2017-18 Rider Women's Basketball Outlook
Coming off the most successful season in program history, the Rider University women's basketball team is looking to make an impact once again in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) in 2017-18. The Broncs are in search of a MAAC Tournament Championship after finishing as the league's runner-up last winter.
"Our goals for every season remain the same," Rider Head Coach Lynn Milligan said. "Our goal every day is to get better as a team to reach our destination which we hope is the MAAC Championship. Every year regardless of success, the following season you have to create a new identity and that's what this team is trying to do."
Rider returns six letter winners from last year's squad, including two starters. The group of core returners and exciting newcomers will look to build on the foundation laid by last season's squad.
"Our theme this year is that we are linked," Milligan added. "Trying to get a young, but experienced group to play together with a young, new group and form our new identity using last season's success as a springboard. Our expectations are higher and are expectations are set as a program not just last year."
Leading the way amongst the veteran returners are senior Kamila Hoskova and junior Lexi Posset.
"I think we're going in the right direction," Milligan added a few days after the team officially started practices. "When you have a solid, core group, but they are young their new roles become bigger and they have to become leaders. Our returners have done a great job of setting the table and showing our newcomers how we do things at Rider, who we are and what we expect."
A 92-game veteran with 41 career starts from Brno, Czech Republic, Kamila Hoskova was an All-MAAC Second Team honoree during the 2016-17 campaign. She is coming off a season in which she averaged a career-best 12.8 points per game to go along with 5.5 rebounds per contest. She is on pace this season to end up in the top-five in program history in games played and be the 22nd player in Rider history to score 1,000 career points. As a junior, she became the first Bronc during Milligan's tenure to be honored as a CoSIDA Academic All-District honoree. Hoskova was also twice named the College Sports Madness MAAC Player of the Week and shot an impressive .788 (108-of-137) from the free-throw line. "Expectations are high for Kami this year," Milligan said. "She's one of our captains and this is her team. She's as blue collar as they come, she shows up, gets the job done and doesn't ask any questions. She's been doing that since she stepped on campus. This could be a really special year for her."
The other senior on Rider's roster is Asyana'e Muwwakkil. Muwwakkil, a Pemberton, New Jersey native who joined the team as a transfer last year, adds depth for the team in the post. "Asyana'e gives us length and size inside," Milligan said. "She's stronger than she was last year and she understands the Division I game better."
Rider has a strong contingent of juniors on this season's team led by Posset. Other juniors on the roster are Lea Favre, Taylour Jones, Lexi Stover and Amari Johnson.
Posset, a 61-game veteran from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, appeared in all 33 games for the Broncs as a sophomore. She averaged over six points per game and was second on the team with 33 three-pointers made. After playing 398 minutes as freshman, she nearly doubled that total as a sophomore. She ranked third on the team last year with 63 assists and score in double figures eight times, including each of the four contests. During the team's MAAC Tournament run a year ago, she averaged over 13 points and shot better than 38 percent from beyond the arc. "Lexi is one of our captains and she is a leader of this team," Milligan said. "You want your leader to be your point guard. I'm happy she's embraced that role and wanted that role. She's a terrific shooter and she knows going into her third year what I want our point guard to do to make our team successful. I think this could be her breakout year."
From Malvern, Pennsylvania, Stover appeared in two games for Rider last season, taking a redshirt. "It's a credit to Lexi that she redshirted last year as a sophomore and came back as a captain this year," Milligan said. "She needs to get back to game speed, but she's healthy now. She's bigger and stronger now than she was as a freshman. She's a terrific shooter and one of if not our smartest basketball players."
Lea Favre is eligible to play after transferring to Rider from Nevada and sitting out last season. After a year with the team, Favre, who is from Switzerland, is ready to make an impact in 2017-18. "My expectations are high for Lea," Milligan said. "She was our practice player of the year last season, so even though she didn't put the uniform on she had an impact."
A pair of transfers are the other two juniors on the roster. Amari Johnson from Red Lion, Pennsylvania, will have to sit out the season after transferring from Rhode Island. The versatile Johnson saw action at all five positions at various times in high school. Last season at URI she appeared in 26 games and made three starts. "Amari's role is going to be what Lea's was last year," Milligan said. "Her job is to make our guards as good as they can be."
Taylour Jones round out the juniors. Jones, a native of Mount Laurel, New Jersey, Jones comes to Rider after two years at Harcum College. With the Bears, she scored 874 points. "Taylour is going to add a lot of depth to our point guard spot," Milligan said. "She's little bit older and has some experience playing at a good junior college for a few years and she had a lot of success there."
