3 things to know about MTSU women’s basketball entering the 2024-25 season

Middle Tennessee State women’s basketball flirted with a Sweet 16 appearance last season after beating Louisville in the first round and then leading LSU at halftime of the round of 32 in the NCAA Tournament.

The Blue Raiders, who have reached the NCAA Tournament three of the past four seasons, tied a program best with 30 wins and went unbeaten in Conference USA. MTSU received nine of 10 first-place votes in being the preseason favorite in the conference this season.

Can Rick Insell’s squad, which is ranked No. 38 in the initial USA Today Sports Coaches poll, repeat or improve on that success in 2024-25, the program’s 50th season?

Here are things to know about the Blue Raiders before their season opener at Northern Kentucky Monday:

MTSU women’s basketball return wealth of talent

The Blue Raiders lost two key components from last year’s 30-5 squad in five-year starter Courtney Whitson and Conference USA Player of the Year Savannah Wheeler.

Whitson is now on the MTSU staff as Coordinator of Basketball Relations and Wheeler is playing professionally overseas.

While those are huge losses for MTSU, Insell’s squad brings back a wealth of talent and depth, including returning starters Anastasiia Boldyreva, Jalynn Gregory and Ta’Mia Scott, as well as the top reserve from two seasons ago, Courtney Blakely.

Boldyreva, a 6-foot-7 senior center from Russia, was the CUSA Defensive Player of the Year last season. She averaged 14.5 points, 8.5 rebounds and 2.9 blocks. Gregory, a 5-8 senior guard from Lafayette, was second-team all-conference last season after averaging 12.4 points, 3.2 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.5 steals per game.

Scott, a 6-foot junior guard from Clarksville, had a breakout sophomore season in which she averaged 12.2 points and 5.6 rebounds a game in being named second-team all-conference. Blakely, a 5-8 senior point guard from Indiana, returns to MTSU after spending her junior season at Arizona. As a sophomore she started 10 games and averaged 7.1 points, three rebounds and…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/3-things-know-mtsu-womens-110112618.html

Author : The Daily News Journal

Publish date : 2024-11-04 11:01:00

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