Virginia men’s basketball coach Dave Leitao has occasionally stopped by practice to check on the progress of the Cavaliers’ women’s team. Leitao’s impressions give a good indication of the excitement brewing in Charlottesville.
“His words to me were: ‘I’ve got two words for you: Monica Wright,’” said Virginia women’s coach Debbie Ryan. “It just gives you and idea of where things are.”
Securing the services of Wright, a McDonald’s All-American and Forest Park High graduate is the kind of move that may help the Cavaliers reach the elite level of Duke, North Carolina and Maryland, who all made it to the Final Four last year. Virginia finished the 2005-06 season 20-12 overall but just 5-9 in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
“Last year on our home floor we took Maryland to overtime, so the gap is not quite as big as everybody seems to think it is,” said Ryan. “I think that we’ve obviously closed the gap in the recruiting area and also in the fact that we’re an older, more experienced team.”
Bu the team everyone is gunning for, not only in the ACC but the entire country, is the defending national champion Terrapins, who return eight players from last year’s team — including all five starters. But Maryland also welcomes transfers Sa’de Wiley-Gatewood (Tennessee) and Christie Marrone (Virginia Tech), both talented guards who will expect to see significant playing time.
“I think we’ll be fine with chemistry,” said All-American junior forward Crystal Langhorne. “The biggest things our coaches have been stressing is defense. We really need to get better defensively and turning the ball over. We have [Wiley-Gatewood and Marrone] coming into the lineup, two point guards, so I think that’s going to take care of our turnovers, and we’re getting better on defense every day.”
Langhorne also doesn’t buy into the notion of a gap, and is well versed in the ACC competition. “I’m not sure about this year. I know Virginia is going to be real good, and N.C. State is always a tough team. The ACC is always so good,” she said.
The Terrapins will only graduate two this year, meaning reloading again for 2007-08 should be easy. But is it possible for a team to have too much talent?
“I think with some teams, yes, but with our team I think we’re balanced enough,” said Terps sophomore guard/forward Marissa Coleman (St. John’s), last season’s ACC rookie of the year. “We do have a lot of talent but I think that we are a very unselfish team, and nobody on this team has the goal where they’re out for themselves. Everybody is just trying to win another national championship.”
ACC GOES LOCAL
The following D.C.-area players are ready to compete for ACC women’s basketball teams this season:
» Duke: Wanisha Smith, G, Jr., 5-foot-11, Riverdale Baptist; Brittany Mitch, G/F, Fr., 6-2, St. John’s
North Carolina: Iman McFarland, F, Soph., 6-3, McNamara
» Virginia: Monica Wright, G, Fr., 5-11, Forest Park; Paulisha Kellum, G, Fr., 5-9, McNamara; Abby Robertson, C, Soph., 6-3, Lake Braddock; Lyndra Littles, F, Soph., 6-1, Carroll
» Virginia Tech: Laura Haskins, G, Soph., 5-10, West Springfield: A.J. Lemaitre, G, Soph., 5-10, W.T. Woodson
» Wake Forest: Courteney Morris, F, Fr., 5-11, Parkdale; Yolanda Lavender, G, Soph., 5-9, Carroll
