By: Wichita State
Colorado State (0-0) vs. Wichita State (0-0)
2:05 p.m. ? Sat., November 15, 2008 ? Charles Koch Arena (10,502) ? Wichita, Kan. ? Season Opener/Jody Adams Day
Radio: KNSS 1330 AM (Brian Petrotta)
Every senior that wears a Shocker uniform relishes the opportunity to leave their footprint on the program, the things they will be remembered for once their playing days are done. Some do it by dotting their name throughout the record books. Others do it by becoming fan favorites because of characteristics they show on and off the court. Still others leave their mark simply by being consistent and being comfortable in their respective roles.
As WSU's two seniors step on the court Saturday to begin their final season in a Shocker uniform, Daria Frazier and Marcy Sudbeck are ready to leave their stamp on the program. But it will be different for this duo, because their hope is not to be remembered for the things they did in the past, but what their actions can lead the Shocker basketball program to in the future.
Wichita State opens the regular season at 2:05 p.m., Saturday against Colorado State. While Frazier and Sudbeck are excited about the season starting, they hope their lasting legacy is only the beginning of what can be accomplished here by the WSU women's basketball program.
"I hope the fans remember that this was where it all turned around," Sudbeck said. "I hope they remember that this was the breaking point where this team completely changed and went from the bottom to consistently one of the top three teams in the league."
Frazier is hopeful that the fans remember the effort put into this year, the blood, sweat and tears shed to begin the resurrection of Shocker basketball.
"I want fans to say that through everything I continued to work hard my last year," Frazier said. "I want them to know that we gave it everything we had."
The pair, and the rest of the squad, is hungry. Frazier and Sudbeck want their final season to mean something, and that opportunity begins against the Rams Saturday afternoon. They aren't caught up in lofty dreams, but in the hope that whatever they accomplish this year that it's only the beginning of what's to come.
"I think we are very hungry to get back on the court," Sudbeck said. "We have been working hard together since March learning new systems and how Coach Adams wants to run things. So we are ready to start playing the games and showing people what we have. The exhibition game helped a lot to get rid of the nerves and getting everyone on the same page, but Saturday is when it counts."
Neither senior felt like they had their best game on Sunday in WSU's exhibition win over the Oklahoma Flyers. But they do feel more comfortable now, and think things are coming together for this team at just the right time.
"There was a stretch in the second half where Jody gave me the opportunity to watch," Frazier said with a smile. "It was good because it was a chance for me to sit and watch and see that this program really has changed a lot. At that point I knew it was time to get on the boat and get this thing going for this year."
The difference was in the details. The Shockers did the little things right. They commited just 10 turnovers, shot well from the outside, and recorded 17 assists on 25 baskets.
"I think overall I felt like we were crisp," Sudbeck said. "We were more refined in all the small details than we have been. I think some of the things that we didn't do well are things that we can fix in practice. Although we will keep working on it, we feel like we at least have the basics, and that is big for our confidence."
Notes: Saturday marks Colorado State head coach Kristen Holt's first trip to Wichita since leaving for Ft. Collins before the beginning of last season. Holt served as an assistant at WSU from 2003-07 ... Colorado State shot nearly 35-percent from three-point range a year ago, a clip that would have finished among the top four in the Missouri Valley Conference, one of the top three-point shooting leagues in the nation last season ... The Shockers will open the season at home against a Mountain West Conference opponent for the second time in its last four openers, after taking on San Diego State in the first game of the 2005-06 season. WSU won that game 91-79, and finished the year with a 15-13 ... Jody Adams will attempt to become just the third coach in Shocker history to win her first game at the helm. Linda Hargrove was the first to achieve a career-opening win, a 69-64 win at Marquette in 1989, followed by Darryl Smith's 69-64 overtime win over UMKC in 1998. Every other coach has opened their tenure with a loss ... Saturday is Jody Adams Day, honoring the new Shocker coach. She will be available to sign autographs following the game.
