Oct. 14, 2008

While many would consider the 2008-09 season to be a rebuilding year for the George Mason women's basketball team, the Patriots believe that they have the talent and the desire to compete among the best in the Colonial Athletic Association.

The top-to-bottom change to the look of the Patriots begins with first-year head coach Jeri Porter, who arrives in Fairfax after six successful seasons at the helm of the Radford program. Porter led the Highlanders to back-to-back Big South Championship game appearances and a berth in last season's Women's NIT. She believes that the Patriots can be successful as well by stressing defense and rebounding in their new system.

"Our goal this year is to show improvement; we want to be competitive and work extremely hard," said Porter. "As a coach and a team, you tend to get yourself in trouble when you talk about wins and losses. We want to be a team that competes extremely hard and let the results take care of themselves."

Porter will be joined on the bench by all three members of her previous coaching staff: assistant coaches Jana Ashley, Simone Edwards and Greg Pulliam. Each coach brings unique aspects to their position and will help the Mason program move forward.

"They are a great group of people and I couldn't ask for a better situation from the standpoint of their energy, their work ethic, and their loyalty," Porter explained of her three assistants. "I am just really excited with having all of them here as a part of our team here at Mason."

Mason will look to replace four departed seniors from the 2007-08 squad, which finished 9-21 and fell to Northeastern in the first round of the CAA Tournament. Among that group are Lateisha Wade and Moni Akintunde, who both ended their careers among the top-20 in all-time career scoring, while Akintunde also finished fifth in rebounding and eighth in blocks.

Leading the corps of veterans for the Patriots are three seniors who will provide veteran leadership and stability for the young Mason squad.

Forward Chynelle Rogers established a staunch presence in the post last season before succumbing to a season-ending hip injury against Liberty. The Virgin Islands native appeared in 14 games with seven starts, but will miss the 2008-09 season due to the injury.

"Chynelle will be out for the season," said Porter. "We are looking for her to make a contribution as an upperclassman, helping the younger kids acclimate to the college game and through her leadership."

A fifth-year senior, guard/forward Whitney Ward played an integral support role last season and will be counted upon to do so once again. Ward, who majored in communications, appeared in all but one game last year.

"Whitney has great versatility, she will spend some time at the 3 and 4 and will play out on the perimeter as well as down on the block," Porter explained. "She is someone who knows the league well, and we will rely on her leadership and her knowledge of the college game and our opponents."

Forward/center Brittney Wilkins is the final Mason senior. After two successful seasons at Louisburg College, including an NJCAA All-American nod, Wilkins saw action in 25 games last season in her debut with the Patriots. The 6'3" native of Cincinnati, Ohio, will seek to improve her game and provide Mason with support in the low post.

"We believe that once she is 100 percent recovered from her knee injury, she has the ability to be a solid post player and one of the best in the league," Porter said. "She has a great array of post moves and nice touch around the rim. We have high expectations but our first goal is to get her 100 percent healthy. We are excited about what she brings and her potential."

Junior Rashauna Hobbs is Mason's other returning upperclassman, and her offensive skills will be heavily relied upon while serving as the team's starting point guard. Hobbs is the Mason's top returning scorer and one of the best 3-point shooters in the CAA, as she finished last season ranked 10th in 3-pointers made.

"She does a lot of things well and her leadership is great," said Porter. "She will spend some time at the point and the off-guard. She is one of those kids that you rely on from a vocal standpoint, understands the game, and does a great job communicating with her teammates on the floor. She has picked up our system and I think its going to be good to have her on the floor."

Rounding out the returnees for Mason are three sophomores who made an immediate impact in their freshman campaigns for the Patriots. Guards Brittany Eley and Brittany Poindexter and forward Eugenia Broadus and each saw significant playing time last season and formed a strong core for the Patriots to build upon. Eley and Broadus each saw time in all 30 games, while Poindexter led the trio with 17 starts.

Eley averaged more than five points per game in 2007-08, second among returning players, and started exactly half of Mason's games. At one point during the grueling January schedule, the Waldorf, Md., product led the Patriots in three straight games with double-figure scoring.

"Brittany is a great young athlete and we love her length and athleticism," said Porter. "She is great in the open court and off the dribble and elevates to knock down the 15 or 16-foot jumper. She has the ability to develop into one of the better guards in the CAA and will thrive in our system."

Broadus was one of the Patriots' top all-around performers, as she averaged 4.5 points and 3.4 rebounds in each contest, including 12 as a starter. Additionally, the Washington, D.C., native twice reached double-digit points and recorded at least one block in 17 different games, including twice rejecting a team season-best four shots.

"She is our kind of post player," Porter said. "She is a little undersized but what she lacks she makes up in strength and athleticism. She has just the right mixture of perimeter and back-to-the-basket post skills and is a great fit for what we like to do. We're really excited about her and the opportunity to work with her for three more years."

Poindexter started in more than half of the team's games and was a valuable contributor, chipping in four points and three rebounds a game. The Kensington, Md., product established herself as a defensive stopper, and Porter will look for her to continue in that role.

