2008 Woodie Awards
Middleton needs height to match depth
Ben Nielsen
Issue date: 3/9/07 Section: Sports
- Page 1 of 1
The seasoned Jim Middleton will be entering his 14th season as Southwest Baptist's women's head basketball coach next November. However, it will be this offseason that will define his career at Southwest Baptist University.
Middleton is 203-135 in his career at SBU. He has led the Lady Bearcats to all five of their NCAA tournament appearances in the school's history, including a Sweet Sixteen appearance in 2000 and a trip to the second round in 2001.
However, since 2001, his teams have an overall record of 81-85 and a very embarrassing 38-68 record in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA). This has seemingly erased the success Middleton had early in his career in the minds of many fans.
This is why this offseason is so important to Middleton.
Middleton has the structure in place to build a successful team next season. Anything less than an NCAA tournament appearance would be unacceptable for the talent that could be on the floor next season.
The Lady Bearcats are very close to entering the top half of the MIAA standings. At 7-11, SBU was awfully close to finishing there this season. With as deep as the MIAA is, it would be difficult to not see the fourth best team in this conference not make the NCAA tournament.
Middleton has a plethora of talented guards. Future juniors Traci Bybee, Courtney Shewmaker, Courtney Creed and sophomore Rachel Graves and senior Erika Souza gives the Lady Bearcats all kinds of depth.
What SBU is currently lacking is a big man (or woman, whatever they are called in women's basketball).
SBU was out-rebounded 479-361 in their 11 MIAA losses this season. In these losses, SBU gave up 45 or more rebounds to their opponents five times and 15 or more offensive rebounds three times. The gap was much smaller in SBU's seven wins with a margin of 268-277.
So somewhere, anywhere, Middleton needs to find a couple of girls who can rebound and have the athletic ability to slow down the likes of Emporia State's junior Michelle Stueve, Missouri Western's Ashleigh Curry and Jill Johnson, Washburn's junior Amanda Holmes and Truman's sophomore Georgia Mueller. Those are the players SBU will have trouble with next season without a few really tall people.
SBU will have at least two scholarships open due to seniors Liva Brito and Amber Wheeler exhausting their eligibility.
Middleton is running out of time. He needs to prove to a waning fan base that he still has it as a coach.
Middleton said in his press conference after the loss to Washburn in the MIAA tournament that a result like this year's in the tournament will not be acceptable next season. Middleton knows the pressure that is on him to succeed.
If Middleton cannot win with these girls, people need to question the direction of the program. Hopefully, we will not have to worry about that.
Middleton is 203-135 in his career at SBU. He has led the Lady Bearcats to all five of their NCAA tournament appearances in the school's history, including a Sweet Sixteen appearance in 2000 and a trip to the second round in 2001.
However, since 2001, his teams have an overall record of 81-85 and a very embarrassing 38-68 record in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA). This has seemingly erased the success Middleton had early in his career in the minds of many fans.
This is why this offseason is so important to Middleton.
Middleton has the structure in place to build a successful team next season. Anything less than an NCAA tournament appearance would be unacceptable for the talent that could be on the floor next season.
The Lady Bearcats are very close to entering the top half of the MIAA standings. At 7-11, SBU was awfully close to finishing there this season. With as deep as the MIAA is, it would be difficult to not see the fourth best team in this conference not make the NCAA tournament.
Middleton has a plethora of talented guards. Future juniors Traci Bybee, Courtney Shewmaker, Courtney Creed and sophomore Rachel Graves and senior Erika Souza gives the Lady Bearcats all kinds of depth.
What SBU is currently lacking is a big man (or woman, whatever they are called in women's basketball).
SBU was out-rebounded 479-361 in their 11 MIAA losses this season. In these losses, SBU gave up 45 or more rebounds to their opponents five times and 15 or more offensive rebounds three times. The gap was much smaller in SBU's seven wins with a margin of 268-277.
So somewhere, anywhere, Middleton needs to find a couple of girls who can rebound and have the athletic ability to slow down the likes of Emporia State's junior Michelle Stueve, Missouri Western's Ashleigh Curry and Jill Johnson, Washburn's junior Amanda Holmes and Truman's sophomore Georgia Mueller. Those are the players SBU will have trouble with next season without a few really tall people.
SBU will have at least two scholarships open due to seniors Liva Brito and Amber Wheeler exhausting their eligibility.
Middleton is running out of time. He needs to prove to a waning fan base that he still has it as a coach.
Middleton said in his press conference after the loss to Washburn in the MIAA tournament that a result like this year's in the tournament will not be acceptable next season. Middleton knows the pressure that is on him to succeed.
If Middleton cannot win with these girls, people need to question the direction of the program. Hopefully, we will not have to worry about that.
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