Last year, Auburn’s women’s basketball team returned to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2009, advancing to the second round before falling to No. 1 seed Baylor. The challenge this season? To go even farther.
“The bar has been set, so the expectations are much higher,” sophomore point guard Janiah McKay said. “Knowing that we have made it there, we expect to make it there every year. Coach Flo still coaches with intensity because we don't want to be complacent.”
The Tigers return four starters from last season’s team, including seniors Brandy Montgomery and Katie Frerking. Auburn has nine upperclassmen on the team, and the veteran presence has helped the beginning of the season go a little more smoothly for head coach Terri Williams-Flournoy.
“We’ve had some really good practices,” Williams-Flournoy said. “It has been great this season having so many veteran players, and so many returners. We have four starters returning, it’s not so much a lot of teaching, besides to the young ones and the newcomers.”
“I think defensively we will continue to look the same because that is what we do, that is who we are,” Williams-Flournoy said. “Offensively, I think we will be a little more polished. At some points, we can put five players on the floor that can start, scoring-wise.
Among the mainstay veterans, the Tigers will lack a major post presence with the graduation of Tra’cee Turner. Turner led the Tigers in rebounding, blocks, and field goal percentage last season. She also was second in scoring for Auburn. This season, Auburn is searching for answers on how to replace Turner.
“We definitely haven’t grown into a big body,” a laughing Williams-Flournoy said. “We just use what we have. We are going to suffer a little bit rebounding-wise. Offensively, I think that is where Janiah comes in to be a little more of a scorer, Jazmine has to score more for us, and the rest of us have to be consistent scorers.”
One potential solution? Moving the do-it-all Frerking to center to help spread the floor for the Tigers.
“We will have to play a little smaller at times, you may see Katie Frerking at the five, or [Jazmine Jones] at the four,” Auburn’s fifth-year head coach said. “You’re going to see more scoring opportunities out there for us.”
“It’s going to be a challenge, moving from the four, which is kind of a guard in our offense,” Frerking said. “To go down and try to play the five, that is a whole different animal. I’ll do whatever I need to do for us to win.”
Montgomery, Auburn’s leading scorer the past two seasons, is looking forward to playing smaller and faster.
“We are fast, we are up and down,” Montgomery described. “We have a lot of shooters this year, and we have a lot of bigger guards who can rebound as well. We are really focusing on getting up and down the court, getting steals, so we can get easy baskets in transition.”
Williams-Flournoy’s 25th season as a head coach could be a magical one for the Tigers. McKay, who started in 19 games as a freshman, has grown into a more confident, mature guard. McKay shined on the biggest stage last season, as she scored a career-high 24 points in the NCAA Tournament first-round win over St. John’s. Jazmine Jones, who started all 33 games for Auburn a season ago, gives Auburn a consistent presence in the post and defensively. Montgomery topped the 1,000 career-point mark last season, and will give the Tigers a dependent scorer and leader. Frerking led the Tigers in steals and assists a season ago, and will give Auburn a selfless leader who will do anything to help the team win. These four returning starters among the nine upperclassmen will give Auburn a great chance to accomplish their goal of going farther in the NCAA Tournament this season.
“Our goal last year was to make the tournament,” Williams-Flournoy said. “Our goal this year, since day one, has been to make the tournament. We are not going to sit here and wish and hope we get in. We are going to practice every single day like we are one of 64 already in the tournament.”
Auburn will tipoff their 2016 season Friday, Nov. 11, at 5:30 p.m. at Auburn Arena as they host in-state foe Troy. The Trojans won the Sun Belt last year, and will be one of many NCAA Tournament teams the Tigers will face. The Auburn men will follow the women Friday night as the two teams will begin their season with a doubleheader inside Auburn Arena.
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