LITTLE ROCK — The rain grounded Arkansas State Coach Brian Boyer on Thursday.
He still thinks his young team can soar, however.
Boyer was expected to fly into Little Rock for a joint news conference with football Coach Steve Roberts, but the trip from Jonesboro was scrubbed because of bad weather.
That didn't put a damper on Boyer's hopes for the season, despite a nonconference stretch that includes the University of Washington Husky Classic in Seattle Nov. 23-25 followed by consecutive road games at Big 12 members Oklahoma State and Oklahoma.
"It's going to be a tough stretch through there," said Boyer, whose team is expected to hold a latenight scrimmage at the Convocation Center tonight. "I really think the entire nonconference schedule is pretty challenging. You hope out in Washington you get to play a Pac-10 school if you get to the championship game and then back-to-back Big 12 schools, that could be a tough stretch for us."
With all the two- and four-yearcontracts overlapping on the nonconference schedule, Boyer said a program doesn't have the luxury of choosing which years it can schedule soft. So, although center/forward Kelsey Lock isthe Lady Indians' only senior, the team isn't getting to take it easy on its young lineup.
"When you look at us, some might think it may be too challenging for this young of a team," Boyer said. "But when you settle on a scheduling philosophy and how you want to do things, you can't pick and choose the years you want to do that."
Boyer's optimism comes from the style of play the Lady Indians will use this year. It's a more balanced attack that will differ from the center-oriented approach that featured departed 1,000-point scorer and all-time leading rebounder Adrianne Davie.
"This team actually fits our style as well as any of the past teams," Boyer said. "I think we have the ability to pressure in the half-court. We can create someopportunities ... and I think we can get out in transition. Those are things I look for in this team.
"Also our offense, this team has the ability to be a very good motion offense because we can beat people off the dribble."
Not that Arkansas State is lacking quality size. Boyer said he is increasingly impressed by freshman Sherina Scott, a 6-2 post player from North Little Rock.
"She just each day gets better and better," Boyer said. "If she keeps going, she's going to be a strong candidate for [Sun Belt Conference] freshman of the year."
After falling short in the Sun Belt Tournament but reaching the second round of the WNIT last season, the Lady Indians were pretty much shut out of the preseason Sun Belt voting at media days in Mobile, Ala., last week.
The team was picked fourth in the West Division and no player appeared on any of the three preseason all-conference teams.
"It doesn't surprise me," Boyer said "Actually, what really surprises me is we still got two first-place votes. ... You graduate 50 of your 67 points a game and people still think you're going to be in first place."
Sports, Pages 27 on 10/26/2007