UC Basketball
Last Year’s Success Still Paying Off for UC Basketball
Golden Eagles women excel in offseason
September 25, 2005
By Mike Whiteford
Staff writer, Charleston Gazette
The benefits of last year’s appearance in the NCAA Division II national basketball tournament still seem to lingering.
Since arriving on campus three weeks ago and beginning preseason conditioning, the University of Charleston women have looked like a team worthy of its No. 7 ranking in the final USA Today/ESPN Division II poll of 2004-05.
En route to a final 29-5 record last year, the Golden Eagles won the eight-team East Region Tournament in Anderson, S.C., to qualify for the national Elite Eight tournament, where they suffered a 73-60 first-round loss to Washburn University in Hot Springs, Ark.
All five starters and key reserves are back, and the upperclassmen have taken their offseason conditioning work seriously, said coach Sherry Winn, who’s beginning her fifth season at her alma mater.
Upon their recent return to school, the Golden Eagles underwent a series of conditioning tests, or "challenges,’’ as Winn calls them. The upperclassmen, she said, excelled, proving that they worked hard during the summer.
"On the running challenge,’’ said the UC coach, "they all did extremely well. On the strength challenges, the upperclassmen were phenomenal. Being a part of a national championship tournament obviously makes them a lot more motivated. The freshmen were just about what we expected. The freshmen don’t understand yet all the pieces to being a collegiate player.’’
The UC coaches and players have been making good use of NCAA rules that allow basketball players to work out eight hours a week prior to the Oct. 15 start of practice. Those eight hours include two hours of individual work in which coaches can take a hands-on approach and offer instruction to as many as four players at a time. The other six hours are devoted to weight training and conditioning.
"Every defensive fundamental that you can think of, we’re working on,’’ she said. "On offense, we do the same thing.’’
To encourage her players to continue to set their sights high, Winn has adopted a theme for the 2005-06 season — "We Become What We Think About.’’
"I’m a big person in believing that your thoughts create your reality,’’ she explained. "Some of the biggest obstacles that anyone has to overcome are those inner thoughts that prevent you from achieving something. That can be as a team or as an individual. If you’re thinking that the best we can be is a .500 team, then that’s what you’ll become. As a coach, if I think the best we’re ever going to do is win 20 games in a season, then that’s what we become.’’
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UC men’s coach Greg White has added some experienced help. He recently signed two transfers from Division I Norfolk State — 6-foot-8 Kyle Garrison and 6-0 Austin Weatherington — and a transfer from Lakeland Community College — 6-8 Dustin Kinney.
Two other new faces — 6-8 Marshall transfer Eric Smith and 6-2 Eric Witten of Hargrave Military Academy — were on campus last year but sat out.
White acquired Garrison and Weatherington with the help of Norfolk State coach Dwight Freeman, who, like White, is a former Marshall coach.
Garrison, a junior this year, and Weatherington, a sophomore, spent most of last season on the bench and simply wanted more playing time.
"They weren’t getting the quality minutes they wanted,’’ said White, "and they were looking for a place to go. I went over and watched them play and liked both of them. I had to recruit them because they had options. Both can be starters or significant contributors immediately.’’