Photo by: Katie MacCrory
WVU Holds First Official Practice of 2019-20
September 30, 2019 04:40 PM | Women's Basketball
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The West Virginia University women's basketball team returned to the court on Monday, as the Mountaineers held their first official practice of the 2019-20 season at the Basketball Practice Facility.
It's a year of change for coach Mike Carey, who welcomed several new members to his coaching staff in addition to six new players.
Senior Lucky Rudd, who transferred to WVU in January of 2018, headlines the group of returners. The guard from Kernersville, North Carolina, saw 19 starts last season and averaged 7.0 points per game. The veteran group also includes 2019 Big 12 Sixth Man of the Year Kari Niblack and 2019 Big 12 All-Freshman Madisen Smith, both of whom return for their sophomore season after outstanding rookie campaigns. A forward, Niblack ranked second on the team with 7.0 rebounds per game and averaged 9.7 points through 33 contests. Smith, a point guard, led the team with 134 assists, averaging 7.3 points per game with 29 starts on the year.
Also returning for the Mountaineers are senior forward De'Janae Boykin, junior guard Kysre Gondrezick and redshirt freshman center Rochelle Norris. Boykin sat out the 2018-19 season after transferring from Penn State and has yet to see the court due to an ankle injury. Gondrezick, a transfer from Michigan, averaged 13.2 points per game through five games last year before missing the rest of the season. Norris is expected to make her debut after tearing her ACL in preseason practice last year.
The Mountaineers added a pair of freshmen and four upperclassmen to the roster this summer. Junior center Blessing Ejiofor boasts Power 5 experience after spending her freshman season at Vanderbilt. She spent the 2018-19 season at Chipola College in Florida and is joined at WVU by her teammate, junior guard Dekeriya Patterson. Junior guard Arleighshya McElroy and redshirt sophomore center Jada Wright come to Morgantown from Trinity Valley Community College. The duo follows in the footsteps of former Mountaineer Naomi Davenport, who spent two seasons at TVCC before becoming a 1,000-point scorer at WVU.
Freshman guard Kirsten Deans joins the team after capping her prep career in Greensboro, North Carolina, where she played her AAU ball for Rudd's father, Delaney. Fellow freshman Esmery Martinez, a forward, was a late addition to the Mountaineers this August. Hailing from Hato Mayor Del Ray, Dominican Republic, Martinez capped her high school career at national powerhouse Hamilton Heights Christan Academy in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
Additionally, the Mountaineers welcomed associate head coach Bett Shelby, director of basketball operations Meghan Bielich and video coordinator Bryce Fordyce for the 2019-20 season. Craig Carey may not be a new addition but has taken on a new role, moving from video coordinator to assistant coach. WVU alums Christal Caldwell, an assistant coach, and Ayana Dunning, the assistant director of basketball operations, remain on the staff as well.
Some fans got a sneak peek of the Mountaineers in August when the team traveled to Italy and Greece to face the Dutch and Greek National Teams. The team will play an exhibition against Salem on Tuesday, Oct. 29, before officially opening the 2019-20 season against Saint Francis on Thursday, Nov. 7 at the WVU Coliseum.
It's a year of change for coach Mike Carey, who welcomed several new members to his coaching staff in addition to six new players.
Senior Lucky Rudd, who transferred to WVU in January of 2018, headlines the group of returners. The guard from Kernersville, North Carolina, saw 19 starts last season and averaged 7.0 points per game. The veteran group also includes 2019 Big 12 Sixth Man of the Year Kari Niblack and 2019 Big 12 All-Freshman Madisen Smith, both of whom return for their sophomore season after outstanding rookie campaigns. A forward, Niblack ranked second on the team with 7.0 rebounds per game and averaged 9.7 points through 33 contests. Smith, a point guard, led the team with 134 assists, averaging 7.3 points per game with 29 starts on the year.
Also returning for the Mountaineers are senior forward De'Janae Boykin, junior guard Kysre Gondrezick and redshirt freshman center Rochelle Norris. Boykin sat out the 2018-19 season after transferring from Penn State and has yet to see the court due to an ankle injury. Gondrezick, a transfer from Michigan, averaged 13.2 points per game through five games last year before missing the rest of the season. Norris is expected to make her debut after tearing her ACL in preseason practice last year.
The Mountaineers added a pair of freshmen and four upperclassmen to the roster this summer. Junior center Blessing Ejiofor boasts Power 5 experience after spending her freshman season at Vanderbilt. She spent the 2018-19 season at Chipola College in Florida and is joined at WVU by her teammate, junior guard Dekeriya Patterson. Junior guard Arleighshya McElroy and redshirt sophomore center Jada Wright come to Morgantown from Trinity Valley Community College. The duo follows in the footsteps of former Mountaineer Naomi Davenport, who spent two seasons at TVCC before becoming a 1,000-point scorer at WVU.
Freshman guard Kirsten Deans joins the team after capping her prep career in Greensboro, North Carolina, where she played her AAU ball for Rudd's father, Delaney. Fellow freshman Esmery Martinez, a forward, was a late addition to the Mountaineers this August. Hailing from Hato Mayor Del Ray, Dominican Republic, Martinez capped her high school career at national powerhouse Hamilton Heights Christan Academy in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
Additionally, the Mountaineers welcomed associate head coach Bett Shelby, director of basketball operations Meghan Bielich and video coordinator Bryce Fordyce for the 2019-20 season. Craig Carey may not be a new addition but has taken on a new role, moving from video coordinator to assistant coach. WVU alums Christal Caldwell, an assistant coach, and Ayana Dunning, the assistant director of basketball operations, remain on the staff as well.
Some fans got a sneak peek of the Mountaineers in August when the team traveled to Italy and Greece to face the Dutch and Greek National Teams. The team will play an exhibition against Salem on Tuesday, Oct. 29, before officially opening the 2019-20 season against Saint Francis on Thursday, Nov. 7 at the WVU Coliseum.
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