10/30/2009 - WOMEN'S BASKETBALL 11 Days of Atlantic Sun Women's Basketball: UNF

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Interview with Head Coach Mary Tappmeyer

SEASON PREVIEW - (Courtesy UNF Media Relations)

The University of North Florida women’s basketball team and head coach Mary Tappmeyer have one goal in mind this season, to make Macon. This is the first season of post season eligibility for UNF since making the move to Division I status and the Ospreys do not plan on being left out of the Atlantic Sun Tournament in March in Macon, Ga.

“I really want to get there,” Tappmeyer said. “Our motto this year is ‘Makin’ Macon’. I think if we stay healthy and we keep progressing and getting better every day then we have a good opportunity to get there.”

The Ospreys return four starters from last season including leading scorer, sophomore Brittany Kirkland who averaged 11.1 points per game last season at the guard position. Senior forward Arlande Cherizol is also back for UNF after posting 5.4 rebounds per game in 2008-09.

Also returning for UNF is senior center Shennette Sheffield, junior guard JulieMay Syquio, sophomores Kim Baker (guard), Rachelle Rasley (guard/forward) and Kayla Mobley (guard/forward). Redshirt freshman guard Jadhken Kerr also returns for the Ospreys after sitting out last season. Kerr averaged 8.8 points per game in the six games in which she appeared before being sidelined by injury.

“We have a pretty experienced group coming back, “Tappmeyer said. “Landy (Arlande Cherizol) and Scoot (Brittany Kirkland) only have one year of experience, Julie is on her third and Sheff (Shennette Sheffield) is on her fourth. We also have Jake (Jadhken Kerr) back this season after only playing seven games for us last year. We’re still young in some spots, but this is a strong group of returners.”

Backcourt

Kirkland and Syquio are back for 2009-10 to run the UNF offense. Kirkland led the team in points with 11.1 points per game, shooting 40.2 percent from the floor, including 38 percent from behind the arc. She upped her numbers in A-Sun games, averaging 12.6 points per game, shooting 42.9 percent from the floor and 41.7 percent from 3-point range.

Syquio averaged 3.1 assists per game and posted 7.6 points per game. She also tallied 69 steals on the season, averaging 2.38 per game and ranking third in the A-Sun in steals per game. In league contests she was second in steals per game (2.9), third in free throw percentage (79.2) and fifth in assists per game (3.5).

“I think Julie and Scoot have the opportunity to be one of the better back courts in the conference,” Tappmeyer commented. “They have experience and they continue to improve.”

Joining Kirkland and Syquio in the backcourt are Jadhken Kerr, Kim Baker and freshman Dori Lansbach, along with junior college transfer DeAdria Hilliard, a junior from Indian River Community College.

Kerr appeared in six games for the Ospreys last season before being sidelined by injury. She averaged over 10 points per game in the first five games of the 2008-09 season. She posted 13 points and 7 rebounds against Florida State.

“Jake is probably going to be playing the three for us this year,” said Tappmeyer. “Jake is the primary three and we’ll go with a smaller guard line-up where we will be able to do a few more things defensively.”

Baker provided relief minutes last season with 11.2 minutes per game for the Ospreys and came in as a strong defensive presence.

“Kim is a defensive specialist for us,” Tappmeyer said. “She has really worked hard on her offensive game in the offseason, but she is still going to be what we consider a defensive specialist and a primary defensive stopper.”

Lansbach, a freshman from Traverse City, Mich., was a first team all-state selection as a senior and was a member of the state all-star team. She averaged 20.4 points, 2.4 assists and 2.1 steals per game during her final season.

“Dori is a lefty that is a fundamentally sound player who has a perpetual engine,” remarked Tappmeyer. “Her motor never shuts down. She plays really hard, shoots the three and can take it off the bounce. She understands the game and I think that as she gets more comfortable in the system she can have an impact for us as a freshman.”

Hilliard joins the Ospreys after averaging 12 points and three steals per game during the past season at IRCC. She attended Buchholz High School in Gainesville, Fla. where she earned first team all-state honors her senior year.

“DeAdria shoots the three ball very well. She’s a good decision maker, she just needs to get strong. I think she will really be able to give us more help on the perimeter from and long range and really be able to give us some minutes off the bench.”

