University of Memphis Athletics
Photo by: Brandon Dill
Women's Basketball Season Review: Part I
Mar 16, 2017 | Women's Basketball
Tigers' season synopsis, look-ahead.
Today begins a three-part review series on the 2016-17 Tigers women's basketball season, starting with a synopsis and a quick look-ahead.
The series schedule is as follows:
Mar. 16 -- Season synopsis/look-ahead
Mar. 17 -- Season By The Numbers
Mar. 18 -- Tigers' Top-Five Games
MEMPHIS, Tenn. – When a program loses four seniors, the following season normally is a rebuilding one.
And, when adding that those four seniors accounted for 65 percent of the team's scoring (1,371-of-2,104 points) and 55 of the squad's rebounding (611-of-1,102 boards), that screams more of a restoration project.
That's what ninth-year University of Memphis women's basketball head coach Melissa McFerrin faced in 2016-17. No returning player averaged better than 7.0 points or 5.0 rebounds. The leading three-point shooter hit only 18 treys. The returnee with the top assists average was 1.6 per game.
McFerrin and her staff – which also underwent changes in the off-season with two new assistant coaches – went to work molding the 2016-17 squad. It, though, wasn't a blank slate McFerrin and staff were working with. It was just a core that needed a little more development and an opportunity to prove themselves.
So, McFerrin scheduled an overseas exhibition tour of Spain for August to begin the retooling process. The 10-day, four-game trip was a tremendous success. The Tigers posted a 4-0 record and won all four contests by a 25.5 margin of victory.
And, as expected, Tigers players gained solid experience and built confidence. Cheyenne Creighton scored double figures in three of the four games and recorded one double-double. Brea Elmore had two double-figure scoring performances.
But, perhaps the biggest takeaway from the Spain tour was the addition of transfer Ashia Jones and her first games with the Tigers. Jones transferred to Memphis from UT Martin prior to 2015-16, but had to sit out that season per NCAA transfer rules. Jones, a prolific scorer in her two seasons at UT Martin (1,178 points), had a "break-out" trip to Spain. The 6-foot-1 forward averaged a double-double (13.3 ppg/11.3 rpg) and had two double-double games of 16 points-16 rebounds and 14 points-14 boards. In the one game she failed to record double figures in points and rebounds, Jones finished with nine points, six boards, five assists and five steals.
In Jones, the Tigers had a "go-to" player for the early portion of the 2016-17 campaign until the talented but inexperienced returnees were comfortable in their new leadership roles. McFerrin's squad had momentum rolling into preseason practices and the start of the regular season.
Then, as preseason practices began in October, that momentum hit two speed bumps. Jones suffered an ACL injury and was out for the season. Soon after, Alyssa Dean, a promising freshman, also suffered an ACL and further cut short the Memphis bench. So, plans – that were designed during the summer and worked on in practices and games on the Spain tour – were altered. The outlook for the 2016-17 Tigers campaign took a major blow with only days remaining before the regular-season opener.
McFerrin and her crew were undeterred and went back to work. After a slow start in November, Creighton and Elmore – along with Taylor Williams and Breigha Wilder-Cochran – slid into their roles and made the Tigers a squad foes did not want to face from mid-December until the end of the campaign. Despite the injury setbacks, Memphis won 14 games and, of their 16 losses, eight were by 10 or fewer points.
This campaign was one in which the 2016-17 Tigers kept the program's ship steady. Entering the season, Memphis first faced graduation departures from the 2015-16 team. Then, add to that the injury losses to two players that figured to play key minutes in 2016-17. Indeed, the Tigers program could have – and probably should have – nose-dived. But, it didn't.
McFerrin and her squad fought every time out and put together a season that not only shocked outsiders, but maybe even surprised themselves a little.
The Look Ahead
Unlike following the 2015-16 campaign, the Tigers have veteran leadership coming back in 2017-18. Seven of the nine available players on this season's team return next year, and with them, a lot of scoring and rebounding – and confidence.
Moreover, the healthy additions of Ashia Jones and Alyssa Dean and a strong incoming class of freshman has all the makings of a deep and talented squad for 2017-18 – a team that could be McFerrin's best since 2010-11 when those Tigers won 25 games and had the conference player of the year, league defensive player of the year and three all-conference picks.
