The College Basketball season is upon us and the ASUN Women’s basketball season should be very competitive. Coach Greg Todd enters his fourth season at EKU and has built a solid foundation. Preseason polls have the Colonels finishing fourth in the ASUN, but Todd and the team have higher expectations. Here is my EKU WBB season preview.
On The Road
EKU is in the process of upgrading its home stadium, which means the Colonels will not play a home game until January 11. While EKU will “host” a few games at Transylvania in Lexington, and Berea College, it will not be the home court advantage of playing on the EKU campus. Greg Todd’s team will start the season at LSU, which should be fun. They will also travel to Michigan State, Northern Kentucky, and even to Hawaii in their non-conference schedule.
Conference Play
The ASUN will be competitive, but it is really FGCU versus the field. EKU should be near the top of the conference and could be right there with Florida Gulf Coast.
Returning Players
One reason for high expectations this season is the slew of returners for Coach Todd. Alice Recanati returns for a fifth year coming off a third-team All-ASUN season. She has mastered the system and leads this team into the season. Kaitlyn Costner has improved from last season and will carry a larger roll. Guard Althea Kara Angeles is a spark plug on defense and will start the season in the first five. Jasmine McGinnis-Taylor is a beast in the post. Last year she averaged 6.4 Rebounds per game along with 6.9 Points per game. She will be the primary post-player. Raphaela Toussaint will see a larger role this year, and Kailani Lindsey will be counted on as a backup to Jasmine.
Freshmen
Coach Todd brought in a talented Freshman class. Liz Freihofer from Union, Kentucky, has impressed the staff and should see significant minutes. Guard Mya Wardle from Peoria, Illinois, will see minutes at point guard this season. Bre’Aria Cannon is from Christiana, Tennessee, and might have a small role in year one, and Louisville native Savannah Garner is dealing with an injury to start the year.
Transfers
Greg Todd has made a name for himself in the Transfer Portal over the years, but this year is a little different. EKU has utilized the portal but more for role players this season. It will take time to figure out the minutes for these ladies, but the Colonels welcome Love Mays (UT Martin), Capria Brown (Central Michigan), Ambah Kowcum (Wichita State), and Faith Walker (Western Nebraska CC) to Richmond.
Overview
I voted EKU third in the ASUN Preseason Media Poll. If Kaitlyn Costner and Jasmine McGinnis-Taylor take a step forward the Colonels will be very good. Alice brings the consistency, and Althea brings the energy. Rahaela, Love, Mya, and Liz can potentially form solid depth. The schedule and lack of home games will impact the team in the first half, but it also could prepare them for tournament time. I believe in Coach Todd and his staff, I believe in these ladies, but I do not believe in the fan base. Richmond and the EKU student body have yet to show proper support to the Lady Colonels, so I challenge you to show up to Transy and Berea and show up to conference games on campus. Show up for these ladies, and cheer on the Colonels!
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