Texas Tech University Athletics
Lady Raiders Getting Ready for 2001-02 Season
October 09, 2001 | Women's Basketball
Oct. 9, 2001
LUBBOCK, Texas - Home Sweet Home. There is nothing like it.
The Final Four will be held in San Antonio in March and Lady Raider fans are already packing for the trip. Now to most people you like to take it one day at a time. However, after losing only one senior to a team that made it to the Sweet 16-again-it's only natural to start making preseason predictions.
Coach Marsha Sharp is known for recruiting the best players in the country and she did it again last season. The Lady Raiders went against all critics who thought it would be tough winning with five new freshmen and only one senior. In only a short amount of time, Sharp was able to teach the women teamwork and they eventually went onto the NCAA Sweet Sixteen.
To recap the 2000-2001 season:
* The Lady Raiders ranked second in the nation and first in the Big 12 in attendance with an average of 12,660 fans per game.
* Texas Tech advanced to their third-straight Sweet 16 as they were a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament, earning their 12th consecutive bid.
* The Lady Raiders finished second in the Big 12 Conference. They maintained a top 25 ranking in both the Associated Press and USA Today polls.
* The Lady Raiders have won an impressive 150 games out of their last 159 at home.
Individual players also highlighted the season. Freshman Jia Perkins had her own success story. Perkins only started a handful of games because she made such an impact being the first person off the bench. The 5-8 guard averaged 13.6 points per game and 3.8 assists per game. Perkins was an honorable mention All-Big 12 selection and she was named to the 2001 NCAA All-Mideast Regional team. The Granbury, Texas, native was also named All-Freshman third team by Women's Basketball News Service. Her teammates named her the team's Most Valuable Player. Plenette Pierson was a second team All-Big 12 selection and named second team All-American by Women's Basketball News Service. Lone senior, Katrisa O'Neal, was a third team All-Big 12 selection and she became Tech's all-time career leader in steals with 352. Amber Tarr was a first-team Academic All-Big 12 selection, while Tanisha Ellison was a second-team honoree. Finally, Coach Marsha Sharp was a finalist for the Naismith Coach of the Year.
Sharp is real excited what the players have done in the spring and summer as a group. "The girls have played a lot together and have spent a lot of time in the gym and weight room trying to get ready. That is a real positive thing right now...I think they understand that they have a chance to be a quality team..."
Sharp believes the strength of the team is that they have a lot of depth. Starters returning from last year include, Pierson, Tarr, Ellison and senior Candi White. White was a junior college transfer last season and made a huge impact with the Lady Raiders as the point guard.
Other key returning players include Perkins and sophomores Jolee Ayers and Natalie Ritchie. Ayers, a 6-2 forward/center averaged six points and four rebounds per game. She spent the spring and summer working on her outside shooting hoping to surprise opponents. Ritchie, a shooting guard, sat out the beginning of the season due to a knee injury. She bounced back and became a key threat with her three-point shooting.
"I feel that we have players all the way through our roster that will really help us more than ever before," said Sharp, "We think about them being experienced, but we will be playing with sophomores...and they will have to step up and provide some things they haven't had to do before." Sharp continued to say they could get in situations to use different lineups. Other returning players for the Lady Raiders are sophomore forwards Casey Jackson and Dionne Brown. Jackson and Brown received ample playing time last season and Sharp will look for their athleticism. For height and leadership, the Lady Raiders will look to 6-7 junior Jamie Nagle.
Once again, Texas Tech managed to recruit the best players in the country. This year's freshman class includes guards LaTosha Daniels from Fort Worth and Kari Jo Simmons from Lubbock, forward Jametra Clark from Hale Center, Texas and 6-5 center Cisti Greenwalt from Clovis, N.M.
The toughest part of the year each season is the schedule. However, when you play in the Big 12, it's hard enough to survive in your own conference.
"I saw one preseason poll for this year that had Tech, Iowa State, Oklahoma, and Baylor all in the top 10," said Sharp. "I think that talks a little bit about how difficult it's going to be again. I think it will even be a stronger conference than a year ago."
As a tradition each year, Sharp said the Lady Raiders make a goal to win the Big 12, the Big 12 Tournament and get to the Sweet 16. However, this year may be a little different.
"I don't think that there is any question that these players would love to play in San Antonio in March. They really think that would be a great thing to do in their home state. In the back of their minds...I think they think of that possibility and they work really hard to put themselves in a position to achieve that."
