Nov. 4, 2005

The UAB women's basketball team has plenty of reasons to be optimistic about the 2005-06 season. With nine returning letterwinners, including four starters from last season's squad, head coach Audra Smith has high expectations.

The Blazers return their five leading scorers from last season, as well as their top-five rebounders. Last season's squad endured several injuries, so many young players got plenty of experience last season.

UAB is also adding several talented newcomers to the squad. The Blazers welcome five newcomers, three of them freshmen and two junior college transfers. They each have their own style and abilities, but they all have the potential to contribute immediately.

"This year, I feel like our returners have obtained so much experience from last year, that they're ready to go," said Smith.

The Guards
Leading the charge for UAB will be junior guards Carmen Guzman and Crystal McFadden. Guzman and McFadden were the Blazers' leading scorers last season, averaging 13.9 and 13.0 points per game, respectively. Together, they accounted for 44 percent of UAB's offense. The duo has been playing together since high school and has been a force for the Blazers since hitting the court as freshmen. They have consistently stepped up for UAB and will be expected to do so again this season.

"Crystal is one of our best-conditioned guards this year," said Smith. "She's really committed herself this summer to getting ready to go. She's confident and is playing with more aggression. I'm really excited about what she's going to bring to the team this season. Carmen is our 'steady-eddie'. She is continuing to play just as well as she did last year. We have additional players on the perimeter that will help ease some of the point guard responsibility for Carmen, so we can put her in position to increase her scoring average."

In addition to Guzman and McFadden, three more guards return to the squad. Sophomores Lauren Brittingham and LaKitha Murray, in addition to senior Larezia Williams. All five guards will see significant playing time for UAB.

Murray really stepped up as a freshman last season. She was one of only three Blazers to see action in all 28 games of the campaign. Murray is an aggressive defender, who rebounds well from the No. 3 position.

"LaKitha caught a lot of people off guard last season by being able to crash the boards from the perimeter," said Smith. "She was able to get a lot of offensive put-backs for us. She is very strong and very aggressive."

Larry worked on her confidence in the offseason. She has been building strength, as well as working on her three-point shot.

"Deirdre has come into the preseason looking very aggressive and knocking down three's," Smith said. "She feels more confident and we think she's going to bring a lot on the offensive and defensive ends."

Williams was a walk-on last season who earned a spot on the team and a scholarship in the offseason. She is one of the hardest workers on the UAB squad.

"Larezia is such a hard worker for us," said Smith. "We're looking to her to play a leadership role on this year's squad."

Brittingham will be relied on to bring a spark to the team off the bench. She is a strong three-point shooter, who can also drive the lane and lay it in.

"Lauren is also going to spend some time at the point guard position. She brings a lot of spirit and excitement to the squad."

The returners will be bolstered by two newcomers to the team, freshman Britney Jones and junior transfer Candace White. Jones will be counted on to relieve Guzman at the point guard position. Jones, a native of Chicago, has played point guard most of her basketball career. White is a pure shooter who can knock down the three when left open. She is a big, strong guard that brings a physical toughness to the position.

"Britney's mindset is to get set up first and look to get people in scoring position. She would much rather see assists in her stat column than points. We're pleased to have her here to play some minutes at that point guard position. We're working a little on Candace's defense. She's dedicated to the game and will definitely help us on the wing."

The Forwards
Junior Domaneice Moore and sophomore Christon Ingram will lead the Blazers in the post. Ingram started 18 games in her freshman campaign, while playing with a severe ankle injury. She tallied a team-high 13 blocks on the season. Ingram has been working hard in preseason workouts.

"Christon is one of our most-improved players from last year," said Smith. "She's definitely improved her low-post game and is going to be ready to be a dominant force on the low block."

Moore was UAB's top rebounder last season despite missing the first eight games of the season. She is also an aggressive inside force for the Blazers.

"Domaneice is one of our top rebounders," Smith said. "I expect that she is going to continue to be one of our best rebounders and a strong force in the paint."

Another returner in the post for UAB is sophomore Diamond Rogers. Rogers, who suffered a knee injury during the last campaign, has dedicated herself to getting back into playing shape after such a serious injury.

"Diamond is going to be a nice player for us in that high post area," said Smith. "She has a lot of guard skills and the ability to knock down the three. She'll be a matchup problem for a lot of teams."

Also helping in the post will be freshman Brianna Berry. Berry, a native of Flint, Mich., is a strong, aggressive forward who has the ability to play on the perimeter as well as in the post. She is a lefty and adds versatility to the Blazers' post game. Berry counts defense as a strength, as she has tremendous guard skills and is capable of defending guards on the perimeter.

"Brianna is able to knock down shots on the perimeter and has a nice combo game," Smith said. "She has a good turn-around jumper on the low block as well as a nice jumper from the high post. We are looking for her to help us right away and to have an immediate impact on the court."

The Walk-Ons
UAB is fortunate this year to have added two walk-ons to the 2005-06 squad. Freshman Emily Hayes and junior college transfer Shimena Moore have been added to the Blazer roster.

"Emily and Shimena have already brought spunk and a lot of competitiveness to our practices," said Smith. "We're excited about them being able to help us in practice. We hope to be able to give them an opportunity to grow and improve so that they can step onto the court and give us some help there as well."

