Post by hawkeye on Oct 19, 2005 8:06:49 GMT -5
I feel Bibbs is the best athletic hire Renick has made.
www.ncataggies.com/Womensbasketball/articles/Women's%20Preview.htm
"I WANT THE AGGIES TO EXPERIENCE A WINNER"
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
New North Carolina A&T women’s basketball coach Patricia Cage-Bibbs has nine regular-season championships, six conference tournament championships between the MEAC and the SWAC, six NCAA Tournament appearances and she has compiled 368 wins as she enters season No. 21.
In every category where success is measured in a program, Bibbs’ numbers have exceeded that of the women’s basketball program at N.C. A&T.
Bibbs’ new team has three regular-season championships, one MEAC tournament championships, one NCAA Tournament appearance and has compiled 268 wins as a program. So what is Bibbs, a coach who has little left to prove, doing in Greensboro and back in coaching?
One reason is because her family missed seeing her on the sideline. The next reason has nothing to do with Bibbs, but deals with N.C. A&T exclusively.
“I want N.C. A&T to enjoy some of the same the success I’ve had in my career,’’ said Bibbs, who coached at Hampton University for seven seasons before stepping down after the 2003-2004 season. “I’ve won my championships. God has blessed me so much over my coaching career. I’m here to bring a winning tradition to the Aggies.
“This is a great University with great leadership and a passionate fan base, I saw that when I came in here as the enemy. I want the Aggies to experience a winner. They deserve it.”
What Bibbs needs to make the Aggies a consistent winner may not jump in her lap in year one. Bibbs became the fifth coach in N.C. A&T women’s basketball history in March.
Therefore, she did not have much time to bring in the players that fit her up-tempo, in-your face fullcourt defense she is accustomed to playing. Opponents should not take that as a Bibbs retreat from her normal style, however.
“Oh yes, we’re going to come after folks,’’ Bibbs said. “I’m not changing that. These girls are going to have to learn how to play defense if they’re going to play for me.”
Bibbs also understands there are other dynamics to winning other than the system. Not only are talented players needed, but talented players who want to win.
“People can’t imagine how tough it is to start a program, especially when you have not had the opportunity to recruit,’’ Bibbs said. “You have to take a couple of walk-ons, some players who have been in the program before you arrived and do the best you can. You can’t get discouraged because you never know what can happen. You can truly get it done. It’s going to be a hard task because my opponents know what I’ve been blessed with in the past, so they’re not going to take it easy on us.
“But I’m going to follow the same procedures because I may not always have the best talent, but it doesn’t always take the best talent to get the job done. And that’s what I want to instill in our ladies, you may not have been highly recruited, but when you leave the court, you’re going to leave everything out there.”
There might not be much sympathy for Bibbs among her MEAC counterparts anyway. The Aggies were 10-18 overall, 9-9 in the MEAC and finished tied for sixth in the conference. In doing so, the Aggies accomplished some feats that have not been reached in a while.
Their 10 wins marked the most wins they’ve had since the 1996-97 season when they won 11 games. Their sixth place finish was their highest finish since ’96-97, and their nine conference wins was the most since ’96-97.
N.C. A&T returns seven players from the 2004-05 team, including first-team All-MEAC performer Shareka Glover (12.6 ppg, 4.8 apg, 3.4 rpg, 79 steals). Glover, a senior, led the conference in assists last season. Bibbs also has All-Freshman performer swing player LaKeisha Williams (8.6 ppg, 3.5 rpg) and senior forward Kira Tillman (8.6 ppg, 3.3 rpg) to rely on for experience.
Throw in senior forward Bianca Johnson (11.4 ppg, 4.6 rpg in ‘02-‘03), a player who starred for Bibbs at Hampton, and solid point guard Tiffany Troy, and the sympathy guards flowing into the women’s basketball office on Benbow Road might be limited.
Last season was highlighted by a non-conference win over High Point University and a home win over Howard, a team the Aggies had not defeated since 2001. The Aggies also won three out of their last four games to finish .500 in the conference.
One can see how 10-win seasons and .500 finishes are not accomplishments that impress someone of Bibbs’ credentials when you consider she has never finished a season with fewer than 11 wins, she has 10 20-win seasons during her 20-year career, she has never finished below fifth in the SWAC or the MEAC and a Bibbs led team has finished below .500 only three times.
“My expectation of any program I have stepped into is to win,’’ Bibbs said. “I don’t sell winning, I instill it in my players. I want these young ladies to know they can win. I’m not talking about just wins. Even bad teams can win a few. I’m talking about winning regular-season championships, conference championships and winning in the (NCAA) tournament. I want them to be winners in life and be productive citizens because once they leave A&T and get out there in the world, the competition becomes even greater.”
