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BRACKETS ANNOUNCED FOR 2004 WOMEN’S PARADISE JAM
BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT
Eight Division I women’s basketball teams will take their game to the U.S. Virgin Islands Nov. 25-27 to compete in the fifth annual Paradise Jam Tournament hosted by the University of the Virgin Islands in St. Thomas. Once again the Paradise Jam will host a strong field of competitors.
The Paradise Jam consists of two separate tournaments, one a certified three-game event called the "St. John" division and the other a two game non-certified event called the "St. Thomas" division. A certified tournament counts as only one game against a team’s maximum of 27 games, despite playing up to three games at the tournament. Teams may only play in two certified tournaments in any four-year period. Non-certified tournaments carry no restrictions as all games count against a team’s schedule.
In the certified round-robin "St. John" division tournament, the competitors will include Rutgers, Kentucky, Oregon State University, and South Dakota State. The Rutgers Scarlet Knights come to the tournament with the highest expectations, ranked 9th in the Sports Illustrated preseason poll. Rutgers completed last season with a 21-12 record, and finished as runners-up in the 2004 Big East championship. Nine of ten letter winners return from last year’s impressive squad. Chelsea Newton, a senior 5-11 guard (11.0 ppg, 2.9 rpg) and Michelle Campbell, a junior 6-2 forward (7.5 ppg ,4.7 rpg) will be looked at to lead the team. Rutgers’ coach Vivian Stringer, who assisted the gold medal winning Olympic team this summer, also signed three student-athletes to a recruiting class ranked third by All Star Girls Report.
The Kentucky Wildcats (11-17) field a young team with six newcomers. Tough early season play should prepare the Kentucky squad for the harsh reality of the SEC conference. Coach Mickie DeMoss will look to senior Sara Potts, a 6-0 forward who averaged 16.7 points per game and 6.5 rebounds per game last season. Oregon State University (17-15) returns 11 players from last year's team that earned their 4th consecutive invite to post-season play with an NIT berth. The Beavers lose four starters but add six newcomers to the squad. All-American candidate senior guard Shannon Howell is Oregon State’s key returning player, leading the Beavers in scoring last season with 15.1 points per game. South Dakota State rounds out the St. John division. The Jacks moved to Division I this season after winning their third consecutive NCAA Division II North Central Regional Title in 2004. SDSU finished last season with a 26-7 record in 2004 and won the NCAA Division II national championship in 2003.
The two-game non-certified "St. Thomas" division promises some of the most exciting competition with all of the teams participating in post-season play in 2004. This impressive division includes Nebraska, Louisville, North Carolina State, and Hampton. Nebraska lost four senior starters from last year’s 18-12 roster, but Coach Connie Yori has signed six newcomers, including four community college (Colby CC, Kansas) teammates to make the transition to the 2004-2005 season. The Huskers advanced to the second round of the NIT in 2004. Senior guard Jina Johansen (5.2 ppg, 2.7 rpg) and sophomore guard Kiera Hardy (9.1 ppg, 2.9 rpg) will be looked to for early leadership. The Louisville Cardinals posted a 20-10 record last season, playing in the first round of the NIT. Despite the loss of leading scorer Sara Nord, Louisville returns Jazz Covington, a 6-3 sophomore center (16.1 ppg, 8.2 rpg), who was named to the Conference USA All-Freshman team and to the Basketball Times Freshman All-American Team.
NCAA tournament first-round participants North Carolina State and Hampton University complete the competitive St. Thomas division. NC State finished 17-15 last season, but lost three starters, including leading scorer Kaayla Chones who is now in the WNBA. Returning players, senior point guard Kendra Bell (7.2 ppg , 3.0 rpg) and sophomore Marquetta Dickens (8.3 ppg , 2.9 rpg), will be looked at to counter the loss. Hampton University won two consecutive Mid Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) conference tournaments, and posted a 17-12 record in 2004, including a 12-game winning streak. The Pirates sophomore standout Sharema Dean, a 5-10 guard, leads Hampton as the MEAC Rookie of the year in 2004.
If 2004 proves to be anything like the 2003 Paradise Jam tournament, then fans should once again expect some exciting action. In 2003 the championship game of the St. Thomas division, Virginia Tech defeated Mississippi State 63 to 56. Southwest Missouri State earned the St. John Division crown. Four of the eight Paradise Jam participants earned post-season tournament berths last season, with Virginia Tech advancing to the second round of the NCAA tournament.
Read the 2003 Team Overview.