USC Women Open 2010-11 Season This Week
November 08, 2010 | Women's Basketball
Nov. 8, 2010
Complete Release in PDF Format
THIS WEEK
USC kicks off the 2010-11 season with high expectations and starts up its push this week at home. Exhibition play comes up first for the Women of Troy in a 7 p.m. game against Biola on Tuesday (Nov. 9) at the Galen Center. Days later, official action gets underway also on USC's home court, as the Trojans host Gonzaga for a 1 p.m. clash on Friday (Nov. 12).
FOLLOW ALONG
USC's exhibition game against Biola will have live audio streamed at usctrojans.com with play-by-play by Jason Schwartz. The USC-Gonzaga game will have live video and audio broadcast through usctrojans.com. Live stats through GameTracker for both games also will be available online through the women's basketball page at usctrojans.com.
IN THE NATION
USC is receiving votes in both the AP and ESPN/USA Today preseason polls.
INJURY REPORT
USC incoming freshman forward Thaddesia Southall will redshirt this season due to an ACL injury sustained before arriving at USC. Three Women of Troy redshirted last season due to knee injuries -- G Stefanie Gilbreath, F Michelle Jenkins and G Vicky Tagalicod -- and are expected to return this season. Gilbreath may be cleared for competition in the next week, while Jenkins and Tagalicod may return at the start of 2011.
ALL-AMERICAN GIRLS
The USC roster is loaded up with six All-American honorees. Five returning players were McDonald's All-Americans on their way into Troy: Ashley Corral, Jacki Gemelos, Briana Gilbreath, Stefanie Gilbreath and Christina Marinacci. Also coming in with All-American accolades is WBCA honoree Cassie Harberts, who starts her career as a Trojan this week.
JACKI'S BACK
After almost four years on the sidelines with knee injuries, Jacki Gemelos -- a high school All-American and the nation's top recruit as a freshman in 2006 -- took to the court for the first game action of her Trojan career on Feb. 4, 2010 at Cal. She already has completed her undergraduate degree, but this week, she's playing in the first USC season opener of her career. Now currently pursuing a master's in gerontology, Gemelos starts her first full season of competition healthy and strong. Gemelos has been granted one more season of eligibility after this 2010-11 season.
LEADING THE PAC
USC has four Pac-10 honorees back on the roster this season. Junior guards Ashley Corral and Briana Gilbreath were USC's leading scorers last year, and both landed on the 2010 All-Pac-10 Team as sophomores. Gilbreath was the Pac-10's Co-Defensive Player of the Year as well. Senior center Kari LaPlante earned 2010 Pac-10 Defensive Honorable Mention, and forward Christina Marinacci was a Pac-10 All-Freshman Honorable Mention recipient last season.
LAST YEAR
Under first-year collegiate head coach Michael Cooper -- a former NBA star with the Los Angeles Lakers and a WNBA head coach for the Los Angeles Sparks -- USC finished 19-12 overall and carried a six-game winning streak into the Pac-10 Tournament semifinals. With Cooper's guidance, the Women of Troy set several new program records in that 2009-10 season, posting USC's best-ever free-throw percentage (.725) while tallying the fewest turnovers (462) and fewest fouls (484) committed in Trojan history.
SENIOR STRENGTH
At the head of the class for 2010-11 is 6-foot-5 senior center Kari LaPlante -- one of only two true seniors on the USC roster. She and Michelle Franco were USC's lone freshmen in 2007 and will finish their careers having split time between two different coaching staffs at Troy. Under the defensive-minded Cooper's guidance last year as a junior, LaPlante picked up accolades with Pac-10 All-Defensive Honorable Mention.
GREAT PATIENCE
Arguably the most inspiring aspect of the year to come will be seeing two hard-working Trojans take the floor for their first full seasons at USC. After being knocked back by multiple knee injuries, the 2006 top recruit in the nation and McDonald's All-American Jacki Gemelos returned to competition for the final 11 games of last season. Meanwhile, stuck on the sideline for her third straight season due to knee injuries was Stefanie Gilbreath -- another McDonald's All-American out of high school. It's been a heartbreakingly long road back for both Women of Troy, but this season marks a long-awaited milestone for Gemelos and Gilbreath.
FAMILY REUNION
When Stefanie Gilbreath hits the court for the first time, it will also be a long-awaited on-court reunion for USC's sister act. Older by a year, Stefanie now beats out junior sister Briana in remaining eligibility. It's been four years since the pair lasted suited up in the same uniform for gametime -- when Stefanie was a senior in high school and Briana was a junior at Cinco Ranch High in Katy, Texas. They both came out of high school as McDonald's All-Americans, although Stefanie's knee troubles stalled out her Trojan debut while Briana picked up Pac-10 Freshman of the Year recognition and All-Pac-10 Team honors in her first two seasons at USC.
THE NEW CLASS
The other key element of added success for USC in the coming season is Michael Cooper's first class of recruits. Ranked No. 7 in the nation (according to hoopgurlz.com) as a group, the newest Trojans on the roster are a well-rounded group of impact players. USC's 2010 freshman class includes WBCA All-American Cassie Harberts, who comes in as the nation's No. 11 ranked recruit. Speedy guard Len'Nique Brown will bolster the Trojan backcourt with even more firepower. The rest of the freshman class is largely tabbed for duties in the frontcourt as all loom well over 6-feet as USC adds 6-1 Desireé Bradley, 6-4 Thaddesia Southall and 6-4 Lauren White to the mix.
PAC-10 COMES HOME
As in 2009 and 2010, postseason play kicks off on USC's home court. This season's 2011 Pac-10 Tournament will have a somewhat difference format from past seasons in that action will be split between the Galen Center and Staples Center. The first two round of play are all lined up for USC's home court of Galen Center. The semifinals and championship game, however, will move over to Staples Center to run alongside the Pac-10 Men's Tournament. The women's tourney will run March 9-12. Visit www.pac-10.org for more information and for tickets.