Four sophomores are on this year's team, led by Stella Johnson. Other second-year players are Zhane Barnes, Tracey Goodman and Aubre Johnson.
Stella Johnson, from Denville, New Jersey, appeared in all 33 games and made 32 starts for the Broncs as a freshman. She was named to the All-MAAC Rookie Team after averaging 9.9 points per game, 4.5 rebounds per contest and over three steals per tilt. Twice as a freshman she was tabbed as the MAAC Rookie of the Week and she was also honored once as USBWA Freshman of the Week. She set a new Rider single game record with eight steals against Lafayette and ranked third in the MAAC in steals. She was also third in the league in field-goal percentage (.506) and scored in double figures 14 times, including topping the 20-point plateau twice. "Stella plays on instincts quite a bit and the best thing about her going into this season is that she's a year older," Milligan said. "She's not going to sneak up on anyone, but her game has really expanded and she knows the college game better. The next step for her could be really big."
Tracey Goodman was the other sophomore on the roster to see playing time last season. Goodman, a native of Lansdale, Pennsylvania, saw action in 22 games and averaged five minutes per game. As a freshman, she scored 26 points and pulled down 20 total rebounds. "The best thing for Tracey is that she's had a full summer and preseason whereas last year she didn't," Milligan said. "We can see the difference in her already. She can stretch the floor with her shooting and expand the floor for us."
Zhane Barnes is from Stafford, Virginia, and is looking to make an impact after missing last season due to an injury. "She's still working her way back from her knee injury so it's a day-to-day with her," Milligan said. When she gets to the point where she is back on the court full-time she gives us stability and depth in our point guard position."
Transfer Aubre Johnson come to Rider from Colby Community College. Johnson, a native of Post Falls, Idaho, looks to add depth for the Broncs in the post. "Aubre has been a great surprise over the summer and the preseason because of her strength and ability on the block," Milligan said. "She's going to give us that presence that we lost in Julia in the post. She adds toughness underneath for us."
A pair of freshman round out the 2017-18 women's basketball roster.
Jaiden Morris is from Richmond, Virginia and was a standout guard for a Monacan team that captured three state titles. "Jaiden reminds me a little bit of Stella because she can do a lot of things," Milligan said. "She can score off the bounce and is a good shooter in the half court. The quicker that she acclimates herself to the college game the faster we'll see what she is really capable of. She has a bright future."
Daija Moses is 5-10 import from Toronto, Ontario. Moses is one of three foreign-born players on the team. "Daija has a great versatility to her," Milligan said. "I'm looking for her to develop into more of what Kami did for us last year in playing the four, but creating mismatches. She plays hard and she's really athletic."
Milligan's staff remained the same at the top with the return of Associate Head Coach Pam Durkin and Assistant Coach Sean Smith.
"I'm big on consistency in everything we do as a program and I've been very fortunate to have that consistency on my staff," Milligan noted. "The consistency helps build relationships and trust. It was a no-brainer to move Rita up to assistant coach this year. She is young and inexperienced, technically, for that position, but she's a willing learner, a Lady Bronc at heart, she bleeds Rider, our kids love her and she is a tremendous role model for what you can become here at Rider."
Marritta Gillcrease was elevated from Director of Operations to assistant coach and former student manager Sierra Bastien will now serve as Rider's Director of Operations.
"Sierra was with us for four years as a student manager," Milligan added. "She was with us since the day she walked on campus her freshman year. She knows us as a staff and knows how we do things so we don't her teach her things since she's been incredibly involved in the program over the last four years."
The Broncs were picked to finish sixth in the league in the MAAC Preseason Poll. After last year's strong finish, the team will put last year's accomplishments in the rearview with sights on a conference crown. Both Kamila Hoskova and Stella Johnson were honored by the league prior to the campaign. Hoskova earned Preseason Second Team All-MAAC distinction, while Johnson landed on the third team.
"There has to be a challenge every night on your non-conference schedule to prepare you for the MAAC," Milligan said. "The MAAC is an amazing conference, it's underrated, it's really tough and a conference where if you're not prepared and you show not ready to play you lose. There are some traditionally really strong programs in the league and a lot that are ready to take that next step and stay there. Every team, every year there is a surprise in the MAAC. We were the surprise last year and we hope it's going to be us again."
