#12 Debbie Smith
outlook
5-10 So. Guard, 1.0 ppg, 1.2 ppg The former Peninsula District Player of the Year at Hampton High School played in 17 games for the Dukes as a freshman.
Who’s New #10 Tanica Anderson 5-5 Jr. Guard Like her returning JMU teammates, Anderson also has won back-to-back championships. Hers came at Midland (Texas) College, where the Chaparrals captured Western Junior College Athletic Conference titles in 2010 and 2011. And yes, Anderson might have to wear a particular hairstyle to reach 5-5, but as they say, “great things come in small packages.”
#3 Toia Giggetts
and on the “watch lists” for all three national Player of the Year awards. She led the Dukes to two CAA titles while dealing with a kidney disorder and inspiring youngsters in her role as an ambassador for The NephCure Foundation.
Jalissa Taylor 6-3 Forward/Center, 3.2 ppg, 6.5 rpg She may be best remembered for her warm smile, her work ethic in the classroom and the goose bumps she caused with her rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner.” But don’t overlook Taylor’s contributions to the Dukes’ successful run to back-to-back CAA Championships and three straight appearances in the CAA title game, as she started 76 games, grabbed just under 700 rebounds and scored nearly 550 points in her career.
Courtney Hamner 5-10 Guard, 8.5 ppg, 4.5 rpg
The two-time All-Tidewater Region selection helped lead Lake Taylor High School to the Virginia group AAA state championship her junior season and to a state runner-up finish her senior season. She also played on Boo Williams’ elite AAU team.
As a senior Hamner finally hit her stride after recovering from mid-career knee surgery. The Dukes’ speedster and three-time recipient of the team’s “hustle award” was rewarded with CAA All-Tournament honors. She averaged 14.0 points and 7.0 rebounds while hitting 63 percent (10-16) from 3-point range in three CAA Tournament games.
#0 Jasmine Gill
Lauren Jimenez
6-1 Jr. -r Guard
6-4 Center, 14.1 ppg, 8.5 rpg
The transfer from Boston College sat out last season due to NCAA transfer rules. She averaged 6.5 points and 4.1 rebounds her sophomore year at BC, and as a BC freshman she played in 30 games for the Eagles’ WNIT semifinalist team.
The Dukes’ leading rebounder and second-leading scorer last season, Jimenez battled injuries throughout her college career. She finished it out in style, however, earning All-CAA First Team recognition and winning CAA All-Tournament honors for the second year in a row.
6-0 Fr. Forward
#24 Jazmon Gwathmey
Super Bowl Streak
Kenny Brooks’ teams are undefeated (8-0) in games played on Super Bowl Sunday. This year’s Super Bowl opponent is George Mason, on Feb. 5 at the JMU Convocation Center. (NOTE: The Dukes’ 2010 Super Bowl Sunday game against Drexel was postponed to Monday due to a snowstorm.)
Attendance Records Continue to Fall Last season JMU set a program record for average attendance (2,587). The Dukes’ fans have set attendance average records in seven of coach Kenny Brooks’ nine seasons.
6-2 Fr. Guard Gwathmey earned state Player of the Year honors after leading Liberty High School to the Virginia group AA state championship last year.
#14 Briana Jones 6-2 Fr. Forward/Center Jones made her mark at Whitefield Academy, helping the Wolfpack to its second-ever state tournament appearance and earning all-region and All-Cobb County honors four years.
#21 Crystal Ross 6-3 Fr. Forward/Center The Philly native played her high school ball at Smyrna (Del.) High School, where she twice earned All-State Honorable Mention while leading the Eagles to a state runner-up finish her junior year and a Henlopen Conference championship her senior season.
Who’s Gone Dawn Evans
Everything that can be counted does not necessarily count; everything that counts cannot necessarily be counted. - Albert Einstein
But if you’re counting… 1 2 5 6 9 10 16 16 19.8
Number of CAA victories JMU needs to reach 300 Number of wins Kenny Brooks needs to reach 200 career victories CAA championship game appearances in the last six seasons under Brooks Consecutive 20-win JMU seasons under Brooks Number of times Brooks’ teams have won after trailing by 10 points The 2011-12 season marks Brooks’ 10th as the Dukes’ coach. Longest JMU winning streak under Brooks 20-win seasons in JMU basketball history Average number of JMU wins per year in first nine seasons under Brooks
5-7 Point Guard, 23.1 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 4.5 apg The CAA’s career scoring leader literally re-wrote the JMU record book and finished her career as the most decorated athlete in the program’s history. Evans was a finalist for the Nancy Lieberman Award for the nation’s top point guard, a two-time Associated Press Honorable Mention All-America,
2011-12 JMU Basketball - 11