With four starters lost from last year’s NCAA Tournament team, there are question marks surrounding the UCSB women’s basketball team on the eve of its Friday night opener with Fresno State.
Second-year head coach Lindsay Gottlieb knows it.
UCSB no longer has the services of starters Jenna Green, Lauren Pederson, Sha’Rae Gibbons and Whitney Warren, plus Kat Suderman.
“It’s the first time in a long time that that crew isn’t here but it’s a chance for us to re-invent ourselves a little bit,” Gottlieb said at a media event two weeks ago, expressing confidence with the way her team has been gelling since Spring practice. “People looked at each other and said, ‘who’s going to step up? Who’s going to fill this role and who’s going to fill that role?'”
If the Gauchos’ lone preseason game, a 63-54 win over Westmont, is any indication, 6-foot-4 junior transfer Mekia Valentine is primed to step into a prominent role.
Valentine, a junior transfer from Wake Forest, scored 28 points in 23 minutes on 12-of-17 shooting. The center pulled down 12 rebounds and added 2 blocks.
“I think she is going to be a Gaucho that our fans have a lot of fun watching and I’ll just leave it at that,” Gottlieb said.
Sophomore point guard Emilie Johnson proved she’s ready to be the floor general, as Gottlieb never took her off the court against Westmont. Johnson responded with 15 points, seven assists and only one turnover.
UCSB’s schedule doesn’t cut the Gauchos any slack. Kentucky and UCLA visit the Thunderdome this season and the Gauchos will leave their comfort zone to travel to Gonzaga and Oregon State.
The tough preseason schedule is meant to get the Gauchos ready for conference play, where Santa Barbara is once again the media’s choice to win the Big West.
Also expected to contribute this season are several quality freshmen recruits, Bree Richardson, Sweets Underwood and Megan Kritscher. Each saw time against Westmont, with Underwood collecting nine rebounds and five points in 18 minutes.
Gottlieb also lured Angelei Aguirre and Kelsey Adrian away from Cal, where she was Associate Head Coach before joining the Gauchos. Aguirre and Adrian, both sophomores, must sit out this season per NCAA transfer rules.
In her rookie season, Gottlieb didn’t disappoint, coming through with a Big West Championship, a trip to the NCAA Tournament and a conference Coach of the Year award.
“I absolutely loved the first year,” Gottlieb said. “It was fun, it was the ride of my life, it was scary, it was overwhelming.
“I’m also glad that it’s over.”
Now, with a new cast of characters, Gottlieb goes at it again.
At 7 p.m. Friday night, it’s a new year.
