OVC BASKETBALL PREVIEW: ENGLETTES POISED FOR REPEAT

Tennessee Tech is favored to continue its dominance of Ohio Valley Conference women's basketball this season.

The Golden Eaglettes, who have won or shared three of the past four OVC titles and have captured 13 league championships overall, received 14 of a possible 16 first-place votes (teams are not allowed to pick their own finish) in a recent poll of the league's head coaches and sports information directors.

"I think it's going to be a very competitive league. I think anybody can beat anybody," said Tech coach Bill Worrell, apparently not buying into the hype that his squad is the clear-cut favorite.

Austin Peay, which became the first No. 6 seed ever to advance to the OVC Tournament finals last season, was picked to finish second. The Lady Govs received three first-place votes.

Eastern Kentucky was picked third, followed by Murray State, Southeast Missouri State (which received the other first-place vote), Tennessee-Martin, Eastern Illinois, Tennessee State and Morehead State.

Conference teams open their regular seasons this week.

The following is a look at the teams as presented in the OVC 2000-01Women's Basketball Media Guide. Last year's overall and conference records are in parentheses.

Tenn. Tech (24-9, 16-2)

It's easy to see why the Eaglettes are favored to repeat their OVC regular-season and tournament titles as they return four starters, including junior center Janet Holt.

Holt (17.3 ppg, 7.2 rpg) earned OVC player of the year honors last season and she has been picked to repeat that award.

"Not only does Janet score, she rebounds, plays defense and runs the floor, and she's an Academic All-American," said Bill Worrell. "She ranks up with the outstanding players I've had."

Other Tech returning regulars are its three-guard attack of senior Rachael Gobble (5.4 ppg) and juniors Allison Clark (9.0 ppg, 3.2 rpg) and Misty Garrett (4.0 ppg, 5.6 apg).

The Eaglettes have two other returning letterwinners in senior forwards Leah Bird (2.4 ppg) and Iesha Jones (2.4 ppg).

Austin Peay (15-15, 9-9)

The fast-improving Lady Govs of coach Susie Gardner are poised to make a run at the OVC title as they return five starters among nine letterwinners from a squad that finished sixth in the OVC but made it all the way to the league tourney finals.

Headlining the returning regulars are sophomore guards Brooke Armistead (20.3 ppg) and Paige Smith (12.8 ppg). Armistead led the league in scoring and earned the conference's freshman of the year award last season while making second-team all-OVC.

Junior guard Kelly Chavez (7.8 ppg, 5.4 apg) is another returning starter, as are senior forwards Tiffany McCarley (5.7 ppg, 3.4 rpg) and Felicia Dowell (3.4 ppg, 4.0 rpg).

Another key player back up front is senior forward Jocelyn Duke (8.0 ppg, 4.6 rpg).

"Our team is together," said Gardner. "It's fun to come to practice."

E. Kentucky (13-15, 10-8)

Coach Larry Joe Inman's Lady Colonels return 10 letterwinners as they hope to improve on last year's fifth-place finish and make their way back to the top of the OVC standings.

Heading the list of returnees are three starters: senior center Candice Finley (12.7 ppg, 5.6 rpg), sophomore forward Teresa McNair (10.0 ppg, 4.9 ppg) and junior guard Mikki Bond (7.1 ppg, 4.2 apg).

Senior forward Charlotte Sizemore (17.0 ppg, 6.2 rpg) and junior guard/forward Larrya Wall (6.6 ppg, 4.4 rpg) are back after going down early last season with knee injuries. Sizemore is one of the league's premier frontcourt players.

Junior guard Zoey Artist (9.1 ppg, 4.7 rpg) made eight starts last year and adds even more experience, as do the four other returning letterwinners.

"We have some experienced players and hopefully that will help us," said Inman. "We hope we can be very competitive and have a great year."

Murray St. (14-15, 11-7)

The Lady Racers of coach Eddie Fields are coming off their most successful season in 11 years with a school-best OVC record and third-place league tie. With four starters back among 10 letterwinners, Murray is expected to contend for the conference title.

Topping the list of returnees are senior forwards Monika Gadson (13.8 ppg, 9.0 rpg) and Liz Stansberry (12.2 ppg, 3.7 rpg). Gadson led the league in rebounding last year and earned second-team all-OVC honors.

Other starters back are junior forward Susan Tackett (9.0 ppg, 5.5 rpg) and junior guard Eniko Verebes (4.6 ppg, 3.4 apg).