The Aggies competition in the MEAC starts with the usual suspects – Coppin State, Hampton, Howard and Maryland-Eastern Shore. If guard play is essential to winning conference championships, the Aggies have some key ingredients at the position.
It of course starts with Glover, who is an excellent player maker and her ball-handling skills usually has crowds across the MEAC ooohing and awwwing when she crosses someone over or avoids defenders with a smooth behind the back dribble. Glover is also a scorer and teams need points to win, which is why Bibbs is exploring the idea of moving Glover to the shooting guard position.
“I truly want a championship for (Shareka),’’ said Bibbs. “She is such an exceptional player, and I think she deserves to be on a winner. We want to make her more efficient and more of an all-around player. We plan to do that by taking her out of that point guard position. We may use her there from time to time, but I see some other people that can probably help us there.”
Five-foot-six sophomore point guard Tiffany Troy comes to mind when talking about the Aggies point guard position. Troy is out of Red Springs, N.C., a program that has been traditionally strong over the years. She is a combo guard similar to Glover, which gives the Aggies scoring and ball distribution at both guard positions.
“We think Tiffany is really going to help us,’’ said Bibbs. “She comes from a great high school program and she’s just the kind of kid that can get it done out there. I think she can get us into our offense and she can free up (Shareka) so she can do what she does.”
Renee Porter (4.1 ppg, 2.6 apg, 2.3 rpg), who started 18 games for the Aggies last season, looks to also figure into the mix at point guard because of her defensive presence in Bibbs’ Pressure Cooker. Tiffany McCain, sophomore out of Fairfax, Va., is another newcomer who could see playing time at the point guard position.
Glover’s move to the shooting guard position gives the Aggies a lot of depth, but they will need to find a replacement for 3-point specialist Yanumbe Sherman, who shot 35 percent from 3-point range a year ago.
At the small forward positions the Aggies are loaded. LaKeisha Williams returns and could provide the Aggies the presence they need from the perimeter. Tillman, who showed signs of being an outstanding scorer last season, will also play the 3-position. Johnson should be the Aggies top newcomer this season.
She was a key part in the Pirates winning the 2003 MEAC regular-season and tournament championships there is room for her in Aggieland. Don’t be surprised if you see two of the three aforementioned players starting as the Aggies developed their post players.
“I know what I’m getting in Bianca,’’ Bibbs said. “She’s going to come in the gym, work hard and at the end of the day she wants a W. Kira is a seasoned player. You can tell that when you see her in practice. I think her experience is really going to help us out. I love (LaKeisha) Williams. She’ll run through the wall if you want her too.”
Emily Christopher could step in at either the small forward or the shooting guard position. She is a highly regarded recruit, but may need to improve defensively before playing significant minutes.
Bibbs knows her post presence needs work, but she is not totally troubled by what she has to put out on the floor. Malea Gibson and Ashleigh Williams, two returning players from the ’04-’05 season are steadily improving. Gibson and Williams have dropped weight and have added some tone to their bodies. Both players missed significant time last season because of injury.
Gibson may receive the majority of the playing between the two. Gibson is becoming the aggressive defender and rebounder Bibbs likes in her post players. As Williams gets back into playing shape, she will figure into the rotation.
“We really like what we see in Malea,’’ Bibbs said. “She’s a hard worker and we didn’t realize how strong she was. I think she has a chance to be a great defender.”
Fresno State transfer Tiffany Williams will give both players competition at the position. Tiffany Williams redshirted last season, so this will be her first opportunity to play competitive Division I basketball as redshirt freshman.
“She’s strong,’’ Bibbs said. “We need to improve her foot speed, but she is going to help us out down there.”
Freshman Tiffaney Grady is an undersized post player at 5-10, but if she proves she can defend post players, she has the talent to her playing time. Kyeisha Brooks, a freshman out Niceville, Fla., has potential and may help the Aggies once conference play starts.
Before the conference season begins, the Aggies have some tough games on their schedule. The Aggies start the season in Elon, N.C., as they face the Elon Phoenix on Nov. 18. The Aggies face two more in-state non-conference rivals when they head to UNC-Asheville and when East Carolina visits Corbett Sports Center. The Aggies’ biggest non-conference tests come over the Holidays. They travel to Miami to play in the University of Miami Tournament, which features Ole Miss, Miami and Maine. On New Year’s Day, they travel to Baton Rouge, La., Bibbs’ home state, to play nationally-ranked LSU. Navy, Kentucky and Wofford will round out the Aggies non-conference schedule.