Frontcourt

Cherizol and Sheffield will lead the frontcourt attack for the Ospreys this season. Cherizol is the top returning rebounder from last season, averaging 5.4 points per game. She improved her numbers in league play, averaging six rebounds per game and ranking 13th in the conference.

Sheffield is a four year member of the UNF women’s basketball team and has been a part of the Ospreys’ transition into Division I.

“Sheff is an anchor that has been in the paint for us for four years,” Tappmeyer said. “She understand her role and accepts her role. She is a defensive presence and a rebounder. Sheff understands the system and communicates well. While she can provide some inside scoring for us, she has primarily been a rebounder and defensive stalwart for us. One of the reasons that we will be successful is because she buys into her role for us.”

Rasley and Mobley will also be in the front court for the Ospreys along with freshman Larkira Jones and sophomore junior college transfer Margaret Bell who comes to UNF from Shelton State.

Rasley will move back into the post this season after stepping out last season. She has the ability to play both inside and outside for the Ospreys.

“She is doing a great job for us right now,” commented Tappmeyer. “Since we moved her back inside she has really blossomed this year. She will create some matchup problems though because she can step out and shoot the three or she can score with either hand in the paint.”

Mobley averaged 4.3 points and 3.9 rebounds off the bench last season in 14.6 minutes per game. She is valuable in providing relief inside.

“Kayla has tremendous athletic talent, but her skill set needs some work. I think that as she matures she will have the ability to step in and really be able to help us out. She proved in spurts last year that she can be very productive for us when she sets her mind to it.”

Jones averaged 11 rebounds per game and 4.5 blocks as a senior at Gibbs Senior High School in St. Petersburg, Fla. “We anticipate redshirting Kira,” Tappmeyer remarked. “She is a really athletic post player that continues to get better every day. Rebound and defense are her strengths right now, but we want to develop her offensively. She runs the floor really well for her size and has amazingly quick feet. She has an opportunity to be a really special post player before she’s done.”

Transfers

The Ospreys have two players who have to sit out the 2009-10 season due to NCAA transfer rules Jadhon Kerr and Taylor Smith.

Kerr is a junior from Wichita State where she averaged 7.2 minutes per game. She joins her sister Jadhken on the team. During her time at Olathe South High School in Olathe, Kan. she averaged 18 points and eight rebounds per game during her career, earning first team all-state honors during both her junior and senior seasons.

“Jadhon can play the three or the four,” said Tappmeyer. “She is a fundamentally sound Midwest post player and can really be an inside scoring presence. She understand the game really, really well.”

Smith is a sophomore from Monmouth University. She averaged 7.3 minutes per game as a freshman. During her career at American Heritage High School in Plantation, Fla. she was a second team all-state selection during her senior year after averaging 15.6 points and 12 rebounds per game.

“Taylor is a very physical post,” Tappmeyer commented. “She is relentless on the boards and really presents problems in guarding her in practice because she is so strong.”

Schedule

UNF plays a tough non-conference schedule before getting into league play. The Ospreys will face three ACC teams (Florida State, Wake Forest and Miami) and two Big East (Pittsburgh and South Florida) teams. North Florida will face its 10 A-Sun opponents twice during the season.

“This is the most challenging schedule that we have had to date, starting with our closed scrimmage at Florida and then we open up the season with back-to-back tough games at Florida State and at Pitt,” remarked Tappmeyer. “I think you have to play good teams to expose what your weaknesses are. No one in the conference will have played this tough of a non-conference schedule. The non-conference games are there to prepare us for our conference opponents.”

The Ospreys will open the regular season on Fri., Nov. 13, at Florida State before traveling to Pittsburgh on Nov. 17. UNF will play its home opener on Thurs., Nov. 24, against Bethune-Cookman. A-Sun play will begin on the road at Campbell on Nov. 27.

11 Days of A-Sun Basketball Schedule
Oct. 28 - Campbell 
Oct. 39 - Lipscomb
Oct. 30 - UNF 
Nov.  2 - USC Upstate
Nov.  3 - Stetson 
Nov.  4 - Kennesaw State
Nov.  5 - Mercer
Nov.  6 - Jacksonville 
Nov.  9 - Belmont 
Nov. 10 - ETSU
Nov. 11 - FGCU