Among other returning players expected to compete for starting positions or contribute off the bench are junior guards Shannon Preston (4.8 ppg) and Erin Fetcher (4.2 ppg).

"It has taken some time, but each year we have gotten better," Fields said.

SE Missouri (11-17, 7-11)

After posting their most successful season at the Division I level two years ago, the Otahkians slipped to a seventh-place league finish last season. But with two returning starters and seven letterwinners back, coach Ed Arnzen is hopeful of a turnaround.

A big key to the season will be the return to health of junior center Pam Iversen (12.6 ppg, 7.4 rpg), who went down with a knee injury late last season, which contributed to Southeast's late slide. Iversen continues to round into form and should be at full strength soon.

The other returning regular is sophomore forward Lori Chase (8.5 ppg, 4.4 rpg), who made the OVC's all-freshmen team.

Also seeing plenty of action last year were sophomore guards Kristy Roherty (6.8 ppg, 46.2 percent 3-point shooting) and LaShelle Porter (5.8 ppg). Roherty led the league in 3-point shooting as a freshman.

Other returning letterwinners are sophomore guard Jennifer Gries (2.8 ppg) and forward Kim Nicholson (1.3 ppg), the team's lone senior. Also back is sophomore guard Tiffany Melis (2.0 ppg in 1998-99), who redshirted last year with an injury.

Arnzen has high hopes for six newcomers: junior center Cindy Bates, junior forwards Kim Brown and Jenny Anderson, junior guard Veronica Benson, freshman center Tisa Thomas and freshman guard Christine Rathke. Bates and Brown are currently out with injuries.

"I think we'll have a good basketball team, but we'll be better later, when hopefully everybody is healthy," said Arnzen.

Tenn.-Martin (12-16, 11-7)

The Skyhawks of co-head coaches Gary and Kim Van Atta are expected to be hard-pressed to match last year's third-place OVC tie as they return just two starters and have no seniors.

Returning starters are junior guard Tracy Webb (6.9 ppg, 5.2 rpg) and sophomore guard T.J. Barker (3.7 ppg).

Other letterwinners back are sophomore center Christi Binkley (6.5 ppg), junior guard Kelly Pendleton (5.8 ppg) and sophomore forwards LaShanta Morrow (5.7 ppg, 3.7 rpg) and Randi Morgan (2.9 ppg).

The Skyhawks will also be counting on six freshmen to either challenge for starting berths or fill key backup roles.

"We have one of the youngest teams, not only in the conference but the entire NCAA," said Gary Van Atta.

Eastern Illinois (8-19, 6-12)

Second-year coach Linda Wunder hopes three returning starters and four other letterwinners will help the Lady Panthers improve on last year's eighth-place conference tie.

Starters back from a year ago are senior guards Renee Schaul (9.7 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 4.0 apg) and Colleen McShane (5.8 ppg) and senior forward Angie Russell (7.1 ppg, 5.0 rpg).

Two key players off the bench return in sophomore forward Kayla Bloemer (7.9 ppg, 3.7 rpg) and sophomore center Brooke Gossett (6.7 ppg, 4.0 rpg).

Tenn. State (8-18, 6-12)

The Lady Tigers have the league's only new head coach in Valencia Jordan, a TSU assistant the past 11 years. She returns a veteran squad that was plagued by injuries last season but returns 10 letterwinners and seven players with starting experience off a team that tied for eighth in the OVC.

Heading up the list of returnees are senior forwards Tamara Washington (14.0 ppg, 5.1 rpg), Angela Hassell (12.5 ppg) and Taurus Pyles (10.3 ppg, 5.5 rpg). Washington earned second-team all-OVC honors last year.

Other starters back are senior guards Kizzy White (7.0 ppg) and Krystal Stancil (5.1 ppg) while junior forward Larissa Thomas (5.2 ppg, 3.4 rpg) tops the list of other returning letterwinners.

Morehead St. (2-25, 1-17)

The Lady Eagles struggled to a last-place OVC finish last year, but coach Laura Litter hopes that eight returning letterwinners -- three of them starters -- and several newcomers can help turn things around.

The returning starters are led by junior forward Tasha Gales (16.7 ppg, 9.1 rpg). Other regulars back are senior guard Naomi Bronson (8.3 ppg, 6.1 rpg) and sophomore guard Michelle Clemons (7.0 ppg, 3.6 apg) while junior guard Heidi Dalton (9.2 ppg) was a part-time starter last season.