The loss of six seniors at the close of that season threatened to derail UD’s progress. But the 2008-09 Flyers proved that age isn’t everything, advancing to the second round of the WNIT before being eliminated by Indiana 59-57.
Last year’s team was bolstered by an outstanding freshman class, including Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Year Justine Raterman.
“I think last year was a great surprise because we started three freshmen, a sophomore and a junior and won 21 games,” UD coach Jim Jabir said.
Now Jabir is confident his team has the necessary experience to move to the next level.
“We have the advantage that all these kids have had a full year of college experience and been in the postseason,” he said.
UD’s sights are now firmly set on an NCAA tournament appearance.
The Flyers will have to get through some demanding games to get there. They’ll start the season against No. 10 Michigan State (7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 13) and No. 19 Louisville (Sunday), followed by Georgetown and Elite 8 participant Purdue on the road.
Jabir said the schedule is a reflection of a change in priorities.
“When I first got here our priority was recruiting, and in order to recruit you have to have a lot of wins. So you schedule to win games,” he said. “Now the object is to measure how good we are.”
UD is predicted to finish third in the A-10, and a few key wins in this year’s schedule may be their ticket to the postseason.
“If we win 20 games, with our schedule, we could possibly be in the top 25 RPI for the end of the year,” Jabir said.
Lone senior Kendel Ross said the younger players have showed that they’re ready for a demanding season.
“All of (the freshmen) are competing really well. Olivia Applewhite came in and she’s extremely strong physically,” Ross said, also praising freshman Samantha MacKay’s performance at point guard. “She’s got a great head for the game.”
UD’s third freshman, Kari Daugherty, younger sister of junior Kristin Daugherty (preseason second-team all-conference), is already showing that shooting prowess runs in the family. She scored 12 points in 12 minutes in the Flyers’ exhibition game against Indiana (Pa.).
Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2124 or kwedell@coxohio.com.