Alabama Women’s Basketball Gets 2016-17 Season Started with First Official Practice
10/3/2016 4:24:00 PM | Women's Basketball
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The Alabama women's basketball team held its first official practice of the 2016-17 season on Monday inside Foster Auditorium. It was the first of 30 practice sessions the Crimson Tide will hold prior to tipping off the regular season on Friday, Nov. 11.
"We were a little bit further ahead than we normally are this time of year," said Kristy Curry, who enters her fourth season as head coach. "It was the best first day we've had since we've been here. Our junior class with Hannah (Cook) and NeNe (Bolton), Ashley Williams, and Meo Knight, Shaquera Wade, those five are doing a nice job of really bringing some experience. I always say association brings on assimilation, and I thought that our newcomers followed their pace today, so that was good to see."
The Tide returns seven letterwinners from a season ago, including four with starting experience. Cook and Meoshonti Knight started all 31 contest throughout the 2015-16 campaign and were the No. 1 and No. 2 scorers at 12.0 points and 10.1 points per game, respectively. Bolton followed with 9.8 points per game, in addition to 4.1 rebounds and a team-high 41 blocks. Wade, who played in 30 games and made nine starts as a freshman last year, chipped in 6.0 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.3 steals per outing.
"They're so poised," Curry said of her returning upperclassmen. "They understand what it takes. They've learned from the good and the bad, the happy and the sad, and become better people for it. Their leadership and the things they're doing off the floor for us has just been phenomenal, so the culture is much improved and where we want it to be. Shaquera Wade has grown up an awful lot as well, so those five (with the addition of Williams) have really carried the torch for us in the offseason on and off the court."
Williams, a 2014 Southeastern Conference All-Freshman Team honoree and the team's 2014-15 leader in points and rebounds, is also back in the rotation after sitting out last season.
"She (Ashley Williams) gives our team a lot of confidence," said Curry. "She just plays so hard. She's worked on her 12-15 foot jumper and that's consistent now. Her free throws have improved. She's physically nearly back as far as her stamina and conditioning. She just has a great presence about her on the floor and gives our team a lot of confidence. Believe me. It's a happy bunch. We are all happy to have her back."
Also returning for Alabama are sophomores Trista Magee and Taylor Berry.
New to the roster is a pair of true freshmen and four transfer student-athletes. Jordan Lewis comes in as one of the most highly-touted signees out of the state of Florida after earning multiple player of the year honors. Joining Lewis is Ashley Knight, who stands at 6-5 and was ranked the No. 16 post in the nation in the espnW 100.
"I could just sit here and talk about each one of them," said Curry of her newcomers. "I'm thrilled with our two freshmen, Jordan Lewis and Ashley Knight, and what they bring and what they give us. Jordan's leadership at the 1 and the ability to play the 2. She's got some things that she's got to learn, but you can never ever question the effort and commitment. I love her energy. Ashley Knight just gives you a new dynamic inside and has far exceeded where I thought she might be. The way she has embraced our strength staff and what she's done this summer, I'm just excited about the two and the chance that they have to impact us in a really big way."
DaiJia Ruffin, a three-time Ohio Valley Conference Freshman of the Week from UT Martin, was the first of the four transfers to join the Tide. Due to NCAA transfer rules, she will sit out the 2016-17 season.
Coco Knight and LaKyesha "KeKe" Stennis were added to the roster in late April after both having earned All-America honors at the junior college level. Da Silva, also a junior college All-American, hopped on board nearly one month later to complete the 2016-17 roster.
"Coco Knight really has the ability to get a shot off and will create something out of nothing, and I really love her energy and her willingness," added Curry. "She's an open book right now. She's just willing to learn. She's so coachable. KeKe Stennis is a great pure shooter and just continues to get better every day. Alana da Silva is really coming along with her health and was just cleared for some contact and really is a great player. We are looking forward to her being able to progress hopefully and get back. We are being real patient right now. Those five are really going to give us some dimension and depth, some size and some quickness and the ability to score in bunches, so we're excited about those five.
"We feel like we will be a group that's deeper than we've been, as quick and as athletic as we've been, and we have more size and more depth in the post. We're really excited about that."
In addition to speaking about her roster and how the first day of team practice went, Curry touched on the team's move back to Coleman Coliseum after having played primarily at Foster Auditorium since the end of the 2010-11 season.
"We're fired up to move to the coliseum," said Curry. "We've got 92 courtside seats that are sold out. There is so much excitement. Coming in, we love being in Foster. We love for that to be our home on a daily basis. We've had some great wins in this building, but there have also been some great wins and a great tradition in Coleman, and we're excited to pick that back up and carry it into the future. It's a great opportunity for our program to grow. I think it shows growth and that we're doing a lot of positive things."
The first chance to see the 2016-17 squad will be at the second annual Tide Tipoff event, which will be held on Friday, Oct. 21. Doors open at 6 p.m. for autographs, and the event will follow at 7 p.m.
Alabama will play its lone exhibition game on Friday, Nov. 4, against West Alabama at 7 p.m. and will tip off the regular season a week later with a doubleheader with the men's team. The women's game against New Orleans is slated for a 5 p.m. start, while the men's game against Coastal Carolina will tip at 8 p.m.
Season tickets are currently on sale and can be purchased here or by calling 1-877-TIDETIX (843-3849). Fans can also purchase tickets in advance at the Alabama Ticket Office, located in the lobby of Coleman Coliseum. Single game tickets will go on sale Monday, Oct. 24.
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