The Aggies conference schedule begins with S.C. State in December. The Bulldogs defeated the Aggies in last season’s MEAC Tournament. The most anticipated match-up will likely be Bibbs’ return to Hampton on Jan. 30. The defending MEAC Champions Coppin State come to Corbett Sports Center on Jan. 21.
www.ncataggies.com/Womensbasketball/articles/Women's%20Preview.htm
"I WANT THE AGGIES TO EXPERIENCE A WINNER"
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
New North Carolina A&T women’s basketball coach Patricia Cage-Bibbs has nine regular-season championships, six conference tournament championships between the MEAC and the SWAC, six NCAA Tournament appearances and she has compiled 368 wins as she enters season No. 21.
In every category where success is measured in a program, Bibbs’ numbers have exceeded that of the women’s basketball program at N.C. A&T.
Bibbs’ new team has three regular-season championships, one MEAC tournament championships, one NCAA Tournament appearance and has compiled 268 wins as a program. So what is Bibbs, a coach who has little left to prove, doing in Greensboro and back in coaching?
One reason is because her family missed seeing her on the sideline. The next reason has nothing to do with Bibbs, but deals with N.C. A&T exclusively.
“I want N.C. A&T to enjoy some of the same the success I’ve had in my career,’’ said Bibbs, who coached at Hampton University for seven seasons before stepping down after the 2003-2004 season. “I’ve won my championships. God has blessed me so much over my coaching career. I’m here to bring a winning tradition to the Aggies.
“This is a great University with great leadership and a passionate fan base, I saw that when I came in here as the enemy. I want the Aggies to experience a winner. They deserve it.”
What Bibbs needs to make the Aggies a consistent winner may not jump in her lap in year one. Bibbs became the fifth coach in N.C. A&T women’s basketball history in March.
Therefore, she did not have much time to bring in the players that fit her up-tempo, in-your face fullcourt defense she is accustomed to playing. Opponents should not take that as a Bibbs retreat from her normal style, however.
“Oh yes, we’re going to come after folks,’’ Bibbs said. “I’m not changing that. These girls are going to have to learn how to play defense if they’re going to play for me.”
Bibbs also understands there are other dynamics to winning other than the system. Not only are talented players needed, but talented players who want to win.
“People can’t imagine how tough it is to start a program, especially when you have not had the opportunity to recruit,’’ Bibbs said. “You have to take a couple of walk-ons, some players who have been in the program before you arrived and do the best you can. You can’t get discouraged because you never know what can happen. You can truly get it done. It’s going to be a hard task because my opponents know what I’ve been blessed with in the past, so they’re not going to take it easy on us.
“But I’m going to follow the same procedures because I may not always have the best talent, but it doesn’t always take the best talent to get the job done. And that’s what I want to instill in our ladies, you may not have been highly recruited, but when you leave the court, you’re going to leave everything out there.”
There might not be much sympathy for Bibbs among her MEAC counterparts anyway. The Aggies were 10-18 overall, 9-9 in the MEAC and finished tied for sixth in the conference. In doing so, the Aggies accomplished some feats that have not been reached in a while.
Their 10 wins marked the most wins they’ve had since the 1996-97 season when they won 11 games. Their sixth place finish was their highest finish since ’96-97, and their nine conference wins was the most since ’96-97.
N.C. A&T returns seven players from the 2004-05 team, including first-team All-MEAC performer Shareka Glover (12.6 ppg, 4.8 apg, 3.4 rpg, 79 steals). Glover, a senior, led the conference in assists last season. Bibbs also has All-Freshman performer swing player LaKeisha Williams (8.6 ppg, 3.5 rpg) and senior forward Kira Tillman (8.6 ppg, 3.3 rpg) to rely on for experience.
Throw in senior forward Bianca Johnson (11.4 ppg, 4.6 rpg in ‘02-‘03), a player who starred for Bibbs at Hampton, and solid point guard Tiffany Troy, and the sympathy guards flowing into the women’s basketball office on Benbow Road might be limited.
Last season was highlighted by a non-conference win over High Point University and a home win over Howard, a team the Aggies had not defeated since 2001. The Aggies also won three out of their last four games to finish .500 in the conference.
One can see how 10-win seasons and .500 finishes are not accomplishments that impress someone of Bibbs’ credentials when you consider she has never finished a season with fewer than 11 wins, she has 10 20-win seasons during her 20-year career, she has never finished below fifth in the SWAC or the MEAC and a Bibbs led team has finished below .500 only three times.
“My expectation of any program I have stepped into is to win,’’ Bibbs said. “I don’t sell winning, I instill it in my players. I want these young ladies to know they can win. I’m not talking about just wins. Even bad teams can win a few. I’m talking about winning regular-season championships, conference championships and winning in the (NCAA) tournament. I want them to be winners in life and be productive citizens because once they leave A&T and get out there in the world, the competition becomes even greater.”
