#WBB 2013-14 Season Preview; Ospreys Begin Campaign Friday at Miami

Friday, November 8

Coral Gables, Fla.

5 p.m.

University of North Florida

Miami

#WBB 2013-14 Season Preview; Ospreys Begin Campaign Friday at Miami

11/7/2013 5:17:00 PM | Women's Basketball

By: Tom Yelich, North Florida Athletics

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The University of North Florida women's basketball team enters the 2013-14 season looking to improve on a sixth place Atlantic Sun Conference finish from a year earlier. The Ospreys will do so with an even balance of eight returners and seven newcomers. Head coach Mary Tappmeyer, entering her 22nd season, looks for the veteran leadership to help guide the team.

"We're really counting on our upperclassman to show the newcomers the level they have to compete at and bring them along as fast as possible," said Tappmeyer, "Last year our lack of depth did not allow us to play the style we like to play, our depth is a huge improvement." We get to be an up-tempo, aggressive defensive-minded basketball team.

The Ospreys return 2010-11 Atlantic Sun Conference Defensive Player of the Year redshirt senior Larkira Jones, who suffered a season-ending knee injury in her only appearance last season. Jones led UNF in rebounds her junior year (7.7 rpg) and is the all-time leader in blocks at UNF.

"It is unbelievably comforting as a staff getting Kira back," said Tappymeyer. "This will allow us to do the things we want to do defensively that we couldn't in Kiras absence. "

UNF will have to replace Fabiola Josil, who led the team in assists in 2012-13, and Jadhken Kerr, who was one of the most prolific three-point shooters in UNF history. To do so, the Ospreys turn to last year's top three scorers. Seniors Ki Conner (10.2 ppg) and Raneisha Lamar (8.2 ppg) and junior Destinee Smith (7.6 ppg) provide firepower to help make-up for last year's lost production.

Backcourt
The backcourt, led by Connor and Smith, has more versatility then in years past with the ability to guard more positions and push the ball quickly up the court in transition.

Junior transfer Brittney Wright begins the season as the starting point guard. Wright is a transfer from Florida State College at Jacksonville where she was one of the team's leading scorers and led FSCJ in steals. Senior Octavia Langston and sophomores Bre Crum and Zakiya Chambers-Hunter add veteran depth and experience to the Osprey backcourt. Meanwhile, freshman Bailey Florin and redshirt freshman Flo Ward will add three-point making ability for the Ospreys.

Perhaps the most versatile Osprey this season is senior Chandler Merkerson, who scored in double figures in the Ospreys' exhibition against Southeastern.

"Chandler is going to be a lynchpin for us as far as offensively and defensively," said Tappmeyer. "She is a phenomenal defensive player and is now a confident scorer, which helps us tremendously."

Frontcourt
The frontcourt for the Ospreys will be anchored by Jones, Lamar and junior transfer Paulina Zaveckaite with freshmen Amber Robinson and Janeá Williams adding depth. Lamar is the Ospreys' leading rebounder from a year ago (7.6 rpg). Zaveckaite transferred from Santa Fe College where she led the NJCAA in rebounds in 2012-13. She also set a single game record pulling in 32 rebounds against Daytona State College on Jan. 9, 2013. Robinson adds ball-handling depth, while 6-foot-3-inch Williams also contributes to UNF's rebounding ability.

"The 'bigs' are all interchangeable," said Tappmeyer. "They are five real good rebounders, which is what I expect from each of them."

Schedule
UNF plays 16 home games at UNF Arena, including the Hampton Inn Oceanfront Holiday Classic that is slated for Dec. 20-21. The Ospreys also travel to Vermont to play in the TD Bank Classic Nov. 22-23.

UNF tips off the season Nov. 8, at Miami for the second year in a row. The Ospreys also face Florida during opening weekend in Gainesville (Nov. 10). Other notable non-conference games include Clemson (Dec. 1) and Florida State (Dec. 16).

"You always want to play the best," said Tappmeyer. "We will see different styles of play with each of those opponents and the A-Sun has a variety of styles as well. Our ultimate goal is to win the conference tournament. If you win the conference tournament, you get the automatic bid and we will face that kind of opponent in the first round of the NCAA tournament."

UNF opens conference play at Mercer on Jan. 2. The Ospreys' home opener is Jan. 16 against Northern Kentucky. The Ospreys host rival Jacksonville Feb. 8 and defending conference tournament champion Stetson on Feb. 20. UNF welcomes A-Sun powerhouse Florida Gulf Coast on Feb. 22.

The A-Sun tournament is scheduled to begin March 11. The tournament has been held in Macon, Ga., at Mercer's Hawkins Arena the last four. However, the format has changed for the 2013-14 tournament and will be held on campus sites of the higher seeds.