2002-03 SCHEDULE

Nov. 29-30 -- Franklin Tip-Off Tourney Dec. 3 -- Neshannock Dec. 5 -- at Sharpsville Dec. 7 -- New Castle Dec. 9 -- at Reynolds Dec. 12 -- at Kennedy Catholic Dec. 16 -- at Greenville Dec. 18 -- Franklin Dec. 26-27 -- at Neshannock Tournament Jan. 3 -- Oil City Jan. 6 -- Wilmington Jan. 9 -- Sharon* Jan. 13 -- Warren JFK Jan. 16 -- at Grove City* Jan. 21 -- at Youngstown Rayen Jan. 23 -- at Slippery Rock* Jan. 27 -- Greenville Jan. 30 -- at Sharon* Feb. 3 -- at Wilmington Feb. 6 -- Grove City* Feb. 10 -- at Mercer Feb. 13 -- Slippery Rock*    #= MCAC-AAA contest

By The Herald Sports Staff

The 2001-02 campaign was to be a period of progress and development for a very young Hickory girls basketball team. The Hornettes certainly progressed quickly, putting together a 15-9 ledger with a starting lineup that featured a pair of freshman, Cheré Marshall and Deandra Evans.

With an added year of seasoning and development and the loss of just two players to graduation, some in Mercer County girls basketball circles are pointing to the Hornettes as the preseason favorite in MCAC Class AAA.

Don't tell that to Hickory coach Jeanette Whitehead, who is wary of such high praise for what she maintains is a relatively inexperienced team.

"I still see some youngsters out there who are going to need to gain some experience," Whitehead said of her team's outlook for 2002-03. "They're working hard, but only time will tell.

"That (an MCAC-AAA crown), I'm not going to predict," she continued. "I have a great deal of respect for the other three triple-A teams (Sharon, Grove City and Slippery Rock), and I'm sure all of their coaches will have them ready."

Of course, Whitehead is well aware of the strong potential her squad possesses, featuring six returning letterwinners and the welcome reintroduction to the frontcourt of 5-foot-11 Laura Herman, back from a knee injury that sidelined her last year. A forward/center, Herman is a co-captain and one of five seniors on the Hornettes roster.

"Laura Herman has made great strides coming back," Whitehead related, explaining that she is counting on big contributions from her quintet of seniors. "We'll be looking to them for leadership this year."

Whitehead also complemented the veteran presence added by another senior duo -- captain Erica Viselli, a 5-3 guard, and co-captain Cathy Powell, a 5-8 guard-forward. Both started and played key roles a year ago, and along with Evans and Marshall round out a foursome of starters coming back from last year's team.

"Cathy Powell is an outstanding player and always gives us 100 percent on both sides of the ball," Whitehead commended. "Erica Viselli is a real impact player, and the leadership she brings to our team is outstanding."

Evans, a 5-11 forward, will join Herman on the Hornettes front-line, with Powell also adding help on the boards for the Hornettes in a swingman role. Junior post player Kirsten Dickman, a 6-0 returning letterwinner, will add even more size and ability to the balanced Hornettes' tall and athletic frontcourt.

"We are a well-rounded team with size and speed," Whitehead noted. "My inside people are able to move well and we have nice overall team speed to move up and down the floor."

Perhaps the most heralded member of the Hornettes is Marshall, a 5-6 guard who bucketed just over 11 points per game as a freshman last year, good enough for second on the team behind departed senior Colleen Gottuso. Some area hoops pundits think that Marshall may blossom into Mercer County's next great player.

"We don't caught up in it, but it's a great compliment to her," Whitehead said of her super sophomore. "Her work ethic brought it about, but she's humble and a team player."

Marshall will undoubtedly provide scoring punch, but Whitehead has a deep, talented group -- at least nine players are vying for significant playing time -- and foresees a number of Hornettes making their mark on the scoring column.

"We're hoping to get contributions from everyone, and we have the ability to score both inside and outside," Whitehead said, adding that her team will try to take advantage of its depth and athleticism by running a high-paced offense.

"We're going to get out and run a little bit this year, but we won't get away from fundamentals," Whitehead explained.

Also competing for playing time are: seniors -- 5-7 forward Sheila Piatek and 5-6 guard/forward Kristen Donner; and four junior backcourt players -- 5-3 returning letterwinner Jodi Geisel, 5-4 Annie Magnotto, 5-5 Lauren Tabis and 5-5 guard Kalyn Currie.

Entering her sixth full season at the helm, Whitehead is optimistic about her team's chances for the season, with the key being her team's ability to overcome its inexperience.

"Once we work through our inexperience on the floor, we should be OK. We just need to concentrate on what we're doing and peak at the right time."

Whitehead is assisted by Bruce Bittler, Kevin Washington and Gary Swanson. -- By Russell Adkins, Herald Sports Writer