On the heels of consecutive home victories by the football team, a No. 7 seed in the upcoming NCAA tournament by the men’s soccer team and an ever-improving women’s swimming and diving squad, fans can expect another injection of school spirit this evening when SMU basketball tips off the 2004-05 season.
Both the men’s (13-15, 9-9 WAC last season) and women’s (12-18. 5-13 WAC last season) teams were undefeated in a total of three pre-season contests, and the women’s squad will reveal a very new lineup tonight against the Sam Houston State Bearkats.
With only three returning starters (junior forward Sarah Davis, senior forward Shonte Roberts and junior guard Kendall Shead), the team must look to fill holes left by Shanta Ramdhanny, Andrea Cossey and Kaira White, who retired in early September due to knee injuries.
According to senior guard Juli Colli (who joins sophomore forward Katie Gross to complete the starting five), the presence of so many new faces made for a confusing start to fall practices.
“We started with everyone behind,” said Colli, who transferred from Vanderbilt two years ago but will take the court in an SMU jersey for the first time tonight. NCAA transfer regulations kept her out of action in 2002-03 and she suffered a season-ending injury during last fall’s preseason.
“In practice,” she said, “you saw a lot of mistakes and corrections.”
Head Coach Rhonda Rompola, who holds a 235-151 record in 14 seasons at the helm for SMU, instilled a new offense in the team, an added challenge for a squad with five freshmen and just one fourth-year starter (Roberts).
“When you transition from high school to college,” Colli said of the newcomers, “there are different ways to play the college game.”
As a senior with two years of experience at Vanderbilt behind her, she hopes her leadership and competitive attitude will help the women come together throughout the season.
“I want to continue to be part of the reinforcement for the new people,” Colli said, “while they are learning the college game and our head coach’s offense.”
The women’s team will take the court tonight against the Bearkats at 6:30 p.m., followed by the men at 8 p.m.
Following a rigorous preseason regimen and a slew of hard-hitting injuries, senior forward Patrick Simpson maintains a positive attitude about the way his teammates have performed lately.
“This season has been different because of the intensity,” he said. “Practices have been spirited, and you can see the confidence, especially in the newcomers.”
Simpson, who saw action in each of the team’s 30 games last year, and was the leader in nearly every rebounding category, including an average of six boards per game, is part of a squad with as many newcomers (four) as returning starters.
One of the newcomers, freshman forward Paulius Ritter, joins junior forward/center Donatas Rackauskas as the two Lithuanian natives look to give the Mustangs some foreign forte this year, though it may be a while before they appear on the court together. Rackauskas, who chipped in with 60 points and 12 blocks last season, won’t see playing time for eight to 10 weeks due to a right knee injury. He joins senior guard Mike Dement (mononucleosis) and junior guard Brian Miller (back) as three key contributors who will begin the year on the injured list.
In addition, the Mustangs lost five players from last year’s roster, namely former starting guard/forward Kris Lowe.
According to Rackauskas, Lowe, who was second on the team in successful three-pointers (25) and assists (61) last season, will likely have his vacant starting spot filled by sophomore forward Devon Pearson.
According to Simpson, the team is in “great shape” which should help the team gain concentration.
The men’s team will begin their season tonight against the University of Texas-Tyler Patriots at 8 p.m. in Moody Coliseum.
