A review of the seniors

The UC Golden Eagles will be returning three seniors to our squad this year. For those who have coached or who understand the game, it is critical to have seniors who buy into the philosophy of our program and who are willing to lead by example. Buying into the Eagle philosophy means that they understand we are about heart, passion, commitment, and hard work. It means they thrive when we push them and they want to be the best they can be. It means they must bring their best every day regardless of what the events of that day brought to them. It means they are dedicated to being a winner from the inside out.

It is not easy being a senior because the stakes are higher. This is the end of a long journey of basketball. Most of them will never play competitively again. They have no more do-overs. No more years to get it right. It is now or never.

Luckily, our seniors get it or at least they are trying very hard to be the leaders we need them to be. They all want to be good. They all want to return the program back to the days when we were nationally ranked and expected to be one of the best in the conference.

Veronica Carman enters her fourth year determined to lead vocally and through her actions. She has worked hard throughout her three years to become better in all skills. Her outside shot, jumper, and ball handling skills have all improved, but what has been most outstanding in her improvements is her ability to speak up to her teammates. When she came here, she spoke through a whisper. She now projects her voice in such a manner that all teammates can clearly hear her no matter where they are in the gym.

Jennifer DeMeyer has made incredible advancements from her freshmen year when she barely accumulated 20 minutes of playing time to her junior year when she became a starter. During the past three years she has developed from a player who didn't have any inside moves to a post who has a counter move when her first move is shut down. When she is confident in her play, it is impossible to stop her.

Jihan Williams is a player who has the ability to dominate. She can shoot outside, penetrate, or post up in the low block. Although she didn't show her prowess in the paint last season, she is determined to give it her best this year. During the 2008 spring workouts, she showed what she could do by simply blowing by teammates in every competitive drill the team did. Even when her team was down by three points, she increased her play so her team could win. If she keeps her mind in the positive belief system of what she can do, she will own the paint.

As a coaching staff, we are thrilled at how hard our seniors are working at pointing our team toward the Eagle Way. To them I say, "IHHOAGE!"