ATLANTIC 10 BILLIKENS PREVIEW | VIDEO
Talk about youth. Five sophomores. Four freshmen. Yet expectations are high for Saint Louis women's basketball, which earned statement wins last season, including a triple-overtime victory over Dayton and an upset of regular-season co-champion VCU.
If Ciaja Harbison produces another season to match her rookie one, look out. The 5-6 guard, also the Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Year, doesn't know what it's like not to get the start in college. Starting all 31 contests, the 11-time conference Rookie of the Week is the returning scoring and assist leader.
“She's not going to sneak up on anybody,” said Coach Lisa Stone. “She has to add the 3-point shot to her game, and that's something she's worked on.”
Stone likens her to Jackie Kemph, the two-time Atlantic 10 Player of the Year who concluded her college career in 2018 as the program's all-time leader in multiple categories, including scoring and assists. “Ciaja has the potential to make more of an impact from a team standpoint than Jackie,” Stone said. “She wants to get us to where we've never been.”
Saint Louis is still seeking its first-ever NCAA Tournament berth.
Look for Harbison's roommate, Brooke Flowers, to continue to anchor the defense. Stone figured she'd be more of a project player last year; instead she was a mainstay in the starting lineup. The 6-5 center from St. Louis started the last 20 games and was named to the league's All-Rooke and All-Defensive Teams.
Add into the mix Myia Clark, who Stone touts as “the most improved player on this team.” The 5-7 sophomore guard is in the best shape of her life after a summer living in the weight room.
“She'll be a leader for us,” Stone said.
Stone's thrilled to have Myriama Smith Traore eligible after her transfer from Marquette. She recruited the 6-2 forward from Wisconsin two years ago and was disappointed when she didn't sign. Now Smith Traore, who Stone regards as the strongest player on the team, will have three years to play at Saint Louis.
Hannah Dossett is a refreshing addition to Saint Louis after playing softball at Syracuse for three years. She could have played either sport in college; she's got one year to focus on hoops. “Once a shooter, always a shooter,” Stone said. “That kid can shoot. Put a zone on us and see.”
Stone, as fresh today as when she started coaching 34 years ago, looks forward to a season of promise for a team looking to make a dent in the A-10 race.
A look at the Billikens:
Coach: Lisa Stone, 8th season at Saint Louis, 122-102, 34th season 625-339 overall
Last year: 15-16, 9-7 in the Atlantic 10 (lost at Duquesne 72-51 in the quarterfinals of the A-10 Championship)
They'll miss: Guard Kerri McMahan, the A-10 Defensive Player of the Year, was also the least turnover-prone Billiken, averaging just 2.2 turnovers in 40 minutes. Jordyn Frantz, an A-10 second-teamer who started 30 games, was the conference's leader in field goal percentage as a senior. Her 79 3-pointers last year were the most of any senior ever at SLU and rank second in program history.
Impact returners: Guard Harbison returns after leading the Billikens in scoring as a freshman. Another sophomore, 6-5 forward Flowers, the top rebounder, also returns; she blocked a team-best 68 shots as a freshman. Clark, who had 18 points, including four threes, when Saint Louis hosted UConn last season.
Newbies of note: Dossett joins the team as a graduate student. The former Miss Kentucky Basketball finalist played softball at Syracuse and understands the demands of Division I athletics. Freshman Rachel Kent, a 5-11 guard/forward, was a four-time Illinois Basketball Coaches Association All-state selection, who finished her career at Maine West High School with 1,672 points. Freshman point guard Julia Martinez set the school assist mark (767) at Loyola Academy in Chicago. Danish junior forward Victoria Mikkelsen of Independence (Kansas) Community College, joins the team with two years of eligibility remaining.
Circle the date: The Billikens are at Cincinnati on Nov. 10 for the start of a four-game road trip. A year ago, the Bearcats nipped Saint Louis by a point when the game-winner rolled out at the buzzer. The December 5 contest at Mizzou is another measuring stick.
Reasons to be optimistic: The youngsters from Saint Louis got an early baptism into college basketball a year ago, with the freshmen playing significant minutes. The best of them, Harbison, leads a group eager to play more than the spoiler role in a competitive Atlantic 10.
Bottom line: If the Billikens can find consistency and chemistry, there's no reason they can't be in the top tier of the conference race.
