Niagara: Tough schedule will force young Purple Eagles to mature
School: Niagara University
Nickname: Purple Eagles
Coach: Kendra Faustin (8-22)
2007-08 record: 8-22 overall, 6-12 MAAC
Overview: Niagara lost three starters — forwards Sarah Wilson and Sara Prybyl and point guard Michelle Manfredi. Without Wilson and Prybyl the low post offense will play less with its back to the basket and more face-up, hopefully creating some uncomfortable defensive matchups for opponents. Jennifer McNamee is the leading returning scorer (10.1 ppg) and will again be looked upon to score along with sophomore Liz Flooks, who came into her own the second half of last season. Look for Erika Harris to continue solid backcourt play, particularly on defense, while freshman Ali Morris will likely get much of the point guard duties.
Keys to success: The learning curve continues to be steep for the Purple Eagles, who add seven freshmen to an already young lineup. Taking care of the basketball is especially important for Niagara, which averaged about 19 turnovers a game last year. The key will be to differentiate between aggressive turnovers and carelessness with the basketball. With a more guard-oriented and face-up offense, rebounding needs to be aggressive in order to finish easy shots.
Big games: It’s a challenging schedule for a young team, opening the season at Michigan State on Friday and with a game at Syracuse on Dec. 14. Perennial power Marist makes its Gallagher Center visit on Dec. 5.
Outlook: Young players will mean iffy results to start the season. But Niagara showed a special brand of resiliency in its first year under Faustin and if the players keep a positive attitude, they should be playing better later in the season. Getting back to .500 would be a solid season for the Purple Eagles and if they shore up their defense and cut down on turnovers, getting to 13 or 15 wins is feasible. — Amy Moritz
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