs were on the verge of the national tournament last year. They could taste the fruits of all of their labor, only to have it slip away. They must remember that taste, and what it took to reach that point. If they stay focused and improve as the season progresses, they will have the opportunity to reach the next level.