The Schedule
After spending most of the 2004-05 season on the road, the Blazers will play 16 of their 27 games in Bartow Arena this season. UAB faces a tough schedule, as it takes on nine teams that advanced to the postseason last season.

The Blazers have five NCAA Tournament competitors on their schedule, including Houston, Ole Miss, Penn State, Rice and Middle Tennessee. Additionally, UAB has five teams that participated in the 2005 WNIT on the slate, including Chattanooga, Mississippi State, SMU, Tulsa and Western Kentucky. Penn State and Middle Tennessee both compete in the Blazer Invitational, so UAB will play only one of the two.

"We're elated to be able to have so many home games this season," said Smith. "We're looking forward to starting the season with Georgia Tech and bringing Alabama here. We are playing some of the top teams from other conferences and I think those games will get us ready for a tough Conference USA schedule."

UAB begins the season by hosting ACC contender Georgia Tech on Nov. 18. The Blazers and Yellow Jackets faced each other last season in Atlanta. UAB then travels to Louisiana to take on Louisiana-Monroe on Nov. 22. To finish out November, the Blazers host Jackson State on Nov. 28 and then head to Tennessee to take on the Chattanooga Lady Mocs on Nov. 30.

In December, UAB starts the month on the road, facing Ole Miss on Dec. 3 in Oxford, Miss., but then returns home for the rest of the month. Alabama comes to Bartow Arena on Dec. 6, to complete a home-and-home between the Crimson Tide and UAB. After taking off more than a week for final exams, UAB hosts the Blazer Invitational on Dec. 18-19. On the 18th, Penn State and Middle Tennessee face each other at 6 p.m., followed by UAB against Alabama A&M at 8 p.m. On the 19th, the consolation game will be played at 4 p.m., followed by the championship game at 6 p.m.

The Blazers host Western Kentucky on Dec. 21, before taking another break for the Christmas holidays. UAB ends 2005 by hosting Mississippi State on Dec. 29.

UAB's final non-conference game is on Jan. 2, when South Alabama comes to Bartow Arena.

The Blazers begin Conference USA play on Friday, Jan. 6, as UAB hosts East Carolina, in a game that will be televised by CSTV and begins at 6 p.m.

UAB will face all 12 members of C-USA this season, but meet Memphis, Marshall, East Carolina, UCF and Southern Miss twice each.

"We're very excited to have the new members in the conference," Smith said. "They bring a wealth of experience to the league. We know it will be tough, but our goal is to compete for one of the top spots in Conference USA."

After hosting East Carolina, the Blazers welcome Marshall to Bartow Arena for the first time on Jan. 8. UAB and the Thundering Herd have only met once previously, a 75-60 win by the Blazers during the 1995 season at the South Florida Holiday Classic in Tampa, Fla.

UAB hits the road for the next two weekends, as the Blazers travel to Tulsa on Jan. 13 and SMU on Jan. 15. Next, UAB goes to Memphis on Jan. 20 and UTEP on Jan. 22.

Southern Miss comes to Bartow Arena on Jan. 27, followed by UCF on Jan. 29.

The schedule changes a little the following week, as the Blazer host Memphis on Feb. 2, a rare Thursday night game. Tulane and UAB face each other on Monday, Feb. 6 at 8 p.m., another game to be televised by CSTV.

UAB hits the road for two-straight weekends again, as the Blazers travel to Huntington, W.Va., to face Marshall on Feb. 10 and then to Greenville, N.C., to take on the Lady Pirates of ECU on Feb. 12. Next, UAB heads to Orlando, Fla., to play UCF on Feb. 17 and then to Hattiesburg, Miss., to face Southern Miss on Feb. 19.

The Blazers close out the season at home, as they host Rice on Friday, Feb. 24 at 7 p.m. and Houston on Sunday, Feb. 26 at 2 p.m. UAB will then travel to Dallas, Texas for the Conference USA Tournament on March 2-5, hosted by SMU.

"We're looking to contend for a top spot in Conference USA this season," said Smith. "We're excited about the new conference members and are looking forward to a very competitive and exciting season."

The Expectations
UAB's non-conference schedule is very competitive, once again. The Blazers face several strong teams from competitive conferences. The hope is that the tougher non-conference schedule will help prepare UAB for a difficult conference slate. Conference USA has a different look this season, but it still has the same competitiveness the conference has been known for.

The Blazers will have more home games this season, allowing the team to be more confident and more comfortable as it faces tough competitiors. However, the experience of playing so many games on the road last season allowed UAB to mature and become a stronger road team.

Conference play also starts in Bartow Arena, so the Blazers will look to get the conference season off on the right foot. Many of the teams joining the league played in the postseason last year.

UAB's goal is no different than it has always been, to win a Conference USA championship, whether it be the regular season crown or a tournament title.

The Blazers have the ability to improve greatly on last season's results. With the additions to the roster and the experience of their returners, UAB is looking forward to a bright and successful season.

"We have a more mature team this season," said Smith. "We're more intelligent and definitely more competitve. I feel like we're ready. The team has committed themselves to this season. They understand and they know where we need to be, physically, in order to compete. We're going to be ready to go."

The upcoming season promises to be an exciting one for the UAB women's basketball team.