THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, October 31, 1996 TAG: 9610310488
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C5 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY VICKI L. FRIEDMAN, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: RICHMOND LENGTH: 63 lines
As if Old Dominion's basketball team wasn't intimidating enough to the rest of the Colonial Athletic Association coaches, Lady Monarchs coach Wendy Larry delivered another zinger Wednesday at the league's media day.
Expect more, a lot more, from last year's CAA rookie of the year, Mery Andrade.
``She is a different player,'' Larry said. ``If there's one individual who has put in a magnificent summer, I think it's Mery Andrade. I think by far in our program right now she is our elite player.''
Andrade led an ODU defense that was No. 2 in the nation last year behind Louisiana Tech, but that wasn't good enough for Larry.
``Unfortunately nobody remembers who is No. 2,'' she said. ``It is a goal for this basketball team to lead the nation defensively.''
PLAYING MISTY: Last year's Virginian-Pilot Player of the Year Misty Colebank, who led Salem to the state championship in 1994, is primed for a starting spot, says James Madison coach Shelia Moorman. Moorman is considering moving veteran point guard Holly Rilinger to shooting guard and using Colebank in Rilinger's old role.
``I'm seeing the possibility of them being together in the backcourt,'' Moorman said. ``I think it would be easier for the young player to have consistency in terms of her responsibilities. Holly can swing back and forth.''
ONE YEAR DOWN . . . : East Carolina's Anne Donovan is glad the growing pains of first-year coaching are gone.
``Anything that could have gone wrong did at one point last season,'' said Donovan, whose Lady Pirates finished 11-16. ``This year I have the confidence because I've been through it before.''
Leading scorer Justine Allpress is back, and Donovan is pleasantly surprised with 6-5 center Jen Cox, who sat out last year with a stress fracture. Donovan said Cox, a transfer from Vanderbilt, had only a marginal work ethic a year ago.
``Jen has turned all that around and her work ethic is superior,'' Donovan said.
NEW FACES: Bob Foley, who spent the last 11 seasons at Providence College, is the new University of Richmond coach, replacing Tammy Holder, the general manager of the Richmond Rage. VCU alum David Glass is the Rams' new coach, the third in three years.
IS JORDAN NEXT?: Larry regards LaToya Small as one of the finest rebounders she's seen and expects the 5-foot-11 guard to fill the void left by graduating senior Shonda Deberry. Small averaged 11.3 rebounds at Pensacola Junior College.
``You'll see why they call her Little Rodman,'' Larry said.
George Mason coach Jim Lewis is touting new freshman Kristeena Alexander as ``another Isiah Thomas.'' Lewis expects Alexander to take over the point-guard position vacated by Keri Chaconas, who is now playing professionally in Sweden.
TIDBITS: ODU forward Nyree Roberts is practicing again after missing time because of knee surgery . . . The Lady Monarchs have added two walk-on freshmen guards to their roster: Angela Carter and Tarijuana Napoleon. Carter, from Oscar Smith, played a year at Kennesaw State. Napoleon played the point at Newberry College . . . William and Mary is the league's only squad with all five starters returning . . . In the preseason All-CAA basketball poll, ODU was voted to repeat as league champion for the sixth straight time. Andrade, Machanguana and Penicheiro made the preseason All-CAA team along with Rilinger and JMU's Sarah Schreib. by CNB