DATE: Thursday, November 13, 1997           TAG: 9711100208

SECTION: SPECIAL                 PAGE: Z10  EDITION: FINAL 

TYPE: 1997-98 BASKETBALL PREVIEW

SOURCE: By VICKI L. FRIEDMAN, STAFF WRITER 

                                            LENGTH:   48 lines

LADY MARLINS LOOK TO IMPROVE

Two decades after earning her degree from Old Dominion, Joanne Renn has graduated again.

After 15 years of coaching girls basketball at Norfolk Academy and three seasons as an assistant at Virgina Wesleyan, this year she settles into Wesleyan's head coaching job.

Here are some of the questions she faces:

Last year's team went 9-16 under Valerie Kepner. Is there reason to expect improvement?

Actually, there was substantial improvement last season - after losing eight of their first nine games, the Marlins played .500 ball the rest of the way. Two of last year's key players, Nancy Mattox and Samantha Green, are back after solid freshman seasons.

On the other hand, the Marlins are picked to finish 9th in the ODAC, two spots below where they placed last season.

What about LeeAnna Lillefloren, whose 20.3 points per game led the ODAC last year? She was just a sophomore - why isn't she on Wesleyan's roster this year?

Lillefloren is attending Tidewater Community College, but Renn hopes to have her back in a Wesleyan uniform for the second semester. Lillefloren hit 55 percent from the field and averaged 7.8 rebounds, both team-leading figures.

The Marlins don't have a lot of size, do they?

In a word, no. The tallest players are 5-foot-10 freshmen Toni Rodgers and Janine Swanson. April Green, a 5-9 freshman from Tallwood, could also see time at center. Then again, Lillefloren is just 5-9 herself, so don't write them off just yet.

How will the Marlins improve on the defensive effort that left them last in the ODAC in that department last year?

That's up to Renn and first-year assistant Stacy Himes, both of whom were defensive specialists when they played at ODU. Renn, who played for the Lady Monarchs in the mid-1970s, and Himes, a starter last year, will stress conditioning and try to play some pressing defense.

What are the prospects on offense?

Renn hopes to see the Marlins play an up-tempo transition game to offset their lack of height. By liberally using her bench, she hopes to wear down defenses and get balanced scoring. Renn is only half-joking when she says she'd like a team full of role players who average eight points apiece. KEYWORDS: SPECIAL SECTION SUPPLEMENT BASKETBALL

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