Full Lady Hawk basketball preview for upcoming season set to begin this month
It is the beginning of a new era in Howard Lady Hawks basketball as new Head Coach John Ishee prepares to take over this season. While Ishee was not the one that recruited the players that comprise the current roster, he is the one that will be responsible for coaching them up and leading them on the court this season.
Howard has 13 players on its current roster and only two players returning from the 2019-2020 team - Tatym Barnes and Anais Bonnemaison. Those two players account for two of the four sophomores that will suit up in the red and black this season. Eight of the nine freshmen on the squad are from high schools around Texas, from Houston to Amarillo. The only freshman to join the Lady Hawks from out of state is Charnay Robinson, who will be coming all the way from Detroit.
Following a 7-22 season last winter, this young, new-look Howard squad will be learning on the fly under a new coach in a shortened season. Luckily for Ishee, he will be able to rely on assistant coach Meesha Wade to help out the team in all different areas. The Lady Hawks will only play a total of 22 regular season games this year, so as long as they do not go winless, they will assure themselves a smaller amount of games lost than last season.
“We have a very good group of players here right now,” Ishee said. “(Assistant Coach) Meesha Wade has done a good job of keeping everything together. I think that we have a really great group of kids and they've been very receptive to me. I told them, they didn't pick me, but I picked them. Most of the kids at the community college level are here for books and basketball, and they want an opportunity to play at a higher level. We have some talent and we're just going to work at getting better every day.”
The team is very young and will once again play in the vaunted NJCAA Region V. However, Ishee could install new life and energy into a program that needs it after a down past few years. Let us now take a look at the new and returning members of the Lady Hawks and what they might bring to the hardwood this season:
SUMAIYAH ABDUR-RAHIM Sophomore - Arlington, TX
Abdur-Rahim is a transfer student-athlete from Weatherford College that plays the guard position. She averaged 6.9 points per game for the Lady Coyotes last season while also dishing out over two assists
HERALD File Photo (2.1) per game. Her season-high in scoring was 21 points and she even notched an 18-point game against the Lady Hawks in the first game of the season last year. In all, she scored in double-digits eight times and should bring a nice scoring presence to Howard.
TATYM BARNES
Sophomore - Amarillo, TX
Barnes returns to the Lady Hawks after starting 24 games last season as the point guard. She averaged 10.5 points per game last season along with 3.3 rebounds per game and 1.0 assist per game. Barnes is a competitive two-way player that scores in bunches when she gets hot. She will just need to be more consistent this season.
ANAIS BONNEMAISON Sophomore - Agen, France
Bonnemaison is the second and final returning Lady Hawks from last season. She averaged 5.5 points per game in 2019-20 but did grab 4.2 rebounds per game. She started 19 games last season and is a consistent scorer in the post. She should be given opportunities on the floor once again this season.
HILLARY BROUSSARD
Freshman - Houston, TX
Broussard is a 5-foot-7 guard/forward that played her high school ball at Summer Creek High School. She will add even more flexibility for Ishee and Wade with their lineups this upcoming season.
SHERIDAN GAMBLE
Freshman - Waco, TX
Gamble is a 5-foot-10 forward/center who played her high school basketball at University High School. As a senior, she averaged 14.1 points per game to go along with 6.2 rebounds per game. On defense, she grabbed 2.0 blocks per game and 1.8 steals per game. She will add much-needed size to the Lady Hawks frontcourt.
KIARA GREEN
Freshman - Amarillo, TX
Green is a 5-foot-5 guard that played high school basketball at Palo Duro High School. She is talented both shooting and facilitating for her teammates. Green should compete for playing time along with the other guards.
CLAUDIA HERNANDEZ Sophomore - Barcelona, Spain
Hernandez is a transfer student-athlete who played her first year of collegiate basketball at Laramie County Community College (WY). SHe did not receive much playing time during her first season at the junior college level and averaged 3.2 points per game. The main factor that lef to her transferring was her desire to earn more playing time. “She's a point guard with experience, so that already gives her an advantage. Plus she can shoot the three very well,” Wade said.
ANGEL JONES
Freshman - Dallas, TX
Jones is a forward/center that played her senior year of high school basketball at Cedar Hill High School. The versatile 5-foot-11 baller has plenty of talent and size which should help her find herself in the player that is consistently in the rotation. “She'll fit in just fine. She's a bigger kid than what we had last season and will make our team more versatile,” Wade said. Jones describes herself as a player that plays aggressive and fast-paced.