The Aggies competition in the MEAC starts with the usual suspects – Coppin State, Hampton, Howard and Maryland-Eastern Shore. If guard play is essential to winning conference championships, the Aggies have some key ingredients at the position.
It of course starts with Glover, who is an excellent player maker and her ball-handling skills usually has crowds across the MEAC ooohing and awwwing when she crosses someone over or avoids defenders with a smooth behind the back dribble. Glover is also a scorer and teams need points to win, which is why Bibbs is exploring the idea of moving Glover to the shooting guard position.
“I truly want a championship for (Shareka),’’ said Bibbs. “She is such an exceptional player, and I think she deserves to be on a winner. We want to make her more efficient and more of an all-around player. We plan to do that by taking her out of that point guard position. We may use her there from time to time, but I see some other people that can probably help us there.”
Five-foot-six sophomore point guard Tiffany Troy comes to mind when talking about the Aggies point guard position. Troy is out of Red Springs, N.C., a program that has been traditionally strong over the years. She is a combo guard similar to Glover, which gives the Aggies scoring and ball distribution at both guard positions.
“We think Tiffany is really going to help us,’’ said Bibbs. “She comes from a great high school program and she’s just the kind of kid that can get it done out there. I think she can get us into our offense and she can free up (Shareka) so she can do what she does.”
Renee Porter (4.1 ppg, 2.6 apg, 2.3 rpg), who started 18 games for the Aggies last season, looks to also figure into the mix at point guard because of her defensive presence in Bibbs’ Pressure Cooker. Tiffany McCain, sophomore out of Fairfax, Va., is another newcomer who could see playing time at the point guard position.
Glover’s move to the shooting guard position gives the Aggies a lot of depth, but they will need to find a replacement for 3-point specialist Yanumbe Sherman, who shot 35 percent from 3-point range a year ago.
At the small forward positions the Aggies are loaded. LaKeisha Williams returns and could provide the Aggies the presence they need from the perimeter. Tillman, who showed signs of being an outstanding scorer last season, will also play the 3-position. Johnson should be the Aggies top newcomer this season.
She was a key part in the Pirates winning the 2003 MEAC regular-season and tournament championships there is room for her in Aggieland. Don’t be surprised if you see two of the three aforementioned players starting as the Aggies developed their post players.
“I know what I’m getting in Bianca,’’ Bibbs said. “She’s going to come in the gym, work hard and at the end of the day she wants a W. Kira is a seasoned player. You can tell that when you see her in practice. I think her experience is really going to help us out. I love (LaKeisha) Williams. She’ll run through the wall if you want her too.”
Emily Christopher could step in at either the small forward or the shooting guard position. She is a highly regarded recruit, but may need to improve defensively before playing significant minutes.
Bibbs knows her post presence needs work, but she is not totally troubled by what she has to put out on the floor. Malea Gibson and Ashleigh Williams, two returning players from the ’04-’05 season are steadily improving. Gibson and Williams have dropped weight and have added some tone to their bodies. Both players missed significant time last season because of injury.
Gibson may receive the majority of the playing between the two. Gibson is becoming the aggressive defender and rebounder Bibbs likes in her post players. As Williams gets back into playing shape, she will figure into the rotation.
“We really like what we see in Malea,’’ Bibbs said. “She’s a hard worker and we didn’t realize how strong she was. I think she has a chance to be a great defender.”
Fresno State transfer Tiffany Williams will give both players competition at the position. Tiffany Williams redshirted last season, so this will be her first opportunity to play competitive Division I basketball as redshirt freshman.
“She’s strong,’’ Bibbs said. “We need to improve her foot speed, but she is going to help us out down there.”
Freshman Tiffaney Grady is an undersized post player at 5-10, but if she proves she can defend post players, she has the talent to her playing time. Kyeisha Brooks, a freshman out Niceville, Fla., has potential and may help the Aggies once conference play starts.
Before the conference season begins, the Aggies have some tough games on their schedule. The Aggies start the season in Elon, N.C., as they face the Elon Phoenix on Nov. 18. The Aggies face two more in-state non-conference rivals when they head to UNC-Asheville and when East Carolina visits Corbett Sports Center. The Aggies’ biggest non-conference tests come over the Holidays. They travel to Miami to play in the University of Miami Tournament, which features Ole Miss, Miami and Maine. On New Year’s Day, they travel to Baton Rouge, La., Bibbs’ home state, to play nationally-ranked LSU. Navy, Kentucky and Wofford will round out the Aggies non-conference schedule.
The Aggies conference schedule begins with S.C. State in December. The Bulldogs defeated the Aggies in last season’s MEAC Tournament. The most anticipated match-up will likely be Bibbs’ return to Hampton on Jan. 30. The defending MEAC Champions Coppin State come to Corbett Sports Center on Jan. 21.
