There is no more debate about who will lead the Lobos onto the court for opening night. Head coach Yvonne Sanchez has named her starting five as New Mexico awaits the season tip on Friday at 8 p.m. against Houston Baptist.
After an offseason with question marks surrounding the five and three spots, guard Jannon Otto and center Whitney Johnson will join guard Bryce Owens, forward Khadijah Shumpert and guard Cherise Beynon as the first players with playing time in the 2015-2016 campaign, according to Sanchez.
“I think Whitney and Khadija’s combination is good, but (forward) Kianna (Keller) is playing awfully well, and obviously (center) Jaisa (Nunn) is playing awfully well,” Sanchez said.
Otto, the freshman from Victorville, California, was the lead candidate to replace the vacant guard spot this offseason. Although no one expects her to completely fill the big shoes Antiesha Brown left after expiring her years of eligibility, the guard will be asked to take the three spot on the floor.
However, Sanchez said she had no idea who was going to receive the starting spot at the vacant post position. Senior Alexa Chavez, last year’s starter who missed the entire offseason with a foot injury, has given way to Johnson, the redshirt-junior transfer.
Sanchez has said all preseason that she is comfortable playing her entire squad at any given moment. This is good news for the deep Lobo bench in search for playing time.
Shumpert, the senior captain on the squad, said she is ready to stop running drills against her teammates and start putting some stats on the board. She, along with the rest of the returning roster, has had a long wait since last season’s loss to Oral Roberts in the second round of the Women’s Basketball Invitational.
“It seems like we’ve been practicing for forever,” Shumpert said. “We’re really excited to actually play and get out there.”
In an unorthodox start to the season, the Lobos will shadow the men’s season opener, starting 30 minutes following the outcome of the men’s match against Texas Southern. The men are scheduled to tip at 5:30 p.m.
Although Sanchez said she didn’t like this layout, she and Craig Neal, the men’s head coach, came to an agreement with the doubleheader after needing to add one more game to the schedule, Sanchez said.
Sanchez said one good thing coming from the Friday night double-header will be the publicity her squad will receive from their male counterparts. Sanchez said the league should put something in place to help her team receive more exposure; but for now, Sanchez said she will take what marketing she can get.
“Not wanting doubleheaders, but riding off the men’s coattails, that’s the way we got it,” Sanchez said. “I appreciate Root Sports and the fact that they said ‘we’re going to do both games.’”
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Sanchez has lit up Albuquerque as an enticing place to play. After the head coach’s recruiting class last year turned some heads, Sanchez has done it again after receiving the top recruiting class in the Mountain West for the second year in a row, according to BlueStar Basketball and Collegiate Girls Basketball Report.
The Lobos will add depth to the already-frightening post position with the additions of forward Brittany Panetti and center Hannah Sjerven.
Panetti committed to UNM out of Katy, Texas, where the forward was averaging double-doubles throughout the duration of her high school career. She will bring her 10.1 points per game and 10 boards per contest, which she picked up her sophomore year.
Sjerven is coming from a place where Sanchez has often gone to find success. The three-star recruit, also averaging double-doubles (13.7 points, 12.3 rebounds, and 5.8 blocks), is coming from the same AAU program as Shumpert and assistant coach Amy Beggin. The Minnesota native was ranked as the Mountain West’s highest recruit.
Not far behind her is the second-highest recruit in the MW, Sammie Woodward. The guard out of Wisconsin averaged 18.3 points per game and eight boards, rewarding her with First Team All-Conference and Honorable Mention All-State in her junior year.
Mykiel Burleson missed her junior year due to injury, but ESPNW rater her No. 25 at the wing position. As a sophomore, the guard out of Pflugerville, Texas averaged nine points and 6.1 rebounds in her sophomore year.
“We are extremely excited to add these four young ladies to the Lobo family,” Sanchez said in the release. “They will all come in and blend well together.”
Liam Cary-Eaves is the sports editor for the Daily Lobo. He can be reached at assistantsports@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @Liam_CE.
