West Virginia Mountaineers
Overall Rank: #31
Conference Rank: #4 Big 12
Under Coach Mike Carey, West Virginia has a habit of reaching the NCAA Tournament for two years and then making a deep WNIT run in the third year. The 2017-2018 campaign was a WNIT year where the Mountaineers went all the way to the semifinals. There is a lot of rebuilding to do with the loss of three starters, including Teana Muldrow and her team leading 18.9 points and 8.6 rebounds. It may take some time for WVU to replace Muldrow and guards Chania Ray and Kristina King, but there is a lot of talent coming into the program that should help the Mountaineers get back to the NCAAs.
2017-18 Record: 25-12, 8-10
2017-18 Postseason: WNIT
Coach: Mike Carey
Coach Record: 371-194 at West Virginia, 659-296 overall
Key Departed Players (starters in bold)
Teana Muldrow, Forward, 18.9 ppg
Chania Ray, Guard, 9.9 ppg
Kristina King, Forward, 9.8 ppg
Ashley Jones, Guard, 2.8 ppg
Destiny Harden, Forward, 2.5 ppg
Key Returning Players (starters in bold)
Naomi Davenport, Senior, Guard/Forward, 16.1 ppg
Katrina Pardee, Senior, Guard, 12.3 ppg
Theresa Ekhelar, Senior, Center, 2.0 ppg
Nia Staples, Sophomore, Guard, 0.9 ppg
Tynice Martin, Junior, Guard, Did not play last season
Key New Players
Kysre Gondrezick, Sophomore, Guard, Transfer from Michigan
Jala Jordan, Freshman, Forward
Kari Niblack, Freshman, Forward
Rochelle Norris, Freshman, Center
Madisen Smith, Freshman, Guard
Lucky Rudd, Junior, Guard, Transfer from North Carolina State, eligible 2nd semester
De’Janae Boykin, Junior, Forward, Transfer from Penn State, not eligible
Projection:
Kysre Gondrezick is the best of the newcomers. As a freshman at Michigan two years ago, the 5-9 guard led the Wolverines with 14.9 points. North Carolina State transfer Lucky Rudd will add some more experience to the backcourt once eligible after the first semester. The Mountaineers also add four freshmen, who all could make an impact right away. Kari Niblack, a 6-1 forward, is the highest regarded player coming out of high school, but Jala Jordan and Rochelle Norris are both quality frontcourt players as well. The newcomers will have to do a lot this year, but WVU does return a couple double digit scorers from last season. Naomi Davenport averaged 16.1 points and 7.1 rebounds and is ready to be the leader of this team during her senior season. She can score from anywhere on the floor and use her size and strength to effectively attack the basket. Katrina Pardee averaged 12.3 points and is the team’s most effective and efficient three-point shooter. Those two are a great duo to reload around and it appears that West Virginia has reloaded with enough talent to be a serious contender in the Big 12.
Projected Postseason Tournament: NCAA
By the Numbers:
Scoring Offense: 73.3 (46th in nation, 6th in conference)
Scoring Defense: 61.5 (89, 2)
Field-Goal Percentage: 44.6 (36, 4)
Field-Goal Defense:38.5 (76, 2)
Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 6.9 (82, 4)
Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 36.5 (35, 3)
Free-Throw Percentage: 71.7 (125, 6)
Rebound Margin: 2.8 (106, 4)
Assists Per Game:16.3 (31, 4)
Turnovers Per Game: 14.8 (114, 5)
Madness 2018 Women’s Basketball Recruit Rankings:
#60 Kari Niblack
#106 Rochelle Norris
#113 Jala Jordan
