Nicholls women seek progress

Nicholls State women’s basketball coach Dobee Plaisance’s roster has neither had much height nor depth during her tenure with the Colonels.

She has both now.

Next on her wish list is a spot in the Southland Conference Tournament.

With a slew of returnees at guard and newcomers at power forward and center, expectations are high for the Colonels, who are looking to rebound from a disappointing 2010-11 season and be among the top teams in the always wide-open conference.

“We have an exciting group of young women,” Plaisance said. “With returners, we have a strong nucleus. And more than half of the team are newbies, who really are coming around in the acclimation process. … I’m really confident about that when we reach where we need to be, we’re going to be in pretty good form.”

The Colonels have much of the same core from last year’s team, returning five of their top six scorers from last year’s group that posted an 8-21 record in 2010-11.

But the biggest difference in this year’s team will come in the paint.

Junior college transfer Holly Martin and freshman JonMarie Guillory provide the team with both finesse and power in the interior.

Both players stand 6-foot, 1-inch and give Plaisance something she’s never had before, size.

“That’s the biggest thing everybody’s going to see, we have somebody over 5’10,” Plaisance said with a laugh.

Martin, an Australian who transferred from Pratt Community College, provides arguably more scoring ability than Guillory, showcasing both an inside and outside array of post moves and shooting touch.

“She brings a vast amount of experience and is a great team leader,” Plaisance said.

Guillory is more a stereotypical banger and rebounder, owning the honor of All-District defensive player at St. Louis High School in Lake Charles.

“We’re looking for big things from her,” Plaisance said.

The newcomers’ presence will aid senior Jasmine Hoskins, who also played minutes at center last year and averaged 5.4 points per game and a team-high 48 percent field goal percentage.

So far, the trio’s earned the respect of their point guard who said she’s pleased with what she’s seen from the team’s post play.

“They’re working really hard,” sophomore guard KK Babin said. “Coach wants them to make a big bang this year, because that’s where we were lacking last year. … They are doing a great job so far for us.”

Junior forward Alisha Allen who sometimes had to play out of position to fulfill the team’s void in the paint added the newfound size will also help everyone else on the squad.

“I’m used to being the tallest,” Allen said. “So I was excited when we were actually able to get some height in here. That’s letting me be able to come out more and play guard positions more, as opposed to playing in the post. … Not being out there rebounding and posting up, it just helps us all preserve energy.”

With more players in the paint doing the dirty work, the Nicholls scorers should have more pep to do some damage.

Allen returns for her junior season after averaging 10.7 points and 5.3 rebounds per game as a sophomore.

Joining her is Babin, sophomore forward LiAnn McCarthy and senior guard Sumar Leslie to give the Colonels arguably some of the most potent firepower in the conference.

The four players combined to average 44.1 points per game last year and hit 117 total 3-pointers on the season.

“We have a lot of offense,” McCarthy said. “That’s definitely one of our biggest strengths right now.”

“This year, I feel like we’re bigger, strong, faster,” Babin added. “We’re going to do more fast break than we did last year, maybe throw in a little press. We’re thinking we’ll be able to channel our explosiveness and be more exciting to watch.”

Plaisance agreed with her scorers and said that having a plethora of options is a luxury she’s not used to as Nicholls’ coach.

She added that she believes the team can legitimately go two-deep at every position, which will allow the Colonels to rest their players within games and also not worry as much if someone gets in foul trouble.

“That’s something we haven’t had,” the coach said. “In the past, [opponents] were able to key on a couple or a few people. Right now, we can go eight deep where anybody who touches the ball can score.”

With a delicate blend of returnees and newcomers, the Colonels now must overcome both history and expectations.

Nicholls was picked to finish either last place or near last in various Southland Conference preseason polls.

Those numbers are just fine to Plaisance and her players.

They believe change is in the air within their program and this year just might be the year things turn around.

“That’s a great thing,” Allen said of preseason prognostications. “We’ll take those predictions and use them as motivation. We’ll show people that even though we were picked last, we’re not that. People can think that about us if they want, but we’re better than that.”

“We were right there last year. We were so close,” Babin said. “All we’ve got to do this year is get over that hump and prove everyone wrong.”

“Regardless of the perception out there, it only matters how we feel inside of here in our locker room,” Plaisance added, offering the final word on the preseason polls. “At the end of the day, a preseason poll is a preseason poll. I’m going to worry about the numbers in February. … It doesn’t bother me. Let the outside perception be that. We’ve got to know that’s wrong. And if we know that’s wrong, it doesn’t matter what everybody else thinks.

“If those numbers end up inverted and we end up in Katy, we’re in a good place.”