MORRISTOWN, TN – Jasmin Coleman and her 14th ranked Walters State women's basketball team open up the 2022-23 season on Friday, ready to take on whatever is in store for them over the next few months.
Coleman's team consists of five players from last season's team, as well as seven newcomers that all look to make an impact on this year's Lady Senators squad.
For Coleman, the work has started in practice as she is pushing her team to be the best they can possibly be.
"In practice, we have been working hard each day and trying to be consistent with what we do," Coleman said. "We have had dealings with soreness and injury, but we have continued to work our way through that adversity."
The strength of the team comes at the guard position as the Lady Senators return a good collection of that group from last season's team. Coleman will lean on them and their experience, especially early on in the season.
"My returning guards have been some of my hardest workers all preseason," Coleman said. "I have been pushing them and putting them through situations where they have to deal with adversity. The benefits that veterans should bring is consistency with everything they do because of their experience. In practice each day, I demand that they bring that consistency."
One of the returners for Coleman is Maiya Reed. Reed enters year two as the point guard in Coleman's system. Last season, Reed started 24 games and averaged six points, five assists and four rebounds.
This year, Coleman has challenged Reed to be a more vocal leader. Throughout the preseason, Coleman is already seeing that from her point guard.
"Maiya is one of the best people that I have ever coached," Coleman said. "She brings it every day and has the right attitude on the floor and off. She was very big for us last year and without her we would not have accomplished what we did. She has a maturity on and off the floor that is hard to find nowadays. Coming into preseason, I spoke to Maiya about how big of a vocal leader she would need to be this year. She has taken on that role and has gotten others to understand the culture of this program."
As for other returners for Walters State, Coleman has seen them each step their game up during the preseason. Those returners include Matty Tanner, Izarria Alexander, Tyasia Reed and Larose Morrow.
Alexander started 22 games last season and averaged seven points and five rebounds. Tanner started 15 games and averaged 3.5 points per game while Morrow averaged 5.5 points and Reed five points and three rebounds.
"As a returner, your game must improve each year for you to effectively help your team and yourself," Coleman said. "All of my returners have done that. Matty Tanner has worked on her strength and ability to explode on offense and defense. Tyasia reed has stepped up into a vocal role and has adjusted to things that I have thrown at her. Larose Morrow has been in a cast the last 4 weeks with a broken hand, but she works each day on her conditioning and left hand. She has not missed a beat. Izarria Alexander has developed her jump shot single handedly. She has taken what I have told her and worked hard at it to be a threat on the perimeter for us.
"My returners understand the culture of the program and what it takes to be successful."
As for her freshmen and newcomers, Coleman has seen them continue to grow into the Walters State culture and improve their game as practice has continued. Those newcomers include Asia Barr, Julienne Ongbagnamen, Briontanay Marshall, Charlotte Carvalho, Kailyn Farrell, Ciara Taylor and Aminata Tal.
"My newcomers have come along, especially the last few weeks, with the on-court culture that is here," Coleman said. "The freshmen are very talented and are improving with the pace of the game and the understanding of how much urgency that they must play with. Understanding how hard you must go and the urgency you must have are major keys. Once they start to understand more about the culture of the program, they will really take off."
The schedule is tough from start to finish for Walters State as they take on No. 2 Shelton State on Friday at 2 p.m. to open up the season in the Senators Tip Off Classic. Shelton State finished 29-1 last season. Then, on Saturday, the Lady Senators will take on Georgia Highlands at 12 p.m. Georgia Highlands finished as the national runner-up last season after falling in the national championship game.
Walters State will play in two more tournaments during the regular season. That, along with the teams in the conference, set the Lady Senators up to play one of the tougher schedules they have seen in a while.
"It is important to me, and this program, that we play a challenging schedule," Coleman said. "Not only to prepare my players for Walters State but to prepare them for competition when they move to the next level."
Goals this season for Coleman are the same as they've been. First, Coleman wants to see her team take care of business in the classroom. On the court, the team's goals this season include winning the regular season TCCAA title, the TCCAA/Region VII Tournament and attempt to make the NJCAA Tournament Elite Eight for the first time since 2018.
"My biggest goal for this team and all of my teams is for them to graduate," Coleman said. "Next, would be for them to work hard every time they step on the floor. Right now, several of my players do that every day. We have all bases covered when it comes to the things you want a team to have and what a team must have to be successful. Now, we have to put those things into play each night out to have a chance to remain nationally ranked, win the conference, the tournament and get to an elite eight."
Walters State kicks off the season on Friday at 2 p.m., hosting No. 2 Shelton State in the Senators Tip Off Classic.
If you are not able to attend a game this season, all home games will be streamed at https://www.wsccathletics.com/information/Gamestream. You can also find the link on our website underneath the Fan Zone tab.
Rob Harvey
Walters State Community College
Sports Information Director
Cell: (423) 779-8880
Email: sportsinfo@ws.edu
Website: www.ws.edu/athletics