SAVANNAH, Ga. - Cedric Baker wants his Savannah State University women's basketball team to have the kind of success it enjoyed two seasons ago.
Baker, who enters his 10th season as head coach, fondly recalls how the Lady Tigers beat Central Florida, and Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference teams South Carolina State and Maryland Eastern Shore, en route to finishing the 2010-11 season with a 15-11 record. It was the program's first winning season since the 1998-99 season.
“As a coach, once you've gotten a taste of winning and experienced some success you start putting a blueprint together,” Baker said. “Two years ago, we definitely had key personnel, good team chemistry on and off the floor, but we fell on some hard times (during the 2011-12 season).”
Last season, SSU's first as a member of the MEAC, the Lady Tigers finished 10-20 overall and 3-13 in the MEAC.
“The continuity wasn't there, offensively,” Baker said. “We've always been able to guard, defensively, up and down throughout the year. But at the end of the day it's all about putting the ball in the hole. We did address those issues. Got some kids that had offseason injuries that we've taken care of. They're healthy. Hopefully, we can remain healthy.”
SSU will play Armstrong Atlantic State University in an exhibition at 6 p.m. Nov. 1 at Tiger Arena. SSU's season opener is at 6 p.m. Nov. 9 against Columbia College at Tiger Arena.
The Lady Tigers will play road games against the University of South Carolina (Nov. 15), University of Georgia (Nov. 20), Southern Mississippi (Nov. 23) and Mississippi State (Nov. 28) before playing their MEAC opener at 4 p.m. Dec. 1 against Norfolk State at Tiger Arena.
SSU is powered by point guard Ezinne Kalu, a 5-foot-8 junior from Newark, N.J. She started in 28 games last season and led the Tigers in points (529), scoring average (17.6 points per game), field goals attempted and made (500/160), 3-pointers (42) and free-throws made (167). She finished third in the MEAC in scoring.
“Ezinne Kalu played all year injured,” Baker said. “She had offseason shoulder surgery. And also backup point guard Jazmin Thomas. So we're expecting good things from those kids.”
SSU enters this season without one starter, center Alisha Nelson, who graduated. She led the MEAC in blocked shots (62) and was the Tigers' leading rebounder (154, 7.0 rpg.)
Five juniors and five sophomores return. In addition to Kalu, other key returners are juniors Uba Blessing, Jasmine Kirkland and Charmaine Greene.
Blessing, a 5-foot-9 guard from Oklahoma City, Okla., started in 18 games last season. She averaged 5.2 points and 2.7 rebounds per game.
Kirkland, a 5-foot-10 forward from Warren, Ohio, started in 22 games last season. She was second on the team in scoring (261 points) and scoring average (8.7 ppg.).
Greene, a 6-foot-2 center from Savannah's Beach High School, started in 20 games last season.
There are four newcomers, including three transfers: Erin Hogue, a 6-foot guard/forward from the University of Alabama; Nicole Shelton, a 6-foot-3 center from Tallahassee (Fla.) Community College; and Andrietta Nicolle Thomas, a 5-foot-10 guard from Jefferson Community College in Hillsboro, Mo.
Freshman Jerryshia Williams, a 5-foot-9 guard from Macon, averaged 17.3 points per game last season at Northeast Macon High School.
Hogue was third on Alabama's team in rebounding last season. She grabbed 143 rebounds in 24 games, an average of 6.0 per game.
“She decided to make a change and chose Savannah State University,” Baker said. “I think she's very comfortable here. Hopefully, her being comfortable in her surroundings, I think we'll definitely see her put up, possibly, just as good a numbers as she did at Alabama, or even greater numbers here at Savannah State. She's tough on the boards. We want to definitely address those issues that we had. Rebounding has always been an Achilles' heel for us.”
Shelton led Tallahassee Community College in blocked shots (33, 1.32 per game) and rebounds (147, 5.88 rpg.) last season.
Thomas, a graduate of Colquitt County High School in Moultrie, averaged 9.3 points per game at Jefferson Community College. Before transferring to Jefferson, she played one season at Auburn University and averaged 6.1 points per game. She led the Tigers in 3-point percentage (.365) and free-throw percentage (.821).
“She plays multiple positions,” Baker said. “Definitely has the physical presence that we want to display on the offensive end and defensive end. She's about 5-10, 5-11, but her size and speed is very deceptive. She's a ballplayer.”
Baker said the addition of Hogue, Shelton and Thomas should help lift some of the scoring burden off of Kalu.
“We will have more of a balanced attack on the offensive end and, hopefully, that will free her up to showcase some even greater skills that she has,” Baker said. “To be honest with you, I expect her to do just as good or better even though we do have some key kids around her.”
SSU played in four exhibition games in Toronto, Canada, this summer, winning two and losing two. Baker said the experience was beneficial.
“The trip to Canada was a first for us,” he said. “We wanted to definitely take that trip and get ahead in terms of our offensive schemes and defensive schemes. But for the most part it was all about our theme for the year, which is 'family.' It was all about the kids getting to know each other, them getting to know me because we had so many newcomers, and to allow those younger kids to get some playing experience, a few more minutes than they probably would get during the regular season.
“With Ezinne and Jasmin Thomas not participating on the Canada tour, it gave those younger kids and the reserves an opportunity to get some quality minutes, which I think will definitely make a good transition into the season. We were able to get out some of the wrinkles with an early start and some quality basketball play.”
The MEAC Tournament is March 11-16, 2013, in Norfolk, Virginia.