The series schedule is as follows:
Mar. 16 -- Season synopsis/look-ahead
Mar. 17 -- Season By The Numbers
Mar. 18 -- Tigers' Top-Five Games
MEMPHIS, Tenn. – When a program loses four seniors, the following season normally is a rebuilding one.
And, when adding that those four seniors accounted for 65 percent of the team's scoring (1,371-of-2,104 points) and 55 of the squad's rebounding (611-of-1,102 boards), that screams more of a restoration project.
That's what ninth-year University of Memphis women's basketball head coach Melissa McFerrin faced in 2016-17. No returning player averaged better than 7.0 points or 5.0 rebounds. The leading three-point shooter hit only 18 treys. The returnee with the top assists average was 1.6 per game.
McFerrin and her staff – which also underwent changes in the off-season with two new assistant coaches – went to work molding the 2016-17 squad. It, though, wasn't a blank slate McFerrin and staff were working with. It was just a core that needed a little more development and an opportunity to prove themselves.
So, McFerrin scheduled an overseas exhibition tour of Spain for August to begin the retooling process. The 10-day, four-game trip was a tremendous success. The Tigers posted a 4-0 record and won all four contests by a 25.5 margin of victory.
And, as expected, Tigers players gained solid experience and built confidence. Cheyenne Creighton scored double figures in three of the four games and recorded one double-double. Brea Elmore had two double-figure scoring performances.
But, perhaps the biggest takeaway from the Spain tour was the addition of transfer Ashia Jones and her first games with the Tigers. Jones transferred to Memphis from UT Martin prior to 2015-16, but had to sit out that season per NCAA transfer rules. Jones, a prolific scorer in her two seasons at UT Martin (1,178 points), had a "break-out" trip to Spain. The 6-foot-1 forward averaged a double-double (13.3 ppg/11.3 rpg) and had two double-double games of 16 points-16 rebounds and 14 points-14 boards. In the one game she failed to record double figures in points and rebounds, Jones finished with nine points, six boards, five assists and five steals.
In Jones, the Tigers had a "go-to" player for the early portion of the 2016-17 campaign until the talented but inexperienced returnees were comfortable in their new leadership roles. McFerrin's squad had momentum rolling into preseason practices and the start of the regular season.
Then, as preseason practices began in October, that momentum hit two speed bumps. Jones suffered an ACL injury and was out for the season. Soon after, Alyssa Dean, a promising freshman, also suffered an ACL and further cut short the Memphis bench. So, plans – that were designed during the summer and worked on in practices and games on the Spain tour – were altered. The outlook for the 2016-17 Tigers campaign took a major blow with only days remaining before the regular-season opener.
McFerrin and her crew were undeterred and went back to work. After a slow start in November, Creighton and Elmore – along with Taylor Williams and Breigha Wilder-Cochran – slid into their roles and made the Tigers a squad foes did not want to face from mid-December until the end of the campaign. Despite the injury setbacks, Memphis won 14 games and, of their 16 losses, eight were by 10 or fewer points.
This campaign was one in which the 2016-17 Tigers kept the program's ship steady. Entering the season, Memphis first faced graduation departures from the 2015-16 team. Then, add to that the injury losses to two players that figured to play key minutes in 2016-17. Indeed, the Tigers program could have – and probably should have – nose-dived. But, it didn't.
McFerrin and her squad fought every time out and put together a season that not only shocked outsiders, but maybe even surprised themselves a little.
The Look Ahead
Unlike following the 2015-16 campaign, the Tigers have veteran leadership coming back in 2017-18. Seven of the nine available players on this season's team return next year, and with them, a lot of scoring and rebounding – and confidence.
Moreover, the healthy additions of Ashia Jones and Alyssa Dean and a strong incoming class of freshman has all the makings of a deep and talented squad for 2017-18 – a team that could be McFerrin's best since 2010-11 when those Tigers won 25 games and had the conference player of the year, league defensive player of the year and three all-conference picks.
Players Mentioned
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