Published: July 15, 2007 12:15 am            

Turnover forcing Bobcats to adjust

Fox welcomes numerous new faces

San Marcos — It’s tough to lose any game on a last second shot. But losing a first round conference tournament game 78-77 with 0.5 seconds left and the game seemingly in hand? That can be, well, devastating.

“It was definitely a stab in the gut, they really struggled with it,” Texas State head coach Suzanne Fox said. “But it’s a double edged sword. It’s definitely been motivating this offseason.”

And what an offseason it has been. The program that takes the floor in 2007 won’t bear much similarity at all to the team that entered Strahan Coliseum in 2006.

“I think they learned a lot, they’re working extremely hard,” Fox said. “We’re not that far away I don’t think.”



Changes on the Floor

Between inseason departures, out-of-season departures and graduation, exactly one half of the Texas State roster will be players that are new to the program. Erica Putnam, Ashley Riley and Elyse Wright graduated. Janesha Washington left during the season and since the close of competition, Ashley Leffingwell, Ashley Banks, Kia Palmer and Sarah White have all departed according to a newly released roster.

“Basketball wasn’t something she wanted to pursue anymore,” Fox said of White, who sat out last season after transferring from Nebraska. “That happens a lot now in college basketball, there’s a lot of changes and different opportunities today. I don’t know if that’s a bad trend or a good trend, but it’s there.”

Trend or not, that’s eight departures to deal with in one offseason and only three that the Bobcats could legitimately plan for, some of which got thrown into chaos with White leaving, as she would have filled one of those spots. That’s why six transfers will grace the Texas State roster this year. Fox and her staff had to scramble to fill the roster spots and with most of the high school guards already committed, junior college players became a top priority. Tamarra Evans-Sluga, a 5-foot-7 guard from Taylorsville, Utah is among the spring signees.

Besides Evans-Slugga, Wyoming’s Shandryn Trumble and Californian Brittany Wilson, there’s a more distinctly Texas flavor to the Bobcat roster in 2007. Last season, Texans were outnumbered by out of state players by 9-6 on the roster. This season, it’s 9-5 in favor of Texas products.

“Our roots are definitely in Texas, but recruiting is dictated by the needs we have at each position,” Fox said. “We try to recruit what’s the best fit for us.”

Only one high school player will join the Texas State roster, Chika Ofegbu from San Antonio’s Earl Warren High, a 5-foot-10 forward. That makes for an awfully small freshman class at Texas State, but Fox doesn’t seem concerned.

“To say I’m excited about the kids that are coming in would be an understatement,” Fox said. “As a whole they give us good balance.”

Kim Cessna, a highly regarded 6-foot-2 McLennan Community College center out of San Antonio, is a big reason Fox is excited. Cessna drew interest from a pair of SEC schools, Georgia and Arkansas, before she chose to head for San Marcos. She should prevent the Bobcats from missing Erica Putnam, who led the Bobcats in rebounding last year, too much on the floor.



Changes on the Bench

The upheaval in the program hasn’t been limited to the players. The coaching staff has undergone major changes as well. Noel Johnson, the Bobcats recruiting coordinator and associate head coach, left for an assistant’s position at North Texas and Kate Henderson took a job as an assistant at Incarnate Word in San Antonio, where she earned her master’s degree in education. As to why an assistant would take a similar job at a Division III school, Fox pointed out the special nature of Incarnate Word’s athletic program.

“They’re going to have football and have some new administrative positions open up so there’s a good chance she’ll have her hands on more things,” Fox said. “It fit what she wanted.”

Johnson’s departure will almost certainly impact the program the most. She’s been responsible for much of the Bobcats’ recruiting during her 10 years as an assistant and seems to have been Fox’s right-hand woman since Fox took over the program.

“She was a great recruiter, we’re going to miss her,” Fox said. “But its part of the business. It’s an opportunity for her to grow.”

Patrick Henry remains on staff and Holly Sartor and Michael Trujillo will step in as replacements for Henderson and Johnson.

Despite all the turnover, it appears that there is some pressure for Fox and her squad to win soon. Joyce Ekworomadu, who made the Nigerian National Team, enters her senior year this fall after three strong years and has just one more shot at a SLC title in her career. The entire program is also due for a big season. The last time the Bobcats won an SLC title was in the 2002-2003 season. Since then Fox has had a sub .500 season, a .500 season and now two straight winning seasons. In those four years, Texas State has never made it past the first round of the Southland Tournament. Fox, however, doesn’t feel she’s on any hot seat.

“I don’t feel any pressure, I don’t really think like that,” Fox said. “Over the last three years, we’ve had the second most wins in the league behind UT-Arlington. Last year we were one game away from a postseason berth (in the NIT). We’re just not far away, and we’re graduating kids too.”

Fox will need that ability to block out distractions. She’s got a program to bring together this fall.

        

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