Hillcats Return to Terrestrial Radio

What's old is new again! And, with that also comes the end of an era as we start the 2012-2013 basketball season next week on College Hill. If you haven't heard (click play button above), RSU men's and women's basketball is making a return to the radio airwaves of 91.3 FM. For old souls like myself, it's hard to fathom not being able to dial up a play-by-play broadcast on a car radio or in the office. You would think someone 35 years old would've embraced the new technology and moved on, but I just can't seem to shake the romance of a ballgame on terrestrial radio. For those of you much more tech savvy than me, you'll still be able to listen to games on the Hillcat Network through your mobile devices. The re-entry into the RSU Radio fold also means we get to work again with good people like Cathy Coomer and Steve Doyle. Steve helped arrange the promo above to promote the return to radio. It's solid, just like Mr. Doyle's daily work at the station! Now, a brief on both teams as RSU plays its final season in the NAIA and the Sooner Athletic Conference...

The Hillcat women's program has its first new head coach in six years. By all indications, Roxanne Long has the same kind of passion and integrity Amy Williams brought to the program the first five seasons. Plus, Coach Long has a decent amount of returning talent to make one salivate at the thought of a return trip to the national tournament. She's expected (by the broadcast crew) to rack up another 20+ win season. If the preseason league coaches poll is any indication, others outside Claremore have high expectations for this year's team as well. The 'Cats have been picked to finish 2nd in the conference, behind Lubbock Christian but in front of defending national champ Oklahoma City. RSU returns nine ladies from last year's team, including six seniors. Logan Froese is set to go down as one of the most gritty players in Hillcat history, and fresh off a stellar national tournament run she'll be relied on for steady leadership in the post. Don't let that toughness fool you, though. She's been known to fight you tooth and nail, and do it with a smile and a wink after it's over. Former Union High School standout Larielle Giles will also play a factor on the front-line, having gained significant minutes as a true freshman a year ago. Expect some big minutes as well from transfers Adrianna Leatherbury, a 6-0 forward from El Paso and New Mexico Junior College, and Clarrisa Cannon, a 6-0 forward from Las Vegas and Cowley College (KS). It's often been said a team's post-season potential is defined by how good its guards play...well, this team has plenty of returners to keep last year's run to the Final 8 fresh on the minds of fans. My favorite Brazilian, Ariani Silva, returns as one of the best shooters in the SAC as she set the new RSU single-season record for made threes last year. Leah Smith can also fill it up from outside after leading the 'Cats in scoring. Point guard transfer Kelby Fritz will be a coach on the floor after the Vinita product arrived from Missouri Southern. She has just one year to show her wares in front of the home crowd. Finally, last but not least...the "Preston Pick-Pocket" Sierra Cornwell is back for her senior season. Great nickname handed out by our public address announcer last year. Sierra is the reigning middleweight champion of defense in the Sooner Athletic. She is the most ball-hawking women's player we've seen in the NAIA to date. You blink, she steals it...you sneeze, she steals it...you go to the restroom at halftime and she has 10 more steals by the time you return to your chairback. She is that good! Needless to say, I think the RSU women are in for one of those really special seasons. It all starts with two exhibition games at Tulsa (Oct 31st) and at Arkansas (Nov 4th).

The men's program is coming off back-to-back runs to the Elite 8 at the national tournament in Kansas City. As you might imagine, the preseason hype machine is grinding its gears again. The 'Cats have been picked to finish 2nd preseason in the SAC, and likely will be in the Top 10 national preseason rankings. RSU might just have the best guards of any roster in the country, with all-SAC returners Donald Williams (Ole Miss transfer) and Kendrell Thompson (Sam Houston State transfer). Those two had memorable moments in conference games in their first seasons wearing the red and blue. Two other guards are back that will continue to impact games, senior Alex Ewings from Jenks and senior Justynn Hammond out of Seattle and Paris Junior College (TX). Ewings continued to elevate his game to a whole new level last season, hitting big shots off the bench and playing frenetic defense to boot. Hammond is a solid athlete at 6-5 who can play multiple positions, including point guard. He could be called upon to rebound more and play a point forward depending on how much depth is developed with a lack of size up front. A key acquisition on a one-year shot is ORU transfer and former Tulsa East Central standout Ken Holdman. Holdman was one of the better defenders in the Summit League in his time at ORU, and was also better than expected at point guard for Scott Sutton's Golden Eagles. Again, you might not find a collection of guards any better than what's been assembled in Claremore. Up front, RSU should be bolstered by the return of Brian Gibson, a 6-8 bruiser who fought through injuries last year to become a major contributor at nationals. Gibson, a Baton Rouge native, is the tallest player on the roster. The 'Cats will definitely need younger and less experienced guys to fill voids at the forward spots. That could come in the form of two-time state champion at Booker T. in Tulsa, 6-6 sophomore C.J. Hyslop, or 6-7 sophomore Trevar Mayon from Houston. It'll be interesting to see if the rebounding improves, which will depend heavily on the bigger RSU guards. Two true freshman may see some playing time right away, J.C. Hartzler of Union (Tulsa World Player of the Year), and Edison standout Ehron Ponds. Both guards had exceptional high school careers. The Hillcat men have set the bar so high in the first five seasons, that anything short of another trip to Kansas City will be viewed as a disappointment by outside observers. I do believe this team can win a ton of games, but it will need to be achieved with stellar shooting, kick-you-in-the-teeth defense, and a determined effort on the glass on both ends. By far, this year's schedule is the most treacherous ever assembled. Kudos to Coach Justin Barkley for going out of his way to toughen up the 'Cats before the shorter league schedule takes hold. Difficult non-conference foes include Northwestern Okla. State, Mid-America Nazarene, and Our Lady of the Lake. Remember, the SAC is down to just nine teams, so that means 16 conference games instead of 22.  The fun all starts October 30th at home in the season opener against Central Baptist of Arkansas.

Here's hoping for a memorable end to the maiden voyage in RSU basketball history. Before the 'Cats shove off to the NCAA and the Heartland Conference, make it a point to take in a small college game at the Claremore Expo Center this season. And, don't forget to "leave a mark".