"She is going to spearhead our defensive efforts out on the perimeter," Porter said of Poindexter. "She has the ability, the footspeed and the quickness and can really disrupt the other team's offense. She has the physical ability to do everything defensively that we want done. We'd love to broaden and expand her perimeter game but right now she is a great transition and open court guard."

A total of seven newcomers will don the Green and Gold for the first time this season, and while a number of them will be unable to contribute right away, the group will be able to form the foundation for the Patriots heading into the future.

"I think there is a lot of good young talent in the program - the sophomore class is extremely talented and the freshman class is working hard," Porter explained. "The youthfulness and talent of the younger classes speaks well for the future. The excitement and buzzing around the program is a positive, and the girls are excited about getting a fresh start and moving in a different direction."

Four of the newcomers will not see action right away. Juniors Angelee LaTouche and Ashleigh Braxton are both transfers after playing two years of college ball, and will sit out the 2008-09 season. They will have two years of eligibility beginning with the 2009-10 season.

LaTouche, a native of Kingston, Jamaica, played two years at Tallahassee Community College where she averaged 6.4 points and 6.9 rebounds per game for the Lady Eagles. Braxton, a graduate of Forest Park High School in Woodbridge, Va., was a two-year member of the Pittsburgh Panthers where she saw time in 56 games.

Braxton is one of three Forest Park graduates to join the Patriots this season. Guard Deidre Richardson and forward Amber Epps were both members as well of the Bruins team that won the 2006 Virginia AAA state championship. Richardson will unfortunately not play in her first season in Fairfax, as a knee injury suffered during her senior season will keep her off the court.

Forward/center Jazman Ramsey will also begin the 2008-09 campaign working to recover from a knee injury, suffered during her final season at Louisburg College, where she helped lead the Hurricanes to a 24-4 record and NJCAA Region X Championship two seasons ago.

Epps was a McDonald's All-American nominee and two-time All-Cardinal District honoree, and will play a number of roles for Porter and the Patriots.

"Amber will see time at the off-guard position," she explained. "She is a great athlete and someone that we anticipate being a great defender in our system and be good out in transition."

Guard Becky Cox, a product of McDonough School, is a hard worker and someone that will develop into a prominent member of the Patriots. A first-team All-Met and All-Conference selection, the McDonald's All-American nominee missed her senior season due to a knee injury but is poised to begin her career right away.

"Becky is a very solid hardworking point guard and we are excited about having her," Porter said. "She has worked extremely hard in the preseason and has a great work ethic and attitude. We are looking forward to her working with Rashauna. She is a good ball handler and shooter, and overall someone who has a very well-rounded game."

The final newcomer is forward Rachel Robinson, who comes to Fairfax after an outstanding career at Monacan High School. She was a two-time All-Central Region selection and All-Dominion District first team selection three times over, and Porter believes that she has the potential to be a cornerstone of the program.

"She is a long, athletic player who is great in the post," she said of Richardson. "Rachel has been very well coached, and has a good amount of fundamentals and skill to the game. We are working on getting her a little stronger and think she will develop into a strong post player."

A total of 11 non-conference games, including home contests against in-state foes Richmond and Virginia Tech, along with the challenging Colonial Athletic Association schedule highlight the George Mason women's basketball team's 2008-09 season slate of games.

"We are extremely excited about the 2008-09 schedule," said Porter. "The 11-game non conference schedule provides us with the type of competition that we will need each night to prepare us for an extremely tough CAA schedule."

Mason will play a total of 29 games in 2008-09, including 14 home games at Patriot Center. The Patriots open with 10 out-of-conference matchups before kicking off CAA play at home on Jan. 4 against James Madison.

The season opens with a Friday night game against Patriot League foe Bucknell on Nov. 14, as Mason will seek retribution after a double-overtime loss last year in Lewisburg. Two days later, the Patriots face Richmond, followed by a short road trip on Nov. 19 to UMBC.

On Sunday, November 23, Mason will entertain its in-state rivals, the Virginia Tech Hokies, at Patriot Center. Virginia Tech, which holds a narrow 3-2 lead in the all-time series, makes the trip north as the two teams meet for the first time in 10 years.

After a five-game road trip, Mason has its final non-conference tuneup of the year when it hosts Appalachian State on Dec. 30. The Patriots begin the new calendar year with an old foe, squaring off against the Dukes of James Madison on Jan. 4 to kick off conference play. Two days later, St. Joseph's visits Patriot Center for a Tuesday night game, Mason's final non-CAA contest of the season. From then on, the Patriots will face each of the 11 other CAA members as they position themselves for a run at the conference title.

The 2009 CAA Women's Basketball Championship shifts locations this season to JMU's Convocation Center in Harrisonburg, Va., from March 12-15, as an automatic berth into the NCAA Championship is on the line.

Overall, the Patriots are ready in 2008-09 to build upon their foundation for the future and provide an exciting, uptempo experience for their fans.

"We are excited about the direction that we are going in," Porter explained. "The goal for this season is to be the hardest-working team in the CAA. The kids are working extremely hard and we want to carry that into the regular season and beyond."